| Summary: | 碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 宗教學系碩士在職專班 === 104 === The path of life and the orientation of practice which lead the life to surmount the sufferings (dukkha) and attain enlightenment are the concerns and theme of this thesis. The teaching of the Mahā Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (The Great Discourse on the Establishing/ Foundations of Awareness) is the basis of the discussion of the practice. Human beings experience a span of life which is composed and full of happiness, anger, sorrow, joy, sadness, grief, etc. However, they keep on pursuing places or ways to settle down their bodies and minds as well as life while grasping all the sufferings on hands firmly. Human tend to focus on the presentment of the world which is presented by the body and mind. This makes human beings always driven by their minds, thoughts, sensations and feelings to constantly, continuously and unceasingly chase, grip, aggregate and keep belongings to be the dependence and refugee of life. However, human beings are unwilling to face squarely and unable to become aware of the facts that the human world as well as the mind and body are consistently and persistently ever-changing all the time which, at an end, leads the insatiable drive for a safe, secure and stable life is unsustainable. Thus, the courses and ways out for life would only be the endless move in the circle of birth, aging, illness and death—sufferings.
Buddhist teaching thinks highly of such a hardship of life and hence brings up the orientation of practice by understanding and facing up to the sufferings of life, recognizing clearly the arising/causes of the sufferings, knowing the life with the cessation of sufferings, and practicing the path leading to the cessation. The orientation is composed of three courses: bhāvanā (cultivation by mind, normally include samatha-bhāvanā / cultivation of tranquility and vipassanā-bhāvanā /cultivation of insight）as the way of practice, good deed/positive act/discipline, and wisdom. The three courses develop as the thirty-seven dhammas that contribute to awakening (Sattatimsa Bodhi-pakkhiyā dhammā). The foundation is to clearly understand the life and the manifestation of body and mind and thus the world are consistently and persistently arising and passing away—impermanence. This foundation is named Emptiness (suññatā) which guides the practice on the right path.
The core subjects of the practice of the bhāvanā are the four foundations/establishments of mind(cattāro satipaṭṭhāna/ the four mindfulness meditation). The teaching is to directly penetrate to the arising of mind and thoughts by observing and contemplating the body, feeling, mind and dhamma. The practitioner can then dwells on the observation and thus develops the ability of penetrating and superlative awareness. The observation and awareness surmount the constitution and relationship of the conditions and the flow of changing formed by the appearance of the body, mind and life. The mental process and continuing operate under the appearance will be revealed and perused. The lay course of life is transformed into path of practice by the four foundations and establishments of mind. The path can lead the practitioner properly and clearly understand the facts of impermanence and non-self and guide the life to the ultimate path—nibbāna.
Researches have indicated the effectiveness and efficiency of mindfulness meditation in the remission of the sufferings of mind and body because of its quality in directly contemplating the body and mind. An activity of modern mindfulness-based meditation has been blooming for decades and contributing to human life in various aspects. However, the so called modern Mindfulness-based Intervention (MBI) develops its unique explanation about “mindfulness”. Its construction of “universal dhamma” and down-to-earth ways of practice are welcomed by lay people. Would the MBI lead human being to surmount the hardship and reach the cessation of sufferings? This issue is questioned and discussed by many. The Buddhist societies are suggested to improve the modes of teaching in order to fit into the needs of modern people. Dialogues with and clarification between the MBIs are also advised.
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