Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsambuddhassa!
There are some points about the practice of meditation and enlightenment in Buddhism. I would like to repeat them as the beginning for our talk:
Point 1: All the levels of meditation are unrelated to enlightenment.
Point 2: The Buddha initially not advocate meditation, but later began to do so when more monks (bhikkhu) joined the Saṅgha. It is suggested that at first, the Buddha only revealed the truth. People came to him, he showed them the truth, and seeing the truth led to liberation and enlightenment. However, as the Saṅgha expanded, and more people joined, some monks did not adhere to discipline or the precepts. Hence, the Buddha suggested, “Here is the root of a tree, here is an empty house, here is a forest, go there and meditate.” Only then did he recommend sitting meditation.
These are the arguments I heard these days on meditation and enlightenment claimed by a Venerable monk. Do you think these are correct or incorrect? Where is the error?
Firstly, the statement that enlightenment is unrelated to meditation is completely wrong and deluded.
Consider this analogy: Everyone must go through grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and then move on to higher education. If someone tells you to skip these grades because you might get stuck there and not want to advance, wouldn’t you find that harmful? Extremely harmful. They suggest skipping straight to higher grades without foundational knowledge, leading to advanced subjects without understanding basic skills like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. How would one handle more advanced concepts?
The Buddha taught extensively, reiterating in many suttas that a bhikkhu must practice the four jhāna. He taught this in His first and last sermons. In the first sermon, the Dhammacakkappavattana–sutta, the Buddha taught the Noble Eightfold Path, including right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. He explained right concentration as the four jhāna. Denying this is not being a disciple of the Buddha.
Why? Because we take refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. Taking refuge means relying on, learning from, and returning to our teacher. When our teacher clearly stated this, denying it contradicts our reliance and understanding.
Recently, a well-known figure taught this incorrect viewpoint. In many suttas, the Buddha repeatedly stated: A bhikkhu, detached from sensual pleasures and unwholesome states, enters and abides in the first jhāna, a state of joy and happiness born of detachment, and so forth. Why deny this? Is it due to personal inability, unwillingness to practice, uphold precepts, or achieve these meditation levels? If one cannot achieve something, does it mean others should not strive for it?
Secondly, saying the Buddha did not advocate meditation and only taught it to undisciplined monks like the group of six bhikkhus or the 17 unworthy novices is a slander against Buddhism.
I will read to you from countless suttas where the Buddha praised meditation. The leading disciple, Sāriputta, practiced and attained in this manner, as described in the Anupada-sutta.
‘Thus, I have heard: Once, the Blessed One was staying at Savatthi, in the Jeta Grove, Anathapindika’s Park. There, the Blessed One called the Bhikkhus and said: “Bhikkhus” — “Venerable Sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said: “Bhikkhus, Sāriputta is wise; Sāriputta has great wisdom; Sāriputta has wide wisdom; Sāriputta has joyous wisdom; Sāriputta has quick wisdom; Sāriputta has keen wisdom; Sāriputta has penetrative wisdom. For half a month, Sāriputta dwelled contemplating these principles without interruption.”
Here, Bhikkhus, Sāriputta, detached from sensual pleasures and unwholesome states, enters and abides in the first jhāna, a state of joy and happiness born of detachment, with applied and sustained thought.’
This indicates Ven. Sāriputta continuously practiced from his ordination until he attained the highest path and fruitition after 15 days, reaching Arahantship. The commentary explains that while Ven. Mahā Moggallāna took a week, Ven. Sāriputta took half a month to attain because he was preparing for the highest wisdom among the Buddha’s disciples.
Yet, I heard some said that clear, tranquil contemplation while observing daily objects without craving or aversion is Nibbāna. Consider people in a vegetative state, they also do not have any arising of craving or aversion; does that mean they have attained Nibbāna?
‘The factors of the first jhāna, such as applied and sustained thought, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness, along with contact, feeling, perception, intention, mind, desire, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and attention, were understood by Sāriputta.’
In the initial stages of meditation, if Ven. Sāriputta continuously contemplated from the first to the fourth jhāna, he must have been practicing on a kasiṇa because only kasiṇa meditation leads to the formless attainments, unlike the four stages of breath meditation.
Ven. Sāriputta’s continuous contemplation involved the first jhāna’s mental factors, which included applied and sustained thought, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness. Ven. Sāriputta observed these as impermanent, suffering, and non-self. This detailed method is one I will guide you through after reaching certain insights if you have not yet attained higher levels.
So, Ven. Sāriputta observed each mental formation and understood it as impermanent, suffering, and non-self, thereby understanding his psychological elements during meditation.
‘Sāriputta was detached, independent, not clinging, liberated, untroubled, dwelling with an unrestricted mind.’
This means Sāriputta, after such contemplation, reached a balanced state with phenomena, without desire. Normally, in life, we have desires for material and spiritual gains. By observing the impermanent, suffering, and non-self nature of these phenomena in his body and mind, Ven. Sāriputta became detached, liberated, and dwelled with an unrestricted mind.
‘Sāriputta knew: “There is a higher liberation. For Sāriputta, there is more to be done.”’
This sentence means after attaining the first jhāna, higher states like the second, third, and fourth jhāna must be pursued for full liberation. Liberation of the mind refers to the four jhāna. This is clear in Buddhist studies, indicating that the mind is liberated through the four jhāna. Further liberation means advancing beyond the initial states.
‘Bhikkhus, Sāriputta, having abandoned applied and sustained thought, enters and abides in the second jhāna, a state of joy and happiness born of concentration, without applied and sustained thought, with internal confidence and unification of mind. The factors of the second jhāna, such as internal confidence, joy, happiness, unification of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, mind, desire, decision, energy, mindfulness, equanimity, and attention, were understood by Sāriputta.’
One cannot attain the second jhāna simply by sitting without meditation. This state is described by the Buddha and not achieved by mere observation or absence of thought and speech.
‘Again, Bhikkhus, Sāriputta, with the fading away of joy, remains equanimous, mindful, and clearly comprehending, experiences happiness with the body, enters and abides in the third jhāna, which the noble ones describe as ‘equanimous and mindful, dwelling in happiness.’
‘Again, Bhikkhus, Sāriputta, with the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, enters and abides in the fourth jhāna, a state beyond pleasure and pain, purified by equanimity and mindfulness.’
The fourth jhāna, as explained, is beyond pleasure and pain, achieving the highest mental purity through equanimity and mindfulness.
‘Bhikkhus, Sāriputta fully understood these jhāna factors, which were always present. Sāriputta knew them when they arose, abided, and ceased. He was detached, independent, not clinging, liberated, untroubled, dwelling with an unrestricted mind. Sāriputta knew: “There is a higher liberation. For Sāriputta, there is more to be done.”’
This sequence clearly shows progression from the first to the fourth jhāna. Some argue that because the Bodhisatta, in his previous lives, learned up to the formless attainments under non-Buddhist teachers and then abandoned them, these methods are incorrect.
However, these methods are not wrong; they are incomplete only if one stops there. The clear explanation shows that Ven. Sāriputta practiced these higher meditative attainments under the Buddha’s guidance.
‘Again, bhikkhus, Sāriputta, having entirely transcended perceptions of form, with the disappearance of perceptions of sensory impact, unmindful of perceptions of diversity, thinking ‘space is infinite,’ entered and abided in the base of infinite space.
Sāriputta practiced this to move from the base of infinite space to the base of infinite consciousness, then to the base of nothingness, and finally to the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, all of which are advanced states beyond the four jhāna.
Sāriputta, having entirely transcended the base of infinite consciousness, thinking ‘there is nothing,’ entered and abided in the base of nothingness.
Sāriputta, having entirely transcended the base of nothingness, entered and abided in the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception.
These are the higher meditative states criticised as unrelated to enlightenment. Yet, they are essential for deep contemplation of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. With mindfulness, Ven. Sāriputta emerged from that concentration. Having emerged, he saw these phenomena as impermanent, subject to cessation and fading away.
The Buddha didn’t detail the mental factors of the highest meditative attainments as they are understood as subtle and only comprehensible by Buddhas. The mind in these states is extremely refined, known as luminous mind, which ordinary practitioners or even great disciples cannot analyse fully.
So, one must study both the suttas and the commentaries, and listen to learned teachers to grasp these profound teachings carefully. Ven. Sāriputta was among the first disciples of the Sangha, having attained stream-entry upon hearing the first two lines of a verse from Ven. Assaji, and became an Arahant after 15 days of practice as described.
Thus, claiming the Buddha only taught meditation to undisciplined monks like the group of six bhikkhus or the 17 unworthy novices is a misrepresentation of Buddhist teachings.
‘Again, Bhikkhus, Sāriputta, having transcended the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, entered and abided in the cessation of perception and feeling. After seeing with wisdom, Sāriputta’s mental taints were completely destroyed.’
At this stage, Sāriputta achieved Arahantship, the ultimate liberation, through deep meditation and wisdom.
‘Bhikkhus, one could rightly say of Sāriputta: ‘This person is liberated in the ultimate sense of the noble virtue, concentration, wisdom, and liberation.’ Rightly said of Sāriputta: “Sāriputta is liberated in the ultimate sense of noble virtue, concentration, wisdom, and liberation.”’
‘Bhikkhus, one could rightly say: ‘This person is a true son of the Blessed One, born of his word, born of the Dhamma, formed by the Dhamma, inheritor of the Dhamma, not of material things.’ Rightly said of Sāriputta: ‘Sāriputta is a true son of the Blessed One, born of his word, born of the Dhamma, formed by the Dhamma, inheritor of the Dhamma, not of material things.”’
‘Sāriputta, Bhikkhus, rightly turns the supreme wheel of the Dhamma set in motion by the Blessed One.
The Blessed One thus spoke. The Bhikkhus rejoiced and approved of the Blessed One’s words.’
Do you see the clarity? It is extremely clear. Now, let’s revisit the initial points:
- Meditation is unrelated to enlightenment.
- The Buddha did not initially advocate meditation but suggested it to undisciplined monks as the Sangha expanded.
All these points should be avoided if we do not wish to continue in the cycle of rebirth. Always remain vigilant against such wrong teachings.
Do you see the danger?
Question 3: In the scriptures, several suttas describe the four levels of meditation: A bhikkhu, detached from sensual pleasures and unwholesome states, enters and abides in the first jhāna, a state of joy and happiness born of detachment. This description does not refer to the meditation levels we are practicing here but to someone living an ordinary life. When they see, look, remember, or think, their five senses contact the five external objects, and if they are detached from sensual pleasures and unwholesome states, and joy and happiness arise, that is the state the Buddha intended. It is not about closing our eyes and meditating to attain the first jhāna as the Buddha described.
(this questioned is answered in the next part of the talk)
