DỊch phần dạy pháp của ngài pa-auk tại florida tháng 4/ 2006, buổi dạy thứ 4

Còn khi một hành giả xuất khỏi thiền, 5 triền cái có vắng mặt không? Điều này là không thể. Trong thời của Đức Phật, có những hành giả đạt đến các bậc thiền nhưng khi họ xuất khỏi bậc thiền, các triền cái xuất hiện trở lại vì phi lý tác ý thắng thế, một ví dụ là Đại Đức Đề-bà-đạt-đa, khi thực hành thiền Chỉ Samatha trong 3 tháng kiết hạ, vị ấy có thể đạt đến Bát thiền và Ngũ Thông Thế Gian. Nhưng vị ấy quá tham vọng muốn trở thành Đức Phật, muốn sở hữu nhiều vật, muốn đạt được nhiều thứ. Do lòng tham này, thiền của vị ấy bị thối thất và vị ấy không thể thiết lập được định bậc thiền của mình. Vậy do phi lý tác ý mà các triền cái sinh khởi sau khi xuất khỏi thiền. Nhưng nếu vị ấy như lý tác ý liên tục nhiều năm, thì điều này không thể xảy ra, các triền cái sẽ không sinh khởi, một điển hình là Ngài Mahanàga, Ngài đã hành thiền Chỉ và thiền Quán trong 60 năm. Trong vòng 60 năm này, chưa một triền cái nào khởi sinh trong tâm Ngài, do thiền Chỉ Samatha và thiền Quán Vipassanā có thể đè nén các triền cái này trong 60 năm là nhờ Ngài luôn như lý tác ý. Còn Đại Đức Đề-bà-đạt-đa đã phi lý tác ý như trên, vì thế vị ấy không thể duy trì định bậc thiền của mình được. OK?

Please pay respect to the Buddha by reciting Namo Tassa 3 times

“Dīghaṁ vā assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti,

This is Number 1.

What is the meaning ?

“Breathing in a long breath, he knows I breathe in a long breath,

This is number 1

Number 2 is:

“Rassaṁ vā assasanto ‘rassaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti,

“Breathing in a short breath, he knows I breathe in a short breath,

This is number 2.

Number 3 is:

‘Sabbakāyapaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati,

This is number 3.

Number 4 is:

“ ‘Passambhayaṁ kāyasaṅkhāraṁ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati,

“Calming the breath body I will breathe in, thus he trains himself;

This is number 4.

1. 
   Long breath,
   
2. 
   Short breath,
   
3. 
   The whole body of breath,
   
4. 
   Calming the breath body or tranquilizing the breath body.
   

When they are practising Ānāpāna , according to these four stages, for some meditators they are practising to understand long breath and short breath at that time, nimitta may also appear; For some meditators they are practising long breath, short breath, the whole body of breath at that time the nimitta also appears. For many meditators when they practise the whole body of breath whether it is long or short at that time nimitta appears; But for some meditators when they practise number four stage: calming the breath body, at that time only nimitta appears.

1. 
   Sensual desire
   
2. 
   Anger (byāpāda)
   
3. 
   Restless and remorse
   
4. 
   Sloth and torpor
   
5. 
   Doubt
   

You should refect: “This second jhāna is close to the enemy of the first jhāna, especially Vitakka, Vicāra . Because Vitakka, Vicāra are very gross. Because of this grossness, this first jhāna is very easy to fall down. In the same way this second jhāna also close to the enemy Vitakka, Vicāra . This is one disadvantage.

And then please reflect Pīti, Pīti is gross, joy is very strong at that time mind can not be stable. Because of this joy, emotion may arise, because of emotion, concentration can not be deep enough. So Pīti is gross. Because of this grossness, this jhāna also can easily fall down. This is another disadvantage.

Then one benefit: please reflect Sukha and Ekaggatā: happiness and one-pointedness. Sukha and Ekaggatā are more quiet, these two jhāna factors are the two jhāna factors of third jhāna. After reflecting in this way then you should concentrate again on your Ānāpānapaṭibhāga nimitta object. When you are concentrating on your Ānāpānapaṭibhāga nimitta object again then very soon full absorption may arise. That full absorption for the beginners may be only second jhāna. You should try to stay in that second jhāna for about 5 minutes or 10 minutes. Emerging from your second jhāna, you should reflect your second jhāna factors, at that time you will see Pīti is very gross, Sukha, Ekaggatā are more quiet. At that time to remove gross factor Pīti and to attain or to achieve subtle factors, Sukha and Ekaggatā, you should focus on your Ānāpānapaṭibhāga nimitta object again. While you are concentrating on your AP N object again then very soon full absorption may arise, that full absorption may be third jhāna. If it is third jhāna you will easily understand Pīti disappear and only Sukha and Ekaggatā remain, at that time we can say that you attain third jhāna. If you attained third jhāna then next sitting if you want to reestablish your third jhāna concentration again, then you should try systematically, you should reestablish your first jhāna concentration for a few minutes, 2 or 3 minutes and second jhāna concentration for 2 or 3 minutes only, then you should try to attain third jhāna in the same way. You should reestablish you third jhāna concentration for about 2 hours, 3 hours, etc.. and try five masteries again. If you are satisfied if you want to go to third jhāna, how you should try? You should reestablish your first jhāna concentration for few minutes, 2 or 3 minutes, second jhāna concentration 2 or 3 minutes, third jhāna concentration for about nearly 1 hour. Emerging from your third jhāna, you should reflect two disadvantages and one benefit. Two disadvantages are:

You should reflect third jhāna: this third jhāna is close to the enemy Pīti or second jhāna because you can easily fall down to the second jhāna

Then another disadvantage is please reflect jhāna factors: Sukha and Ekaggatā, please reflect Sukha is more gross, why? Taking one object if you feel happiness then this mind is not quiet. Because of this happiness your jhāna can easily fall down. If one has strong happiness, mind can not be quiet, so this is gross. Because of this grossness you can easily fall down from your jhāna. This is one disadvantage.

Then you should reflect One benefit. One benefit is please reflect Upekkhā and Ekaggatā. Upekkhā is equanimous mind or equanimous feeling and Ekaggatā onepointedness, these two jhāna factors are very quiet. These two jhāna factors are jhāna factors of Fourth jhāna.

After reflecting in this way, you should focus on your Ānāpānapaṭibhāga nimitta object again. When you are focusing on your Ānāpānapaṭibhāga nimitta object again very soon full absorption may arise. You should stay in your full absorption for about 5 minutes or 10 minutes, that full absorption jhāna may be third jhāna only. Emerging from that full absorption third jhāna, please reflect jhāna factors, at that time you will see your jhāna factor : Sukha is gross, happiness is gross and Upekkhā and Ekaggatā, two factors are more quiet. At that time with the intention to remove gross factors and to attain or to achieve more quiet factors: Upekkhā and Ekaggatā which are the jhāna factors of Fourth jhāna. You should concentrate on your Ānāpānapaṭibhāga nimitta again. When you are concentrating on Ānāpānapaṭibhāga nimitta agian then full absorption may arise, that full absorption may be fourth jhāna concentration. You will understand at that time, Sukha happiness feeling disappear, then only two jhāna factors Upekkhā and Ekaggatā, Equanimous feeling and One-pointedness remain, two jhāna factors are present in your fourth jhāna. So if your fourth jhāna is sure then you should practise five masteries of your fourth jhāna. If your fourth jhāna is real fourth jhāna then you will understand when you are enetering into your fourth jhāna concentration, at that time your breath completely stops, there will be no breathing.

So altogether there are four jhānas: first jhāna, second jhāna, third jhāna, and fourth jhāna. That fourth jhāna can produce strong powerful light. First jhāna can also produce powerful light but not same, fourth jhāna concentration, light is very bright and very powerful, for example Venerable Anuruddha, fourth jhāna concentration can produce strong powerful light up to ten thousand world cycle or one thousand world cycle, so very strong. For some meditators, the light of wisdom is very far away, maybe 2 or 3 miles or 4 or 5 miles or 10 miles etc.. So fourth jhāna concentration light is very powerful, with the assistance of that light if you discern ultimate materiality and ultimate mentality and their causes you can easily understand them. The ultimate materiality and ultimate mentality are the Noble Truth of Suffering, dukkhasacca dhammas, their causes are Samudayasacca dhammas, the Noble Truth of the origin of Suffering. These two Noble Truths are called “Saṅkhāra” formations, these “Saṅkhāra” formations are the object of Vipassanā, you must contemplate them as Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta systematically, at that time we can say you are practising Vipassanā thoroughly. To understand these ultimate Materiality and ultimate mentality and their causes as anicca, dukkha and anatta, strong powerful light of wisdom is necessary. Fourth jhāna concentration can produce strong powerful light of wisdom, but there are some meditators they also want to practise Kasiṇas and eight attainments. If they want to practise 10 Kasiṇas and 8 attainments, at that time when they discern 32 parts, such as head hair, body hair, nail, teeth, etc.. they can clearly see their different organs, different parts. If they can discern these 32 parts clearly at that time if they want to practise Kasiṇas, they can practise four color Kasiṇa, for example taking head hair as the object they can practise “Nīla” Kasiṇa. Nīla Kasiṇa they translate in different ways: some translators they translate as brown Kasiṇa, some translators they translate as black Kasiṇa, some translators they translate as blue black Kasiṇa which is true I don’t know but your head hair color, now what kind of head hair? Asian head hair color, especially Indian’s head hair color. That color is called Nīla, you can practise Nīla Kasiṇa. Taking your urine as object you can practise yellow Kasiṇa, taking your blood as the object you can practise “Lohita” Kasiṇa, red Kasiṇa; taking your skeleton as the object you can practise white Kasiṇa. If you can discern 32 parts internally and externally both, external head hair, etc.. also can be the color Kasiṇa object, so both internally and externally you can do color Kasiṇa. If you already practise these colors Kasiṇa then you can try other Kasiṇa also.

If you attain 10 Kasiṇas up to fourth jhāna stage then you can go to immaterial jhānas. If you practise 8 attainments, 8 types of jhāna, this jhāna is very strong and powerful, they can produce strong powerful light. So if you practise four Sublime Abidings, Mettā Loving kindness, Karuṇā Compassionate, Muditā Sympathetic Joy, and Upekkhā Equanimity, it will be very easy for you.