Mindfulness Of Body, Feelings, Mind & Dhamma | 11 Apr 2025

Ajahn Anan explains that mindfulness (sati) and awareness (sampajanna) form the bedrock of meditation. Deep concentration (samadhi) brings peace but can delay wisdom if one fails to contemplate impermanence and non-self. While historical figures reached deep states only to realize they hadn't destroyed their defilements, modern practitioners should focus on cultivating mindfulness in daily life.

Everything—wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral—is Dhamma. Delusion tricks the mind into creating a false sense of self through the interconnected chain of dependent origination. When sensory contact occurs, it triggers feelings, craving, and suffering. If emotions overwhelm us, we must return to anchoring practices like body contemplation or reciting "Buddho."

True victory lies not in overpowering others, but in utilizing sharp mindfulness to let go of defilements at the moment of contact.

Transcript

Sati, Mindfulness, The ability to recollect. Sampajanya, Awareness, The knowing of what is happening. These are qualities that greatly support all other wholesome qualities. The more mindfulness and awareness one has, The better. Samadhi, Concentration, The steady focus of the mind that goes deep into a singular form of happiness found in meditation. This pertains to Jhana, Deep absorptions and the realm of the Brahmas. When practiced to the fullest extent, The mind becomes very still and empty. It's very close to Nibbana. However, It lacks the interest to contemplate impermanence, Suffering and not-self, Then the mind will become a Brahma being. After the physical body breaks down, One will be reborn as a Brahma. For example, During the time of the Buddha, Figures like Uruvela Kassapa, Gaya Kassapa and Nadi Kassapa had already attained deep states of meditative absorptions. When they first heard the Dhamma from the fully enlightened Buddha, They were initially thinking they had already eradicated all defilements because their minds were so deeply concentrated and unmoved by any sensual temptations. However, After listening to the Dhamma and contemplating it, They eventually attained Arahantship. This was very important in the propagation of Buddhism in Rajagir in the kingdom of Magadha where King Bimbisara was the reigning monarch. When the three Kassapa brothers were ordained into the Buddhist order, It led to a great number of people developing faith and devotion towards Buddhism. As a result, Buddhism and its teachings became firmly established in Rajagir in the kingdom of Magadha with King Bimbisara as its patron. He also offered Beluwana, The Bamboo Grove Monastery, As the first monastery in Buddhism. Therefore the practice of mindfulness and concentration is to give rise to wisdom. But we don't need to go as far as attaining deep meditative absorptions, As that takes a long time and is very slow. We should focus on training in mindfulness. Dependent on conditions. Everything that arises in the mind is Dhamma. Wholesome states are Dhamma, Unwholesome states are Dhamma, And neutral states are also Dhamma. The four paths and four fruits are Dhamma. The Noble Eightfold Path and the four foundations of mindfulness are all wholesome Dhammas. Greed, Hatred and delusion are unwholesome Dhammas. When one looks at it in this way, Everything is Dhamma. The Buddha contemplated the matter of ignorance, Delusion and unawareness, Such as not knowing the Four Noble Truths, Not knowing about this life and the next. Yet the Buddha was able to contemplate in detail that delusion arises in this very mind. When delusion takes over the mind, It gives rise to mental formations, Whether wholesome, Unwholesome or neutral. We observe our own mind. It is still. Then it moves. Then it's already engaging in fabrications. That is delusion. Mental formations have arisen. Once mental formations arise, Consciousness also arises. See? It's all interconnected. Tracing through causes and conditions like this. When vijnana arises, The sense of self arises and it comes with both nama and rupa, Name and form. When there is nama and rupa, Meaning form, Feeling, Perception, Mental formations and consciousness are all present, Then contact, Asa, Can arise. You can see that all feelings, Vedana, We experience arises from contact. If there is no contact, Feelings do not arise. It's like we have an object weighing five kilograms placed somewhere. Whether it's an iron block, A copper block, Or even a rock. When we pick it up, That's when it feels heavy. That's a moment contact arises. Is that heaviness actually in the rock itself? It's just the nature of things. But when we lift it, We feel it right here. The heaviness arises here. The feeling, Vedana, Arises here, And from that craving and clinging also arise right here. So we must also be cautious about what happens to us when our eyes see forms, Our ears hear sounds, And so on. If we have worldly wisdom, We might be able to overcome other people's defilements and respond effectively. Like in warfare, Where having superior weapons and greater skill can lead to victory. But those who possess such intelligence and greater power, And yet are able to restrain themselves, Then this is difficult to do. For those with lesser strength who can endure, Well that's natural, Because fighting would only lead to defeat. However, For those with greater power, It becomes even harder to restrain themselves, Whether in retaliating by physical, Verbal, Or even mental ways. And though this kind of retaliation can also lead to victory, It's a victory that breeds resentment. It doesn't truly end. It's not a victory of dharma. Therefore we must be mindful at the very moment contact occurs. That's when the sense of self arises. Feeling, Craving, Clinging, Becoming and suffering all follow. But if we try to analyze when ignorance arises, When formations arise, Or trace the sequence of consciousness, Name and form, Contact, Feeling, Craving, Clinging, Becoming and suffering, We won't be fast enough to analyze it. Only with refined wisdom can we see clearly, Oh, So this is how it happens, This arises, This arises. Extremely subtle. Thus it is seen that all things are Dhamma, Merely phenomena, Not a being, Person, Self, Me or another. This is Dhammanupasana, The contemplation of phenomena in the establishment of mindfulness. But even those with wisdom, If it's a coarse wisdom, They can still observe the mind. Is there greed in the mind? Anger? Delusion? They are aware of it. And once they're aware, Greed, Anger and delusion fade away. When the mind is freer from greed, Anger or delusion, One also knows the cause that would have given rise to them. And when greed, Anger or delusion do not arise, One also knows the reason for that. This too requires a highly refined mind, Yet it is still coarse wisdom. One sees the mind merely as the mind, Not as a being, A person, A self, We or them. At times we may succeed, And our mind grows still, And when thoughts arise we can recognize them with awareness. But such moments are rare, When the mind is truly calm and capable of such clear reflection. But if we observe and follow the mind as well, And the mind thinks without ceasing, Proliferates without ceasing, This shows that mindfulness is weak. The emotions are stronger, And this awareness is very little. It's as if we know what's happening, And we know we can't do anything about it. The strength of mindfulness is simply too little. If awareness is sharp and clear, Those fabricated thoughts the worldly emotions of anger and delusion will immediately cease. This is called Magga, The path, That has the power to overcome defilements. Therefore it can be seen that the mind is merely the mind. If during that time we're about to be pulled away by defilements, Yet we keep watching the mind all day like this, It won't yield any results. No peace arises. So we must return to reciting Buddho in meditation. We must return to maintaining mindfulness right here at the body and feelings. And those with lust, Subtle lust, Contemplate feelings, The arising of pleasant or unpleasant feelings. To have the power to contemplate feelings, One must have strong mental power, Able to see feelings as merely feelings. But most of the time, In this present age, The mind will have coarse or gross lust. Delight and gratification. The Buddha taught us to contemplate the form. To use a calm mind to contemplate this physical body. This form made up of these four elements. Just that. Therefore, When practicing the four foundations of mindfulness, We must maintain this understanding. Whether standing, Walking, Sitting or lying down, Cultivate mindfulness. Strive to practice this consistently. Maintain mindfulness while drinking, Acting, Speaking and thinking. Train in mindfulness. While standing, Walking, Sitting or lying down, We can also practice by mentally reciting Buddho to calm the mind and pacify all the chaotic emotions. When mindfulness gains that level of strength and wisdom arises, One will be able to clearly see impermanence, Suffering and not-self. What we never knew before becomes known, Though it has always been there. This mind, Ignorance creates this mind. It creates this mind to have a sense of self. From what is not a self, Not a me, Yet ignorance and delusion builds it. It constantly comes to create and tell us that it is a self, A me. This is completely opposite. It is delusion. But what about wisdom? When wisdom arises, One would genuinely, Truly accept that it is not me, Not mine, In that way. However, Realizing, Not me, Not mine, Doesn't mean we abandon our family or quit our work and everything. It's not like that. We simply change our perspective little by little, So that our mind suffers less. The more we're able to change, The more our suffering decreases, According to the respective levels. Therefore, Performing meritorious acts and giving alms is good. It helps sustain our Buddhist religion. Building Buddhist facilities, Halls and shrines enables us to practice the Dhamma. It's like having this hall where we can come to sit, Meditate, Cultivate virtue, Listen to dharma teachings, Chant and develop our minds to higher levels. This brings benefits. But if we build it and we don't come to chant or practice meditation, We still gain merit, But the merit becomes diminished. Giving. Or when we come to observe the precepts, We maintain them in the same way. I remember seeing in my childhood, The elderly would come to observe the precepts at the monastery. They'd arrive, Chant, Then sleep the whole day. In the afternoon when the monks came to give a Dhamma talk, They'd get up to listen a bit. After the monks left, They'd go back to sleep. This was called lying down while observing precepts. But in this era, People have become wiser. Understand meditation practice, Then they go practice walking meditation, Sitting meditation, And train their minds. Having developed this mental strength which understands, Then they can apply it to their work or studies. And the ultimate benefit is realizing the Dhamma, Attaining the Dhamma, Seeing the Dhamma. Therefore we must maintain mindfulness when encountering various emotions, And try to let go. Sometimes perceptions and emotions arise again. When perceptions emerge, The mind clings to them as me once more. It proliferates further notions of me and them. This gives rise to consciousness, Name and form, And suffering again. Therefore it's a cycle like this. We keep fighting. This is the battle between the path and defilements. We persist in this practice until our mindfulness becomes steady and consistent, Enabling us to overcome defilements more and more. But if we can't overcome them yet, Don't be discouraged. When defilements arise, Learn not to feel weary or frustrated. I wish they wouldn't appear. That won't work either. It's their nature to arise. Therefore, Form, Feeling, Perceptions, Mental formations and consciousness, These are the aggregates. They inherently exist. But the suffering comes from clinging to these aggregates as self. Therefore practices like dana, Observing, Precepts and meditation are all meant for walking the path. Thus we must cultivate patience towards all mental states. And even when we can fight and overcome others but if we remain silent and endure then this is even more difficult but if we can do this it is supreme So be determined, Just as the perfectly self-awakened one, The arahants, Who have trained themselves well. We recollect them and practice accordingly. So may you all accumulate merit and spiritual perfections. May you have happiness and realize the Dhamma. May you grow in blessings.