If in the course of contemplation one feels painful or tired or hot, one should make a note of these and then revert to the usual exercise of noting "rising, falling." If one feels sleepy, one should make a note of it as "sleepy, sleepy" and proceed with the noting of all acts in preparation to lie down: note the bringing into position of the hands and legs as "raising," "pressing," "moving," "supporting"; when the body sways as "swaying, swaying"; when the legs stretch as "stretching, stretching"; and when the body drops and lies flat as "lying, lying, lying." These trifling acts in lying down are also important and they should not be neglected. There is every possibility of attaining enlightenment during this short time. On the full development of concentration and knowledge, enlightenment is attainable during the present moment of bending or stretching. In this way the Venerable Ananda attained Arahatship at the very moment of lying down.
About the beginning of the fourth month after the Buddha's complete passing away, arrangements were made to hold the first council of bhikkhus to collectively classify, examine, confirm and recite all the teachings of the Buddha. At that time five hundred bhikkhus were chosen for this wor0k. Of these bhikkhus, four hundred and ninety-nine were Arahats, while the Venerable Ananda was a sotapanna, a stream-enterer.
In order to attend the council as an Arahat on the same level with the others, he made his utmost effort to carry on with his meditation on the day prior to the opening of the council. That was on the fourth of the waning moon of the month of Savana (August). He proceeded with mindfulness of the body and continued his walking meditation throughout the night. It might have been in the same manner as noting "right step, left step" or "walking, walking." He was thus occupied with intense contemplation of the processes of mentality and materiality in each step until dawn of the following day, but he still had not yet attained to Arahatship.
Then the Venerable Ananda thought: "I have done my utmost. Lord Buddha has said: 'Ananda, you possess full perfections (paramis). Do proceed with the practice of meditation. You will surely attain Arahatship one day.' I have tried my best, so much so that I can be counted as one of those who have done their best in meditation. What maybe the reason for my failure?"
Then he remembered: "Ah! I have been overzealous in keeping solely to the practice of walking throughout the night. There is an excess of energy and not enough concentration, which indeed is responsible for this state of restlessness. It is now necessary to stop walking practice so as to bring energy in balance with concentration and to proceed with the contemplation in a lying position." The Venerable Ananda then entered his room, sat down on his bed, and began to lie down. It is said that he attained Arahatship at the very moment of lying down, or rather at the moment of contemplating as "lying, lying."
This manner of attaining Arahatship has been recorded as a strange event in the Commentaries, because it is outside the four regular postures of standing, sitting, lying and walking. At the moment of his enlightenment, the Venerable Ananda could not be regarded as strictly
in a standing posture because his feet were off the floor, nor could he be regarded as sitting because his body was already at an angle, being quite close to the pillow, nor could he be regarded as lying down since his head had not yet touched the pillow and his body was not yet flat.
The Venerable Ananda was a stream-enterer and he thus had to develop the three other higher stages -- the path and fruit of once-returning, the path and fruit of non-returning, and the path and fruit of Arahatship in his final attainment. This took only a moment. Extreme care is therefore needed to carry on the practice of contemplation without relaxation or omission.
In the act of lying down, contemplation should therefore be carried out with due care. When a yogi feels sleepy and wants to lie down, a note should be made as "sleepy, sleepy," "wanting, wanting"; on raising the hand as "raising, raising"; on stretching as "stretching, stretching"; on touching as "touching, touching"; on pressing as "pressing, pressing"; after swaying the body and dropping it down as "lying, lying." The act of lying down itself should be carried out very slowly. On touching the pillow it should be noted as "touching, touching." There are many places of touch all over the body but each spot need be noted only one at a time.
In the lying posture there are also many movements of the body in bringing one's arms and legs into position. These actions should be noted carefully as "raising," "stretching," "bending," "moving," and so forth. On turning the body a note should be made as "turning, turning," and when there is nothing in particular to be noted, the yogi should proceed with the usual practice of noting "rising, falling." While one is lying on one's back or side, there is usually nothing in particular to be noted and the usual exercise of "rising, falling" should be carried out.
There may be many times when the mind wanders while one is in the lying posture. This wandering mind should be noted as "going, going" when it goes out, as "arriving, arriving" when it reaches a place, as "planning," "reflecting," and so forth for each state in the same manner as in the contemplation while in the sitting posture. Mental states pass away on being noted once or twice. The usual exercise of noting "rising, falling" should be continued. There may also be instances of swallowing or spitting saliva, painful sensations, hot sensations, itching sensations, etc., or of bodily actions in changing positions or in moving the limbs. They should be contemplated as each occurs. (When sufficient strength in concentration is gained, it will be possible to carry on with the contemplation of each act of opening and closing the eyelids and blinking.) Afterwards, one should then return to the usual exercise when there is nothing else to be noted.
About the beginning of the fourth month after the Buddha's complete passing away, arrangements were made to hold the first council of bhikkhus to collectively classify, examine, confirm and recite all the teachings of the Buddha. At that time five hundred bhikkhus were chosen for this wor0k. Of these bhikkhus, four hundred and ninety-nine were Arahats, while the Venerable Ananda was a sotapanna, a stream-enterer.
In order to attend the council as an Arahat on the same level with the others, he made his utmost effort to carry on with his meditation on the day prior to the opening of the council. That was on the fourth of the waning moon of the month of Savana (August). He proceeded with mindfulness of the body and continued his walking meditation throughout the night. It might have been in the same manner as noting "right step, left step" or "walking, walking." He was thus occupied with intense contemplation of the processes of mentality and materiality in each step until dawn of the following day, but he still had not yet attained to Arahatship.
Then the Venerable Ananda thought: "I have done my utmost. Lord Buddha has said: 'Ananda, you possess full perfections (paramis). Do proceed with the practice of meditation. You will surely attain Arahatship one day.' I have tried my best, so much so that I can be counted as one of those who have done their best in meditation. What maybe the reason for my failure?"
Then he remembered: "Ah! I have been overzealous in keeping solely to the practice of walking throughout the night. There is an excess of energy and not enough concentration, which indeed is responsible for this state of restlessness. It is now necessary to stop walking practice so as to bring energy in balance with concentration and to proceed with the contemplation in a lying position." The Venerable Ananda then entered his room, sat down on his bed, and began to lie down. It is said that he attained Arahatship at the very moment of lying down, or rather at the moment of contemplating as "lying, lying."
This manner of attaining Arahatship has been recorded as a strange event in the Commentaries, because it is outside the four regular postures of standing, sitting, lying and walking. At the moment of his enlightenment, the Venerable Ananda could not be regarded as strictly
in a standing posture because his feet were off the floor, nor could he be regarded as sitting because his body was already at an angle, being quite close to the pillow, nor could he be regarded as lying down since his head had not yet touched the pillow and his body was not yet flat.
The Venerable Ananda was a stream-enterer and he thus had to develop the three other higher stages -- the path and fruit of once-returning, the path and fruit of non-returning, and the path and fruit of Arahatship in his final attainment. This took only a moment. Extreme care is therefore needed to carry on the practice of contemplation without relaxation or omission.
In the act of lying down, contemplation should therefore be carried out with due care. When a yogi feels sleepy and wants to lie down, a note should be made as "sleepy, sleepy," "wanting, wanting"; on raising the hand as "raising, raising"; on stretching as "stretching, stretching"; on touching as "touching, touching"; on pressing as "pressing, pressing"; after swaying the body and dropping it down as "lying, lying." The act of lying down itself should be carried out very slowly. On touching the pillow it should be noted as "touching, touching." There are many places of touch all over the body but each spot need be noted only one at a time.
In the lying posture there are also many movements of the body in bringing one's arms and legs into position. These actions should be noted carefully as "raising," "stretching," "bending," "moving," and so forth. On turning the body a note should be made as "turning, turning," and when there is nothing in particular to be noted, the yogi should proceed with the usual practice of noting "rising, falling." While one is lying on one's back or side, there is usually nothing in particular to be noted and the usual exercise of "rising, falling" should be carried out.
There may be many times when the mind wanders while one is in the lying posture. This wandering mind should be noted as "going, going" when it goes out, as "arriving, arriving" when it reaches a place, as "planning," "reflecting," and so forth for each state in the same manner as in the contemplation while in the sitting posture. Mental states pass away on being noted once or twice. The usual exercise of noting "rising, falling" should be continued. There may also be instances of swallowing or spitting saliva, painful sensations, hot sensations, itching sensations, etc., or of bodily actions in changing positions or in moving the limbs. They should be contemplated as each occurs. (When sufficient strength in concentration is gained, it will be possible to carry on with the contemplation of each act of opening and closing the eyelids and blinking.) Afterwards, one should then return to the usual exercise when there is nothing else to be noted.
| <-- Standing and Walking | Sleep --> |
