When tying shoelaces there may once have been “I am tying shoelaces”. Yet now there is just tying shoelaces without thinking so.
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i think this is not the same mechanism. That is about conditioning not about seeing.
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Indeed there is tying shoelaces with and without mindfulness. There is no suffering whatsoever in tying shoelaces mindfully. What is difficult is living this way in the face of the unconditioned and conditioned moment by moment.
SN35.95:10.1: “In that case, when it comes to things that are to be seen, heard, thought, and known: in the seen will be merely the seen; in the heard will be merely the heard; in the thought will be merely the thought; in the known will be merely the known.
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I think the best approach is to observe aspects of experience with an open mind, rather than with preconceptions.
So instead of looking for anicca, just look. Instead of treating anicca as a belief or an assumption, treat it as a pointer for reflection, post-observation.
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Nāma means “name” and it is intrinsically tied with the process of creating concepts.
There’s no such thing as awareness without concepts. The very existence of consciousness is co-created with concepts and does not exist without them; they are how the mind works. This is emphasized in DN 15 Mahanidana:
That’s why this is the cause, source, origin, and condition of consciousness, namely name and form. This is the extent to which one may be reborn, grow old, die, pass away, or reappear. This is how far the scope of language, terminology, and description extends; how far the sphere of wisdom extends; how far the cycle of rebirths proceeds so that this state of existence is to be found; namely, name and form together with consciousness.
The notion of conceptless meditation was pioneered in the 20th century. The underlying motivation, as always with these doctrinal innovations, was rooted in time and place. Western colonialists criticized Asian paths for being “irrational”, so the response was, “what we have is better than mere reason.” We can find this tendency in movements as diverse as Theravadin vipassana, Krishnamurti, or Japanese Zen (as presented by Suzuki). It is to this day uncritically repeated by countless meditation teachers, but it is based not in the Suttas, nor in Buddhist traditions, nor in actual meditative experience.
The idea that deep meditation leads beyond reason is true, but is easily overinterpreted. Certainly the path of meditation leads beyond the creation of explicit verbally enunciated chains of thought that western philosophers deal with, and which they call “reason” or “logic”. But to restrict the sphere of “concepts” in this way is to fall into the very fallacies that the western philosophies were guilty of.
In the formation of consciousness itself, concepts at a far more subtle level play a crucial role is shaping and directing the mind. The suttas, and all (so far as I am aware) ancient Buddhist sages and philosophers accepted two valid forms of knowledge:
- direct awareness (paccakkha)
- inference (anumāna, anvaya)
Without inference there is no vipassana.
One of the problems is that we massively overestimate the scope of direct awareness. We can be directly aware of, say, a sight. But of course, we are not seeing a “tree” or a “house”, we are seeing simply light in its different wavelengths, i.e. “color”. Even this requires perception to process, for example, to recognize the difference between “sight” and “sound”. And this is the root meaning of the English “concept”: to see together, to grasp the unity of a set of phenomena.
Now let’s say this sight changes. Red become yellow. Formerly we saw red, now we see yellow. But did our eyes see the change from red to yellow? No they did not. Eye consciousness cannot see change, it can only see color. “Change” is an inference made in the mind.
In fact change can never be directly observed. It must be an inference, derived from comparing this state of things with a remembered former state of things. There is no such thing as the direct observation of impermanence even in one simple sense experience, still less in “all conditions”.
The whole point of insight is that we can look at the limited sphere of our own experience and understand by inference that all experience must be of the same nature. Only then can we let go.
The use of inference in this way is implicit in all the Buddha’s teachings about wisdom. In some contexts it is brought to the fore, as for example in SN 12.23:
A noble disciple understands old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation. This is their knowledge of the present phenomenon. With this present phenomenon that is seen, known, immediate, attained, and fathomed, they infer to the past and future.
Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the past directly knew old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation, all of them directly knew these things in exactly the same way that I do now.
Whatever ascetics and brahmins in the future will directly know old age and death, their origin, their cessation, and the practice that leads to their cessation, all of them will directly know these things in exactly the same way that I do now. This is their inferential knowledge.
A noble disciple has purified and cleansed these two knowledges—knowledge of the present phenomena, and inferential knowledge. When a noble disciple has done this, they’re called ‘one accomplished in view’, ‘one accomplished in vision’, ‘one who has come to the true teaching’, ‘one who sees this true teaching’, ‘one endowed with a trainee’s knowledge’, ‘one who has entered the stream of the teaching’, ‘a noble one with penetrative wisdom’, and ‘one who stands pushing open the door of the deathless’.
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veneration to the sangha & respectful pranaams to all Elders & learned dhamma scholars.
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buddha’s teachings are like an all-encompassing ocean that includes all possible strategies of mind management. definitely - interpretation, analysis, reflection, review, conceptualization, inference, suppression, restraint, control, eradication etc. are all part of the wide spectrum of buddha dhamma. but, buddha’s unique discovery was the path of insight: yathabhuta nanadassana - awareness of the reality of paramattha saccas ‘as it is’.
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truth tends to get “organized” over time & that is how different schools of thought, traditions and “techniques” come into being. moreover, a non-meditative mind may tend to intellectualize the pariyatti and not be able to fathom the true meaning of buddha’s words. pariyatti & patipatti go hand-in-hand to achieve pativedhana. the seeker needs to look beyond the words & take refuge in his own experiential understanding.
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“Pannatti dhamma is an interesting subject. It does not arise and it does not fall away. It is not an event. It is non event. It does not hold any of tilakkhana namely anicca or impermanance, dukkha or suffering, and anatta or non self. Pannatti is not an ultimate reality. It is not an ultimate truth. But it is very important dhamma. Without pannatti we will not understand anything at all. That is why we need to study pannatti dhamma in dhamma study. If pannatti is not understood, then paramattha dhamma will not be understood. When dhammas are not understood, it is hard to transcend this samsara or round of births which is birth-death-birth-death-birth…beginningless endless cycle. So what does pannatti mean? Pannatti means name, idea, notion, concept, designation, description, manifestation or making known. Pannatti is a dhamma that makes us known paramattha dhamma and also pannatti dhamma as well. So this is quite evident that pannatti does help us understand everything including pannatti”.
- patthana dhamma, htoo naing (2005)
it cannot be denied that:
pannatti is needed to understand the paramattha. pannatti is needed to understand the pariyatti dhamma.
pannatti is needed to practice sila & samadhi patipatti dhamma. pannatti is needed to begin vipassana meditation. pannatti is needed to go beyond pannatti & cultivate paramattha sacca bhavana.
- pannatti thapetva visesena passati’ti vipassana. this is the essence of what may be called “theravadin vipassana” with references from patisambhidamagga attakatha, vipassana dipani by ven. ledi sayadaw, paramattha dipani by ven. ledi sayadaw etc. but, in fact, this ‘beyond-concepts’ path-of-deconditioning is the cornerstone & the unique contribution of buddha to end the endless rounds of birth & death.
vipassana does not begin without “pannatti thapetva”. an interpretative, analytical & comparative mindset is not practicing vipassana. why so? and why is vipassana needed? actually, the conceptual mind is the doer mind and the doer mind keeps creating kamma / kamma-sankhara and thus keeps turning the bhavacakka. the way out of this vicious cycle is to set aside the conceptual mind and observe the reality ‘as it is’ (yathabhuta). navanca kammam na karoti. puranca kammam phussa phussa vyanti karoti.
- finally - it is very clear that the abhidhamma scholar may not be satisfied with what is said before & is likely to raise various objections when he is presented with the vipassanic teachings on tilakkhana bhavana & pannatti vs. paramattha. how can a mind “know” anicca in the “present moment” - if is not analysing, inferring, comparing & conceptualizing? how can the mind “comprehend” anatta? these are just a few of the many-fold objections that may be raised by a learned theoretical abhidhammic scholar.
in brief, it is emphasised that there is a gulf of difference between anussati & anupassana and that the tilakkhana bhavana is means to an end and not an end in itself. the purpose of buddha-dhamma is to de-condition the mind and not to meet any theoretical objective of “registering” what is anicca & what is not.
however, the mind may reflect, interpret, analyse & infer impermanence in various ways and this pannatti-laden conceptualization may help to steady the mind in various ways in order to begin vipassana i.e look at paramattha sacca ‘as it is’ (yathabhuta) sans pannattis.
pariyatti, sila & samadhi are fields of pannatti. panna (vipassana bhavana) is “pannatti thapetva”. again, it must be noted that the vipassana bhavana is a progressive process and a journey from olariko to sukhuma to sukhuma’ti OR doer to observer to observer-is-observed OR from aniccanupassana / dukkhanupassana to anattanupassana OR from pannatti to paramattha OR so to say from sammuti sacca to paramattha sacca! this is the “tiparivattam dvadasakaram” progressive path of “yathabhuta nanadassana” suvisuddhi.
- the true aniccanupassana is a concept-less, thought-less, label-less & inference-less awareness of the reality in the present moment, which may begin at the grossest level as a conceptual inference / anussati of “anicca” but, progressively grows to become aniccanupassana. the silent concept-less (pannatti thapetva) aniccanupassana will not think/analyse/infer and label “anicca” and there will be mere-bare silent yathabhuta awareness of the ephemeral reality of nama-rupa which will eventually lead to the realization of emptiness of all phenomenon.
the aniccanupassana is a tool - a faculty - a state of mind - a depth of insight - where the mahaggata citta silently comes to realize the ephemeral nature of the nama-rupa phenomenon beyond the false image of permanence & self conjured by the paritta citta. thus, nibbida-nana develops. dukkhanupassana & anattanupassana further develops the nibbida-nana leading to sankharaupekkha nana which culminates in nibbanic dip.
- going beyond words & inviting the meditating mind to see the truth, the following two references are quoted for silent meditative contemplation:
Aniccasaññino, meghiya, anattasaññā saṇṭhāti. Anattasaññī asmimānasamugghātaṁ pāpuṇāti diṭṭheva dhamme nibbānan”ti.
- meghiya sutta
aparena samayena pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassī viharati.
- khemaka sutta
it is emphasised that it is only the inference-less, analysis-less, thought-less, concept-less & label-less mere & bare observation of the reality ‘as it is’ that can raise aniccanupassana to anattanupassana (yavadeva nanamattaya patisatimattaya anissito ca viharati) leading to nibbanic dip (na ca kinci loke upadiyati).
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a thoughtful, psychologically interpretative mind that struggles to “cultivate equanimity” and that too exclusively on body sensations and tries to “understand” impermanence or tries to develop “equanimity based on the law of impermanence” is practicing an improvised “vipassana technique” which was not taught by the buddha in the mahasatipatthana sutta or elsewhere. it is akin to the practice of a concept-laden (not pannatti thapetva) practice of samadhi on body sensations with the psychological imposition of the concepts of ‘equanimity’ & ‘impermanence’ on body sensations like a mantra.
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the sincere seeker may dwell on the pithy quote: “pannatti thapetva visesena passati’ti vipassana” and ask himself what is that ‘pannatti-free observation’ that elevates ordinary ‘passati’ to ‘visesena passati’ and turns the ordinary humdrum cognitive mind process to the life-changing & mind-deconditioning process of ‘vipassana’? undoubtedly, the journey is a progressive one from ‘pannatti’ to ‘pannatti thapetva’ to ‘vipassana’ but, if the mind wilfully strives, puts effort, exercises choice and thereby remains in the field of pannattis (i.e. concepts) in the name of vipassana then there is no progressive or instantaneous flash of insight and rather it will be akin to rowing a boat for life while ensuring that the boat is firmly tied to the river bank! tassa vaddhanti asava!
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true vipassana, in the ultimate sense, is an effortless, choiceless & conceptless mere-bare awareness of the reality of mind-matter ‘as it is’. this pure process has the potential to transcend pannatti / sammuti sacca and know sankhata paramattha sacca of nama-rupa and eventually see asankhata paramattha sacca of nibbana.
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if there is anything useful in this article - may the credits & merits go entirely to the true vipassana acariya sayagyi u ba khin and may the author be blamed for all faults & shortcomings which are because of his deep seated avijja and be forgiven for it.
“Idamavoca bhagava. Attamana te bhikkhu bhagavato bhasitam abhinandum’ti”
with deep respect & much metta for all Elders on the path,
- manish
It’s convenient to reject the value of a “mundane” path when your talks are being edited into books for you by your best friend in the study late at night, freeing you to sneak into his wife’s bedroom, have sex with her, and then get her to have an abortion.
At it’s most simple, the raw experience of sense consciousness.
While all Buddhist schools and teachers accepted the importance of these two forms of knowledge, however, the exact definitions and boundaries between them are not easily settled with precision. Hence in later times the pramāna school became the most sophisticated branch of Buddhist philosophy, as some of the greatest minds of India grappled with these problems.
I didn’t know this, thanks!
Interesting, I’ll have to think how this relates to anicca as the Buddha meant it.
Thanks Bhante Sujato. What do they mean with direct awareness?
(Does that relate to MN1)
It may be interesting to note that change can also be spatial as well as temporal.
Temporal change can be detected by neurons since each neuron itself only sees the past. Neurons take a while to trigger, so comparing a short neural chain with a longer neural chain will automatically trigger the inference of temporal change.
Spatial change can be detected by two neurons given appropriate spatial input (i.e., two adjacent red receptors). Here, too, spatial change is an inference based on the past.
Indeed, “inference” can be modeled by neurons, but that modeling will always be a neural interpretation, a distorted echo of the past. The term “contact” is actually quite useful here. The word “inference” is so broad in scope and can evoke memories of that very intentional consciousness required for math homework. In contrast, the word “contact” is beautifully naked of all such intention. Contact just clicks as a finger snap of the past:
MN148:7.3: Eye consciousness arises dependent on the eye and sights. The meeting of the three is contact.
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I have some belief it is not really helpful to dig into the mechanism how to become enlightend, make a breaktrough to the Dhamma and dip in Nibbana etc. I even have a feeling, all this knowledge becomes detrimental.
One thinks one knows how to get to Rome but it is all in the head, an imagined route. It is not that one has personally arrived in Rome or even has stepped into a train ot get there 
I think this is exactly what grasping mind want and does. It seeks all the time grip in intellectual knowledge but in reality it is not a Dhamma-expert. Yes, it is an expert in seeking grip and claiming understanding where it is not really yet. It focusses on wrong things. It is trying to understand all, the total route, all the stations, all the things to do and not to do, the mechanisms. But it is not really practising. It is trying to get grip on everything.
It is what i see in myself.
TRUE VIPASSANA - A PROGRESSIVE JOURNEY FROM SAMMUTI / PANNATTI TO PARAMATTHA: RESOLVING THE CONUNDRUMS
perhaps the most pithy & accurate definition of vipassana is how the traditional theravada burmese tradition defines vipassana: “pannattim thapetva visesena passati’ti vipassana”. vipassana research institute (VRI, igatpuri) publications mention two references for this quote: a) paramattha dipani by ven. ledi sayadaw & b) patisambhidamagga attakatha nanakatha. however, searching the chattha sangayana tipitaka digital database published by VRI itself at tipitaka.org failed to locate this quote in the abovesaid two references & when the author contacted the VRI scholars - they could not give any answer. however, this quote has been cited by ven. ashin kundalabhivamsa, acharya goenkaji and many other dhamma scholars. a careful analysis confirms that it is an accurate expression of abhidhammic tenets that define what true vipassana is & can be said to be the essence of vipassana dipani & paramattha dipani of ven. ledi sayadaw and patisambhidamagga attakatha nanakatha.
a similar quote is as follows:
Visuddhimagga tika states: “tathalakkhaṇaṃ visesato passatīti vipassanāti vuccati”. the members of dhamma-study-group [DSG] of ven. abhidhamma master ajahn sujin said that: “thus it is vipassanā, to see with distinction and clarity the true / real characteristic!..It conforms with Ajahn’s words on vipassana as when a reality appears well/clearly”.
a word search of the dhamma-study-group archives located a discussion on “pannattim thapetva visesena passati’ ti vipassana” in 2005 alongwith ven. ajahn sujin’s comments on it. the questioner said: “pannattim thapetva visesena passati’ ti vipassana. Putting aside concept, he sees in a special way, thus it is Vipassana”. ven. ajahn sujin commented: “This is a great quote. Yes, we’re all hooked on our concepts and stories and trips and that’s oh, so daily life and ordinary. The point is that the development of vipassana is the insight into namas and rupas, i.e paramattha dhammas and not into concepts. We’e all already experts at proliferating about the concepts!”
some scholars have objected to author’s articles stating that vipassana cannot be a concept-less contemplation and that the idea of effort-less, choice-less, thought-less, label-less & concept-less awareness of the reality ‘as it is’ is a later post-canonical theravadin concept which gained credence due to the teachings of contemporary theravada vipassana teachers, j. krishnamurti & zen master DTS suzuki etc. however, a careful analysis confirms that it is not so. the classical vipassana teaching of the buddha is undoubtedly ‘pannattim thapetva visesena passati’ti vipassana’ and surely, it cannot be otherwise!
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if vipassana is all about memory, thinking, analysing, inferring, conceptualizing & psychologically labelling then there will be no difference between yonisomanasikara / cintamayi panna AND bhavanamayi-panna / yathabhuta nanadassana. if so, sammuti sacca dhammas (apparent truths) & paramattha sacca dhammas (the ultimate truths) will become one and the same. since it is not so - the basic premise of ‘pannattim thapetva visesena passati’ti vipassana’ cannot be denied.
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it is the thinking & doing mind [the doer] which holds on to concepts to do ‘something’. doing & concepts go hand in hand and if there is a doer & doing - there is kamma i.e. kamma-sankhara. vipassana is the art and science of observation of yathabhuta saccas - the progressive journey from doer to observer to observer-is-observed. the purpose is to transcend the kamma making mechanism & de-condition the mind by not creating a new kamma & eradication of old kamma by virtue of the operation of the second link of the paticca samuppada working in patiloma. just as the nigantha sutta states: “navanca kammam na karoti, purananca kammam phussa phussa vyanti karoti”. if the mind is still analyzing & inferring & conceptualizing & labeling - even if it is doing so in the name of vipassana meditation - then it is still in the doer-ship mode & creating new kamma. it is not vipassana! vipassana meditators need to ponder whether they are really observing the reality ‘as it is’ - silently, effortlessly & choicelessly in the present moment or have they turned vipassana into an intellectual or psychological or psycho-analytical technique by forcefully & effortfully imposing the concepts of ‘equanimity’, ‘impermanence’, ‘satipatthana bhavana’, ‘holistic awareness’ etc. on their observation.
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if the reality of nama-rupa is anatta with “no control” - just empty phenomenon rolling on & on - then isn’t the concept of an “I”, a centre, a controller, an inferrer, an analyser, a conceptualizer, a doer or even an observer - an illusion? observer-is-observed. who is analyzing, inferring, comparing, conceptualizing, meditating? is there any such registering authority which psychoanalytically “understands” and “registers” a phenomenon as “anicca” and thereby “becomes equanimous” on the basis of “equanimity based on the law of impermanence”? who made this law of meditation? did buddha teach in this way “every moment aware & every moment equanimous” anywhere in the mahasatipatthana sutta? did sayagyi u ba khin ever teach to “develop equanimity” exclusively on “body sensations” as the beginning of vipassana meditation? did saya thetgyi ever teach to develop equanimity this way? when & how & why did vipassana - a process of observation - turn into a mechanical kriya-yoga style technique? when & how & why did vipassana - which is cattaro satipatthana bhavana - a process of observation of the reality ‘as it is’ - pajanati …pajanati …pajanati … turn into a jain samayika style forceful equanimity cultivation practice? the sincere seeker needs to self-introspect and find out whether he is silently observing the reality ‘as it is’ effortlessly & choicelessly from moment-to-moment or instead is effortfully inferring / looking for some so-called ‘equanimity’ or impermanence and is psychologically imposing the concepts of “anicca” & “equanimity” on body sensations like a mantra. if so - is it true vipassana as taught by the bhagava in the mahasatipatthana sutta? isn’t it merely a forceful practice of conceptual samadhi on body sensations with equanimity as the conceptual object? can this non-vipassana ‘technique’ de-condition the mind leading to nibbana?
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pariyatti, sila & samadhi are fields of concepts (pannatti) whereas vipassana is panna bhavana and the field of ‘pannatti thapetva’. is it possible to practice vipassana with the same conceptual mindset with which one practices samadhi? one may need to seriously ponder over this. anapanasati can be samadhi kammatthana in accordance with visuddhimagga or anapanasati may be a vipassana kammatthana in accordance with mahasatipatthana sutta (kayanupassana, anapanapabbam). what is the difference between anapanasati as samadhi (with concepts) & anapanasati as vipassana (without concepts)? what should be the accompanying change in the mediator’s mindset during conceptual samadhi practice Vs. non-conceptual vipassana bhavana? one may need to seriously ponder over this.
if it is a conceptual samadhi - there will be a conceptual object on which citassa ekaggata is to be developed leading to jhanic absorptions. if it is vipassana - it will be on the plane of khanika samadhi (upacara samadhi of first jhana) and will be concept-less awareness of the paramattha sacca dhammas of nama-rupa ‘as it is’ manifesting with one of the tilakkhanas of anicca-lakkhana or dukkha-lakkhana or anatta-lakkhana from moment-to-moment.
- similarly, there is a lot of confusion about what constitutes “cattaro satipatthana bhavana” i.e. the bhavana of all four satipatthanas. there are many who feel that the vipassana teaching of sayagyi u ba khin is incomplete because it covers only kayanupassana / vedananupassana and that something ‘extra’ needs to be done or understood or included in order to make it ‘holistic’ or ‘complete’ bhavana of all six-sense doors & involving all four satipatthanas. is this understanding correct? is thinking, analysing, interpreting, conceptualizing or inferring in the name of a so-called ‘holistic open awareness’ really the bhavana of all four satipatthanas? when and how did vipassana - the dynamic ‘process of observation’ get organized & technicalized to become such a technique?
the four satipatthanas are actually one. the four satipatthana divisions together cover the entire field of nama-rupa. each division is merely the beginning of ‘yathabhuta nanadassana’ from the point-of-view of particular facet of the nama-rupa phenomenon. no matters how one begins or in what way or in accordance to which division or subdivisions of the mahasatipatthana sutta - the meditator is always observing the entire phenomenon of mind-matter! the anicca that a kayanupassi observes is the anicca of all the five-khandas. isn’t it? if so - isn’t the meditation of a kayanupassi holistic? samma-sati itself covers all the four satipatthanas! the bhavana of any subsection of the mahasatipatthana sutta when well developed (bhavito bahulikato) becomes the complete bhavana of all-four satipatthanas & all seven bojjhangas & all four noble truths leading to nibbana.
the following quotes confirm the holistic nature of cattaro-satipatthana bhavana and that the division/subdivisions are merely due to different starting kammatthana given to different meditators in accordance with their different propensities. its always one & same totally complete holistic cattaro satipatthana bhavana - no matter how one begins the vipassana practice and in accordance with which subdivision of the mahasatipatthana sutta.
a. catunnaṃ satipaṭṭhānānaṃ ekena satipaṭṭhānena (Peṭakopadesapāḷi 5. Pañcamabhūmi)
b. ekameva satipaṭṭhānaṃ ārammaṇavasena cattāroti etadeva vuttaṃ.
(Mahavagga Attakatha & Mulapannasa Attakatha)
c. Ettha pana cattāro satipaṭṭhānāti sammāsati ekāva pavuccati.
(Bodhipakkhiyasaṅgaho, Abhidhammatthasangaho)
d. Dhammabhedo panettha natthi, saraṇavasena ca ekāva sati ārammaṇavasena ‘‘cattāro satipaṭṭhānā’’ti vuttāti.
(Satipaṭṭhānavibhaṅgamātikatthavaṇṇanā, Abhidhammatikapali)
- true vipassana is an effort-less, choice-less, concept-less, inference-less & analysis-less silent observation of the reality ‘as it is’ (yathabhuta nanadassana) from moment-to-moment. or to surmise the entire vipassana teaching in fewest words: vipassana is the concept-less (pannatti thapetva) as it is (yathabhuta) moment-to-moment awareness of the paramattha saccas which manifests with the sign of aniccalakkhana or dukkhalakkhana or anattalakkhana.
the main purpose of vipassana is not to sit & indulge in the intellectual or psycho-analytical luxury to think / analyse / infer / compare / contrast / understand / search and label any experience as “anicca” in order to meet any scriptural objective. the objective of vipassana bhavana is not to create new kamma & to de-condition the mind. the final goal is to see the deathless - nibbanassa saccikiriyaya.
one may begin pariyatti dhamma study by hearing the dhamma (sutmayi panna) and can intellectually analyse the dhamma (cintamayi panna / yonisomanasikara) or take recourse to various kinds of recollections (anussati) but, moment-to-moment silent anupassana of the reality ‘as it is’ (yathabhuta) sans concepts & labels (pannatti thapetva) is what is true patipatti vipassana dhamma.
- it must however be appreciated that vipassana is a progressive process of insight development. it is a journey from sammuti sacca (apparent truths) to paramattha sacca (ultimate truths). it is a journey from doer to observer to observer-is-observed. it is a journey from pannatti (concepts) to pannatti thapetva (beyond pannatti) knowing the reality ‘as it is’. no matter how one chooses to define & express this progressive process of de-conditioning of mind - all the definitions merge into one and same process of the gradual development of insight.
the vipassanic process of “pannattim thapetva visesena passati’ti vipassana” is a gradual progressive process and the final eradication of pannatti (concepts) happens with the dissolution of the illusion of “I” or asmimana at the stage of arahathood.
the dissolution of the tendency & illusion of doer-ship or that of holding on to concepts or being bewildered by the apparent truths happens synchronously with the development of experiential insight. the complete realization of all four noble truths or the completion of ‘yathabhuta nanadassana’ or the complete dropping away of all concepts (pannatti thapetva) - are mere different ways to express the culmination of the same progressive journey of liberation. as the pannattis drop away - vipassana matures & yathabhuta nanadassana becomes purer and purer. as yathabhuta nanadassana become purer and purer - one is able to penetrate the four noble truths more and more deeply. or in other words: as one is able to more & more deeply penetrate the four noble truths - the yathabhuta-nanadassana become purer & purer and simultaneously the illusion of pannattis drop away.
a silent meditative contemplation of the following quotes (in context) may confirm the abovesaid statements about the gradually progressive journey of vipassana.
a) pannattim thapetva visesena passati’ti vipassana.
AND
tathalakkhaṇaṃ visesato passatīti vipassanāti vuccati.
b) Aniccasaññino, meghiya, anattasaññā saṇṭhāti. Anattasaññī asmimānasamugghātaṁ pāpuṇāti diṭṭheva dhamme nibbānan”ti.
- meghiya sutta
c) aparena samayena pañcasu upādānakkhandhesu udayabbayānupassī viharati.
- khemaka sutta
d) all sections of the mahasatipatthana sutta: the progressive journey in all subdivisions of the mahasatipatthana sutta from “samudaya-vyaya dhammanupassi” of kaya/vedana/citta/dhamma to the same state of anatta - “yavadeva nanamattaya patisatimattaya anissito ca viharati”
e) imesu catusu ariyasaccesu evam tiparivattam dvădasăkaram yathăhhutam ńănadassanam suvisuddham ahosi
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vipassana is a progressive process of development of insight leading to nibbana and the journey is from concepts to beyond concepts (pannatti to pannattim thapetva) but, it may so happen only if the mediator allows the pannattis to drop away and does not knowingly or unknowingly & effortfully strive to further strengthen and sustain the pannattis! surely that is neither vipassana nor the way to de-condition the mind! on the other hand, any concept-laden meditation “practice” may only strengthen the ego and make the so-called meditator an even more psychologically complex & difficult-to-live-with person.
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“Pannatti dhamma is an interesting subject. It does not arise and it does not fall away. It is not an event. It is non event. It does not hold any of tilakkhana namely anicca or impermanance, dukkha or suffering, and anatta or non self. Pannatti is not an ultimate reality. It is not an ultimate truth”.
- patthana dhamma, htoo naing (2005)
the true vipassana meditator may need to seriously introspect and find out whether he is truly observing the reality ‘as it is’ from moment-to-moment or is he merely indulging is psychological/psychoanalytical game & imposing a name, idea, notion, designation, analysis, inference or label [in short - concept or pannatti] on what he is observing? is it an effortless & choiceless silent awareness or an effortful & choice-laden struggle to “do” something? has “equanimity” or “anicca” or “dukkha” or “anatta” become a psycho-analytical inference or mantra?
one may deeply reflect: what is that pannatti-free observation that elevates ordinary ‘passati’ to ‘visesena passati’ and makes it ‘vipassana’?
- in the light of sayagyi u ba khin’s great vipassana teachings in the original IMC tradition - the true meaning of upacala theri’s great statement becomes clear! “sabbo pajjalito loko” is the experential understanding of dukkha-lakkhana & “sabbo loko pakampito” is the experiential understanding of anicca-lakkhana.
during true vipassana bhavana - the concept-less, thought-less, label-less, analysis-less & inference-less silent yathabhuta perception of the paramattha sacca of nama-rupa manifests with any one of the tilakkhanas (anicca or dukkha or anatta) at any particular moment but, is without any psychological / psychoanalytical ‘label’ of anicca / dukkha / anatta. the tilakkhanas are signata of yathabhuta paramattha sacca and are neither a concept nor a psychological inference.
the chronological order of the stages of insight confirms that sankharaupekkha nana is the corollary that comes much after udayabbyaya-nana, bhanga-nana and nibbida-nana. as nibbida-nana matures - equanimity is something that develops on its own without any effort. vipassana meditation is neither a conceptual samadhi nor a jain samayika style forceful equanimity cultivating psychological ritual / auto-suggestion / self-restraint. mahasatipatthana sutta confirms that vipassana is yathabhutam nanadassanam - awareness of the reality ‘as it is’ from moment-to-moment.
- the concepts drop away with the development of insight & all conditioning are impermanent. dhamma is calling: ehipassiko! are we willing to hear the call of dhamma and wish to practice true vipassana to see the reality ‘as it is’ or are we deluded enough to keep rowing the boat while ensuring that it is firmly tied to the bank? pseudo-vipassana leads no where but, true vipassana leads to the deathless.
with deep respect for all Elders on the path, the author prays to be forgiven for faults and shortcomings in this article. may wise Elders not hesitate to point out faults & shortcomings and thereby present the true dhamma of the bhagava in its pristine purity.
- manish agarwala
NOTE TO RESOLVE THE VICIKICCHA ABOUT ANICCANUPASSANA
there seems to be a scholarly confusion about how one can see anicca from moment-to-moment as direct non-conceptual awareness and that it must be an inference comparing ‘this’ with ‘that’ was in the past. some academicians bring in concepts of spatial & temporal change and this further muddies the meditative waters!
it must be noted that anicca-lakkhana is a concept-less direct awareness of the reality as-it-is in the present moment. the observer who is a beginner on the path obseves a huge chunk of kalapas as a whole & across a span of time on the time scale of subatomic events and as such it is futile to apply high physics & mathematics here. with the mind eye, the mediator sees the entire mind-mater phenomenon as a vibrating, scintillating, oscillating, trembling or so to say constantly changing phenomenon. that’s udayabbyaya-nana or anicca! no further academic theorization or inferencing is required.
the purpose of aniccanupassana is not to indulge in a hair-splitting ‘scientific’ debate whether one can or one should actually label an experience as anicca or not. aniccanupassana is a silent concept-less & label-less awareness of the dynamic ephemeral reality of mind-matter with the eyes of insight to break the illusion & delusion of permanence of the mind-matter continuum.
udayabbyaya-nana leads to bhanga-nana and bhanga-nana leads to nibbida-nana. the purpose of aniccanupassana is to develop nibbida-nana towards the nama-rupa phenomenon. nibbida-nana eventually leads to sankharaupekkha nana & nibbanic dip.
a scholarly / academic psychological ‘inference’ of anicca is mere psychological contemplation / thinking and is not true vipassana. the purpose of vipassana is not to practice scholarly inferencing but, to de-condition the mind.
I am not familiar with all the Pali terms you use but i have a feeling for what you are sharing. I think.
For example: i belief one can intellectually come to some understanding that in fact there cannot really be an ego/self as some entity inside, a mental homunculus in the head, which rules, which acts, which feels, which knows etc. In some way one can understand this must be some impression which is also caused, in some way, like the Buddha seems to teach (it is not without clinging (SN22.83). But all this thinking, this kind of understanding does not really help, i find, in really abandoning this ego-conceit, and really pentrate to directly seeing the egolessness of mind. It does not break the spell. One has to be careful the spell does not become worse!
Maha Boowa, a Thai forest masters, describes how he penetrated this matter with mindfullness and wisdom. At a certain moment he really saw, as it is, the knowing nature directly, and saw this is not an ego, but a very subtle pervading knowing nature.
I think this is vipassana as in a direct seeing/meeting this egoless nature of the mind. It is different from thinking, reasoning, inference, intellectual understanding, i belief. The Buddha also says about Nibbana…“profound, hard to see and hard to understand,… unattainable by mere reasoning” (MN 26.19).
But the proof is in the pudding. Our understanding may seem to be great, like a Dhamma-professor, but our defilements and ego can be too. Then we better teach ourselves our understanding cannot be really that great.
I think that is very well possible, yes. It is also possible that this happens based on all kind of spiritual experiences, breaktroughs, mystical experiences etc. Those can become ones most precious possessions and food for ego.
Some information from the sutta’s about ego (asmi mana). Tthey teach that also ego-conceit, ego-longing and ego-anusaya will disappear from mind, when:
"After some time they meditate observing rise and fall in the five grasping aggregates. ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the ending of form. Such is feeling … Such is perception … Such are choices … Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the ending of consciousness.’ As they do so, that lingering residue (of ego, Green) is eradicated". (SN22.89)
I do not think this refers to intellectual understanding. What is meant here? For example: ‘such is the ending of consciousness’…where does that refer to? Does that refer to intellectual knowledge of the ending of consciousness?
Yes, oke, but reading Patisambhidamagga, Treatise on Insight, to me it seems that those contemplations on anicca, dukkha and anatta are conceptual.
For example, dukkhanupassana is explained as seeing khandha’s as boil, dart, plague, no shleter and refuge etc.
Anattanupassana is also illustrated by seeing khandha’s as vain.
I do not think this is directly seeing things as they are.
I tend to see it is both vipassana, one is mundane i think and one is supramundane.
The first is like a remedy. It remedies our incorrect seeing of nicca, sukha, atta (and subha). It is connected with conditioning, merit.
And the last is seeing things as they really are, and goes even beyond merit, it is not connected with will to change anything but its nature is just to observe. Something like this?
Something to consider is perhaps the people who have figured it all out are not the ones posting on the internet.
In a way, we’re stuck in a selection bias. For example, in my thread asking about how to overcome boredom, perhaps those who have overcome it are not going on the internet.
So, with that, take everything with a grain of salt, and realize we all have our own interpretation of what the dhamma is, and that at best all we can do is throw around ideas and see what sticks.
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Having studied Krishnamurti, I was startled to read the above. Looking further, I found a reference for those interested. It was published after I stopped reading Krishnamurti.
By the way…those words on Krishnamurti or not from me, Green, but from Bhante Sujato. In some way they are quoted as my words. Strange but true.
I think choiceless awareness is expressed here in the appendix of arahtattamagga/phala
“Still, the essential knowing of the average person’s mind is very different from the essential knowing of an Arahant. The average person’s knowing nature is contaminated from within. Arahants, being khïnsava, are free of all contamination. Their knowing is a pure and simple awareness without any adulteration. Pure awareness, devoid of all contaminants, is supreme awareness: a truly amazing quality of knowing that bestows perfect happiness, as befits the Arahant’s state of absolute purity”.
In us there is much more going on that knowing. And that is, i belief, the reason we do not see things ‘as it is’, like is said in this topic. For example there is not only knowing, but also a self/ego/I/Me who knows.
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Nama means “mental phenomena”. If nama would mean “Name”, the animals would be endowed with conceptual thought.
Vipassana object remains in that space before the arising of the conceptual thought.
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may the true purpose of any pariyatti dhamma-vicaya be to truly explore the dhamma - without any bias or conditioning of religion, sect, cult, organization, tradition, personal animosities etc. there should be no malice or hatred against any dhamma teacher or organization. may pariyatti dhamma-vicaya lead to patipatti dhamma-vicaya with a mindset full of metta.
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