The Characteristic of Dukkha - How can one meditate with wise attention?


Questioner: After one has paid respect to the Buddha by chanting texts one may wish to sit and concentrate on a meditation subject. How can one do that with wise attention, so that there is no attachment or aversion with regard to the meditation subject?
Sujin: When there is right mindfulness, samma-sati, of the eightfold Path there truly is wise attention. It is not necessary to sit and concentrate on a meditation subject. When someone believes that he should sit and concentrate with the purpose of having sati, he has the wrong understanding that there is a self who could make sati arise at a fixed time. However, samma-sati does not have to wait until one has paid respect by chanting texts. Who is paying respect to the Buddha? If someone does not know that the answer is, nama and rupa, he takes the realities at that moment for self. He has an idea of, “I am paying respect,” he clings to an idea of self who chants texts. Samma-sati can arise and be aware of any reality that appears when we are paying respect or chanting texts, or at other moments, no matter which posture we assume.

Topic 199