The Magic Show

From "The Magic of the Mind"

An exposition of the Kalakarama Sutta by Bhikkhu Nanananda

The Magic Show - A prologue

"...... Suppose, monks, a magician or a magician's apprentice should hold a magic-show at the four-cross roads; and a keen sighted man should see it, ponder over it and reflect on it radically. Even as he sees it, ponder over it and reflects on it radically, he would find it empty; he would find it hollow; he would find it void of essence.
What essence, monks, could there be in a magic show?

Even so, monks, whatever consciousness- be it past, future or present, in oneself or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near- a monk sees it, ponders over it and reflects on it radically. And even as he sees it, ponders over it and reflects on it radically, he would find it empty; he would find it hollow; he would find it void of essence. What essence, monks, could there be in a consciousness?....."

Form is like a mass of foam

And feeling- but an airy bubble.

Perception is like a mirage

And formations a plantain tree.

Consciousness is a magic- show

A juggler's trick entire.

All these similes where made known

by the 'kinsman- of- the - Sun'.

                                                                                          S.III 142

The famous magician whose miraculous performances you have thoroughly enjoyed on many an occasion, is back again in your town. The news of his arrival has spread far and wide, and eager crowds are now making for the large hall where he is due to perform today. You too buy a ticket and manage to enter the hall. There is already a scramble for seats but you are not keen on securing one, for you have entered with a different purpose in mind. You have had a bright idea to outwit the magician- to play a trick on him yourself. So you cut your way through the thronging crowds and stealthily creep into some concealed corner of the stage.

The magician enters the stage through the dark curtains, clod in his pitchy black suit. Black boxes containing his secret stock-in -trade are also now on the stage. The performance starts and from your point of vantage you watch. And as you watch with sharp eyes every movement of the magician, you now begin to discover, one after the other, the secrets behind those 'breath-taking' miracles of your favourite magician. The hidden holes and false bottons in magic boxes, the counterfeits and secret pockets, the hidden string and buttons that are pulled and pressed under the cover of the frantic waving of his magic-wand. Very soon you see through his bag of wily tricks so well, that you are able to discover his next 'surprise' well in advance. Since yo can now anticipate his 'surprises' they no longer surprise you. His 'tricks' no longer deceive you. His 'magic' has lost its magic for you. It no longer kindles your imagination as it used to do in the past. The magician's 'hocus-pocus' and 'abracadabra' and his magic wand ow suggest nothing to you- for you know them now for what they are, that is: 'meaningless'. The whole affair has now turned out to be an empty-show, one vast hoax- a treachery.

Kalakarama Sutta

At one time the Exalted One was staying at Saketa in Kalaka's monastery. There the Exalted One addressed the monks saying:
"Monks"      "Revered Sir", replied those monks in assent. The Exalted One said:
"Monks, whatsoever in the world with its gods, Maras and Brahmas, among the progeny consisting of recluses and Brahamins, gods and men- whatsoever is seen, heard, sensed, cognized, attained, sought after and pondered over by the mind- all that do I know. Monks, whatsoever in the world...... of gods and men- whatsoever is seen..... by the mind- that have I fully understood; all that is known to the Tathagata, but the Tathagata has not taken his stand upon it.
If I were to say: 'Monks, whatsoever in the world....... of gods and men- whatsoever is seen....... by the mind- all that I do not know"- it would be a falsehood in me. If I were to say: "I both know it and know it not"- that too would be a falsehood in me. If I were to say: "I neither know it nor am ignorant of it"-It would be a fault in me.
Thus, monks, a Tathagata does not conceive of a visible thing as apart from sight; he does not conceive of an unseen; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-seeing'; he does not conceive about a seer.
He does not conceive of an audible thing as apart from hearing; he does not conceive of an unheard; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-hearing'; he does not conceive about a hearer.
He does not conceive of a thing to be sensed as apart from sensation; he does not conceive of an unsensed; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-sensing'; he does not conceive about one who senses.
He does not conceive of a cognizable thing as apart from cognition; he does not conceive of an uncognized; he does not conceive of a 'thing-worth-cognizing'; he does not conceive about one who cognizes.
Thus, monks, the Tathagata being Such-like in regard to all phenomena seen, heard, sensed and cognized, is 'Such'.
Moreover, than he who is 'such', there is none other greater or more excellent, I declare.

Whatever is seen, heard, sensed or clung to, 

is esteemed as truth by other folk;

Midst those who are entrenched in their own views

being 'such' I hold none as true or false".

Bhikkhunupassaya Sutta: Directed and Undirected meditation

SN 47.10

PTS: S v 154

CDB ii 1638

Bhikkhunupassaya Sutta: Directed and Undirected Meditation

translated from the Pali by

Andrew Olendzki

© 2005

The venerable Ananda arose early one morning, and taking up his robe and bowl approached a certain settlement of nuns, where he sat down on a seat that had been prepared. A number of nuns approached the venerable Ananda, and after greeting him, sat down to one side. So seated, these nuns said this to the venerable Ananda: "There are here, Ananda sir, a number of nuns who abide with minds well established in the four foundations of mindfulness. Their understanding is becoming ever greater and more excellent."
"So it is, Sisters, so it is!" replied Ananda. "Indeed for anybody, Sisters, whether monk or nun, who abides with a mind well established in the four foundations of mindfulness — it is to be expected that their understanding becomes ever greater and more excellent."
[Ananda later relates this exchange to the Buddha, who approves of his response and then elaborates:]
Here, Ananda, a monk abides contemplating body as body[*] — ardent, fully aware, mindful — leading away the unhappiness that comes from wanting the things of the world. And for one who is abiding contemplating body as body,[*] a bodily object arises, or bodily distress, or mental sluggishness, that scatters his mind outward. Then the monk should direct his mind to some satisfactory image. When the mind is directed to some satisfactory image, happiness is born. From this happiness, joy is then born. With a joyful mind, the body relaxes. A relaxed body feels content, and the mind of one content becomes concentrated. He then reflects: "The purpose for which I directed my my mind has been accomplished. So now I shall withdraw [directed attention from the image]." He withdraws, and no longer thinks upon or thinks about [the image]. He understands: "I am not thinking upon or thinking about [anything]. Inwardly mindful, I am content." This is directed meditation.
And what is undirected meditation? Not directing his mind outward, a monk understands: "My mind is not directed outward." He understands: "Not focused on before or after; free; undirected." And he understands: "I abide observing body as body — ardent, fully aware, mindful — I am content." This is undirected meditation.
And so, Ananda, I have taught directed meditation; and I have taught undirected meditation. Whatever is to be done by a teacher with compassion for the welfare of students, that has been done by me out of compassion for you. Here are the roots of trees. Here are empty places. Get down and meditate. Don't be lazy. Don't become one who is later remorseful. This is my instruction to you.

Note

*

These passages are repeated for the other three foundations of mindfulness: feelings as feelings; mind as mind; mental states as mental states.

Translator's note

This text is interesting for a number of reasons, though it seems not to be particularly well known or often referred to.

The framing story shows clearly that women were diligent and successful practitioners of insight meditation in the Buddha's time, and that they were well-supported in this pursuit. Ananda, the Buddha's cousin and life-long assistant, was a great champion of the nuns' cause and would often visit communities of nuns to encourage their dhamma practice. The Buddha seems to take the opportunity of Ananda's report to expound on some of the details of mindfulness technique.

What he says here about directed and undirected meditation is particularly interesting in light of the modern integration of metta practice with vipassana practice. The Buddha seems to acknowledge that mindful awareness is sometimes difficult to come by, and that there are times when one's "mind becomes scattered" by the arising of challenging mind states (has this ever happened to you?).

His response here is not the warrior's tone sometimes found elsewhere in the texts, whereby the practitioner should just overcome the unwholesome thoughts and rouse up sufficient heroic energy to re-establish mindfulness. Nor is it the gentler response we often hear in the dhamma hall, to just be aware of what is arising, without judgment of any kind, gently returning our attention to the breath or other primary object of meditation. Rather the Buddha's suggestion is a deliberate re-direction of our attention to a "satisfactory image."

The pali words here are pasadaniya nimitta. A nimitta is an image or manifestation that appears in the mind — something akin to a sign, a vision or an appearance of an object in the "mind's eye." It is the term used in visualization meditations, and even has a slight connotation of "conjuring up" something in the mind.

The adjective pasadaniya is translated by Woodward in the PTS edition as "pleasurable," but this sort of term is too easily misconstrued in Buddhist contexts. I don't think the Buddha is suggesting here that we seek something pleasant in order to avoid the arising discomfort, but is rather suggesting a short term strategy for the practical disarming of the mind's defense mechanisms.

The commentator Buddhaghosa suggest that the image of the Buddha might be an example of a satisfactory image, but probably anything wholesome and not productive of strong craving (of attachment or aversion) will do. The idea is just to re-direct the mind to flow around the obstacle that has appeared, but not to use something that will itself become another obstacle.

The practical effect of this re-direction of attention is the natural calming of the mind and relaxation of the body. Only from tranquillity can true alertness arise — otherwise the mind's attentiveness is just busy or restless.

But as the ensuing passage confirms, this excursion into the deliberate cultivation of a specific image can be abandoned as soon as its mission (the restoration of concentration) has been fulfilled. Insight meditation has never been about cultivating blissful states of mind or body for their own sake.

But as a skillful means for helping our understanding "become ever greater and more excellent," it seems to be a useful technique. I think we need to rely upon the guidance of experienced meditation teachers, however, to help us discern when it is appropriate to apply this strategy. The mind is so capricious: it may turn to a more pleasurable object of awareness just to escape the growing pains of evolving insight; or it may mislead itself into thinking it is practicing undirected meditation when it is actually just "spacing out."

One important thing to notice about this passage is that the undirected meditation is occurring squarely in the context of the foundations of mindfulness. This is not "object-less awareness" (which is not even possible in the early Buddhist models of mind), or the "awareness of awareness itself" that is mentioned in some traditions.

The meditator understands his awareness to be free and undirected, while contemplating body as body, feeling as feeling, mind as mind and mental states as mental states. What distinguishes undirected meditation from directed meditation is simply the role of intention in the process.

What is the Right Attitude for Meditation? By Ven Sayadaw Utejaniya

1.     Meditation is acknowledging and observing whatever happens-whether pleasant or unpleasant- in a relaxed way.
2.   Meditation is watching and waiting patiently with awareness and understanding. Meditation is NOT trying to experience something you have read or heard about.
3.   Just pay attention to the present moment. Don’t get lost in thoughts about the past. Don’t get carried away by thoughts about the future. But observe this tendency of the mind to proliferate in thoughts.
4.   When meditating, both the mind and the body should be comfortable.
5.    If the mind and the body are getting tired, something is wrong with the way you are practising, and it is time to check the way you are meditating.     Why do you focus so hard when you meditate? Do you want something? Do you want something to happen? Do you want something to stop happening? Check to see if one of these attitudes is present.
6.    The meditating mind should be relaxed and at peace. You cannot practice when the mind is tense.
7.    Don’t focus too hard, don’t control. Neither force not restrict yourself.
8.    Don’t try to create anything, and don’t reject what is happening. Just be aware. Trying to create something is GREED. Rejecting what is happening is AVERSION. Not knowing if something is happening or has stopped happening is DELUSION.
9.   Only to the extend that the observing mind has no greed, aversion or anxiety are you truly meditating.
10.    Don’t have any expectations, don’t want anything, don’t be anxious, because if these attitudes are in your mind, it becomes difficult to meditate.
11.    You are not trying to make things turn out the way you want them to happen. You are trying to know what is happening AS IT IS.
12.    What is the mind doing? Thinking Being aware?
13.    Where is the mind now? Inside? Outside?
14.    Is the watching or observing mind properly aware or only superficially aware?
15.    Don’t practice with a mind that wants something or wants something to happen. The result will only be that you tire yourself out.
16.  You have to accept and watch both good and bad experiences. You want only good experiences? You don’t want even the tiniest unpleasant experience? Is that reasonable? Is that the way things really are?
17.   You have to double check to see what attitude you are meditating with. A light and free mind enables you to meditate well. Do you have the right attitude?
18.   Don’t feel disturbed by the thinking mind. You are not practicing to prevent thinking; but rather to recognise and acknowledge thinking whenever it arises.
19.   Don’t reject any object that comes to your attention. Get to know the defilement that arise in relation to the object and keep examining the defilement.
20.   The object of attention is not really important; the observing mind that is working that is working in the background to be aware is of real importance. If the observing is done with the right attitude, any object is the right object.
21.   Only when there is faith or confidence (saddha), effort will arise. Only when there is effort (viriya), mindfulness will become continuos. Only when mindfulness (sati) is continuous, stability of mind will become established. Only when stability of mind is established (samadhi), you will start understanding things as they are. When you start understanding things as they are (panna), faith will grow stronger.