By facing one's own defilements one will be stirred to increase the
effort to eliminate them. On the other hand, if out of a false
shame or pride one tries to avert one's glance when they arise, one
will never truly join issue with them, and will always evade the
final and decisive encounter. By hitting blindly at them, one will
only exhaust or even hurt oneself. But by observing carefully their
nature and behavior when they arise in one's own mind, one will be
able to meet them well prepared, to forestall them often, and
finally to banish them fully. Therefore meet your defilements with
a free and open glance! Be not ashamed, afraid or discouraged!

3. The third group of intruders disturbing the meditator's mind are
//stray thoughts// and //daydreams//. These may consist of various
memories and images of the past, recent or remote, including those
emerging from subconscious depths; thoughts of the future--
planning, imagining, fearing, hoping; and the casual sense-
perceptions that may occur at the very time of meditation, often
dragging after them a long trail of associated ideas. Whenever
concentration and mindfulness slacken, stray thoughts or daydreams
appear and fill the vacuum. Though they seem insignificant in
themselves, through their frequent occurrence they form a most
formidable obstacle, not only for the beginner, but in all cases
when the mind is restless or distracted. However, when these
invaders can be kept at bay, even long continuous periods of
meditation can be achieved. As in the case of the mental
defilements, stray thoughts will be entirely excluded only at the
stage of Arahatship, when the perfect mindfulness thereby obtained
keeps unfailing watch at the door of the mind.

If they are to shape our attitude, all these facts about the three
kinds of disturbing factors must be given full weight and be fully
absorbed by our mind. Then, in these three disturbing factors, the
noble truth of suffering will manifest itself to the meditator very
incisively through his own personal experience: "Not to obtain what
one wants is suffering." The three other noble truths should also
be exemplified by reference to the same situation. In such a way,
even when dealing with impediments, the meditator will be within
the domain of Satipatthana. He will be engaged in the mindful
awareness of the Four Noble Truths--a part of the contemplation of
mental objects (//dhammanupassana//).[4] It is characteristic of
right mindfulness, and one of its tasks, to relate the actual
experiences of life to the truth of the Dhamma, and to use them as
opportunities for its practical realization. Already at the
preliminary stage devoted to the shaping of a correct and helpful
attitude, we have the first successful test of our peaceful
weapons: by understanding our adversaries better, we have
consolidated our position which was formerly weakened by an
emotional approach; and by transforming these adversaries into
teachers of the truths, we have won the first advantage over them.

Three Countermeasures
we shall be less inclined to
react at once by irritation when they actually arise. We shall be
emotionally in a better position to meet them with the non-violent
weapons of which we shall now speak.

There are three devices for countering disturbances that arise in
meditation. The three should be applied in succession whenever the
preceding device has failed to dispose of the disturbance. All
three are applications of bare attention; they differ in the degree
and duration of attention given to the disturbance. The guiding
rule here is: to give no more mental emphasis to the respective
disturbance than is actually required by circumstances.

1. First, one should notice the disturbance clearly, but lightly:
that is, without emphasis and without attention to details. After
that brief act of noticing, one should try to return to the
original subject of meditation. If the disturbance was weak or
one's preceding concentration fairly strong, one may well succeed
in resuming contemplation. At that stage, by being careful not to
get involved in any "conversation" or argument with the intruder,
we shall on our part not give it a reason to stay long; and in a
good number of cases the disturbance will soon depart like a
visitor who does not receive a very warm welcome. That curt
dismissal may often enable us to return to our original meditation
without any serious disturbance to the composure of mind.

The non-violent device here is: to apply bare attention to the
disturbance, but with a minimum of response to it, and with a mind
bent on withdrawal. This is the very way in which the Buddha
himself dealt with inopportune visitors, as described in the
Mahasunnata Sutta: "...with a mind bent on seclusion...and
withdrawn, his conversation aiming at dismissing (those visitors)."
Similar was Shantideva's advice on how to deal with fools: if one
cannot avoid them, one should treat them "with the indifferent
politeness of a gentleman."

2. If, however, the disturbance persists, one should repeat the
application of bare attention again and again, patiently and
calmly; and it may be that the disturbance will vanish when it has
spent its force. Here the attitude is to meet the repeated
occurrence of a disturbance by a reiterated "No," a determined
refusal to be deflected from one's course. This is the attitude of
patience and firmness. The capacity for watchful observation has to
be aided here by the capacity to wait and to hold one's ground.

These two devices will generally be successful with incidental
stray thoughts and daydreams, which are feeble by nature, but the
other two types of disturbances, the external ones and defilements,
may also yield quite often.

3. But if, for some reason, the do //not// yield, one should
deliberately turn one's full attention to the disturbance and make
it an object of knowledge. Thus one transforms it from a
//disturbance// to meditation into a legitimate //object// of
meditation. One may continue with that new object until the
external or internal cause for attending to it has ceased; or, if
it proves satisfactory, one may even retain it for the rest of that
session.

For instance, when disturbed by a persistent noise, we should give
the noise our undivided attention, but we should take care to
distinguish the object itself from our reaction to it. For example,
if resentment arises, it should be clearly recognized in its own
nature whenever it arises. In doing so we shall be practicing the
contemplation of mind-objects (//dhammanupassana//) according to
the following passage of the Satipatthana Sutta; "He knows the ear
and sounds, and the fetter (e.g. resentment) arising through both."
If the noise is intermittent or of varying intensity, one will
easily be able to discern the rise and fall (//udayabbaya//) in its
occurrence. In that way one will add to one's direct insight into
impermanency (//aniccata//).

The attitude towards recurrent mental defilements such as thoughts
of lust and restlessness, should be similar. One should face them
squarely, but distinguish them from one's reaction to them, e.g.
connivance, fear, resentment, irritation. In doing so, one is
making use of the device of "naming," and one will reap the
benefits mentioned above. In the recurrent waves of passion or
restlessness, one will likewise learn to distinguish gradually
phases of "high" and "low," their "ups and downs," and may also
gain other helpful knowledge about their behavior. By that
procedure, one again remains entirely within the range of
Satipatthana by practicing the contemplation of the state of mind
(//cittanupassana//) and of mind-objects (dhammanupassana:
attention to the hindrances).

This method of transforming disturbances to meditation into objects
of meditation, as simple as it is ingenious, may be regarded as the
culmination of non-violent procedure. It is a device very
characteristic of the spirit of satipatthana, to make use of all
experiences as aids on the path. In that way enemies are turned
into friends; for all these disturbances and antagonistic forces
have become our teachers, and teachers, whoever they may be, should
be regarded as friends.

We cannot forego to quote here a passage from a noteworthy little
book, //The Little Locksmith// by Katherine Butler Hathaway, a
moving human document of fortitude and practical wisdom acquired by
suffering:

I am shocked by the ignorance and wastefulness with which
persons who should know better throw away the things they do
not like. They throw away experiences, people, marriages,
situations, all sorts of things because they do not like them.
If you throw away a thing, it is gone. Where you had something
you have nothing to work on. Whereas, almost all those things
which get thrown away are capable of being worked over by a
little magic into just the opposite of what they were... But
most human beings never remember at all that in almost every
bad situation there is the possibility of a transformation by
which the undesirable may be changed into the desirable.


We said before that the occurrence of the three disturbing elements
cannot always be prevented. They are parts of our world, and their
coming and going follows its own laws irrespective of our approval
or disapproval. But by applying bare attention we can avoid being
swept away or dislodged by them. By taking a firm and calm stand on
the secure ground of mindfulness, we shall repeat in a modest
degree, but in an essentially identical way, the historic situation
under the Bodhi Tree. When Mara, the Evil One, at the head of his
army, claimed the soil on which the future Buddha sat, the latter
refused to budge. Trusting in the power of mindfulness, we may
confidently repeat the Bodhisatta's aspiration on that occasion:
//Ma Mam thana acavi!// "May he (Mara) not dislodge me from this
place" (Padhana Sutta).

Let the intruders come and go. Like all the other members of that
vast unceasing procession of mental and physical events that passes
before our observant eyes in the practice of bare attention, they
arise, and having arisen, they pass away.

Our advantage here is the obvious fact that two thought moments
cannot be present at the same time. Attention refers, strictly
speaking, not to the present but to the moment that has just passed
away. Thus, as long as mindfulness holds sway, there will be no
"disturbance" or "defiled thought." This gives us the chance to
hold on to that secure ground of an "observer's post," our own
potential "throne of enlightenment."

By the quietening and neutralizing influence of detached
observation as applied in our three devices, the interruptions of
meditation will increasingly lose the sting of irritation, and
thereby their disturbing effect. This will prove to be an act of
true //viraga// (dispassion), which literally means "decoloring."
When these experiences are stripped of the emotional tinge that
excites towards lust, aversion, irritation and other defilements of
the mind, they will appear in their true nature as bare phenomena
(//suddha-dhamma//).

The non-violent procedure of bare attention endows the meditator
with the light but sure touch so essential for handling the
sensitive, evasive, and refractory nature of the mind. It also
enables him to deal smoothly with the various difficult situations
and obstacles met with in daily life. To illustrate the even
quality of energy required for attaining to the meditative
absorptions, //The Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga)// describes
a test which students of surgery in ancient days had to undergo as
a proof of their skill. A lotus leaf was placed in a bowl of water,
and the pupil had to make an incision through the length of the
leaf, without cutting it entirely or submerging it. He who applied
an excess of force either cut the leaf into two or pressed it into
the water, while the timid one did not even dare to scratch it. In
fact, something like the gentle but firm hand of the surgeon is
required in mental training, and this skilful, well-balanced touch
will be the natural outcome of the non-violent procedure in the
practice of bare attention.

* * *


3. STOPPING AND SLOWING DOWN


Keeping Still

For a full and unobstructed unfoldment of the mind's capacities,
the influence of two complimentary forces is needed: //activating//
and //restraining//. That twofold need was recognized by the
Buddha, the great knower of mind. He advised that the faculties of
energy (//viry'indriya//) and of concentration (//samadh'indriya//)
should be kept equally strong and well balanced.[5] Furthermore, he
recommended three of the seven factors of enlightenment
(//bojjhanga//) as suitable for rousing the mind, and three for
calming it.[6] In both cases, among the spiritual faculties and the
enlightenment factors, it is mindfulness that not only watches over
their equilibrium, but also activates those that are sluggish and
restrains those that are too intense.

Mindfulness, though seemingly of a passive nature, is in fact an
activating force. It makes the mind alert, and alertness is
indispensable for all purposeful activity. In the present inquiry,
however, we shall examine how it makes for disentanglement and
detachment, and how it positively helps in the development of the
mental qualities required for the work of deliverance.

In practicing bare attention, we //keep still// at the mental and
spatial place of observation, amidst the loud demands of the inner
and outer world. Mindfulness possesses the strength of tranquility,
the capacity for deferring action and applying the brake, for
//stopping// rash interference and for suspending judgement while
pausing to observe facts and to reflect upon them wisely. It also
brings a wholesome //slowing down// in the impetuosity of thought,
speech and action. Keeping still and stopping, pausing and slowing
down--these will be our key words when speaking now of the
restraining effect of bare attention.

An ancient Chinese book states:

"In making things end, and in making things start,
there is nothing more glorious than //keeping still//."

In the light of the Buddha's teaching, the true "end of things" is
Nibbana which is called the "//stilling// of formations"
(//sankharanam vupasamo//), that is, their final end or cessation.
It is also called "the stopping" (//nirodha//). The "things" or
"formations" meant here are the conditioned and impersonal
phenomena rooted in craving and ignorance. The end of formations
comes to be by the end of "forming," that is, by the end of world-
creating kammic activities. It is the "end of the world" and of
suffering, which the Buddha proclaimed cannot be reached by
walking, migrating or transmigrating, but can be found within
ourselves. That end of the world is heralded by each deliberate act
of //keeping still, stopping//, or //pausing//. "Keeping still," in
that highest sense, means stopping the accumulation of kamma,
abstaining from our unceasing concern with evanescent things,
abstaining from perpetually adding to our entanglements in samsara-
-the round of repeated birth and death. By following the way of
mindfulness, by training ourselves to keep still and pause in the
attitude of bare attention, we refuse to take up the world's
persistent challenge to our dispositions for greed or hatred. We
protect ourselves against rash and delusive judgements; we refrain
from blindly plunging into the whirlpool of interfering action with
all its inherent dangers.

"He who abstains from interfering is everywhere secure"
(Sutta Nipata, v.953)

"He who keeps still and knows where to stop will not meet
danger"
(//Tao-Te-Ching//, Chapter 44)


The Chinese saying quoted earlier states in its second part that
there is nothing more glorious in //making things start// than in
keeping still. Explained in the Buddhist sense, these things
effectively started by keeping still are "the things (or qualities)
making for decrease of kammic accumulation." In dealing with them,
we may follow the traditional division of mental training into
morality (or conduct), concentration (or tranquility) and wisdom
(or insight). All three are decisively helped by the attitude of
//keeping still// cultivated by bare attention.

1. //Conduct//. How can we improve our conduct, its moral quality
and its skill in taking right decisions? If we earnestly desire
such an improvement, it will generally be wisest to choose the line
of least resistance. If we turn too quickly against those
shortcomings deeply rooted in old habits or in powerful impulses,
we might suffer discouraging defeat. We should pay attention first
to our blemishes of action and speech and our errors of judgement
caused by thoughtlessness and rashness. Of these there are many. In
our lives there are numerous instances where one short moment of
reflection might have prevented a false step, and thereby warded
off a long chain of misery or moral guilt that started with a
single moment of thoughtlessness. But how can we curb our rash
reactions, and replace them by moments of mindfulness and
reflection? To do so will depend on our capacity to //stop and
pause//, to apply brakes at the right time, and this we can learn
by practicing bare attention. In that practice we shall train
ourselves "to look and wait," to suspend reactions or slow them
down. We shall learn it first the easy way, in situations of our
own choice, within the limited field of experiences met with during
the periods of meditative practice. When facing again and again the
incidental sense impressions, feelings or stray thoughts which
interrupt our concentration; when curbing again and again our
desire to respond to them in some way; when succeeding again and
again in keeping still in face of them--we shall be preparing
ourselves to preserve that inner stillness in the wider and
unprotected field of everyday life. We shall have acquired a
presence of mind that will enable us to pause and stop, even if we
are taken by surprise or are suddenly provoked or tempted.

Our present remarks refer to those blemishes of conduct liable to
arise through thoughtlessness and rashness, but which may be more
or less easily checked through mindfulness. Dexterity in dealing
with these will also affect those more obstinate deviations from
moral conduct rooted in strong passionate impulses or in deeply
ingrained bad habits. The increased tranquility of mind achieved in
keeping still for bare attention will restrain the impetuosity of
passions. The acquired habit of pausing and stopping will act as a
brake to the ingrained habits of indulging in unwholesome deeds.

By being able to keep still for bare attention, or to pause for
wise reflection, very often the first temptation to lust, the first
wave of anger, the first mist of delusion, will disappear without
causing serious entanglement. At which point the current of
unwholesome thought process is stopped will depend on the quality
of mindfulness. If mindfulness is keen, it will succeed at a very
early point in calling a stop to a series of defiled thoughts or
actions before we are carried along by them too far. Then the
respective defilements will not grow beyond their initial strength,
less effort will be required to check them, and fewer kammic
entanglements, or none, will follow.