Bhavaṅga Meditation [Dhamma Talks by Sayadaw U Candima (Sandima)]

Explanation on the bhavaṅga meditation

Actually this way of practice is not much different from the diamond meditation (mahāpallaṅka kammaṭṭhāna) which has been described before. The differences are only the ways of development of samādhi. The former one develops strong samādhi with ānāpānasati and with this samādhi develops insight with contemplation on the mind (cittānupassanā).

This practice is direct using cittānupassanā to develop samādhi and insight without using other objects for samādhi separately.

With sati the yogi has to watch and observe whatever arising mind state from the bhavaṅga (mano). In this practice there is no primary object (e.g., the breath) to contemplate because there is always a mind that arises and without it, it will die.

Here it’s contemplating the mind and mind state only. If physical sensation and pain arise, sati mind is not inclining toward any bodily part where it arises.

Only contemplate the preceding mind which knows the sensation with the following sati mind. It’s the same as in the ānāpānasati sutta it did not mention the place of the sensation, just only established mindfulness in front (to the fore) of him.

The important point here is that the yogi practices separating the body from the mind in which the kilesa lurks. So when the yogi contemplates the mind objects, he also does not incline sati to the place where (i.e., bhavaṅga) it arise. Here not concern anything with the body. If concern about it when severe pain arises can’t bear it and easily effect the bhavaṅga, taṇhā comes in to correct the physical body. With sati, patience and endurance (here only sati, but also other path factors), combat with taṇhā; so that it does not affect the mind, and finally taṇhā disappears.

The instruction on bhavaṅga meditation is nearly the same as diamond meditation. So the reader should go back to the instructions mentioned there.

The system is simple, but the practice is not easy, especially for two hours or three hours sitting. The yogi needs a lot of patience and endurance to deal with pains and difficulties. In the instruction, when pains arise, do not allow changing or moving the physical body, even not allow tensing or contracting the bhavaṅga. Therefore, Sayadaw asks yogis to practice lying down first because it is easier to maintain the body's posture than sitting for long periods of time. Sayadaw gave two instructions for two hours each for both. It was encouraged and reminded the yogis not to react to pains and relaxed in body and mind, and for a correct posture. After with the lying posture, the yogis know the practice and also become easy for the sitting.

Here I will give some points mentioned in the lying posture instruction, and the sitting posture instruction is not much different from it. In Sayadaw’s teaching he always emphasizes the importance of posture, it could come from his long hours sitting experiences (see his autobiography). It should be a natural posture without any tension of the whole body in a relaxed way and without any control with the mind to the body. So he asks the yogis to check and relax any part of the body part by part, from the tips of the toe to the head. After the whole body is relaxed and relieved, let it be there like a doll. Do not to move, change or concern anything about it and the mind and the body separate temporarily.

He gives the example of a string puppet—the hands control the strings is like the mind and taṇhā, the strings are nerves of the body and the puppet or doll is the physical body. When the hands let go of the strings and the doll separates from the hands, the doll stays by itself. The body is lying down on the floor by itself, and we may think the mind can be taken as self (atta). He asked the yogis if they could stop the mind and not think anything on their own. He said, "It is impossible to stop thinking; mental objects will arise one after another by themselves, without end." This is its nature. This is the resultant kammic khandha arises by past kamma until it’s finished for this life (see the 12 links of the D. A. process—avijjā → saṅkhāra → viññāṇa). In this instruction, he used quite a few times with the D. A. process to explain them. We can see the importance of D. A. teaching in the practice. Mogok Sayādawgyi's teaching on the D. A. is very important for yogis and Buddhists.

The yogis observe with sati and see the inconstant nature of mind and mental state arise one by one and its non-self nature (anatta). He said that this is not insight practice yet. After practicing for a period of time, the body will experience pain. Its nature (i.e., rūpa or ruppati means—oppressed, afflicted, etc. It undergoes and imposes alteration owing to adverse physical conditions) is dukkha.

The yogi has to contemplate the mind which experienced the pain and not on the body where it arises. (Here the yogi has to be careful not to pay any attention to any part of the body).

If the pain becomes stronger, taṇhā comes in and wanting to change the body or correct the body for its comfort. A yogi should not give in and follow his desires; he should contemplate with patience and endurance the nature of anatta. Rising up with khandha is sakkāya. If it becomes unbearable and takes it as my pain, it becomes sakkāya diṭṭhi; it will stimulate the mind and volition (cetanā) or kamma to arise, in terms of changing or moving the body. Then paṭiccasamuppāda continues. Sayadaw urged the yogis not to give in and give up to taṇhā. If you give in to taṇhā, you will die again and again in saṁsāra and never end. (In battling with taṇhā, yogi will never die. We die because of allowing taṇhā killing us.)

Even the bodhisatta before his enlightenment practicing to utmost with patience and endurance and the body became like a skeleton and not died (i.e., with wrong practices by torturing oneself). Noble warriors will never die, and only ignoble warriors will die forever—i.e., worldlings. Once, Loong Por Cha said as follows—

If you feed a tiger in a cage every day, it will become stronger and stronger and at last it will kill you. Here, also, the yogis are feeding the desire of the taṇhā tiger whenever it demands it; thus the taṇhā becomes stronger and stronger, so that it cannot be controlled.

(Now we can see this in today's world. There are a lot of human problems going on from politics, economics, environmental problems—such as all sorts of pollution, climate change with many disasters. Instead of solving these important issues together, some leaders and governments are finding faults, quarrelling and fighting each other. The world becomes an unpleasant place.)

If these two enemies diṭṭhi and taṇhā combine, it becomes destructive. He can’t bear the pain and follow taṇhā and change or move the body which conditions a new khandha. If you do not follow taṇhā, and it gradually disappears to extinction, that is nibbāna (taṇhā nirodho—nibbānam). In one of Mogok Sayadawgyi’s talk on Nandakovāda Sutta (MN 146), he said that it was better to cut off taṇhā directly. Bhavaṅga meditation is cutting off taṇhā directly. After taṇhā ceases, bhavaṅga fall off and the mind is clear and peaceful. The yogi sees the physical body and the mind are not connected, and each one is by itself. This is purification of the mind (citta-visuddhi).

Some yogis have skeleton nimitta, some discern the four elements, and some continue to contemplate the mind. Contemplation with samādhi power becomes insight (vipassanā).

In one of Sayadaw Candima’s talks—Living, Dying and Future, he mentioned the following incident. A female disciple’s brother was near death with cancer in a hospital. This young man was in agony with pain and crying. She requested Sayadaw’s help, and he went to the hospital to see him. He instructed him with teaching and meditation.

Sayadaw did not mention what he taught him. I was quite sure that it was not ānāpānasati because he was in a serious condition with some blood transfusion and oxygen to his body. It was quite possible that Sayadaw taught him bhavaṅga meditation in lying posture, as mentioned above. It was more suitable for the situation. After four days of diligent practice, he overcame the pain and later died peacefully, leaving a body which was soft and pliable.

Before his death, the elder sister went to see him. He showed his upright thumb to her not to worry about him. When a person was drowning, he would grasp anything near him. In the same way, a yogi in near death will apply full effort in the practice, nothing is important and reliable for him any more except Dhamma.

There was a documentary film on death and dying from China. It included some death of old people. Some had difficult and unpleasant dying in hospitals with life supporting machines. Some old people who were Buddhist yogis dying with their faces in peace and smile (most of them could be Pure Land practicers). In there, a beautiful actress died with cancer in a hospital, and before she died saw ghosts on the ceiling. She died with fright and her face was in grimace looked like ghost. Her skin color liked ashen color the whole body was stiff and tense, especially the fingers and toes were stiff and crooked, and her body was emaciated. She left behind a big house and wealth to her husband without children. The man also did not dare to stay in the house.

Living, dying and the future—these three matters are very important for everyone. We are not in this human world just for pleasure, wasting time and doing foolish and stupid things. If our dying are not good, future births are also very bad. Human births are very rare. It is very important for everyone to prepare for his or her dying. It seems to me Sayadaw U Candima’s teaching on bhavaṅga meditation is very good for that. It is most likely that everyone will die in a lying posture. Therefore, we should use the lying posture exercise as mentioned above.

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revised on 2022-04-28

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• Content of "Right Samādhi and Right Insight" (by Sayadaw U Candima)
• Content of Dhamma Talks by Sayadaw U Ukkaṭṭha and Sayadaw U Candima
• Content of Publications of Bhikkhu Uttamo

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