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lead  to  insight  knowledge  (vipassana  yana).  We  can  switch  back  and  forth  between  concentration  and  insight.  This  type  of  concentration  is  the  tranquility  or  jhana  in  Buddhism,  which  is  called  the  right  concentration  (samma  samadhi). In  the  words  of  the  Buddha,  concentration  in  Buddhism  is  the  dhamma  condition  starting  from  the  f irst  jhana.  And  the  jhana  here  has  to  be  the  right  concentration  which  arises  from  right  mindfulness  with  clear  comprehension  and  total  awareness.  In  the  f irst  jhana,  total  awareness  will  contain  the  f ive  aggregates  which  are  form,  feelings,  perception,  volitional  formation  and  consciousness.  They  are  more  ref ined  levels  of  aggregates  which  are  called,  “body  in  the  body”.  Four  Foundations  of  Mindfulness  sutta  mentioned  about  contemplation  of  body  in  the  body,  feeling  in  the  feeling,  mind  in  the  mind,  dhamma  in  the  dhamma.  All  of  these  are  dhamma  conditions  that  can  be  experienced with  the  right  concentration  onward.  151 Phra Maha Worapot Kittivaro

Inner  body  and  outer  body  are  two  different  bodies. They  are  different  dimensions.  The  outer  and  inner  aggregates  are  also  different.  The  inner  body  is  a  mental  body  which  is  a  more  ref ined  condition  that  can  be  experienced  when  you  reach  the  right  concentration.  All  of  the  four  levels  of  right  concentration  in  Buddhism  from  the  f irst  jhana,  second  jhana,  third  jhana,  fourth  jhana  have  to  contain  mindfulness  and  clear  comprehension.  Total  awareness  is  the  result  of  developing  the  knowing  condition.  152 Duenjit Path to Amata Dhamma Leading to Freedom from Suffering

Method  of  Obtaining  Jhana  in  Buddhism Mindfulness  practice  in  order  to  develop  the  awakened,  knowing  mind  and  awareness  does  not  depend  only  on  sitting  still.  We  can  be  aware  while  moving.  Being  aware  of  the  moving  body  and  the  mind  that  perceives  it.  The  heart  of  the  practice  is  developing  mindfulness.  At  the  beginning  the  tool  that  is  used  can  be  varied.  Some  may  use  mantra  or  observe  the  rising  and  falling  of  the  abdomen.  We  may  use  one  tool  or  many,  depending  on  what  we  are  used  to. But  when  mindfulness  is  more  ref ined,  the  mantra  will  disappear.  What  is  left  is  only  feeling.  So  if  we  can  stay  with  the  feeling,  it  will  lead  to  concentration  and  a  more  ref ined  level  of  mindfulness  that  is  called  paramattha  dhamma. If  we  start  by  contemplating  on  the  breath,  or  using mantra  like  buddho,  they  are  only  the  outer  shell  or  153

at  the  beginning  level.  But  if  you  can  develop  total  awareness,  it  can  directly  lead  to  a  more  ref ined  concentration  that  is  the  right  concentration  (samma  samadhi).  So  it  is  recommended  to  practice  awareness  from  the  beginning  until  developing  total  mindfulness.  All  the  Four  Foundations  of  Mindfulness  are  the  same,  they  all  lead  to  total  awareness  that  is  the  right  concentration  (samma  samadhi).  Knowing  how  to  reach  total  awareness  directly  will  cut  down  the  amount  of  time  to  practice. One  technique  to  reach  total  awareness  easily  is  to  breathe  in  deeply,  hold  the  breath  brief ly,  then  slowly  breathe  out.  We  will  feel  the  stillness  inside,  mindfulness  will  be  steady.  We  can  pause  and  feel  without  having  to  focus  on  any  object.  This  is  the  right  mindfulness  and  right  concentration. We  can  choose  from  being  aware  of  the  breath,  major  postures,  minor  postures  or  clear  comprehension.  Some  may  be  aware  of  the  mind  directly.  The  important  thing  is  developing  the  knowing  and  awakened  mind  by  using  awareness  as  a  foundation.  Do  it  often,  whichever  154 Duenjit Path to Amata Dhamma Leading to Freedom from Suffering

method  we  are  used  to.  Every  foundation  of  the  Four  Foundations  of  Mindfulness,  no  matter  if  it  is  the  body,  feeling,  mind  or  the  dhamma  will  give  the  same  result.  It  is  like  many  rivers  eventually  will  f low  into  the  ocean.  The  heart  of  the  practice  is  the  awakened  and  knowing  condition  which  can  be  developed  by  using  the  four  foundations  as  the  tools  for  awareness.  155 Phra Maha Worapot Kittivaro

Beginning  practice When  practicing  in  sitting  posture,  try  to  expand  the  perception  to  cover  the  whole  body.  It  will  cover  all  of  the  body  foundations  from  the  breath,  major,  minor  postures  and  clear  comprehension.  Do  not  focus  on  one  location.  When  the  awareness  covers  the  whole  body,  that  is  the  right  concentration.  It  is  the  state  of  jhana  in  Buddhism.  When  we  spread  out  the  awareness,  mindfulness  will  cover  the  full  foundation  and  the  mind  will  be  steady  and  neutral.  If  we  focus  on  one  spot,  mindfulness  will  shrink  and  the  mind  will  get  stuck  only  at  that  spot. When  mindfulness  is  more  ref ined,  it  will  leave  the  body  and  feeling  foundation  and  enter  the  mind  foundation.  We  will  be  able  to  know  the  mind  directly.  The  key  is  to  start  practicing  correctly  from  the  beginning.  Start  from  developing  the  right  mindfulness,  be  aware  of  the  whole  body.  If  our  mindfulness  is  ref ined  enough  we  can  directly  reach  total  awareness.  What  is  left  156

is  only  the  feeling  of  the  whole  body.  Concentration  can  develop  quickly  and  it  is  the  concentration  that  is  composed  of  insight  knowledge.  Practice  to  know  and  feel  the  whole  body.  It  will  be just  knowing  and  feeling  of  the  whole  body.  Continue  with  mindfulness  practice  with  a  relaxed  mind,  the  awareness  will  be  more  consistent.  When  the  mind  wanders  or  gets  lost  in  thought  and  conditioning,  remind  ourself  to  come  back  to  the  awareness.  When  the  awareness  returns  to  the  body,  we  will  be  able  to  stop  the  wandering  mind  or  stop  from  getting  lost  in  thought.  Mindfulness  and  clear  comprehension  will  become  more  ref ined.  When  mindfulness  is  more  ref ined  and  steady,  the  mind  will  not  wander  out.  There  will  be  an  awakened  and  knowing  inside.  Total  awareness  will  arise.  What  is  left  is  the  condition  of  only  awareness.  Being  aware  of  the  whole  body  and  mind  at  the  same  time.  157 Phra Maha Worapot Kittivaro

Initial  level  of  jhana  (concentration)  When  we  are  only  relaxed  and  continue  to  be  aware of  the  whole  body,  mindfulness  will  be  more  steady.  Body fabrication  will  subside.  Mindfulness  will  let  go  of  the  body  foundation  and  enter  the  feeling  foundation.  Right  mindfulness  will  progress  to  right  concentration.  We  will  experience  rapture  which  is  the  same  condition  as  total  awareness.  The  f irst  level  of  jhana  (concentration)  starts  at  this  point.  Knowing  rapture  (piti)  is  knowing  the  whole body.  The  symptoms  we  may  experience  are  feeling  of  goosebumps,  itchiness  like  bugs  crawling,  body  swaying  back  and  forth,  swaying  right  to  left  or  spinning  etc.  Even  though  the  body  is  moving,  the  mind  will  be  more  still.  We  may  have  the  f loating  sensation,  body  expanding  or  contracting.  The  body  may  appear  to  be  heavy  or  light.  There  may  be  numbness  or  feelings  of  energy  permeating  all  over  the  body.  It  may  feel  like  a  magnetic  f ield  that  expands  inside  the  body.  At  the  beginning  we  may  feel  only  parts  of  the  body,  not  the  whole  body.  Keep  on  practicing  and  we  will  feel  the  158

conditions  that  expand  over  the  whole  body.  This  feeling of  having  energy  permeating  all  over  is  called  pharana  piti  which  is  the  last  stage  of  rapture.  It  occurs  when  you reach  the  second  jhana. Total  awareness  is  the  condition  of  the  concen- tration  that  occurs  naturally  in  the  f irst  and  second  jhana that  we  will  feel  the  whole  body.  If  we  can  maintain  it,  we  will  directly  reach  right  concentration  (samma  samadhi).  Mind  will  be  steady.  Mindfulness  and  clear  comprehension  are  fully  established.  At  this  point  the  breath  will  only  be  the  supporting  condition.  Awareness  will  be  prominent.  Mainly  stay  with  the  awareness.  Breathing  will  become  lighter.  Body  will  disappear.  Mindfulness  is  now  at  the  feeling  foundation  which  is  a  large  one.  If  we  can  enter  this  stage  directly,  our  practice  will  progress  quickly.  This  total  awareness  is  the  direct  way.  Once  we  develop  concentration,  all  of  the  mantra  will  disappear,  even  the  breath  will  be  released.  The  only things  left  are  total  awareness  and  steadiness  of  the  mind.  Keep  on  practicing  until  we  are  skillful,  we  will  be  159 Phra Maha Worapot Kittivaro

able  to  enter  this  condition  directly.  We  will  be  free  from  sensual  pleasure  and  unwholesomeness  and  will  be  at  the  f irst  jhana  onward.  Having  total  awareness  and  a  steady  mind  will  allow  us  to  switch  to  vipassana  yana  (insight  knowledge). This  is  seeing  reality  as  it  is.  We  can  experience  the  separation  of  elements  and  aggregates,  the  arising  and  disappearing  of  form  and  mentality.  F inally  ignorance  will be  released  and  enter  the  unconditioned  state  which  is  sunyatta  (emptiness).  160 Duenjit Path to Amata Dhamma Leading to Freedom from Suffering

If  we  know  the  way  to  reach  total  awareness  directly,  we  will  be  able  to  shorten  the  duration  of  our  practice.