..续本文上一页ing, perceptions, conceptions or moods. See them all as objects. Stay with them and see them arising and passing away. Know that what you see cannot be "you" because it is coming and going, cannot be "yours" because you cannot make it stay forever. Thus, clearly seeing impermanence will help us see non-self and unsatisfactoriness - they are actually three sides of the same thing.
This practice of insight meditation comes from a very passive state, not a dull state of mind but an alert, reflective mind. A mind that is very clear, no longer chasing or fighting experiences, but sticking around to see the beginning and the passing away of that which is in the field of consciousness, that which is being experienced. Please consider this very carefully because this is really what insight meditation is. The technique is not insight meditation. Some people say if you do this technique it”s insight and if you do that technique it is not. That is all rather silly. It is not the object or the technique that makes it insight meditation. What makes it insight meditation is this passive, alert, clear state of mind that reflects its presence to seethe beginning and the end, the arising and the passing away of the present object of experience. See its impermanence whether or not that object is the breath. Concentration of the breath can be insight meditation if you see the beginning and the end of each on our breath; not just thinking about it but really knowing it, experiencing it, seeing it clearly arising and passing. The Buddha said that to have insight doesn”t mean to have insight into one particular thing. You can have insight into any thought, any mood, they are all Sankhara: conditioned phenomena, mortal conditions. They all have the nature of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and non-self. Make the object fully clear in the conscious mind and then with a passive, awake, alert mind, be present and see its beginning and its end. This is the practice of insight meditation.
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Try to do this more and more in your lives, not only when you meditate. Begin to notice the day, for example. It has a beginning, then it changes and we call it night. Notice the changing colours and light and how it will change into day again. Watch the changing seasons and the weather; be continually aware of change.
The Buddha said that to do good things and to give generously is a wonderful, meritorious thing to do. To have confidence and faith in virtue and to live a virtuous life based on morality is even more meritorious. To cultivate the mind of loving-kindness is even more meritorious still. However, to be aware of impermanence even for the snap of a finger is even greater merit because to be truly aware of impermanence brings about insight. So take an interest in noticing change, notice the arising and passing away of all conditioned phenomena with the mind in a passive state of alertness, knowing, bare awareness.
In Forest Monasteries we just do what is being done at that time, we follow the routine of the monastery. We become passive mentally and physically but with an alert mind we watch the changing phenomena. Everything is changing within you and around you. When food is offered we receive it with gratitude. We are not choosing any more, just surrendering to the present. If aversion or desire arise, we observe it and see it passing away. In the lay life, too, this is a very good reflection. I encourage you to really cultivate this passive, awake, alert state of mind, objectifying experience to see the beginning and the passing away. Instead of running about trying to control and change everything, try to notice the natural change that happens. We are usually so busy trying to control and shape everything we don”t notice or really appreciate impermanence. If we have an unpleasant sensation, we try and avoid it. If we feel tired, we lie down and go to sleep. If we feel hungry, we eat. We keep trying to control situations, to avoid the unpleasant and chase after the pleasant, and that is why impermanence never becomes truly clear to us. So in meditation we try to stay with what is happening now and learn from it. We are training ourselves to become patient, humble and willing to stay around to see the arising and passing away, to notice the changes. It”s the same with good health and sickness, strength and weakness. Stop chasing after and getting away from the changing conditions, stay around and use them for reflection.
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Practise tranquillity meditation as much as you can to develop a strong foundation. The stable mind can stop thinking, can stop going on and on. Begin to abide in stillness and clarity. You can stay with the breath or stay with bare awareness, silently and fully awake. The more you can do that the more you can do reflecting on the changing phenomena we normally think of as "me". See them all as objects, stay with them and see their arising and passing away. The more we see impermanence the clearer unsatisfactoriness and non-self become, and the clearer we see that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent. So really reflect on that, because the more we see that the more we begin to incline towards a peaceful mind, the mind that is empty, contented, and still, no longer clinging onto any mortal condition. We are all very fortunate to have this opportunity to practise.
Ajahn Jagaro, 1988
《Samatha and Vipassana Meditation》全文阅读结束。