yes.. almost 100% traditional way to shave the head. As a full time practice? Probably not.. but it is a memorable experience.. so it is not utilized as much as it should be..
Try this book to understand the order. It is a lesser known pa-auk book.
http://dhammatalks.net/Books10/Pa_Auk_Sayadaw-Light_of_Wisdom.pdf
Traditionally 4 protective meditations can always be applied as a first object. (look it up)
For those who have zero concentration, it is often recommended at na-uyana to do all 4 in one session, (like 15 minutes each * 4 for an hour session).. By shifting the focus, it can help one get concentration on a group of subjects rather than the whole world of subjects. Like a dog tied to a post can only go in the radius of the leash.
Doing all 32 parts or just 5 can also help in the same way.
Yes, the protective practices can be done without a teacher as they are universally beneficial.
In a retreat setting it is also excellent to do all 4 in one session.
If you’re practicing in busy laylife it is also ok to focus on each for a certain amount of time. For example one week or even one month for each. Whatever helps you memorise and get used to the 4 practices.
After you are confident and have memorised them, and have taken up a main meditation subject they can be used as a medicine.
That is before you do your main meditation you self diagnose which of the 5 hindrances (nivarana) are most effecting you that time and are likely to affect your meditation and use the appropriate protection:
lust = Asubha
anger = metta
dullness = buddhanusati
annoyance = maranasati
doubt = all 4
Then after you have done bhavana, usually by reciting a verse and a mantra eg Itipi so and Buddho for however long needed, then the hindrance subsides and you can do the proper meditation easier.
The problem is the English word meditation is non-specific while Pali has many terms.
The standard method after giving (dana) and precepts (sila) are upheld is mental cultivation (bhavana) then concentration meditation (samathakammathan) and finally insight meditation (vipassanā Kammathan).
I believe this is true for Pa-Auk but I’m sure others can correct this if I’m wrong.
When Sila, Dana and Bhavana are established then we take up a meditation subject and commit ourselves to the Buddha and meditation teacher (end of Chapter 3 Visuddhimagga) we may study with them for a long time or just be given a subject to practice by ourselves. However it is, we should make a resolution to practice the specific practice for a set amount of time each day, however many months etc.
We shouldn’t abandon the practice either in the meditation session or after a month etc because we see something new or are bored or our leg aches a bit etc.
This is why the 4 protective practices (caturaraksa) are so important they train the mind like as in the simile of the animal tied to a stake and we can get the tools to deal with the 5 hindrances that interfere with meditation too.
As for books, I live in Thailand so haven’t needed to read any on this topic, but am sure others in this forum have suggestions.
If I were to, say, contemplate and ask myself a questions regarding conditioned nature of things, or like try to think about 12 links of dependent origination and contemplate it in a simmilar would that be considered dry-insight practice?
Thank you Bhante
Thank you
An important question. You have probably heard the terms pariyatti (intellectual understanding), patipatti (direct understanding) and pativedha (realisation).
The patipatti depends on the pariyatti and if we rush to have direct understanding without sufficient correct understanding at the intellectual level we will surely go wrong.
If you are thinking about the dependent origination or other aspects of the Dhamma correctly this is the beginning of pariyatti: and pariyatti can become very deep indeed. These links are all occurring right now so the thinking about them should become more than just a theory that we like/dislike - it can be seen to be completely true. This level of pariyatti comes with saddha (confidence) and wisdom (panna) and so there is the gradual wearing away of the idea of a self who is involved in any of this. It leads to patipatti where there are moments of directly knowing these dhammas.
In short we need to hear, read and contemplate a great deal - and learn to see dhammas here and now.
So vipassana is different from samatha as samatha bhavana involves cultivating only wholesome states. Whereas for the development of insight any object is suitable and for understanding to grow they need to be seen as they really are, merely conditioned phenomena. Undesirable states like boredom, anger, fear , greed are just as important to know as ones like joy, calm and detachment. And also resultant moments - seeing, hearing, tasting etc.
A post was split to a new topic: Pariyatti (intellectual understanding)