Gradual Progress in These Teachings and Discipline

It is possible, Brāhmin, to describe gradual training, gradual practice, and gradual progress in these Teachings and Discipline.

Just as, Brāhmin, when a clever horse-trainer obtains a fine thoroughbred colt, he first makes him get used to wearing the bit, and afterwards trains him further, so when The Tathāgata obtains a person to be tamed he first guides him thus:

Come, Monk, be virtuous (practice moral conduct), restrained with the restraint of the guidelines of these Teachings, be perfect in conduct and determination, and seeing misery in the slightest fault, train by undertaking the training precepts.

When, Brāhmin, the Monk is virtuous (practicing moral conduct) and seeing misery in the slightest fault, trains by undertaking the training precepts, then The Tathāgata guides him further:

Come. Monk, guard the doors of your sense bases. On seeing a form with the eye not grasping at its signs and features. Since, if you were to leave the eye unguarded, evil unwholesome states of craving and displeasure might invade you, practice the way of its restraint, guard the eye sense base, undertake the restraint of the eye sense base.

(On hearing a sound with the ear...On smelling an odor with the nose…On tasting a flavor with the tongue...On touching a physical object with the body…On recognizing a mental object with the mind, are explained in the same repetitive formulas.)

When, Brāhmin, the Monk guards the doors of his sense bases, then The Tathāgata guides him further:

Come, Monk, be moderate in eating. Reflecting wisely, you should take food neither for amusement nor for intoxication nor for the sake of physical beauty and attractiveness, but only for the endurance and continuance of this body, for ending discomfort, and for assisting the holy life, considering: Thus I shall terminate old feelings without entertaining new feelings and I shall be healthy and blameless and shall live in comfort.

When, Brāhmin, the Monk is moderate in eating, then the Tathägata guides him further:

Come, Monk, be devoted to wakefulness. During the day, while walking back and forth and sitting, purify your mind of obstructive states. In the first watch of the night, while walking back and forth and sitting, purify your mind of obstructive states. In the middle watch of the night, you should lie down on the right side in the lion's pose with one foot overlapping the other, mindful and fully aware, after noting in your mind the time for rising. After rising, in the third watch of the night, while walking back and forth and sitting, purify your mind of obstructive states.

When, Brāhmin, the Monk is devoted to wakefulness, then The Tathāgata guides him further:

Come, Monk, be possessed of mindfulness and full awareness. Act in full awareness when going forward and returning; act in full awareness when looking ahead and looking away; act in full awareness when flexing and extending your limbs; act in full awareness when wearing your robes and carrying your outer robe and bowl; act in full awareness when eating, drinking, consuming food, and tasting; act in full awareness when defecating and urinating; act in full awareness when walking, standing, sitting. falling asleep, waking up, talking and keeping silent.

When, Brāhmin, the Monk possesses mindfulness and full awareness, then The Tathāgata guides him further:

Come, Monk, make use of a secluded resting place: the forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw.

He makes use of a secluded resting place: the forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw. On returning from his almsround (gathering food), after his meal he sits down, folding his legs crosswise, setting his body erect, and establishing mindfulness before him.

Abandoning sensual desires for the world, he resides with a mind free from sensual desires; he purifies his mind from sensual desires.

Abandoning ill will and hatred, he resides with mind free from ill will, compassionate for the welfare of all living beings; he purifies his mind from ill will and hatred.

Abandoning complacency, he resides free from complacency, deeply understanding of the light, mindful and fully aware: he purifies his mind from complacency.

Abandoning restlessness and worry, he resides unagitated with a mind inwardly peaceful; he purifies his mind from restlessness and worry.

Abandoning doubt, he resides having gone beyond doubt, unconfused about wholesome states with confidence; he purifies his mind from doubt.

Having thus abandoned these five hindrances, imperfections of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite distant from sense-desires, distant from unwholesome mental states, enters and resides in the first Jhāna, which is with thinking and pondering, based in seclusion, filled with excitement and joy. And with the subsiding of thinking and pondering, by gaining inner tranquility and oneness of mind, he enters and resides in the second Jhāna, which is without thinking and pondering, based in concentration, filled with excitement and joy. And with the fading away of excitement, remaining imperturbable (unable to be upset or excited; calm; serene), mindful and clearly aware, he experiences in himself the joy of which the Noble Ones say:

‘Peaceful is he who resides with equanimity and mindfulness’, he enters the third Jhāna. And, having given up pleasure and pain, and with the fading away of former gladness and sadness, he enters and resides in the fourth Jhāna, which is beyond pleasure and pain, and purified by equanimity and mindfulness.

This is my instruction, Brāhmin, to those Monks who are in the higher training, whose minds have not yet attained the goal, who reside aspiring to the supreme security from bondage (Enlightenment).

But these things conduce both to a peaceful residing here and now and to mindfulness and full awareness for those Monks who are Arahants with taints destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached the true goal, destroyed the fetters of existence, and are completely liberated through final knowledge (wisdom).

(Reference: MN 107)

The attainment of Enlightenment is experienced through “gradual training, gradual practice, and gradual progress”. It is the gradual acquiring of wisdom that leads to Enlightenment.

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares his approach to the “gradual training, gradual practice, and gradual progress” of training a Student comparing it to that of a “horse trainer”. The training of horses is something that the average person would have understood during Gotama Buddha’s lifetime so he related the training of the mind to attain Enlightenment to that of the gradual training of a horse.

Today, we might use the analogy of training a dog. Many people have dogs as pets and understand that to train a dog to be well behaved, that happens through “gradual training, gradual practice, and gradual progress” yet the unEnlightened mind oftentimes “wants” Enlightenment “right now”.

Due to craving/desire/attachment where the mind is longing or yearning for something with a strong eagerness as being the core and central problem to resolve in the unEnlightened mind, when the mind is on The Path to Enlightenment, the longing and yearning for something does not just stop or halt in its tracks. The mind will oftentimes have longing and yearning for Enlightenment itself which needs to be eliminated to attain Enlightenment. The mind needs to pursue Enlightenment as a goal, interest, or objective rather than with longing or yearning.

The mind needs “gradual training, gradual practice, and gradual progress” to be developed to learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings much like one would employ for training a household pet like a dog.

The gradual training that Gotama Buddha describes here is to:

1.) “Be virtuous (practice moral conduct), restrained with the restraint of the guidelines of these Teachings, be perfect in conduct and determination, and seeing misery in the slightest fault, train by undertaking the training precepts”.

This relates to practice of the moral conduct shared in The Eight Fold Path as Right Speech, Right Action, and Right Livelihood and The Five Precepts as “the training precepts” and for Ordained Practitioners, there would be many more than just five (5) precepts.

2.) “Guard the doors of your sense bases. On seeing a form with the eye not grasping at its signs and features. Since, if you were to leave the eye unguarded, evil unwholesome states of craving and displeasure might invade you, practice the way of its restraint, guard the eye sense base, undertake the restraint of the eye sense base”.

This relates to “protecting the doorways to discontentedness” as it is the senses of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind (The Six Sense Bases) that are the entry ways or doorways to allow discontentedness to “invade” the mind. If the mind has craving/ desire/attachment through The Six Sense Bases, (i.e. sensual desire) there will be discontentedness of mind.

3.) “Be moderate in eating. Reflecting wisely, you should take food neither for amusement nor for intoxication nor for the sake of physical beauty and attractiveness, but only for the endurance and continuance of this body, for ending discomfort, and for assisting the holy life, considering: Thus, I shall terminate old feelings without entertaining new feelings and I shall be healthy and blameless and shall live in comfort”.

This relates to training his Students to not over eat causing the physical body to work hard through digestion, which would not be “the middle way”, nor for the pleasure of food. Food should not be seen as being digested for pleasing the tongue and thus, the mind, but “for the endurance and continuance of this body, for ending discomfort”. Food is only to sustain the health of the body and, thus, the mind. Be sure to make wise choices about the quality of food that you choose to ingest as this will directly result in the health of the body. Through maintaining the health of the body for a longer period of time, this reduces the burden placed on the mind and elongates the amount of time one would have in the human realm to cultivate the mind on The Path to Enlightenment.

Here he also encourages his Students to be healthy and without blame through having a healthy body, the mind can then reside in “comfort”.

4.) “Be devoted to wakefulness. During the day, while walking back and forth and sitting, purify your mind of obstructive states. In the first watch of the night, while walking back and forth and sitting, purify your mind of obstructive states. In the middle watch of the night, you should lie down on the right side in the lion's pose with one foot overlapping the other, mindful and fully aware, after noting in your mind the time for rising. After rising, in the third watch of the night, while walking back and forth and sitting, purify your mind of obstructive states”.

This training of “wakefulness” relates to the mind being “calm and relaxed” while also being “alert and attentive” being devoted to awakening the mind to Enlightenment. Through purification of the mind in learning, reflecting, and practicing The Eight Fold Path one will eliminate “obstructive states”.

While The Buddha is describing his sleeping position in the “lion’s pose”, one does not need to sleep in that pose to attain Enlightenment. This practice is not about training the physical body to permanently assume a specific position during sleep but instead, learning, reflecting, and practicing Teachings to train the mind to acquire wisdom.

5.) “Be possessed of mindfulness and full awareness. Act in full awareness when going forward and returning; act in full awareness when looking ahead and looking away; act in full awareness when flexing and extending your limbs; act in full awareness when wearing your robes and carrying your outer robe and bowl; act in full awareness when eating, drinking, consuming food, and tasting; act in full awareness when defecating and urinating; act in full awareness when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking and keeping silent”.

This Teaching from Gotama Buddha encourages “mindfulness” or “awareness of mind” as he views this quality of mind as always useful and beneficial on The Path to Enlightenment.

In order to purify the mind of unwholesome states and cultivate the mind with wholesome states, one would need to have awareness of mind or Right Mindfulness - practicing this during all wakeful moments during our day. Developing mindfulness in Breathing Mindfulness Meditation is an ongoing daily practice and ensuring the mind is focused on only one singular task at a time will further cultivate Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration resulting in “singleness of mind”.

The Buddha is encouraging one that when they are eating, they are eating. When they are drinking, they are drinking. When they are defecating, they are defecating. When they are urinating, they are urinating. How did Gotama Buddha know 2,500 years ago that people would be sitting on the toilet using electronic devices? Are you one of those people?

The mind can only do one thing at a time. The mind tricks itself into thinking that it is doing more than one thing at a time but, in fact, what it is really doing is rapidly cycling from one thing to the next to the next. Allowing the mind to rapidly cycle in this way creates muddle mindedness, lack of focus and concentration, therefore, it is more likely that one will make unwholesome decisions leading to unwholesome results.

A dedicated and diligent Student would work to apply effort to only focus on one task at a time ensuring complete mindfulness (awareness of mind) and concentration (singleness of mind) in our daily tasks. This takes the training of Breathing Mindfulness Meditation and moves it into daily life through application of the training in a real world setting. This allows a Practitioner to benefit from having cultivated Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration through applying the results of a well cultivated and optimized mind in daily life through our daily tasks making wholesome decisions each moment leading to wholesome outcomes or results.

6.) “Make use of a secluded resting place: the forest, the root of a tree, a mountain, a ravine, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle thicket, an open space, a heap of straw”.

Here, Gotama Buddha is advising his Students to find “a secluded resting place” to meditate. As a roaming Ascetic, Monks would not have a designated home but instead, need to find a suitable place for meditating.

Gotama Buddha shares his approach to the ideal place for meditation and you might decide to try this, from time to time, in your own practice. Meditate in “a secluded resting place” as described here in this Teaching.

7.) “After his meal he sits down, folding his legs crosswise, setting his body erect, and establishing mindfulness before him”.

Gotama Buddha is guiding Students to meditate with folded legs, erecting the upper body, and to setup mindfulness in front of them. This is to bring awareness to the mind prior to meditation. Rather than just plopping down the physical body to meditate, one should sit down with intention and awareness of mind to establish a proper meditation position and then initiate meditation.

A Practitioner is not required to meditate with crossed legs but if choosing to sit on the floor, that is how you would choose to sit.

Detailed explanation on developing a meditation practice is available in Chapter 11 of this same book series found in the book “Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenment” (Volume 1).

8.) Gotama Buddha is providing Teachings that he guides his Students in the elimination of The Five Hindrances. The Five Hindrances are sensual desire, ill will, complacency, restlessness and worry, and doubt. These are not only described in The Five Hindrances but also in The Ten Fetters as part of the pollution that is hindering the mind from experiencing Enlightenment. You will find Gotama Buddha’s Teachings have overlapping guidance depending on which aspect of The Path to Enlightenment he chose to focus on.

In this way, he layered his Teachings one-by-one with connections between The Teachings. This layering effect allows the mind to digest The Teachings gradually in various levels of depth associated with each individual topic of discussion being shared.

One would need to eradicate The Five Hindrances to experience Enlightenment.

Instruction on how to accomplish this goal is provided in videos and classes shared by the author of this book. You can contact the author of this book for detailed instruction and guidance on all aspects of The Path to Enlightenment including the elimination of The Five Hindrances.

You can access an online class where The Five Hindrances were taught using this link.

(Group Learning Program) - The Five Hindrances to Enlightenment & The Seven Factors of Enlightenment

https://youtu.be/mY8xw5wPRiQ

(Podcast) Ep. 290 - (Group Learning Program) - The Five Hindrances to Enlightenment & The Seven Factors of Enlightenment

https://anchor.fm/buddhadailywisdom/episodes/Ep--290---Group-Learning-Program---The-Five-Hindrances-to-Enlightenment--The-Seven-Factors-of-Enlightenment-e1gduid

The Five Hindrances are Eliminated with The Seven Factors of Enlightenment

Monks, these five hindrances are makers of blindness, causing lack of vision, causing lack of knowledge, detrimental to wisdom, leading to discontentedness, leading away from Enlightenment.

What five?

The hindrance of sensual desire is a maker of blindness …

The hindrance of ill will …

The hindrance of complacency …

The hindrance of restlessness and worry …

The hindrance of doubt is a maker of blindness … leading away from Enlightenment.

These five hindrances are makers of blindness, causing lack of vision, causing lack of knowledge, detrimental to wisdom, leading to discontentedness, leading away from Enlightenment.

These Seven Factors of Enlightenment, Monks, are makers of vision, makers of knowledge, promoting the growth of wisdom, free from discontentedness, leading towards Enlightenment.

What seven?

The Enlightenment factor of mindfulness is a maker of vision …

The Enlightenment factor of investigation is a maker of vision …

The Enlightenment factor of energy is a maker of vision …

The Enlightenment factor of joy is a maker of vision …

The Enlightenment factor of tranquility is a maker of vision …

The Enlightenment factor of concentration is a maker of vision …

The Enlightenment factor of equanimity is a maker of vision … leading towards Enlightenment.

These Seven Factors of Enlightenment are makers of vision, makers of knowledge, promoting the growth of wisdom, free from discontentedness, leading towards Enlightenment.

(Reference: SN 46.40)

9.) Gotama Buddha then goes into sharing Teachings on experiencing The Four Jhāna’s as the guidance and instruction provided would lead to the attainment of the Jhānas.

The Jhānas are preliminary phases the mind will experience as it moves from the unEnlightened mind off The Path to Enlightenment to an unEnlightened mind learning, reflecting, and practicing these Teachings on The Path to Enlightenment - namely The Eight Fold Path.

The Jhānas are not permanent and one can regress from the Jhānas if they do not continue through to the first Stage of Enlightenment. Once one attains the first Stage of Enlightenment, the mind will not regress. The mind experiences these attainments of the Jhānas, and the associated benefits, as the mind progresses through these preliminary indications that one’s practice of The Eight Fold Path is well developed.

The difference between the unEnlightened mind off The Path to Enlightenment to the unEnlightened mind experiencing the Jhānas is like, night and day. Oftentimes Practitioners who experience the Jhānas think they have actually attained Enlightenment due to the difference observed to the condition of the mind. But, one who is experiencing the Jhānas will still be experiencing discontentedness as they have not yet eliminated The Ten Fetters. There is much bliss and joy associated with experiencing the Jhānas and the mind’s ego, which is still present, might attempt to convince it that it is further along on The Path to Enlightenment than it really is.

A wise Practitioner would not be affected by the attainment of the Jhānas but instead, remain focused and diligent on the true goal, complete liberation of the mind - Enlightenment. To accomplish that goal, one will need to start directing their attention to the elimination of The Ten Fetters. With this indication that the practice of The Eight Fold Path is well developed through the attainment of the Jhānas, it is now time to start focusing on the attainment of the first Stage of Enlightenment through the elimination and eradication of the first three (3) fetters.

10.) Gotama Buddha wraps up this Teaching with explaining what his “gradual training, gradual practice, and gradual progress” leads to which is “these things conduce both to a peaceful residing here and now and to mindfulness and full awareness for those Monks who are Arahants with taints destroyed, who have lived the holy life, done what had to be done, laid down the burden, reached the true goal, destroyed the fetters of existence, and are completely liberated through final knowledge (wisdom)”.

This is the description of a mind that has reached Enlightenment as described by The Buddha in this specific Teaching and the results therein.