The nature of the Venerable Acariya Mun's Citta was quite dynamic, quick and sensitive to the various events with which it cam into contact. In the beginning of the practice of Bhavana he used 'Buddho' as the Parikamma object. When the Citta converged into calm there arose a picture – Nimitta; sometimes of himself lying dead and sometimes of remnants of a corpse that seemed lying in front of him. He therefore took up these Nimittas as the object of Bhavana. Sometimes he would establish them to appear loathsome – Patikkula – by various techniques which depend on the proficiency and skilfulness of Sati-Panna to devise. It would sometimes be totally broken up leaving just the skeleton, and sometimes these bones would be collected together in a heap and burned down to ashes. The picture-Nimitta of himself lying dead and the remnants of a corpse were all established by the same method. They appeared at different times, only depending on the suitability of the investigation that was being carried out at that time.
After having established the fire burning the bones to ashes, his Citta converged fully to the base of Samadhi where it rested for hours before withdrawing. When the Citta withdrew, he continued with the establishing. He said that from the day the Citta experienced the picture-Nimitta and the establishing of the Nimittas into various appearances according to his wish, together with the ability to burn the remnants of the corpse at any time, he constantly established the remnants of the corpse with just the skeleton remains to be with him at all times, regardless of whether he was standing or walking, sitting or lying down, excepting only the time when he was investigating the corpse by the various techniques and when the Citta converged into Samadhi and rested alone. And during this time there was no concern for any other things.
The strength of this Citta could be clearly seen to begin to progress and his base of Samadhi to become firmly established due to his consistent acquisition of the Nimitta as the sharpening stone for Sati-Panna. He was able to establish the Nimitta of the skeleton within himself. He and the skeleton became one and the same, until there was no question concerning the origin of this skeleton and who became this skeleton. He then dispensed with this way of establishing, for now that the Nimitta had become himself it was no longer necessary to send the Citta to establish the external picture. From then on he used the body as the basis of investigation. It was up to the proficiency and skilfulness of Sati-Panna to decide the aspects as to how the body should be investigated. The investigation was then carried on as he wished and he said that during this time the Samadhi was very firm and stable due to the investigation of the body with Panna until the Citta very easily converged into Samadhi.
The Parikamma object of Buddho that originally was used to direct the Citta was given up from the day that the picture-Nimitta had clearly appeared. He then used both the Nimitta and the Parikamma object of Atthi (bones) as the Arammana of the Heart in the place of Buddho. There was only the establishing and investigating of the state of integration, change, and dissolution of the body, in every posture excepting only the time of sleep. This continued until his body, although really still there, turned into the space element due to the power of Sati-Panna which relentlessly investigated without pause. He was very skilled in every level of Samadhi and just as proficient and quick in Vipassana of Rupa-Dhamma. He said that the Vipassana of this level caused the Citta to become very bright and marvellous. If one was heedless and sought only happiness and comfort without concentrating all one's effort on Panna, one could become unknowingly addicted to this state of voidness, because one might think that it was definitely Nibbana. For one had consequently heard, until it was deeply embedded in one's Heart, that Nibbana was just the state of emptiness, but one didn't know what was the characteristic of the voidness of Nibbana. With that specific emptiness that had appeared, one didn't know if there was anything hidden within it, for in truth it was just the very subtle and mysterious Kilesa of one's Heart, rather than the emptiness of Nibbana.
Before one can pass beyond the Rupa-Dhamma, both the internal and external body, by using the various techniques of investigation, Sati-Panna must revolve around the body nearly all the time. The exception being the time when the Citta, after having investigated and analysed, becomes very tired due to its work and exertion and rests calmly in Samadhi. When it withdraws restrengthened, it then continues on with this work of body analysis having the Ti-lakkhana as the way. This is because the body is an important object in the circle of practice, and the more one is proficient and skilful in the investigation of the body, the more will one be bold and fearless in one's mode of practice. For the body is the source and home of the coarser kinds of Raga-Tanha and Mana-Ditthi. They take up residence openly and in some cases manifest themselves in a very coarse and disgusting manner. Even amongst those who have Kilesa it is found to be distasteful and unbearable to the point of being sickening.
For this reason, the practitioner who endeavours to destroy the Kilesa must concentrate on the body analysis, Kaya-Vibhaga until becoming proficient and adept and capable of definitely cutting out Raga-Tanha at all times. The Kilesa of Mana-Ditthi is much more piercing and adverse to both oneself and others than any other kind of Kilesa and since it manifests itself so quickly, essentially depending on Upadana (attachment) to the body it is taught that one should investigate the body, Kayagatasati, in the four Satipatthana and the four Ariya Sacca; for these are the important Dhammas in the circle of the Sasana. This should be done a lot until all doubts disappear, then one will pass beyond, without any trace of yearning remaining.
The venerable Acariya Mun was very proficient and adept in Kayanupassana Satipatthana, and therefore very proficient in the various Dhammas both internal and external, more so than the other practitioners. He said that once one had passed beyond the body there were no longer any problems with Kama-Raga, without having to ask anyone else about it. This is wasting one's time and showing one's stupidity for others to laugh at, for it is something within oneself and by the thoroughness of Sati-Panna of this level, it disappears from oneself. The Heart can live quite comfortably without having any troubles when just this Raga-Tanha is destroyed. This is because Raga-Tanha is a thing that consumes without ever coming to satisfaction. It constantly disturbs and incites the Heart making one become cowardly, lacking in courage, easily disheartened and weak in one's way of practice for Magga, Phala, and Nibbana. For these are within the circle of Sacca-Dhamma and Satipatthana which the one who practises can reach with persevering effort.
The Venerable Acariya Mun said that before the body ceased to be a problem for investigation, all the aspects of the body that were being investigated by various techniques converged together into the Heart. The Sankhara on the side of Samudaya, which from the beginning had thought of the body as beautiful, pleasant and pleasing; and those on the side of Magga, which conceived the body as unpleasant, repulsive, Patikkula, Aniccam, Dukkham, and Anatta, both ceased at the same moment when the image of the body converged into the Heart.
The pleasant and beautiful (Subha) and the unpleasant and repulsive (Asubha) diverged, leaving a way for the Heart to pass through without any yearning between the two Dhammas. No more were there Nimittas to follow and deceive with their pleasant and unpleasant aspects. Every time he investigated, he just saw the Citta create the image within and then it ceased; only that. From then on the Citta was devoid of the various kinds of materiality, both that of the body and the external material that existed everywhere. There were no sign of Nimitta to label them as Subha or Asubha as it had been in the past. There was just brightness and the Citta totally devoid of all things, and it just revolved with thoughts and reflections with Sati-Panna as the guiding factor.
The next targets for Sati-Panna to concentrate on were the Dhammas that arise and cease within the heart, i.e. Vedana, Sanna, Sankhara and Vinnana; and then Avijja, which is the origin of all the Kilesa.
After having established the fire burning the bones to ashes, his Citta converged fully to the base of Samadhi where it rested for hours before withdrawing. When the Citta withdrew, he continued with the establishing. He said that from the day the Citta experienced the picture-Nimitta and the establishing of the Nimittas into various appearances according to his wish, together with the ability to burn the remnants of the corpse at any time, he constantly established the remnants of the corpse with just the skeleton remains to be with him at all times, regardless of whether he was standing or walking, sitting or lying down, excepting only the time when he was investigating the corpse by the various techniques and when the Citta converged into Samadhi and rested alone. And during this time there was no concern for any other things.
The strength of this Citta could be clearly seen to begin to progress and his base of Samadhi to become firmly established due to his consistent acquisition of the Nimitta as the sharpening stone for Sati-Panna. He was able to establish the Nimitta of the skeleton within himself. He and the skeleton became one and the same, until there was no question concerning the origin of this skeleton and who became this skeleton. He then dispensed with this way of establishing, for now that the Nimitta had become himself it was no longer necessary to send the Citta to establish the external picture. From then on he used the body as the basis of investigation. It was up to the proficiency and skilfulness of Sati-Panna to decide the aspects as to how the body should be investigated. The investigation was then carried on as he wished and he said that during this time the Samadhi was very firm and stable due to the investigation of the body with Panna until the Citta very easily converged into Samadhi.
The Parikamma object of Buddho that originally was used to direct the Citta was given up from the day that the picture-Nimitta had clearly appeared. He then used both the Nimitta and the Parikamma object of Atthi (bones) as the Arammana of the Heart in the place of Buddho. There was only the establishing and investigating of the state of integration, change, and dissolution of the body, in every posture excepting only the time of sleep. This continued until his body, although really still there, turned into the space element due to the power of Sati-Panna which relentlessly investigated without pause. He was very skilled in every level of Samadhi and just as proficient and quick in Vipassana of Rupa-Dhamma. He said that the Vipassana of this level caused the Citta to become very bright and marvellous. If one was heedless and sought only happiness and comfort without concentrating all one's effort on Panna, one could become unknowingly addicted to this state of voidness, because one might think that it was definitely Nibbana. For one had consequently heard, until it was deeply embedded in one's Heart, that Nibbana was just the state of emptiness, but one didn't know what was the characteristic of the voidness of Nibbana. With that specific emptiness that had appeared, one didn't know if there was anything hidden within it, for in truth it was just the very subtle and mysterious Kilesa of one's Heart, rather than the emptiness of Nibbana.
Before one can pass beyond the Rupa-Dhamma, both the internal and external body, by using the various techniques of investigation, Sati-Panna must revolve around the body nearly all the time. The exception being the time when the Citta, after having investigated and analysed, becomes very tired due to its work and exertion and rests calmly in Samadhi. When it withdraws restrengthened, it then continues on with this work of body analysis having the Ti-lakkhana as the way. This is because the body is an important object in the circle of practice, and the more one is proficient and skilful in the investigation of the body, the more will one be bold and fearless in one's mode of practice. For the body is the source and home of the coarser kinds of Raga-Tanha and Mana-Ditthi. They take up residence openly and in some cases manifest themselves in a very coarse and disgusting manner. Even amongst those who have Kilesa it is found to be distasteful and unbearable to the point of being sickening.
For this reason, the practitioner who endeavours to destroy the Kilesa must concentrate on the body analysis, Kaya-Vibhaga until becoming proficient and adept and capable of definitely cutting out Raga-Tanha at all times. The Kilesa of Mana-Ditthi is much more piercing and adverse to both oneself and others than any other kind of Kilesa and since it manifests itself so quickly, essentially depending on Upadana (attachment) to the body it is taught that one should investigate the body, Kayagatasati, in the four Satipatthana and the four Ariya Sacca; for these are the important Dhammas in the circle of the Sasana. This should be done a lot until all doubts disappear, then one will pass beyond, without any trace of yearning remaining.
The venerable Acariya Mun was very proficient and adept in Kayanupassana Satipatthana, and therefore very proficient in the various Dhammas both internal and external, more so than the other practitioners. He said that once one had passed beyond the body there were no longer any problems with Kama-Raga, without having to ask anyone else about it. This is wasting one's time and showing one's stupidity for others to laugh at, for it is something within oneself and by the thoroughness of Sati-Panna of this level, it disappears from oneself. The Heart can live quite comfortably without having any troubles when just this Raga-Tanha is destroyed. This is because Raga-Tanha is a thing that consumes without ever coming to satisfaction. It constantly disturbs and incites the Heart making one become cowardly, lacking in courage, easily disheartened and weak in one's way of practice for Magga, Phala, and Nibbana. For these are within the circle of Sacca-Dhamma and Satipatthana which the one who practises can reach with persevering effort.
The Venerable Acariya Mun said that before the body ceased to be a problem for investigation, all the aspects of the body that were being investigated by various techniques converged together into the Heart. The Sankhara on the side of Samudaya, which from the beginning had thought of the body as beautiful, pleasant and pleasing; and those on the side of Magga, which conceived the body as unpleasant, repulsive, Patikkula, Aniccam, Dukkham, and Anatta, both ceased at the same moment when the image of the body converged into the Heart.
The pleasant and beautiful (Subha) and the unpleasant and repulsive (Asubha) diverged, leaving a way for the Heart to pass through without any yearning between the two Dhammas. No more were there Nimittas to follow and deceive with their pleasant and unpleasant aspects. Every time he investigated, he just saw the Citta create the image within and then it ceased; only that. From then on the Citta was devoid of the various kinds of materiality, both that of the body and the external material that existed everywhere. There were no sign of Nimitta to label them as Subha or Asubha as it had been in the past. There was just brightness and the Citta totally devoid of all things, and it just revolved with thoughts and reflections with Sati-Panna as the guiding factor.
The next targets for Sati-Panna to concentrate on were the Dhammas that arise and cease within the heart, i.e. Vedana, Sanna, Sankhara and Vinnana; and then Avijja, which is the origin of all the Kilesa.
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