VIPASSANA   MEDITATION
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Walking Meditation
Wat Samakeechantraran
4913    Carl    Avenue
Granite    City,   IL    62040
Tel  ( 618)  797  - 0675
E-mail bowornkij@hotmail.com

     It is natural for a meditator to be afraid of unpleasant physical sensation which he experiences in
his meditation practice, but painful sensation is not a process that should be feared.  Pain is a natural
process that should be thoroughly understood by being aware of it as it really occurs.   When a medi
tator can observe pain successfully with persistent effort, than he can realise its true nature the speci
fic and general nature of pain.        Then the penetrating insight into the true nature of that pain or unpleasant sensation will lead the meditator to the higher stages of insight.      Eventually, he could
attain enlightenment by means of this painful sensation.
Mindfulness   of  Consciousness
    The thiird Foundation of Mindfulness is  Cittanupassana  Satipatthana which means mindfulness
of consciousness and the states (Cetasika) that arises with consciousness.       Acording to the Abhi-
dhamma, every 'mind' so to say, is composed of conciousness and its concomitants.    Concomitants
here means its associates.   Conciousness never arises independently.      It arises together with its associates.         In short, whatever consciousness or whatever 'mind' or mental state arises, must be mindfully noted or observed as it really occurs.  This is Cittanupassana  Satipatthana.   The mental
states may be good, the emotional states may be better.    Whatever it may be, it must be noted as it
really occurs.   Therefore, when you have consciousness with lust or attachment, you must be mind-
ful of it as it really is.     If you have consciousness with anger, you must noted as it as consciousnes
with anger.        Consciousness with anger can be noted as 'angry' or 'angry' in accordance with the  Maha  Satipatthana  Sutta.   When mindfulness is powerful, the anger will disappear.    The medita-
tor will then realise that anger is not everlasting it arises and passes away.      By observing anger, a
meditator has two kinds of benefit:>
      1.   The overcoming of anger.
      2.   Realisation of the true nature of anger ( the arising and passing away of anger or the anicca
         nature of anger).
         Anger is one of the mental states that can lead the meditator to the cessation of suffering if he 
notes it with mindfulness.
Mindfulness   of   Dhamma
          The fourth Foundation of Mindfilness is Dhammanupassana Satipatthana which means contemplation of dhamma or mindfulness of dhamma.    Here dhamma includes many categories of
mental or physical processes.   The first category is the five nivarana  (hindrances):
      1.   Kamacchanda.   Sense desire-desire for visible objects, sounds, odours, tastes and tangible
objects.
     2. Vyapada.   anger or ill-will.
     3. Thina-middha. Sloth and torporsleepiness, mental dullness, heaviness.
     4. Uddhacca-kukhucca.  Remorse, worry or unhaapiness about past deeds.   Unhappiness at 
         the failure to do what should have been done in the past is the first aspect.  The second aspect
is unhappiness about a deed which you dis though you should not have done it, i,e, an unwholesome
deed which would produce a bad result.
     5. Vicikiccha. Doubts.
      So long as the mind is defiled, a meditator cannot realise any mental process or physical process.
Only when the mind is well concentrated on the object of meditation (either mental or physical pro-
cesses), is it free from all kinds of defilements or hindrances.     Thus the mind becomes clear and
penetrative; so penetrative that it realises the true nature of mental and physical processes as they
really are.        So whenever any one of the five hindrances arises in a meditator,s mind, he must be 
aware of it.     For example, when a meditator hears a sweet song from outside and does not note it, he may have a desire to listen to the song. 
     He likes to hear this song repeatedly and he indulges in it.
That desire to listen to the song is sense desire kamacchanda.    So, when he hears any sweet song, 
he must note 'hearing'  'hearing'.      Still, he may be  overwhelmed by the song if his mindfulness is not powerful enough.      If he knows that this sense desire for the song can lead him to undesirable
events or accidents, or can be an obstacle to his progress in meditation, he will note it as 'desire', 
desire' until it has been destroyed by strong mindfulness.   When the mindfulness becomes constant
and strong, that desire will disappear.       The desire desappears because it has been observed very
attentively and energetically.       When a meditator observed or is mindful of his sense desire as it
really is, making a mental note, 'desire' desire', he is following strictly what the Buddha taught in the
Maha  Satipathana  sutta.      Being mindful in this manner is Dhammanupassana  Satipatthana or
the contemplation of mind objects, i.e. contemplation of the hindrances  (nivaranas).
             Thina-middha,  sloth and torpor, actually means sleepiness.   Sloth and torpor is a very 'old friiend' of meditators.   When a meditator feels sleepy, he enjoys it.   If any other pleasant sensation
arises in him, he is able to observe it.   But when sleepiness arises in him, he is unable to be aware
of it because he likes it.   That is why sloth and torpor or sleepiness is an 'old friend'  of a meditator.
It makes him stay longer in the cycle of rebirth.      If he is anable to observe sleepiness, he cannot
overcome it.       Unless he has realised the true nature of sloth and torpor or sleepiness, he will be attached to it and enjoy it.
     When we are sleepy, we should make more strenuous effort in our practice, that means we must
observe more attentively, energetically and precisely so that we can make our mind becomes active
and alert, it will be free from sleepiness.   Then the meditator can overcome sleepiness.
    Uddhacca-kukucca is the fourth of hindrances.   Uddhacca is restlessness or distraction, kukucca
is remorse.     Here uddhacca means distraction of the mind, restlessness of the mind, wandering of the mind.    When the mind wanders or thinks about something else instead of noting the object of meditation, it is uddhacca.    When your mind wanders, you must be aware of it as really is.   At the
beginning of the practice a meditator may not be able to observe it.      He does not even know that the mind is wandering.   He thinks the mind is staying with the object of meditation, i.e. the abdomi-
nal movements or respiration.   When he is aware that the mind has wandered, he must note 'wandering, wandering' or 'thinking, thinking'.    That means uddhacca-kukkucca is observed.
    The fifth hindrance is vicikiccha or doubt.   You may have doubt about the Buddha the Dhamma,
the Sangha, or about the technique of meditation.   Whatever doubt arises, it must be very attentive-
lyobserved, you must be mindful of it as it really is.   This is known as Dhammanupassana  Satipat-
thana mindfulness of dhamma. So these are the four Foundations of Mindfulness:
    1.  Kayanupassana  Satipattha  contemplation of the body or physical phenomena.
    2.  Vedananupassana  Satipatthana  contemplation of feeling or sensation.
    3.  Cittanupassana  Satipatthana contemplation of consciousness or associates.
    4.  Dhammanupassana  Satipatthana contemplation of dhamma or mind objects.
   CHAPTER    FIVE
 

     To attain enlightenment we must go through seven stages of purification (visuddhi).
Purification  of  Mental   Conduct
     The first is sila-visuddhi, Purification of Mental Conduct.    Meditators have to observe at least
five precepts, if not eight, so that they can attain purification of sila.    The third of the five precepts
is abstention from sexual misconduct, where as the third of the eight precepts is abstention from all
kinds of sexual contact.        If a meditator does not abstain from sexual conduct, his mind will be defiled by the hindrance of sense desire (kamacchandanivarana).  Only when the mind is purified
from all hindrances can meditators realise mental and physical processes in their true nature.
     Of course it is better if meditators can observe the eight precepts.   If they do not, they may have
desires for taste, food, visible things, audible things, odours and tangible things five kinds of sense 
desire (kammacchanda) in their mind.   By observing eight precepts, one can purify one,s deeds and
speech which is purification of moral conduct  (sila - visuddhi).     When moral conduct is purified,
the mind is also purified to some extent.
                    When the mind becomes purified, it becomes calm, serene, tranquil and happy and can concentrate on the object of meditation.   Then the meditator attaINS Purification of Mind, i,e, Citta
visuddhi, the second stage of purification.
       When Venerable Uttiya, one of the disciples of the Buddha was sick in bed, the Buddha visited 
him and asked about his health.   Venerable Uttiya told the Buddha about his sickness:
        Venerable sir, my sickness is not decreasing but increasing.    I do not know whether I can or     cannot live out today or tomottow.  So I want to meditate to destroy all kinds of defilements through to the fourth stage of enlightenment,  Arahantship, before I die.    Please give a short instruction which will enable me to develop my meditation practice to attain  Arahantship.
     Then  the  Buddha  said:
       Uttiya, you should cleanse the beginning.   If the beginning is purified, then you will be alright,
       i,e, able to attain  Arahantship.
     The Omniscient Buddha asked the question.    "What is the beginning?"    He himself replied,
"Here in the beginning is purified moral conduct or sila and right view (Samma-ditthi).  Right view
means the acceptance of and belief in the Law of Cause and Effect (action reaction) or the Law of
Kamma."    The Omniscient Buddha continued:
    Uttiya, you should cleanse your moral conduct and right view.   Then, based on the purified moral
    conduct or sila, you should develop the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.  Practising thus, you
    will attain the cessation of suffering.
     The Omniscient Buddha lays stress on the purification of sila or moral conduct because it is a basic requirement for progress in concentration as well as insight.   When moral conduct is purified,
the mind becomes calm, serene and happy.   If he cultivates mindfulness, then he can easily concen-
trate on any object of the mental and physical processes.    So purify of moral conduct is a prerequirement for progress in concentration as well as insight.   When moral conduct is purified the
mind becomes calm, serene and happy.   If he cultivates mindfulness, then he can easily concentrate
on any object of the mental and physical processes.   So purity of moral conduct is a prerequirement
for a meditator to make progress.