Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Thai Forest Tradition


The Kammaṭṭhāna Forest Tradition of Thailand (Pali: kammaṭṭhāna [kəmːəʈːʰaːna] meaning "place of work"), commonly known in the West as the Thai Forest Tradition, is a lineage of Theravada Buddhist monasticism, as well as the lineage's associated heritage of Buddhist praxis. The tradition is distinguished from other Buddhist traditions by its doctrinal emphasis of the notion that the mind precedes the world,[citation needed] its description of the Buddhist path as a training regimen for the mind,[citation needed] and its objective to reach proficiency in a diverse range of both meditative techniques and aspects of conduct that will eradicate defilements (Pali: "kilesas") – unwholesome aspects of the mind – in order to attain awakening.
The tradition began circa 1900 with Ajahn Mun Bhuridatto and Ajahn Sao Kantasīlo: two Dhammayut monks from the Lao-speakingcultural region of Northeast Thailand known as Isan. They began wandering the Thai countryside out of their desire to practice monasticism according to the normative standards of Classical Buddhism (which Ajahn Mun termed "the customs of the noble ones") during a time when folk religion was observed predominately among Theravada village monastic factions in the Siamese region. Because of this, orthopraxy with regard to the earliest extant Buddhist texts is emphasized in the tradition, and the tradition has a reputation for scrupulous observance of the Buddhist monastic code, known as the Vinaya.
Nevertheless, the Forest tradition is often cited[according to whom?] as having an anti-textual stance,[citation needed] as Forest teachers in the lineage prefer edification through ad-hoc application of Buddhist practices rather than through methodology and comprehensive memorization, and likewise state that the true value of Buddhist teachings is in their ability to be applied to reduce or eradicate defilement from the mind. In the tradition's beginning the founders famously neglected to record their teachings, instead wandering the Thai countryside offering individual instruction to dedicated pupils. However, detailed meditation manuals and treatises on Buddhist doctrine emerged in the late 20th century from Ajahn Mun and Ajahn Sao's first-generation students as the Forest tradition's teachings began to propagate among the urbanities in Bangkok and subsequently take root in the West.
The purpose of practice in the tradition is to the ultimate end of experiencing the Deathless (Pali: amata-dhamma): an absolute, unconditioned dimension of the mind free of inconstancy, suffering, or a sense of self. According to the traditions exposition, awareness of the Deathless is boundless and unconditioned and cannot be conceptualized, so it must be arrived at through the aforementioned mental training which includes deep states of meditative concentration (Pali: jhana); and Forest teachers directly challenge the notion of dry insight.[1] The tradition further asserts that the training which leads to the Deathless is not undertaken simply through contentment or letting go, but the Deathless must be reached by "exertion and striving" (sometimes described as a "battle" or "struggle") to "cut" or "clear the path" through the "tangle" of defilements that bind the mind to the conditioned world in order to set awareness free.[2][3]
Related Forest Traditions are also found in other culturally similar Buddhist Asian countries, including the Galduwa Forest Tradition of Sri Lanka, the Taungpulu Forest Tradition of Myanmar and a related Lao Forest Tradition in Laos

The mind
The mind (Pali: citta, mano — used interchangeably as “heart” or “mind” en masse), within the context of the Forest Tradition, refers to the most essential aspect of an individual that carries the responsibility of “taking on” or “knowing” mental preoccupations.
This characterization deviates from what is conventionally known in the West as “mind” — while the activities associated with thinking are often included when talking about the mind, they are considered mental processes separate from this essential knowing nature, which is sometimes termed the "primal nature of the mind".[7]
The primary quality attributed to the mind is that it is considered to be radiant, or luminous (Pali: “pabhassara”).[8] Teachers in the forest tradition assert that the mind is an immutable reality and that the mind is indestructible — that the mind simply “knows and does not die”.[9] The mind is also a fixed-phenomenon (Pali: "thiti-dhamma") — the mind itself does not “move” or follow out after its preoccupations, but rather receives them in place.[8] Since the mind as a phenomenon often eludes attempts to define it, the mind is often simply described in terms of its activities:
The mind isn’t “is” anything. What would it “is”? We’ve come up with the supposition that whatever receives preoccupations—good preoccupations, bad preoccupations, whatever—we call “heart” or “mind.” Like the owner of a house: Whoever receives the guests is the owner of the house. The guests can’t receive the owner. The owner has to stay put at home. When guests come to see him, he has to receive them. So who receives preoccupations? Who lets go of preoccupations? Who knows anything? [Laughs] That’s what we call “mind.” But we don’t understand it, so we talk, veering off course this way and that: “What is the mind? What is the heart?” We get things way too confused. Don’t analyze it so much. What is it that receives preoccupations? Some preoccupations don’t satisfy it, and so it doesn’t like them. Some preoccupations it likes and some it doesn’t. Who is that—who likes and doesn’t like? Is there something there? Yes. What’s it like? We don’t know. Understand? That thing... That thing is what we call the “mind.” Don’t go looking far away. [8]
— Ajaan Chah

Defilements
While the mind doesn't follow out after its preoccupations, occasionally the mind will fall for its preoccupations while interacting with them, in which case the preoccupation can darken the mind. This darkness is termed defilement (Pali: “kilesa”), and when there is defilement in the mind, the mind can wrongly assume it is identical with its preoccupations.[11]Of the list of defilements; greed, aversion, and delusion are commonly identified as roots for the others.
If the defilements are considered entities, the associated mental processes are craving and clinging (Pali: “upadana”). The subsequent assumption on behalf of the mind that it is either identical with its preoccupations, or that its preoccupations belong to it, is part of a process called becoming in Buddhism.[12] Becoming is the process which leads to birth in any given lifetime. The earliest cause for both of these events which is identified in the texts is called avijja (Pali: ignorance, unawareness). [for more information, see twelve nidanas]
However, Ajaan Mun — the monk who began the forest tradition, reported that avijja is conditioned and therefore must arise from conditions, and that a mind imbued with delusionco-arises with avijja as its sustaining condition, and avijja can then in turn act as a sustaining factor for clinging and becoming. When beings are born, more karma may be created, which then acts as fuel for further fabrications and cravings. These processes therefore form feedback loops on one another — Ajaan Mun says: “In other words, these things will have to keep on arising and giving rise to each other continually. They are thus called sustained or sustaining conditions because they support and sustain one another.” [13] This assertion that the mind comes first was explained to Ajaan Mun's pupils in a talk, which was given in a style of wordplay derived from an Isan song-form known as maw lam:
The two elements, namo, [water and earth elements, i.e. the body] when mentioned by themselves, aren't adequate or complete. We have to rearrange the vowels and consonants as follows: Take the a from the n, and give it to the m; take the o from the m and give it to the n, and then put the ma in front of the no. This gives us mano, the heart. Now we have the body together with the heart, and this is enough to be used as the root foundation for the practice. Mano, the heart, is primal, the great foundation. Everything we do or say comes from the heart, as stated in the Buddha's words:
mano-pubbangama dhamma
mano-settha mano-maya:
'All dhammas are preceded by the heart, dominated by the heart, made from the heart.' The Buddha formulated the entire Dhamma and Vinaya from out of this great foundation, the heart. So when his disciples contemplate in accordance with the Dhamma and Vinaya until namo is perfectly clear, then mano lies at the end point of formulation. In other words, it lies beyond all formulations.
All supposings come from the heart. Each of us has his or her own load, which we carry as supposings and formulations in line with the currents of the flood (ogha), to the point where they give rise to unawareness (avijja), the factor that creates states of becoming and birth, all from our not being wise to these things, from our deludedly holding them all to be 'me' or 'mine

The five aggregates and Nirvana
 The Five Aggregates (Pali: “pañca khandha”, sometimes “khandas” for short) in Buddhism are a categorical model for phenomena as the mind comes into contact and relates to the world. The fivefold list describes the mind's experience of all mental and physical phenomena for any being in any mode of existence. The aggregates are forms (Pali: “rupa”), perceptions (“sanna”), feelings (“vedana”), fabrications(“sankhara”), and consciousness (“vinnana”).
Scholars in Bangkok at the time of Ajaan Mun stated that an individual is wholly composed of and defined by these Five Aggregates. However, the Pali Canon itself states that the aggregates are completely ended during the experience of Nirvana. This led to a problem attempting to draw a conclusion about the nature of Nirvana and whether there is experience of anything afterward.
Following from Ajaan Mun's reported insight that the mind precedes mental fashionings, Ajaan Mun further asserted that the mind sheds its attachments to its preoccupations yet is not itself annihilated during the Nirvana experience. The mind of one who has attained Nirvana (Pali: arahant, meaning “perfected person”) continues.
However it cannot be stated affirmatively where the mind of an arahant exists or that it exists at all, because describing an arahant's mind in terms of existence would limit it to the confines of time and space, which Nirvana occurs outside of. It would be equally incorrect to say that the mind of an arahant does not exist — the Buddha said that the idea of existence or non-existence “does not apply” to the behavior of an arahant's mind. Ajaan Mun argued all of this by describing a unique class of “objectless” or “themeless” consciousness specific to Nirvana, which differs from the consciousness aggregate

Kammatthana — The Place of Work
Kammatthana, (Pali: meaning “place of work”) refers to the whole of the practice with the goal of ultimately eradicating defilement from the mind:
The word “kammaṭṭhāna” has been well known among Buddhists for a long time and the accepted meaning is: “the place of work (or basis of work).” But the “work” here is a very important work and means the work of demolishing the world of birth (bhava); thus, demolishing (future) births, kilesas, taṇhā, and the removal and destruction of all avijjā from our hearts. All this is in order that we may be free from dukkha. In other words, free from birth, old age, pain and death, for these are the bridges that link us to the round of saṁsāra (vaṭṭa), which is never easy for any beings to go beyond and be free. This is the meaning of “work” in this context rather than any other meaning, such as work as is usually done in the world. The result that comes from putting this work into practice, even before reaching the final goal, is happiness in the present and in future lives. Therefore those [monks] who are interested and who practise these ways of Dhamma are usually known as Dhutanga Kammaṭṭhāna Bhikkhus, a title of respect given with sincerity by fellow Buddhists. — Ajaan Maha Bua[16]
The practice which monks in the tradition generally begin with are meditations on what Ajaan Mun called the five “root meditation themes”: the hair of the head, the hair of the body, the nails, the teeth, and the skin. One of the purposes of meditating on these externally visible aspects of the body is to counter the infatuation with the body, and to develop a sense of dispassion. Of the five, the skin is described as being especially significant. Ajaan Mun writes that “When we get infatuated with the human body, the skin is what we are infatuated with. When we conceive of the body as being beautiful and attractive, and develop love, desire, and longing for it, it's because of what we conceive of the skin.”[13]
However, the meditation practice in the forest tradition is not limited to these five themes. Many other themes are taught to be used to deal with certain situations, including but not limited to:
Mindfulness immersed in the body and Mindfulness of in-and-out breathing are both part of the ten recollections and the four satipatthana, and are commonly given special attention as primary themes for a meditator to focus on.

Forest monasteries in the West

Ajahn Chah was unique among in the Forest Tradition in that he was not a Dhammayut monk but rather a Mahanikai monk. He only spent one weekend with Ajaan Mun, however he had teachers within the Mahanikai who had more exposure to Ajaan Mun. His connection to the Forest Tradition was publicly recognized by Ajaan Maha Bua. The community that he founded is formally referred to as The Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah.

In 1967, Ajahn Chah founded Wat Pah Pong. That same year, an American monk from another monastery, Venerable Sumedho (later Ajahn Sumedho) came to stay with Ajahn Chah at Wat Pah Pong. He found out about the monastery from one of Ajahn Chah's existing monks who happened to speak "a little bit of english".[44] In 1975, Ajahns Chah and Sumedho founded Wat Pah Nanachat, an international forest monastery in Ubon Ratchatani which offers services in English.
In the 1980s the Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah expanded to the West with the founding of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery in the UK. Ajahn Chah stated that the spread of Communism in Southeast Asia motivated him to establish the Forest Tradition in the West.
The Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah has since expanded to cover Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, and the United States

Daily Routine

Morning and Evening Chanting
All Thai monasteries generally have a morning and evening chant, which usually takes an hour long for each, and each morning and evening chant may be followed by a meditation session, usually around an hour as well.[1]
Morning Alms Round
At Thai monasteries the monks will go for alms early in the morning, sometimes around 6:00 AM,[2] although monasteries such as Wat Pah Nanachat and Wat Mettavanaram start around 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM, respectively.[3][4] At Dhammayut monasteries (and some Maha Nikaya forest monasteries, including Wat Pah Nanachat),[5] monks will eat just one meal per day. For young children it is customary for the parent to help them scoop food into monks bowls.[55][incomplete short citation]
Anumodana
At Dhammayut monasteries, anumodana (Pali, rejoicing together) is a chant performed by the monks after a meal to recognize the mornings offerings, as well as the monks' approval for the lay people's choice of generating merit (Pali: puñña) by their generosity towards the Sangha. Among the thirteen verses to the Anumodana chant, three stanzas are chanted as part of every Anumodana, as follows:
1. (LEADER):
2. (ALL):
3.

Dhutanga


Dhutanga (meaning austere practice Thai: Tudong) is a word generally used in the commentaries to refer to the thirteen ascetic practices. In Thai Buddhism it has been adapted to refer to extended periods of wandering in the countryside, where monks will take one or more of these ascetic practices.[7] During these periods monks will live off of whatever is given to them by laypersons they encounter during the trip, and sleep wherever they can. Sometimes monks will bring a large umbrella-tent with attached mosquito netting known as a crot (also spelled krot, clot, or klod). The crot will usually have a hook on the top so it may be hung on a line tied between two trees.[8]

Vassa (Rains Retreat)

Vassa (in Thai, phansa), is a period of retreat for monastics during the rainy season (from July to October in Thailand). Many young Thai men traditionally ordain for this period, before disrobing and returning to lay life

Precepts and Ordination


There are several precept levels: Five Precepts, Eight Precepts, Ten Precepts and the patimokkha. The Five Precepts (Pañcaśīla in Sanskrit and Pañcasīla in Pāli) are practiced by laypeople, either for a given period of time or for a lifetime. The Eight Precepts are a more rigorous practice for laypeople. Ten Precepts are the training-rules for sāmaṇeras and sāmaṇerīs (novitiate monks and nuns). The Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for bhikkhus and 311 for nuns bhikkhunis(nuns) Temporary or short-term ordination is so common in Thailand that men who have never been ordained are sometimes referred to as "unfinished."[citation needed] Long-term or lifetime ordination is deeply respected. The ordination process usually begins as an anagarika, in white robes

Customs

Monks in the tradition are typically addressed as "Venerable", alternatively with the Thai Ayya or Taan (for men). Any monk may be addressed as "bhante" regardless of seniority. For Sangha elders who have made a significant contribution to their tradition or order, the title Luang Por (Thai: Venerable Father) may be used.[11]
According to The Isaan: "In Thai culture, it is considered impolite to point the feet toward a monk or a statue in the shrine room of a monastery."[12] In Thailand monks are usually greeted by lay people with the wai gesture, though, according to Thai custom, monks are not supposed to wai laypeople.[13] When making offerings to the monks, it is best not to stand while offering something to a monk who is sitting down

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