Practicing Mindfulness in Every Moment

Practicing Mindfulness in Every Moment, (various sources)

 Namo Buddhaya!

 

“Diṭṭhe diṭṭha-mattaṃ bhavissati, sute suta-mattaṃ bhavissati,mute muta-mattaṃ bhavissati, viññāte viññāta-mattā bhavissati.”

Bāhiya,’ said the Buddha, ‘this way you should train yourself: 

“In the seen there will be to you just the seen. In the heard there will be to you just the heard. In the thought there will be to you just the thought. In the cognizing there will be to you just the cognizing.”

In another occasion Lord Buddha mentioned:

What do you think, Malunkyaputta: the forms cognizable via the eye that are unseen by you — that you have never before seen, that you don't see, and that are not to be seen by you: Do you have any desire or passion or love there?"

"No, lord."[1]

"The sounds cognizable via the ear that are unheard by you – that you have never before heard, that you don’t hear, and that are not to be heard by you: Do you have any desire or passion or love there?

"The aromas cognizable via the nose that are not smelled by you – that you have never before smelled, that you don’t smell, and that are not to be smelled by you: Do you have any desire or passion or love there?

"The flavours cognizable via the tongue that are not tasted by you – that you have never before taste, that you don’t taste and that are not to be tasted by you: Do you have any desire or passion or love there?

"The tactile sensations cognizable via the body – that you have never before touched, that you don’t touch and that are not to be touched by you: Do you have any desire or passion or love there?

"The ideas cognizable via the intellect that are uncognized by you — that you have never before cognized, that you don't cognize, and that are not to be cognized by you: Do you have any desire or passion or love there?"

"No, lord."

(Defilements do not arise from the unperceived. This point should be noted. As for the things seen, however, defilements arise both in the act of seeing and after having seen because a mental picture is retained in the memory and on reflection or recall, defilements would recur. These cherished memories are stored up in the archives of the latent tendencies as deeply rooted memories)

Then, Malunkyaputta, with regard to phenomena to be seen, heard, sensed, or cognized: 

In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. 

In reference to the heard, only the heard. 

In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. 

In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. 

That is how you should train yourself. When there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Malunkyaputta, there is no you in connection with that. When there is no you in connection with that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress."

I understand in detail, lord, the meaning of what the Blessed One has said in brief:

Seeing a form 

— mindfulness lapsed — 

attending
to the theme of 'endearing,'
impassioned in mind,
one feels
and remains fastened there.
One's feelings, born of the form,
grow numerous,
Greed & annoyance
injure one's mind.
Thus amassing stress,
one is said to be far from Unbinding.

Hearing a sound

— mindfulness lapsed — 

attending
to the theme of 'endearing,'
impassioned in mind,
one feels
and remains fastened there.
One's feelings, born of the sound,
grow numerous,
Greed & annoyance
injure one's mind.
Thus amassing stress,
one is said to be far from Unbinding.

Smelling an aroma... 

— mindfulness lapsed — 

attending
to the theme of 'endearing,'
impassioned in mind,
one feels
and remains fastened there.
One's feelings, born of the aroma,
grow numerous,
Greed & annoyance
injure one's mind.
Thus amassing stress,
one is said to be far from Unbinding.

Tasting a flavour... 

— mindfulness lapsed — 

attending
to the theme of 'endearing,'
impassioned in mind,
one feels
and remains fastened there.
One's feelings, born of the flavour,
grow numerous,
Greed & annoyance
injure one's mind.
Thus amassing stress,
one is said to be far from Unbinding.

Touching a tactile sensation...

— mindfulness lapsed — 

attending
to the theme of 'endearing,'
impassioned in mind,
one feels
and remains fastened there.
One's feelings, born of the sensation,
grow numerous,
Greed & annoyance
injure one's mind.
Thus amassing stress,
one is said to be far from Unbinding.

Knowing an idea 

— mindfulness lapsed — 

attending
to the theme of 'endearing,'
impassioned in mind,
one feels
and remains fastened there.
One's feelings, born of the idea,
grow numerous,
Greed & annoyance
injure one's mind.
Thus amassing stress,
one is said to be far from Unbinding.

Not impassioned with forms

— seeing a form with mindfulness firm —

dispassioned in mind,
one knows
and doesn't remain fastened there.
While one is seeing a form
— and even experiencing feeling —
it falls away and doesn't accumulate.
Thus one fares mindfully.
Thus not amassing stress,
one is said to be
in the presence of Unbinding.

Not impassioned with sounds... 

— hearing a sound with mindfulness firm — 

dispassioned in mind,
one knows
and doesn't remain fastened there.
While one is hearing a sound
— and even experiencing feeling —
it falls away and doesn't accumulate.
Thus one fares mindfully.
Thus not amassing stress,
one is said to be
in the presence of Unbinding.

Not impassioned with aromas... 

— smelling an aroma with mindfulness firm —

dispassioned in mind,
one knows
and doesn't remain fastened there.
While one is smelling an aroma  
— and even experiencing feeling —
it falls away and doesn't accumulate.
Thus one fares mindfully.
Thus not amassing stress,
one is said to be
in the presence of Unbinding.

Not impassioned with flavours...

— tasting a flavour with mindfulness firm — 

dispassioned in mind,
one knows
and doesn't remain fastened there.
While one is tasting a flavour  
— and even experiencing feeling —
it falls away and doesn't accumulate.
Thus one fares mindfully.
Thus not amassing stress,
one is said to be
in the presence of Unbinding.

Not impassioned with tactile sensations...

— touching a sensation with mindfulness firm — 

dispassioned in mind,
one knows
and doesn't remain fastened there.
While one is touching a sensation
— and even experiencing feeling —
it falls away and doesn't accumulate.
Thus one fares mindfully.
Thus not amassing stress,
one is said to be
in the presence of Unbinding.

Not impassioned with ideas

— knowing an idea with mindfulness firm — 

dispassioned in mind,
one knows
and doesn't remain fastened there.
While one is knowing an idea
— and even experiencing feeling —
it falls away and doesn't accumulate.
Thus one fares mindfully.
Thus not amassing stress,
one is said to be
in the presence of Unbinding.

Explanatory:

He or she will realise or understand (not rehearse) the following:

In the form base, i.e., in what is seen by eye consciousness, "there will be merely the seen". It has merely been seen; thus "merely the seen" is a characteristic of the mind. The meaning is: "My mind will be just a mere eye-consciousness." 

In what is heard by ear consciousness, "there will be merely the heard". It has merely been heard; thus "merely the heard" is a characteristic of the mind. The meaning is: "My mind will be just a mere ear-consciousness."

In what is smelt by nose consciousness, "there will be merely the smelt". It has merely been smelt; thus "merely the smelt" is a characteristic of the mind. The meaning is: "My mind will be just a mere nose-consciousness."

In what is tasted by tongue consciousness, "there will be merely the tasted". It has merely been tasted; thus "merely the tasted" is a characteristic of the mind. The meaning is: "My mind will be just a mere tongue-consciousness."

In what is touched by body consciousness, "there will be merely the touched". It has merely been touched; thus "merely the touched" is a characteristic of the mind. The meaning is: "My mind will be just a mere body-consciousness."

Similarly, an idea formed in the mind is a characteristic of the mind. This will be a mind consciousness.

He or she will realise or understand (not rehearse) mental concomitant factors always arise together with each other and with consciousness. For example, 

·         Feeling, the usual translation of vedana, is the primitive hedonic response to any sense stimulus. It is either pleasant, painful or neutral. One of these three occurs with each moment of consciousness.

·         Perception, sanna, is the re-cognitive faculty. It is closely tied up with memory. We are able to recognize objects because we relate them to experiences previously had.

·         Contact is the coming together of consciousness, sense-base and sense-object. This includes the physical senses as well as mind, the object of which is idea.

·         One-pointedness is the faculty of focusing the mind upon its (single) object.

·         Attention is the power of adverting to an object.

However, it will not go beyond the limit and allow the mind to arise by way of lust, hatred or delusion, which are some of the main roots in which the mind arises (uppada). By diminishing the main roots in which the mind arises, the trainer will make it difficult for his/her mind to arise (uppada) leading to the path of Nibbana (deathless).