Mindfulness of Feelings

Mindfulness of feelings, when developed, overcomes the hallucination of happiness (ie taking what is not happiness for happiness). In order to break this hallucination, we have to see the truth of suffering. One way in which suffering manifests itself clearly is through pain. Pain is also usually the clearest (though not pleasant) mental phenomenon that appears to a beginner. It offers the meditator something interesting to be mindful of. The danger is in reacting with anger or irritation towards the pain, in which case one is no longer Whatever an enemy might do to an enemy, Or a hater to those he hates, A wrong directed mind Can do even greater harm than that. UDANA 4.3

mindful. If anger arises, a meditator should note it until it vanishes before returning to noting the pain. The idea is to be as relaxed and steady as possible while watching it. If one can do so, one will be able to see pain taking various forms—pulling pain, sharp pain, hot pain, aching pain, etc. If one is not mindful, one will not be able to face the pain. Concentration merely magnifies the intensity of the pain. Merely tolerating the pain with anger is also improper. It may even lead one to hysteria. It you cannot watch the pain, then ignore it. If it cannot be ignored, then change your posture mindfully or get up and do walking meditation (which can help to build up your mindfulness).

If we are able to see pain changing and taking various forms, our perception of change and impermanence (anicca) will become keener. The pain also becomes tolerable. A useful advice given is: “We do not watch the pain to make it go away but to develop our mindfulness and see its true nature.” In this way we will become detached from the body as well as feelings.

Sometimes people give up because of fear that they may become paralysed or their health may be impaired. But many meditators have sat for hours and no one has ever become crippled or paralysed. The fear is actually unfounded.

When we watch pleasant feeling, we also do so to see its true nature, which we are told, is suffering or unsatisfactory. It usually arises when pain disappears or when we meet an agreeable object. We have to be mindful of pleasant feeling when it arises; otherwise we will enjoy and be attached to it. Just as anger is inherent in the painful object, attachment is inherent in the pleasant object. There are some people who “fear” pleasure when it arises because they are afraid they may become attached to it. Pleasant feeling by itself, however, is not harmful. As long as we note it accordingly and are not attached to it, it is harmless. If we are mindful, our concentration will be enhanced. The thing to guard against is complacency which may lead us to wrong concentration or, as a lesser setback, cause us to fall asleep.

It is not very easy to see pleasant feelings change. If we can do so, they will normally pass away to something less pleasant or perhaps neutral. Pleasure also passes away; therefore it is unsatisfactory. Usually, neutral feeling can only be perceived by the more advanced meditators. According to one teacher, it is noted only at the fifth stage of insight—the knowledge of dissolution. At this knowledge, we begin to abandon concepts and the true meaning of dukkha (suffering) reveals itself. In Buddhism, we sometimes come across the phrase “suffering of formations” (sankhara dukkha)—the unsatisfactoriness of incessant change. Words cannot describe the nature of this suffering, for words, after all, are only concepts. The nature of sankhara dukkha must be experienced and understood by each person for themselves. When we can really experience the incessant change, we shall also understand and appreciate the peace that comes from its cessation.

UNPLEASANT FEELINGS

here is one more object, which I need to elaborate for the sake of beginners. This is the pain. What we have been speaking of, all this while, comes under kayanupassana satipatthana or the mindfulness concerning body or the body activities and processes— “rising” and “falling,” “sitting” and “touching,” walking, eating and so forth. This comes under kaya and this kaya comes under rupa, which comes under material qualities. It will eventually end up mainly on the four elements (earth, fire, water, and wind elements) and you will find that, largely, it is the wind element—which is more prominent—the element of motion, tension, vibration, and so forth. When you can single out that characteristic and watch it as a process, you may be mindful enough to comprehend the three universal characteristics of impermanence, suffering, and non-self; the clear experience and comprehension of which is insight. Now, we talk about this painful feeling. Painful feeling is something that we cannot avoid. It is one of the things that comes with our body. Rather than trying to avoid it as in normal circumstances, we can make use of it here to develop our mindfulness, concentration, and insight. What formerly was, later was not; What formerly was not, later was; It was not and will not be And does not now exist. * UDANA 6.3

*According to Comy., the first line of the verse refers to the defilements, which formerly existed and then ceased at the moment of enlightenment. The second refers to those virtuous and faultless qualities present at that moment. And the final two lines refer to the noble path as an unrepeatable experience, i.e. the path-moment (arahatta-magga) which occurs but once and is then immediately followed by its fruition (arahatta-phala). The latter, however, is repeatable throughout the remainder of life.

In pure insight meditation, pain is a frequent encounter. This is because you are very aware of the body processes. Therefore, when they arise, we have to note them mindfully.

What do you mean by noting them mindfully? Here, in order to note mindfully, the main factor for the mind to remember is, to be in a peaceful and undisturbed state. Usually, when pain arises, we get tensed up or frightened. We want to avoid it and escape from it. However, instead of doing that, you should welcome it like a friend or a stern teacher—a good, compassionate but stern teacher. Many people need stern teachers. Therefore, when the teacher sits down and gives you a lecture or sermon, you should listen to every word because it is good for you. Your mind should also be soft and receptive.

Pain is something like that. When it comes, be peaceful and relaxed—like a cotton wool that absorbs everything yet remains undisturbed. It is easy to do this with lesser pain or smaller pain but when the pain becomes intense, then firm mindfulness—a firm but peaceful and undisturbed state of mind—is needed.

There will come a time when the mind does become agitated and this is usually accompanied by ill-will or anger. Then you should note “anger, anger, impatient, impatient.” You take a deep breath, try to relax, stabilise the mindfulness, and keep watch.

Learning to be mindful of unpleasant feelings

When you are able to watch the pain mindfully, it does not just involve keeping the mind to the pain. If you just keep the mind to the pain, it is just concentrating on the pain and the pain becomes exaggerated and magnified. You will then see a small pain as a big pain, a giant of a pain or a mountain of a pain. If your mindfulness is not strong enough, you will give up.

The trick here is not to hold the mind to the pain, but to observe it. Observation starts by identifying the different types of pain that is present—sour pain, hot pain, and so forth. Ask yourself how many types of pain you can identify when watching this. How do you describe it?

When you can see these different types of pain clearly, you will also be able to see how they arise and disappear, how they seem to move from one place to another and so forth. When you can start perceiving the change, see it starting probably as a form of a throb, then you will be able to see the change more and more clearly. This is also the same principle used in watching pain during sickness. When you are forced to watch pain during sickness, you do not just concentrate on it because it becomes more painful. The idea is to watch the change between the painful feelings.

People do not usually like to take pain as a main object of meditation because it is usually very stressful and not many people can do it. Nevertheless, when you do vipassana, you will have to face it eventually. You can watch it as long as you can be mindful. When it comes to the point where you really cannot be mindful anymore, or when you are just sitting there, biting your tongue and keeping on thinking “When is it going to go away?” then there is no more mindfulness. This has become pointless. It is then time to change the posture—either by stretching the legs and bending it into a different position or getting up to walk. There are, of course, some phases you have got to go through before you do that.

First, you watch the pain directly. When you cannot do that any more, watch it indirectly, and when you cannot do that any more, ignore the pain and watch something else. Only when you cannot do all of the above, can you then shift and change your posture. The main thing is not to sit to want the pain to go away. The main thing is to sit and develop mindfulness concerning pain. Thus, you also develop concentration and insight.

Important points in watching pain

There are a number of things I have noticed concerning yogis when it comes to watching pain. Firstly, make sure that you are mindful. Secondly, be detached from the body. Sometimes, the pain is not actually that severe. It is the fear concerning the impairment of bodily parts or death that stops us from watching the pain. Above, below, and everywhere released, One not observing “I am this”* Has crossed the flood not crossed before, Freed thus with no renewal of being. UDANA 7.1

*This implies the absence of conceit and wrong views, which have both been uprooted by the arahant; or it implies the contemplation with insight of all conditioned things as “ This is not mine, this is not I, this is not myself, “ by which one attains arahantship.

In most cases, the pain does not go to such an extent that you actually become disabled. It is more of the fear concerning it. The instruction is not to sit ten hours. The instruction is to sit one hour. Usually, when you sit for one hour, nothing will go wrong with the body or legs.

There are also different types of observation that I have noticed concerning watching pain. The preferred one is the one-pointedness, which means, you pinpoint the most painful part and zero your awareness into it. This is called the direct encounter. Awareness is like a surgeon’s knife that goes into it and observes it. Usually when your mindfulness is one-pointed and really focused, then it is very strong. You are usually able to see some degree of change there, and if you are able to bear with it long enough, then the pain will disappear. Failing that, another approach is to adopt a wider perspective or view. This happens when your whole leg is in pain. Not one single part seems to be more painful than the other. The whole situation seems to be “here pain, there pain, everywhere pain.” Then you have to focus your mindfulness as if it is covering the whole part of your legs. Otherwise, when you watch one part, another part of your body will be in pain. You watch another part, still some other part of your body will be in pain. The mind may then start running about and get distracted.

Of course, in the case when the pain comes because of a physical cause—you are sick—then those types of painful sensations can be more persistent and stubborn. It will not go away because it is not a pain made obvious via meditation. It is not a pain that comes through a posture. There is something physically wrong with the body. In such a case, it is advised that one does not pay much attention to it in the beginning because it will not go away, and it can be very distressing. Therefore, it is advised that you try to ignore it, build up the mindfulness and concentration on other easier objects such as “rising” and “falling.” If you really try to put your mind to the “rising” and “falling,” you can actually ignore the pain and you will not feel the pain at all. When you can take pain as a vipassana object, then insight knowledge may arise.

When the mindfulness and concentration is developed, you can have insight and experience the three universal characteristics concerning pain. When you are able to apply the same knowledge onto the sickness, you will also be able to handle it and may be able to even overcome and cure it.

Therefore, this meditation on painful feelings actually has many advantages. Firstly, we will be able to face pain in a more peaceful and dignified manner when we cannot run away from it. For example, when we come into a serious illness, we can still maintain a peaceful and happy mind until whatever happens next.

Secondly, pain is a very strong object. It is very peculiar to vipassana. It can bring about vipassana concentration quickly if you can bear it. The trouble is, it is quite oppressive, and it saps a lot of energy. However, if you can bear it, then vipassana concentration will come up very quickly because the object is very strong. When you can take it as a vipassana object, then insight knowledge may arise and you move closer to your cherished goal Nibbana.

Pleasant and neutral feelings

Of course, we do not only meet with painful feelings. We also meet with pleasant or happy feelings. Happy bodily feelings mean physical comfort. This is not so obvious to the beginner except, probably, for when you go to sleep. When you lie down, you feel very comfortable and that is why you sleep very quickly. By right, you should also note mindfully until you fall asleep.

What is more important is when pleasant feelings arise in the mind. This occurs when the concentration builds up and joy arises. When joy and the peaceful states of consciousness arise, and you feel happy, then you have to note it mindfully. You have to build up your energy and alertness; otherwise, you will fall asleep or get attached to the pleasant feelings, in which case you do not progress. Worse, you may go into wrong concentration and hallucinations because craving has set in.

Therefore, you have to note. Make sure you note very energetically when happy feelings arise. If you can note the happy feelings as they He has cut the round, won the desireless, The dried up river flows no more; The severed round does not revolve— Just this is the end of suffering. UDANA 7.2

arise and pass away very mindfully, then you can proceed to noting the happy feelings, and you will also be able to attain the knowledge of the three universal characteristics. Alternatively, when we say vipassana insight or insight knowledge, it is with regards to the rising and passing away of pleasant feelings.

But, if you note the pleasant feeling and you do not see any changes, it is just happy, peaceful and nothing else, then it is better not to stay in that mental state, no matter how pleasant it is. It is “dangerous.” Mindfulness will slip off and you may end up in a kind of wrong concentration. Therefore, it is better to pull the mind out of that happy state and make it watch the “rising” and “falling,” “sitting” and “touching,” or pain.

Finally, in more advanced meditation, you are able to note, not just pleasant feelings but also neutral feelings. You will find that the neutral feelings are the subtlest of all feelings. It is in the equanimity derived from neutral feelings that makes the mind become really peaceful and concentrated. In that state, the mind can also be very mindful. It is just like an undisturbed state of water, very still and very clear. There are no waves. The moment the waves arise, that means the feelings have become more pronounced. Meditation on feelings is called vedananupassana, which is the second foundation of mindfulness. When you can be mindful of feelings, you become a master of feelings. You can make use of it for any noble purpose you wish to do. These are the two basic objects— the body foundation of mindfulness and feelings. You will notice that in both cases, it is bringing the mind finally to a natural mind or body process. In the case of body activities, it is the body process. In the case of the feelings, it is the mental process. If you watch the mental or body processes carefully, then you watch it as a series of phenomena. When you watch it as a series of phenomena, you see into the characteristics of impermanence. When the characteristics of impermanence become clear, the characteristics of suffering become clear. When both of these characteristics become clear, the characteristics of non-self become clear. In this way, you can proceed and improve on your meditation in order to go into insight knowledge.