54. Contemplate Correctly
By Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī
May 15, 1988
We are all born having already received the kammaṭṭhāna (meditation subject), but we don't know it. We grow up, and even when we ordain as monks or novices, our preceptors and teachers teach us the basic foundation kammaṭṭhāna: kesā, lomā, nakhā, dantā, taco (hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin). And still we don't understand. They don't know how else to teach. We've had it right from the beginning but we don't get it. The preceptors and teachers teach it to us but we don't get it. We go searching for kammaṭṭhāna everywhere, at every monastery. We think kammaṭṭhāna is at that monastery, this monastery, over there, over here. We go there and still don't see the kammaṭṭhāna.
Please contemplate the kammaṭṭhāna right here in your own self. Contemplate it so that you see it clearly and truly. See it as usabha (a distinctive or separate thing), see it as repulsive and decaying, see it as not-self, not yours. This self of ours that has arisen — it's just come to dwell here temporarily, as a tenant. In truth, it is merely the four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. Our self is just a temporary dwelling. If you don't believe me, try it out. This body we live in — we depend on it, we dwell in this body. When it is going to ache, when it is going to be sick, when it is going to fall down and die, we cannot forbid it. So it isn't really ours, is it? We ought to see it clearly and truly like that. Once we see clearly and truly, that itself is kammaṭṭhāna within ourselves, it is vipassanā within ourselves. Then where else would we go looking?
Practicing kammaṭṭhāna means practicing right here at our own self, at this body, at this mind. Take the mind that is within us and train it, practice with it, discipline it, teach our body so that we see clearly and truly. Then where else would we go to get something else? Our kammaṭṭhāna is complete, fully present, but we don't understand it. We let the kammaṭṭhāna stray and wander off. It's truly as the saying goes: "The body strays away from itself." It doesn't contemplate itself. It goes beyond itself.
When we want to contemplate by analysis, we analyze the elements, analyze the aggregates, analyze form and name. Whatever we analyze, it all analyzes right within that same self. The four elements are separated into earth, water, fire, wind. They are separated until they become decayed, repulsive, until they dissolve back into their original elemental state. Once we have analyzed them down to their original state, that's the end of the matter. The one who analyzes doesn't get it again. What the teachers taught us to analyze — we don't even know what "analyze" means. When we contemplate the body, the mind separates itself from the body — only then does it contemplate the body correctly. If it doesn't separate from the body, how can it contemplate? If it's still inside the body, it doesn't see the body, it doesn't know the body. Kammaṭṭhāna is completely present within us, every single thing. But we just don't see it. What must we do to see? They teach us but we don't see. We contemplate but we don't understand. We don't know how to do samatha. We don't know how to do vipassanā.
Samatha means peace. If the mind is not yet peaceful, how can we call it samatha? It is agitated internally, it scatters and wanders about — it never becomes samatha. After a long time, we give up on samatha and take only vipassanā. Vipassanā — we contemplate over there, outside, scientifically, seeing all kinds of external things, not taking what's inside ourselves. We contemplate and scatter outwards, following stories, thinking it's vipassanā. Actually it's not vipassanā at all — it's vipassanu (imagined vipassanā). We think, "This is vipassanā, this is vipassanā," but we don't see clearly or truly. How could it be vipassanā? If we saw clearly and truly, the mind would "stay" right there. Where would it go? Seeing clearly and truly means entering right into oneself. This person hasn't entered themselves at all — only sends everything outwards. Contemplating everything, investigating all phenomena, scattering according to theory, but not seeing oneself. Once we see truly, it doesn't go anywhere — there's no way forward. It enters into samatha, it comes to rest within this heart. Since we don't see truly, it never ends — it keeps expanding outwards. How can vipassanā that has no end be vipassanā?
The Buddha's teaching has an end, a limit — only then is it correct. He taught us to contemplate the elements, to contemplate the four elements: earth, water, fire, wind. Contemplate earth, water, fire, wind — they are dispersed throughout everything, all things. Everything is just earth, water, fire, wind. All things in the entire country are within the sphere of earth, water, fire, wind. When there is nowhere left to go, we let go. The mind collects itself — only then is it correct. The Buddha's teaching has a final limit, therefore it is called reaching magga, phala, nibbāna. If there were no final limit, how could we reach magga, phala, nibbāna? Please understand this point.
Go to any monastery you like, go to any teacher you like — if there is no final limit, none of it is correct. When something has a final limit, there is nowhere left to go. It has a final limit, so it settles down. The mind settles down, and some people think that mind has no wisdom. How does it have no wisdom? It has contemplated everything to its final limit — that's why it finally settles down. If after contemplating, the mind doesn't settle, then we just keep contemplating endlessly without boundary.
Contemplate the mind, contemplate the heart — that's it. Make it peaceful. When it is not peaceful, if we contemplate, it will just become more scattered and confused. It doesn't stop, it doesn't end. If we can contemplate and bring it all together, then we are on the right path. The Buddha taught this, but we don't understand. We all get lost in symptoms, not understanding the true reality that the Buddha taught. He taught us to collect, to bring everything together. Samatha and vipassanā — he taught them both. Samatha is the collected mind. Vipassanā is clear seeing and true knowing. When we see clearly and know truly, it all settles down into peace. When there is no way forward, it collects. That is when we are on the right path.