2022-01-20 Satipaṭṭhāna (13) Observing Inconstancy in the Body

Insight Meditation Center12min

Gil Fronsdal

00:02

We are talking about the refrain of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta. The first line, which we covered somewhat, maybe never complete, is the line that goes: "In this way, one abides, observing the body in terms of the body internally. One observes the body in regard to the body externally." That is the first line. The second line is: "One abides observing the arising of dhamma. One abides observing the ceasing of dhamma. One observes the arising and ceasing of dhamma."

Gil Fronsdal

01:02

The word "dhamma" here, ("dharma" usually in English), is not of 100% certain meaning. Bhikkhu Bodhi translates it as "nature" – the quality or nature of something. So: "Observing the nature of arising in the body. Observing the nature of ceasing in the body. Observing the nature of arising and ceasing in the body." The emphasis here is not what the sensation is, in and of itself, but rather the process in which all sensations in the body have a way in which they appear and disappear.

Gil Fronsdal

01:49

It is tuning into the flow – the changing nature, the appearing and disappearing, arising and passing. This is what this practice opens up to when we are able to be centered and stable in the present moment. When we are able to settle back, abide, and observe – without the mind jumping into thoughts, concepts, ideas, and reactions – the mind is just there, quietly able to observe what is happening.

Gil Fronsdal

02:31

Another meaning for the word "dhamma" is "experience" – the particular experiences that come and go. Whatever experience arises in the body, we see it as arising. Whatever experience has passed, we see it as passing. Whatever experiences we see both arise and pass in the body, we observe that. This third meaning – arising and passing – is that some things last a very short time. Almost as soon as they arise, they are already passing away. Like a sound of a bell. It suddenly appears, but then you are aware of it fading away. Sometimes that happens quite quickly. Some sounds, like if I snap my fingers, it both arises, appears, and disappears almost at the same time.

Gil Fronsdal

03:30

As the mind gets more still and quiet, a certain magic begins appearing. That is, for all the things we thought were solid, it turns out their solidity is partly a function of perceiving them conceptually, through an idea – maybe subconsciously. Or it seems solid because we are holding on to it or contracted around it.

Gil Fronsdal

03:59

As we get deeper, more relaxed and settled, and are able to tune into momentary processes, we see that even with something that remains – in remaining, it is coming and going, arising and passing. For example, you might hear a constant rustling of the leaves in the tree in the wind, and say, "Oh, it's rustling all the time. It is constant." But in fact, the rustling – if you tune into it – is a lot of small little rustle sensations of leaves coming and going. The aggregate we take to be more of a continuous, solid thing.

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