Dear Yong Peng,
op 18-07-2003 17:59 schreef Ong Yong Peng op ypong001@...:

> Can I also say, from my understanding of the sutta text, that regardless of
> agreeable and disagreeable impressions, we have to develop a mental
> state (like the earth, water...) such that these impressions will not
> persistently overwhelm the mind? Is the end result one-pointedness of
> mind, or are we looking at the jhanas here, or are we going into
> insight?

N: As to your Question < Is the end result one-pointedness of mind, or are
we looking at the jhanas here, or are we going into insight?> I would like
to speak first more about Rahula.

We read that Sariputta came along and taught Rahula aanaapaanasati. We have
to consider, to whom was this explained? To Rahula who had accumulated
conditions for jhana and for wisdom even to the degree of arahatship. Soon
he would attain arahatship. We have to read the text of the Co carefully:
<As regards the word, aanaapaanasati, mindfulness of breathing, he
explained: "After you have grasped inbreathing and outbreathing, and
attained the fourth or the fifth stage of jhana, and you have developed
vipassana, insight, reach arahatship.">
Thus, he also had to develop vipassana in order to attain arahatship. During
jhana defilements are temporarily suppressed, not eradicated. When vipassana
is developed to the degree of arahatship, all defilements are eradicated.
We read that Rahula developed understanding of the three general
characteristics of conditioned dhammas. The Visuddhimagga explains that
there are stages of insight and in the course of these stages, panna
understands the three characteristics more deeply. We read in the Co:
<Rahula contemplated the meditation subject that was explained to him by the
Blessed One before and after his meal thus: ³Materiality truly is
impermanent, it truly is unsatisfactory, it truly is foul, it truly is
non-self². >
As we have read in the Subcommentary:
< taadibhaavo naama ni.t.thitakiccassa hoti, aya~nca vipassana.m
anuyu~njati,
The nature of ³suchness² refers to the task that has been completed, and he
applies himself to insight,
atha kimattha.m taadibhaavataa vuttaati?
and then, in which sense was the nature of suchness spoken of?
pathaviisamataadilakkha.naacikkha.naahi vipassanaaya sukhappavattiattha.m.
The explanation of the characteristic of (development) like the earth and so
on has the meaning of a happy course of insight. >
I think this may answer your question about jhana and vipassana. Towards the
end of the sutta the Buddha explained again about mindfulness of breathing.
It is very meaningful that this was explained after he had spoken in detail
to Rahula about the development of vipassana. Rahula could attain jhana with
mindfulness of breathing, but he had to be mindful of nama and rupa in
between the different stages of jhana he entered into and emerged from. He
had to realize also the jhanafactors (applied thought, sustained thought,
rapture, etc.) as impermanent, dukkha and non-self. He should not take
jhanacitta for self. It is explained in the Visuddhimagga and in the Co to
the Anapanasati sutta that mindfulness of breathing can be object of samatha
and of insight. Piya incorporated these explanations in his glosses to the
Mahaaraahulovaadasutta.
Nina.