Developing States of Practice | Talk & Meditation with Reflections on Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha
Channel: Paññāsīha - Lion of Wisdom Meditation Center
Date: 2023-02-04

#Mindfulness #BhanteRahula #Vipassana
Bhante Rahula briefly elaborates on Ananda Sutta: To Ananda
(On Mindfulness of Breathing - SN 54.13 PTS: S v 328 CDB ii 1780) starting on page 161 of, The Masterful Teachings of Gotama Buddha, concerning aspects of developing our meditation practice.

Page 161
 
The Venerable Ananda once asked the Blessed One this question. Pray, Sir, is there any one state which, if cultivated and made much of, brings four states to completion? Do four states, if cultivated and made much of, complete seven states? Do seven states, if cultivated and made much of, complete two states? Yes, Ananda, there is one state which does complete four, four states complete seven, and seven complete two. What are they? Intent concentration on in-breathing and out-breathing, Ananda, is the one thing which if cultivated and made much of, brings the four foundations of mindfulness to completion. The four arisings of mindfulness brings the Seven Factors of Enlightenment to completion, and they in turn complete knowledge and release. And how cultivated do the Four Foundations of Mindfulness bring the Seven Factors of Enlightenment [sati (mindfulness), dhamma vicaya (investigation of reality), viriya (effort), piti (joy), passaddhi (tranquility), samadhi (concentration), and upekkha (equanimity)] to completion? At such time as a noble disciple dwells contemplating the body in the body, feelings in feelings, mental states in mental states, and mental objects in mental objects, ardent… at that time his mindfulness is not relaxed and the enlightenment factor of mindfulness is established in him. Then it is that the noble disciple is cultivating the enlightenment factor of mindfulness, and by continued cultivation, it comes to completion in him.
Page 162 
At such time as a noble disciple is thus dwelling mindful, he investigates those states by insight, comes to close scrutiny of it [sees them as impermanent, soulless, etc.]. Then it is that the enlightenment factor of Dhamma investigation is being cultivated, and when much practiced, comes to completion in him. And as he investigates those states by insight, as he examines it, comes to close scrutiny of it, unwavering energy is established in him. At such time, Ananda, as unwavering energy is established in a noble disciple, so investigating, so examining, coming to close scrutiny of those states, then it is that the enlightenment factor of energy is being cultivated, and owing to that cultivation it comes to completion in him. And as he is so established in mindful investigation and energy, there arises in him a joy for the energy which he has established, [a joy not] connected with sense desire. At such time as a joy not connected with the senses arises in a noble disciple whose energy is established, the enlightenment factor of joy is being cultivated and, owing to continued cultivation, it comes to completion in him. In one who is filled with joy, the body is tranquilized and mind is tranquilized. At such time, Ananda, as the body and mind of a noble disciple who is joyous are tranquilized, the enlightenment factor of tranquility is being cultivated, and owing to continued cultivation it comes to completion in him. In him whose body and mind are tranquilized, who is happy, the mind becomes concentrated. Ananda, when is a noble disciple whose body and mind is tranquil, who is happy, and the mind concentrated, at that time the enlightenment factor of concentration is established, and with continued practice, it, comes to completion in him. He who is thus concentrated and composed becomes a thoroughly disinterested onlooker of his mind [equanimous]. Now, Ananda, when a noble disciple is a thoroughly disinterested onlooker of his mind thus composed, at such time the enlightenment factor of equanimity is established and, owing to continued practice, it comes to completion in him. Thus cultivated, Ananda, thus made much of the four arisings of mindfulness complete the Seven Factors of Enlightenment. 
Page 163
Now, Ananda, how cultivated, how made much of, do the Seven Factors of Enlightenment complete knowledge and release? Herein, a noble disciple cultivates the enlightenment factor which is mindfulness, which tends to seclusion, tends to dispassion, to relinquishment, and tends to readiness for self-surrender [giving up the notion of ‘I’]; he cultivates the enlightenment factor which is Dhamma investigation, which tends to seclusion… readiness for self-surrender; he cultivates the enlightenment factor of energy… joy… tranquility… concentration… equanimity, which tends to seclusion, to dispassion, to relinquishment, and to readiness to self-surrender. Thus cultivated, made much of, Ananda, do the Seven Factors of Enlightenment bring knowledge and release to completion.

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