Sarnatha

Insightfrom a meditation tradition

Issue 5 Spring 1999

 Samatha
Published twice yearly
by The Samatha Trust
Issue number 5 Spring 1999

Contents

Navigating by the stars 1 Contributors

Ajahn Brahmavamso
Rod Lawson
A Beginner's gUide 2 Chris Morray-Jones
Isabel Pack
Your Heart's desire 3 Valerie Roebuck
Ian Rose
Mark Rowlands
Travelogue 6 Sarah Shaw
Lizzie Somerfield
On looking back 13 Chris Westrup

Wustrations
Reahns of the devas 14 and technical
assistance
Alex Barr
On visiting a corpse 16 Marion Bolton
Tricia Brown
Jatakas 2 17 Les Callow
Peter Jones
Amanda Lindop
The Llymeryc 24 Vicki MacGregor
Dave Norbury
Match of the aeon 26 Rachel Schillinger
Sarah Shaw
Aline Stanway
Venerable Anandamaitreya 29
Editor
Leaf 33 Jackie Callow

Samatha 5
 Navigating by the stars

Sometimes we get a bit lost and need some help to find out which way to go.
lt is useful if a good friend can give us directions or if we have a map so that we
can get our bearings. However. quite often we find that we are on our own and
this kind of help is not available. So. what to do?
A skill which can serve us very well is learning to navigate by the stars.
At first this can be very difficult. When we look at the sky there is an
overwhelming variety of stars. We simply gaze in wonder at their scale and
beauty but we cannot make use of them. Ifwe continue to observe the skies.
after some time we become more familiar with the stars and begin to recognise
patterns. But these move and shift according to the time and the seasons so
that it may take some years of observation and study before we understand
their relationships.
However. one thing we may discern from quite an early time is that there is
a point of stability around which everything moves. Ifwe can learn to find that
star and recognise the pOinters and signs which mark its position. then other
relationships in the skies become clearer.
Not only do the patterns in the skies become clearer but we can also make
use of this knowledge to help us find our way on the ground. Even when we
are in unfamiliar territory. knowledge of where to find the pole star will give us
a sense of direction. This is particularly useful if we learn to take note of the
conditions which prevail around us. down on the ground. As we all know.
those who go around simply gazing at the stars have a tendency to fall into
potholes!
So learn to find the pole star but also learn to read the terrain. Direct
routes are a lot shorter but can lead into difficult country. We can learn a lot
from tackling problems head on but it is sometimes quicker to go a little out of
our way to avoid swamps. ditches. sheer crags and other obstacles. Detours
are fine but it is even more essential to keep one eye on the stars so that we
don't lose our sense of direction.

Samatha 5
 Your Heart's Desire
~~itlner., qw~ tb Stw-hrs M~ta.tiDY}.
D'hncx,i Ylj ~ 0uitAbLa. F-Ce.. ~he. fir=* th i ~ 0Oi-. nee&t to cb STOP! If you are still reading on, what was going on when you read 'stop'?
IA)nen j &ar.t medi-tz:thoa... loS 'In
Ov. S~ ewhet< 1rn::l a.not ri1ek What was the body doing; were you sitting comfortably (or not!), and what was
the quality of the mind? Our tendency, it is said, is to look at the past on the
~~~ to 9ra.c.hse... . . HOlJ obOd:, o..s &e. t~t-~ ~esc I
basis of our deeply held opinions and views, and to relate to the future on the
ti1e. roots of ().. 1ree. ,~o~o ,
basis of our desires. To start to dissolve our views ofthe past and discover just

~
\ , / : .~o1'of\\ fa ~\ -.1~ •. ' You.. m';p'he. ha.v~ to lDok.
~
what occurred, no more no less, we need to become skilled in recollection. And
as for the future .. , well, what is your heart's desire?
l'
ot\J(r f>1"1.1.~~-tLl~D"",J j\
'0 \; "p-
CU-O(.Vl fa-- \Yl<!
.I..L
~t SfVl..•.
""-
Is it to become wealthy and comfortably off? Perhaps it is to become re-

~ 1,)
spected for your skill in what you do-in work or in meditation practice. You
~ ~ S'\ v~ /1 'slr.tJ.O\~ may wish for the attention of someone else. Maybe, it is simply to be happy.

r-L ~ sss
(J C)
1f)~~1 V)t~~~:Il -
As our lives are often complicated, it could well be a combination of these and
more besides. The desires of the heart gUide our action and lead us towards
what we seek. We may be very focused on a particular goal or less so and other
?')~s ~ conditions in the world may help or hinder us. Nonetheless if we persevere,

Sonv.. ?6c.e.s do ht .s~t t.Ne;j~'"

;: )" apply Ol~rselves, and learn from our setbacks then we do become, to some
extent. what our heart desires.
Enough of the past and the future for the time being, it is in the present
pP.
'~ I '\t ~.)
,,y, nOY do 60t'Y1f. cL1 ~ ...
where we can act. Each moment is a meeting place where we contact our
world of places, of friends, of work and family. Usually this is a familiar and
! C.',,(tJi oJf '" OD
o 0
00000
() 0
V seamless world that we know intimately and in which we are at home. If we
look carefully we find that this continuous meeting place is very elemental.
~ ,(6\ D 0
A.rIX Each contact can be found to be distinctive. We feel the pages as we hold

r /' t ~'" IJtL

0 '~ff!(
~~)
them; we see the black marks on the white page; we hear any noises round and
about; we dwell in a world of thinking, Perhaps a smell takes our attention or
the taste of a hot drink. All are different but each is important and together
they build up the baSis of our world. Of course to do this we need a body-
sensitive eyes to see; sensitive ears to hear and so on. We need an object-the

/-~-~
printed page, a noise-and we need the capability (which we take for granted)
ilut soav- ~ .. '.. ': , of our minds to process this activity of sight, of sound and so on. This meeting

~
\~~ r1',"
,

I place of the present is, to coin a phrase, elementary, but we need to observe it
Q-if"j ~ \\0 0V . ~/ carefully to find the clues in what is so familiar.
~ ~f ; -':&

m\
At this meeting place of the present, we also find the importance of feeling.
LJ ~I(~;) .. '
0~~
Some sights are accompanied by pleasant feeling as when we look up and see
-I) ~ (~\ tli~ ~ t>~96) at~ a friend in a crowd, others by unpleasant feeling and many sights evoke a

~:Ic.') ~~.
[J)~
neutral feeling that is often not noted. From this meeting place we each go our
own way based on the deSire of our hearts. If we seek wealth then we may
desire to possess and accumulate; if we seek fame or respect, we will be at-
,vi'
tracted to certain things and repelled from others. If we seek happiness then
~,~ we can be a slave to feeling-always seeking pleasant experiences and avoiding
!
/
" ~/ the unpleasant ones. We create paths which we hold onto; paths that are
based on the heart's desire. Looking carefully, we may find that we hold fast
tnt p~Ce *'~-t$ jlASt r~~t ~ j(A",. . onto some view of what our world is (or should be!). It may be that we hold
onto paths we believe are traditional and customary. We may simply hold on

2 3 Samatha 5
Samatha 5
 '1 pOinted and that'stliecharactertstic of this form ofthe heart's desire. We may

~ Wa!:?
leading to
, succeed beyond our wildest dreams and live contented in the land of heart's
desire for many years but. such is the nature of meeting places. change takes
place and this world disappears just as it came together in the first place.
These are the domainS ofthe first truth. suffering which is to be recognised.
and the second truth. the origin of suffering which is to abandoned.
However. there is another desire. that of escape. which is latent or active in
our hearts. Not that we cannot escape the meeting place of our heart where
the cessation '[here is the six senses contact the mind. Sometimes we may wish to reduce the bustle
of Suffering Suffering that is found there. for example. by seeking seclusion in the sitting practice.
has been
But. true escape is to be found in: how we act in our world. the nature of our
full!:?
developed heart's desire. and confidence that a path exists leading there. If we do not
want to be anything as such-famous or unknown. rich or poor. happy or
unhappy. respected or reviled-then we don't have to strive to attach to some
things or reject others. The meeting place remains a meeting place of contacts
Wa!:?leading Suffering has but we no longer have to desire a specific future any more than we have to box
to the cessation of been full!:? in the past to suit our viewpoint. Our holding on to a view of being loosens.
Suffering understood and we find pleasure in how we live our lives.
These, are the domains of the third truth. the cessation of suffering which is
to realised. and the fourth truth. the path leading to the cessation of suffering
Cessation of '[here is an which is to be developed.
Suffering has origin of In this meeting place of the present. we still have the elemental qualities of
been full!:? Suffering the senses; sight is still sight and sound remains sound but the world we live
in is different. We are no longer bound. by our own doing. in four imperfec-
tions that flaw and fragment our day to day minds. Rather than seeking beauty
in things that are not beautiful. we see beings for what they are. We too share
these characteristics and loving kindness arises both to ourselves and others.
Origin of Instead of always holding on to pleasure in Situations which are not inherently
Suffering has pleasurable we can see all beings. ourselves and others. as slaves to pleasure
been full!:? and from this awareness arises compassion both for ourselves and for others.
abandoned We do not have to hold onto to everything as permanent; be it our desires. the
objects of our desires. even our heart's desire! And. seeing others who are

o ~
living in the moment in happiness. we too become joyful and joy in the joy of
others arises. We no longer have to force everything to a view of self. The
conditions that arise and fall are just seen as they are. Our sense of self we
find too restricting and as it drops away we come to a sense of equanimity
which has arisen from happiness.

What is our heart's desire?

based on what is seen as important for self or we may hold on based on strong
wanting for (or rejecting of) objects in the world. Each of us has our own path
which we hold onto and re-enforce as we act. As a consequence we reap what
we sow and we become somewhat of what we set our hearts on. We may
become a wealthy person with many possessions or. less appealing. a person
obsessed by wealth. Are we a person of good reputation or one acutely aware This article was written after a group had been doing some work on the Netti (The
of others' estimation of us? Sometimes we are gratified and sometimes disap- Guide), published by the P.T.S.

Samatha 5 4 5 Samatha 5
 Travelogue to the four jhinas
The first part oj a talk given by Ajahn Brahmavamso during a retreat at his
monastery In Australia and printed here with his kind permission.
This morning the talk is going to be on Right Concentration. Right Samadhi,
on the four jhanas, which I promised to talk about earlier this week, and about
exactly what they are, how to get into them so one can recognise them after
they've arisen, and also to understand their place in the scheme of things. If
one ever looks at the Buddha's teachings-the Suttas-one finds that the word
'jhana' is mentioned very, very often. There is a common theme which occurs
in almost every teaching of the Buddha and is part of the eightfold path-
SammaSamadhi-Right Concentration, which is always defined as 'cultivating
the four jhanas'. In this meditation retreat, if we are really talking about medi-
tation and we want to cultivate meditation, there is no reason why we shouldn't
aim to cultivate the jhana states, because they give a depth to one's meditation
which one can experience as something qUite special and one could also expe-
rience the power of these states as well as the bliss of these states. It is that
quality of bliss and that quality of power which you will later be able to use to
really develop the powerful insights into the nature of your mind and the na-
ture of all phenomena. I shall begin by talking about the Buddha's own story
which is related in the Suttas. He attained jhana, almost by chance, as a
young boy sitting under a rose-apple tree just watching while his father was
doing some ceremony. It was a very pleasurable experience, and what the
Buddha, or the Buddha-to-be, remembered was just the pleasure of that expe-
How long does it ta.ke?
EC1ch dC11::f C1WC1reness of where hindmnces might leC1d stirs C1nd C1rDUSeS the mind
There is contC1ct with the subtle qUC1lities which extend in C11/ four directions. The
thlrtl::f-three C1re gC1thered together C1nd the bodl::f is refreshed C1nd renewed
EC1ch week letting go ofconf/ict leC1ds to hope C1nd inspimtion in work. There is
equipoise too, so thC1t the results of work CC1n be tC1sted C1nd tC1ken to heC1rt
EC1ch month the essence of the work becomes stronger, its mdiC1nce C1nd beC1utl::f
brighter There is bC1lC1ncing C1nd unifl::fing C1nd the [inding of the greC1t rewC1rd of
peC1ce.
9n Spring wisdom based on peC1ce becomes more dumb/e, in Summer more
serene; in Autumn more lovell::f: C1nd in Winter more c1eC1r.
9n C1lifetime, wisdom C1nd compC1ssion reC1ch between the genemtions thC1t hC1ve
been thC1t C1re C1nd thC1t will be.
There is C1/S0 C1 plC1ce bel::fond thC1t to reC1ch it takes no time C1t C111.
Samatha 5 6
l rience and a little btt about its power. But like many people, like many medi-
tators, many practitioners, he formed the wrong View that anything so plea-
surable can have nothing at all to do with ending suffering and enlightenment;
th~t something so pleasurable must be a cause for more attachment in this
w6rld. It was because of thoughts like these that for six years the Buddha just
wandered around the forests of India doing all sorts of ascetic practices. In
other words almost looking for suffering, as if through suffering you could find
an end of suffering. It was only after six years of futility that the Buddha
decidea, haVing had a meal, and this is how it is actually said in the Suttas,
that he recalled this pleasurable experience of the first jhana as a young boy.
Maybe he said "this might be the path to enlightenment" and the insight knowl-
edge arose in him. "This is the path to enlightenment. to Bodhi." Because of
that insight. the Buddha, as everyone knows, sat under the Bodhi tree, devel-
oped the jhanas and based on the power of that jhana, the clarity of that jhana.
developed all of these wisdoms: first of all recollecting past lives. recollecting
t the action ofkamma. the depth ofkamma. how it sends beings to various parts
of rebirth, and then lastly the Four Noble Truths.
~ It was only because of the power of that sort of mind that he could penetrate
to such a degree of subtlety and uncover things which had been clouded com-
pletely from him. Since then he always tried to teach and encourage the prac-
tice of jhana as an essential ingredient of the Eightfold Path, an essential part
of becoming enlightened. If one wishes to use Buddhism not as only a half-
hearted path but to take it to its fullness. and aim for enlightenment then.
sooner or later. one will have to come across these jhanas. cultivate them. get
to know them and use their power and do exactly the same as the Buddha did
and become fully enlightened.
Many of the other talks which monks give tell you about the problem of
suffering in existence. They tell you about the difficulties of life and the prob-
lems of rebirth and more death. but I think it's also our responsibility. if we are
going to tell you the problem. then we must tell you the solution as well and tell
you the solution in all its detail. not holding anything back. Part of that solu-
tion, an essential part of that solution is developing these things which we call
jhana.
Now what these jhanas actually are-I'll just talk about the four jhanas this
morning and I'm going to carry on from what I might call the launching pad of
that second stage of meditation which I've been talking about a lot while I've
been teaching meditation during this retreat. The second stage of meditation.
in my scheme of things, is where you have full continuous awareness of the
breath. So the mind is not distracted at all, every moment it has the breath in
mind and that state has been stabilised with continual attention until the
breath is continually in mind; no distraction for many minutes on end. That's
the second stage in this meditation. It coincides with the third stage in the
Buddha's Anapanasati Sutta. where the meditator experiences the whole body
of breath. where the body here is just a word for the accumulation of all the
parts of an inbreath, all the parts of an outbreath and the sequential aware-
ness of these physical feelings. The next stage. the third stage in my scheme
7 Samatha 5
(the fourth stage in the Buddha's Anapanasati Sutta) is where, haViiig attained
that second stage and not letting it go, not letting go of the awareness of the
breath one moment, one calms that object down, calms the object ofthe breath
down.
There are several ways of doing that. Perhaps the most effective is just
developing an attitude of letting go because the object of the breath will calm
down naturally if you leave it alone. However, sometimes some meditators
have difficulty letting go to that degree and so another method which can be
very effective is just suggesting "calm, calm, calm", or suggesting "letting go."
There is a great difference between the attitude of letting go and suggesting
letting go. With suggesting letting go you are still actually controlling things,
you are getting involved in it, but at least you are getting involved by sending it
in the right direction; sending it towards the place where the attitude of letting
go is occurring without the need to put it into words or to give it as orders or
commands. You are programming the mind in the right direction. But I use
both, either just letting go, as an attitude of mind, or subconscious suggesting,
just calm, calm, calm, and to feel the object of your attention, being here the
feeling of the breath, get more and more refined, more subtle. The difficulty or
the problem here will be that you have to always maintain your attention clearly
on the breath. In other words, not letting go of the second stage when you
develop the third stage. Keep full awareness of the breath, but just make that
breath softer and softer and softer, more and more subtle, more and more
refined, but never letting go of it. As the breath gets more and more refined, the
only way of not letting go of it is by treating it very, very gently. You're going
towards an effortless awareness on the breath, an effortless attention where
the breath is just there.
A bit of a problem here with many meditators is that they are not quite sure
ofthe correct way of knowing the breath in this state. There is a type of know-
ing which is just knowing, being mindful of: without naming, without thinking,
without analysing, a sub-verbal type of knowing. You have to be confident that
you are actually watching the breath. Sometimes you may not have the width
of mind to know exactly what type of breath you are watching, but you know
you are watching the breath. The point is, it's a type of knowing which is
getting much more refined. Our usual knowing is very wide and full of many
details. Here, the details are narrowing down until a point comes where some-
times we have so few details that we don't know if we truly know, a different
type of knowing, a much more refined knowing. So the wisdom has to be very
strong here and confidence has to be strong to understand that one is still
knowing the breath. The breath hasn't disappeared at all and you do not need,
as it were, to widen the width of knowing through effort of will, this will just
disturb the mind. Just allow everything to calm down. The object will calm
down and so will the knowing start to calm down. It's at this stage where you
start to get a samiidhi nimitta arising. I call this part of the third stage.
If you calm the phySical feeling,ofbreath down, the mental feeling of breath
starts to arise, the samadhi nimitta, usually a light which appears in the mind.
However, it can sometimes just appear to be a physical feeling. It can be a deep
Samatha 5 8 9
-, peacefulness, it can even be like a blackness. The actual description of it is
very Wide simply because the description is that which everyone adds on to a
core experience, which is a mental experience. When it starts to arise you just
haven't got the words to describe it. So what we add to it is usually how we
understand it to ourselves; darkness, peacefulness, profound stillness, empti-
ness, a beautiful light or whatever. Don't particularly worry about what type of
nimitta it actually is.
If you want to know the way to develop that nimitta, then this fourth stage
of developing the four jhanas is to pay attention to that aspect of the nimitta
which is beautiful, which is attractive, which is joyful, the pleasant part of it.
And again, it is at this stage where you have to be comfortable with pleasure
and not be afraid of it, not fear that it is going to lead to some sort of attach-
ment, because the pleasure of these stages can be very intense at times, liter-
ally overpowering: overpowering your sense of self, overpowering your control,
overpowering your sensitivity to your physical body. So you have to look for
'f
that pleasure and happiness which is in the nimitta, and this becomes the
fourth stage because once the mind has noticed the pleasure and happiness in
the nimitta, that will act like what I call the magnet or the glue. It is that which
+
Will draw one's attention onto it, and it's not the will or the chOice or the deci-
sion which takes the attention and puts it onto the samadhi nimitta. In fact
onc~ the choice, the intention, the orders inside yourself, arise, they'll actually
push you away. You have to let the whole process work because the samadhi
nimitta at this stage is very pleasurable, it literally pulls the mind into it. Many
meditators, possibly when they experience their first taste of a jhana, experi-
ence the mind falling into a beautiful hole. And that's exactly what's happen-
ing. It's the joy, the bliss, the beauty of that nimitta, which is before the mind,
that actually pulls the mind into it. So you don't need to do the pushing, you
don't need to do the work. At this stage it becomes a natural process of the
mind. Your job is just to get to that second stage, calm that breath down, allow
the samadhi nimitta to arise. Once the samiidhi nimitta arises strongly, then
the jhana happens in and of itself.
Again, because the quality of knOwing is very strong but very narrow in
these states, while you are in these states there is no way that you can truly
assess where you are and what's happening to you. The ability to know through
thinking, through analySing. is taken away from you in these states. You
usually have to wait until you emerge from these states, until your ordinary
thinking returns again, so you can really look back upon and analyse what
has happened. Any of these jhana states are powerful experiences, and as a
powerful experience, they leave a deep imprint on your mind.
Unfortunately there is not a word in our English language which corre-
sponds to a positive trauma. The word 'trauma' is like a very strong negative,
painful experience which leaves its imprint in you. This is Similar in its strength
and result to a trauma and you remember it very clearly because it has a
severe impact on your memory. However these are just purely pleasant expe-
riences, like pleasant traumas, and as such you recall them very easily. So,
after you've emerged from a jhana, it's usually no problem at all just to look
Samatha 5
 -I
back with the question: "What was that?" and to be able to see very Clearly the to thinking. It Is almost what you might call sub-verbal thought. It is a move-
type of experience. the object. which you were aware of for all this time and ment of the mind towards a meditation object. That's called vitakka. However
then you can analyse it. It's at this point that you can find out exactly where it has to appear on a sub-verbal level. just a movement. just an intention.
you were and what was happening. but in the jhana you can't do this. without the mind breaking into words and labels.
After the jhana one can know it by what The mind moves onto the object. and remember the 'object' here. the thing
the Buddha called 'the jhana factors'. you are aware of. is the plti-sukha. That is why it is the main factor of this
These are the major signposts which tell When there is standing [irmllj jhana. because you are aware of bliss. That's the object of your meditation. not
you what particular states you've been in. on the past, then a great the breath. not the body. not any words but you are aware of bliss. And you
It's good to know those signposts but re- I3mhma is a guide, will also be aware. and this is one ofthe characteristics of the first jhana. that
member. these are just signposts to these the mind will still be wobbling a little bit. The bliss which is the object of your
states. these are the main features of When there is living fulllj in awareness will appear. as it were. to fade or to recede. and as it fades. as it
the present. then al3mhma of recedes. as it weakens. the mind will go towards it again. Attracted as it were.
these states and in the first jhana there
Radiance is a guide, by its power. by its bliss. the mind goes towards it; that is called 'vitakka'. the
are many subsidiary features. In fact the
firstjhana is quite wide. However. ifit's a movement of the mind onto its object. When it reaches the object it will hold
When there is trust and hope
first jhana experience it has to have the in the future, then al3mhma onto it. this is called 'vicara'. which will be an effort of mind. but a very subtle
'I'
five main features. the five main jhana of l3eautlj is a guide, effort of mind. This is an effort of mind. this is not an effort of will. It is not an
factors. The second jhana is much nar- effort coming from you. it's the mind doing it by itself. All along you are a
rower. much easier to find out whether Living the past. present and ~ passive observer to all of this. And as it holds onto it eventually. as it were. it
this is where you've been. It's the same future as one, brings near a will lose its grip and will recede away from the object of bliss again. In this
with the third and the fourth jhana. they I3mhma of great Reward way. the object of bliss will appear to be wobbly. not truly firm. As such the
get narrower still. The width of descrip- mind will seem to have a little bit of width to it. but not be truly solid. However.
tion for this experience. which you may that width is very small and you never move far away from that bliss because
offer. narrows down as you attain more profound depths of letting go. as soon as you move a little away from it. it retracts and pulls the mind straight
But with the first jhana the Buddha gave it five factors. The main factors back again.
are the two which is pfti-sukha. This is bliss. Sometimes. if you look in books Because it's only got a little bit of width this is called one-pOintedness of
about the meaning of these terms. they will try and split them into separate mind; all of the energy. the focus of the mind. being in one point. both in space
factors. They are separate things but in the first couple of jhanas. plti and and one point in time. This experience does not change over many. many.
sukha are so closely intertwined that you will not be able to distinguish one many minutes in a full firstjhana. This experience is maintained. it's just the
from the other. and it's more helpful not to try. but to look at these two factors mind going towards this bliss and this bliss lasting there for a long time. Now
as just 'bliss'. That's the most accurate description which most people can again. this is only how you'll see it when you emerge from the jhana. You will
recognise: "This is bliss". The Buddha called it vivekaja pfti-sukha. that par- not be able to analyse this experience into five factors during that time because
ticular type of bliss which is born from detachment. born from aloofness. born the mind will not have that width. that ability to think. the ability to analyse.
from seclusion. Viveka is the word for 'seclusion'. 'aloofness'. 'separateness' while you are in the state. While in the state all you'll be aware of is just the
and it means 'separated from the world ofthe five senses'. That's what you've bliss. You are literally blissed out. not really quite knowing why or what's
separated yourself from and this is the bliss of that separation. which is the happening. but having some sort of feeling or confidence that this is worth-
cause ofthat happiness and bliss. And that bliss has a particular type of taste while. this is beautiful. this is profound. this is worth doing, so that you can
which other blisses do not share. it is the bliss of seclusion. That is why it is stay in those states.
also sometimes called the bliss of renunciation. You've renounced those things. It's usual that a person's first experience of jhana will be the first jhana.
therefore you are secluded from them. After a while, the strength of the samadhi, what you actually brought into that
There are two other factors which confuse people again and again. They are state with you, will begin to decline and the mind will move away from the
the two terms 'vitakka' and 'vicara'-which Bikkhu Bodhi in his Ma.ijhima Nikaya bliss. and the vitakka will not be strong enough to take it back into it again,
translates as 'initial' and 'sustained' application of thought or 'initial' and 'ap- and you emerge from the jhana. The jhana will break up and you will be able
plied' thought. However. it should be known and recognised that thinking. as to think and analyse again. Thoughts will come up into your mind and this
you normally perceive it. is not present in these jhanas at all. That which we will probably be one of the first things which arises after the jhana breaks, as,
call thought has completely subsided. What these two terms refer to is a last it were. The mind will still have a lot of happiness and bliss to it but will not be
vestige ofthe movement of the mind which. ifit was continued. would give rise as one-pOinted. The body will usually not be recognised at the beginning, and

Samatha 5 10 11 Samatha 5
only later will the mind care to look and see what the body has tieen-dotng all ..,
this time. On looking back
The mind will be very powerful at this stage. You've just emerged from a
jhana. you'll still have a lot of happiness and bliss and in the words of the
Buddha the mind will be 'malleable'. it will be 'workable'. It will be like a piece And all at once
of clay. which is not too wet and not too dry. which you can turn into any a light shines upon the back-
shape you want with ease because of the power which you invested in the this back ...
mind. and that becomes the experience of the first jhana. Once you've experi- the central core
enced that once then it's good to find out what caused that jhana to arise. a pillar strong
What did you do? Or more appropriately. what did you let go of. to give rise to moving then still
that jhana? Rather than what you did. what you let go of becomes a much flexible. soft. then firm
more powerful indicator of the ways into these states. You usually find out housing sIla
that you developed that second stage when you started to let go of this 'control- nodules of understanding
ler'. let go of the wandering mind. let go of the fear of these states and espe- strung together
cially when you let go of the controller and just allowed the mind to show its
face when you're not there giving all the orders. Once you start to get to know ~ by 4-uow1edge
this and get to know the ways into these jhanas. then you should try and 0f~afIs good
develop them. to repeat them again and again because. not only are you devel- I
CWd not so good
~

oping insight. you are developing skill. the skill ofletting go ofthings which are to do
the causes of deep attachment.
to be continued ll]ollj
llg

then still
again.
With mindfulness the meditator breathes in with mindfulness he breathes out.
When the breath stills the bod0. the mind can pla0 unhindered with the objects The back will gUide these. arms and hands
of the six sense organs. 'There is j00like the j00 that arises in the heavenl0 realms they r~ach out to touch
of sense to pull and to push
to stroke~nd to slap .... '.
With mindfulness the meditator breathes in. with mindfu/Yf(?sS he breathes .....;.. harsh fhen tender
out. When there is still ness of mind that arises from stilling otfeeling. the mind ". grabbing. th~p. leavi~ .
. ::
becomes aware of the strength of i3rahmas greatness. radiance and beaut0 bufcomehome / .
renew and transform the inner life.
I
<:1:0 the ba6k{:
i r~traii1ed and thecked aftbe . centre··· .
With mindfulness the meditator breathes in with mindfulness he breathes
I
. guided andta.k~n careof,~: ....
out. When the mind is perfect/0 free. the faculties can grow and develop to their soon they wil!f.~st in the lap . ,-
fullest extent. iAnderstanding arises like that of the Eldest Devas. encompass- turned quietly towards each other
ing the world at peace not.wanting."'< .
:.:",',
With mindfulness the mediator breathes in; with mindfulness he breathes out. Thefeet will stop running
When there is letting go. there is the know/edge possessed b0 the highest devas. .. and chasing around
thateven the subtlest form limits the mind Each thought that arises has within )h.~y will lie gently in front.
it a reminder of the truth that goes be00nd thought. ''::':::qelighting in stillness.:."· .
'':.:: "'. '. '.~'

" : ........ ':. ::..•.

..;.;.,'

Samatha 5 12 13 Samatha 5
 ~I

Realms of the devas-and others

Formless Realms
Within the chanting ofthe Triple Gem. one of the attributes of the Buddha Four levels based respectively on the four Ariipa jhanas
is that he is 'devamanussanam' - teacher of gods (devas) and men. There are
various materials within the tradition that provide more detail about the na- Realms of Form that is fine and subtle
ture of devas and of the Universe as a whole. and over the years a number of
different Samatha groups have used them as a basis for research and investi- Four levels based on the four Riipa jhanas:
gation. These teachings describe the Universe as being organised into differ-
Fourth Jhana plane Five levels of Pure Abodes (Suddhaviisaj where
ent levels of existence or bhumi. Although there are 'inferior' levels - the four
Never-returners are reborn and attain to
Descents - where suffering predominates. the human level is the first of the Arahatship. The beings here are known as:
happy realms, where. by and large. beings live happy lives as the result of the Eldest, Clear-Sighted. Lovely. Serene and Durable.
good kamma of their previous lives. Above this there are six further worlds
whose inhabitants - the devas - also enjoy happiness based upon the senses. Without Mind
And even higher than these are many levels of Brahma worlds. whose inhabit- Great Reward Vehapphala
ants enjoy lives based upon the happiness and creativity of the jhanas.
Following the principle of 'as above, so below'. there are also. within our Third jhana plane Brahmas of Beauty Subhaki!lha
own minds. many different levels. Whether or not we 'believe' in these beings.
researching the deva and higher realms can be useful in getting to know our-
• Second jl!.ana plane Brahmas of Radiance Abhassara
selves better. and perhaps in finding ways that lead to some of these inner
worlds. It has also been interesting and fun. working in a group, to try to bring
Firstjhilna plane Great Brahma MahaBrahma
Brahma's High Priests
out the qualities of the deva realms in various ways. Some years ago one group Brahma's Retinue
wrote up some of their ideas and put them together in a book. 'A Handbook of
Devas' , which might give you something of the flavour of this kind of study.
The Handbook can be found in the library at Greenstreete and at the Manches- Sense-sphere realms
ter Centre. The article 'Mythology in some Suttas and Jataka tales' in Issue 3
of Samatha is also concerned with this material. discussing the Realm of the Enjoyment of the many forms of pleasure found in Paradise:
people of the Four Kings which is the deva realm that is immediately above the
human level. In pieces set into 'Travelogue' on page 6 and in 'Match of the Devas who have mastery over Others' Creations Paranimmitarasaratti
aeon' on page 26 some additional descriptions are given. After reading any of Devas who delight in Creating Nimma!!Uratti
these you might be tempted to find ways of your own to key into what devas are Delighted Devas Tusita
Happy Devas Yama
like. The list given below will help in finding your way around. The Realm of the Thirty-three Devas Tavatimsa
The Realm of the people of the Four Kings Catummaharajika

Humans Manussa

The Four Descents:

Angry Gods Asura

Hungry Ghosts Peta
Animals Tiracchana
Woeful Beings Niraya

Samatha 5 14
* 15 Samatha 5
 ~I

On visiting the corpse of Maurice Walsh at Jatakas Tales (2)

Amarivati
Here are some more jatakas all of which are loosely attibuted to the perfec-
Last weekend I visited Amaravati with my daughter. for a tion of wisdom ofthe bodhisatta. In the first story a sailor who is blinded. but
children's weekend. to help prepare the Rainbows magazine. When acquires great wealth. displays skills which might appear superficially to be
we arrived. one of the monks told us that the theme would be more like a kind of practical canniness-and perhaps this is intentional as a
impermanence. He mentioned that Maurice Walsh. a renowned kind of intimation of what wisdom is in daily life.
Pall translator and great friend to the Temple. had died two weeks
before and that his body was lying in the Temple of Rest. behind Jataka463
the tnain shrine. until the ceremony which was to take place the
Once upon a time there was a king named Bharu in whose kingdom the Bodhisatta
following Monday prior to cremation. He suggested that we might
was born the son of a master mariner in the seaport of Bharukaccha. He was pleasing
consider visiting the corpse to sit quietly with it for a while.
to look at. the colour of gold. and was called Supparaka. By the time he was sixteen he
I had to pluck up courage to go as I had never seen a two-week
had gained a complete mastery of seamanship and. by the time his father had died. he
old corpse before.
was known to be so clever that no accident ever befell a ship on which he sailed. But
As I approached the temple. I felt quite anxious. unsure of what
after a time he was blinded by salt water and decided to enter the king's serivce instead.
I would find. I paused outside the door. keeping my distance.
,. At the court of the king he was given the job of assessor because his intuition had
bracing myself against the unknown.
given him the ability to assess the worth of anything.
My first glimpse. through the glass door. brought the shock of
One day an elephant was brought to him. the colour of black rock. intended as the
the skin colour. so pale. so grey. so waxy. so un-human; the lips
king's own state elephant. But when he was brought to Supparaka. and he had passed
so black. the teeth so protruding. the flesh so sunken. the eyes so
his hand over him, Supparaka said "This elephant is not suitable; he fell to the ground
finally closed.
when he was born and so is now crippled". When those who had brought him were
I took a deep breath and went
questioned this was found to be true. Another time a horse was brought. to be the state
in.
horse. but again Supparaka felt the horse and rejected him too saying "This horse's
I was struck by how silent and
mother died the day he was born; he has not been properly nourished". This also was
peaceful it was. how immediately
found to be the case. Another time a chariot was brought and. feeling it. Supparaka
my mental state stilled and just
rejected that too saying that it had been made from a tree that was weak and full of
witnessed the simple truth:
holes; a blanket he felt also and noticed the places where it had been gnawed at by
All conditioned things are im-
mice.
permanent. Whatever comes into
Now each time Supparaka's judgement was asked he received only eight coins so,
being passes away.
dissatisfied, he went back to his own seaport. Soon some merchants, remembering his
I stayed a while. looked at the
reputation on board ship. asked him to be their ship's captain despite his blindness.
photo of the living man who had
been. and at the shell of the be- .,. After being implored several times he agreed and set sail. A terrible wind buffetted the
ship and, after four months, they came to a sea filled with fish like men with noses of
ing who had passed on. To what?
razors swimming around in it. Now the bodhisatta knew that there were many dia-
I was struck by the great gift
monds in the sea, but he also recognized that he could not
made by this man whom I had not
tell the merchants this as they would take too many and
known.
sink the ship. So, explaining nothing, he anchored the
The gift of his corpse. laid so
ship, told the merchants that the sea was the Razor sea,
quietly to rest in this beautiful
and had a net lowered which he filled with diamonds; these
temple. beneath the mural of the
he secretly stored throwing things of little value overboard.
Reclining Buddha-for others to
Soon the ship came to a sea of fire which sent out a brilliant radiance like a bonfire
contemplate as the object oftheir
or the sun at midday. The merchants asked the bodhisatta what the sea was and he
dhamma practice.
told them its name; but he did not tell them that the sea contained large treasures of
May he be well and happy! gold and again secretly lowered a net to trawl for some, had it brought in, and placed it
in the hold, getting rid of merchandise of little value.

Samatha 5 16 17 Samatha 5
 They then came to the Sea of Milk; again the merchants inquired of the bodhisatta
and he reassured them (secretly netting its treasures of silver). Next came the Sea of
green Kusa grass (that was very dark, like a field ofkusa grass in full crop), and, telling
the merchants the name of that sea, the bodhisatta again trawled in some of the sea's
vast reserves of emeralds. Then they came to the sea of reeds that looked like a thicket
of reeds or a grove of bamboos. Again the merchants asked the bodhisatta for its name
and again the bodhisatta told it, secretly netting in an abundance of beryls from its
waters. Lastly they came to the Sea of the Mare's mouth. Here water is sucked right
down, but surges up on all sides, so that the upsurging water looks like an enormous
pit with a precipice all around like a mountain slope. The noise was so terrific that it
was enought to burst the ears-and the heart as well. There were seven hundred men
aboard the ship; in terror they screamed like beings in Avid hell.
The bodhisatta knew he was the only one who could keep 'sammatho', or calm, in
such terrible waves. So, commanding the terrified men to bring scented water for him
to wash in, new garments for him to wear and some specially prepared food, he went to
the bow of the ship and, holding the bowloffood in both hands, made a great statement
of truth:
"In all my life, since I have grown up, I have never intentionally hurt one being. By
this statement may the ship return safely."
Immediately, as though the ship herself had psychic powers, she reached the sea-
port of Bharukaccha safely in one day, even though they had been travelling for four
months. She then travelled even over dry land until she came to rest at the bodhisatta's
own house. He divided the treasure amongst the merchants saying "Now you have
enough; you need never go to sea again!"
In this tale the ability not to judge by appearances that accompanies the
sailor's blindness, the need to use a different kind of sense to divine new
circumstances, and the levelheadedness required to pass safely through strange
seas, seems to communicate rather a lot about practising meditation and the
kind of wisdom that is needed for it, though it would be difficult to describe
this in other than experiential terms. At any rate it is interesting how all are
rewarded by great treasures, through skilful steering and management in dan-
gerous seas, without desire for personal gain!
Samatha 5 18
the bodhlaatta
What distinguishes the jatakas is the constant presence of the bodhisatta
throughout all these tales. He is there in all the stories, whether just as a
watcher, as in some, or as a participant, giving a point of reference and a space
for change as the most base intrigue and the most dramatic and violent inci-
dent resolves itself in action. His sense of a possible self. that is unlike other
beings, derives from one moment: the adhi!!hiina that he made at the feet of
the last Buddha, DIpankara. Undertaken right at the beginning of the pre-
amble to the tales this vow, to build up the reserves of the ten perfections
necessary to attain Buddhahood. instigates all 547 stories which may be seen
as manifold ways of testing and purifying this one vision and resolve. It is
almost as if the 'self and the world of each story is created by the search to go
beyond self and to realise the possibility of supreme awakening in as many
different contexts as possible. This adhi!!hana is of a different order from the
) common mould and gives reliability and meaning throughout the face of death
and the many different orders of existence. For as the bodhisatta says at the
J start of the first jataka: "It was solely to brush away the world's difficulties that
by the display of the ten perfections through myriad aeons I won omniscience.
Give ear and hearken, as closely as if you were filling a tube of gold with lion's
marrow."
When he meets others sharing the search he is with his friends and charac-
ters like Sariputta, Moggallana, Ananda and Upalavanna turn up again and
again like welcome allies in the form of whatever rebirth they are taking at the
time, whether as animal, human or god.
In terms of our own experience I think the bodhisatta could be seen as the
authority ofthe awake mind, that may be watching and knowing, whose good
gUidance we could listen to, as the mind moves out into the 'world' we are
inhabiting at the time, and that acts within its frame of reference before mov-
ing back to dissolution and rest. It can also be seen as the teacher or good
friend who gives the advice if asked: the quest of the awake mind, to find what
it is that will help or just contribute to a situation, is like the need to find
balance and awareness in different worlds and different grounds.
1 the jatakas and meditation practice
J Some stories seem more specifically directed at the ways in which we prac-
tise meditation and many humourous and helpful tips are disguised in them.
Jataka 99 - Parosahassa Jataka
In this story the Buddha enters the meditation hall to find a group of monks
praising the qualities of Sariputta, the disciple famed for wisdom, after he has
just explained a pithy saying the Buddha had made beforehand. The Buddha
says that this is not the first time that Sartputta has done this and proceeds to
tell this story of an earlier life .....
19 Samatha 5

fi<t
Once upon a time the bodhisatta was born a brahmin and practised the eight jhanas,
or meditations. He lived in the Himalayas surrounded by five hundred meditators. One
rainy day the chief disciple went. with half the men, to fetch some salt and vinegar but
the bodhisatta was on the point of death: so the remaining disCiples, curious about his
level of spiritual attainment, asked him the following question:
"What excellency have you won?"
The bodhisatta replied "Won?" He said "I have won nothing."(n'atthi kincfti)
So saying he died and was reborn in the Abhassara realm, the Brahma realm of the
radiant devas, for a bodhisatta is never reborn in a formless realm but only as high as
a rupa jhana realm.
The disciples, deeply unimpressed by this statement, said "He has attained nothing"
and did not pay him the customary honours at his cremation.
On his return the chief disciple learnt of the death and asked if they had enquired
about the level of their teacher's spiritual attainment-implying that the time before
death is a moment when such a question may be asked. They adniitted that they had
but, being disappointed by the reply, had not paid the usual honour at his cremation.
"So what excellence had he attained?" asked the chief disciple.
When he heard the statement the bodhisatta had made the chief disciple exclaimed
"You have not understood! The teacher had attained to the sphere of
nothingness !"(Akincanniiyatanasamiipattilo.)
Although he kept on explaining this point to them, they could not see it.
At this point the bodhisatta, who as a Brahma in a heaven world was fully aware of
what was going on, decided that it was time that he himself intervened.
"Fools!" he suddenly cried " They do not understand my chief disciple. I'll make it
plain to them!"
So he came down from the Brahma realm and by virtue of his powers rested in mid-
air above the hermitage and uttered a stanza in praise of Sariputta
Far better than a thousand fools, though they
Cry out a hundred years unceasingly
Is one who, hearing, immediately understands.
He then went back to enjoy the bliss of the Jhana realm and the other ascetics also
practised and joined him there when they died.
The Buddha identified himself as the Brahma and Sariputta as the chief diSCiple.
The story is fairly self explanatory-but I like the detail about the need for
some salt and vinegar and the way that meditation on nothingess produces
such a happy rebirth. Perhaps the perfections needs a willingness to enter
this in order that they may be found!
Samatha 5 20
reincamatiOD
The reason the bodhisatta is able to be present throughout the stories is
because of this link of rebirth that threads the jatakas together; a bit like beads
on a string they show that succession of rebirths is an experience we all share,
lifetime after lifetime. Jataka means 'to do with birth' and while we might not
feel comfortable with the notion ofreincarnation, the idea of 'rebirths' is useful
and can be applied to our own single lives; periods or phases of life may have
the tenor or colouring of a particular world. whether it is a grey and constricted
one where things seem boring and dead. like a wilderness, or a serene period
of steadiness that feels like it is lasting 84000 years. like the reign of a univer-
sal monarch. The 'self that lives in one may have had very different powers
and capabilities than the self in the world we are in now; the difficulties and
unhappiness of one stage of life may, from the point of view of another, seem as
strange and remote as another lifetime.
So. can these stories be taken as analogous to the experience of all of our
daily lives? For in the world ofthe tube and the rush hour. our homes. working
at the computer. washing up. office work and dhamma groups. many 'rebirths'
take place and selves are formed. identified with and dissolved. Sometimes
our own 'jatakas' seem endlessly constricting or hard, sometimes beautiful.
like the entrance into the cave of a naga. Sometimes they are very farcical! The
scale may apply to separate lifetimes, periods oflife, to one day and even to the
timespan of the breath itself. for the stories are a little like a breath. that
begins. comes to ripeness and then dies away before another one begins. The
key to the jatakas is that while we live in created worlds there is also the
possibility of viewing them from a different place. The bodhisatta watches and
acts. refining himself so that he may become the knower of all possible worlds.
Sometimes this can transform them. just as the advice and watching of the
Buddha may turn the basest metal into gold .... for whatever the realm or kind
of existence change, in time. is always possible.
different 'worlds' in the jatakas
As a compilation the stories really are mixed, with entirely different kinds of
'atmospheres': some are delightful and funny. some incredibly base and trivial,
some disturbing. some violent and explosive. some lyrical and serene. some
are fairytale-like in quality, some more like Aesop's fables. some have intricate
plots involving humans and their intrigues. and some pOintedly satirIse con-
temporary religious groups. You feel as if the Buddha. or the storyteller. has
taken all the kind of tales that animated interest at the time and transformed
them by the possibilities of the dhamma. lt is rather as if someone had ar-
rested our attention with the story types familiar to our imagination-like con-
temporary adventure stories. space travel tales and favourite soap operas-
and so created worlds where we are constantly invited to see the teaching
enacted in new ways. How can a sneeze bring bad results to a sword tester
who cuts off his own nose but the hand of a beautiful girl in marriage to an-
other? How did the beautiful lady commit adultery with 63 messengers but
21 Samatha 5
fail on the 64th? What kind of man could withstand her? Our attention cap-
tured, the dhamma can be taught. ..
Mindfulness is in the end what purifies the 'births' in the stories. They
seem to surface like bubbles from a well of past lives that bring endlessly
renewed 'selves' to new situations and conditions. At a moment that dissolves
an old self, such as an adhi!!hana, the bodhisatta, and other characters, draw
on the deep reserves ofthe perfections, miraculous powers accumulated in the
past. At other times, in animal rebirths, characters are frustrated and thwarted
at every corner by their means of livelihood and must find suitable skilful
means just to survive and extricate themselves from danger!
This is one way of interpreting the stories but in the end I suspect it is the
touching of the heart and the active investigation of detail, that probes and
tests with good humour, that is what the jatakas are all about. They seem to
make you laugh or become interested so that you do not notice you have let go
of a 'self or one of your own 'jatakas' that was really rather stiff or boring.
Jiitaka 128 - Bilara Jataka
Lastly, a bit of light relief..... this story occurs also as a jackal instead of a
cat and is found in the Mahabharata as well. The outcome ofthe upiiya kusala,
or the skilful means, the bodhisatta deploys here to investigate the root of the
problem would certainly cure any incipient sentimentality about how aspirant
bodhisattas should behave; I can only picture it as a Tom and Jerry cartoon!
It was told by the Buddha when the hypocrisy of another bhikkhu was
related to him:
Once upon a time the bodhisatta was reborn as a rat, as large as a young boar, and
endowed with wisdom. He lived in the forest and looked after many hundreds of rats.
Now a wandering cat saw this group of rats and thought to himself
''I'm going to deceive these rats .... and then eat them all up".
So he took up a position near where they lived, with his face to the sun, sipping the
air and standing on one leg.
The bodhisatta, thinking that this must be a practitioner of
great good conduct, asked him his name.
"Dhammika" Replied the cat.
"Why do you stand on only one leg?" asked the bodhisatta.
"The earth could not support my weight with all four on the
ground." replied the cat.
"Why do you keep your mouth open?"
"I live on air; it's my only nourishment."
"Why do you face the sun?"
"In order to pay him homage."
The bodhisatta, impressed, said "This is someone of great good
conduct!" and from that time on pald his respects each evening as he and the other
rats trooped past.
Samatha 5 22
Now the cat, each time they went past, seized the last one and
devoured him and, wiping his mouth, returned to his position.
Gradually the rats became fewer and fewer till they started to
notice gaps in their ranks. Wondering why, they asked the
bodhisatta. He was at a loss but, suspecting the cat, said "I will
investigate this".
So next day he let the other rats go on and went to the rear of
the troop. The cat made a spring at him but, seeing him coming,
the bodhisatta faced round and cried "So this holiness of yours is
just a cloak! Now we see your real cat-like nature!"
So saying the king of the rats killed the cat there and then;
and all the other rats crept back and gobbled him up with a "murumura" munch,
munch, munch noise.
At least the fIrst ones did because there was not really very much left for the last;
and after that the rats lived without fear.
The bodhisatta pointed out that the hypocrite was the cat.. .. and he the rat.
There are a number of surprises about this story; one for me was that the
bodhisatta himself is genuinely misguided by another character's apparently
piOUS behaviour, presumably a warning to us all! Like us the worlds he finds
himself in are new each time, unfamiliar things and beings may be enemies
and it is hard to know who to trust. He gives the benefit of the doubt though-
until proved wrong. Wisdom is the perfection exemplified by the bodhisatta in
this lifetime, where he is described as "buddhl1J1". But the cat and mouse type
humour belie a ruthless world where ruthless action is necessary ... suggest-
ing that for all of us there may be 'rebirths' into worlds where the laws may be
harder and keener than those we are used to!
But I do not think anyone could start being too earnest or literal about the
jatakas after reading this ....
23 Samatha 5
 FIve LLymerucs

The Llymeryc: literary notes

TnIS SamaTna pRaCTIce TnOU£1n slow
It is a little known fact that the deceptively simple poetic Is SURe TO DewLop ano gROW, ~ .Jt
~~---
form now called by the Irish-Gaelic term 'limerick' originated As you IJ/'l..eaTne In ana OUT
amongst the Celtic bards of ancient Wales, who used it as a WITnOUT TnInkzng abOUT,
vehicle to convey, while at the same time concealing, pro-
found esoteric teachings. These Master Llymericists are said
ALL Tne TnIngs TnaT you TnInk TnaT you know.
to have possessed extraordinary occult powers. Legend tells
us that the great stones of Stonehenge were conveyed from
the mountains of Dyfed to their present site by a group of TnIS SamaTna pRaCTIce IS SO
thirteen bards, who caused the stones to fly through the air VeRy peaceFul IF onLy you know
by composing and reciting llymerics. Only twelve stones were How TO BReaTne In ana OUT,
delivered successfully, however. The thirteenth bard was
crushed to death when his stone crashed to the ground after WITnOUT FReTTIng aBOUT
one of his llymerics failed to rhyme. This tale should serve as WneTneR you aRe aBOUT TO LeT go.
a warning to lesser practitioners of the Llymerical Art, who
risk being driven to insanity by such failures. Given below
are five contemporary adaptations ofthis anCient and august IF I weRe a sTuoenT OF Zen
art-form by a wandering Celtic-Buddhist bard-apprentice, TnIs wouLo Be a naIku, BUT Tnen
whose heart has its home not far from the modern-day bor- IT JUST wouLonT Rnyme,
der town of Knighton.
So I'm nappy TnaT I'm
DOIng SamaTna pRaCTICe agazn.

TneRe once was a yogIn FRom POwys

~
CJ ,,--.-'~
%- Wno saT In a FIeLo FulL OF FLowys.
. . . .
He wouLo nave Been caLmeR
IF nOT FOR Tne FaRmeR
Wno pUT nIs BulL In wITn Tne cowys.

A yogIn wnILe SITTIng once salo

~ ~

~
ALL TnIs eneRgy's gone TO my neao, . 4;-'
WneRe TIme aFTeR TIme } ....,- ...
-~
IT pRoouces a Rnyme - ,~'"

I '0 BeTTeR T/'l..y waLkIng InsTeao.

25 Samatha 5
Samatha 5 24
 Match of the aeon-
I had a feeling even before the draw was made that this was going to be the
big one. Since we got into the Cosmic League Cup (sponsored by Samsara) we
have played some big games but the draw against the Bhumi is the chance of a
lifetime (possibly many, many lifetimes). As you know the Bhumi are the team
to beat. winners of the competition last year and going great guns this year.
Not a weakness in the side and great strength in depth. As soon as the draw
was known, our coach organised a special weekend seminar at Greenstreete,
the club's recently refurbished headquarters, so that we'd all know exactly
what we're facing. Let's go through their players one at a time, if that's not too
scary.
The team is organised according to the traditional three-fold principle, with
a defence, mid-field and attack. The defence, to start with, are utterly dedi-
cated to restraining the opposition's attack. On numerous occasions they have
achieved the state of blamelessness; the clean sheet. You don't need me to tell
you that the basis and foundation of a successful team is a solid defence. You
can't win if you're leaking goals at the back.
Their goal-keeper, Catummaharajika, is really solid-
he gives such stability to the rest ofthe defence. When
the opposition's attack is on song and the defenders are
under pressure, everything can be so chaotic, with play-
ers coming at you from all directions. That's when their
defenders can have confidence in Catummaharajika. He's
strong in each of the four kinds of save: agile with low
ground shots, quick off his line to collect the balls that
come through the defence, has quick reflexes for the fast.
fiery shots, and is safe in the air, plucking out those
dangerous crosses. He really makes the six-yard box his own territory, a pro-
tected space that the opposition venture into at their own peril. A towering
giant of a keeper.
Then there's Tavatitilsa in central defence, right in the thick of things. He
organises the defence so well-a good communicator, always shouting to his
team mates. He does such a lot of work, covering so much ground that you'd
think there were 33 of him on the pitch. I know that in some quarters he's got
a reputation for being a dirty player, more of a warrior than a player, but that
was all in the past. before he sorted out his real allegiance. Now his aggression
is firmly in check and channelled along the right path.
AlongSide him are the right and left full-backs, Yama and Tusita, two class
defenders. Yama is so fast. he can keep track of any attacker. Perhaps he gets
over-enthusiastic on occasion but more than makes up for this in the way that
he really gets the rest of the team going. He works so well with Tusita, who
complements him in the calming effect he has on the defence when they're
under pressure. He's also a superb tactician.
The Bhumi have an interesting defensive setup, with the right and left de-
• kappa in Pail; for other Pili terms see page 14.
Samatha 5 26
fenders, Nimmanarattl and Paran1mmitarasarattl, slot-
ting in just in front of the back three. 'Nimmy', as they
call him, is a real joy to watch. He takes such obvious
pleasure in keeping the defence in shape tactically, shap-
ing it to the needs of the situation as the game ebbs and
flows. 'Parranimmy' shares this role but has such an
uncanny way of anticipating the play. He's always in
c::?~ Just the right place, either to intercept an opponent's
pass or to take the ball from him when he's least expect-
ing it, and equally he's always in space to receive the
ball from fellow defenders when they're in a tight situa-
tion. He seems to be directing the play without having to do anything himself-
a real master ofthe game. Together these two players give a kind of fluidity to
the Bhiimis' defensive play, able to respond flexibly to the opposition's attacks.
The defence as a whole is then able to suppress the opponents' attempts to get
any influence on the game and to break up their attacks.
And once the ball is out of defence and into mid-field the Bhumi have the
most creative mid-field around, with Maha having a roaming central position
and Abhassara and SubhakiI,lha on the right and left respectively. As you
know games are, in the end, controlled in the middle ofthe park and the Bhiimis'
midfield is superb at steadying the team, providing focus, and unifying defence
and attack to launch moves against the opposition. First of all there's Maha,
one of the most creative players around. He can really open up a game, a
visionary, opening doors to possibilities that are totally unexpected. He sets
his team-mates up, getting them to go that extra distance even when they're a
bit reluctant as to whether it's possible. The opposition really find it difficult to
pick him up, since he plays both deep and further forward. Abhassara then
has the role of taking up and sustaining the moves that Maha initiates, while
SubhakiI).ha brings them to fulfilment. He's magic at running at the opposition's
defence and has such a wonderful control of the ball. These players have
brought to perfection the arts of bewildering the opposition, the so-called su-
pernormal skills. They make it seem as if the Bhiimi have more than eleven
players on the pitch. They get into positions the opposition can't anticipate,
almost as if they appear and vanish. They're able to go past defenders as if
they're not there. They can move fluidly against a packed, solid defence. They
can spring the opposition's offside trap. They can fly
down the flanks like winged birds. They touch and stroke
the ball around, making it do exactly what they want it
to do. And they make the ball do the work, reaching out
to control the game in every corner of the pitch.
Finally, up front the Bhumi have two of the finest
attackers in the game, Vehapphala and Suddhavasa. able
to penetrate even the most smothering of defences.
Vehapphala, the provider of the final through ball has
such poise, while Suddhavasa is inspirational in his
ability to hit the target. The goal which won them the
27 Samatha 5
Cup last season was a fine example of their art- Venerable Balangocla Anandamaitreya, 1896-1998
a real candidate for Goal Of The Kappa. The
opposition's defence was all around them, us-
ing every means at their disposal to close them

~
down. They continually tried to make them over
eager and to lure them into offside positions, to
infuriate them by petty kicking and tripping so .
that they would lose their cool and to stifle them 4'
by close marking. But just when it seemed that .
the game had become a stalemate, Vehapphala
got the ball, beat his marker and slipped the ball through to Suddhavasa. He
had to tum first one way and then another, almost spinning around. His
striker's instinct told him that there was the slightest of gaps and he immedi-
ately let fly. His shot pierced the packed defence and the ball flew beyond the
reach of the goalkeeper into the top of the net. You wouldn't have thought it
pOSSible-but that's the quality of Suddhavasa. He seems to provide an addi-
tional dimension to the game, the ability to transform a match by seeing things
from a different perspective. It was the turning point of the game.
So there we have them, one of the finest teams around. And not just the
flnest players. In ArOpa they have one of the shrewdest of managers. Strange
-even though he's not there actually on the pitch, you can feel his presence so
strongly! He's expert at sussing the opposition and working out the tactics that
provide the space for his players to operate Within. He's always trying to get
his players not just to focus on the man With the ball but to have awareness of
the space and use it. While the players have to concentrate on playing each
match as it comes, it's ArOpa's job to know the subtle balance between players,
to know which positions might need strengthening With the spectacular buy,
to bring on the promising young players and to set the expectations of players
in daily training and, indeed, in their everyday lives. On the day of the match
itself all these things are overlooked, they're there so subtly, you're not sure
whether they have gone on or not. That's the skill of ArOpa. Ven. Anandamaitreya, a good friend to Samatha, died last summer in Sri
There we have it. When I think of the game itself, my knees start quaking Lanka at the age of 101. He was born at Balangoda, Sri Lanka, in 1896, and
and I feel funny in the pit of my stomach. But such a chance as well. You can ordained as a Bhikkhu at the age of 15. He was admired and respected through-
learn such a lot just by being on the same pitch as a team like that. But I for out many Buddhist countries and elsewhere, both for his great learning and
one am not going to be satisfied just With put- for his devotion to the development of Buddhism.
ting up a good fight. If we play together as a He travelled Widely, and on various occasions stayed at the Manchester
team, I think that we can raise our game and Centre for Buddhist Meditation. One such occasion was in 1983, when he
give them a real match. I know that in train- stayed for a month. During this time he was visited by Ven. Amaro who was in
ing you get these highs and you believe, quite the course of a Tudong walk from Chithurst to Harnham. This meeting is
imperfectly, that you could beat anyone. But memorably described in Ven. Amaro's book about his travels Tudong: The
you've got to work through those until you're Long Road North-from which the photograph above has been taken.
clear about what actually needs to be done. Many who were perhaps not aware of the importance ofVen. Anandamaitreya
In football who knows what Will happen? On as a Buddhist scholar of international renown and formerly one of the su-
the day we could go all the way and emerge preme patriarchs in Sri Lanka, simply responded to his no-nonsense style of
as winners. Just imagine the taste of vic- teaching, which clearly sprang directly from deep personal experience, to his
tory. Whatever you do, don't miSS the game! good-heartedness and to his wisdom.

Samatha 5 28 29 Samatha 5
The following is part of an interview, conducted four years ago on Ven.
Anandamaitreya's 99th birthday by Thilak S. Fernando. It is reproduced by kind
permission of The Voice of Lanka newspaper.
Addressing a large gathering in London on 23 August 1994, on his 99th
birthday, while he was observing the Rainy Season. Ven. Anandamaitreya said,
"You are celebrating my birthday today and I am reaching my 99th year. That
means my life span is fast coming to an end. Is this a thing to celebrate? Well!
As for me, it is a thing for celebration, because the nearer I go towards death,
the happier I feel. as I know nearing my death means I am moving towards a
new birth. In this life I could not fulfil my wish to its pristine purity. But I
know in my next life I will be more influential, better learned, much stronger
and capable of carrying out my service to propagate Buddhism in the world."
TF: I am sure, people in Sri Lanka would like to know something about your
life prior to your priesthood. Would you like to talk about it?
Ven: Yes, I was born on 23 August 1896 to Heenmenike and Mathies
Appuhamy. Fourteen days after I was born, my mother had died and my
saddened father left the village altogether. It was my uncle Dingirihamy Mudalali
[father's brother] and his wife Yasohamine who brought me up. To me they
were my parents.
TF: What were you called in your childhood and what made you to enter
priesthood?
Ven: My householder name was Punchi Mahattaya. At the age of nine an
eminent figure from the Mahabodhi Society, Brahmacharya Walisinghe
Harrischandra, visited my school. Kumara Vidyalaya, in 1905 and delivered a
speech on the Buddhist way of life. Having listened to his talk, I thought I
should follow the true Buddhist path and be a model like the gentleman him-
self. At the age of fifteen, after a 'battle' with my 'parents' to obtain their
blessing to take up robes, I received their consent in 1911. Finally I was or-
dained as a Samanera at Nandaramaya, Balangoda Udumulla Temple, which
was also built by my uncle Dingiri Mudalali.
TF: The subject of paranormal phenomena is being explored in depth today
in the Western world. In the University of Edinburgh a Chair has been set up
for the sake of parapsychology which involves the study of ghosts. What are
your views on ghosts or bhuthayas as we call them?
Ven: Well! When a man dies, sometimes he is born in a different world with a
subtle body due to his attachment to his family. In that subtle body form the
dead person can live for some time till he ascends to a higher world with the
help of meritorious deeds done by his relatives. In that body such a person
can travel faster than light because it moves with the mind.
TF: How is it that only some people can see such subtle bodies and others
not?
Ven: Some dead persons in that state can make their astral bodies become
solid so that others may see it. Others are not able to do it and, therefore, they
cannot show themselves.
Samatha 5 30
TF: Today a lot of Buddhists are becoming Sai Baba [a prominent Hindu
teacher) devotees, In view of the confused state of mind in certain Buddhist
quarters, could you throw some light on the subject?
Ven: I also visited Sai Baba some twenty years ago when I was going blind
with cataract. Everyone advised me against an operation and I was very con-
fused. Suddenly a Dayaka [donor) in our temple paid my travelling expenses
and invited me to accompany him to India, as an interpreter, to see Sai Baba.
When I saw Sai Baba at Whitefield, Bangalore, he came to me, straight out of
the crOWd, and blessed me with his usual gesture ofwavtng the right hand and
walked away from me. After taking a few yards, suddenly he turned back and
walked back to me again. Next, he put both his hands on my shoulders.
smiled and said, "Get your eyes operated, it will be successful". I told Sai Baba
that was exactly what I was contemplating in my mind to ask him. He simply
smiled again and repeated, "Don't you worry, operation will be successful",
and went away.
TF: What was your instant reaction?
Ven: I was stunned because even without having to ask the question Sai Baba
knew exactly my thoughts. According to me. he is a very powerful person with
some wonderful psychic powers. He is regarded as incarnation of Lord Vishnu,
a world teacher, coming of Messiah, advanced yogi etcetera, by various people.
But to me, he is one who has tremendous powers and spiritually elevated
personality to a very high level.
TF: So. then. as a Buddhist there is no harm in following Sai Baba?
Ven: Well! Supposing if you were to visit a Harley Street speCialist or to get
some treatment, is it harmful to your religion (smiling)? Likewise, people go to
Sai Baba to clear their doubts, seek help for various forms of mental, psychical,
psychological etcetera problems. There is no harm at all in doing so.
I will tell you another story, In Al'lguttara Nikaya, Lord Buddha referred to
six great teachers who were true believers in a creator God called Brahma.
These teachers taught people how to follow a morally good path in life, how to
develop their jhanas. Believing in this, those who practised such disciplines
were later born in the Brahma world. So, the Buddha said, the pupils were not
even Buddhists but followers of Brahma God, yet they listened to their teach-
ers with open minds, respected their masters' teaching and followed their good
advice and led pure and moral lives which helped them to earn much merit.
They were consequently reborn in Deva and Brahma worlds.
TF: What happened to your sight after you met Sai Baba?
Ven: Two weeks after 1 returned back to Sri Lanka I went completely blind in
both my eyes. Immediately I entered the general hospital and got my right eye
operated on. It was successful. Later the left eye was operated on. Now I can
read big letters even without having to wear spectacles.
TF: Do you think that Sai Baba helped you and encouraged you to undergo
your eye operations?
Ven: Yes! Yes!! His blessings on me also helped me a great deal.
TF: What are your future plans?
Ven: To do some service to Dhamma whenever I get an opportunity. But the
31 Samatha 5
problem is that I never get a free moment: wheth~r I am in Sri Lanka, England
or in the USA, people are gathering to see me and they seek my advice. I
suppose it is also a form of service. My main aim is to attain a higher level of

,~~
mind development. I will do it. My conscience says that I am going to do it. I The
do not want to be born in heavenly worlds when I am dead. I would like to be still full
born in Sri Lanka as a human being to develop Buddhism further and propa-
moon shone
gate Lord Buddha's philosophy throughout the world in its pristine purity. I
have this strong feeling and urge within me. Apart from that, as many people brightly whilst
are aware, my aspiration is to attain Buddhahood in the distant future some- the autumnal wind
day. Perhaps it will be decided when I see Lord Maitreya. blew wildly through the
branches of the cherry blossom
tree. When the rising sun's rays
streaked across the sky heralding the dawn
only two leaves remained on the tree. One
leaf rigidly fought the ravages of the wind but
its struggle was in vain. It was torn from the
branch and dragged to the ground where it would
decay into the soil, be absorbed by the tree roots,
travel up the trunk along a branch then to be
reborn as a new leaf. The other leaf gently flowed
with the waves of the wind remaining attached
to the branch for many days. During this
time pieces of the leaf fell away until
only the cobweb veins of the leaf
remained. The leaf then re-
leased its hold and was
lifted skywards by the
wind towards
the .;.

heav- ·'.t'
ens. .:. . . . .
~*:.- "<.
'::~~:;~',;;:::.:::- ,.
...

Samatha 5 32 33 Samatha 5
 In this Issue there are references to various kinds of
existences. both deva-like and other. It is said that be-
ings at each level have a particular lifespan. so that a
year or even a hundred years of human time might be
experienced as just a day by a different kind of being.
So. one possible explanation of the rather long interval
since Issue 4 is that Issue 5 has been occupying a level in
which time is operating at half speed ..... it is a possible
explanation! Hopefully. Issue 6 will stay firmly within a
human timescale. contrbutions for which. of all kinds.
will be gratefully received.

These can be sent to:

Jackie Callow.
Mcr Centre for Buddhist Meditation.
19-21 High Lane.
Chorlton.
Manchester M21 9DJ

or bye-mail to: journal@samatha.demon.co.uk

Samatha 5 Samatha 5