1. THOUGHTS
First of all, we need to understand our thoughts thoroughly. Our thoughts have many kinds:
- The first kind (the basic) thoughts are our deliberate thinking. We have many things to do, so we have to think. Our thinking is our presentative, our values, or us and will follow us until we reach the second stage/fruition of meditation. And on the path to this fruition, our thinking becomes weaker and weaker.
At the first stage of meditation, our thoughts are so weak that we wrongly think they are gone, but in fact, they are secretly there and are called Vitakka and Vicara (Pali words means ‘subtle thoughts’). For monks/nuns when they don’t have to do anything, they often think about spiritual teachings which are the path of Buddhism. But now with our Awareness, we don’t need them any longer.
Why don’t we have to think about spiritual teachings? It’s because they’ve become our nature through many years of our thinking about them and acts. Now we don’t need to think about them, or else our minds cannot be calm to go deep into meditation.
After many years of reflecting and acting in accordance with the Dhamma, now our morality has become a meritorious force to help us have Awareness state.
- The second kind of our thoughts is due to what has come to our minds: sound, images, etc. Now they arise in our minds even we don’t want them. Sometimes we discard them, and sometimes they bring us somewhere and we suddenly get back. Music, conversations, movies, billboards, team games, base enjoyments, etc. are the source of this kind of thoughts.
- The third kind of our thoughts created by emotion. Emotion is stronger than reason, so it often urges our minds to have thoughts all the time. We need a lot of moral principles to eradicate those mediocre emotions (love/hate) hidden deep inside our brains.
- The fourth kind of our thoughts is by instinct. As you know, our instinct is so strong. For example, when we are hungry, we only think of food. When we hate, we only think of taking revenge. When our feelings hurt, we only think of a way to respond to satisfy ourselves.
- The fifth kind of our thoughts is by our karma. When we have bad kamma, our minds are forced not to be calm though we have nothing to do. This kind of thoughts seems very active. That’s why we see the mentally ill speak very aggressively (it’s called Sufferings due to the raging aggregates, or suffering caused by the five skandhas).
When we practice meditation with THE RIGHT METHOD plus OUR GREAT MERIT, the Awareness state will appear in our minds. This Awareness will compete with these kinds of thoughts very hard in a long time and gradually overcome them.
If we feel our thoughts strong, consider how we apply the method, especially if the mind leaves the body. Remember that our minds must always be on our bodies.
If the mind sticks to the body, then consider the breath. It’s alright if we breathe in the way of Yin-Yang qigong. Take a shallow beath, pause a moment, then breath out 3 or 4 times longer than breathing in.
In life, we have to devote ourselves to serving others, especially help them know spiritual practice. The daily worship of Buddha is considered an essential food. Always beg Buddha to let us repent of our past unwholesome kamma from time immemorial.
2. THE AWARENESS STATE
Our Awareness state occurs after we’ve had a time of proper practice and also have enough blessings which are the two required condition for Awareness to arise. In fact, when talking about blessings, we must speak of the 3 foundations of Morality, Merit, Qigong, and when talking of the proper practice, we must talk about the tameness and control of the body, the reflection of its impermanence, and the consciousness of the breath. But for now, we just talk about blessings and the proper practice.
Later on when taking about the practice, we just briefly say being aware of the whole body and the breath. And about the awareness of the body’s impermanence, we’ve already known it very thoroughly.
Our Awareness state only appears after we have practiced correctly. Whether the Awareness is deep or shallow depends on one’s merit and practice but not identical. Some can achieve the Awareness state through his improper cultivation and because of it plus he doesn’t create more merit, after a time, his Awareness losses, and his mind becomes as bad as before.
Some people have weak Awareness at first, but after a time having proper cultivation plus creating more and more merit, their Awareness grows little by little and until they attain the Right Mindfulness state, jumping to the new phase completely.
In the beginning, our Awareness state is usually weak and competes with our thoughts, and we must struggle to attain it again and again. Even when it is stronger but not reliable, it is still bullied by our thoughts. Some Zen Masters gave a warning:
“Though being awakened like Buddha
Because of negative kamma accumulated through many lives
Waves still lap though the wind has stopped.
Realizing the Dhamma, we still have thoughts.”
Zen Masters often exaggerated our Awareness like Buddha’s, so almost practitioners have ruined their results. However, due to our unwholesome kamma accumulated through many lives, now our Awareness is bullied by our thoughts on and on.
Zen Master Linji Yixuan, the founder of the Linji school of Chan Buddhism during Tang Dynasty China, had no more thoughts after obtaining Awareness state. That means his Awareness was very strong. He told about it “Last night the golden buffalo fell into the ash (smooth alluvial soil) and disappeared in it.” His realization of the truth is very deep.
Some people had Awareness state and persistently kept it and abandoned the recognition of the whole body and the breath, so after a time, their Awareness became weaker and weaker and maybe lost. We must keep in mind that even thought we have Awareness state, we should never abandon the original method of being aware of the whole body and the breath.
Some people have stronger Awareness and see their thoughts are external objects that don’t need to destroy but RECOGNIZE them and they will pass away. They felt thrilled about the result, and hence they abandon the original method but always care for being conscious of thoughts in time. After a long time of doing it, their energy is run out, they became unhealthy, and their Awareness faded away. We must keep in mind that even if we have reached the level of just realizing our thoughts and they will pass away, we mustn’t abandon the original method of being aware of the whole body and the breath. Realize the breath and leave it the way it is on 1 -3 -5 is alright. Inhale slightly, keep a little air for infiltration, and then exhale slowly.
The Awareness state at this stage is very fragile and uncertain, so don’t ever think you have achieved some fruition in meditation or Sainthood.
When you are not meditating, but working or communicating, you have to skillfully dwell on your whole body so that you won’t lose your Awareness. At that time, it is not possible to keep track of the breath, but only to stay calm all over the body, the Awareness is still there.
In life, we must keep our morals and don’t commit any wrongdoing, and always try to create more merit forever. Always force ourselves to be humble, respect people and wish them to become enlightened and liberated.
3.THE FIERCE FIGHT
We’ve been controlled by our thoughts, i.e., our thinking which drives us to hell or take us to haven. These thoughts can be meaningless and harmless or deliberate and beneficial. When we adopt Buddism, those thoughts are a tool that helps us improve our souls and practice meditation. But eventually, they are just thoughts.
We need thoughts to build a virtuous mind, and when we have it, out thoughts become our obstacles. We need thoughts to practice meditation, and when we have Awareness state, those thoughts will compete with it to be the master of our minds.
Our spiritual life enters into a fierce competition, WHO WILL BE THE MASTER OF OUR MIND: our Awareness or Thoughts?
Our thoughts are still mastering our souls, though those thoughts are all about beautiful moral teachings. Especially when we reach Awareness state, our thoughts become more interesting. So meditators often compose poems to express their understanding of meditation but very sublime.
Their Awareness state will urge them to try many ways of eliminating thoughts so that only Awareness exists. The competition between our Awareness and thoughts is very fierce, and the result will decide if we will become enlightened or be back to our samsara.
Many practitioners have Awareness in the beginning, but due to not enough merit, they are dominated by their thoughts and thereby go back to being ordinary people.
Only when we triumph over our thoughts, our Awareness will be the master of our minds, and then we will have the hope of reaching enlightenment in the future.
There were some Zen Masters who had a sudden Awareness that becomes the master of their mind, so they proudly claimed to be the owner of Buddha-Nature. They were very boastful. Many people of later generations are very excited to hear their claim, but it doesn’t occur to them that for the Awareness state to be the mind’s master, it requires a lot of merits accumulated from many past lives but not just in a moment.
Most of us cannot defeat our thoughts to let our Awareness become the master of our minds. Though we are very diligent in practice, it’s not sure if our Awareness will become the master of our minds. So, we need great merit to go through this stage successfully.
Although we have done a lot of good deeds in the past and thanks to them, we have achieved Awareness state this life. But they are still not enough. We need to worship Buddha so much that we have enough merit to change the situation: Our Awareness will be the master of our minds instead of our thoughts.
At this step, only the merit of the worship of Buddha can help us move to the next phase of the Right Mindfulness. When our Awareness becomes the master of our minds, we will become different and have entirely different views of life. However, achieving fruition of meditation doesn’t mean we also achieve that of Sainthood.
Collect.
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