Sutta Exploration Series and Q & A, with Bhikkhu Candana: Week 49
(Recorded on November 12th, 2022).
"Greater Discourse on Emptiness" - MN 122 (From the Majjhima Nikāya (Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha).
PDF link to a free digital copy of the Sutta can be obtained from the website: [ Ссылка ]
In his discussion of the “Mahā Suññata Sutta” (Greater Discourse on Emptiness), Bhante Candana offered plenty of practical tools to guide us through our meditation practice, first emphasizing that without seclusion and restraint, there can be no experience of Nibbāna. The sutta gave us a roadmap on how to gauge one’s progress and process of meditation, with qualities that we can identify and recognize in ourselves indicative of the stages of attainment as the veil of ignorance becomes thinner and thinner, thanks to our efforts.
Bhante stressed how important it is to acclimate or habituate the mind to various states of calm, without forcing it in any way. This is where maintaining a gentle approach is so important, as we realize that our task is never to control anything, but to create the right conditions for insight to take place. Insight, therefore, does not fall from the sky, Bhante said, and it will not happen when there are hindrances, such as drowsiness, for example.
Practicing the four postures with mindfulness and clear contemplation, where we pay attention to the posture of the body at a given moment, and the transitions from one position to another was also addressed in this powerful sutta.
To avoid falling into inertia in the practice, we must have a trajectory, with intentionality, and not rely on neutrality. This is why one has to always be alert, Bhante said, and never be like a car that is on “neutral” gear, as when going into a car wash.
Bhante thus highlighted that mettā is never a passive affair.
In today’s discussion, Bhante also reminded students that it is very important not to run away from neutral feelings, which are the majority of the feelings we experience (in comparison to the pleasant and painful ones), stressing that “that [neutral feelings] is where Nibbāna occurs” and encouraging students to just stay with the neutral and not avoid them.
The sutta also addresses the teacher-student relationship, and what the student must demonstrate to maintain that relationship, because – as Bhante put it – the teacher is “tremendously invested” in “chiseling away” the layers of ignorance in the student’s mind.
The student must deserve the Dhamma.
If the student has conceit and comes to the teacher merely to validate their thinking, they will be the spoon that never tastes the soup, as Lord Buddha so powerfully describes it. To really listen to the teacher and let go of one’s interpretations of the Dhamma – this is what a good student does.
Moreover, “the teacher should never cater to the student so as “not to lose” them,” Bhante said, adding that this is a sad reality these days, with many teachers who work hard to “baby” the student, to please them, so as not to jeopardize their relationship. This is what Lord Buddha tells to the Ven. Ananda directly, that he will not “pamper” him, but instead, he will push and put pressure on the disciple – out of compassion – so that the student grows and truly understands the Dhamma.
In the Q&A section, Bhante addressed a question on the challenges of practicing seclusion as a layperson, with family and responsibilities, by emphasizing the importance of “inner” seclusion, with mindfulness towards one’s inner experiences. “Every moment of legitimate sati is a legitimate moment of seclusion,” Bhante said. Bhante also cautioned students against falling into the analytical mode and to instead keep the practice simple, so as not to fall into the trap of conceptual proliferation.
May it be helpful.
Note: Bhante Candana can be reached at bhantecandana@gmail.com If you like to contribute by supporting Bhante in his daily requisites and living expenses, as he continues teaching the Dhamma along with his continued project of retranslating and recording of the Pāli Suttas, by making them freely available online, then you may consider making a donation via Paypal: www.paypal.me/candanabhikkhu
