“Meditation” which brings suffering

“Meditation” which brings suffering

It is our common belief as Buddhists that we can not attain Nibbana without resorting to meditation. Did you think for a moment that we need to utilize meditation not only for attaining Nibbana but also for our day to day activities such as driving a car, working etc.?

We can not succeed in anything that is performed without resorting to meditation. It should be noted that all our achievements are the results of our meditative practices. Therefore, it should also be noted that we are going through a meditative process at all times. In other words, meditation is a natural, spontaneous process which does not require a specific day, time and effort.  

Meditation means “performing or practicing an activity repeatedly in order to acquire skills or proficiency”. Without constant practice, nothing can be accomplished as expected. In our day to day life, we engage in numerous practices which are analogues to meditative practices. At the same time, all these meditative practices bring about instantaneous outcome as well. Therefore, we need to remember that meditation follows the law of cause and effect with instantaneous results.  

Under these circumstances, you may tend to think,” is it possible that we are confronted with numerous types of suffering as a result of our meditative practices?”. Of course, it is possible!. Let us take some examples for instances of grief, suffering from our day to day life.

Death of parents, loved ones is a source of immense grief to any individual. Certain occasions, a death of a loved one could be an unbearable, lifelong grief. A loss of a property or wealth may cause immense mental pain in individuals. Becoming infected with dangerous diseases, inability to achieve expectations are also the sources of immense mental grief.  Association with the undesired and separation from the desired also create mental stress and discomfort. Do you know that the cause of grief, stress and discomfort in respect of all these instances to be your”meditative practice”?.

Let’s substantiate this supposition with an example of a loving son or a daughter of an individual. This child could be his only hope for future. He holds high expectations in respect of this child’s health, education, job prospects, future partner etc. He expects this child to rise to the level of his expectations in the future while hoping that this child would take care of him in latter stages. In this backdrop the child is a great, invaluable asset to this individual. He is preoccupied with these expectations most of the time. His thoughts are constantly focussed on achieving the expectations set for his child. Every such thought leaves an impression in the brain [mano-dhatu - (mind element)]. Repeated thought process aimed at achieving above goals solidifies these impressions in the brain with greater strength. As these retained mental impressions gain much strength, they keep flowing to the mind as memory. These mental impressions which flow to the mind constantly as thoughts take the form of habits gradually. These habits are classified as “gotra” (lineage) in Buddhism. The Buddha specified that these habits are not subjected to decay (gottam najirathi).These mental impressions are our habitual thoughts linked to our numerous belongings in some way.

We have acquired or gained access to all our belongings with the expectation of potential usefulness of them. We don’t gain possession of anything that is not useful to us. We constantly contemplate or engage in a meditation through habitual thoughts in regards to the useful belongings which are in our possession. We, consciously or subconsciously, contemplate the “permanent” existence of our useful possessions. We wish all our useful possessions to last permanently to serve us. We are inclined to think that all our useful possessions would continue to be with us on a permanent basis.  

You may probably disagree with this proposition and argue that you don’t expect any of your belongings to be your possession on a permanent basis. However, you may realise the degree of mental agony that you would experience at the loss of a loved one or a useful belonging. You need to understand that the primary cause of a similar mental agony is due to the degree of your clinging onto a lost loved one or a personal belonging. The higher the degree of clinging to a loved one or a personal belonging, the higher the mental pain it generates. This is the first type of  “habitual meditation” that we engage in our day to day life.

The second type of “habitual meditation” that we are involved in is the thinking process that our belongings are bound to provide us with the desired benefits and comforts positively.

When we put this proposition to test, we would realise the degree of mental pain and agony we would experience when we no longer gain the desired benefit or comfort from a personal belonging or a loved one. The higher the desired benefit or comfort one desires, the higher the degree of mental pain one experiences when the benefit is no longer obtainable.  

The third type of “habitual meditation” is the thinking process that our belongings, loved ones should be at our disposal all the time; they could be manipulated at will. If a belonging is mine and if it is supposed to be beneficial to me, then it is expected to last at my own will. For instance, we expect our children to live according our whims and fancies, in keeping with our habitual mental tendency. This is an unrealistic situation. Children neither behave according to our wishes nor they are mentally incapable of functioning according to our will. When things do not happen in keeping with our preconceived mental impressions, it causes immense mental agony to the individual.

When we examine the common, habitual thinking pattern of individuals, it becomes evident that individuals associate belongings and loved ones on the basis of three misconceptions, viz; nicca (permanent), sukha (satisfying), atta (under the control of a self). According to the Buddha’s teachings, beings cling onto their belongings and proceed on a “habitual meditation” practice, on the basis of nicca, sukha, atta, from birth to death.

Close examination of the “habitual meditation” process with regard to the personal belongings reveals that it is devoid of the three characteristics of nicca, sukha and atta. Not only the personal belongings, but everything that exists in the world doesn’t possess the quality of permanence. This fact has even been scientifically proved beyond any doubt. The Buddha, who perceived perfectly the way of formation, falling apart, building, and breaking down of the three planes of existence (loka), elucidated that nothing permanent, satisfying and under control of a self could be found in these three planes of existence. This means that our habitual meditation with regard to our belongings on the basis of nicca, sukha and atta is a misconception, a falsehood. One who leads a life filled with misconceptions and falsehoods is bound to experience suffering, discomfort at all times. When one clings to impermanent belongings with a habitual meditative mindset of permanence, one is confronted with a great deal of mental pain when these impermanent belongings take natural course of breaking apart and wrecking.

In this circumstance, it would be prudent to deviate from a meditative mindset based on unrealistic, untruthful thinking process and switch to a truthful meditative mindset in order to lead a life filled with happiness.

What is this “truthful meditative mindset?”. We should get accustomed to a meditative thinking process based on anicca (impermanence), dukkha (unsatisfactoriness) and anatta (no-self). This is the real truth. Nothing lasts forever; nothing is able to provide us with the desired happiness. Nothing has the characteristics of a permanent existence. This is the Blessed One’s message to us. So, we need to venture into a meditative thinking pattern, from dawn to dusk, based on anicca, dukkha and anatta which would result in a life devoid of suffering, unsatisfactoriness, and pain etc. with immediate effect.(akalika).

One who meditates in this manner would not grieve when one’s pen falls down and breaks into pieces, as one has already acquainted oneself with constant meditation based on anicca , dukkha and anatta to confront such an event. When one’s child passes away,the child’s death doesn’t cause any mental pain as one has practiced impermanence through constant meditation based on anicca, dukkha and anatta. In this manner, one gets first hand experience as to how truthful meditation eliminates suffering and  brings happiness almost immediately.

We do not make any conscious effort in our day to day life, from dawn to dusk, to be preoccupied with the “meditation” which brings suffering to us. By the same token, we should engage in a continuous process of  meditation, without allocating specific time or day, based on anicca, dukkha and anatta with regard to all our belongings. This is the only way for happiness.

Therefore, let’s abandon the “meditation” which brings suffering and begin the meditation which brings about happiness from today.

based on an article written by Kotte Sri Devananda Thero to “Thisaran” publication.  

Athula Sibera

athulasibera@yahoo.ca