Chapter 12 - Buddhist Method of Mental Culture

The future Buddha renounced his kingdom at the age of 29, and studied under the best Teachers of the day. He did Concentration under Hermit Alara and Hermit Ramapatta.

Later he took to ascetic practices along with his 5 Companions, known as the 5 Vaggi.

He achieved all the psychic powers that could be obtained. He also attained to the 4 Arūpa or Formless states of

1. the conception of the infinity of space;
2. the conception of infinite consciousness;
3. the conception of nothingness;
4. the conception of neither-perception-nor-non perception.

But he was not satisfied in that what he had achieved did not solve the problem of birth and death. He become very emaciated and one day, he fell down in a swoon.

He realised that he was not on the right track by just concentrating his mind. He took to food again.

It was on the full moon day of May that he meditated under the Bodhi Tree in present day Buddha-Gaya. He changed from Samatha Concentration to Vipassanā Meditation and became Enlightened, and was known later as Gautama Buddha.

The method he used for his Concentration and Meditation, and by which he achieved Enlightenment, was by being mindful of his In-Breaths and Out-Breaths, called ānā-Pāna. (Pronounced Ar-narpar-na.).

However, when he developed the methods of Mental Development for his Disciples, he formulated 40 kammathāna subjects as objects of concentration and meditation. They are as follows;

• The 10 Kasinas, which are the 10 devices;
• The 10 Asubhas, being concentration on corpses;
• The 10 Anussatis, being the 10 Recollections;
• The 4 Brahma-vihāras;
• The 4 Arūpas, being the Sphere of Space, the Sphere of consciousness, the Sphere of Nothingness, and the Sphere of Neither-Perception-nor-Non-Perception;
• The contemplation of the Loathsomeness of Food;
• Analysis of the 4 Physical Elements.

ānā-Pāna concentration and meditation comes under No.3 above.

These 40 kammathana subjects have been described in great detail in the Scriptures; except for 4 or 5 of them, it is doubtful whether they will be used by readers of this book.

(1) The 10 Kasinas, or Devices, are:

1. Earth Device
2. Water Device
3. The Fire Device
4. Air or Wind Device
5. The Blue Device
6. The Yellow Device
7. The Red Device
8. The White Device
9. Space Device
10. Consciousness Device

(2) The 10 Asubhas are concentrations on corpses in their different stages of decomposition.

(3) The 10 Anussatis or Recollections are:

1. Recollection of the Buddha (the teacher)
2. Recollection of the Dhamma (the teaching)
3. Recollection of the Sangha (the community of buddhist monks)
4. Recollection of Virtue
5. Recollection of Charity
6. Recollection of the Devas
7. Mindfulness of Death
8. Mindfullless of the Physical Body
9. Mindfulness of Breathing (ānā-Pāna)
10. Recollection of Calmness

(4) The Brahma-Viharas of

1. Loving Kindness (mettā)
2. Compassion (karunā)
3. Sympathy (muditā)
4. Equanimity (uppekkha)

Each Concentration has its usefulness in the scheme of Buddhist Mental Culture.

There is a Chapter on the Earth Device, under the title, "Walking on Water" p. 97.

There are 2 Chapters on Mindfulness of Breathing (āna-Pāna, next chapter, and Jhāna Concentration, p. 91).

There is a Chapter on Loving-Kindness, or Mettā, p. 101.