online book by Acharn Maha Boowa

www.luangta.com/english/site/books.php

I found this (Arahattamagga Arahattaphala - The Path to Arahantship) during a short retreat recently at MBMC, and some parts of it really hit home, in ways other books and teachers haven't. For me some essential aspects are much more clear now, particularly regarding the knowing nature of the mind and it's role in both the development of samadhi and insight. He also emphasizes the importance of trusting one's own process which I like. Some parts of this book really rock.

Interesting that he recently died. I'm in Thailand currently, and there's a network television station that's been devoted to him for at least a few years now, mostly his dhamma talks and meditation instruction. He's also been involved in helping the government and people on a national level.

My other falts not withstanding I am pretty well read when it comes to dharma. Honestly I don't think I've come across anyone in the orthodox theravada ranks who rocks quite like Ajahn Maha Boowa.

I just read most this book in a couple of sittings- really facinating stuff. It sounds like he is claiming to have conquered physical pain along with the self.

The thing that I keep wondering about is what he calls the "citta". He calls it "that which knows" which makes me think that is 3rd gear. Could someone elaborate on what he meant by this?

Hi Ron, in case you haven't seen, citta is expounded upon further in the appendix as well as the glossary. I'm still digesting the book so not ready to comment in any depth. Off hand I would say the citta in its less purified state is second gear, then third gear when it's really burned clean.

Boowa by the way (pronounced booouh) means lotus.

I'll be interested in the answer, too. I thought of citta as the sorta vibrating sense of attention, but I think I'm trying to make sense of it from a perspective of someone isn't experienced with the formless realms...

I checked the appendix in the book and it didn't really clarify it much, though it helped a little. It's totally not his fault, I'm pretty thick sometimes.

I guess what I'm hoping for is that someone who really knows what this is first hand can give a subjective description of it or compare and contrast it to other things we are familiar with like the witness or 3rd gear. AMB gives a good description, but for some reason I'm still not getting it. And I really want to get it because it is the key to what he is trying to teach.

From what I understand of Maha Boowa's teaching, the Citta is the knowing nature of mind. In concept, it is very much like Buddha Nature or primordial awareness, emptiness infused with the power of cognizance. It is not a term used for a state or stage of practice. I would guess that it (in itself) is not a vibrating sense of attention.

If I understand correctly, he talks about becoming absorbed in the knowing nature of mind as a way to release its many attachments. This is on the samatha/shamatha end of the spectrum, with consciousness as object. It's actually sort of a samatha-vipassana hybrid, as he seems to be both surppressing hindrances and removing defilements in the same process.

He describes shedding attachments to everything but this beautiful knowing nature, which was bright and pleasant. He spent years absorbed in its splendor. At some point he realized that the pleasure he was attached to would occasionally dim, and then get brighter, and then dimmer, in an extremely subtle way. This showed him that even this bright, shining state was not liberation. He continued to observe this getting bright/getting dim effect until attachment to this state was abandoned.

So, it would seem that he was mostly doing practices under the 1st gear umbrella. Whenever anything important happened in his practice, intentional investigation was somehow underway. That's how I see it, anyway.

Jackson

Continued...

To get a good sense of what MB is talking about, practice becoming absorbed in consciousness itself (which is a lot like 2nd gear, dwelling as the Witness). Notice how you can let go of everything else while being the container of experience. It really has a relative vacuum type of feel to it, as though everything were occurring inside of "I". One thing to look for is whether or not there is a sense that consciousness is supporting experience, or whether it is itself supported (if that isn't helpful, let it go).

At this point, you can either just chill out there until it dissolves (which it will, as your mind will probably get bored with it), or you can investigate it. Is this really how things are? Is this really who I am? Am I really free right now? Is clinging to this state really going to release me from suffering?

See what happens...

A survey of Citta as a term employed in the Tipitaka

www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/mind/00_toc.htm

The Mind in Early Buddhism
Bhikkhu Thich Minh Thanh
New Delhi, 2001

Please note: VU-Times font (Pali Unicode) is used in this document.

CONTENTS
[0a]Preface (1)
Preface (2)
[0b]Abbreviations
Illustrations
[01]CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
A. THE TERM CITTA:
1. The Evolutionary Citta, '¨2. Synonymous Equivalents of Citta, '¨3. Semantical and Functional Aspects of Citta, '¨4. Odd Idea about Citta, '¨5. Reliable Base for our Definitive Understanding, '¨6. The Preferred Functionalism, '¨7. Nature of Citta.
B. PRE-BUDDHIST CITTA:
1. Citta of General Meanings, '¨2. Citta and Mana, '¨3. Emotional and Intellectual Citta, '¨4. Citta of Vision, '¨5. Metaphysical Citta.

etc...

For any interested citta geeks.

"Concerns about the state of my practice were replaced by mindfulness rooted in the present moment."
Ha! Imagine that.

"I checked the appendix in the book and it didn't really clarify it much, though it helped a little. It's totally not his fault, I'm pretty thick sometimes.

I guess what I'm hoping for is that someone who really knows what this is first hand can give a subjective description of it or compare and contrast it to other things we are familiar with like the witness or 3rd gear. AMB gives a good description, but for some reason I'm still not getting it. And I really want to get it because it is the key to what he is trying to teach."

Hey Ron,

I have been practicing "a la Maha Boowa" for some time now. Citta is what the only thing that is present when you enter Nirodha Samapatti. Something somehow "knew" it was there (in real time) even when there were no aggregates present. The radiance of the citta (aka, the avidja in the citta) can be investigated even before entering into strong samadhi once enough of the kilesas have been eradicated. Truly fascinating stuff! Some think this approach is too dogmatic for their comfort. My experiences with this practice coincide greatly with Maha Boowa's so I have no choice but to take it as truth.
Let me know if you would like to talk more about it, Ron. It will be my pleasure to discuss this practice with you. Like AugustLeo, l would prefer to keep our discussion off KFDh. If anyone else is interested in discussing Maha Boowa's practice in depth, please do not hesitate to contact me and I'd be glad to share what we have uncovered so far.

Metta,
Jorge Freddy

That is really fascinating. In my experience NS happens so quick I can't get a good "look" at what is left to experience it, however, now I'm going to work on that. I'll be contacting you. Thanks a bunch!

"My other falts not withstanding I am pretty well read when it comes to dharma. Honestly I don't think I've come across anyone in the orthodox theravada ranks who rocks quite like Ajahn Maha Boowa."

Quite the hardcore dude, huh? There are some interesting parallels to KFD in this book, such as his rejection of an overly diffuse technique that leads to chronic yogi-dom, and his unabashed emphasis on resolve, effort and progress.

Thanks for posting this link! It's a fascinating read and it's got some practical suggestions regarding practice(for a beginner at least). Reading it fairly slowly, but think it will be one to re-read regularly.

Sorry i've starded a new thread on this subject, so maybe we should stick to this old one. Anyway now i'm sure this Citta is the famous Bhavanga which later became the Alaya vijnana, the clear light, the tathagathgarbha. Just for the record Bhavanga is the state which underlies all states, it is present in dreamless sleep, nirodhasamapatti, death but usually we are not conscious of it as it is very subtle. This was first hinted in the suttas but it became formulated only in the later Abhidharma. And then later on it became one of the building blocks of the Cittamatra philosophy and Vajrayana. What is amazing is that MB is clearly describing experienced encountered on the Vajrayana path( but then called clear light or alaya), and even more to the Dzogchen one (then called rigpa).
Here are two links on propably the best website about this kind of stuff, it's a little bit scholarly but very worth reading.

www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/a..._02.html?query=alaya

www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/a..._02.html?query=alaya

and a last one is an explanation of the role of 'gog bden on the five paths. And now you wonder what is this 'gog bden, well 'gog bden is the tibetan word for our famous blips of fruition, so it is a very interseting reading.
More generally if you have any question on mahamudra, dzogchen or tantra this is the website you want to consult, it is scholarly but it is very clear too.

www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/s...ml?query=%27gog-bden

Have fun