The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library
The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library
The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library
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involving meditation, and finally one teaching meditation. Whenhe searched amongst these four kammas <strong>to</strong> discern which hadcaused the resultant five aggregates in the present life he foundthat the kamma of meditating was the one that had given the resultand that that kamma was the object of the near death impulsion.When he further investigated <strong>to</strong> discern which meditation subjectwas being practised he saw that he had been practising insightmeditation and applying the three characteristics of anicca, dukkha,and anatta <strong>to</strong> mentality and matter. When he made furtherinvestigations he saw that before and after each meditation sittinghe had made the wish <strong>to</strong> be reborn as a man, <strong>to</strong> become a monk,and be a monk who disseminates the <strong>Buddhist</strong> teachings.In this case ignorance is the wrong knowledge that "a man, amonk, or a monk who disseminates the <strong>Buddhist</strong> teachings" is areality. Craving is the liking and craving for that, and clinging isthe attachment <strong>to</strong> that. Kamma formations is the act of practisingvipassanŒ meditation, and kamma is the kammic force of that action.When the medita<strong>to</strong>r discerns the immediate past life in this wayand is able <strong>to</strong> see the five causes in the past life of ignorance,craving, clinging, kamma formations, and kamma and is also able<strong>to</strong> see the five results in the present of rebirth consciousness,mentality and matter, six sense bases (Œyatana), contact, and feeling,then he needs <strong>to</strong> discern in the same way back further progressively<strong>to</strong> a second, third, and fourth past life. He does this for as manylives as he can discern in the past. <strong>The</strong>n after that he discerns inthe same way in<strong>to</strong> the future. To do this he starts by discerning thepresent matter and mentality and then discern in<strong>to</strong> the future untilthe time of death in this life. At that time he is able <strong>to</strong> see either thekamma object or the sign of the place of birth that will occurbecause of the power of a particular kamma he has performed inthis life. He will then be able <strong>to</strong> discern after that the rebirthmentality and matter that will be produced in the future life.w 25