..续本文上一页ght Precepts, as well as the 227 training rules of the monk, are undertaken by the meditator to restrain the mind and develop morality. But precepts and rules by themselves do not purify the mind, especially as there is a tendency to ritualise them rather than to actualize them. While they can be helpful in restraining one”s behaviour, being conceptual they are not experientially transforming of themselves.

　　Concentration (samadhi) by itself merely suppresses the mental impurities temporarily as it works only on the manifest level of the mind. It does not clear the dormant, or latent material of the mind, that is, the inherent tendencies of the mind.

　　Vipassana meditation is the direct way to purify the mind of its latent tendencies. Deep vipassana practice leads to the insight knowledges (vipassana nanas) and ultimately to Path and Fruition Attainment (magga-phala) through experientially knowing the Three Universal Characteristics of Existence. This then, as the Buddha states, is the practice for the purification of the mind and for the liberation of beings.

　　Psychotherapy before Meditation

　　In the Western meditation culture, there is an ongoing debate on whether one needs to do psychotherapy before meditation. This is because often meditators, especially Vipassana meditators, experience mental problems and difficulties as they meditate. Well, leaving aside whether a person comes to the practice with a pre-existing mental problem or not, from a Buddhist perspective it is the mental impurities of greed, hatred and delusion (kilesas) that meditators are essentially experiencing. These mental impurities are not to be confused with clinical conditions such as psychosis, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorders. For most people, the negative emotions as well as the latent tendencies hidden in the mind – however strong and entrenched they may be - are workable in the long run through Vipassana meditation.

　　Again for most people, at least initially, it is an essential part of the Vipassana experience that one goes through the purification process that the Buddha refers to in the Satipatthana Sutta. One has to allow for a ventilation of the deep mental accumulation as one meditates so that the dormant impurities of anger, lust, and delusion are released - that is, cleansed.

　　The attitude of the meditator, or the way he or she relates to the meditation experience, is critical in the practice. It is vital that one allows any negative material to surface, and doesn”t react or play back into it. In this way, a non-reactive awareness develops that allows for a natural purging and cleansing of the mind.

　　Referring back to the text we have been following, the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha gave a specific time frame for attainment in this practice: from 7 years to 7 days. For a beginner, a 10-day retreat is hardly enough time to complete the practice, but by working sincerely during this retreat you can establish the basis for an ongoing practice, which potentially can lead to the ultimate liberation and the absolute peace of Nirvana.

　　Recommended source material:

　　* The Satipatthana Sutta can be found in Venerable Nyanaponika”s first-rate book on Vipassana meditation, "The Heart of Buddhist Meditation"; or for a deeper analysis of the text, “Satipatthana, the Direct Path to Realisation”, by Ven. Analayo, published by Windhorse Publications 2003.

　　* Footnote:

　　The Five Hindrances or obstacles to the practice path:

　　• Sensuality

　　• Ill will

　　• Mental inertia

　　• Restlessness and worry

　　• Skeptical doubt

　　5 Aggregates of Grasping:

　　• Body

　　• Feelings

　　• Perception

　　• Mental formations

　　• Consciousness

　　7 Factors of Awakening:

　　• Mindfulness

　　• Investigation of the dhamma (phenomena)

　　• Effort

　　• Non-sensuous Joy

　　• Tranquility

　　• Concentration

　　• Equanimity

　　6 Internal and 6 External Sense-Spheres:

　　• Eye and sights

　　• Ear and sounds

　　• Nose and smells

　　• Tongue and tastes

　　• Body and tangibles

　　• Mind and thoughts, memories or reflections

　　* 4 Noble Truths:

　　• The fact of suffering

　　• Cause of suffering

　　• Ending of suffering

　　• Way to the ending of suffering, i.e. the Noble 8-Fold Path

《The Vipassana Retreat: 3· The Framework for the Practice》全文阅读结束。