Chapter 4 : Yogis' Experiences (Divine Light and Dhamma Light)
Content of Chapter 4 : Yogis' Experiences
Experiences in the Third Retreat (by Sayadaw U Nandavaṃsa)
- Sixty Days at Rathapāla Dhamma Yeiktha
- Yogi Daw Yin Yin
- Rathapāla Dhamma Yeiktha
- Samatha Meditation
- Insight Meditation
- Taste of Dhamma (Dhammarasa) (by Yogi U Kyaw Win)
In the following, I translate three yogis' experiences from their records. These three yogis were:
- Sayadaw U Nandavaṃsa — from Tavoy City, Lower Burma
- U Kyaw Win — from Yangon City
- Daw Yin Yin — from Yangon City
Ven. U Nandavaṃsa participated in the 60-day Third Retreat. Lay yogi U Kyaw Win and laywoman yogi Daw Yin Yin participated in the 60-day Fifth Retreat.
There were also 90-day retreats. Therefore, the retreats had two teachers. It seems to me that the 60-day retreats were led by Shane-ma-kar Sayadaw, who was formerly a disciple of Mahāsi Sayadaw and a kammaṭṭhāna-cariya. The 90-day retreats were led by Mye-zin Sayadaw.
The meditation center is called Rathapāla Dhamma Yeik-tha, situated in Maw-bi Town, Yangon.
Experiences in the Third Retreat
Experiences in the Third Retreat (by Sayadaw U Nandavaṃsa)
(Sixty-Day Meditation Retreat)
[31-12-2004]
In the evening at (5:58) pm, I arrived at Rathapāla Dhamma Yeik-tha in Maw-bi Town. At night, at (7:00) pm, I learned the meditation method from Shane-ma-kar Sayadaw U Suriya. Sayadaw offered me some books on preliminary duties. The beginning of the Kanni system was the recitation of ‘Arahant’, the quality of the Buddha. He taught me the way of practice. At (7:30) pm, I started the contemplation of Arahant. Because of the tiredness from the journey, and also because there was loud music in the surrounding area of the center, the mind was not calm.
(Nowadays, noise pollution is quite serious in many places because there are no rules, regulations, or laws controlling it.)
[1-1-2005 (morning)]
The mind was becoming clear. After the preliminary duties, I contemplated the quality of Arahant. After some time, the body became light, and the noting was also good. In the dark area of the face cloth, I saw some small lights the size of rice grains.
[1-1-2005 (evening)] (01:30 pm)
The bell rang, and the yogis went to the Dhamma Sālā. Sayadaw explained how to recite and contemplate "Arahant" effectively with the heart. When contemplating in this way, the mind became very calm; it converged and went into the center of the chest. Continuing with the contemplation of Arahant, I stared at it, and it appeared like sparks of fire.
(2-1-2005) Morning (07:00 am)
Sayadaw taught us mettā-bhāvanā (goodwill meditation). At night, I practised from (07:00) pm to (10:30) pm.
(3-1-2005) Morning
Sayadaw taught the yogis asubha-bhāvanā (contemplation on the unattractiveness of the body). He also asked the yogis not to let go of Arahant and mettā-bhāvanā, and to include them in every practice session.
(4-1-2005) Evening (3:36 pm)
I started ānāpāna meditation using the counting (gaṇanā) method. When I reached 80 counts, the whole body became a mass of light. The tip of the nose disappeared. It seemed that, with the disappearance of the tip of the nose, contemplation continued without an object. There was no shape or form. At that time, tears came out, and I felt like crying. The body also felt like an air balloon losing its air, and then the light disappeared.
(5-1-2005) Morning (7:00 am)
The light passed through the dark face cloth, and it seemed as though there were no face cloth. I could see the glass of the door.
Evening
In the beginning, light arose, but later it disappeared, which indicated that it was not a good sitting. Upon reflection, I found that I had been making too much effort in the counting. Returning to normal counting with a calm and cool mind, the sign of light returned.
(6-1-2005) Morning
The ānāpāna counting became good. There was no need for me to count intentionally; it was working by itself. It was quite comfortable. There was no longer a mass of light; instead, it became a clear colour.
Sayadaw said that one only had to contemplate the sign of air at the tip of the nostril and should not follow after the light. I had gained a valuable lesson.
Afternoon
After establishing samādhi and centering on the tip of the nostril, I saw a stream of gas about the size of a finger. It was like smoke from a fire; I did not see it as light but only as something gaseous in nature. On the sides of the stream of gas were bright signs of light.
(7-1-2005) Night
Small particles were coming out from the tip of the nostril. I saw a very bright ball of light, about the size of an orange, approximately 16 cm away from the tip of the nose. I also saw very bright balls of light near the body.
(8-1-2005)
Nothing was special; I continued contemplating with the light.
(9-1-2005)
The mind was dissatisfied for the whole day. I contemplated waiting for the path of the sign to arise, and there were some balls of light and light spots coming in from the sides of the path with disturbances.
In the evening at (5:35) pm, I established samādhi and contemplated until after 10:00 pm, but no pathway of the light nimitta appeared. Then I became disappointed and lay down to contemplate for bodily comfort.
Not very long afterward, a ray of very white and bright light arose from the nose. The pathway was very clear. With the gladdened mind, the light arose, but then it disappeared. Then it arose again, and even though there was no gladness, it disappeared again. Because of that light, I could not sleep until after midnight, around (2:11) am. At (3:33) am, I got up from bed, cleaned my face, continued the contemplation, and it disappeared again.
(10-1-2005)
Ānāpāna, the second method — long breathing in and out.
The night was totally dark, but from a rounded spot a point of light arose. With the long out-breath directed toward the light spot, it seemed to run away. The light from the light spot and the light of the air passage moved together.
(11-1-2005)
It was the lesson of passing through objects. After establishing samādhi, I practised the exercise of passing through objects, but there was no success. At night, at (8:30) pm, I again tried to establish samādhi and practise passing through objects, but again there was no success.
(12-1-2005) Morning
In the morning, I spoke to Sayadaw about the problem of doubt that arose:
"Could it be possible to pass through solid objects?"
Sayadaw replied:
"You should have confidence that it is possible to pass through objects," and then he used a torchlight to explain it.
(U Nandavaṃsa did not describe what Sayadaw's explanation was.)
Note:
Here we can understand the importance of ñāta-pariññā, which Mogok Sayadawgyi explained many times to yogis. Mye-zin Sayadaw reminded yogis that they should have confidence in the light nimitta, which possesses strong power, in his Dassana Pāragū.
Morning (7:00–8:35 am)
The light nimitta passed through the wall of the room. I saw the ground outside dimly, as though in faint moonlight. Being unsatisfied, I re-established samādhi again. The samādhi became strong, and I tried again to pass through objects. It was not only the objects that were passed through, but also the body itself. The body became a mass of light. With amazement, I stared at it, and the body became clear like a block of ice or glass. When I looked again, it became like a block of shadow, and nothing seemed to exist.
A thought appeared to me:
"In the textbooks, immaterial brahmās (arūpa-brahmā) do not have bodies and possess only minds. Perhaps it is like this."
(13-1-2005)
I got up early in the morning at 1:00 am and practised. I saw the surroundings dimly.
Later in the morning, I paid homage at the following places and pagodas in the Yangon area:
- Hla-pa-dā (meditation area)
- Maw-be Bo Bo
- U Yet-the Temple and Pagoda (Yet-the means “hermit” in Burmese)
- Maw-be Southeast Pagoda
- Shwe-da-gon Pagoda
- Sū-le Pagoda
- Bo-ta-htaung Pagoda
(14-1-2005)
I paid homage to the pagodas of Lower Myanmar, including:
- Mae-la-mu Pagoda
- Kyaik-paw-law Pagoda, etc.
(15-1-2005)
I paid homage to the cetiyas of India and Sri Lanka.
(16-1-2005) Morning
I paid homage to the cetiyas of the heavenly realms and the Brahmā realm.
Evening and Night
It was the lesson of:
"All bright in the third stage"
(i.e., the third stage of the first tetrad of ānāpānasati).
During the practice, from the nose to the stomach the air passage appeared as a black line. After a long time it became yellowish-brown, and then bright. Changing the contemplation from the downward passage from the nose to the upward passage toward the head, the whole air passage became white lines (i.e., from bottom to top). It was as though, at night, insects attracted to light were moving in a line.
Then, by extending one arm's length downward and one arm's length upward, and sending the light sign in both directions, both passages opened with light. The lower opening of the body became even brighter with light. It was like pale blue crystal glass. The light extended both downward and upward.
Night
It was the lesson of:
"At the fourth stage, let the breath calm down"
—the fourth stage of the first tetrad.
With contemplation, before very long the light nimittas converged toward the tip of the nostril. From the nostril they converged and went inside the body. Then everything became totally dark. As an example, it was similar to a house always lit with electric light suddenly becoming completely dark when the electricity is cut off.
The body's burning sensations and movements — the aches in the waist from long sitting, the movements of the legs, the unpleasant aching of the neck, etc. — slowly ceased. In the middle passage of the body, a cool and comfortable feeling arose. There was still heat vapor at both knees. With the contemplation of ānāpāna, slowly and comfortably, coolness arose even in the places where the heat vapor had been felt.
The body felt as though it were sitting upon waves and gently moving. It was a good sitting and a pleasant contemplation. If one contemplated only this pleasantness, the body would fall down; but internally there was a strength of element. It is difficult to give an appropriate simile for it. It arose like a silent momentum.
(17-1-2005)
Early Morning
Contemplation of Form (Rūpapariggaha)
I contemplated form as form by collecting the mind at the chest. Before long, the body became like clear crystal. It was like a block of crystal. In the center of the crystal, I saw a light. It was like contemplating a bright object at the center of a clear lake.
Evening
Centering the contemplation at the heart area, it became a spot of light like a circular mirror. Even though it was similar to a mercury mirror, it was not a dull colour, but shining with a beautiful appearance.
Night
Contemplation of Mind (Nāmapariggaha)
I contemplated at the heart area as:
"Knowing, knowing."
Samādhi was becoming strong. At that time, the body, which had been clear like glass, slowly changed into a dark colour. The bodily form disappeared. Only its intrinsic phenomena remained, such as feeling nature, perception nature, volitional nature, and the nature of knowing inclined toward objects. The mind contemplated these natures.
As contemplation moved from the body to the heart area, lights appeared. These lights converged together and became a single spot of light. It was very bright. There were extremely white particles vibrating and floating.
[Yogi's note: In touching-and-knowing meditation, at this stage knowledge analyzes the elements through contemplation. In the beginning of contemplation, the characteristics of the elements are not clear. When the knowledge discerning mind and body arises, they become clear and distinct.]
Discernment of Causes
(Paccayapariggaha)
It was fearsome for all yogis. Very strong painful feelings appeared at this stage. In another way of speaking, before the painful feeling subsided, it first rose to its highest point.
At that time, I reflected:
"I have not yet been sitting for even two hours, but unbearable pain has arisen. Before meditation, even if I sat for more than two hours, pain did not arise. Even when sitting or sleeping for many hours, there were no pains or aches. Now it is so painful! Even death might not be as painful as this."
Pain arising in this way was due to practising meditation — the practice of Dhamma meditation was the cause, and the arising of pain was the result.
The compactness (ghana) of the body was disintegrating through overcoming painful feelings. At that time, I could not rest but had to continue contemplating; otherwise, it would return to compactness again. If compactness returned, then next time it would become difficult again. (This shows the importance of a teacher.)
This was the touching-and-knowing contemplation. I will continue with the Kanni meditation.
(18-1-2005)
Knowledge of Discernment of Cause
(Paccayapariggaha Ñāṇa)
At the beginning of the contemplation, before very long the body became a mass of light. Centering the contemplation on it, it was very much like sparks of fire appearing, and it resembled the spots of light on a television screen before images appear. Later, it became clear like crystal. In the middle of the crystal, a light existed.
Everything was only sparks of fire, spots of fire, and spots of light. It changed again into a clear dark blue, but the spots did not change.
(19–20-1-2005)
Knowledge of Discernment of Present Conditions
(Addhāna-pariggaha Ñāṇa)
The contemplation was like welding sparks and spots of fire together. The body was seen as a block of crystal, and above it there appeared something like boiling. Internally, the mass of particles was in a state of crumbling, with spots and sparks arising in the mind like raindrops. It was like a mirage and happened very quickly.
[Note: In the following section, U Nandavaṃsa did not mention any dates. It seems to me that all these experiences occurred between the 19th and 20th.]
Touching-and-Knowing Meditation
In this meditation, if the yogi was able to penetrate fully the compactness (ghana) of objects and thoroughly analyze the characteristics of the elements, knowledge developed very quickly. For ordinary people, it would be impossible to guess the type of knowledge arising. For example, knowledge of comprehension (sammasana ñāṇa), knowledge of the rise and fall of formations (udayabbaya ñāṇa), and knowledge of dissolution (bhaṅga ñāṇa) developed instantly, making them difficult to distinguish from one another.
Knowledge of Comprehension
(On the Body)
Internally, the body became like an empty hollow. The hardness of the floor on which one sat became soft, as though sitting on waves. In the chest there were vibrations and crying with tears (strong pīti). The body trembled with gooseflesh. Inside, the body vibrated as though a machine were operating within it. Coolness arose in the body, and it became peaceful.
Heat arose, and with contemplation it ceased instantly. Pain and aches arose and ceased through contemplation. Whatever element or characteristic arose at this stage and at this knowledge ceased instantly.
Knowledge of Comprehension
(On the Mind)
The mind became able to think and reflect on the profound nature of phenomena. For example, the lifespan of mind was quicker than the lifespan of matter — the short lifespan mentioned in the textbooks (Abhidhamma). Why and how was it quicker? If the lifespan of mind were longer than the lifespan of matter, then what would happen to the nature of phenomena? Reflect in this way to find the answer.
It is said that matter is inseparable (avinibbhogarūpa). Could water exist in the flame of fire? Could the fire of a flame burn within water? Reflect in this way to find the answer.
[Note: Earth, water, fire, and air — the four great elements — are inseparable and exist in all substances.]
Knowledge of the Rise and Fall of Formations
(Udayabbaya Ñāṇa)
The whole body was disintegrating into bubbles, like rice boiling in a pot. Foams the size of plum seeds appeared clearly, like raindrops.
Later, the sizes became smaller and smaller, and at last disappeared, as though nothing were happening anymore. But the body became light and trembled.
Knowledge of Dissolution (Bhaṅga-ñāṇa)
(Knowledge without a teacher can go astray)
At the stage of the knowledge of rise and fall, contemplation became very clear, and it was thought that phenomena had disappeared — but actually they had not. They were no longer existing on the body, and contemplation could not continue there.
At this point, it could be seen that most yogis became lost because they could not accept the right path. They only wanted to contemplate the coarser forms (rūpa).
The actual contemplation was at the internal level. It was extremely refined and extremely fast. (Its speed cannot be described by any example.) In accordance with this extraordinary quickness, I could accept without any doubt what is mentioned in the textbooks (Abhidhamma): that in the wink of an eye, the lifespan of the material continuum occurs five thousand billion times.
On the external body, the compactness (ghana) of the body crumbled away, leaving no mass or form. The knowledge (mind) could not follow the speed of the process and became tired.
With the teacher's guidance, the yogi had to place awareness at the endpoint where phenomena were cutting off (i.e., one cannot contemplate them one by one). From there, awareness followed behind the process.
Before long, even though the process was extremely fast, I became able to contemplate it. I became aware of the changing momentum of the very tiny particles and knew their dissolution. I could not find the point of arising.
With contemplation, the strength of samādhi became powerful, and the cessation of phenomena throughout the whole body slowly converged toward the heart area. Once converging in this way, it could not be dispersed intentionally; it happened only by itself. Finally, it converged at the chest.
During the contemplation of the dissolution of the converging phenomena, it startled me, but nothing happened. Mind and body still existed. However, the dissolving converged phenomena later dispersed again. Before long, they would converge again; otherwise, they would disperse.
At this point, the teacher asked the yogi:
"This is the most important stage of knowledge (ñāṇa). If you have sufficient perfection (pāramī), you will arrive at the end. It is impossible to distinguish the different kinds of knowledge clearly. In the textbooks it is said that, within the wink of an eye, one can arrive at the four paths and four fruits. The process is indeed extremely fast and cannot be distinguished in detail.
Now, contemplate it by yourself."
This was the experience of touching-and-knowing meditation in brief.
Sayadaw U Nandavaṃsa
Zay-ya-va-ti Vihāra
Tavoy City
Note: If we examine the report of Sayadaw Nandavaṃsa, his samādhi was very strong. Within one week he attained the light nimitta. In a little over two weeks he attained the jhāna state (i.e., within 16 days). Then, by developing insight for four more days, he arrived at the knowledge of dissolution (bhaṅga-ñāṇa). Altogether, it took him about three weeks to reach this stage.
Translator's Note
Yogi U Kyaw Win and yogi Daw Yin Yin were in the same group, i.e., the Fifth Retreat. U Kyaw Win's report was quite long and detailed. He was the best yogi in this group.
Actually, I could leave out Daw Yin Yin's report. It was short and did not contain much about her experiences. However, I include it here because she introduced the retreat, the teacher, and some of the yogis in her report, so that readers will know the overall picture of the retreat.
Sixty Days at Rathapāla Dhamma Yeiktha
Yogi Daw Yin Yin
(Sixty-Day Meditation Retreat)
(8-9-2005)
Only nine days were left for us. (This report was not written serially or systematically. It was more like a general informational report.)
Sayadawgyi (i.e., Shane-ma-kar Sayadaw) gave papers to the yogis and asked them to write their experiences for one hour each day. I was a 73-year-old grandmother yogi. I had worked as a university teacher for 30 years, but I had no experience in writing.
I would like to write this report under three headings:
- The first part is on Rathapāla Dhamma Yeiktha.
- The second part is on samatha meditation.
- The third part concerns the most important aspects of insight meditation.
The first part was about the living conditions and food provided for the yogis who came to practise for two or three months. Only with these two suitable supports could the mind be comfortable and free from inconvenience in practice.
The two aspects of Dhamma — samatha and vipassanā — were equally refined and profound, so I will explain them in simple terms based on my experience.
Rathapāla Dhamma Yeiktha
I would like to talk about the reason for my decision to come here for the retreat. I had been reading the Rathapāla Dhamma Yeiktha Newsletter, which Dr. U Pe Nyan gave to my second son. After I had read it, my mind was inspired, and I decided to undertake the sixty-day retreat. In the newsletter, every yogi was praising Dayaka U Pe Nyan, and it made me think that it was too much.
However, Rathapāla Dhamma Yeiktha and the Dayaka were inseparable. His wholesome volition (cetanā) toward the retreat center and the yogis was quite evident. (It seems to me that Dr. U Pe Nyan was the main supporter of the center.)
There were twenty-four brick kutis (dwellings), built in a circle. At the center was the Maggin Shrine Room and a Dhamma Sālā (Hall), which was connected with Mye-zin Sayadaw's room. Near the entrance of the center was the dining hall. The yogis' rooms were 10 × 10 feet in size and connected with toilets and showers. Therefore, they were quite suitable. The sleeping quarters had good air circulation. Each cell had two iron beds for two yogis.
As a grandmother yogi, having a sleeping cell connected with a toilet and shower was very convenient for me. Therefore, I was thankful to the Dayaka and the other Buddhist donors who offered these cells for yogis, and I often sent loving-kindness (mettā) to them. There were no ceilings inside, and many times I felt the wish to donate for them. Not only that, but the doors and windows of the dining hall had no mosquito screens, which also made me wish to donate them.
Concerning the food, it was nutritious, suitable, and prepared with good intention. There were meat or fish dishes, vegetable dishes, fish paste with different kinds of vegetables and soup, and sometimes fermented bean dishes. I was satisfied that soup was served individually to each yogi in cups. Afterward, there would be sweet dishes or perhaps fruit and biscuits, together with a small cup of Milo, Ovaltine, or Horlicks.
In the morning there were rice gruel, mohinga (a well-known traditional Burmese soup made with thin rice noodles, bean powder, fish, pepper, onion, etc.), beans and rice, fried noodles, and fried rice noodles — all served in rotation. For one person, it was enough nutrition for an entire day.
Actually, we yogis had come here for sixty days of renunciation (nekkhamma). Here, everything necessary for living and eating was already prepared, so it became like a supreme nekkhamma pāramī — a supreme perfection of renunciation.
Let me mention some thoughts I had while consuming the food. Previously, I had been a donor (performing merits), but now I was a recipient. From 1954 to 1958, I was at university studying for my M.A. degree and staying at a women's hostel at Rangoon University. I compared the food I ate there with the food here. The food here was better than the food at that time, even though that had also been a good period (before Ne Win came to power). I was thankful to the donors and the people who cooked and prepared the food with wholesome intention (cetanā). I spread loving-kindness (mettā) to them many times.
Here I would like to mention something I remembered. In foreign countries, for short retreats such as fifteen or twenty days, yogis have to search for a place and arrange food, and each yogi must contribute a share of the expenses. We were born as human beings in Burma and had the opportunity to practise Dhamma peacefully without giving even a cent or penny for lodging and food, which were offered by donors. This is difficult to find in the world and quite rare. It was truly a blessing to be born human in Burma and to enjoy the flowers and fruits of the Buddha-sāsana.
Therefore, it was the duty of every yogi to repay the kindness and generosity of the Dayaka and the donors by practising the Dhamma diligently and respectfully. About sixty percent of the yogis also donated money for the morning and daytime meals.
The first part ends here. May future yogis come here and practise the Dhamma with gladness.
Samatha Meditation
We were the yogis of the Fifth retreat in this place. It was the rain-residence period (vassa), during which there were two groups: ninety-day (three-month) yogis and sixty-day yogis. In our group, we had 11 monks. The elderly ones were over 60 and 70 years old, including monks who were 84 and 87 years old, as well as two young monks. Seeing the practice of the elderly monks gave us pleasure and gladness. Among the 18 male yogis, there were only two young men; the others were in their 60s and 70s, including one who was 84 years old. The elderly people had a sense of urgency (saṃvega), so they practised Dhamma respectfully. Among the 10 female yogis, two were over 60, and I myself was 73 years old.
The yogis were practising in their rooms. For elderly people like me, it was very convenient to practise in a place connected to the shower room. The timetable of practice was arranged according to each person's own choice. It was quite suitable to arrange a timetable according to one's character. As an elderly yogi, I took 6 hours of sleep, and after the daytime meal I rested for 30 minutes. I had 7 hours of practice each day. These 7 hours were devoted to sitting meditation. Walking meditation after tiring sittings was additional meditation time.
At 7:00 am every morning, all the yogis gathered at the Dhamma-sālā for Buddha pūjā, to take the precepts, and to listen to a Dhamma talk from the Sayadaw (i.e., the meditation teacher). The Dhamma talks increased faith and joy. Previously, he was a teacher at a Mahāsi center, and now he was a teacher under Mye-zin Sayadawgyi. He selected discourses from the Nikāyas which were helping the process of meditation.
At the beginning of samatha meditation, there was recollection on the attribute of "Arahant" for 3 days, good-will (mettā) for 2 days, and recollection on death for 2 days. After that, yogis began ānāpānasati with the counting method (gaṇanā), by counting with noting in vassas (marks).
Mye-zin Sayadawgyi said that samādhi developed more quickly with this counting method, and this proved true through direct experience. Previously, when I was 60 years old, I began meditation practice, but after 9 years of suffering from worldly dhammas (lokadhamma), it was interrupted. Now, at 73 years old, I took the opportunity to come here for it.
I was quite happy to attain samādhi with 2 days of noting. Even at night, when I put my head on the pillow to sleep, the noting at the tip of the nostril continued by itself, and I had great satisfaction. I experienced saṃvega many times by thinking that this was the real task one had to do in life, indeed the most important task in life, yet I was doing it only now.
After 10 days of noting with ānāpāna, yogis started to do the sending and retrieving of the nimittas. Here, yogis used brown-coloured cloths to cover their eyes. Within 2 days, the sign appeared to me, i.e., on 9th August 2005. The sign had dark, smoky, and white colours surrounding it. I did not get the light nimitta. At this point, I began to worry. In worldly language, the blind have no light (True, all worldlings are blind because they do not have the Dhamma-light!) I was worrying about the nimitta without light. Because of worry, the mind was restless and not calm, which affected the contemplation. Lobha (greed) increased with the strong desire for the light nimitta. I thought that the nature of lobha was extensive (related to all dukkhas).
Some yogis, according to their programmes, were visiting pagodas and cetiyas in nearby areas: Shwe-da-gon, pagodas in Pegu, the 4 Saṃvejanīya places in India, the Dussa Cetiya in the Brahmā World, the Cūḷāmaṇi Cetiya in Heaven, the Vejayanta Palace of King Sakka, the Sudhamma Meeting Hall, the Coral Tree, and the Paṇḍukambala Stone Slab.
From there, they went down to Bhogavatī, the country of the Nāga Kingdom, to pay homage to the Buddha's eye-tooth relic. On the return journey, they did not visit the hell realms because it would have been unpleasant to see them. Even I myself did not dare to see them.
Even though I did not visit these pagodas, I listened with appreciation when I heard the yogis reporting their experiences to the Sayadaw.
According to my list, among the 18 male yogis, there were no more than 6 who visited the pagodas; among the 10 female yogis, there were no more than 2. Hearing the reports of yogis who had the ability to visit pagodas in the human world, heaven, and Brahmā-heaven, and who had seen the internal organs, gave rise to saṃvega in me.
I would like to end the samatha section here.
Insight Meditation
Vipassanā meditation started on 26-8-2005. The yogis practised samatha for 39 days and insight meditation for 21 days. At the beginning of insight practice, I reminded myself that my intention in coming here was to attain at least one path and fruit (i.e., sotāpatti) before death; this was the main point. The second goal was to use the paṭibhāga nimitta to visit cetiyas in heaven, which was only an extra reward. Now the samatha part was finished, and I had missed the extra prize. I came here to catch two fishes and could not afford to miss the other one. I made this resolution many times.
When I reflected on the 39 days of samatha practice, I was quite satisfied with the samādhi, which developed each day through seven hours of practice. After I did not obtain the light nimitta and did not want to waste time pursuing it, I instead only controlled the in-and-out breaths at the nostrils.
On 26-8-2005, vipassanā practice started. In the beginning, the teacher asked the yogis to contemplate the discernment of mind and body (nāma-pariggaha and rūpa-pariggaha) at the chest area. For an hour, I contemplated the vibrations as “form, form” (rūpa) and the knowing as “mind, mind” (nāma).
It was strange here that the teacher first described the knowledge and then instructed us to contemplate it. I told myself not to think too much about it; Mye-zin Sayadaw was a true noble being with knowledge gained through his own direct experience, and he taught people accordingly.
At this point, I had a difficulty: I could not contemplate at the chest area. I had a clear awareness of movements in my two palms, where the blood circulated like waves. I told this to the Sayadaw, who allowed me to contemplate whatever was clear to me.
On the 28th and 29th of August, the yogis practised contemplation of cause and effect (paccaya-pariggaha). During the contemplation, the teacher asked the yogis to contemplate their past lives. It was very interesting. Some could discover three or four past lives, which gave rise to saṃvega — a sense of urgency. I was only contemplating for the realization of Dhamma and was not interested in other things, so I did not investigate them.
At the end of the vipassanā meditation, let me describe something that I wanted to mention here. Our meditation teacher had a good character and was very patient with the yogis, and he was also a very simple person. He had two assistants. One was U Paññāsāra from Tavoy (Lower Burma), aged 30. He had the Mahā Vijjā degree in Buddhism (equivalent to an M.A. degree) from the Colombo University in Sri Lanka. When the Sayadaw went back to Upper Burma for three days, U Paññāsāra continued teaching, giving talks, and interviewing yogis. Even though he was young, he possessed considerable skill.
Next, I would like to mention Dayaka U Pe Nyan, who was quite concerned about the yogis’ progress. Therefore, he often asked the teacher monks about the yogis’ development and rejoiced in it.
Among the yogis in our Fifth Retreat, after observing their experiences in samatha practice, I considered U Kyaw Win to be the best yogi. The following yogis were in second place: U Myint Zaw, U Hla Thaung, Daw Tin Tin Sein, and Ma Mar Mar Myint (a young woman).
As for the yogis in the ninety-day retreat, I did not have the opportunity to listen to their interviews with Mye-zin Sayadaw and therefore knew nothing about them.
On the return journey from the Nāga Realm, two yogis went to observe the hell realms. They were Daw Tin Tin Sein and Ma Mar Mar Myint. Ma Mar Mar Myint observed only the four kinds of suffering in hell, and because of her strong pity and sadness, she was moved to tears.
(We should never forget what the Buddha said in the suttas: the most frequent destinations of beings are the three apāyas — the woeful realms of existence.)
Daw Yin Yin
Prome Road, Yangon
Taste of Dhamma
Taste of Dhamma (Dhammarasa) (by Yogi U Kyaw Win)
① From the beginning of my 28th year, I practised the chanting of the attributes of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha in gāthās and verses. Sometimes I made resolutions by using rosary beads while contemplating the Buddha's qualities. There were some significant results, including the overcoming of difficulties and dangers. Even though I had experiences with the gāthās of the Buddha's attributes by using rosary-bead counting. But I had never practised ānāpāna meditation before.
② In January 2003, I went to Mandalay on official duty. At that time, with the help of Dayaka U Pe Nyan (of the Rathapala Center), I went to Yan-kin-aye Yeiktha, which was located at the base of Yan-kin Taung. (There I had the opportunity to see Mahākammaṭṭhānācariya Mye-zin Sayadaw.) With the arrangement of U Pe Nyan, I had two hours of samatha meditation under the guidance of meditation teacher U Mandala.
This two-hour meditation experience became an unforgettable experience for me. This ānāpāna meditation gave me a drop of clear Dhamma water, which brought peace and calmness to someone busy with day-and-night duties. It would have been good for me if I had had the opportunity to practise in a two-month retreat, which I had desired many times. However, under those circumstances, I could not even take two days of leave, so a two-month retreat remained only a wish.
③ After retiring from government service, as soon as the opportunity arose, I went to the Rathapaladhamma retreat in Mawbe Town. With faith and full respect for the Buddha and Dhamma, I put forth full effort in the practice. Therefore, I experienced the strange and wondrous inconceivable qualities of the Buddha and Dhamma together with Dhamma rapture (pīti).
④ I arrived at the Rathapaladhamma retreat on 20-7-2005. On 21-7-2005, I started the sixty-day retreat. The beginning of the Kanni method was contemplation on the Arahant attribute. Therefore, for the first three days, from 21-7-2005 to 23-7-2005, I recollected the Arahant quality.
I reflected many times as follows: “The Blessed One is pure (Arahant), worthy of reverence by humans, devas, and brahmā beings.” While contemplating in this way many times, on the night of the second day (22-7-2005), I had a vision of the Buddha teaching the first discourse to the five pañcavaggiyas (the group of five ascetics), and the Buddha displaying the Twin Miracle. However, I still did not understand the nature of nimitta, and I thought that it had appeared in my mind because of excessive faith and reverence. (His perfections were already quite mature, as we will see later.)
⑤ After that, I spent two days spreading mettā (loving-kindness), from 24-7-2005 to 25-7-2005. I spread mettā toward the ten directions and the thirty-one realms of existence — humans, devas, brahmās, and all living beings — as well as toward government leaders, family members, and friends. I experienced the peace and rapture of mettā meditation.
⑥ I practised two days of recollection on death from 26-7-2005 to 27-7-2005. Taking as objects the people around me who were dying every day, I reflected:
“All living beings die; in the same way, I too am certain to die.”
Through this contemplation, I became aware that beings were dying every day. I reflected that I myself was certain to die, and if I were to die now, what would happen to me? I contemplated myself as a corpse, reflecting:
“Death is a natural phenomenon. Death always exists in nature. In the end, everything concludes in dissolution.”
In this way, I was able to contemplate and understand that death always exists and that life is unstable in nature. I attained stable and calm samādhi, free from fear and accompanied by equanimity toward death.
For worldly beings, life ends in death — the final dissolution, the ultimate loss, and the most fearful destruction. Yet with calmness of mind regarding death, there arose peacefulness toward the destruction inherent in worldly dhammas (lokadhamma). I was also able to face them with equanimity.
⑦ After that, the practice entered the first stage of ānāpāna meditation: “First, establish stable sati.” I contemplated this stage for ten days, from 28-7-2005 to 6-8-2005.
In this first stage of ānāpāna, I used the counting (gaṇanā) method in order to establish stable sati at the tip of the nostrils during the in-and-out breaths. I contemplated by counting the breaths, and each eight countings was called one vassa (mark).
Within 45 minutes, I could complete 100 pure vassas. On the first day, with 8 hours and 50 minutes of sitting, I attained 1,850 pure vassas. This effort in practice gave me great help and support for the establishment of stable samādhi and the attainment of nimitta. I understood this later through direct experience.
⑧ During the contemplation of the first stage, on the night of the fourth day (31-7-2005), I started the contemplation, and when I reached 250 vassas, I became aware of a dim yellow light in the room. I was also able to see things dimly within it. At first, I thought that outside light was entering the room. But later, I realized that the whole center and my room lights were off, and my eyes were covered with cloth. So I understood that the ānāpāna nimitta appeared in this way.
I continued the contemplation with joy and gladness. When I reached 300 vassas, the image of a toddy palm tree and a white pagoda appeared in front of my left eye at a distance of one arm’s length. With continued contemplation, after another 20 vassas, the image disappeared. With gladness, I continued the contemplation up to 500 vassas, and the yellow light filled the whole room.
At this point, I spread mettā, shared merit, and took off my face cloth. The light in the room disappeared, and everything became dark again.
⑨ The next day (1-8-2005), in the early morning at 3:00 am, I started the contemplation again. Upon reaching 100 vassas, I became aware of a clear, dim white light appearing again. I was also able to see things dimly in the room.
Continuing the contemplation, when I reached 150 vassas, I saw again the same forms of a toddy palm tree and a white pagoda. When I reached 30 more vassas, these forms disappeared. (At the insight stage of discernment of cause and effect, I later came to understand that the white pagoda had been constructed by me in a past life.)
As I continued the contemplation, the clear white dim light in the room became a little brighter and then dimmer again. At the edges of the dim light, there was a bright radiance, similar to the glow surrounding a fluorescent light.
Through the contemplation, my mind became clear and cool because of the clear white light. When I reached 300 vassas, I made prayers, spread mettā, shared merit, and took off my face cloth. It was 4:50 am in the early morning, and both the room and the outside were still dark.
⑩ The next day (2-8-2005), at 3:00 am, I again started the contemplation. When I reached 150 vassas, the room became bright with a clear white light, just as on the previous morning, and I could clearly see the objects in the room. I could also see the trees outside the room illuminated by the clear white light.
When I reached 300 vassas, after making prayers, spreading mettā, and sharing merit, I took off my face cloth. It was 5:00 am, and both the room and the outside were still dark.
Some time later, the whole center’s electric lights came on, and I went outside to check. I saw the trees exactly as I had previously seen them through the light nimitta. At that point, I believed that I had begun to experience the light nimitta of ānāpāna meditation.
⑪ After that, the practice entered the second stage of ānāpāna meditation: “Second — knowing long and short breaths.” I contemplated this stage for 14 days, from 7-8-2005 to 20-8-2005.
The contemplation of long and short breaths involved making a mark on the wall of one’s room as a mental focal point. Then, sitting at a distance of one arm’s length from the wall, one projected the ānāpāna nimitta toward it.
On the first day of this contemplation (7-8-2005), at 3:40 pm, I completed it successfully.
At 3:30 pm, during the contemplation of sending and retrieving, a yellowish line of light nimitta appeared at one point between the tip of the nostril and the mark on the wall. Then a clean white line appeared. After that, a clear crystal-like line of nimitta appeared.
Using this clear crystal line of nimitta, I repeatedly sent and retrieved the light nimitta back and forth many times. In this way, at 3:40 pm, I succeeded in the first step of knowing long and short breaths, which was called “the level of crossing the sea.”
⑫ That same night, from 8:45 pm to 9:15 pm, I practised the contemplation of sending and retrieving the nimitta from the tip of the nostril to the wall.
At first, along the distance between the nostril and the wall, there appeared a line of clear crystal-white light together with the nimitta. (If we understand and appreciate the Abhidhamma teaching, nothing is strange. This is the power of the purified mind.)
After that, above the white line of nimitta touching the marked point on the wall, different colours appeared one after another: first clear blue, then light-green coral colour, purple, brown, white, golden, and red. These colourful lights circulated around the mark on the wall. They appeared like a ring of gemstones surrounded by many smaller gems.
Then rays of light were emitted from all these colourful lights. (It was similar to the colourful rays emitted from the body of the Buddha.)
I contemplated with my hands in añjali, and after some moments, each colour appeared, shone brightly, and then disappeared again. Only the clear white crystal-like line of nimitta remained between the nostril and the wall.
After some time, I stopped the contemplation.
The next morning, from 3:00 am to 5:00 am, I practised the same contemplation again. The circular coloured rays appeared just as they had the previous night, and I paid respect to them with gladness and joy.
⑬ The next day, I moved backward to a distance of four arm-lengths from the wall and practised sending and retrieving the sign of the in-and-out breaths.
On 10-8-2005, from 3:00 am to 4:40 am, I practised counting contemplation while sitting on my bed. I became aware of a yellow-coloured ball of light (nimitta) appearing and remaining at the tip of the nostril. So I got down from my bed and practised sending and retrieving the nimitta to the mark on the wall.
When I placed the yellow nimitta ball on the mark, the line of nimitta appeared instantly. I then tried to pull the yellow nimitta from the wall mark back toward the tip of the nose along the line of light nimitta. I was able to do this many times, and I believed that I had arrived on the path and was able to use and control the light nimitta.
Happiness and joy arose in me, and with faith and reverence I paid homage to the Buddha and Dhamma. At 5:00 am, I stopped the contemplation.
⑭ I believed that on that day something extraordinary would happen. Therefore, I repeatedly paid homage to the Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha, teachers, and parents; made prayers; shared merits; and spread mettā. I also directed these acts toward Kanni Sayadaw, Mye-zin Sayadaw, and Shane-ma-kar Sayadaw.
After that, I repeatedly spread mettā and shared merits toward Sakka, devatās, brahmā gods, wholesome devas, devas protecting the Sāsana, the Four Great Guardian Kings (Cātummahārājika devatās), and the devas near the surroundings and the meditation center.
I requested their help and protection for success in the practice of samatha and vipassanā, so that I might practise with ease and happiness. I also requested their assistance in completing the practice of the ānāpāna light nimitta and the paṭibhāga nimitta before 9:00 pm.
After that, in order to strengthen the samādhi connected with the light nimitta, I practised ānāpāna counting throughout the whole day. During brief rests from sitting meditation, I continued the practice while walking, together with prayers, mettā, and sharing of merits. In all these ways, I established strong faith.
⑮ I continued the contemplation of sending and retrieving the signs of the in-and-out breaths until 7:00 pm. Together with the ānāpāna air nimitta, a clear white line of nimitta appeared instantly.
At the end of the line, near the mark on the wall, there appeared the roofs of golden buildings (heavenly mansions). Then the thought arose in my mind:
“At present, I do not wish to see these visions. I desire only the arising of the true paṭibhāga nimitta.”
Immediately, the golden buildings disappeared, and only a golden thread-like line of light remained behind. Then, at the place of the golden thread-like line, a white-coloured line of nimitta appeared. At the end of this nimitta line, a yellow-coloured ball of nimitta appeared, and after some moments it changed into a white-coloured ball of nimitta.
(Note: It is quite amazing that U Kyaw Win could describe his experiences in such detail and with such an excellent memory. Readers should read this patiently.)
When it changed into a white-coloured ball of light, my whole room became bright with clear white light, and at the same time the wall facing me disappeared. Outside the room, there appeared Shwe-bo Sayadaw’s meditation kuṭi and the trees surrounding it. After some moments, I saw the whole view of our meditation center under the clear white light. (For a similar type of experience, see Sayadaw U Candimā’s Noble Search*.)*
At that moment, I remembered the exhortation of the meditation teacher:
“Do not do anything according to your own desire.”
Therefore, I retrieved the nimitta back toward myself. After some time, the whole meditation center disappeared, and only the air nimitta and the line of light reappeared. I felt as though I were sending the nimitta into space.
Before reaching the stage of practising penetration through the wall, the entire wall had already opened up through the power of the ānāpāna light nimitta. (It seems to me that his contemplation had progressed beyond the level of the second stage through attaining the paṭibhāga nimitta.)
The Buddha-Dhamma is described as:
“Evaṃ acintiyā buddhā dhammā, buddhadhamma-guṇā acintiyā.”
(“Indeed, the qualities of the Buddha and the Dhamma are inconceivable.”)
According to this verse, the Dhamma was extremely strange and wondrous, never exhausting one’s reverence and respect for it. With strong gladness and Dhamma rapture (pīti), I ended the contemplation with prayers, mettā, and sharing of merits.
⑯ Next day I did the contemplation to make the paṭibhāga nimitta stronger and more mature. After that, starting from (12-8-2005), I was doing the contemplation of passing through objects by looking at the places inside the center, such as Maggan Hall (meditation hall) and meditation rooms, etc.
⑰ On the following days, with the light nimitta I visited the pagodas around the Maw-be area. And then, I visited the pagodas in the Yangon area—such as Kyaik-kale, Kyauk-tawgyi, Mae-lamu, Buddha Tooth Pagoda (not the real one—a replica), Kaba-aye Ceti, and Shwe-dagon Ceti.
⑱ On (15-8-2005) I visited the Shwe-dagon Pagoda with the light nimitta from (21:30) p.m. to (02:00) a.m. [i.e., for nearly 5 hours]. When the Shwe-dagon Pagoda was under construction, I was the leader of the village and participated in the project. I paid homage to the chamber of gems and relics inside. There were four relics of the four Buddhas. These were: a walking stick, a bathing cloth, a water strainer, and hairs. They were offered with many gems or jewels and filled with rays of light. From the original size of the pagoda to its present size, there were some reconstructions, and I also participated in them.
After that all these mental images or objects disappeared, and I paid respect to the Shwe-dagon Pagoda.
Some Reflections
According to Mye-zin Sayadaw, he did not want yogis to penetrate the relics chamber of the Shwe-dagon Pagoda because it was well protected by devas or spirits, and entry required their permission. U Kyaw Win's description here was also not very clear regarding how the mental objects appeared to him. It may be that his past-life connection with the pagoda appeared to him when he sent the light nimitta there.
When I was in Thailand many years ago, I read a travel guidebook on Burma which was well documented with many photos and pictures. There was an old photo of the Shwe-dagon Pagoda from the 19th century.
In the photo, the pagoda was quite small and very ordinary. The surrounding area seemed quite wild. It is good to research the oldest photos or the oldest drawings of the Shwe-dagon Pagoda on the internet.
According to the Burmese tradition, the 4 Buddhas and the 4 relics were: Buddha Kakusandha and his walking stick; Buddha Koṇāgamana and his bathing cloth; Buddha Kassapa and his water strainer; and Buddha Gotama and his hairs.
I am quite curious about the relics of the first 3 Buddhas. If they still really exist, some of them are already many thousands or even millions of years old. Another question is how these 3 relics arrived at the Shwe-dagon Pagoda and who kept them for such a very long time.
For the Buddha's hair relics, according to the Burmese tradition, the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika were from Burma. According to the evidence in the suttas, they were Indian men. In Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālā's talk on Tapussa and Bhallika, he suggested a theory: these 2 brothers might have been in Burma for business (as traders) and carried the hair relics along with them**, later leaving them_** in Burma for some reasons.
Here again, I am not advertising a relic cult. The most important thing in the Buddha Dhamma is the longevity of the True Dhamma, which can end dukkha for human beings.
⑲ Next day I visited the pagodas surrounding the Pegu Town area: Kyaik-paw-law, the Mole Buddha, Kyaik-hti-yo Ceti, and Thathon Shwe-sar-yan Ceti (except for Pegu, the others are in lower Burma).
On another day I visited pagodas around the Prome (Pye) area; Ma-kway Mya-tha-loon Pagoda; Pagan Tooth Pagoda; Ananda Ceti; Mahā-muni Cetiya in Mandalay; and the pagodas around Mandalay Taung (Hill Range).
On (18-8-2005) I visited cetiyas in Sri Lanka—such as Thuparama Cetiya, Mahā Cetiya, the Bodhi Tree, and the Buddha Tooth Chamber in Kanni. I saw the Buddha's hairy mole (the hair between his eyes is white and soft like cotton down), two collar bones, and an eye tooth.
[Note: U Kyaw Win's description missed one object and included an extra object. These are the frontal bone or cranial protrusion (uṇhīsa) and the hairy mole. He did not mention where he saw the hairy mole. I myself also had never heard about the hairy mole relic before.]
⑳ On the morning of (19-8-2005) I visited the pagodas at Buddhagaya with the light nimitta. I saw the mental images of the place where the Buddha was enlightened, the place where the Buddha taught the 5 ascetics—Turning the Wheel of Dhamma, and the place where the Buddha entered Mahāparinibbāna, and I also paid homage to the Bodhi Tree and other cetiyas.
At the times of the Buddha's enlightenment and the teaching of the First Discourse to the 5 ascetics, the whole world was opening up with the feeling of joy and reverence. But at the time and place where the Buddha was passing away, it was quite sorrowful with saṃvega—everything was unstable. A Buddha**, with no one comparable to him,_** could not escape death; in the same way, I was sure to encounter it.
㉑ On the morning of (20-8-2005) I paid respect with the light nimitta to the Cūḷāmaṇi Cetiya in Tāvatiṃsa Heaven. The whole body of it was made with a precious metal which could be more valuable and a little lighter in colour than gold.
It was bright with clear yellowish-white light. The holy crystal (top of the cetiya), nget-myat-nā, umbrella (htī), overturned lotus (kya-mauk kya-lan), kya-nu and pan-swel, etc., were all decorated with treasures or gems in a very graceful way.
And then underneath the terminal spire (it may be underneath the overturned lotus place) were the bodhisatta hairs and the eye-tooth on gem-made receptacles.
And then in the north-west was the Coral Tree and a stone slab called Paṇḍukambalāsīlā (the throne of Sakka); to its south-west was Sudhamma Hall, and to its east was the Palace of Victory where Sakka lived, and to its south was the Mahāsudassana City. The buildings of this city were made with golden roofs which appeared as objects of nimitta during my contemplation at the second stage—"Second, knowing the long and short breaths" (see number ⑮).
㉒ Next day, on (21-8-2005) in the morning, I visited the Dussa Cetiya in the Brahma Heaven with the light nimitta. It seemed that the whole body of the cetiya was made with a treasured mineral more valuable than diamond, and it was emitting clear white light**, visible through_** the structure. Its holy crystal (sein-phū), nget-myat-nā, the umbrella (htī), etc., were adorned with treasures or gems.
And then underneath the terminal spire were the bodhisatta's turban, a short knife, clothes, shoes, etc., placed on gem-made receptacles.
㉓ From the beginning of (21-8-2005) to (24-8-2005) I was doing the third stage of ānāpāna samatha—"Third, to know the 3 points" or "At third, all are bright". It took me 4 days for the practice.
On the first day (21-8-2005), with the light nimitta, firstly with the in-breath, it was passing through the head hair (middle of the head) to the chest, from the chest to the stomach, and with the out-breath it was passing through in the reverse order.
OR—the other way was—from the tip of the nostril to the chest, from the chest to the stomach. All these exercises were passing through the internal body.
During the sending and retrieving of the light nimitta inside the body, the white-coloured line of nimitta appeared from the head to the stomach. I saw the internal organs of the body, but I did not look at them (or observe them closely).
Instead, I continued the practice with the in-breath from 5 arm's-lengths above the head toward 5 arm's-lengths beneath the bottom, and with the out-breath in the reverse order.
On that day I completed the exercise from above 100 arm's-lengths down to 100 arm's-lengths with the in-breath, and the out-breath in the reverse order. (Here I shortened the description of the same types of exercises.)
㉔ Next day (22-8-2005) I did the same exercise, from above 1000 arm's-lengths to downward 1000 arm's-lengths, with success. (shortened).
After that I was inclining my mind toward the Bhogavatī Nāga Realm and doing the sending and retrieving of the breath from above the sky to the chest, from the chest to downward space.
During the exercise, instantly I went beneath a great wave (here it was not the physical body, nor even the mind itself. To understand this point, see Sayadaw U Candima's experiences in his work—"The Way to Stream Entry". See my translation—"Right Samādhi and Insight").
I saw a big cave which was very high and extensive; its length was immeasurable. The stones of the ceiling and the two sides of the wall were emitting light. Therefore the whole cave was bright with light.
In the middle of the cave were white-coloured rock columns like quartz crystals, which were also emitting light.
Inside the cave were men and women wearing green-coloured costumes and moving around there (inhabitants). It may be that these were nāgas—super serpents. All of them were beautiful and their complexions were clear and bright. They were seen as normal human beings, but their eyelashes were not moving and they did not have eye-wrinkles.
I was inclining my mind toward both sides of the walls and seeing caves like the main cave with their buildings.
㉕ With the guidance of one of the nāgas I had the chance to pay homage and reverence to the relic chamber of the eye-tooth and other body relics in the Bhogavatī Nāga Realm. The nāgas were grandly making offerings to these relics by constructing quartz crystal columns which were shining with light. They were decorated with gemstones shining with colourful lights, and most of them were pearls and rubies.
The eye-tooth was on a gem receptacle, and it was emitting white rays of light. There were also other receptacles containing red-coloured relics (blood), green-coloured, gold-coloured (flesh), pearl- and clear-crystal-coloured (bones), etc. These relics were emitting rays according to their colour.
㉖ At night I continued the sending and retrieving of the light nimitta upward above the sky, through the middle chest, and below into space. Increasing upward into the sky or space, and downward, first it penetrated the earth slowly and then entered a volume of water. After some time it passed through the volume of water and arrived at air space. I did the practice many times. In this way I became skilled with the sending and retrieving of the light nimitta above the sky, through the middle chest, downward through the earth, the volume of water, and then into downward space without hindrances.
I was able to contemplate and know these things directly, that the Buddha Dhamma was quite right in this respect.
㉗ On the day of (23-8-2005) I did the exercise of passing through the face and ears by using the light nimitta. The practice was letting the light nimitta come out from the left eye and go into the right eye; and come out from the right eye and go into the left eye; come out from the left ear and go into the right ear; come out from the right ear and go into the left ear; the same was done with the left face and right face; right face and left face; and likewise with the left shoulder and the right shoulder; and with the right shoulder and the left shoulder, etc.
After practising well, I could see the materials of the eye, ear, face, mouth, and the internal organs of the body. These were the experiences of the strangeness and wonder of the Buddha Dhamma.
㉘ After that, on the day of (24-8-2005), I was doing the practice of cutting the whole body with the light nimitta. The way of contemplation was to use the light nimitta and cover the whole body above, and starting from the head, cut 2 finger-lengths each time, layer by layer.
And then each cut part was becoming a white-coloured crystal. When the cutting process arrived at the waist, the upper part of the body was becoming a block of clear white-coloured crystal, and the lower part of the body was as original. Continuing with the cutting, at last the whole body disappeared and became a block of clear white-coloured crystal. It was known that this stage was able to cure diseases of the internal body. So I did the cutting many times.
After that I was doing the cutting vertically with success. With the cutting, after the whole body became a clear crystal block, my whole body became light and peaceful.
㉙ The day of (25-8-2005) was the last stage of ānāpāna samatha meditation—"At fourth, let it calm down". The contemplation was to let the out-breath go out slowly and at the same time recite in the mind—"let it be calmed, let it be calmed". The in-breath was also done in the same way. This way of practice was to keep back the light nimitta from samatha practice (as a divine light).
In my practice I let the ānāpāna nimitta slowly refine by contemplating as—"let it be calmed, let it be calmed". During the contemplation the mind and body were slowly becoming peaceful.
The light ball which was sticking at the tip of the nose came in with the in-breath, and with the out-breath it went up a little bit at the tip of the nostril. At last the light ball arrived at the chest, and the whole body became bright. The whole mind-and-body process became peaceful. I was also feeling a lightness in the body which was like a fire balloon trying to go up. I could successfully contemplate the stage of "Fourth, let it calm down".
㉚ From (28-8-2005) to (17-9-2005), with 17th September being a full moon day, I was doing insight meditation.
The forerunner of insight practice was the discernment of mind and matter. First I let my sati rest at the chest area and contemplated, and then put the nimitta on the whole body and tried to contemplate it.
With this contemplation the parts of the body—head, feet, hands, and the body (i.e., internal organs)—were clearly seen. All these parts were the combinations of blood, flesh, bones, nerves, skin, etc. Again, these bodily parts were combinations of small particles.
Therefore the whole body was an assemblage of combined material particles. These small groups of material particles were, at every moment and every second, dissolving and disappearing many times (beyond counting). It was with the processes of arising anew and again dissolving and disappearing.
㉛ In the contemplation of discerning causes—the 5 past causes of ignorance (avijjā), craving (taṇhā), clinging (upādāna), kamma, and nutrients (āhāra)—mind and matter and the life processes were arising continuously.
During the contemplation I had seen my nearest four lives. One of these lives was during the contemplation of the first stage of—"First is stable sati"—where I had seen a toddy palm tree and a white pagoda built by me as a bhikkhu.
㉜ On the night of (3-9-2005) I was contemplating the mind-and-matter processes of rise and fall which were happening because of the rise and fall of the causes.
During the contemplation the shining small material particles in the body were arising collectively and passing away by spreading; later, the light particles were arising by spreading. The arising and passing away of phenomena continuously were like this, as I found out.
㉝ On the night of (5-9-2005), when I was contemplating the dissolution of mind and matter which were caused by the dissolution of the causes, after over an hour I could contemplate each dissolution of mind and matter coming to an end or cessation. I found out each dissolution of mind and matter with its cessation section by section in the process.
[Note: This description is similar to Sayadaw U Jotika's talks in Talk Ten: On Insight Knowledges. See my translation of his retreat instructions—"Step by Step"]
When I continued with my contemplation, the whole body, starting from the lower part to the back, became hot. After that I felt the whole body being poked with needles, with something twisting and pulling, and cutting like a knife, and so on.
[Note: These kinds of experiences are described in the Instructional Talks by Ven. Ādiccaraṃsī (U Sun Lwin)—Eighteen Days in Solitude, my translation.]
I had never felt this kind of experience before, so my mind moved and trembled. I took it as Dhamma showing its nature and continued with the contemplation. Because of the painful feeling I was sweating.
These painful feelings were arising when I was contemplating the dissolution of phenomena. Therefore, to make the pains disappear, should I contemplate the rise and fall of phenomena, or continue with the dissolution of phenomena? (Here taṇhā came in; his situation was above the knowledge of rise-and-fall phenomena.)
With this thought I remembered the earlier experience of the ending or cessation of the dissolution of phenomena section by section.
Therefore I continued to contemplate the cessations of dissolution section by section in the process. After some moments the feelings of pain instantly cooled down, and it seemed that the whole body's sensations had disappeared. I clearly discerned that with the arising of mind and matter there followed the dissolution of phenomena and their inconstancy (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anattā) nature—"not me and not mine."
With the clear discernment of the dissolution of mind and matter, and their anicca, dukkha, and anattā nature, I had very strong fear, disenchantment, and liberation from them.
Note: Yogi U Kyaw Win's description of his practice and direct experiences ends here. Someone who has studied Mogok Sayadaw's Dhamma Talks will know his level of achievement.
㉞ When we first started to arrive here, there were many covers of concepts, and it was like walking in the darkness. Now, with the light of Buddha-Dhamma and with the guidance of Kanni samatha and vipassanā meditation, these coverings have fallen off and disappeared, and we have attained the Dhamma Light. Under the Light of Dhamma we are, by continuing practice, able to walk straightly on the journey of life existence (the saṃsāric journey).
And also with the direct experiences of the strange and wondrous things of the Buddha-Dhamma, which are incomparable. Therefore it is said:
“Evaṃ acinteyya buddha-dhamma, buddha-dhamma-guṇā acinteyyā.”
The incomparable wondrous Dhamma is:
Sandiṭṭhiko—Visible here and now,
Ehipassiko—Inviting one to come and see,
Opanayiko—Leading onward and inward by the power of development (bhāvanā).
Therefore I recorded my experiences here for people who may experience the taste of Dhamma-rapture (dhamma-pīti) through contemplation.
U Kyaw Win
Suvanna New Town
Thingangyun Township
Yangon
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According to the translator—Bhikkhu Uttamo's words, this is strictly for free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma—Dhamma Dāna. You may re-format, reprint, translate, and redistribute this work in any medium.
據英譯者—鄔達摩比丘交待，此譯文僅能免費與大眾結緣，作為法的禮物（Dhamma Dāna）。你可以在任何媒體上重新編製、重印、翻譯和重新發布這部作品。