Buddhist Meditation In Theory And Practice

2010·2.7 MB·English

by  Paravahera Vajirañāṇa Mahāthera

Buddhist
Meditation
In Theory
And Practice
 
Original Author
Paravahera
Vajirañāṇa
Mahāthera

New Edition Revised and Edited by
Allan R. Bomhard

CHARLESTON BUDDHIST FELLOWSHIP
Advanced Study Series

Buddhist Meditation
In Theory and Practice

A General Exposition According to the
Pāḷi Canon of the Theravādin School
ORIGINAL AUTHOR
Paravahera Vajirañāṇa Mahāthera

NEW EDITION REVISED AND EDITED BY
Allan R. Bomhard
C(cid:3457)(cid:3450)(cid:3467)(cid:3461)(cid:3454)(cid:3468)(cid:3469)(cid:3464)(cid:3463) B(cid:3470)(cid:3453)(cid:3453)(cid:3457)(cid:3458)(cid:3468)(cid:3469) F(cid:3454)(cid:3461)(cid:3461)(cid:3464)(cid:3472)(cid:3468)(cid:3457)(cid:3458)(cid:3465)
Charleston, SC USA

2010 (2554)
Publication history:

● First edition 1962 (2505)
● Second edition 1975 (2518)
● Third edition 1987 (2530)

Third edition published by:

Buddhist Missionary Society
123, Jalan Berhala
50470 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Charleston Buddhist Fellowship
edition published in 2010 (2554).
The doctrinal positions expressed in this book are those of Theravādin Buddhism.
In preparing the Charleston Buddhist Fellowship edition of this manual, the original has been
thoroughly reworked. New material has been incorporated from various sources, including
the Visuddhimagga (Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli’s translation), the translations from the scriptures
given in the original have been compared against more modern translations and have been
changed accordingly, the English has been reworded where necessary to improve clarity,
new footnotes have been added, and Pāḷi terms have been reviewed and corrected where
required. Thus, the current edition is virtually a new work.
The Charleston Buddhist Fellowship edition of this work is intended exclusively for use
in private study and is not intended for publication or resale. It is printed for free
distribution and may be copied or reprinted for free distribution, in total or in part,
without written permission.
Table of Contents

Foreword ……………………………………………………………….…..…..… i
Preface …………………………..……………………………………….…....…. v
Introduction ………………………………………………………………..…..… vii

PART ONE:
INTRODUCTION, DEFINITION OF TERMS, AND PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS

1. Introductory Theory of Buddhist Meditation ….……………………………….... 1
2. The Doctrine of Meditation in the Piṭakas ..………..……………………………. 7
3. Definition of Terms ………..………………..…………………..……….………. 15
4. Jhāna and Samādhi ……………………………………………..…….………….. 27
5. The Subjects and Methods of Meditation …..………………..…………….……. 41
6. Moral Purity ………………………………….…………………….….………… 57
7. Cutting Off Impediments .…..….……………………….………………….……. 65
8. The Search for a Friend or Teacher ………………………………………..……. 73
9. The Choice of a Kammaṭṭhāna ……………………………………..…………… 79
10. A Suitable Place for Meditation ……………………………….…..……………. 87
11. Bodhipakkhiya Bhāvanā …………………………………………..……………. 93
12. Time and Posture for Meditation ……………………………….……………… 105

PART TWO:
THE FORTY SUBJECTS OF CONCENTRATION

13. Kasiṇa Bhāvanā …………………………………………….………………….. 109
14. Asubha Bhāvanā …………………………………………….…………………. 129
15. Anussati Bhāvanā ……………………………………………….……………... 141
16. Maraṇasati Bhāvanā …………………………………………….……………... 161
iv BUDDHIST MEDITATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE

17. Kāyagatāsati Bhāvanā ……………………………………….………………… 167
18. Ānāpānasati Bhāvanā …………………………………………….……………. 177
19. Upasamānussati Bhāvanā ………………………………………….………….. 203
20. Brahmavihāra Bhāvanā ………………………………………….……………. 205
21. The Methods of Brahmavihāra Bhāvanā …………………………….……….. 219
22. Āhāre Paṭikkūla-Saññā ………………………………………….……………. 247
23. Catudhātu-Vavatthāna Bhāvanā …………………………………….……….. 251
24. Arūpasamāpatti ………………………………………………………….……. 261

PART THREE:
VIPASSANĀ MEDITATION

25. Vipassanā Bhāvanā …………………………………………………….……... 269
26. Vipassanā and the Three Characteristic Marks ………………….………….… 273
27. Vipassanā and Satta Visuddhi ……………………………………….…….…. 287
28. Methods of Vipassanā Meditation …………………………………….…….... 307

PART FOUR:
LIBERATION

29. Vimokkha-Mukha ……………………………………………….………….… 321
30. Magga-Ñāṇa …………………………………………………….……………. 329
31. Full Enlightenment ……………………………………………….…………... 337
32. Iddhi-Vidhā ……………………………………………………….…………... 341
33. Abhiññā ……………………………………………………………….………. 355
34. Samāpatti ………………………………………………………….…………... 365
35. Conclusion: Nibbāna ………………………………………………….……… 377
Venerable Paravahera Vajirañāṇa Mahāthera,
The Renowned Buddhist Scholar and Educator

The Buddha Sāsana has recently lost many distinguished members of the Order
of the Blessed One and, indeed, the Venerable Nāyaka Mahāthera belongs to that galaxy
of celebrated scholars noted for their erudition and piety who have faithfully preserved
the pristine teachings of the Buddha. The matchless beauty, intellectual splendor, and the
spiritual glory of the Buddha Sāsana have been kept aloft by these revered Monks. The
Venerable Dr. Paravahera Vajirañāṇa Mahāthera’s erudition was not only confined to
Buddhist philosophy but extended to the vast fields of Eastern and Western philosophy as
well. In fact, he studied Western philosophy at Colombia University in New York City.
His deep insight into Western and Buddhist philosophy is clearly borne out in the lecture
he delivered on nirvāṇa (nibbāna) under the auspices of the Dona Alpina Trust at the
University of Ceylon (Śri Lanka) in 1941.
His vast learning and ripe scholarship could be gauged from his monumental
masterpiece entitled Buddhist Meditation in Theory and Practice. This book, indeed,
gives a comprehensive and lucid exposition on Buddhist meditation and has enriched the
annals of Buddhist literature. This work was the outcome of three years of research
(from 1933 to 1936) at Cambridge University under the supervision of Dr. Edward J.
Thomas, then Deputy Librarian of Cambridge University and himself a celebrated
Buddhist and Pāḷi scholar. A Doctorate of Philosophy degree was conferred on him by
Cambridge University for this outstanding work. Until that time, such a lucid and
authoritative book on Theravādin Buddhist meditation in English had not been written.
The learned Thera brought together almost all the most important textual sources
of the Buddhist scriptures that have come down to us, arranged them systematically
under the appropriate headings, and provided a connecting text that correlates, explains,
and annotates them. It has been acknowledged by Buddhist scholars that this is the first
time that a work of this scope has been attempted since the days of the great Pāḷi
commentators of Theravādin Buddhism, as it aims at nothing less than a comprehensive
survey of Buddhist meditation practices.
The learned Thera’s mature scholarship and learning was of immense value even
to distinguished scholars such as Dr. Edward J. Thomas, Dr. Mrs. Caroline Rhys Davids,
Dr. Walter Y. Evans-Wentz, and others. Dr. Edward J. Thomas had sought his advice in
the elucidation of Pāḷi terms and words in Buddhist terminology in his book entitled
Buddhist Scriptures. The Thera assisted the erudite Pāḷi scholar and president of the Pāḷi
Text Society, Dr. Mrs. Caroline Rhys Davids, in the compilation of the Concordance of
the Tripiṭaka. Miss Grace Constant Lounsbery, B.Sc., president of the “Les Amis du
Bouddhisme” Society in Paris, had consulted him in the clarification of the intricate and
abstruse Buddhist doctrines relating to Buddhist meditation in writing her book entitled
Meditation. Dr. Walter Y. Evans-Wentz had sought the assistance and advice of the
ii BUDDHIST MEDITATION IN THEORY AND PRACTICE

learned Thera regarding Theravādin aspects of meditation in writing his book entitled
Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines.
The Nāyaka Thera was chosen by Anagārika1 Dharmapāla and Dr. C. A. Heva-
vitharana to form the first Buddhist mission to Europe in 1928, as they found in him the
attributes of an ideal missionary. The rare qualities of head and heart with which he was
endowed enabled him to carry out his Dhammadūta work in foreign lands with unfailing
enthusiasm and religious zeal. His mission was such a great success that he was invited
by various societies in England to deliver lectures and conduct discussions. He was also
invited by societies in Paris, Berlin, and New York City to deliver talks on Buddhism.
His talk at the Roerich Museum in New York City won the acclaim of the Americans and
stimulated their interest in Buddhism.
He was the President of the Mahābodhi Society,2 Colombo, for twenty-two years
from 1938 to 1960 and, during his long term in office as president, worked indefatigably
for the upliftment of the Buddha Sāsana. He spared no pains in procuring relics of the
chief disciples of the Buddha for Ceylon (Śri Lanka). Apart from his service to the
Buddha Sāsana, he rendered yeoman service for the advancement and progress of
Buddhist education as the Chief Inspector of Pirivenas3 from 1937 to 1954 and as a
member of the University Senate. His contributions as a member of the Advisory Board
of Education and the Archeological Department are also noteworthy.
He acquired a deep understanding regarding the administration and management
of the educational and cultural activities of a University while he was at Cambridge
University. With the raising of the status of the two chief Pirivenas in Ceylon to the level
of Universities, in 1959, the learned Thera was appointed Dean of the Faculty of

1 Also spelled anāgārika: literally, “homeless one”. In its modern sense, the term refers to someone who
enters upon a homeless life without, however, formally entering the Buddhist monastic order (Sangha).
Originally, the term referred to any homeless ascetic. There existed numerous groups of anagārikas in
India at the time of the Buddha, each of which possessed its own doctrinal tradition. One of them was the
Sangha, the community of Buddhist Monks (Bhikkhus), Nuns (Bhikkhunīs), and Novices (Sāmaṇeras). (In
a wider sense, the Sangha also includes lay followers.) In modern times, the Śri Lankan Monk Anagārika
Dharmapāla (1865—1933) was the first to make use of the term anagārika in its modern sense.
2 Literally, “Society of Great Enlightenment”; a society founded in 1891 by Anagārika Dharmapāla, which
contributed decisively to the revival of Buddhism in India. The goal of the Mahābodhi Society was to
regain control of Bodh Gayā, to make it once again a center of Buddhism, and to build a university there
for Monks from all over the world. At the time the Mahābodhi Society was founded, the Buddhist sacred
site of Bodh Gayā was under Hindu control and in a state of decay. In October 1891, the Society convened
an international Buddhist conference in order to secure the support of Buddhists of other countries for the
Bodh Gayā project. In 1892, the Society began publishing the periodical The Mahābodhi Society and the
United Buddhist World, which became the essential instrument for diffusion of its concerns among Indian
intellectuals and English people residing in India. Due to resistance on the part of the British authorities
and the Hindus, a long legal proceeding had to be undertaken, which only reached a conclusion in 1949
with the attainment of Indian independence. From that point on, Buddhists and Hindus assumed joint
responsibility for the maintenance of the sacred sites at Bodh Gayā. At the present time, the Mahābodhi
Society maintains schools, hospitals, and other social institutions, has centers throughout the world, and
has undertaken the translation and publication of Pāḷi texts.
3 “Pirivena” is a monastic college (similar to a seminary) for the education of Buddhist Monks in Śri
Lanka. These were the centers of secondary and higher education for lay people as well in ancient times.
Today, 561 Pirivenas are founded and maintained by the Śri Lankan Ministry of Education. Young Monks
undergo training at these Pirivenas prior to their ordination.
VENERABLE PARAVAHERA VAJIRAÑĀṆA MAHĀTHERA iii

Philosophy at the Vidyodaya University,4 which post he held until he was appointed Vice
Chancellor. Upon retirement, he functioned as Vice Chancellor Emeritus until his death.
During the Buddha Jayantī year (1956—1957), he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of the
Tripiṭaka Translation Board conducted by the Ceylonese government to scrutinize and
edit the Pāḷi Canon. At the time of his death, the learned Thera had edited twelve
volumes out of forty. This work is of outstanding merit, which will go a long way in
preserving the Dhamma in its pristine purity.
I had the privilege of being associated with the Venerable Thera for many years.
In my search for a satisfactory solution to some of the deeper and profound doctrinal
tenets of Theravādin Buddhism, I verily found him a fountain of knowledge, where I was
able to drink deep and satisfy my thirst. One was but amazed and astounded by his
erudition, penetrative insight, and prodigious memory. Even at the ripe old age of
seventy-five, he could quote chapter and verse from the Buddhist scriptures with great
ease and facility in answering questions. When he was not quite sure of how to answer,
he would say that he would refer to the texts and get back to me. Such, indeed, was the
humility of this great scholar.
The Venerable Thera has, indeed, worked selflessly and with religious devotion
for the advancement and upliftment of education and culture in Ceylon (Śri Lanka) for
the past forty-six years, and, above all, he has made a priceless and unique contribution to
the Buddha Sāsana as a scholar, translator, writer, teacher, and missionary. Those who
knew him well will remember him most for his humanity. His was not the cold way of
the anemic academician. He, indeed, lived his Buddhism with every beat of his warm,
generous heart. He was generous with his advice, with his time, and, above all, with
himself for the sake of suffering humanity. One need not feel sorrow at his passing. His
path was the path of the Buddha and the Arahats — those great and mighty ones. He
lived here a while and has now gone on, strong and assured, brave and smiling, kind,
gentle, untiring until his final task was done, with the attainment of nibbāna. ■

Alec Robertson

4 Vidyodaya University emerged in 1958 from the Vidyodaya Pirivena, a distinguished Buddhist center of
learning. Vidyodya Pirivena was founded due to the efforts of Sangharaja Śri Saranankara, who died in
1778 during the Dutch period. The land at Maligakanda (a suburb of Colombo) and funds for its
foundation were given by the philanthropist Andiris Perera Dharmagunawardhana. In 1873, the Venerable
Mohottiwatte Gunananda was also a great force in the emergence of the Pirivena. His aim was to train
educated orator Monks in order to save Buddhism, and, with that goal in mind, he made logic compulsory
in Pirivena education. The Pirivena taught Buddhist studies as well as pseudo-sciences like Astrology,
widely accepted and held in high esteem in traditional society at the time. However, the transition from
Pirivena to University gradually converted it to a secular center of learning. The University was moved to
Gangodawila, some 10 miles southeast in 1961. In 1978, the name of the University was changed to
University of Śri Jayewardenepura.