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The Five Settlements of the Mind
Iningestablished the moral life, one wishes to no longer create the three poisons of greed, hate & stupidity and be able to develop serenity and settle the mind with Calm (Samatha). In calming the mind one will be able to diligently cultivate mindfulness and develop mental concentration. The Five Settlements of the Mind help to extinguish the five kinds of emotional trouble (S. Klesa, J. Bonno) that are 'improper intent' (as opposed to 'improper views'):
Meditation on Impurity - Meditations on impurity help counter greedy desires. The best known of these meditations was known as the nine ruminations on death and decay - disciples would go to charnel grounds (where people where cremated) and contemplate the dead in their various states of decay - it apparently was quite effective in calming sensory desires. The intent of these meditations is to understand the impurity that is produced by the body, and so develop distaste for the objects of sensory desire.
Meditation on the Four Limitless States of Mind: These include
This meditation counteracts hatefulness and anger, and helps one properly relate to other living beings in an enlightened way. One begins by having thought of kindness and compassion towards those one loves and cares about the most. One gradually extends these feelings out to others, even to those towards which one has feelings of anger or hate.
Meditation on Causality (cause & effect, karma & retribution) countering stupidity. This includes meditation on the four truths, the threefold vicious cycle of emotional distress, karma & suffering, the twelve-fold wheel that is dependence on origination.
Meditation on distinguishing the realms on consciousness, countering egotism & conceit. This includes meditation of the five aggregates of self, the twelve aspects of sensory perception (which includes the six sense faculties and the six sensations) and the eighteen realms of consciousness (the above plus the six kinds of consciousness), with the aim of revealing the unreality of the self. In the Practice of Faith, this meditation is often replaced by 'worship of the Buddhas', with similar effect.
Meditation on counting the breaths (S. Anapana - Ana means exhaling and apana means inhaling). It is not so much 'counting' the breaths as it is focusing on the exhaling and inhaling. One usually returns to this meditation when one loses one's focus during meditation, because it is the least subtle, and therefore the easiest to focus back on when trying to regain one’s concentration. This meditation counters restlessness and doubt.
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Since July 9, 2001