Fruit of the Contemplative Life
Fruit of the contemplative life: => Ecstatic Buddhism => : Michael Hawkins January 17, 2017, 02:56:46 AM
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Hello friends,
It's been too long, as I've faded away from nearly all relationships and hardly know who I am any more. And yet... life continues....
During which, in the normal course of my reading through the Nikayas, I happened to have come across the Rahagata Sutta, which is in Samyutta Book IV, Part 36, the 11th Sutta. I don't think that Jeffrey has translated it yet, and the only two versions on Access to Insight are by Nyanaponika Thera and Thanissaro Bhikkhu. I've read a lot of Than Geoff's translations and thought I'd use Nyanaponika's version for the snippet included below. He translates "jhana" as "meditative absorption," which sounds familiar in this particular sangha.... :P
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn36/sn36.011.nypo.html
In this stretch, the Buddha is saying that all feeling is suffering, since feeling is impermanent and thus cannot provide lasting pleasure or happiness. His solution?
"I have further taught, monk, the gradual cessation of conditioned phenomena. In him who has attained the first meditative absorption,[2] speech has ceased. Having attained the second absorption, thought-conception and discursive thinking has ceased. Having attained the third absorption, joy has ceased. Having attained the fourth absorption, inhalation and exhalation have ceased. Having attained the sphere of the infinity of space, perception of form[3] has ceased. Having attained the sphere of the infinity of consciousness, the perception of the sphere of the infinity of space has ceased. Having attained the sphere of no-thingness, the perception of the sphere of infinity of consciousness has ceased. Having attained the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, the perception of the sphere of no-thingness has ceased. Having attained the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling have ceased. In a taint-free monk greed has ceased, hatred has ceased, delusion has ceased.
"I have further taught, monk the gradual stilling of conditioned phenomena.[4] In him who has attained the first meditative absorption, speech has been stilled. Having attained the second absorption, thought-conception and discursive thinking have been stilled... (To be continued as above, up to:) Having attained the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling have been stilled. In a taint-free monk greed has been stilled, hatred has been stilled, delusion has been stilled.
"There are, monk, these six quietenings. In him who has attained the first absorption, speech is quietened. Having attained the second absorption, thought-conception and discursive thinking are quietened. Having attained the third absorption, rapture is quietened. Having attained the fourth absorption, inhalation and exhalation is quietened.[5] Having attained the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling are quietened. In a taint-free monk greed is quietened, hatred is quietened, delusion is quietened."
My take: the five aggregates of clinging -- form, feeling, perception, thought and consciousness -- are emblematic of our perpetual state of suffering. The Buddha teaches here that meditation leading to the four rupa and the four arupa jhanas have the effect of quieting, gradually stilling and finally ceasing each of the aggregates, until finally the "taints" or "fetters" are dealt with once and for all -- such that greed (lust), hatred (anger) and delusion fade away.
I've been connecting with suffering for quite a while now. All my rebelliousness, avoidance and general nastiness has been dominant. I'm getting that the contemplative life is the only choice if I can't stand another moment of suffering, in myself or those around me.
So, I'll see you in deep meditation, dear friends.....
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Hello, Michael. It is good to read a message from you here; and it is good to see that you have moved to greater depths and more yerning for liberation.
It is also good to see that Thanissaro Bhikkh is also learning better how to translate the suttas. The translation that you posted is pretty good. I have little to correct in it.
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This is actually Nyanaponika Thera's translation, Jeffrey. I don't know this monk, but thought it was pretty cool where he uses "meditative absorption" as though he's been reading your work....!
It is good to be back, and to be fully-committed to my contemplative practice and lifestyle....
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This is actually Nyanaponika Thera's translation, Jeffrey. I don't know this monk, but thought it was pretty cool where he uses "meditative absorption" as though he's been reading your work....!
It is good to be back, and to be fully-committed to my contemplative practice and lifestyle....
It is doubtful that Nyanaponika Thera (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyanaponika_Thera) learned anything from me in his lifetime, as he died in 1994, and I was still lerking in the background at that time. However, it is good to know that he used the term 'absorption' for jhana, as it suggests an altered state of consciousness; whereas, the term 'concentration' suggests that jhana is nothing more than a meditation technique, which it is not.
Good to hear you are re-committing yourself to the contemplative life. I found this to be a good practice, and have done so every year for the last 44 years. We all need a reminder to keep up the contemplative life.
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Michael, you're a legend from the youtube videos that so inspire me.
I'm always glad to read your point of view especially regarding meditation.
This post has clarified some things, but there is still more to clear up.
More later.
Thanks.
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Thank you, Jeffrey and follinge. It's good to be back amongst such skilled and accomplished contemplatives. Enough of the Dark Night, already!
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Enough of the Dark Night, already!
Here, here; because there is only way way that I have found to deal with the dark night of the soul; and that is leading a contemplative life that bares fruit.