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Arahattamagga Arahattaphala
the path to becoming an arahant

What is an Arahant?
An arahant (arahat, arhat), in the Buddhist Theravada traditions, is anyone who has achieved enlightenment and reached Nirvana. He is free from rebirth and will no longer be reincarnated. But, he is not yet Buddha...but very close to becoming one.

Acariya Maha Boowa Nanasampanno
Ajahn Maha Bua is not just a self-proclaimed arahant, but widely regarded in all of Thailand as such. He is arguably one of the most popular monks in the country. He passed on not too long ago (2011) but his legacy is here to endure and benefit generations to come.

DIY Guide to becoming an Arahant
I stumbled upon this book while doing my 10-day meditation retreat at Wat Pa Tam Wua Forest Monastery. This is one powerful book about an arahant's account of his meditation journey - his challenges, what he has achieved and the wisdom learned along the way. It serves as a blueprint for a meditation path to those who wish to go deeper into their practice.

Buddho
Here, the monk-author describes having a meditation word to anchor his meditation focus. His word was Buddho - a traditional epithet for the Buddha usually chanted like a mantra during the in-breath and the out-breath. Buddho became the sole object of his attention. At some point, he attained clarity and stillness of mind where Buddho wasn't even needed. Having attained that though, he was lost. What would he use to anchor his meditation with, if Buddho wasn't even needed? He started defaulting back into awareness.

Samadhi
In the passing days, he would straddle between Buddho and awareness with increasing beneficial results until he reached Samadhi - an intense state of focused awareness, assuming a life of its own, independent of any meditation technique. (It is important to note that the Buddho has been instrumental in getting the author to this point - Samadhi. But now in Samadhi, the purpose of Buddho as a meditation anchor has already been served. There is no more need to invoke Buddho.) With continued practice, Samadhi built into an unshakable solid inner foundation where everyday thoughts and emotions are no longer desired. The mind remains peaceful and contented with no external thought. The feeling of continuous Samadhi is so concentrated that meditators either get attached to it or mistake it for Nibbana.

Pain, Body and Knowing-Self
He would meditate continuously for long hours without feeling the body...until he experienced intense pain. His mindful investigation led him to this new wisdom - that the body, pain and the knowing-self (citta) are 3 independent entities. Pain cannot exist without the citta allowing it - therefore, it is in our capacity to stop the pain. Upon realizing that, pain completely stopped.

A Repulsive Body?
I don't agree with the author 100%. He claims the human body is repulsive - that it is ugly and only masked on the outside by a deceptively attractive skin, but within, it is an amalgamation of fluids, flesh, bones and ligaments. He describes the body as, "ruinous defilement spreading its noxious poison everywhere". (He is really talking about sexual aversion. I guess as a monk, he has to find ways to neutralize his sexual impulses (kamaraga). I, on the other hand, celebrate the human body. The body is a reverential altar to be held inviolate of impurities - no drugs, nicotine or alcohol (well, maybe a beer or two). Needless to say, I enjoy the company of the opposite sex - thus, I cannot belong to any monastic order.)

Samadhi vs. Wisdom
In the quest for wisdom, when the mind is relentlessly investigating the phenomenon, returning to a state of Samadhi seems wasteful and unproductive. But Samadhi is necessary - even if the mind has to be coerced into it. The mind needs to take rest. Samadhi is an essential and indispensable complement to wisdom. When balance is achieved between Samadhi and Wisdom, then the mind is optimized to pursue its continuing investigation.

Brain vs. Heart
The brain is merely an instrument that human consciousness uses. When the knowing nature of the mind (citta) enters into a deep state of calm and concentration (samadhi), the conscious awareness that is normally diffused throughout the body simultaneously converges from all areas of the body into one central point of focus at the middle of the chest - the heart. The knowing quality manifests itself prominently at the heart and not from the brain. Although the faculties of memorization and learning arise from the brain, direct knowledge of the truth arises from the heart. Progress in meditation is experienced and understood in the heart - and only in the heart. The true seat of consciousness is in the heart. (It is interesting to note that when arahantship has been attained, the seat of pure bliss no longer comes from the heart. The bliss has no discernible point of origin. It seems to be everywhere.)

The mechanistic view that when the brain dies, consciousness ceases, is entirely wrong. Consciousness does not come from the brain. The brain is simply a complex organ that processes sensations (thoughts, feelings, memory) but it does not produce consciousness.

Mindfulness (sati) and Wisdom (panna)
Mindfulness and wisdom are perhaps 2 of the most powerful allies in meditation. Through mindfulness, we become the Knower. And being aware, we investigate body sensations with a calm and non-reactive mind. This investigation leads to insight and wisdom. Together, mindfulness & wisdom forge their way through mental defilements (kilesa), cravings, aversions, etc. until they are understood for what they are and extinguished.

SN Goenka
SN Goenka talked about the non-self anatta. He cited that anatta is such an advanced concept to be introduced to beginners. In the following order, he suggested that beginners should first be taught impermanence (anicca), then suffering (dukkha) and only when the student understands both should the concept of non-self (anatta) be taken. These are the 3 basic characteristics of existence.

I agree from experience. Early on in my yoga practice, the non-self was always underscored by the teachers. Together with everyone else, I just nodded but didn't really understand what it meant. I seriously doubt if the teachers themselves also know what it meant. It was one of those popular lines that kept getting repeated in yoga classes. Without being grounded on impermanence and suffering/craving, the concept of non-self is too abstract.

Citta
Citta is the mind's essential knowing nature, but is often contaminated by activities within itself such as suffering, blame, happiness, good, evil, praise, etc. Citta is where the awareness, mindfulness and wisdom happens. Citta is what is left after death and left to wander from birth to birth - the citta doesn't die (so, is the citta the soul that survives death?). The citta complies to the karmic rules - rebirth or ascension. Once an arahant, the citta is released from the rule of karma. Conventional reality ceases to exist and the true nature of the citta is realized. Hmmm...sounds like the Holographic Universe Theory that says reality as we know it is simply a simulation. The citta is free from all the contaminants and become pure - free from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

The 3 Levels of Separation within the Citta

1. separation from the body - the true nature of the citta is very hard to grasp because it is extremely subtle, even to seasoned meditators. Citta only becomes comprehensible and discernable once Samadhi is achieved. In samadhi, when the mind realizes it is not the body, when the gross solidity of the body is no longer felt, but instead, feeling a mass of vibrations arising and passing. This is the beginning when the citta realizes it is not the body. The feeling is liberation and most meditators think they have achieved Nibbana. This is not so. But it's a big step towards it.
2. separation from the components of personality - even if the body is no longer present, the citta is not fully free yet. It is still engaged with the mental components of personality: feelings (vedana), memory (sanna), thoughts (sankhara), and consciousness (vinnaoa). (note: I'm confused here when the word consciousness is bundled-up with the lesser elements like memory and thought. Did it mean awareness? Because I see consciousness as the ultimate remainder when everything is filtered out. So how can you possibly remove this and still be aware of what's happening?) - therefore, the self is not totally empty and the I still exists - my memories, my feelings. We still take ownership of these things. The mind is only fully liberated when it realizes that even its thoughts, feelings, and memories are not part of the self. Through further investigation with tenacity using mindfulness, meditators later realize they are not yet free. Going deeper into Samadhi, they are able to eradicate these - thought, memory and feelings. Now, they feel the permeating radiance of their minds that seems to transcend the entire realm of conventional reality - a feeling of invulnerability so strong. They are again deceived into thinking they have attained full liberation. No, not yet. But it's the 2nd big step towards it.
3. separation from ignorance (avijja) - this is the last phase and the most difficult because it is very subtle and permeates within the citta, concealed. Meditators are completely unaware that real ignorance is still hiding within the citta itself. What the mind doesn't realize, is that it is still subject to the functions of self. The concept of self is still present - and that is the true nature of ignorance. Ignorance is the root cause of all delusion.
   
   It's like a person in a dark empty room. He thinks it is empty. Eventually, he also realizes that it is not empty because he remains there as a magnificent radiance that deceives him into thinking it's a virtue. He has to move out - only then does the room become completely empty. Same for the meditator, when there is already emptiness around him (no more body, thoughts, feelings, memory and consciousness), ignorance still remains there, unbeknownst to the meditator. At this point, he uses the combined forces of mindfulness, wisdom, and perseverance to identify ignorance and eliminate it. When the citta transcends this, when self no longer exists (the body, personality, and ignorance), only then will the mind be liberated. The mind knows in no uncertain terms that it can no longer be identified as the body, even though this has not been experienced before. There can be no doubt. This is the end of all burdens. This nature is true absolute purity. It experiences its true nature. Separation at this level is permanent - the citta cannot see the body, feelings, thoughts and ignorance as part of itself. Analogy: once you learn how to ride a bicycle, you cannot unlearn it.
   
   Once free, the citta can see an illness simply as a physical condition that has nothing to do with the citta and therefore, it is unconcerned with the symptoms. Even under physical pain, the citta remains unperturbed - it knows it's no longer the body. Disease, pain can no longer affect the independent citta (when Ramana Maharshi's body was being devoured by insects in his long bout of meditation, he later remarked that without the mind, there is no more pain).

Quotes

1. "Later, as I turned my attention to investigating my past lives, it was terrifying to think how many times I had been born and how many times I had died. If my corpses were scattered across the length and breadth of Thailand, there would not be an empty space left. Just this one individual! Everyone's past is crowded with countless corpses. It was an unbearable sight. How many times I was reborn in hell; and how many times in the heavens, only to fall back into hell again. It appeared as though the citta was climbing up and down a flight of stairs."
2. "The citta's essential nature is knowing. When associated with a physical body, it is referred to as mind or heart. Being corrupted by ignorance (avijja), it "flows out" to manifest as feelings (vedana), memory (sanna), thoughts (sankhara), and mind (vinnaoa), thus embroiling the citta in a web of self-deception - creating an illusion known as self. The true nature of the citta is that it simply knows. There is no subject (no self), no object (no 'them'), no duality (nothing else exists outside of itself - thus this reality is just an illusion); it simply knows. The citta does not arise or pass away; it is never born and never dies."

4 Grades in Humanity

1. Ugghaaitanny - the highest-ranking grade. These individuals have intuitive wisdom so sharp that they're always fully prepared to make a decisive breakthrough. They are capable of the kind of quick understanding that allows them to pass beyond in one moment of insight. They are fully prepared to cross beyond in an instant.
2. Vipacitanny - slower than ugghaaitanny, these individuals always progress quickly toward the goal; they never lose ground.
3. Neyya - people capable of being trained in the way of Dhamma. Sometimes they make progress, sometimes they stagnate or slide back. Their desire to lie down and take it easy competes with their desire to be diligent. Neyya individuals are fully capable of understanding the Teaching and putting it into practice. Should they be careless, however, they'll lose ground. But if they are earnest in their practice, they can progress rapidly. Depending on the degree of commitment, Neyya can go either way (Honestly assessing where I am in my journey, I'm in all liklihood, a Neyya).
4. Padaparama - the lowest and most common grade in the totem pole ranking. These people live in total darkness and hopeless. Being so blind that they're worthless. They are human in physical appearance only. They have gained nothing at all to enhance their future prospects. Death for such people is death without distinction. There is only one possible direction they can go - down. And they fall further and further with each successive death. The way up is blocked, for they have gained absolutely nothing beneficial to take along with them. They can only go down.

Dhamma vs Kilesas (Supreme Truth vs Mental Defilements)
Within the heart, 2 opposing forces are at play - dhamma and kilesas. We are in between...between a rock and a hard place. Through meditation, Dhamma gains strength to overpower the mental defilements until they are completely removed from the heart and mind (citta). Then the citta is free from the shackles (the citta has always been there). When this happens, the body and heart react powerfully...tears flow as the universe seems to tremble and quake.

Ending Thoughts
It took me nearly a year to finish this small book - from Dec 2018 to now, Sep 2019. I started out in Wat Pa Tam Wua Forest Monastery, continued to Hanoi, back to Thailand, then Ho Chi Minh City, back to Thailand, Hanoi again and back to Chiang Mai. Whoa! But it seems like where I am on the book was timely with what I was going through. Uncanny!

In the beginning when reading the book, I could not fully understand what was being said. Some were too abstract. But as I came close to the book's ending, it all started to come together and make sense. But to fully grasp the entire content of the book, I have to start reading again, but this time, already knowing the big picture, so things that started out as abstract now fall into its proper place to reveal the bigger picture.

What particularly helped me with this book is that the author provides a step-by-step articulated personal narrative to complement the meditation text-books. I could then understand the teachings at the day-to-day-life level and not from 50,000 feet above sea level. When I read other ascendant masters talk about an altered state of being so high up that it defies human experience, and thus become incomprehensible. With this book, I now have a clearer understanding of what that is, and where in the process my journey is taking place. His personal tale is a compelling blueprint for a seeker like me as he puts flesh and blood and human struggle into the difficult path of deepening a meditative practice that transcends textbook descriptions and definitions. I now know the pitfalls, the traps and what to do with them. For anyone serious about becoming an arahant, or simply deepening their meditative practice, this is an indispensable resource.

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

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Mae Hong Son (city), Thailand

IMPORTANT PLACES

Mae Hong Son
Mae Sariang District
Pai
Wat Pa Tam Wua Forest Monastery
Chiang Mai

Wat Pa Tam Wua Forest Monastery Blogs

1. 20 Days of Monastic Life at Wat Pa Tam Wua Dec 12, 2018 - Jan 1, 2019
2. Peoplescape at the Wat Pa Tam Wua Forest Monastery Dec 12 - Jan , 2019
3. Arahattamagga Arahattaphala - the path to Aranhantship Dec 30, 2018
4. Goenka and the Theravada Forest Monastery Vipassana Traditions Dec 25, 2018
5. The Knower Dec 24, 2018
6. 10-Day Meditation at Wat Pa Tam Wua Forest Monastery Dec 12, 2018 - Jan 1, 2019, 2018

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