Why There Is No Realisation (Seeing Is Believing)

In short, the reason for non-realisation is the failure to discern arising and passing away (anicca). The cause of not discerning impermanence is that the mind is covered by the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa). These are:

1. Sensual desire (kāmacchanda-nīvaraṇa)

One is thinking about sensual pleasures. The mind is occupied with family matters, business, and worldly affairs.

2. Ill will (vyāpāda-nīvaraṇa)

There is no endurance or patience toward oneself or others. The mind is angry, wild, and covered by anger and displeasure.

3. Sloth and torpor (thīna-middha-nīvaraṇa)

The mind is dull and drowsy, without clarity about what is happening.

4. Restlessness and remorse (uddhacca-kukkucca-nīvaraṇa)

The mind is obsessed with and oppressed by restlessness and regret.

5. Doubt (vicikicchā-nīvaraṇa)

One is unable to make a decision in a situation.

When these five are combined, they reduce to two basic types of mind:

a restless mind and a drowsy mind.

Regarding the four restless hindrances (1, 2, 4, and 5), the mind runs outward toward objects and is unable to make clear decisions about them. The remaining hindrance (3) relates to excessive samādhi, in which objects fade and vanish within the mind. Although there are five coverings, they can be condensed into these two.

Two Ways to Prevent the Hindrances

For a restless mind, there are two preventive approaches: the way of samādhi and the way of insight.

The Samādhi Way

This is contemplation with effort focused on the in-breath and out-breath (ānāpāna). One must firmly determine not to allow other objects to intrude, persevering and sticking continuously to the samatha object. This is called ārammaṇūpanijjhāna (absorption by holding to the object).

The Insight Way

This is contemplation of whatever object arises. At the contact of a sense base and its corresponding sense object, the yogi must contemplate without fail. This is called lakkhaṇūpanijjhāna (stability on the characteristic of phenomena). Continuous connection with insight objects prevents the mind from becoming restless.

(This is mentioned by Mogok Sayadaw as the mind becoming in sigleness—ekaggatā—with the insight objects.)

Regarding drowsiness, this occurs due to low effort—laziness and disinterest—rather than excessive samādhi. Some yogis develop this habit of nodding and drowsiness for months or even years. (There was a Western monk in Thailand who had this habit. At the beginning of sitting, after only a few minutes, he would fall into drowsiness. Before becoming a monk, he had used drugs.)

Samādhi connects with the three kinds of seclusion (viveka). These are:

1. Bodily Seclusion (kāya-viveka)

During sitting meditation, the body should not move. It must remain stable, without corrections or adjustments. The causes for realization of the Dhamma include confidence, good health, practice with a straightforward mind. The yogi must have patience and endurance, together with a straightforward mind.

The yogi must also be free from wrong view, such as “this happens according to my desire.” Instead, one must observe phenomena according to their own nature. With patience and endurance, the yogi observes their oppressive nature.

There is a saying that patience and endurance lead to the realization of Nibbāna. This point is evident in the success of some yogis (for example, in the autobiography of Thae Inn-gu Sayadaw, Two Sides of a Coin). Bodily seclusion succeeds when the yogi is able to let go of the physical body.

2. Mental Seclusion (citta-viveka)

As mentioned above, both samatha and vipassanā are methods for calming the mind. First comes samatha, and later insight. When impermanence (anicca) is discerned, the mind arrives at calmness. At that time, the mind does not incline toward other objects.

With the strength of samādhi, the mind naturally turns toward observation of the khandhas. In my own experience, when the mind had strong samādhi, there was no shortage of sounds. Sounds from far and near, subtle and refined, were all present. Without sati and samādhi, one is unaware of their existence.

(This is true even in a very quiet and peaceful environment; the mind can still hear subtle sounds, such as radio waves.) Likewise, within the khandhas, sensations of heat and cold are always present. With samādhi and calmness, we come to know them directly for ourselves.

Before this stage, the yogi must apply a great deal of mindfulness and persistence in practice. At the time of discerning impermanence (anicca), persistence becomes less effortful, and impermanence together with the path factors (magga) fit naturally into the practice. The yogi can no longer think about various unrelated matters. Whatever appears is only arising and passing away, revealing itself directly. It does not transform into other kinds of objects.

Even if the yogi thinks of home, it appears merely as brief blips of arising and passing away. He cannot think about external objects in a conceptual way. As the mind turns inward, objects such as the hands, feet, and head are experienced as bursting and vanishing in rapid blips. This is impermanence fitting together with the path factors. The yogi knows this directly for himself. Mental seclusion becomes successful, and he must continue with it.

When the yogi arrives at paṭisaṅkhā-ñāṇa (the knowledge of reflective contemplation), concentration of the mind changes. The discernment is no longer the same as before. Previously, the arising and passing away were coarse; now they are refined and minute. There are many impermanences and many types of them.

An example can be given. When the sun is hot, all the doors of a house are closed, and it becomes dark inside. At that time, one can see only large objects, but not minute ones. If a small hole is made in the wall with an iron nail on the side facing the sun, sunlight enters through that hole. What can be seen in that sunlight? One can see fine, minute dust particles floating in the beam. Before the light enters, one cannot see them—only the coarser objects.

In the same way, with clarity and the light of insight, the yogi observes the khandhas and cannot find any empty space, not even as small as the eye of a needle. At that time, many impermanences are seen. With the eyes closed, when the mind is still dark, only coarse impermanences are seen. When the mind becomes bright and the body feels light, clear brightness appears, and the yogi sees a great number of impermanences.

After this, the mind becomes wearisome and disenchanted. There is no more affection. One clearly sees the truth of suffering. The mind no longer wishes to look at or delight in phenomena. Then impermanences come to cessation.

The burdened load of the khandhas falls away. As the load is put down, the mind becomes cool and at ease. This is the third type of seclusion: seclusion from acquisitions (upadhi-viveka).

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