THE PATH OF THE PROCESSES

Let us look at this model again, because for your meditations of Shiné (Tibetan) or Meditation on breath (Thailand and Sri LankaTheravada) or the Meditation on the diaphragm (Myanmar Theravada) a complete understanding is essential.

THE PATH OF THE PROCESSES  

The flow of processing is from the IRRITATION (stimulus) to the Screen of Consciousness. 

The Mirror of Consciousness, which represents the sense doors, includes three parts:

1. The  the sense door irritation (Stimulus)

2. The substance of the mirror

3. The essence of sensing (Pure Sensation)

The essence of sensing is like the reflective coating on the mirror's back.

This mirror is not a static thing at all and it represents not just the visual sense but all the sense doors (vision, hering, smell, taste, touch and thought). It is operated by physical orientation so that it can be directed to a suspected irritation:

1.   Repose

2.   Alert: a search is required

3.   Orientation: Find (Becoming)

Once the target has been detected, then there is an operation of detailed penetration on the object found.

4.  Capture

5.  Uni-directional operation (Concentration)

We have shown that there are six sense doors, each of which is then involved in the different levels of processing. This processing is very rapid and the scanning passes through the five operations we have mentioned of:

Sensation (recognition of having been previously detected)

Discrimination (detecting whether approach, avoidance or neutrality is adequate)

     Perception (deriving the correct name for the irritation)

     Cognition (which is the decision operation based upon memory traces)

     Consciousness (which is like a computer screen)

You can see then that when a new irritation appears, the information is used to compile an experience which is derived from memory. It is then transformed into word images.

What then is experienced as word images is really not a reproduction of what is outside as an irritation, but an illusory trace based upon memory. If the traces gathered in memory from previous experiences is in error then each of the levels of processing will also be in error.

Those errors are grouped together as being Visceral, Emotional, Mental and a group related to the Fixation upon the future. We reify them and call them the daughters of Identity (all are subconscious) and the conscious Identity "I, me and mine", Mara.

The Vipassana task then is to examine these and determine the true and natural operations and data, eliminating the error factors.

      In order to do this we manipulate the system during meditation.

                                               HOW DO WE DO THIS?

        We STOP the operation of the following set after the Capture:

1.   Repose

2.   Alert: a search is required

3.   Orientation: Find (Becoming)

Once the target has been detected then there is an operation of detailed penetration on the object found.

4.  Capture

                        STOP

5.  Uni-directional penetration

This process of delay is stretched out and is the prime area of meditation.

           We call it the BECOMING OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

While dwelling in that state (the delay causes stress and mounting energy), a previously organized plan is put into operation which we call a CONTEMPLATION DEVICE (CD). Just like a CD, it runs by itself and the meditator need do nothing except dwell in that Becoming of Consciousness and eventually retrieve (after the meditation) essential information about what has occured during the meditation.

The Contemplation Device (CD) uses the following operations, recalling information from MEMORY.

                MEMORY - COGNITION - PERCEPTION - CONSCIOUSNESS

You will note that we do not process new information, only the old which is stored in memory.

                             HOW DO WE MANIPULATE THE PROCESSES?

We direct memory, by way of the CD, to send to the Becoming of Consciousness only limited information and taking each level of operation in turn we retrieve as a first stage ONLY SENSATIONS and in meditations after stabilization of this meditation move to ONLY DISCRIMINATIONS, then ONLY PERCEPTIONS, then ONLY the CONTENTS OF CONSCIOUSNESS.

We develop an understanding of the moments of the mind, which are like photograms. These MIND MOMENTS are processed and pass to Consciousness after meditaion by a process of DISCERNMENT, where we apply a clear MINDFULNESS.

They are seen as arising and falling away in the mind as impermanent events, unsatisfactory in nature and impersonal. This stage we call REFLECTION.

At a later stage, which we will not discuss in detail here, we pass to the actual VIPASSANA ABSORPTION.

                The first part of the meditation, as you can see, is to encounter:

  1. The VACUITY of the SENSATION and then to follow that with successive levels of meditation upon DISCRIMINATION, PERCEPTION, THE MIND (CONSCIOUSNESS) and finally the CONTENTS.

      Here we discuss, as an example, only the first meditation upon SENSATION.

With constant unidirectional attention placed upon the Sensation, the Sensation is seen to only be generated by the mind. It has no substance or characteristics that have not been mind-generated... thus it is Vacuous. It is likewise with the True Self and the Ficticious Identity. Both are illusion.

THE FIRST ERROR

The first error in Meditation that is most common is to direct the unidirectional attention upon the target, in this case the tactile sensation at the nostrils (or diaphragm movement).

The result is that there is constant interference from Volition-generated interpretations of sensations, likes and dislikes or an intellectual indifference, and ideas, concepts and other thoughts.

With correct attention and energy, the attention can be re-directed and there is then a continual ebb and flow which achieves nothing except boredom and discontent with the meditation. There are various techniques that can be used to eliminate these impediments, but the correct entry into the meditation makes these measures unnecessary.

THE CORRECT METHOD

1. There must be a clear pre-programmed instruction (which is best given many hours before the practice of concentration begins) verbally presented by oneself to enter with a unidirectional attention upon the tactile sensation of the breath at the nostrils.

2. At the moment of meditation attention must be directed at SENSING the totality of the tactile experiences. If one detects any one sensation and it is identified then that is not adequate. The task is to quietly enter into the experience of the BECOMING of CONSCIOUSNESS, consisting after the moments of Repose, Alert and Orientation.

3. When this is maintained without interference one simply waits and one will find that the pre-programming will take over and automatically the attention will be directed at the meditation target (only breathing).

4. There will be a natural ebb and flow now between the State of BECOMING and the State of UNIDIRECTIONAL ATTENTION.

If there are interfering thoughts and sensations, then one has not correctly entered in the state of Becoming. Begin again.

5. Whenever the attention turns back to the Becoming, which is with rapture, then one redirects that attention in a subtle and gentle manner so that it returns to the target.

6. It is essential not to use a mental force or mental energy for this redirection.

7. It is essential not to use physical energy.

8. One must use the subtle energy of the body which stems from the Hara or dantian, which is about four finger widths below the level of the navel and close to the spinal column. This vortex of energy is not gross and general. It is subtle and flowing. You must let that energy flow through the body in the state of Becoming and let that force alone redirect the concentration.

                                 THE COMMON ERROR OF RESTING IN REPOSE

When this occurs the person will feel calm and will believe that he or she is correctly meditating… but really resting in REPOSE. This is an error. If this continues there will be no possibility of a clear comprehension of the VACUITY of the SENSATION, which is the first object of the CONCENTRATION.

               THE COMMON ERROR OF INCORRECT BREATHING INSTRUCTIONS

          The Concentration is directed at 2 and 3, which is Perception and Volition.

This occurs when one concentrates upon BREATH and not the TACTILE SENSATION OF BREATH. This will be evident if you stop for a moment and look at your instructions to the mind. Breath does not exist… It is simply a word, an expression, a mental concept that arises in Perception and is interpreted in Volition. The very nature of the concept of “Breath” and “Breathing in and out” automatically brings interfering associations.

This form of the meditation is perfect for deliberating upon the vacuity of “Breath and no-Breath” or even “Touch and no-Touch” (both valid meditations), but it does not deal directly with the problem of the Vacuity of the Sensation, nor the Vacuity of Identity in Sensation which is essential in Shiné and the other basic meditations.

The meditation must be organized so as to, within the Becoming of Consciousness, see through correct discernment the rising and falling of sensations within the mind, knowing then their vacuity and impermanence.

In the next section we will move to the VACUITY of the SENSATION of IDENTITY.