No other event in humanity’s recent past has so starkly and glaringly brought out the uncertainties of human life as the current pandemic. Philosophers tell us that the coronavirus could be a warning that humanity is deviating from the path of nature. Medical practitioners, scholars, and social activists, all urge us to lead a life in harmony with nature; they have all felt the need to imbue our lives with compassion. Away from the glitz of modernity, perhaps the pandemic is reminding us about the reality of impermanence in our lives. Understanding the impermanence of existence and the need for compassion are central elements in the teachings of the Buddha. At this juncture, it is worthwhile to recall the message of unity of humankind, compassion, and forgiveness given by Gautam the Buddha more than 2500 years ago and the path shown by him to get rid of impurities and defilements originating in the mind.
Vipassanā (to see things as they are) is a meditation technique based on the Buddha’s teachings. The method involves observing one’s respiration (ānāpāna) as it is, and not as one would like it to be, the natural breathing (not regulating or controlling the breathing), and bodily sensations, again, natural sensations and not created ones, as they arise and pass. The ultimate goal is to “experience” the universal law of impermanence, governing the whole universe – animate and inanimate – within the framework of one’s body to attain nirvana (extinction), liberation or freedom from the cycle of birth and death by going beyond mind and matter. The three stages of meditation are 1) sīla (morality), 2) samādhi (mastery over mind), and 3) pañña (wisdom). On the foundations of morality, the mind has to be trained to develop the faculty of awareness to experience reality as it is, constantly changing, within the body.
As the mind is trained to develop an awareness of bodily sensations, one experiences the whole phenomenon of constantly changing mind-matter interaction dissolving into subtle vibrations throughout one’s physical structure. The two pillars of this technique are awareness and equanimity. While experiencing bodily sensations, one is supposed to remain equanimous with a perfect understanding of the universal law of impermanence; thus, one stops generating rāga (cravings) and dveṣa (aversions or hatred) – saṅkhāra (impressions carved in consciousness because of the four components of mind – cognizing, recognizing, perception and reaction – coming into contact with matter). Through constant practice, one experiences the ultimate truth within the framework of one’s body, gets rid of saṅkhāra, and stops generating fresh saṅkhāra; thus, one becomes capable of going beyond mind and matter, thereby paving the way for attaining liberation.
Buddha found that all duḥkha (misery) in life was because of rāga – craving, clinging, or attachment and dveṣa – aversion or hatred. The whole spectrum of Indian spirituality before, during, and after Buddha has highlighted the importance of getting rid of cravings, aversions, and ignorance to lead a life free from miseries. Allegedly, Buddha’s contribution lay in showing how to get rid of cravings and aversions through experiencing bodily sensations. Transmigration of the soul or the principle of consciousness and rebirth has always been an integral part of Indian spirituality. Buddha’s contribution lay in showing the path to how to lead a life free from miseries and become liberated from the cycle of birth and death, thereby attaining nirvana.
Buddha found that when the mind comes into contact with matter, internal or external, a sensation is generated on the body to which we react with craving or aversion, thereby generating saṅkhāra. Thus, from the moment life is created, one keeps on generating saṅkhāra
which is the root cause of all misery. By walking on the path of sīla, samādhi, and pañña, it is possible to get rid of the old stock of accumulated saṅkhāra and not create fresh saṅkhāra. Allegedly, while experiencing bodily sensations, the old stock of accumulated saṅkhāra over previous births and during the present life appear in chunks in the form of solidified, gross sensations that get eradicated as one remains equanimous towards these unpleasant sensations. It is possible to reach a stage through constant practice and efforts, as happened with Gautama Buddha. Here one has eliminated all previous saṅkhāra and ceases to generate fresh saṅkhāra. This is seen as a state of full enlightenment.
If at the time of death, the consciousness is free from saṅkhāra a new life is not created, and one attains freedom from the cycle of birth and death. As consciousness is not free from saṅkhāra when a body dies, it enters a new body, a new life starts, and so starts ‘miseries’ of life.
The teachings of Gautama Buddha are premised on the belief that all impurities and defilements originate in the mind; therefore, the solution lay in the purification of mind. Buddha’s teachings can be summarized in the following words: refrain from sinful activities, do pious acts and keep on purifying the mind. A fountain of compassion and love springs from the mind, free from all impurities and defilements.
Science tells us nothing about what happens to consciousness after the body dies. Therefore, we know nothing about life after death. Yet, we know that there have been saintly people and mystics throughout human civilization who cannot be dismissed as self-contented fools. And humans have always turned to religion to come to terms with happenings, events, and situations that we may not find amenable to scientific explanation. Buddha’s message of purification of mind as a way of attaining freedom from the miseries of life and compassion for all living creatures and forgiveness are eternally relevant to humankind.
(Based on a ten-day vipassanā course conducted by the late Guruji Sri S. N. Goenka.)
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