Vinnana

Mail Box 184, Faculty of Science and Technology, Assumption University, Bangkok 10240, Thailand.

[This document may be copied, forwarded or distributed with proper acknowledgement]

The basics of Vinnana Ahara Practice, which is complete in itself, had been described in a previous document. It is sufficient to get the desired result of deliverance from samsara.

However there are alternative procedures. They are variations of the basic practice and are presented here. These procedures are recommended only for those who have developed a reasonably high samadhi (mind concentration) level[1].

Individuals are at various perfection or accumulated purification (parami) stage. Some individuals may have past parami[2] that involved development along the alternative paths. They will be more comfortable with the alternatives, and these will be more suitable for such individuals.

In the previous document the advice for awareness development was to be aware of the sound consciousness nama component (“water droplet”) against the background body awareness (“water surface”) - in a relaxed detached easy manner – no like or dislike.

Alternative procedures for awareness and discernment are described below. Remember to avoid the thought “I am hearing”, “I am seeing” (the ego concept must not be entertained). Watch nama and/or rupa (“water droplets”) against the body background (“water surface”)

The ear can be used as the background awareness instead of the whole body. Then you have the “ear + sound consciousness” set or ear background - nama set. It is a “sense organ + sensation consciousness” set [3]. Again remember, do not visualize the ear – develop a general background awareness of the ear area. No vivid visualization of the ear please! Then watch the sound consciousness. Developing discernment or knowledge of three signs (anicca, dukkha, anatta) here is the same as mentioned in the previous document.

2.2 “Background + Sensation + Sensation Consciousness” Background-Rupa-Nama Set

If you like you can watch the “sound (rupa) + sound consciousness (nama)”pair together against the body general awareness background (“water surface”). The sound [4] is the rupa component and sound consciousness is the nama component. This is a “sensation + sensation consciousness” pair[5] - the “water droplets”.

Here developing discernment or knowledge of the three signs (anicca, dukkha, anatta) is slightly different. Realize that the sound (rupa) and the sound consciousness (nama) come and go together as pairs. The sound appears and disappears, and the sound consciousness appears and disappears, together with the rise and fall of the sound. This is experiencing impermanence (anicca) of the nama and rupa pairs. Do not say (verbally or mentally) “Rise-Fall –Rise-Fall”. See the real rise-fall.

If you are noticing just the sound appear and disappear, then your practice is not complete. You must know that sound consciousness is appearing and disappearing together with the sound. They come and go in pairs - in a stream of sound and sound consciousness pairs, one after the other. Practice seeing the rise and fall of the pairs against the body background awareness - in a detached manner – no like or dislike. Notice both nama and rupa are impermanent.

Leidi Sayadaw has likened the nama component (sound consciousness) as a reflected image on a water droplet (sound), the rupa component. The water droplet (rupa) appears, and the image (nama) appears on the droplet surface immediately. The droplet hits the water surface (background body), the droplet vanishes and so does the image. Rupa and nama rises and falls or appears and disappears together as pairs.

It is not sufficient to see rise and fall of nama-rupa pairs. Realization that rise and fall are expressions of impermanence (anicca) is the goal. Continue to see anatta and dukkha.

The Buddha identified mental activity as the initiator of all physical actions. Thus every physical action has mind as its initiator. These “mental activity + physical action” pairs are nama-rupa pairs. The mental activity is the energy or nama component that causes the effect, the physical action, which is a material or rupa component.

Watch the cause, mental activity and the resulting physical action. For example you feel itchy and you want to scratch, and you scratch. “Feel itchy and want to scratch” is the mental activity. It is a nama component that induces action – scratching, the physical action or rupa component.

Another example - you see a tasty bit of food. You want to eat it. Your mind tells you to stretch your hand, grab the food, put it in your mouth, etc. – you eat. See the nama-rupa pairs?

Take walking as yet another example. Your mind tells you to move your legs, left-right, left-right. See the nama-rupa pairs?

Realization that the thought rises and decays; and so does the action that follows, develops discernment or knowledge of the three signs (anicca, dukkha, anatta),

It is not necessary to use all of the procedures: basic and alternatives. For some, the alternatives may be more suitable than the basic practice. Some may like a particular alternative more. However some may find the basic practice is best for them. Yet again some may find a particular combination works better for them. So find the best combination that is suitable by trying out practically. And stick to it.

Remember to do dana and sila together with bavana practice. Also, keep in mind that avoiding bad, doing good and keeping a good mind is conducive to doing the necessary bavana practice, regardless of whichever procedure is employed. The first two, avoiding bad and doing good, can be achieved by doing Buddha nupassana (delving on Buddha attributes), marana sati (being aware of certainty of death), metta kamathana (transmitting metta) and asuba kamathana (observing corpse to shed attachment to the body) - the four basic supports to insight development. The third, keeping a pure mind, can be done by not getting involved in things that do not concern you. In reality nothing is yours – they are beyond your control – anatta nature.

1. Nidana-wagga-thanyoke, Chatta Sangha Yana (Sixth Buddhist Synod), Myanmar Translation. p 309, 311.

2. Ledi Sayadaw, Ahara Dipani and Sila-wi-nissaya, Sudhammawadi Press, Yangon.1317 BE.

3. David Tin Win, “Life and Death – A Scientist’s View” private circulation – available on request. Revised 2002.

[1] Need not reach the high Samadhi levels of jahna stages.

[2] Parami accumulated in previous lives

[3] There are other similar “sense organ +sensation + sensation consciousness” sets.

[4] Actually the sound hitting the ear drum; but taking just the sound is sufficient.

[5] There are other “sensation and sensation consciousness” pairs, involving taste, touch, sight, smell, and thought.

	Vinnana Ahara Practice
	A Practical Guide to Vinnana Ahara Practice (Alternative Practices) by David Tin Win Mail Box 184, Faculty of Science and Technology, Assumption University, Bangkok 10240, Thailand. e-mail: engtwi@au.ac.th dtwin@email.com [This document may be copied, forwarded or distributed with proper acknowledgement] 1. Introduction The basics of Vinnana Ahara Practice, which is complete in itself, had been described in a previous document. It is sufficient to get the desired result of deliverance from samsara. However there are alternative procedures. They are variations of the basic practice and are presented here. These procedures are recommended only for those who have developed a reasonably high samadhi (mind concentration) level[1]. Individuals are at various perfection or accumulated purification (parami) stage. Some individuals may have past parami[2] that involved development along the alternative paths. They will be more comfortable with the alternatives, and these will be more suitable for such individuals. 2. Alternative Methods In the previous document the advice for awareness development was to be aware of the sound consciousness nama component (“water droplet”) against the background body awareness (“water surface”) - in a relaxed detached easy manner – no like or dislike. Alternative procedures for awareness and discernment are described below. Remember to avoid the thought “I am hearing”, “I am seeing” (the ego concept must not be entertained). Watch nama and/or rupa (“water droplets”) against the body background (“water surface”) 2.1 “Sense Organ + Sensation Consciousness” Background-Nama Set The ear can be used as the background awareness instead of the whole body. Then you have the “ear + sound consciousness” set or ear background - nama set. It is a “sense organ + sensation consciousness” set [3]. Again remember, do not visualize the ear – develop a general background awareness of the ear area. No vivid visualization of the ear please! Then watch the sound consciousness. Developing discernment or knowledge of three signs (anicca, dukkha, anatta) here is the same as mentioned in the previous document. 2.2 “Background + Sensation + Sensation Consciousness” Background-Rupa-Nama Set If you like you can watch the “sound (rupa) + sound consciousness (nama)”pair together against the body general awareness background (“water surface”). The sound [4] is the rupa component and sound consciousness is the nama component. This is a “sensation + sensation consciousness” pair[5] - the “water droplets”. Here developing discernment or knowledge of the three signs (anicca, dukkha, anatta) is slightly different. Realize that the sound (rupa) and the sound consciousness (nama) come and go together as pairs. The sound appears and disappears, and the sound consciousness appears and disappears, together with the rise and fall of the sound. This is experiencing impermanence (anicca) of the nama and rupa pairs. Do not say (verbally or mentally) “Rise-Fall –Rise-Fall”. See the real rise-fall. If you are noticing just the sound appear and disappear, then your practice is not complete. You must know that sound consciousness is appearing and disappearing together with the sound. They come and go in pairs - in a stream of sound and sound consciousness pairs, one after the other. Practice seeing the rise and fall of the pairs against the body background awareness - in a detached manner – no like or dislike. Notice both nama and rupa are impermanent. Leidi Sayadaw has likened the nama component (sound consciousness) as a reflected image on a water droplet (sound), the rupa component. The water droplet (rupa) appears, and the image (nama) appears on the droplet surface immediately. The droplet hits the water surface (background body), the droplet vanishes and so does the image. Rupa and nama rises and falls or appears and disappears together as pairs. It is not sufficient to see rise and fall of nama-rupa pairs. Realization that rise and fall are expressions of impermanence (anicca) is the goal. Continue to see anatta and dukkha. 2.3 “Mental Activity + Physical Action” Nama-Rupa Pairs The Buddha identified mental activity as the initiator of all physical actions. Thus every physical action has mind as its initiator. These “mental activity + physical action” pairs are nama-rupa pairs. The mental activity is the energy or nama component that causes the effect, the physical action, which is a material or rupa component. Watch the cause, mental activity and the resulting physical action. For example you feel itchy and you want to scratch, and you scratch. “Feel itchy and want to scratch” is the mental activity. It is a nama component that induces action – scratching, the physical action or rupa component. Another example - you see a tasty bit of food. You want to eat it. Your mind tells you to stretch your hand, grab the food, put it in your mouth, etc. – you eat. See the nama-rupa pairs? Take walking as yet another example. Your mind tells you to move your legs, left-right, left-right. See the nama-rupa pairs? Realization that the thought rises and decays; and so does the action that follows, develops discernment or knowledge of the three signs (anicca, dukkha, anatta), 3. Conclusion. It is not necessary to use all of the procedures: basic and alternatives. For some, the alternatives may be more suitable than the basic practice. Some may like a particular alternative more. However some may find the basic practice is best for them. Yet again some may find a particular combination works better for them. So find the best combination that is suitable by trying out practically. And stick to it. Remember to do dana and sila together with bavana practice. Also, keep in mind that avoiding bad, doing good and keeping a good mind is conducive to doing the necessary bavana practice, regardless of whichever procedure is employed. The first two, avoiding bad and doing good, can be achieved by doing Buddha nupassana (delving on Buddha attributes), marana sati (being aware of certainty of death), metta kamathana (transmitting metta) and asuba kamathana (observing corpse to shed attachment to the body) - the four basic supports to insight development. The third, keeping a pure mind, can be done by not getting involved in things that do not concern you. In reality nothing is yours – they are beyond your control – anatta nature. Bibilography 1. Nidana-wagga-thanyoke, Chatta Sangha Yana (Sixth Buddhist Synod), Myanmar Translation. p 309, 311. 2. Ledi Sayadaw, Ahara Dipani and Sila-wi-nissaya, Sudhammawadi Press, Yangon.1317 BE. 3. David Tin Win, “Life and Death – A Scientist’s View” private circulation – available on request. Revised 2002. [1] Need not reach the high Samadhi levels of jahna stages. [2] Parami accumulated in previous lives [3] There are other similar “sense organ +sensation + sensation consciousness” sets. [4] Actually the sound hitting the ear drum; but taking just the sound is sufficient. [5] There are other “sensation and sensation consciousness” pairs, involving taste, touch, sight, smell, and thought.