Dhamma Talks > eBook > Progress of Insight, Part 3 (7.10.92)

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Progress of Insight, Part 3 (7.10.92)

When a meditator is endowed with these five factors (firm faith, health, straightforwardness, strenous effort and insight knowledge of arising and passing away of phenomena) then he is sure to attain Path Knowledge and Fruition Knowledge if he proceeds with his intensive practice. When his knowledge of arising and passing away of mental and physical phenomena becomes clear and mature, whatever noted is realized as impermanent; arising and then passing away. When he notes any pain, stiffening, itching or aching, then he sees the appearance and disappearance of painful sensation one after another very clearly. Sometimes he sees it as the appearance and disappearance of layers of sensation one after another. When he notes the arising and falling movements he sees many broken movements of rising process and falling process very clearly, arising and passing away one after another. Later on he comes to see very swift appearance and disappearance of the object which is noted.

Then he rarely sees the rising or appearing. Most of the time he sees disappearance, passing away or dissolution more than appearance or arising. So he feels that all mental states and physical processes are very instantly passing away, very instantly vanishing. Sometimes he feels very swift disappearance, dissolution of the object which is noticed. Then he could hardly see the appearance of the object. Most of the time he sees the very swift disappearance and the vanishing of the object.

At this stage of knowledge you do not see the form of the hand or the form of the body. All forms are lost. You have lost the sense of the form of the body, the hand, the leg, and so on. What you are realizing is just disappearance, dissolution; very swift disappearance of the phenomena. Sometimes you feel inconscious for a second or two. You lose your mindfulness. You are absolutely and totally unconscious for a second or two. That means when you see the consciousness disappearing very swiftly. So both object and subject are very swiftly disappearing, incessantly and continuously. Then occasionally you see the subconscious mind. We can say that we can see the subconsciousness in between the conscious mind. When the concentration is good enough, we are able to see the very swift disappearance of the process of consciousness. Occasionally we can see the subconscious mind as though we feel it. Then we think we are momentarily unconscious for a second or two. This is called the insight knowledge of dissolution, Bhanga nana.

But a meditator doesn't easily get over or doesn't easily get past this insight knowledge because he needs to see the dissolution of mental and physical phenomena very well; so he stays in this stage of insight knowledge for some time. It's very good. No painful sensation, no itching, no aching. Also when you sit for a very long time you have no tendency to get up. You can sit for three or four hours at a stretch very easily and comfortably, seeing disappearance and dissolution of all mental and physical phenomena which are observed. Occasionally as I said, you lose your sense of your bodily form. What you are realizing is just disappearance and appearance of mental and physical phenomena.

Gradually you become fearful about the dissolution of mental and physical phenomena. Whenever you observe any mental state or physical process, what you see is just disappearing, dissolution, passing away of mental and physical phenomena very, very swiftly. So you come to feel these things are very much fearful. There is nothing that lasts even a moment or a second. All phenomena, compounded things, Sankhara are subject to dissolution, ever passing away, so they are fearful. Sometimes the meditator, when his insight knowledge of dissolution and disappearance of physical and mental phenomena is not so clear, feels fear but he doesn't know what he is fearful of. But he feels fear not about the dissolution, not about the world, not about life, but actually his subconscious mind sees the dissolution and the disappearance of mental and physical phenomena and fears it. When the meditator's insight knowledge is very clear and sharp, he realizes these mental and physical phenomena are ever passing away, dissolving, so they are fearful. This insight knowledge is called Knowledge of Fearfulness.

This fear is different from fear you have when you see a tiger or a lion because when you see them, you have aversion to it. That fear arises out of aversion, so that fear is Dosa. Dosa is Akusala, unwholesome mental states. But this fear (insight) is not like that. Even though the meditator takes all mental and physical phenomena as a fearful thing, he hasn't any aversion to it. He feels there is fear, that's all. This fear is not Dosa. It is not Akusala. It is Kusala, a kind of insight knowledge that realizes the mental and physical phenomena as just fearful.

Then when he proceeds with his intensive practice, from the insight knowledge of dissolution onwards, distractions are very few. Thoughts are very few. Even though it arises, you observe it, it disappears very instantly. Sometimes you come to know the thought about to arise. Then when you observe, it doesn't arise. In this way your concentration becomes deeper and deeper. Then you are disgusted with the fearful mental and physical phenomena which are ever disappearing, ever vanishing when they are noticed. When you are disgusted with it you do not feel delight in these mental and physical processes which are instantly arising and passing away. You feel misery about these mental formations and physical processes. You are not happy with your meditational experience even though you do not have much distractions or thoughts. Most of the time the concentration is good enough but you are not happy with your meditational experience. We can say you have a gloomy feeling. At that stage your facial expression is also not good. We can say you are in a depressed mood, reluctant to do something as if you are disinterested in meditational experience but actually you take interest in it though your facial expression is gloomy.

Then sometimes you think your meditation has gone down; sometimes you think it is hopeless to go on with your practice. But if you observe whatever you feel very attentively, is this stage of insight knowledge it is not very difficult to get over it. You can pass over it very easily when you observe the situation you are at present. But then you feel disgusted with all mental and physical phenomena which are arising and passing away, especially very swift vanishing of mental and physical phenomena.

Then you feel boredom about the formations and also about your life and the world. You could not find any place where you should live happily and comfortably. So sometimes you feel you should go out of the meditation retreat and run away. Sometimes you want to throw yourself into the sea, into the ravine because you do not find any mental or physical process satisfactory. Sometimes with good concentration you have the tendency to get up after say, 30, 40 or 45 minutes sitting. You don't have any painful sensation or aching. Concentration is good, meditation is good but you have the desire to get up because you are not satisfied with the present situation.

Here some meditators when they feel this boredom, they want to go back home. So they go to their room and pack their things and come to the meditation teachers to ask for permission to go back. Then when we say, "Yes, you can go back. Please wait one more day. Just observe what you feel." Because the teacher is respected and beloved, so they obey the teacher, "Yes, I'll stay one more day." Then they continue their practice, observing what they feel. 'Boredom, boredom', 'unhappy, unhappy' and so on. Only one night passed. The next day we call that yogi, "Today you are going back home?" "No, no. I won't go back. Now my meditation is very good" he said. That stage of insight knowledge is very tricky. That is called Nibbida nana and also Mucituka nana. Two nana, two stages which are very tricky. Nibbida nana, knowledge of disgust. Mucituka nana, knowledge of desire for deliverance or freedom.

When he proceeds with his practice , he is happy but again he experiences some physical discomfort: aching, stiffening which he hasn't experienced in the previous stages of insight. Then, here again he experiences pain, stiffening, itching and so on. He is not patient with it. In the earlier stages of insight knowledge, say the first, second and third stages of insight, he was patient with these sensations and observed them. Now he has this pain, he notices it but he has the tendency not to be patient with it. He wants to change his position. He wants to get up but actually he doesn't get up or change his position. He proceeds with his practice. Then in this knowledge of desire for deliverance or freedom, he begins to resume his experience of difficult sensations: pain, stiffening, itching and so on. But when the teacher explains to him and urges him to observe what he is experiencing, then he does very well and passes over this insight knowledge. This insight knowledge is not very difficult to pass over. Then the upper stage of insight knowledge, that is knowledge of re-observation.

Because he wants to get rid of these mental and physical phenomena which are ever arising and passing away, so he strives his best to get rid of these mental and physical phenomena. The more he puts forth effort in his practice, the deeper his concentration becomes. The deeper his concentration becomes, the more severe the painful sensation he experiences. That is the tenth stage of insight knowledge. But he is not reluctant to observe it because he knows that unless he observes it he won't be able to get rid of it or to pass over this stage of insight. Sometimes he feels the painful sensation very intense and severe; sometimes a lumpy, painful sensation is with him. But he is not reluctant, he strives his best, observing it.

Then later on he has passed over this stage. All painful sensations are gone. He does not experience any discomfort. He feels happy and peaceful. Concentration becomes deeper and stable. Then he feels tranquil. But he doesn't feel happy any longer, he knows every object arising and passing away whenever it is noticed. What he knows is the arising and passing away of the object which is observed all the time. The mind is concentrated on it. In this stage of insight knowledge, even though you send your mind to the object which you like most, the mind doesn't go to the object. The mind becomes elastic. It means your concentration is very, very good. That is the eleventh stage of insight knowledge. Because of deep concentration, then the insight knowledge is penetrating, sharp and clear; so whatever object you observe you know its appearance and disappearance. There is no object which is not realized as appearance and disappearance by the noting mind. Every object which is noted is seen as appearing and disappearing. Also your noting becomes stable. You feel comfortable, tranquil, serene but you are neither happy nor unhappy about it.

In this stage you may experience this knowledge for about five or ten days; sometimes one month. But it is very near to the goal. I think it's natural for meditators to enjoy such a good stage of insight knowledge before they reach the goal. Some meditators stay in this stage for one to one and a half months. "Nothing new, nothing new but very good concentration. Just appearance and disappearance, instant arising and passing away. Nothing new" they say when interviewed. You see, when you have attained Arhatship, when you become an Arhat, Arhat also doesn't see anything new. He also sees appearance and disappearance of mental and physical phenomena. Nothing new. That is called the Insight Knowledge of Equanimity, Sankharupekkha nana, the eleventh stage, the best one of Vipassana Meditation. In this stage you have to observe any object more attentively and energetically so that you won't take long here. If you observe the object normally and steadily, then you will stay here for one or two months. So when you observe more attentively and energetically, then you come to realize the phenomena very swiftly arising and passing away. Sometimes you may feel dizzy in seeing the swift arising and passing away of the object which is observed. Then it is the sign by which you know you are about to get rid of this knowledge and go up the higher stages of meditation. Those stages are not very much distinct in a meditator's experience.

But after you have attained or reached the goal, when you review your experience then you come to realize, "Oh, this is what, that is what" and so on. Then you have to pass over the knowledge of adaptation, Anuloma nana. This knowledge of adaptation is defined as the knowledge which is in conformity with the previous Vipassana nana and the following Magga and Phala, so it is called knowledge of adaptation.

Then you come to reach the border, the border between ordinary ones and Noble ones. That borderline nana is called knowledge of maturity, Gothrabhu nana. When you stand on the border, it is sure that you go forward. Because you want to go forward so you are striving along this very, very difficult and very long course of practice. Now you stand on the border. As soon as you make an effort, you get into one other province, the province of the Noble ones.

From the fourth nana, insight knowledge of arising and passing away of mental and physical phenomena until the knowledge of maturity, all of these nana are known as Purification of Knowledge and Vision of the Course of the Practice, Patipada nana Dassana Visuddhi. When you have reached the goal, then that is Nana Dassana Visuddhi, Purification of Knowledge and Vision, that is the Path Knowledge. There are seven kinds of purification we have to go through until we have attained our goal. The first, Purification of Sila, or Moral Conduct; the second, Purification of Mind; the third, Purification of View; the fourth, Purification of Overcoming Doubt; the fifth, Purification of Knowledge and Vision of What is Path and Not Path; the sixth, Purification of Knowledge and Vision of the Course of Practice and the seventh, Purification of Knowledge and Vision, Magga nana. Everytime you note you are nearer than before. May all of you strive your best to go through all these 7 stages of purification and attain Arhatship.

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