THE IMPORTANCE OF DAILY MEDITATION
My dear Dhamma sons and Dhamma daughters:
Sukho buddhānam uppado.
Happy is the arising of Buddhas in the world.
Sukhā saddhammadesanā.
Happy is the teaching of pure Dhamma.
Sukhā samghassa sāmaggī.
Happy is the coming together of meditators.
Samaggānam tapo sukho.
Happiness is meditating together.
Two thousand six hundred years ago Gotama the Buddha lived in this country and taught the pure Dhamma, resulting in great happiness for the world. People started to live in accordance with this teaching and to meditate together; there is no greater happiness than this.
Each meditator must develop the strength to face the vicissitudes of life. Therefore it is necessary to meditate an hour every morning and evening, to meditate with other Dhamma brothers and sisters once a week, and to take a ten-day course at least once a year. If we do this, we will keep progressing on the path of Dhamma.
Householders face many obstacles to their meditation practice, even those who have renounced the householder’s life tell me that they are not able to meditate regularly; but do not give up no matter what difficulties you face.
We do physical exercises to keep the body healthy and strong, but it is even more necessary to keep the mind healthy and strong. Vipassana is a mental exercise, and practising morning and evening is not a waste of time. We live in a complex and stressful world; if the mind is not strong, we will lose our balance and become miserable.
It is fortunate to be born as a human being because only human beings can observe their own mind and eradicate mental defilements from the depth. This work cannot be done by animals or other lower beings. Even a human being cannot do this if he or she does not know this technique. To have a human birth, to find such a wonderful technique, to use it and to benefit from it but then to discontinue the practice is such a misfortune! It is like a bankrupt person who finds a treasure but discards it and returns to bankruptcy, or a sick person who finds medicine but discards it and becomes sick again. Do not let that happen!
Sometimes meditators say to me, "I’ve stopped meditating because I’m too busy." But that is a poor excuse. After all, you eat three or four times a day, don’t you? You do not say, "I am so busy that I don’t have time to eat today." Doing this meditation every morning and evening makes the mind strong, and a strong mind is even more important than a strong body. We will harm ourselves if we forget this.
Sometimes it is not possible to meditate in the same place and at the same time. Although that is ideal, it is not a necessity; what is important is to meditate twice in twenty-four hours. Occasionally one is not even able to meditate alone, so meditate with eyes open and the mind directed inwards, even though people are around. Remember not to make a show of meditation; the others need not know what you are doing. You may not be able to meditate as well as if you had been alone, but at least you have calmed and strengthened the mind a little. Without regular practice the mind will become weak, and a weak mind makes you miserable because it reverts to its old behaviour pattern of generating craving and aversion.
This is truly a sublime teaching: As one starts feeling sensations on the body the door of liberation opens; as one learns to remain equanimous towards the sensations, one enters that door and starts to walk on the path of liberation. Every step taken on this path brings one closer and closer to the final goal. No effort is wasted, each bears fruit.
Lack of awareness of sensations takes us onto the path of misery because one reacts blindly to the sensations out of ignorance.
At the time of death some sensation will arise; if we are unaware and react with aversion, we will go to the lower planes of existence. But a meditator who remains equanimous towards the sensations at the time of death will go to an auspicious plane; this is how we create our own future. Death can come at any time. We do not have an agreement that it will come only when we are prepared, we must be ready whenever it comes. Vipassana is not an ordinary technique; it is a priceless gem that can liberate us from the cycle of birth and death and improve not only this life but also future lives, ultimately leading to full liberation.
The Buddha said, Vedanā samosaranā sabbe dhammā. Whatever arises in the mind is called a dhamma, and a sensation arises on the body with whatever dhamma arises in the mind. This is the law of nature; mind and body are interrelated. Whenever there is sorrow or despair or dullness in daily life for any reason, this technique will help us if we understand, "At this moment there is sorrow or despair or dullness in my mind," and at the same time we start observing either the breath or the sensations. The external reason for the emotion is not important. One understands that there is a defilement in the mind and observes sensations in the body. One practises this thoroughly—not just once or twice but again and again, understanding that every sensation is impermanent, and so the defilement connected to the sensation is also impermanent. After some time the defilement becomes weak and ceases, like a thief who enters a house and, finding that the master of the house is awake, runs away.
Now that we have learnt this technique, we have learnt the art of living. One is not overpowered no matter what defilement arises—whether lust, egotism, envy, fear, or anything else. All that we have to do is to accept, "This defilement has arisen. Let me face this enemy. Let me see what is happening in my body. It is impermanent, anicca, anicca."
Defilements will keep coming throughout life for various reasons. When you become fully liberated from all defilements, you will become a fully liberated person, an arahant, but at present that stage is far away. Now, in ordinary life, one has to face these difficulties and we have found a very effective weapon in the form of the sensations. No enemy will be able to overpower us throughout our life, so how could it overpower us at the time of death? It cannot do so. This is the technique for becoming one’s own master.
We have learned the art of living, so how can there be sorrow in our lives? Sorrow is caused by defilements, not by external events. If a certain external event occurs and we do not generate defilements, we do not become miserable. Likewise, when we generate defilements we become miserable. We are responsible for our misery. Unfavourable external events will continue to occur, but if we are strong and do not generate defilements, our lives will be filled with happiness and peace. We do not harm others, we help ourselves and help others. Every meditator should understand that one has to meditate regularly so that one is happy and peaceful for the whole life.
May all those who have come on the path of Vipassana recognize that they have received an invaluable jewel.
May all beings be happy, be peaceful, be liberated.
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Dhamma Sikhara, Ấn Độ ngày 22 tháng 3 năm 1998
