26 October 2012

Real Mindfulness - 01

Real Mindfulness
Sacca Dhamma Teaching of
Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara

Delivered on 31st July 2012

Part - One

Kamma causes (actions or intention of an act) are for doing only and using only.  Kaya-kamma (physical action) means all movements of the body or parts of the body, Vaci-kamma (oral or verbal action) means all verbal expressions and Mano-kamma (mental action) is the functioning of the mind.   

As long as one is using one's mind, it is called mental action.  As long as one is using one's body, it is called physical action.  
  • Using visual objects, voice and language are kamma cause. 
  • Using taste, feeling and thinking are kamma cause.
  • Using eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind, visual objects, sound, smell, taste and feeling are also kamma cause.
  • Technology is kamma result (effect). 
  • Using technology can be called kamma cause.
  • Using time, place and life are also kamma cause. 

Staying idle or not doing anything physically, mentally or verbally does not necessarily means eradicating the root-cause of those kamma actions. It is not the correct way.  It is not sufficient. 


Eradicating the root cause does not necessarily imply merely abandoning of one's kamma cause such as doing or not doing anything.  Though one needs to abandon physical action, verbal action and mental action, it is insufficient to just abandoning them in that way. 

One needs to center their utmost abilities to carry out :
  • Dana, which is the ability that can use all living and nonliving things as abandoning purpose,
  • Sila, abandoning power to all physical and oral actions,
  • Bhavana, abandoning power to all mental actions.

It does not necessarily matter whether :
  • the mind is carrying out the tasks of the mind or
  • the eyes are doing the jobs of the eyes or
  • the ears are doing the jobs of the ears or
  • the body is carrying out the tasks of the body.   

Doing the job or carrying out the tasks is not really important.   

It is more important to have ability to abandon placing central emphasis on those tasks.   

It is more important to place central emphasis on real dana, real sila and real bhavana. 
Placing central emphasis on mindfulness is also mental action .... be it on purpose or automatic, all are called kamma causes.   

Eradicating the root cause means striving to abandon mind from putting mindfulness on endeavours, on purpose or automatically.   

Effort always come together with mindfulness.   
Concentration is attained through effort and mindfulness. 

If one places effort and mindfulness over issues, such as health, rules and regulations, one will eventually attained concentration on these issues. 

Likewise, if one places effort and mindfulness over Buddha, dhamma and sangha, one will have interests in religion, dhamma and thus one will eventually attain concentration on these subjects. 

If one sets eyes on technologies or medicine and place mindfulness and effort over these subjects, one will attain concentration and eventually becomes specialist in these field. 

Be it doing something or idling or doing nothing but eating and sleeping .... these actions still amount to committing kamma cause.  Whatever the conduct is, be it big or small, there is always an involvement of mindfulness, effort and concentration in it. 

One needs to have knowledge, skill and expertise to carry out tasks, think and plan for his job, business and endeavours.   

Likewise, all the yogis (meditators) have faith and understanding in the method and technique of meditation that he or she is practicing; he or she will also be able to think and understand other's methods, techniques and teachings and he or she will, more or less, have mindfulness, effort and concentration on his or her method of meditation.....these are just kamma causes. 

Those kamma causes such as mindfulness, effort, concentration, thinking, analyzing, understanding, all are related to mental action, superficial and created truth. 
To be continued