..續本文上一頁rt or mud in the water and so we cannot see through the water. But when the dirt or mud settles down and the water becomes clear we can see through it. So, mind needs to be like the water, settled, because there are many dirt or many mental defilements in our mind. So long as our minds are contaminated by mental defilements we cannot see things clearly. We need to suppress or let these mental defilements which are called mental hindrances settle down so that we can see clearly.

　　When we get concentration we will be able to keep these mental hindrances settled. When the mental hindrances are subdued or settled, mind becomes clear and it is the time when clear comprehension or the true knowledge of things arises.

　　In order to get clear comprehension we need concentration and concentration is not mentioned here. But we must take that concentration is also included in this passage because without concentration we cannot get clear comprehension. Sometimes some words may be left out but we have to understand them as mentioned through inference. Let”s say there is a flat rock and a hunter is following a deer and he sees foot prints on one side, but on the flat rock itself he does not see any footprints, and again he sees the footprints on the other side. So from this he infers that the deer must have run across the flat rock. He sees the beginning and he sees the end and so he infers the middle, that the deer must have run on the rock. In the same way here, to be mindful is the beginning and clear comprehension is something like the end. So, when these two are mentioned the middle is also virtually mentioned because without the middle

　　 concentration

　　there can be no clear comprehension.

　　Then the last word here is "mindful": Mindfulness is put last here but actually, in practice it should come after "ardent". We make effort, so we have mindfulness. We have mindfulness, so we have concentration and concentration leads to clear comprehension. We have "mindfulness" here, but I have already defined mindfulness so I do not need to define it again.

　　A monk dwells contemplating the body in the body. A monk practices the foundation of mindfulness on the body, being ardent, making true effort, being mindful and being thoroughly aware of the object and having concentration and clear comprehension.

　　How many components do we now have

　　 Ardent is one component, clearly comprehending is another component, concentration is yet another and mindfulness, another. So we have four mental states here. These four mental states are the components of the practice. When we practice there must be these four mental states working together harmoniously. But, there is one more mental state which is not mentioned here, and that is faith or confidence. Confidence or faith is also an important factor because if we do not have confidence in this practice we would not practice. We do not really have blind faith but we have faith or confidence in the Buddha and His teachings. We believe that just by paying attention to these objects we will be able to see the true nature of these things, the impermanent, suffering and non-soul nature. So we should have that much confidence because without confidence no work can be successful. Confidence, therefore, is also a part of the practice of meditation and although it is not actively operating at the moment of meditation or practice of mindfulness, it is still there working harmoniously with the other factors. So, altogether we get five factors and these are the five factors that are called five Mental Faculties. In Pāli they are called Indriyas. Meditation teachers are fond of talking about these five factors. These five factors must be working simultaneously and harmoniously with each other if we are to have a good practice of me…

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