Mahasi Sayadaw - Tathagata

mission stayed in Sri Lanka for over a year doingadmirable work, setting up twelve permanent andseventeen temporary meditation centres. Followingthe completion of a meditation centre on a sitegranted by the Sri Lankan government, a largermission led by Mahasi Sayadaw left Burma for SriLanka on 6th January 1959, via India. The missionwas in India for about three weeks, during whichits members visited several holy places associatedwith the life and work of Lord Buddha. They alsogave religious talks on suitable occasions and hadinterviews with Prime Minister Shri JawaharlalNehru, President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad andVice-president Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. A notablefeature of the visit was the warm welcome receivedfrom members of the depressed classes, who hadembraced Buddhism under the guidance of theirlate leader Dr. Ambedkar.The mission flew from Madras to Sri Lanka on29th January 1959 and arrived at Colombo on thesame day. On Sunday, 1st February, at the openingceremony of the meditation centre named “BhavanaMajjhathana,” Mahasi Sayadaw delivered anaddress in Pali after Prime Minister Bandaranayakeand some others had spoken. The members of themission next went on an extended tour of the island,visiting several meditation centres where MahasiSayadaw gave discourses on vipassana meditation.20

They also worshipped at famous sites of Buddhistpilgrimage like Polonnaruwa, Anuradhapura andKandy. This historic visit of the Burmese missionunder the inspiring leadership of Mahasi Sayadawwas symbolic of the ancient and close ties offriendship between these two Theravada Buddhistcountries. Its benefit to the Buddhist movement inSri Lanka was a revival of interest in meditation,which seemed to have declined.In February 1954, a visitor to the Sasana Yeikthamight have noticed a young Chinese man practicingvipassana meditation. The meditator in question wasa Buddhist teacher from Indonesia by the name ofBung An, who had become interested in vipassanameditation. Under the guidance of Mahasi Sayadawand Sayadaw U Nanuttara, Mr. Bung An made suchexcellent progress that, in little more than a month,Mahasi Sayadaw gave him a detailed talk on theprogress of insight. Later he was ordained a bhikkhuand named Ven. Jinarakkhita, with Mahasi Sayadawas his preceptor. After he returned as a Buddhist monkto Indonesia, the Buddha Sasana Council received arequest to send a Burmese Buddhist monk to promotemissionary work in Indonesia. It was decided thatMahasi Sayadaw, as the preceptor and mentor ofAshin Jinarakkhita, should go. With thirteen otherTheravada monks, Mahasi Sayadaw undertooksuch primary missionary activities as consecrating21

simas (ordination boundaries) ordaining bhikkhus,initiating novices and giving discourses, particularlytalks on vipassana meditation.Considering these fruitful activities in promotingBuddhism in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, we mightdescribe Mahasi Sayadaw’s missions to thesecountries as “Dhamma-vijaya’” (victory of theDhamma) journeys.As early as 1952, at the request of the ThaiMinister for Sangha Affairs, Mahasi Sayadawhad sent Sayadaws U Asabha and U Indavamsa toThailand for the promotion of satipatthana vipassana.Thanks to their efforts, Mahasi Sayadaw’s methodgained wide acceptance in Thailand. By 1960, manymeditation centres had been established and thenumber of Mahasi meditators exceeded a hundredthousand.It was characteristic of the Venerable Sayadaw’sdisinterested and single-minded devotion to thecause of the Buddha Sasana that, regardless of hisadvancing age and feeble health, he undertook threemore missions to the West (Britain, Europe andAmerica) and to India and Nepal in the three years(1979, 1980 and 1981) preceding his death.Abhidhajamaharatthaguru Masoeyein Sayadaw,who presided over the Sanghanayaka ExecutiveBoard at the Sixth Buddhist Council, urged Mahasi22

Sayadaw to teach two commentaries to the Sangha atSasana Yeiktha. Ven. Buddhaghosa’s VisuddhimaggaAtthakatha and Ven. Dhammapala’s VisuddhimaggaMahatika deal primarily with Buddhist meditationtheory and practice, though they also offer usefulexplanations of important doctrinal points, so theyare vital for prospective meditation teachers. MahasiSayadaw began teaching these two works on 2ndFebruary 1961, for one and a half or two hoursdaily. Based on the lecture notes taken by his pupils,the Sayadaw started writing a nissaya translation ofthe Visuddhimagga Mahatika, completing it on 4thFebruary 1966. This nissaya was an exceptionalachievement. The section on the different views heldby other religions (samayantara) was most exactingsince the Sayadaw had to familiarize himself withancient Hindu philosophy and terminology bystudying all available references, including worksin Sanskrit and English.Up until now, Mahasi Sayadaw has to hiscredit 67 volumes of Burmese Buddhist literature.Space does not permit us to list them all here, but acomplete up-to-date list of them is appended to theSayadaw’s latest publication, namely, “A Discourseon Sakkapanha Sutta’” (published in October1978).At one time, Mahasi Sayadaw was severely23

criticized in certain quarters for his advocacy of theallegedly unorthodox method of noting the risingand falling of the abdomen in vipassana meditation.It was mistakenly assumed that this method was aninnovation of the Sayadaw’s, whereas the truth is thatit had been approved several years before MahasiSayadaw adopted it, by no less an authority than themula (original) Mingun Jetavan Sayadaw, and that itis in no way contrary to the Buddha’s teaching on thesubject. The reason for Mahasi Sayadaw’s preferencefor this method is that the average meditator findsit easier to note this manifestation of the elementof motion (vayodhatu). It is not, however, imposedon all who come to practice at any of the Mahasimeditation centres. One may, if one likes, practiceanapanasati. Mahasi Sayadaw himself refrainedfrom joining issue with his critics on this point, buttwo learned Sayadaws brought out a book each indefense of the Sayadaw’s method, thus enablingthose who are interested in the controversy to judgefor themselves.This controversy arose in Sri Lanka wheresome members of the Sangha, inexperienced andunknowledgeable in practical meditation, publiclyassailed Mahasi Sayadaw’s method in newspapersand journals. Since this criticism was voiced in theEnglish language with world-wide coverage, silencecould no longer be maintained and so Sayadaw24

U Nanuttara of Kaba-aye (World Peace Pagodacampus) forcefully responded to the criticisms inthe pages of the Sri Lankan Buddhist periodical“World Buddhism.”Mahasi Sayadaw’s international reputation hasattracted numerous visitors and meditators fromabroad, some seeking enlightenment for theirreligious problems and others intent on practicingmeditation under the Sayadaw’s personal guidance.Among the first meditators from abroad was formerBritish Rear-Admiral E.H. Shattock, who came onleave from Singapore and practiced meditation at theSasana Yeiktha in 1952. On his return to England,he published a book entitled “An Experiment inMindfulness,” in which he related his experiencesin generally appreciative terms. Another foreignerwas Mr. Robert Duvo, a French-born Americanfrom California. He came and practiced meditationat the Centre first as a lay meditator and later asa bhikkhu. He subsequently published a book inFrance about his experiences and the satipatthanavipassana method. Particular mention should bemade of Anagarika Shri Munindra of Buddha Gayain India, who became a close disciple of MahasiSayadaw, spending several years with the Sayadawlearning the Buddhist scriptures and practicingvipassana. Afterwards he directed an internationalmeditation centre at Buddha Gaya, where many25

people from the West came to practice meditation.Among these meditators was a young American,Joseph Goldstein, who has written a perceptive bookon insight meditation entitled “The Experience ofInsight: A Natural Unfolding.”Some of the Sayadaw’s works have been publishedabroad, such as “The Satipatthana VipassanaMeditation” and “Practical Insight Meditation” bythe Unity Press, San Francisco, California, USA,and “The Progress of Insight” by the BuddhistPublication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Selfless andable assistance was rendered by U Pe Thin (nowdeceased) and Myanaung U Tin in the Sayadaw’sdealings with his visitors and meditators fromabroad and in the translation into English of someof Sayadaw’s discourses on vipassana meditation.Both of them were accomplished meditators.The Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw is profoundlyrevered by countless grateful disciples in Burmaand abroad. Although it was the earnest wish of hisdevoted disciples that the Venerable Mahasi Sayadawmight live for several more years and continueshowering the blessings of the Buddhadhamma onall those in search freedom and deliverance, theinexorable law of impermanence terminated, withtragic suddenness, his selfless and dedicated lifeon the 14th of August 1982. Like a true son of the26

Buddha, he lived valiantly, spreading the word ofthe Master throughout the world and helping tensof thousands onto the Path of Enlightenment andDeliverance.U Nyi Nyi (Mahasi Disciple and Meditator)Member of the Executive Committee Yangon, MyanmarBuddhasasana Nuggaha Association, 18th October 197827

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FUNDAMENTALS OFVIPASSANA MEDITATIONBy Mahasi SayadawExcerpts from Editor’s NoteThis book was published in Burma by theBudhasāsanānuggaha Organization for freedistribution. Since this book deals with the veryfundamentals of Vipassana meditation clearly andsuccinctly, it was chosen for publication by theDhammachakka Meditation Center.I took the liberty to edit this book for publicationhere in the U.S. and in doing so, made a few necessaryalterations so as to make it easier for the westernreaders to understand and also to bring it closer tothe original in some places. Many explanations havebeen added in the Glossary to help the uninitiatedreader understand more fully May all those connected with this publicationattain final deliverance from all suffering.Sayadaw U SīlānandaDecember 16, 199129

A Word from the Translator“The Fundamentals of Vipassana Meditation”is a series of lectures delivered by the VenerableMahasi Sayadaw during the New Year Holidaysof the Burmese Era 1320 (1959). The lectures firstappeared in book form in 1961, and have ever sinceenjoyed such popularity with the readers that theyhave run into several editions. This is their firstEnglish translation.As the reader will see in the following pages, thelectures were addressed to lay listeners -- people towhom the subtle points of Vipassana practice weretotally new. As such, the Sayadaw took great painsto make his language plain, easy, direct and to thepoint. He led his listeners, stage by simple stage,from such basic facets as differentiation betweencalm and insight meditations to such intricate aspectsof the Dhamma as reality and concept, process ofcon sciousness and thought-moments, stages ofprogress in mind development and realization ofNibbana. The listener -- or the reader in our case-- begins with the very first lesson: what insight isand how it is de veloped. He is then instructed howto begin his work, how to progress, how to be on hisguard against pitfalls in the course of his trainingand, most important of all, how to know when he30

“knows. “ He is thrilled, encouraged, and made tofeel as if he were already on the path to bliss.Buddhism is a practical religion, a creed to liveby -- not just another system of metaphysical phi losophy as most outsiders are wont to imagine it tobe. It examines the ills of this sentient life, discoverstheir cause, prescribes the removal of the cause, andpoints the Way to the release from all suffering.Anyone desirous of liberation can walk along theWay. But he must make the effort to step and walk.No one will pick him up and offer him a free ride toPeace Eternal.You yourselves must make the effort.Buddhas only point the way.Those who have entered the Path andwho meditate will be freed fromthe fetters of illusion.(Dhammapada, 276.)What then is the Way to liberation? The Buddhahimself tells us in Satipatthana Sutta that there is butOne Way -- the Way of establishing mindfulness.It is this establishing of mindfulness that servesas the cornerstone of the whole system of insightmeditation expounded and popularized by the Ven.Mahasi Sayadaw for over half a century.31

Here one must not forget the fact that preachingVipassana is quite unlike the preaching of any otheraspect of the Buddha’s teaching, say, its moral ormetaphysical portions. This most scholars versed inthe scriptures can do. But Vipassana is somethingwhich only experience can convince. The Buddhahimself (or, more correctly, the Bodhisatta) searchedfor the Way, found it, traversed it himself, and onlythen did he teach it to beings from his experience.“Even so have I, monks, seen an ancient way, anancient road followed by the wholly AwakenedOnes of olden times. Along that have I gone,and the matters that I have come to know fullyas I was going along it I have told to the monks,nuns, men and women lay followers.”(S.i,1O5.)The Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw, on his part, took up theWay pointed out to all of us by the Buddha, realizedthe Dhamma, and then spoke to his disciples from hisexperience. They, too, have realized the Dhamma.About this the Sayadaw says in his lectures,“Here in the audience are lots of meditators whohave come to this stage of knowledge. I am notspeaking from my own experience alone. No, noteven from the experience of forty or fifty disciplesof mine. There are hundreds of them.”32

One attribute of the Buddha’s Dhamma is that“it is a come-and-see thing (ehipassiko).” Millionscame and saw it well over 2500 years ago. Andtoday hundreds of thousands have come and seen it,and hundreds of thousands more will follow them,as we can see in the meditation centres the worldover. It only remains to the aspirant after liberationto awake and join the multitude in their march. Thisbook sets out the plan of the Way that lies ahead ofhim. It is, as the noted scholar in the foreword tothe Burmese edition remarks, not the kind of bookone reads for reading’s sake. It is to be his guideas he ventures from one stage of higher wisdom toanother.In translating this book, I have tried to reproducein English all that the Sayadaw has to say in hisBurmese lectures. But I have not attempted a literaltranslation. Nor have I turned out an abridged, freeversion. I have avoided repetitions so characteristicof spoken language, and have left untranslated allthe mnemonic verses that accompany the reveredSayadaw’s lectures. Excepting these, I have kept theword of the Sayadaw intact, and every effort hasbeen made to retain his simple, straightforward andlucid style.For translation of the Pali texts quoted by theSayadaw in his work, I have relied mostly on such33

noted scholars as Dr. Rhys. Davids, F. L. Wood ward, I. B. Homer, Nyanatiloka, Nyanamoli andPe Maung Tin, with modifications here and there. Imust record my indebtedness to them.Maung Tha NoeRangoon, 3 March 1981.34

IntroductoryToday insight meditation needs no specialintroduction. Everybody is saying that it is good.The contrary was the case twenty years ago. Peoplethought insight meditation was meant for monks andrecluses and not for them. When we began preachinginsight meditation, we had had a hard time doing so.The situation has changed now. Today people keepasking us to lecture on insight. But when we begintelling them the simple facts of insight me ditation,they seem unable to appreciate them. Some evenrise and go away. One should not blame them. Theyhave had no grounding in meditation to understandanything.Some think calm is insight. Some talk of insightmeditation as nothing different from calm meditation.The insight meditation as preached by some people,though high-sounding in language, proves just im possible in practice. Their listeners are left in con fusion. For the benefit of such people, we will talkabout the elements of insight meditation.Calm and InsightWhat do we meditate on? How do we developinsight? This is a very important question.35

There are two kinds of meditation: meditatingto develop calm and meditating to develop insight.Meditating on the ten kasina devices only givesrise to calm, not insight. Meditating on the ten foulthings (a swollen corpse, for example), too, onlygives rise to calm, not insight. The ten recollections,like remem bering the attributes of the Buddha, theDhamma and others, too, can develop calm and notinsight. Meditating on the thirty-two parts of thebody, like hair, nails, teeth, skin, these too are notinsight. They help to develop only concentration.Mindfulness as to respiration is also concentration developing. But one can develop insight from it.Visuddhimagga, however, includes it in the concen tration subjects, and so we will call it as such here.Then there are the four divine states: lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy andequanimity, and the four formless states leading toformless jhānas. Then, there is the meditation onloathsomeness of food. All these are subjects forconcentration-meditation.When you meditate on the four elements insideyour body, it is called the analysis of the four ele ments. Although this is a concentration meditation,it helps develop insight as well.All these forty subjects of meditation are sub jects for developing concentration. Only respira tion36

and analysis of elements have to do with insight.The others will not give rise to insight. If you wantinsight, you will have to work further.To come back to our question, how do we developinsight? The answer is: we develop insight by me ditating on the five aggregates of grasping. The men tal and material qualities in beings are aggregatesof grasping. They may be grasped with delight bycraving, in which case it is called “grasping of thesense objects,” or

the aged Taik-kyaung Sayadaw) to resume his teaching work and to take charge of the monastery, Ven. Sobhana sat for and passed with distinction the government-held Dhammacariya (Teacher of the Dhamma) examination in June 1941. On the eve of the Japanese invasi