Yesterday was Visakha Bucha Day and many people came here to perform a light waving rite. After returning home, did you continue meditation? Who continued the practice? Please raise your hand. It’s good. I was afraid that you just went straight to shopping. Occasionally, we need to detach ourselves from the world and be secluded.
While I was working, there were some long holiday periods: Visakha Bucha, Asalha Bucha, Buddhist Lent, and the December birthday of King Rama IX. There were four long holidays in a year, so I planned for time off before and after. And I detached myself from my usual routine and went to temples to meditate. However, some temples were also chaotic. There were various types of people, but I didn’t pay much attention. My focus was on my meditation. We need to seclude ourselves from the busy world from time to time. Even monks sometimes need to seclude themselves.
“Kaya-viveka” (physical seclusion)
Do you understand the term “seclusion”? The language nowadays has changed and may not be easy to understand anymore. We detach from the monotonous routine and from the chaos of people. Escaping from the crowd, from people, is referred to as “Kaya-viveka” (physical seclusion). Viveka (seclusion) can be categorized into three aspects: physical, mental, and defilement seclusion. Physical seclusion strengthens our mind. Being occupied with other people all day, all month, all year can be exhausting.
The term “people” implies chaos, and each person causes their own chaos. Being involved with ten people means experiencing dozens of different forms of chaos. The more people involved, the greater the chaos. When we have the opportunity, we should spend time with ourselves. This is called seclusion. In strict terms, physical seclusion means separating our physical body and removing ourselves from the crowd.
However, we need to be careful here. Sometimes, even when we are alone, we are still unable to escape from entanglement. In this era, the internet gives constant access. People can reach us at any time, and it becomes challenging to be secluded. Even in a forest, communication can keep reaching us. Previously we had SMS messages, and now we have Line, Instagram, etc. If so, we’re not in seclusion. We detach only superficially, but we are still involved with other people. If that’s the case, our mind and body never truly get to rest. That’s why we need to be secluded. When we go for meditation, just turn off your mobile phone. Don’t be too worried about the busy world.
However, seclusion doesn’t necessarily mean complete isolation from all human beings. Sometimes, we invite each other to meditate together as a group. This can be considered a form of seclusion. Seclusion means separating ourselves from the chaotic people that are filled with desires. However, if we group to create merit and meditate, this is good, and there’s no need for seclusion.
In the past, when I was beginning to practice, I had a spiritual companion. We went together to listen to Dhamma teachings. We exchanged experiences and meditated together. That is a form of seclusion because we grouped for wholesomeness, not unwholesomeness.
We want seclusion from the chaotic world and unwholesomeness. If we don’t know what we’re doing, even if we stay in a forest, we might not be secluded. Seclusion helps us become calm and filled with energy to continue with meditation. The more people that we get involved with, the more our mind’s energy declines. Try to associate only with those who lead us to virtuous minds. This is a positive and acceptable connection.
I observed periods of physical seclusion once every 3 months. During these times, I spent it to meditate by myself and I set aside all other burdens. When I later returned to face work and other responsibilities, my mind became strong, energetic, and refreshed.
“Citta-viveka” (mental seclusion), the mind that is not entangled in defilements
Another type of seclusion is “Citta-viveka” (mental seclusion), which is more difficult than physical seclusion. Mental seclusion means detaching from the unwholesome mind. We need to practice meditation to the level of Jhana to achieve temporary seclusion from mental defilements. When the mind is in the state of Jhana, it is having mental seclusion because the mind is not entangled in defilements. Mental distractions are temporarily subdued, and the mind becomes tranquil and content.
Initially, calm meditation may be challenging to practice. However, with consistent practice, it will be within our capacity to do it. The first step is physical seclusion: don’t be involved with others unnecessarily. Next, we train our mind by practicing meditation and having mindfulness. When defilements or hindrances arise in the mind, we need to have mindfulness, and the defilements will cease. Hindrances are the intermediate level of defilement. Once we’re aware of them, they will cease and concentration will arise instead.
Or we can practice fully by meditating to the level of Jhana. Some meditations such as contemplating the 3 jewels, almsgiving, and precepts can’t bring the mind to the level of Jhana, but they can bring the mind to the level of access concentration. Some meditations that can bring the mind to the level of Jhana include watching the breath, watching the body etc. Compassion meditation also makes the mind calm and can be expanded indefinitely. It can also help the mind reach the formless Jhana.
If we have access to Jhana, then practice it. But if not, just use momentary concentration where the mind gets calmer once in a while but not to the level of Jhana. Can we practice Vipassna and finally become an arahant through this practice? The answer is yes. We can become an arahant without practicing Jhana. This is one type of arahant called “dry-visioned arahant” (Sukkha-vipassaka).
If we compare this to a long journey to get out of samsara. Some people have the means to travel luxuriously, taking airplanes and resting in 5-star hotels along their journey. These are the people that travel pleasantly. However, some people can’t afford to travel luxuriously. They can’t afford cars and hotel rooms. But they can walk and sleep on the side of the road or under big trees. Finally, they can still reach their destination, but they won’t have much happiness along their journey.
Dhamma practice is similar. Those who practice pleasantly are those who can practice Jhana. They can tune in to their inner peace and mental seclusion, then their mind will have more power and be able to continue fresh with wisdom development. Those who can’t practice Jhana can continue to practice Vipassana and they can become the“dry-visioned arahant” (Sukkha-vipassaka).
However, they won’t gain additional threefold knowledge such as knowing their past lives or knowing the rebirth place of others. There is also the sixfold knowledge such as having divine eyes and ears, knowing the minds of others etc. These people can practice Jhana and access additional knowledges, but they still need to stay with wisdom cultivation, not restlessness.
For us, it difficult to develop these knowledges, so just do what we can. We just practice any meditation and be aware of our mind. Whether our mind is calm or restless, be aware of it and defilements will subside. This is temporarily having mental seclusion. By being mindful of the current phenomenon of our mind, we can have mental and physical seclusion.
For example, when we are in a shopping mall, it’s excessively chaotic, loud, and crowded. However, if we have mindfulness to observe the working of our body and mind, then physical and mental seclusion can arise amidst the chaos.
So, if we are skilled with our practice, we can achieve seclusion anywhere. However, physically it might be exhausting as we have to avoid bumping into other people and we still have physical burden. Yet, if we can be mindful of our body and mind as it moves and changes, we can still attain seclusion. Both our body and mind can be secluded from defilements.
Therefore, try to have constant mindfulness in our mind. This way, we achieve entry level physical and mental seclusion. If we want to go for a retreat, we should separate ourselves from people to attain full physical seclusion. In the Jhana state, the mind is in mental seclusion, and it’s not just a meditative state, it’s a mind free from defilements. Hence, at the moment the noble path and noble mind arise, the mind is in mental seclusion.
Let’s practice. It’s not difficult. If we still have to live a worldly life, and can’t fully practice all the time, then how can we detach ourselves from this busy world? How can we have mental seclusion even though we still live in this busy world? We have to have mindfulness of our body and mind as they move and change. This is also gaining temporary physical and mental seclusion.
“Upadhi-viveka” (seclusion from all fabrications)
One more type of seclusion is “Upadhi-viveka”, seclusion from all fabrications. For example, the 5 aggregates, the defilements, are fabrications. But there’s another state that once we reach it, it’s beyond fabrication, beyond suffering, beyond all defilements.
This is Upadhi-viveka, the seclusion from fabrication. It’s the mind reaching nirvana and the mind that stays with nirvana. While the mind is sensing nirvana, it lets go of the aggregates, the physicality and mentality, and all the fabrications. It lets go of everything and reaches an unfabricated state. Reaching the unfabricated state is reaching nirvana. This is seclusion from fabrication.
In conclusion, there are 3 levels of seclusion. The first is physical seclusion; we should separate ourselves from chaotic groups. If we can’t separate ourselves yet, then have mindfulness to guard our mind. Even if our surroundings are chaotic, but our mind is not chaotic. This is the entry level of physical and mental seclusion. For mental seclusion, we only fully attain it while the mind is in Jhana or while the noble path and fruition arise.
After the noble fruition mind ceases, the noble person can reenter a type of Jhana called ‘Phala Samapatti’ using nirvana as the meditation object. This is mental seclusion, but normal people can’t access this state. Phala Samapatti can only be accessed by noble people who have experienced the noble fruition.
During Phala Samapatti, the mind retains nirvana as its meditation object and holds the quantity of any level of Jhana from the 1st level to the 8th level. There’s also the 9th level of Samapatti called Nirodha Samapatti. Phala Samapatti and Nirodha Samapatti are not similar. During Phala Samapatti, the mind stays with nirvana, but during Nirodha Samapatti, it feels as if there’s no mind. This needs to be experienced to be understood.
Luan Pu Dune taught that, “The mind is not the mind, but isn’t not the mind.” This is the mind that is liberated. It still functions as a knowing element. The phenomenon that knows is called the mind. The liberated mind lets go of the aggregates and knows the nirvana instead. This is having the mind, but it’s not like the mind but isn’t not the mind. Sometimes masters need to create new words to communicate with us. Their words may not exactly match with the texts, but the meaning is true.
If you only learn from the texts, there’s no way you can understand Dhamma, because Dhamma needs to be practiced. Even mindfulness and concentration, not many people truly have them. I used to tell Ar, “This world is full of people that are lost, there are few who have awareness.” People may think that everyone has awareness, that’s how people can live and drive cars etc. But I’m talking about another type of awareness.
Dhamma can’t be understood by reading or thinking. We need to understand Dhamma by seeing the truth. If we come back to read the texts after we understand Dhamma, we’ll realize that the texts are correct, but people don’t understand correctly. So Luang Pu Man said, “Whenever Dhamma goes into a layperson’s heart, it becomes erroneous.” No matter how clever that person is, it’s still false Dhamma if it can’t cleanse their defilements.
The simple way to have physical and mental seclusion is to meditate and be aware of our own mind
So, we have to practice observing our body and mind as they are with the upright and neutral mind. When we feel too tired or exhausted, we can practice calm meditation. It doesn’t matter if we attain Jhana or not; the important thing is to keep practicing. For example, just watch the breath continuously, whether our mind becomes calm or not, we just keep at it.
All meditation objects, whether breathing and noting Bud-Dho or any technique is equivalent once we know the secret. The secret is “knowing our mind”. Practice meditation and be aware of the mind that goes thinking or focuses into the meditation object. It’s all about being aware of our own mind. At such times we have physical seclusion no matter what meditation we’re doing.
Meditation is an individual activity. Even when we’re with hundreds of people, we just meditate individually. At such times we have physical seclusion despite the chaotic world. Let our mind stay with the meditation object relaxingly. Don’t forget the meditation object and don’t focus stressfully. When our mind is calm and peaceful with meditation, it can be considered as having mental seclusion.
So, the simple way to have physical and mental seclusion is to meditate and be aware of our own mind. The meditation object can be your body or a mental object, but the important thing is to be aware of our own mind. Even when we’re in a group of hundreds of people, but we don’t interact with them or mingle with them. This is having physical seclusion. While we’re not interacting with other people and our mind doesn’t have unwholesomeness. This is having mental seclusion.
This is the easy way to have physical and mental seclusion, just meditate and be aware of our own mind. The meditation object can be physical or mental, the key is to be aware of our own mind.
I have practiced meditation for a long time. It took me over ten years to grasp this insight. In the past, I would watch my breath and it took a long time to calm down. Then, I learned a trick: While watching my breath, whether my mind wanders off thinking, or it focuses into the breath, I will be aware of my mind. At the moment I’m aware of my mind, concentration arises instantly. So, I can achieve concentration with that single moment of mindfulness.
Let’s practice cultivating physical and mental seclusion. Full physical seclusion is separating from people, but if you can’t separate, just use the trick that I told you: read your own mind. If you ask me how I feel when I’m among a big group of people or when I’m in a room with thousands of people listening to my preaching, how do I feel? I feel as if I’m among the trees, in a forest, a field of flowers, because I don’t mingle with the people. This is physical seclusion and mental seclusion.
While we protect our mind with mindfulness, defilements don’t arise, and that’s mental seclusion. If our mind doesn’t meddle with other people, we can gain physical seclusion. It can be archived by having mindfulness. But oftentimes, our body still needs to interact with other people.
Like how the masters have to give talks Dhamma talks and answer questions. The master’s mind isn’t entangled with us, but still, they need to use their physical body to work. They have to converse with us, pondering how to make us understand correctly. So, they need to use their body, and the body can run out of energy and become fatigue. So, sometimes they have to fully withdraw from the world, not interacting with anyone.
The Buddha also went into full physical seclusion from time to time when he was too exhausted. As he grew older, he once went into seclusion for 3 months. He instructed Ananda not to allow anyone to see him and only Ananda would bring his food, one meal a day. Then he stayed alone, under a tree, in a hut or in the forest. Once he had fully rested, he would come back to teach with energy. This is related to the physical body. Even though his mind has reached true seclusion, he still needed to use his body to teach, so he needed to rest from time to time.
Those with wisdom know the way to withdraw themselves from this chaotic world
In summary, in order to progress with our meditation, we need to be secluded from time to time. When there is an opportunity to be secluded from other people, do so. But while there’s no chance, just take care of your mind. Previously before I was ordained, sometimes I had to go to buy stuff from shopping malls. There would be a lot of people and loud music. My mind would be bombarded by sensory stimuli. However, I would stay with my physical and mental seclusion. It’s as if I’m in an open field with nothing else around.
Train ourselves and we can be happy in the present. Our mind will develop wholesomeness and relinquish unwholesomeness. We develop wisdom by seeing the truth of the body and mind until the mind lets go of its attachment to the body and mind. The mind then reaches the state of Nirvana – seclusion from fabrications. Nirvana is beyond all fabrications. Upadhi-viveka is the state where the mind detaches itself from all fabrications.
The aggregates, the defilements, sensory perception are all fabricated phenomena. The intention to be involved with the world is also a fabrication. Some people are already stream-enterer or once-returner but they still want to be reborn. This is still fabrication and not yet reaching fabrication seclusion.
One day, we will be able to remain calm amidst chaos, withdrawing ourselves from the commotion. Even amidst the chaos, our lives can become truly content. Why should we suffer all the time? Those with wisdom know the way to withdraw themselves from this chaotic world. Whenever our body or mind moves, be aware of them. We’ll attain physical, mental and fabrication seclusion step by step.
That’s all my preaching today. Today’s topic is quite unusual. Who wants to go on a seclusion break? If you do so it’s better to turn off your mobile phone. Let your aggregates rest from time to time. But seclusion is not running away from the world. Seclusion and running away are different. Running away is caused by anger, but seclusion is a wholesome intention.
Next weekend I won’t be at this temple and won’t preach here. I will be going to Surin to attend the funeral of my Preceptor at Wat Buparam. They’ve invited me for over a month already. After this funeral, I won’t need to go to Surin again. All the elder teachers that I used to visit aren’t there anymore. In fact, there is still one elder teacher left in Surin, that’s Luang Pu Suphon. But he’s very old now and his memory is fading. This is a normal thing of the brain, not the mind. His mind is good, but the brain can degrade.
While Luang Pu Dune was still alive, there were many skilled meditators in Surin, both monks and laypeople. But gradually, all of them pass away. Now most people just listen to the sermons by custom. Those who truly practice Dhamma are very few.
When I go to preach, many people come to attend, but it’s mostly my disciples in the northeastern region, from Ubon, Mahasarakham, Khon Kaen, and so on. But I won’t be going as often in the future. This time, the Dhamma talk will be from 6 pm to 7pm. It’s good that it isn’t late. Sometimes in the past, it used to be very late. Only the elderly would go to listen as a tradition. As days pass by, the number of meditators dwindle. So, we have to hurry and practice while we can.
Wat Suansantidham
4 June 2023