Awareness in Buddhist Meditation

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72 counter-balance to delusion (moha), superficiality and forgetfulness. Forgetting must be seen as a form of protest, an unconscious expression of dislike which is suppressed. It is indeed in the unconscious mind that our likes and dislikes are hidden; it is here that karma grows out of those tendencies. As long, however, as those likes and dislikes do not become associated with full consciousness (viññāṇa), there is no fruit-bearing reaction (vipāka). There may be action, but inhibited as regards its effects (ahosī kamma), just as the seeds of an unripe fruit will not grow up, but remain unproductive. But, as it is in the unconscious mind (abhisaṅkhara-viññāṇa) that our potentialities are accumulating with each fresh volitional activity, it will be here that we have to learn to understand our own character and its complexes, latent and repressed, but ready to show themselves whenever an opportunity is given. Psychic influences are never lacking. Thus, according to Sigmund Freud in his psychopathology, ‘mistaken actions express either a subconscious desire, or represent a repetition of a previously erroneously carriedout action.’ An unintentionally wrong action shows that the act was performed against the order of the intellect (citta). Yet, it could not have been performed without consciousness (viññāṇa). However, there was not present the full discriminating mind, and hence, the natural tendencies and characteristic inclinations (saṅkhāra) repressed the order issued by the intellect, which made manifest the actual like or dislike. ‘The forgetting in all cases is proved to be founded on a motive of displeasure’ (Freud ibid.). The unconscious mind may expect unpleasant consequences from the recording of a name, and will therefore keep that name back, hidden in the storing consciousness (abhisaṅkhara viññāṇa). The result will be that one cannot remember such a name. Several other names may be suggested, but every time consciousness will reject the substitute as false, proving all the more that the true name is not really forgotten, but only hidden. As soon as the true name would be mentioned, the
73 conscious mind will at once recognise it as such. Forgetting, therefore, is a kind of protest. Though forgetfulness is sometimes given as an excuse for lack of attention, this does not explain why the thing was forgotten, or why the act was a mistake. Forgetfulness is purposeful; it is intentional, a motivated expression of a subconsciously suppressed dislike. It is the work of awareness (sati) not just to remember what appears to have been forgotten, by rather to see why there was appears to have been forgotten, by rather to see why there was forgetfulness. And that is not memory, but insight. Spiritual Faculty Sometimes, the power of mindfulness (sati-bala) is made identical with the spiritual faculty of mindfulness 17 , but on other occasions the powers and the faculties are treated as separate. Then the powers (bala) are identified with the path that leads to the non-composite Nibbāna 18 , whereas the five faculties (indriya) can destroy the five fetters (saṁyojana) which prevent deliverance of mind (cetovimutti). And as four of the five powers are to be understood as steps on the noble eightfold path (viriya=sammā-vāyāma; sati=sammā-sati; samādhi=sammā-samādhi; and paññā=sammādiṭṭhi), one who is possessed of these powers is then identified with one who has realised Nibbāna. The Buddha possesses these powers, and so do all the Arahants. They are, therefore, obviously the powers of intelligence (ñāṇa-bala) as distinct from physical strength (kāya-bala). It is not the power of knowledge which produces release; for, one might be able to know the various stages of trance (jhāna) and explain the psychic powers (iddhi) without being able to make use of them. One may even know the path, but yet not 17 sat ‘indriya: S. II. 12 18 asaṅkhatagāmi-magga: S.IV.361
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Copyright Notice This work is licen
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4 Awareness of Perceptions . . . .
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From the publisher Henry Van Zeyst,
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10 the ‘ego’, for the maintenan
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12 insubstantiality (anatta). The l
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Awareness, the Beginning of Enlight
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3 more important than the understan
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5 continuance in impermanence, conf
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7 Awareness is not Consciousness Aw
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9 When there is no Awareness We are
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11 not come through exertion, does
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Mindfulness as Recollection However
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15 the Buddha is seen as the perfec
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17 with good conduct, for they are
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19 understanding of the degree of d
Page 37 and 38: 21 as change in evolution. And to s
Page 39 and 40: 23 our craving for continuity, this
Page 41 and 42: 25 observation leads to a feeling o
Page 43 and 44: 27 of the eye, the flexibility of t
Page 45 and 46: 29 awareness. When consciousness ce
Page 47 and 48: 31 thing to be talked about as an a
Page 49 and 50: 33 an escape is only more conflict.
Page 51 and 52: Applications of Awareness Awareness
Page 53 and 54: 37 Here is a sensation which is con
Page 55 and 56: 39 as a soul to carry and to carry-
Page 57 and 58: 41 (saññā) ideations or mental f
Page 59 and 60: 43 an entity, free from the opposit
Page 61 and 62: 45 Attachment to rules and rites (s
Page 63 and 64: 47 is thus made an object for striv
Page 65 and 66: 49 mind, such as the five hindrance
Page 67 and 68: 51 cur, a revelation not through di
Page 69 and 70: 53 of achieving, but just melts awa
Page 71 and 72: 55 which prevent the mind to be at
Page 73 and 74: 57 bare attention, not with the int
Page 75 and 76: 59 of a search for happiness contai
Page 77 and 78: 61 ery experience is fresh, in whic
Page 79: that craves for continuance, of all
Page 82 and 83: 66 Originally, in the early suttas,
Page 84 and 85: 68 the conflict, and conflict is mi
Page 86 and 87: 70 mind again. ‘What is felt is p
Page 90 and 91: 74 be able to get rid of the deprav
Page 93 and 94: Awareness in Reaction Methods How c
Page 95 and 96: 79 of, will be there. But that is n
Page 97 and 98: 81 past. Clinging to the past has f
Page 99 and 100: 83 denial or to a spiritual ideal,
Page 101 and 102: 85 When the mind is totally open an
Page 103 and 104: 87 happens to a watcher who is foun
Page 105 and 106: 89 now projected into the future as
Page 107 and 108: 91 property, who set fire to my hou
Page 109 and 110: 93 experience. When no answer is so
Page 111 and 112: 95 there is freedom to see, to unde
Page 113 and 114: 97 what it is, and not where it com
Page 115 and 116: Awareness in Meditation Stillness o
Page 117 and 118: 101 future, based on a dead memory.
Page 119 and 120: 103 neither the ‘self’, nor the
Page 121 and 122: 105 truth; becoming as ‘self’,
Page 123: 107 to become perfect. Awareness do
Page 126 and 127: 110 is the wide vista for all to se
Page 128 and 129: 112 truth in spheres where sense-pl
Page 130 and 131: 114 has no entity, no conflict can
Page 132 and 133: 116 all know what is right; and yet
Page 134 and 135: 118 true relationship, as all conta
Page 136 and 137: 120 is in loving, the thought of lo
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122 loving; and that moment is alwa
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124 Compassion is frequently seen a
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126 should not be a barrier of dist
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128 is the food on which the ‘I
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130 Sympathy Sympathetic joy (mudit
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132 no preoccupation, no pettiness,
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134 not ‘mine’, but which is al
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136 through mind-control or substit
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138 am that projection, that ideal,
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About the Author Henri van Zeyst wa
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