One thing i would like to mention about the nimittas, sounds and other tingling and inspiring experiences found in Jhana meditation, is the fact that they are hypnotic and induce “sukha” (pleasurable vedhana/sensation
although most western practitioners dont find anything negative about pleasurable experiences (experiences actually are not pleasurable or unpleasurable..

As i was saying, although we dont find the experiences that induce pleasure negative.. they can have negative effects in the sense that whilst sukha (pleasure) is present, then we cannot go further than the 2nd or 3rd jhana. We stay stuck there.. however this stage is one step before arupajhana and necessary to acheive first before going onwards (inwards). Once the mind has got used to the sukha which is attained from the piti (rapture) then it will eventually develop the insight that this state is not as subtle as the next state of arupajhana, develop boredom in it and thus eventually throw out the attachment to the sukha in piti (pleasurable rapture) and let it go.If we do not let it go and cling to the sukha, our minds (citta) will still be subject to Vitaka, which is not present in the state of arupajhana, and therefore undesirable if we wish to access such a state of absorbtion.

This is an essential key to Jhana access. The great Ajarn Chah always taught that in meditation, it is like sitting at a pool of water in the forest – once you enter stillness of mind, then you will see many things come to drink at the lakeside (phenomena).The object of the meditation is not to get fascinated in those phenomena, rather to just be aware of them and n ot get entangled in interest towards them (such as rapture or pleasure, or the various “Nimitta” – these phenomena are like mirages which block your advancement. It is not discussable whether they are real or self created, once in jhana the mind throws up nimitta. Some might have an objective reality or might not. What is certain is that these nimitta are just signs that the mind is still, and that one should concentrate on the stillness and letting go, instead of what is happening with the nimitta. Pleasure is one of the three vedhana which are observed in the four sathipatanas. the breath of anapanasathi is used as the anchor in all of the sathipatana mindfulness meditations, which will still the mind so you can observe various aspects of the objects of focus in these four sathipatanas. the four are mindfulness of; body, vedhanas (feelings/sensations/emotions/moods/reactions), citta (mind and thoughts) and dhammas (all phenomena physical or non physical.. including everything even the first 3 sathipatanas are all dhammas.. a table is a dhamma, mathematics is a dhamma, truth is a dhamma, pleasure is a dhamma, meditation is a dhamma…
whilst being mindful and observing all these phenomena we should measure them by checking if they are under the power/law of the three conditions (impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and non self). In addition, we should conclude if they are, or are not such. You can see all breath cycles start come into existence and disappear (impermanent) also that the full lungs are painful and begin to ache so have to release (unsatisfactory/dhukka) that the release is a relief (sukha) and that there is an end to the release when the lungs are empty then you begin to ache (dukkha) for air again (craving). So you begin to intake breath (relief/sukha) which is unsatisfactory/dukkha (because the relief is impermanent and holds no endless sense of satisfaction) and then have full lungs again, which turns quickly from pleasure to pain and is therefore impermanent and unsatisfactory (anicca and dukkha) – these 2 parts of the three conditions can be easily observed in all dhammas, be they breath, thought, physical sensations, emotions/moods, or physical posessions. One should also observe that it is the attachment and craving for these things and relief from the unsatisfactoriness (which is always temporary and thus induces repeated craving), which causes the dukkha/suffering.
The only other aspect to realise as present in the meditation is non self (anatta) – if you see the breath come and go and notice that your citta(mind/consciousness) is still there after each unit of breath has faded, then in deep meditation it will become clear how the breath is not you, not yours, just a part of the framework within which your consciousness abides. In the same way we sit in a car, but we are not the car, then so is our breath, thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, perception of such (sanya) etc, not us, and not ours (because we cant maintain these things in the same state always, due to their impermanence). As the wind blows through your hair, you can easily observe how the wind is not self. So should we also observe the rising and fading thoughts, and feelings in our being (contained within our khandas). a mood, inclination, thought, or sensation of pleasure, sweet taste in the mouth etc, are simply coming and going phenomena which come into contact with our consciousnesses through the perceptive medium (sanya). They are but ephemeral memories and are no more us than the wind which blows through our hair.
deep insight into these facts whilst in meditation will increse ones understanding of these facts. The only reason we don’t find it so easy to see the non self aspect of our inner experiences as easily as it is to see it in such outer phenomena as the wind, is the fact that those inner experiences are contained within the framework of our 5 (or more, if you have opened some other sense portals) khandas!
we associate ourself with these 5 khandas and mistakenly think they are part of our self. This is forgivable but erroneous.
keep at it. (that goes for me too)

I am not sure where i found this text so i am unable to credit it, but i would like to publish it due to the wonderfully concise synopsis and explanation of how to practise the four Satipathanas in your contemplations. May it be of use to all of yo for your development in elevating your consciousnesses!

SATIPATTHANA SUTTA

Kayanupassana-is observing the body, its movements, its impermanence, its non-self nature. In daily living when you know fully well what the condition of this body is, you don’t get enamoured by the beauty neither do you get put off by things. You live in equanimity. Good things are not that good, and bad things are not that bad. They are there inside you, so you tolerate more, you become equanimous and then life becomes easy. All the angers and hatreds arise because of the things which you don’t like and then when you know that your body is the same as that of others, you are not disturbed.
Once I was coming by bus from my home to the University may be three miles by bus, often I had to stand next to a miserable looking mad man and he was dirty and smelling. Now I got in and I cannot get out I had to stand next to him. Everybody was looking at me, then quickly I was meditating, throughout I was meditating “my body is not different from this” then again I thought if it was my son how I would wash him and clean him and look after him and I was feeling so compassionate for this fellow, thinking like that I came to the halt and there was no anger, no hatred, no bad feeling. Everyone was looking at me but there was no expression in my mind of anything hurtful, so I was meditating until I came to the place where I had to get down. I could get the smell from his body, but then I thought my body is no better. Then metta came, loving kindness came seeing the reality of this situation. If I die it would be worse than this, at least this fellow is tolerated in the bus, but if I am dead and a rotting mass nobody will even tolerate even in the bus. So you see when you see the reality you can put up with anything. There is wisdom and application in life. Otherwise I would have made a fuss. But I remember this situation it is very useful.
With wisdom if you understand the reality of the body, the 32 impurities, patience arises You don’t feel sorry, you understand at once, then it doesn’t hurt you anymore. If you do this meditation, you are never hurt. You are never disappointed, you will never condemn anybody, you will never see the bad, you know that the worst is here. The more you know about yourself the more you know the world, there is nothing more than the fathom long body for us to learn from Everything outside is the same as this same body, this same sight, this same smell, so when you are old and smelling and when you are sick, you are not disappointed. You have understood, not surprised not hurt, ‘why me’ no, everybody is the same, so when my child dies I know all mothers have to lose their children. We cannot come to terms with life, because of that conceit, that ego, that pride, ‘me’ and “I” this is just a wrong view. This is not something very difficult to understand.
Now we come to the second aspect vedanupassana. Vedana is contemplation on feeling. Now this is an aspect of the mind. We must always try to see the body and the mind apart. Body is not mind and mind is not body. What we can see, what we can perceive with our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, touch, all these are perceptions, these are all body, the mind we can never see it, we never can taste it, we never can touch it, we never can smell it that is the mind. We have to understand the mind separate from the body. But we know there is a mind. We know it is the mind that is the culprit for all our angers, loves, hates and troubles. We are sick and tired of everything is due to the mind. Even if a pain arises in the body, it is the mind that is sensitive. So feelings are not bodily aspects, not materiality. Feelings are mentality. So if you observe the feelings, again you are within the framework of Satipatthana. So when you are not observing the body you could observe the feelings.
What are feelings, how do they arise? What is the beginning, middle, and end of feelings? How do they come? passapaccaya vedana due to contact feelings arise. Contact with what? Contact with the ouside world, and also contact with your mind. Outside world contacts with the mind. Eye contact, sights, ear and sound contact, nose and smell all these are ouside bodily things. Now eye is body, sight also is a materiality thing. Ear is materiality – body, sound is also materiality, not menatality. Nose is materiality, smell is materiality, tongue is materiality, taste is materiality, body is materiality, tongue is materiality. All of it is materiality. Menatality is not any of those.
How does mentality arise? Vedana is mental. When the eye meets the sight, a third factor arises – consciousness. That is the beginning of menatality. It is like this, there is the drum and there is the stick, when you hit the drum with the stick the third factor – the sound arises. Just like that when the eye meets the object the third factor consciousness arises. In this way the entire materiality of outside becomes mentality and we are able to cognise only through mentality. Materiality you cannot cognise, you cannot recognise, no feelings. Feeling is all in the mind. Recognition, cognition are all in the mind. Now we are talking about feelings, now consciousness has arisen, then this consciousness communicates with the mind, then only you recognise and then you form ideas, constructions – Sankhara (volition) What you want to think you think. You see an enemy and at once anger arises in your mind – that is volition, because you recognised it you got a bad feeling and anger has arisen. When you see your friend, at once happiness arises or greed or desire arises. Your child you recognise. So happy feeling comes with contact. You hear some pleasant, happy sound and then happy feeling arises. You hear some miserable sound that you don’t like, unhappy feeling arises. So sight, sound, smell etc:produces feeling with good smell happy feeling arises with intolerable smell unhappy feeling arises. If the taste is good and pleasant, then happy feeling arises. If the taste is bad then unhappy feeling arises. If the touch is comfortable something you like, then happy feeling arises, if the touch is not comfortable, something you don’t like then unhappy feeling arises. Even through the mind, if you think of something nice happy feeling arises, if you think of something not nice, unhappy feeling arises, so it is for us to contemplate on this feeling.. Good feeling, bad feeling, neutral feeling. I want to make it very simple, there are many other feelings also, painful worldly feeling, transcendental feelings, neutral feeling, even when we are meditating we get feelings which we don’t like, body pain – bad feeling. They are not worldly feelings because they are not full of greed, hate and ignorance. But there is awareness and mindfulness. Even the Buddha gets feelings, happy feelings, unhappy feelings, and neutral feelings , even the Arahants get feelings
To be aware of feelings, how they arise, how they pass away, how many feelings had we have in the past? Where are those? Cannot even remember, they have come and gone. Every moment we are having feelings, they arise and pass away, we cant have it. If we can we will try to keep those happy feelings. But they arise and pass away. I think the scientist would do every possible thing to keep those happy feelings going, if only they could. They also come whether we like it or not. We have no control over these things. Even if the whole world is so beautiful, so lovely, a little thing can give you an unhappy feeling, even a speck of dust on the ground can give you an unhappy feeling. See the vulnerability, we are prone to that. You have everything and a little headache can give you an unhappy feeling. We forget all the luxuries when we have the headache feeling, amidst all the luxuries. Somebody hits you or insults, the feeling is so bad, you forget you have so many good things to think about, but you dwell on that insult, but these feelings come and go. We cannot avoid them.
When you watch them coming and going, then you come to terms with them, then you become intelligent, then you know how to tackle them, how to give them the right amount of attention, not too much, not too little. Just watch it arising and passing away, all good feelings come and go, all bad feelings also come and go. When the conditions are there good feelings arise, when the conditions are there bad feelings arise, they all come and go. Then we see that we are subject to it, we are at the mercy of the world, because due to contact feelings arise. We should see the bad feelings objectively and allow it to pass. You can’t stop the world, the world will go on anyway, everyday it will go on. Even America cannot stop the world, they will go on fighting. What we can do is to look at the feelings that arise and come to terms with the feelings, not come to terms with the world, you never can come to terms with the world. The world will be erring again and again. From the beginning of the world there were wars, there will be in the future, there are now, but you can stop the feelings, if you understand that they come and go and they arise due to causes and conditions. Then you become educated. Feelings are really vipaka, which are results of past actions. Now two of us are walking, may be I hear someone scolding, the other one won’t hear. I am the one who got this bad feeling from hearing, other one won’t hear. So you are placed in a situation to get that feeling. There is an element of vipaka, results of past actions, happy feeling and unhappy feeling. That you have so much happy feelings compared to unhappy feelings. It is an element of vipaka. Good things done in the past, that you have so many good things to see, good things to hear, good things to smell, good things to taste. Not everybody who gets good feelings. When feelings arise good or bad you have to look at them objectively. We cannot stop them due to vipaka or whatever reason, they arise and they go, like the wind. There is a cool wind, it comes and goes, there is a hot wind it comes and goes. It is the nature of the world. We are just subject to it, so as long as the eyes are there, we will feel good and bad feelings through sight. So as long as the ears are there we will feel good and bad feelings through sound, so log as the nose is there, we will feel good and bad smells, good and bad feelings through the tongue and good and bad feelings through the body, so long as the body is there. We cannot say ‘we must get only good feelings through the body’. At least that does not happen.
All these come due to causes and conditions, beyond our control, so we cannot say that the body is not going to get sick or old, having pain here and there. I have no control over them. It comes, sometimes good feelings, sometimes bad feelings, but they all come and go. If you know that much then we can come to terms with feelings and then the person who contemplates on feelings, can also see feelings in other people. If you are a doctor you can see how others suffer. If you are conversant with feelings, then you recognise feelings in others. But if you are not observing your feelilngs how they come and go, then you cannot understand the feelings of others. So you become very intelligent with your feelings and other people’s feelings, then you become more sensitive to your feelings and others’ feelings. Then you don’t hurt other people, because you know what hurt is. When you understand feelings, you are still again in wholesomeness.
If you contemplate feeling as a meditative subject, then you know how bad feelings raise anger in you, then you catch your anger. Then you know how good feelings may raise lust in you, desire in you, again you catch your enemies, because feelings don’t stop at that. They raise anger or they raise desire. They raise all the akusala. Feelings are therefore good to observe. Then at the stage of feeling you can knock them out. Good feeling, not carry it to lust, bad feeling not carry it forward to produce anger. You stop at that level, without carryng forward and allow it to be consumed by it, so you become intelligent as to how you should live, otherwise you are at the mercy of feeling, as soon as you get good feeling you are in lust, as soon as you are in bad feeling you are in anger. Don’t act on the feelings, let it pass. After some time you don’t become foolish about feelings, you don’t get carried away by feelings. You know the limit of feelings. You know how they arise, you know how they pass away, you know how to deal with them. Feelings are nothing after that. Good feelings are nothing, they come and go, bad feelings are nothing, they come and go, you don’t carry it, you are not under the influence of feeling, it is not going to dictate terms to you. Feeling is different from thought which is one step further. At the feeling stage you get rid of it, watch it, watch it and allow it to pass.
Question: The question is as to how you can reconcile the Westerners who are living comfortable lives, not having heard the Dhamma not having experienced or not knowing anything about the Dhamma, working with such compasson in those camps perhaps in Rwanda, no facilities for food etc: Would they not be in a very high plane of compassion while we who have lived with the Dhamma have compassion only at a superficial level, then compared to those people.
Compassion, yes, but still do they understand feeling as feeling. Now you can think that they are God created, therefore we have a reason to look after them. Christians may believe like that. If they do not believe in a God then it will be pure compassion. They understand the pain of other people, and they have perfect compassion. Still they may not have the wisdom of this feeling. They can become victims to the pain of other people. They are not seeing it objectively. They may be seeing it subjectively. There it is mostly compassion that is working, compassion is only suppression, you don’t understand the reality of feeling, how they arise, how they pass away in your own self and how you cannot stop the feeling, in yourself and others. So you wouldn’t take it so far to spend a whole lifetime to remove the bad feelings of others. There are also better things to do, understanding feelings as feelings, understanding it with wisdom, understanding the universality of it. not only to Rwanda, you get these feelings even in the richest person, in the happiest person. The moment of death, moment of frustration. You don’t have to go there, you see it here, you see it in yourself, so why restrict to Rwanda or any place or any category. Feelings are universal, the more you see the universality of it you understand this wisdom, their arising, their passing away, their causality, that is wisdom. You cannot suffer it, you have to see it objectively. If you have to suffer it and if you become intelligent, then I think the hell beings will be the first to get enlightened, but they suffer more than anyone else, more than Rwanda. You never get any enlightenment through that, but if you want to get enlightenment, you have to see it objectively, see the universality of it, don’t be subject to it, don’t be heart broken, don’t sacrifice like that, but good to sacrfice if you can it is good, but that is not the end. There is something more than that, to see the nature, to see the universality. Not different in the past, present or the future. It is good to have both the compassion and seeing the reality of it, understanding the limitations. How much can you do. It is universal, then you become a bit more equanimous.
Question: A surgeon who operates on patients, can see these bodies everyday, yet can he get upset if it is his own family?
Yes very good question. See doctor you see dead bodies everyday, but you don’t care tuppence, but if if it is your own, you will be crying the whole day. But when you see the universality of it, you understand the nature of it. ‘My child’ or your child is not much different. That self reference is not there, you see only the feelings, the thoughts in it, not the person. Seeing the thought is more accurate than seeing the person suffering. So you see it in its ultimate very fine distinct stark truth, universal, not only to me, but your child everythig is the same. Suffering people, sick people, poor people, rich people, good people, bad people everybody gets this. Then you see feeling as feeling. It is something there everywhere not only for Rwanda, for baby in arms, how a sick child is suffering, dying man, feeling is feelilng. Good feelig, bad feeling.
Question: When the mind is very tranquil, you don’t even feel the anapanasati you hear a loud sound, then what shall I do?
Then stop the anapanasati because that aramuna that object is more powerful than this. Then stop this and watch that. Then when you get pain, then you stop the anapanasati and watch the pain if that is more powerful. Whatever is more powerful watch that, till it goes off. By ignoring them you could throw them away, and stick with the primary object anapanasati when the pain is there you can’t do meditation. Two things cannot be observed at the same time. When the mind is concentrated the pain is there, but you don’t feel it because you are engrossed with the object of meditation.

Cittanupassana
How to identify cittas-thoughts, the volition-sankharas. In cittanupassana you understand thoughts, identify them separately. May be it is a thought of anger, you know it, and when it is a thought of non-anger you know it. When it is a thought of lust, you know it, when it is a thought of anger, you know it, when it is a thought without lust then you know it. Now you are happy like this moment, we are all having a calm and restful moment, but this is without lust. So think of the thoughts and identify them. Then moha – ignorance is thinking of ‘me’ and “I”. If you recognise thoughts of prides, conceits, anger, mana – all of it is highly charged with ‘me’ and “I”. This moha is really restlesness, because ‘me’ is at the bottom, restlessness is ignorance, so try to identify the thoughts as they come. Anger, non-anger, greed, non-greed, restlessness and concentration, so you identify these thoughts as they appear and then everytime you observe and recognise, you are in sati cittanupassana. You are contemplating thoughts, not vedana not kaya, still within satipatthana, not the body or a happy and unhappy vedana. That contemplation is called cittanupassana. Vedana is only vedana not thought. So you can identify it at the stage of vedana or at the stage of thought, still you are within satipatthana. If you skip vedana, anger has already arisen, you see it as anger. Again you are still in satipatthna, then you can throw it still at that stage. If you cannot do that, then you succumb to it. It is very difficult, you have to train the mind to see vedana and not difficult, by observing always eg: toothache. Can observe it and not take panadol. When you concentrate only on the vedana, the mind is not running everywhere, not having anger, desire or ignorance. This is kusala, you are only observing vedana and like that you switch off and you go to sleep. They come and go. Cittanupassana is when you identify the thought, that have been now constructed because of the pain. It is the pain that gives rise to the thought. The pain and the identification. Feeling and perception they both get together and make a thought. From memory you can get it from all the six senses you can get it. Feeling comes from all the six senses and then you make a big story out of it and get angry and resentment, that is the volitional stage, that is the final stage. You are with anger and lust and whatever. Prides, conceits give good feelings.
If you were eating then anger or greed also can arise. Another thing, if greed is there, then no anger, if there is anger then there is no greed. They don’t come together, they are opposites, both are of no use, both are unwholesome.

Dhammanupassana
The six internal and external sense bases, you can see them apart. Bojjanga you see separately. They all come when the time is right. The four noble truths you see, off and on. Then the eightfold path you can see, all of it is Dhammanupassana. Sometimes you see dukkha, which is due to my own longing and clinging, then you are in the four noble truths.
If you see it as aggregates, you see rupa, vedana, sa~~a sankhara vi~~ana – materiality, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness also satara satipatthana. Bojjanga is a little different, because there is mindfulness, and then Dhammavicaya that is investigation of reality. Often when you contemplate it is Dhammavicaya for the meditator. That is contemplation of the Dhamma.
Feelings are there due to conditions. Conditioned by the eye, conditioned by the external object, conditioned by the consciousness, conditioned by sight. This feeling is conditioned, then I contemplate and because of this feeling, I have got this happy feeling. If I go on contemplating like that, the whole train of events leading up to it, then you can get into investigation of reality – bojjanga. We are investigating, how did I get this anger, how did I get this lust? Then you continue to observe the whole thing in your meditation. Then that is investigation. Then you can see with bojjanga. When the meditation is going on and on, ‘my energy is good’. Without a stop my meditation is going on like that, you see energy, you observe it. Then you get joy. Sometimes when you are meditating you feel so happy, you fear that you will be disturbed, because you are so absorbed, you like this meditation. Sometimes you feel the joy of it. You have to observe the moments of joy and enjoy it and heighten it knowingly and then give up without clinging. It becomes so serene and comfortable, you don’t want to go and do all the other things. Your happiness is depending on your own concentration. Your happiness is not coming from somebody else or from the outside. You are self-contained and self-reliant, you are not dependant on anyone. So you feel so comfortable, otherwise your joy is dependant on food and other people what they say and do!
Now you are not at all worried about the world. Your world is you and your own contemplation. Quite satisfied with it. You are not waiting for the world, no use. This is what becomes. So you come down to the world because you want to help the others and not because you want. You prefer to be with your mind and stay all day, but you want to help others. Then you come out of it. There are people who sit five hours at a stretch. A Russian lady said “I can stay in this calm, peaceful way for a whole day”. Dhammivicaya, joy, tranquility and concentration. When you know the concentration is there it increases the concentration, when you know that joy is there, it increases the joy, when you know that energy is there it increases the energy. So any good aspect when you notice, it becomes more, any bad thing, when you notice it cuts down. When you notice the akusala it cuts down, when you notice the kusala it heightens. So you can observe the four noble truths, you can observe the noble eightfold path, now we see the reality how they arise and pass away. Seeing the Four Noble Truths is right view. Seeing karma vipaka is right view, the cause and effect. Seeing anicca, dukkha, anatta is right view. Seeing impermanence of feelings, impermanence of thoughts how they come and go, seeing impermanence, non-self and unsatisfactoriness, that is right view. Seeing dukkha is right view, seeing the cause of dukkha, as your own clinging and longing and seeing your akusal is right view. Seeing your kusala is right view. Right view, right speech, action all of it is kusala. Sammavaca, sammakammanta, ajiva, right livelihood all here. So there is no micchavaca, no wrong speech, no wrong livelihood, no wrong action. We are meditating here, all of the Eightfold Path can arise here. Then there is energy, right effort, to sit here and wait all day listening, effort is necessary to listen and comprehend. So you are in right effort, right mindfulness because you are not thinking of other things, so many million things which you normally think about. None of it is here. So right mindfulness and right concentration. So all Eoghtfold Path can arise so that is also within the satipatthana. Four Noble Truths, Eightfold path, watching the contact of eye, ear, nose, tongue, touch mind. When you see them and their ojbects of sound, smell. taste, touch and mind object, also you are within satipatthana.
There is no sloth and torpor, you are highly energised. Sense desire or anger, viyapada, uddukakukucha – restlessness, doubt, there is no doubt also, because listening to the Dhamma comprehending the Dhamma. All five nivaranas are suppressed. None of them are here. So the wholesome contemplations are high.
Question: When you meditate do all these things come together?
Yes, they come together, in clusters, wholesome/unwholesome. They are all there, but you observe only one at a time, if you see dukkha contemplate on that. If the anapapanasati has reached a tranquility stage, you can stop anapanasati and get into contemplation. You can get into vedanupassana when the pain arises, when the mind gets into lust, then you can get into cittanupassana. When sloth and torpor arises you can see it as Dhammanupassana. When any of these contemplations you do, you are in one of these four categories of satipatthana.
Question: What about dhyana – absorption.? You have to come out of it and see it retrospectively. You cannot see while you are in it, if you contemplate, the dhyana disappears.
Question: In anapanasati, you are all the time in Dhammanupassana, cittanupassana. Is that the ultimate.?
Insights will come in anapana, really anapana is kayanupassana. Sammia sankappa – starting with anapana you can develop all four satipatthana.
Question: What relationship is there between jhana and satipatthana.
Jhana is only suppressing – only samatha. This is eradication, this is vipassana. Satipatthana is vipassana. This is not suppression. This is eradication. Seeing the reality, directly observing, directly confronting. You are not just trying to stop it, temporary suppression.
When you watch the thoughts kusala citta arises, so you are having kusala birth, you are having a higher birth. Higher birth, is it not suffering? Yes, that too can be suffering because that is not permanent, it is only a temporary phase. In devalokha suffering is less but it is only temporary. You finish that energy and again you are in suffering. You dont stop the suffering by creating kusala, you only get a better rebirth, less suffering but again you come back when you finish that energy. Kusala compared to akusala is better. That’s why the Arahants give up both kusala and akusala, no more rebirth. For him there is nothing called suffering. Kusala is good compared to akusala, but they are both abandoned finally, but until that you have to hang on to kusala. That is
the raft that is going to carry you across. You cannot cross without kusala, so hang on to kusala as far as possible till you get to the other end.

For those of you who are practising Vipassana Kammathana or Jhana meditation many of you might be experiencing a ringing sound in your ears. Don’t be confused or worried, this is only one fo the many effects which might occur. To understand more on what this phenomena is, you can download the mp3 teaching from Pra Ajarn Sumedho by clicking on the above link

If this is the case, do not fall into the attachment and fascination with such matters, rather accept them for what they are and continue as normal. Clinging to any object of desire, is simply an obstacle to the process of “letting go” it is precisely the letting go process that causes the arisal of Psychic power in some individuals (along with past life development experience), so when the powers arise and you then feel you would miss them when they disappear or worry when you aren’t sure if the ability isn’t around at any particular moment, you are regressing backwards in your practise and doiing precisely the opposite to what you were doing when the powers were born in you. Simply maintain a state of emptiness, non attachment and equanimity and continue to observe objectively all the inner and outer phenomena which occur in your consciousness as usual in your Vipassana practise. Be those phenomena pphysical or not physical, outer or inner, emotional, sensory, sensual or inclinational see them all with an open observing mind that does not attach interact or give any weight to the object of focus. Notice the coming and going of all sensations emotions, thoughts, desires and outside phenomena etc and see how they are all impermanent.

As the wind blows against your skin see how it is not your self.. take it further to see how the reconstructed impression created by your brain as a result of translating the signal reciever by the wind on your skin through the chemical transmission of information through your bodily sense organs is als not yourself and also transitory.. see the esxperience as transitory and not self just as the wind itself is not. See how clinging or aversion to such objects of perceptive experience is Dukkha (unsatisfactory), due to the fact that all such things are impermanent and changeable. Aversiondiffers not greatly to clinging, as when you abhor something (averted to), you immediately rush to cling to it’s opposite (for example the thought “i dont like impolite speech” would mean you prefer Polite speech – meaning you are clinging to the wish for everyone to speak politely, for example) – Aversion leads to clinging too. so if oyu are goiing to be averted to something, then be averted to clinging and aversion! (Ha!) – then dont even be clinging or averted to that either.. aversion and clinging are two sides of the same coing and oyu must make a quantum leap in understanding to acheive a “knowing” of the nature of this deeply rooted catch 22 situation which our minds are accustomed to remain trapped in and leap out of it with a grand “letting go” like never before!

Think about it when you are observing yourself and your inclinations and preferences and dislikes and see how they are related and go round in a circle. Breaking this chain is not easy you need Panya to do it (wisdom) The Buddha always maintained the need for the three factors of Sila Samadhi and Pany to become Enlightened (Moral precepts, Concentration or concentrated effort, and Wisdom). But he always raised Panya (wisdom) as the highest of all the three necessary ingredients. You cannot acheive Enlightenment without all 3 ultimately, but Panya is the key ingredient to understanding the nature of all things and existence, becoming and the route to escape such.

You may find youself attaining Supramundane powers in the course of your practise. Don’t get fascinated but do learn to use them if you wish – but do it without clinging. You have legs so why not use them to walk, so is it with the Supramundane powers too. They aren’t there for nothing, as are your legs and arms too. It is natural to use the faculties you are provided with. But it is suffering to miss or really be attached to such.

The Buddha taught much on these matters, and the references to which Suttas refer to which powers are listed below for your personal reference and research.

Canonical references for Supramundane Powers (lokuttara balani)

Ecstatic and Charismatic Phenomena in the Sutta Pitaka

Absorption (jhana) DN 42, 1.3.21f., n.79, n.50, n.57, n.76f., 2.75ff., 4.33, n.168, 9.10ff., 16.6.8f., 17.2.3, n.583, n.611, 26.28, 29.24, 33.3.3(6), n.1118, n.1127, n.1143

Absorption (samadhi) MN 38f., 4.18, 7.8, 16.26, 19.8, 20.3ff., 24.2, 32.7, 36.45, 40.8, 44.11, 44.12, n.464, 69.15, 77.17, 122.7ff., 128.31, nn.1195-96

Bliss (piiti) MN 22.3, 66.21, 122.3, 139.9

Charism, (jhana-nimitta) DN 33.24, 33.3.2.1(25). MN 20,

Characteristics or Sign of absorption, (samatha-nimittan) 36.45. SN pg 1634, 1899-1900, n.54, 1919

Delight (nandi)

Divine eye, (dibba-cakkhu) DN 2.95, n.253, 8.3, 14.1.36, 16.1.27, 17.1.16, 23.11, 25.19, 28.17, 33.1.10(46)

Divine ear, (dibba-sota) DN 2.83, n.130

Extra-sensory perception DN 33

Happiness, Sukha DN 1.3.21, n.82,

Miracles DN,11.1ff., 24.1.4ff., 24.2.13, n.736, n.749, n.750

Out-of-Body (OOB) (manomaya) Mind-made body, manomaya DN 1.2.2, n.49, 1.3.12, n76, 24.2.15, 27.10

Past lives DN 1.1.31ff, 2.93, 24.2.18ff, 25.18ff, 28.15ff, 33.1.10(58), 33.1.11(30), 34.1.7(10)

Powers, balani, 16.3.51, n.413, 33.2.3(9), 34.1.8(10), n.1150

Pychic power, miracle of DN 11.3ff, n.231

Psychic powers, iddhi, DN 2.87, n.128, 11.5, n.231, 17.1.18, n.481, 28.18

Roads to Power, iddhipada DN n.270, 16.3.3, 18.22, n.526, 26.28, 28.3, 33.1.11(3)

Sign of absorption, jhana-Nimitta, samatha-nimittan DN 33.24, 33.3.2.1(25). MN 20, 36.45. SN pg 1634, 1899-1900, n.54,1919

Sphere of Infinite Consciousness, Vinnananaacayatana, DN 1.3.14, 9.15, 15.33, 33.1.11(7)

Sphere of Infinite Space, Akasanancayatana, DN 1.3.13, 9.14, 15.33, 33.1.11(7)

Sphere of Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception, nevasannanasannnayatana DN 1.3.16, 15.33f, 33.1.11(7)

Sphere of No-Thingness, akincannayatana DN 1.3.13, 9.14, 15.33, 33.1.11(7)

Supramundane, lokuttara DN 38

Telepathy 33.11.3, n.232, n.660, n.671, n.1059, n.1140

Wisdom, panya DN 4.23, n.168, 15.34, n.355, 33.1.10(42, 43), n.56

Wisdom Eye, pannna-cakkhu DN n140, 33.1.10(46)

Volitional Phenomaena seen as Dhukka from the perspective of Non-Self.
All movements are disturbances to Nirvana and its empty nonself in stillness. be they sounds, thoughts, desires, emotions, inclinations or tactile impressions and the reaction to such.
From Arupajhana, the inclination to communicate with “others” does not exist.. as one retrogresses back into rupajhana, the concept of otherhood returns. Inclinations are noisy disturbances; like a train passing your bedroom window. In the subtle state of non-self and emptiness (formless state), all subtle “movements” or volitional phenomaena are seen as suffering and distrubances to the Void in it’s stillness of non becoming.
Becoming is Dhukka – liberation is stillness and cessation

I myself have had several frustrating moments as certain phenomaena began to arise, and had to seek myself for the answers. some of the side effects or signs of Jhana absorbtion can be confusing and one may not know what to do to deal with or expand on the signs that appear to one. Some of the effects experienced amongst others are for example; Goosebumps or hair standing up on end, piercing whistling sound in your head (from the centre of the head out to both ears), flashing lights in the corners of your vision, glowing auras around the objects in the room etc.

If you are experiencing any of these effects, please don’t worry; they are signs of successful one pointed concentration and absorbtion. The hair standing up is known as Kutaga Piti (Beeti) anmd is a sign of the forst Jhana to second Jhana. Some people may even find that they can willingly call upon this feeling and effect on their own mental command. This can be used to enter the Jhanas with and still the mind. If you get the hhigh pitched sound please dont worry or be bothered by it. The more you focus on it the louder it gets.. this can also be used i believe to enter the formless Arupajhana (4th Jhana upwards). So if you get it and can deal with it you may wish to sit with your eyes closed (or even open) and delve into it. Belwo is a link with info about the different Phenomaena related to the Jhanic state of absorbtion which i believe may be useful in putting your mind to rest if you are experiencing any strange or new feelings or sensations which you wish to understand better.
The characteristic manifestations of absorption – Jhana-Nimitta

buddhachannel
Acess to Insight – Jhanas