Part 4 - Mindfulness Of Dhamma

The fourth Foundation of Mindfulness 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 torpor - sleepiness, mental dullness, heaviness.
4. Uddhacca kukkucca. Remorse, worry or unhappiness 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 did 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 processes), 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 meditators 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 disappears because it has been observed very attentively and energetically. When a meditator observes 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 Satipatthana 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 friend 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 unable 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 more active and alert. When the mind becomes active and alert, it will be free from sleepiness. Then the meditator can overcome sleepiness.

Uddhacca kukucca is the fourth of the 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 it 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 abdominal 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 Buddhathe Dhamma, the Sangha, or about the technique of meditation. Whatever doubt arises, it must be very attentively observed, you must be mindful of it as it really is. This is known as Dhammanupassana Satipatthana - mindfulness of dhamma. So these are the four Foundations of Mindfulness:

1. Kayanupassana Satipatthana- contemplation of the body or physical phenomena.
2. Vedananupassana Satipatthana - contemplation of feeling or sensation.
3. Cittanupassana Satipatthana - contemplation of consciousness together with its concomitants or associates.
4. Dhammanupassana Satipatthana - contemplation of dhamma or mind objects.

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