The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library

w 54bhavaºga mind states present during this time and the mind hasnot stopped, but the meditator does not have sufficient skill to discernthis because of the subtlety of these bhavaºga mind states.To avoid dropping into bhavaºga and to develop further youneed the help of the five controlling faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness,concentration, and understanding (saddha, v´riya, sati,samŒdhi, and pa––a) to push the mind and fix it on the paÊibhŒganimitta. It takes effort to make the mind know the paÊibhŒga nimittaagain and again, mindfulness not to forget the paÊibhŒga nimitta,and understanding to know the paÊibhŒga nimitta.Balancing The Five Controlling FacultiesThese five controlling faculties are five powers that control themind and keep it from straying off the path, of tranquillity and insight,that leads to NibbŒna.Amongst these five, faith is the belief in what should be believedin such as the Triple Gems, or belief in kamma and its results. It isimportant to believe in the enlightenment of the Buddha because if aperson does not have such a belief then he will fall back from thework of meditation. It is also important to believe in the teaching ofthe Buddha consisting of ten parts being the 4 paths, the 4 fruits,NibbŒna, and the teaching. The teaching of the Buddha shows usthe way for the practise of meditation so at this stage it is important tohave complete faith in that teaching.ÒCan jhŒna really be attained by just watching the in breath andout breath? Is what has been said about the nimitta like white cottonwool being the uggaha nimitta and the nimitta like clear ice or glassbeing the paÊibhŒga nimitta really true?Ó If these sorts of thoughtsbecome strong they will result in beliefs such as, ÒJhŒna cannot beattained in this present age,Ó and then because of that belief a personwill decline in faith in the teaching and also he will not have the