Dhamma-vihārin Sutta (AN5.73) Living by the Dhamma
K.S.Chow
Purport:
Gotama Buddha revealed that there are five categories of Dhamma learners or farers enumerated as follows :
- Studying the Dhamma without practice
- Teaching the Dhamma without practice
- Reciting the Dhamma without practice
- Thinking about the Dhamma without practice
- Learning the Dhamma and practice
Studying the Dhamma without practice
Having listened and studied the Dhamma from dialogues, narratives, explanations, verses, exclamations, quotations, birth stories, events and question and answer session, the learners immerse diligently and keenly in studying the Dhamma and master it. However, they only study theoretically without undertaking meditation training in tranquility and insight to actualize personal development and self-cultivation of the Noble Eight Fold Path. Tranquility and insight tame the untamed human mind. Taming the mind is to appease mental obsessions (papāca). Mental obsessions are volitional activities producing kammas. Complete taming of the mind is the complete removal of the self-centric ego illusorily superimposed by religious ignorance of the Insubstantiality (Anattā) of the human personality and also the illusion of the multiplicity of the empirical world. Anattā is the dependently co-arisen Unity of Existence of every phenomenon including the human personality. The human personality is the unity of the five aggregates.
If a Buddhist does not meditate, he or she does not have any experience in mental absorptions (jhānas), right mindfulness and clear awareness. He is unheedful as he or she has not developed and cultivated the skill of four foundations of mindfulness (cattāri satipațțhāna) and clear awareness to appease the self-centric ego. They do not train themselves not to grasp upon the five aggregates as this is I; this is mine; this belongs to me. Succinctly put, they theoretically study diligently, resolutely and ardently. However, they do not develop and cultivate meditation (bhāvanā).
Buddhist Meditation trains a yogi to develop and cultivate concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā) based on the foundation of morality (sīla). Succinctly put, they learn without living by the Dhamma. They learn the Dhammic theories very well but they do not live by the Dhamma in practice. This is indeed not the proper approach in Dhammic development according to Gotama Buddha. Dhammic development is personal development and self-cultivation of the Noble Eight Fold Path to make a critical paradigm shift from wrong view of ontology of static existence to the right view of ontology of dynamic process becoming.
The ontology of static existence is the perception that every phenomenon exists autonomously as a self-contained entity. The dynamic process becoming is that all phenomena are interconnected and interdependently co-arisen. Dependent co-arising is the interconnected interrelationship in which all phenomena are conditioning and being conditioned among themselves without any separation or sense of alienation. In fact, this is the eternal Truth of Wisdom promulgated by all major world’s religions.
Teaching the Dhamma without practice
Having heard, studied and mastered the Dhamma, Dhamma learners of the second category also teach others. However, they do not meditate to develop mental concentrations and heedfulness of the four foundation of mindfulness (cattāri satipațțhāna) to appease the self-centric ego. This is also not the proper approach according the Exalted One. Mental development through both theoretical study and practical meditation are equally important. There should be a unity between theory and practice. Heedfulness and clear awareness have two-fold significant function. Firstly, it protects oneself by obliterating the self-centric ego and also the grasping upon the five aggregates as this is I; this is mine; this belongs to me.
Reciting the Dhamma without practice
Having heard, studied and mastered the Dhamma, Dhamma learners of the third category recite the Suttas in full detail. Nevertheless, they do not meditate to develop jhānas, heedfulness of right mindfulness and clear awareness of the state of consciousness to annihilate the self-centric ego. This is also not a proper attitude of learning according to the Blessed One. Recitation does not develop self-protection of right mindfulness and clear awareness (clear comprehension of Dhamma or Truth). It also does not develop protection of others through the actual practice of patience, harmlessness, lovingkindness and sympathy. Succinctly, pout , mere recitation does not purify one’s mind.
Thinking about the Dhamma without Practice
Having listened, learned and mastered the Dhamma, the learners of this fourth category learners think deeply about the Dhamma, evaluate and examine it. But, they do not meditate to develop mental concentration and heedfulness of four foundations of mindfulness to remove the self-centric ego and grasping. They do not live by the Dhammic knowledge of interconnectedness and interdependence of Insubstantiality (Anattā) and Dependent Co-arising (Pațiccasamuppāda). Without serious meditation practice, morality (sīla), concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā) can not be developed and cultivated. This is also not a proper way of learning the Dhamma according to the Exalted Master Gotama Buddha. Without development of wisdom, greed, hatred and delusion cannot be eliminated .
Keen Learning and with Practice
Gotama Buddha recommends the fifth learning methodology by which they, having listened, learned and mastered the Dhamma, they meditate in seclusion. The most ideal environment to meditate in seclusion is to participate in meditation retreats until one is able to meditate with ease daily in one’s private prayer room at home. By meditation, one enters the mental absorptions (jhānas) and establishes the skill of four foundations of mindfulness. One develops and cultivate right mindfulness both internally and externally using the five aggregates with complete detachment. Thus, one’s self centric ego is initially suppressed by mental concentration. It can only be totally obliterated completely through wisdom of insight into the Insubstantiality of the five aggregates.
The wisdom of insight obliterates the five higher fetters of non-attachment to form, non-attachment to formless, conceit, restless and ignorance. This is meditation maturing in full release. The mind is completely purified because of non-grasping upon Iness or mineness. The knowledge of liberation is confidently secured. Gotama Buddha concludes in this discourse that the fifth category of learners who has acquired the knowledge of release is the supermodel for all Buddhists to emulate. Gotama Buddha considers such a released Buddhist Gnostic as the admirable good friend of all learning Buddhists.
Conclusion
Only those yogis or practioners who have traversed from this shore of delusion or illusion to the other shore of enlightenment or discernment of the ultimate Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity or No-duality is advised by Gotama Buddha to abandon the raft. Meditation is merely a raft. Dhamma knowledge is also a raft. It is merely a means to an end. When the end is reached, the means can be discarded. If the meditation is still undertaken, it is a form of subtle attachment. The Gnostic should be able to maintain his or her insight or wisdom without any method including meditation.
It is important at the summit of self-actualization that even the Gnostic is not attached to the doctrine of Anattā discerned. Even the knowledge of Pațiccamuppāda or any other Buddhist doctrine is not reified and grasped upon. Of course, a Buddhist Gnostic can read the canonical texts without ontological commitment or attachment . The Gnostic can utilize I or Mine without any soteriological obstruction as he or she perceives complete the world with right mindfulness or clear awareness of Non-self (Anattā). From the Mahāyāna perspective, the Zen wisdom is always with him or her. |
