I understand that there are many types (basic, intermediate and
advanced stage, am I right?) of meditation. I have learnt the
basic which is concentrating on my breathing. I feel comfortable
with it. If so, must I go on to learn higher level of meditation ?
What are the higher level of meditation ? Can briefly describe ? If
possible state the types of meditatio in Chinese.
During meditation, I have seen many images and people I have not
seen them before. I know I should not bother about them, but just
want to confirm that they are related to me in my past life, am I
right ?
First off: regarding those images, I'm not sure, maybe Longchen
can answer you better but as you have intuited one should let go of
all these impressions. My understanding is that they are not
necessarily our past lives, usually past life memories are only
accessed in very deep state of concentration and clarity, or states
of jhana and samadhi.
As for whether breathing meditation is just basic meditation or
something more: that would depend on which system of meditation you
follow.
In some systems especially in Theravada, the Anapanasati method
is held in high esteem and is used to gain Nirvana. In other
traditions like Vajrayana, it is often the case that it is only
taught as a common shamatha to build a base of concentration and
one-pointedness, before moving on to more advanced practice.
That is why you need to tell me which system of meditation you
are following first.
As for whether Anapanasati alone can lead to enlightenment, the
answer is that it can, but it depends on how you practice it.
If we practice Anapanasati as a shamatha (concentration) method,
it will lead to states of absorption, jhana, samadhi, but not
enlightenment. Example of breathing-shamatha is counting breathe,
concentrating on the in-and-out of breathing, etc.
If we practice Anapanasati as a vipassana (insight meditation)
method, it will lead to enlightenment and liberation. That means
just bare awareness of the sensations, the coldness, warmness,
softness, hardness, liquidity or cohesion, movement and
vibration... just sense it in full clarity and vividness, observing
its arising and ceasing and non self and disattisfactory nature....
this will lead to realisation.
from another article http://www.aimwell.org/Books/Other/Anapana/anapana.html
Then as to respiration meditation (anapanasati), in the
Visuddhimagga it is mentioned as samatha meditation, concentration
meditation. In the Mahasatipatthana Sutta it is mentioned as
vipassana meditation. Then how can we distinguish it between the
vipassana aspect of respiration and the samatha aspect of
respiration? If
we are mindful of the absolute reality of respiration, that will be
vipassana meditation. If we are mindful of the concept regarding
respiration, then it will be samatha
meditation.
So the Visuddhimagga mentions the method of concentrating on the
touching sensation whenever you breathe in and breathe out. When
you concentrate your mind on the coming in and going out of the
breath, then it is samatha meditation because you have to
concentrate on the coming in and going out, not on the wind or air.
When it is coming in you note in; when it is going out you note,
out. In, out, in, out. Your mind is not on the breathing air
but on the coming-in and the going-out. Coming-in and
going-out are not ultimate realities.
Say you come into the room through the door and go out of the room
through the door. We may ask, What is this coming in and going
out? it is neither you, nor a person. It is just coming-in and
going-out. It is just concept. In the same way, when you
concentrate on the coming in and going out of the breath, it is
just a concept. Since concept is the object of meditation, it is
samatha meditation. You cannot realise any specific
characteristics or general characteristics of coming-in and
going-out because they are not realities, just concepts, so
thats samatha meditation.
However, if you focus your mind on the point where the breath
touches whenever it comes in or goes out, it touches the nostrils.
When you observe this touching sensation and are mindful of
it, then it is (ultimate) reality. That touching
point is composed of the four primary material elements: pathavī
dhatu, hard or soft; apo dhatu, liquidity or cohesion; tejo dhatu,
hot or cold; vayo dhatu, movement or vibration. These four elements
are there whenever you focus your mind on the touching sensation.
So the object is absolute reality. What can we call it samatha or
vipassana meditation? It is vipassana.
That is what the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw wrote about the
distinction between the samatha and vipassana aspects of
respiration meditation. I appreciate it very much. So then we can
say respiration meditation is vipassana meditation in accordance
with the Mahasatipatthana Sutta. We can also say that respiration
meditation is samatha in accordance with the Visuddhimagga. It is
very subtle and profound to differentiate between these two aspects
of respiration meditation, but I think those who have practised
meditation very well can differentiate between these two
aspects.
Also the Buddha gave assurance that breathing meditation
(vipassana) leads to enlightenment and Nirvana:
http://www.aimwell.org/Books/Ledi/Anapanasati/anapanasati.html#Nibbana
Ānāpānassati, bhikkhave,
bhāvitā bahulīkatā cattāro satipaṭṭhāne paripūrenti. Cattāro
satipaṭṭhānā bhāvitā bahulīkatā satta bojjhaṅge paripūrenti. Satta
bojjhaṅgā bhāvitā bahulīkatā vijjā vimuttiṃ paripūrenti. (MN
118)
“Monks. If mindfulness of
respiration is cultivated and made much of, the four foundations of
mindfulness are fulfilled and perfected. If the four foundations of
mindfulness are cultivated and made much of, the seven factors of
enlightenment (bojjhaṅga) are fulfilled and
perfected. If the seven factors of enlightenment are
cultivated and made much of, knowledge (vijjā) and
liberation (vimutti) are fulfilled and
perfected.”
Here, knowledge means the
four path knowledges, and liberation means the four fruition
knowledges. The essential meaning is that if mindfulness of
respiration is practiced diligently for days and months, the work
of the four foundations of mindfulness, the seven factors of
enlightenment, and of knowledge and liberation are automatically
accomplished. The foundations of mindfulness, the factors of
enlightenment, and knowledge and liberation comprise the
thirty-seven requisites of enlightenment (bodhipakkhiya
dhammā) so the development
of the thirty-seven requisites of enlightenment are automatically
fulfilled.
This ends the exposition of
the introduction to the Ānāpānasati Sutta.