Understanding the true meaning of meditation

-



[A. Sujin] We better talk about meditation, to be truthful to the truth, to understand what is meant by meditation, in Pali is patipatti, and what is the meaning of pati and the meaning of patti? Otherwise we can't understand the word [meditation].

[Carmen] I cannot find the English word, sorry.

[A. Sujin] OK, Khun Jonothan, pati-patti...

[Jonothan] The translation that I've heard from Ajahn is to reach the particular.

[A. Sujin] Is there anything to be reached or attained now... nothing? Is that patti? Patti is to reach, reaching what? The false or the truth? So, it means that now what is there which should be reached has not yet been reached, right? So, that is the meaning of patti, to reach, to attain, to get closer, to understand the truth of that object. So now, is there anything that should be reached?... Seeing? What is the truth of it? There is seeing right now, what is the truth of seeing, to be reached? Shouldn't it be reached?

So what did the Buddha teach about? Pariyatti about seeing, hearing... why? Why did he talk about these? What for? It's here and it's now, why did the Buddha talk about it or preached or just said many words about the truth of even just seeing at this moment? Because no one understands the truth of seeing at all, so what is the truth that should be reached or attained? Seeing! Hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, whatever is there now. The Buddha said all dhammas are very very subtle, what does it mean? Where's dhamma? Isn't seeing a dhamma, isn't hearing a dhamma? Hardness, softness, aren't they dhammas? All are dhammas, whatever is real is a dhamma. So even seeing right now, who's reached the truth of it?

So, patipatti is to reach, patti is to attain or to reach the truth of pati - particular object, only one at a time. The moment of understanding the truth of seeing it's not the moment of understanding hearing or sound at all, just one reality at a time, otherwise it's not clear, it's not that particular reality which has been attained at all, if there isn't enough understanding.

That's why just hearing the word "Buddha", who knows him? Just the word "Buddha", who knows what that person is? Long long time ago... all the words we're hearing now come from his enlightenment of the truth of whatever is there, no matter in what world, at any time. So now there is "I" see, the Buddha didn't say that at all, he said that seeing is seeing, it means that seeing does not belong to anyone at all. So seeing is only seeing. Seeing here, seeing there, seeing outside, seeing on the plane, seeing is seeing, no matter cat, dog, snake sees, seeing cannot be changed at all. If it didn't arise at all could there be seeing right now, if seeing didn't arise? So now seeing has arisen and who knows it as the Buddha explained it? As soon as seeing has arisen it falls away instantly. Can that particular [reality] be directly understood, of seeing, just seeing?

Even so the rapidity of the succession of realities arising and falling away conditions the nimitta, image, of seeing, not only one seeing at all right now, how many moments of seeings [for] Khun Jonothan, Khun Sarah and everything. That's why seeing can be known, no matter when, as nimitta of the arising and falling away of one kind of reality which arises to see only and then falls away, is that not true?

To reach the [intellectual] understanding, this is the first level of understanding, otherwise, even the Buddha taught about the truth of everything, it's not known because it's not the object of wise considering about the nature of that which was enlightened by the Buddha.

So now, is seeing permanent? Can we attain, reach the truth, the moment of one nimitta of a reality? Because now there are so many many nimittas of everything, so, can only one nimitta of a reality be reached? So why [do we] patipatti? :) Why do we go to the temple trying to... know what? No point.