It was a toss-up, for me, what practice to enter into tonight. I was choosing between the guided meditation that Sariputta gave Anathapindika, and a meditation based on the Satipatthana Sutta (The Four Placements of Mindfulness). Then there’s the meditation adaption I’ve made of the Girimananda Sutta – it likewise leads from the gross to subtle, from sensory grounding to letting go. Anapanasati is good, too. Any of them would be good for dying with.
They all start with the body, and grounded, directed attention of some kind; and they all lead, step by step to dispassion, cessation and letting go. They all realise more and more space, until the space-like nature of the mind is clear. The way the steps of each of these are sequenced in the Pali version, they each deepen from the initial earth element, into water, into fire, into air or wind, and then to the mind liberated from perching on anything.
In the end, I’ve settled on the Anthapindika meditation, because it does seem to me that it most closely resembles the stages of dissolution at death. It has an interesting resonance with the meditation (developed in later Buddhist times) called the ‘Dissolution of the Elements.’
I used to lead a version of the Anathapindika guided meditation on retreats, years ago; and people would regularly request me to lead that one again. The lines that are most powerful in that meditation, were “I am not defined by…” and “I am not limited by…” For instance, “I am not defined by this body. I am not limited by this body.” “I am not defined by my vedana (feeling-tones). I am not limited by my vedana.” (No doubt it’s resonant with the Vedic ‘neti, neti’ – ‘not this, not this’ meditation.) The rest is silence.
Here’s an earlier version, for you to follow, if you like to try it. I call it, Emptiness for Anathapindika. It doesn’t have those particular lines in it, but it’s still pretty incisive:
Or, you can download it, by right-clicking this link and choosing ‘Save as…’: Emptiness for Anathapindika – February 2010. When you practice the meditation, don’t be surprised if the ‘blocking processes’ (pañca nīvaraṇāni) give you a dance. This meditation leaves you with nothing but the deathless to stand on. Persist with a curious heart.
I’d like to thank my wife Joyce for her constant encouragement during this project, even during her recent illness. I want to thank many of you for contacting me, or letting me know that you have really valued reading this blog. It’s been especially rewarding to know that it has supported you in your inner work. May you be safe, well and completely at peace. May you flourish.