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Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c17.s2.t4: Other Anussatis

Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c17.s2.t4

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Other Anussatis

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Besides the six *anussatis* mentioned above, there are three other *anussatis* called (i) *maraṇa-sati*, (ii) *ānāpāna-sati*, and (iii) *upasamānussati*. Unlike the first twenty *kammaṭṭhānas*, these are matters of cogitation and not external objects to be converted into concepts.

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The practice of *maraṇa-sati* implies that the adept after having seen a corpse is to ponder over the fact that he is also subject to that inevitable death and by doing so he rouses his mindfulness of death, mental agitation and also knowledge relating to it. This leads to the destruction of the *nīvaraṇas*¹ and induction of the *jhānas*. Buddhaghosa gives detailed direction about the instances of death to be selected by the meditator.²

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¹ See above, p. 219, fn. 3.

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² *Vism.*, pp. 230 ff.

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The practice of *kāyagatā-sati* means that the adept is to ponder over the fact that this body from head to foot is full of many impure things and that there are in it hair, nails, spleen, intestines, etc. The most popular way of taking up this *kammaṭṭhāna* is to repeat the list of things contained in the body hundreds or thousands of times either loudly or mentally and thereby induce concentration of mind. Buddhaghosa then gives many other directions about the best way of practising *kāyagatā-sati*, and treats in detail the various contents of the body,—a treatment which may well bear comparison to a modern anatomical study.³

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³ *Ibid.*, pp. 243 ff.; 250 ff.

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The second is *Ānāpānasati*. Inducing meditation by the process of controlling breath is very widely known and is, in fact, adopted by all religions which advocates concentration of mind. It corresponds partly to the *Prāṇāyāma* as described in the Brāhmaṇic Tantras and Purāṇas and the *Yogaśāstras*, in which *pūraka* (inhaling), *kumbhaka* (stoppage of breath) and *recaka* (exhaling) form the three essential factors.¹ In the Buddhist meditational practices it is given an important place and forms one of the chief subject-matters of discourse under the heading *Satipaṭṭhāna*. In the *Yogāvacara’s Manual*, it is given the first place among the various meditational exercises.

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¹ Cf. *Majjhima*, I, p. 243-4; *Pātañjala*, I, 34, 49.

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Those, who choose breath-control as their *Kammaṭṭhāna*, are required to go to a forest or to a secluded spot, sever his thoughts from the outside world and direct his attention to his own inhalation and exhalation and thus gradually develop *upacāra* and *appanā*.² He should sit cross-legged, keeping his body erect. Then he is to exhale (*assāso*) and inhale (*passāso*), observing the time it takes for full inhalation and full exhalation, watching also when exhalation or inhalation starts (*ādi*), reaches the middle (*majjha*) and the end (*pariyosāna*). In exhalation the breath starts from naval (*nābhi*), passes through heart (*hadaya*) and reaches the nosetip (*nāsikaggam*),³ and in inhalation the process is just in the reverse direction. The mind follows the course of the breath consciously. It is only by long practice that an adept is able to keep himself aware of all the three stages of in-breathing and out-breathing.¹ Such observation and control of the breath lead to stoppage of all bodily movements (*passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ*).²

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² *Vism.*, p. 269.

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³ Not *nābhikaggam*. See *Vism.*, p. 280. In the *Sandhyā-upāsanā* of the Brāhmaṇas, the three points are nābhi, hṛdaya and lalāṭa, the first being the seat of Brahmā, the second of Keśava and the third of Śambhu. Cf. *Pātañjalabhāṣya*, I, 34: कौष्यस्य वायोर्नसिकापुटाभ्यां प्रयत्नविशेषात् वमन प्रच्छर्दनम्, विधारणं प्राणायामः, ताभ्यां वा मनसः स्थितिं सम्पादयेत् ।

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¹ Cf. Paṭisambhidā-magga, I, p. 177.

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² Vism. pp. 274-7.

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The artificial aids³ taken by an adept for ānāpānasati are mainly (i) *gaṇanā*, i.e. counting, which is not to exceed ten; (ii) *anubandhanā*, i.e. following the course in its three stages, viz., beginning, middle and end; and (iii) *phusanā* i.e. watching the points of contact, nābhi, hadaya and nāsikaggam.⁴ By these aids the adept soon acquires the *paṭibhāga-nimitta* (concept) and develops *appanā* (or *ṭhapanā*, fixation of the mind) and in some cases the body of the adept becomes so light as to rise up in the air.⁵ At this stage the external inhalation and exhalation cease but there are internal inhalation and exhalation, to which then the adept's mind is directed. The subject of meditation may be either assāsa or passāsa, or nimitta (after-image) of either.⁶

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³ Cf. Pātañjalabhāṣya, I, 50.

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⁴ Vism, p. 278.

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⁵ Ibid., pp. 282-3. Cf. Pātañjalabhāṣya, I, 34.

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⁶ Vism., p. 285.

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By meditating upon the nimitta without vaṇṇa and lakkhaṇa (characteristics) one destroys the five nīvaraṇas and develops the jhāna.⁷

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⁷ Ibid., p. 286.

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The last of this anussatis is Upasamānussati or cogitation of Nibbāna. The adept as usual is to retire to a lonely place and think of the fact that the absence of attachment (virāga) is the best of all dhammas constituted and unconstituted. He thereby develops concentration of mind and the jhāna.

Cites (4)