Directed Thought Applied in Meditation

By

Thomas F. Phelan

(Lung Tom)

A Few Simsapa Leaves Buddhist Center

Walla Walla, Washington 99362

For free distribution:  This work may be republished, reformatted, reprinted, and redistributed in any medium.  It is the authors wish, however, that any such reproduction and redistribution be made available to the public on a free and unrestricted basis and translations and other derivative works be clearly marked as such.

The key to ridding oneself of the mental effluents, and fermentations, is by the use of directed thought, sustained thought, examination, and evaluation.  Many instructors teach vipassana (insight meditation) as mindfully monitoring the mind; watching the arising and cessation of thoughts without clinging to any thought.  An effort is even made to avoid any thoughts at all.

What was the great awakening of the Buddha?  What was his great enlightenment?  What was the salient point of forty five years of teaching?  The Four Noble Truths are the great direct knowledge attained by Siddhattha Gotama under the Bodhi tree at Bodhgaya, India.  The central teaching of all Buddhist traditions is the Four Noble Truths of suffering.  It is this knowledge that made Siddhattha a Buddha.  The Buddha stated that if a teaching did not have to do with the removal of suffering it was not his teaching. Majjhima Nikaya 63: Culamalunkya Sutta. 

The use of directed thought during meditation as taught in this work is all based on suttas in the Pali Canon scriptures.  I am not offering a new kind of meditation, just offering something that is largely overlooked.  It will not be just sitting watching your mind.  You will be actively using your mind applying directed thought to solve your problems with the effluents, and fermentations.

What is the scriptural basis for using directed thought during meditation?  In the Anguttara Nikaya 4:41, Samadhi Sutta the Buddha states that the first Jhana is accompanied by directed thought and evaluation.  In the Anguttara Nikaya 9:36, Jhana Sutta  the Buddha says the ending of mental fermentations depends on the first Jhana.  Now we have two sound scriptural references supporting directed thought during meditation.

 There are many suttas with instructions on meditation.  The two most important are the Digha Nikaya 22, Mahasatipatthana Sutta and the very similar Majjhima Nikaya 10, Satipatthana Sutta.  These two suttas form the foundation of the teaching of insight meditation by the Buddha.  One portion in both of these suttas is often overlooked when teaching meditation.  Each sutta offers meditation based on the Four Noble Truths near the end of each sutta.

 The Buddha did not teach the Four Noble Truths to be some philosophical treatise.  The Buddha intended these truths be directly used to help us get rid of our suffering and stress.  The Mahasatipatthana Sutta discusses the application of the Four Noble Truths in the greatest detail.  How do you contemplate the extensive meanings of the Four Noble Truths without directly thinking about each subject?  You cannot; it is important to think about each of these truths in their full meaning.  First we should look at the basic pattern of the Four Noble Truths. 

1. There is suffering.

2. There is the origin of suffering.

3. There is the cessation of suffering.

4. There is the path to follow for the cessation of suffering.

 The path is known as the Noble Eightfold Path (The middle way).

1. Right Understanding (or view)

2. Right Thought (or Volition)

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration 

Let us examine the wording found in the Mahasatipatthana Sutta referring to meditating on the First Noble Truth: --- Discern, as it is actually present, that this is suffering.  The same wording is applied to the other three Noble Truths.  Note those words: as it is actually present.  We meditate on the suffering that is actually present.  We seek the cause of the suffering as it is actually present.  We seek to get rid of the actually present suffering.  We use the Noble Eightfold Path to remove the suffering.

There is a wonderful sutta that explains using the basic pattern of the Four Noble Truths to obtain insight into many different subjects.  These instructions are in the Majjhima Nikaya 9, Samaditthi Sutta; The sutta about Right View. 

Let us now examine how we can use this basic pattern of the Four Noble Truths to directly think about a mental effluent or fermentation from which we wish to be freed. 

1. I am suffering: I have a big fat lip where I was hit by a fist.

2. There is the origin of suffering: I told that big guy off in not very nice words.

3. There is the cessation of suffering: I must learn to control my spoken words.

4. Within the Noble Eightfold Path I can find the way.  Here it is: Right Speech --- Abstinence from false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech, and gossip. Majjhima Nikaya 117: Mahacattarisaka Sutta.

That is just one example of using the pattern of the Four Noble Truths as a guide to rid oneself of a mental effluent or fermentation.  Although this system as described in the Samaditthi Sutta stays very close to the wording of the Four Noble Truths we are not limited to that in working out freedom from our defilements.  We must first recognize there is an unwholesome situation causing or will cause suffering in our life.  What is its cause, origin?  What can I do to have the cessation of this suffering?  Somewhere among the eight topics of the Noble Eightfold Path there is a solution to my problem.

 Analyze the situation.  Do I have the correct understanding of the cause?  What is the most effective action to correct the problem?  There is no limit to the thoughts we may use to see things as they really are.  Once you see things clearly take the right action with the right effort to remove the problem.  Then throughout your daily activities have right mindfulness to recognize any situation that could cause the problem to recur.

We all experience anger from time to time.  Anger is like striking a match on the side of a match box.  We cannot prevent the initial flare-up but we must learn to blow out the flame of anger before we react to the situation.  To cling to the burning match stick (anger) we surely will be burned.

 If you had an unpleasant encounter during the day and anger occurred developing to the full extent, later while meditating, quiet your mind with mindfulness on breathing.  When you are calm and free from any emotion from the unpleasant situation analyze the situation using the pattern of the Four Noble Truths as a guide.  Think about what happened.  Seek insight so as to prevent a similar situation from happening again.  Review the whole episode without bias.  Did it start with an attitude within either party?  Was impatience a factor?  Was it possible with mindfulness to see the situation could develop into confrontation?  Was there a time when the situation could have been cooled?  Think about these things.  How could it have been prevented?  “I will watch for these things mindfully in the future.”  Thought and evaluation --- that is the key.

 When meditating to remove mental effluents, and fermentations, don’t just sit there --- THINK.  Use directed thought and sustained thought, directed thought and examination, directed thought and evaluation.  All three of these last statements are found at various locations in the suttas describing the first jhana.