On Addiction

The Buddha proclaimed that one who understands Dhamma understands the law of cause and effect. You must realize this truth yourselves. Here is a process by which you can do so. You take steps on the path and whatever you have realized, you accept it; and step by step, with an open mind you keep experiencing deeper truths.

It is not for the sake of curiosity that you investigate the truth pertaining to matter, mind and mental contents. Instead, you are seeking to change mental habit patterns at the deepest level. As you proceed, you will realize how mind influences matter, and how matter influences mind.

Every moment within the framework of the body, masses of sub-atomic particles (kalāpas) arise and pass away. How do they arise? The cause becomes clear as you investigate the reality as it is, free from the influence of past conditionings of philosophical beliefs. The material input, the food (āhāra) that you have eaten, is one cause for the arising of these kalāpas. Another is the atmosphere (utu) around you. You also begin to understand how mind (citta) helps matter to arise and dissolve. At times matter arises from the mental conditioning of the past-that is, the accumulated saṇkhāras of the past. By the practice of Vipassana, all of this starts to become clear. At this moment, that type of mind has arisen and what is the content of this mind? The quality of the mind is according to its content. For example, when a mind full of anger, passion or fear has arisen, you will notice that different sub-atomic particles are generated.

When the mind is full of passion, then within this material structure, sub-atomic particles of a particular type arise, and there is a biochemical flow which starts throughout the body. This type of biochemical flow, which starts because a mind full of passion has arisen, is called in Pali kāmāsava,-the flow of passion.

As a scientist you proceed further, observing truth as it is, examining the law of nature. When this biochemical flow produced by passion starts, it influences the next moment of the mind with more passion. Thus the kāmāsava turns into kāmatanhā, a craving of passion at the mental level, which again stimulates a flow of passion at the physical level. One starts influencing and stimulating the other, and the passion keeps on multiplying for minutes, even hours. The tendency of the mind to generate passion is strengthened because of this repeated generation of passion.

Not only passion but also fear, anger, hatred and craving, in fact every type of impurity that comes into the mind simultaneously generates an āsava, a biochemical flow. And this āsava keeps on stimulating that particular negativity, or impurity, the result is a vicious circle of suffering. You may call yourself a Hindu, a Muslim, a Jain or a Christian; it makes no difference. The process, the law is applicable to one and all. There is no discrimination.

Mere understanding at a superficial, intellectual level will not help break this cycle, and may even create more difficulties. Your beliefs from a particular tradition may look quite logical, yet those beliefs will create obstacles for you. The intellect has its own limitations. You cannot realize the ultimate truth merely by intellect because intellect is finite, while ultimate truth is limitless, infinite. Only through experience can you realize that which is limitless and infinite. If you accept this law of nature intellectually but still are unable to change the behaviour pattern of your mind, you remain far away from the realization of the ultimate truth.

Your acceptance is only superficial, while your behaviour pattern continues at the depth of the mind. What is called the unconscious mind is actually not unconscious. At all times it remains in contact with this body. And with this contact a sensation keeps arising. You feel a sensation that you label as pleasant, and you keep reacting. At the depth of your mind you keep reacting with craving or aversion. You keep on generating different types of saṇkhāras, negativities, impurities, and the process of multiplying your misery continues. You can't stop it because there is such a big barrier between the conscious and the unconscious mind. Without the practice of Vipassana, this barrier remains.

At the conscious, intellectual level of the mind, one may accept the entire theory of Dhamma, truth, law, nature. But still one keeps rolling in misery because one does not realize what is happening at the depth of the mind. But with Vipassana your mind becomes very sharp and sensitive so that you can feel sensations throughout the body. Sensations occur every moment. Every contact results in a sensation: in Pali, phassa paccayā vedanā. This is not a philosophy; it is the scientific truth which can be verified by one and all.

The moment there is a contact, there is bound to be a sensation; and every moment, the mind is in contact with matter throughout the physical structure. The deeper level of the mind keeps feeling these sensations, and it keeps reacting to them. But on the surface the mind keeps itself busy with outside objects, or it remains involved in games of intellectualization, imagination, or emotion. Therefore you do not feel what is happening at the deeper level of the mind.

By Vipassana, when that barrier is broken, one starts feeling sensations throughout the body, not merely at the surface level but also deep inside. By observing these sensations, you start realizing their characteristic of arising and passing, udaya-vyaya. By this understanding, you start to change the habit pattern of the mind.

Say, for example, you are feeling a particular sensation that may be caused by the food you have eaten, the atmosphere around you, your present mental actions, or old reactions that are now giving their fruit. Whatever the cause may be, a sensation has occurred. With your training in Vipassana, you observe it with equanimity, without reacting to it. In those few wonderful moments, you have started changing the habit pattern of your mind by observing sensation and understanding its nature of impermanence. You have stopped the blind habit pattern of reacting to the sensation and multiplying your misery. Initially you may be able to do this only for a few seconds or minutes. But by practice, you gradually develop your strength. As the habit pattern becomes weaker, your behaviour pattern changes. You are coming out of your misery.

When we talk of addiction, it is not merely to alcohol or to drugs, but also to passion, anger, fear or egotism. All these are addictions to your impurities. At the intellectual level you may understand very well, "Anger is not good for me. It is dangerous. It is harmful." Yet you are addicted to anger, and keep generating it. And when the anger is over, you keep repeating, "Oh! I should not have generated anger. I should not have generated anger." Yet the next time a stimulus comes, you again become angry. You are not coming out of anger, because you have not been working at the depth of your mind.

By practising this technique, you start observing the sensation that arises because of the biochemical flow when you are angry. You observe but do not react to it. That means you do not generate anger at that particular moment. This one moment turns into a few minutes, and you find that you are not as easily influenced by this flow as you were in the past. You have slowly started coming out of your anger.

Those who regularly practise this technique try to observe how they are dealing with different situations. Are they reacting or remaining equanimous? The first thing a meditator will try to do in any difficult situation is to observe sensations. Because of the situation, maybe part of the mind has started reacting, but by observing the sensations, one becomes equanimous. Then whatever action is taken is real action, not reaction. And action is always positive. It is only when one reacts that one generates negativity and becomes miserable. A few moments of observing sensations makes the mind equanimous and able to act. Life is then full of action instead of reaction.

With regular, daily practice and application of the technique, the behaviour pattern starts to change. Those who used to roll in anger for a long time find their anger diminishing in intensity or duration. Similarly, those who are addicted to passion find that it becomes weaker and weaker, and so do those who are addicted to fear. The amount of time that is needed to rid oneself of a certain impurity may vary, but sooner or later the technique will work, provided it is used properly.

Whether you are addicted to craving, aversion, hatred, passion or fear, the addiction is actually to particular sensations that have arisen because of the biochemical flow.

The āsava, or flow, of ignorance is the strongest āsava. Of course, there is ignorance even when you are reacting with anger, passion or fear; but when you become intoxicated with alcohol or drugs, this intoxication multiplies your ignorance. Therefore it takes time to feel sensations, to go to the root of the problem. When you become addicted to liquor or drugs, you cannot know the reality of what is happening within the framework of the body. There is darkness in your mind. You cannot understand what is happening inside, what keeps on multiplying inside. We have found that in cases of alcohol addiction people generally start benefiting more quickly than people who are addicted to drugs. But the way is there for everyone to come out of misery, however much addicted or ignorant they may be. If you keep working patiently and persistently, sooner or later you are bound to reach the stage where you start feeling sensations throughout the body and can observe them objectively. It may take time. In ten days you may only make a slight change in the habit pattern of your mind. It doesn't matter; a beginning is made. If you keep on practising morning and evening and take a few more courses, the habit pattern will change at the deepest level of the mind and you will come out of your ignorance, out of your reaction-out of your suffering.

We keep advising people who are addicted even to tobacco: if an urge arises, do not take a cigarette. Instead, wait a little. Accept the fact that an urge to smoke has arisen in the mind. When this urge arises, along with it there is a sensation in the body. Start observing that sensation, whatever it may be. Do not look for a particular sensation. Anything you feel at that time is related to the urge to smoke. And by observing the sensation as impermanent, anicca, you will find that this urge passes away. This is not a philosophy, but experiential truth.

The same advice applies to those who are addicted to alcohol or drugs: when an urge arises, do not succumb immediately. Instead, wait ten or fifteen minutes. Accept the fact that an urge has arisen, and observe whatever sensation is present at that time.

Those who follow this advice find that they are coming out of their addictions. They may be successful only one time out of ten at first, but they have made a very good beginning. They are striking at the root of their problem.

It is a long path, a lifetime job. But even a journey of ten thousand miles must start with the first step. One who has taken the first step can take the second and third; and step by step, one will reach the final goal of liberation.

May you all come out of all your addictions-and not only to drugs and alcohol. The addiction to mental impurities is stronger than these. May you change this strong behaviour pattern, to come out of your misery-for your own good, your own benefit, your own liberation. And the process is such that when you start to benefit from the technique, you cannot resist helping others. Your goal becomes the good and benefit of many. So many people are suffering all around: may they all come in contact with pure Dhamma and come out of their misery. May they start enjoying peace and harmony, the peace and harmony of a mind liberated from all defilements.

Pagoda Expansion Begins

Thirty-two new cells are now being added to the pagoda at Dhamma Giri. Standing on the perimeter of the upper terrace, these cells, along with the existing eight, will provide a suitable environment in which students on longer courses can practise deeper meditation. Covering all 40 cells on the terrace level will be a large golden pagoda bell. The total height from the ground will be 79 feet, and the pagoda bell itself will be 61 feet high and 61 feet wide at the base. When the new construction is completed, the pagoda will have approximately 300 individual meditation cells. Contributions may be given specifically to the "V.I.A. Pagoda Fund."

International News

Goenkaji Visits Sri Lanka

This spring Goenkaji was invited to participate in the centenary celebrations of the Maha Bodhi Society of Sri Lanka. While there, he conducted a ten-day course in the village of Bentota near Colombo, attended by 245 students. He also gave three public talks attended by over 1000 people in all.

During his visit he met a number of eminent Pali scholars (monks as well as lay people) in Colombo. They discussed the technique of Vipassana and its sources in the Pali canon. The talks focused in particular on the meaning of the words vedanā and sampajañña, and their interpretation in light of the experience of meditation.

Goenkaji's 1991 World Tour

Goenkaji and Mataji began their tour this year with a four day visit to the new center in the U.K. They gave mettā at the conclusion of the first full ten-day course held at the new site, which Goenkaji has named Dhamma Dīpa. While in England, Goenkaji addressed an Asian women's organization, and gave an evening talk to Vipassana students, emphasizing the significance of the new center for future generations.

The six-week visit to the United States began in mid-July, and included many "firsts:" Goenkaji and Mataji's first visit to the first pagoda in N. America, as well as their first visit to three new American centers.

Just before their arrival at VMC in Massachusetts, the first floor of the new pagoda had been completed. 65 meditation cells were completed just barely in time for the inaugural 20 day course, attended by 31 students. Goenkaji and Mataji inaugurated the new pagoda by starting the 20-day course, which ran concurrently with a ten-day course. While in the northeastern U.S., Goenkaji gave three public talks, and was the keynote speaker at a seminar for mental health professionals.

Goenkaji and Mataji next visited the center in Texas, Dhamma Siri, where they conducted an old students day, began a ten-day course, and gave four public talks.

At the California center, Dhamma Mahāvana, a large 109-acre property, Goenkaji's discourses for a ten-day course were recorded successfully on archival quality videotape. He also gave a public talk, was interviewed for an article in a Buddhist periodical, and was the guest on an open-line radio program.

Before leaving the U.S., Goenkaji and Mataji spent three days at the new center near Seattle whose purchase was completed only two weeks before their visit. Goenkaji named the site Dhamma Kuñja (grove of Dhamma). He led two day-long sittings for old students, and gave public talks in Portland and Seattle, in both Hindi and English.

From N. America, they continued their journey westward to Japan and Thailand. Their last stop was Burma, where Goenkaji was invited to give a ten-day course for the first time. The first course was held from 8th to 19th September in which 198 students participated including forty-five Bhikkhunis (nuns). The second course started on 20th Sept. and about 150 students participated.

First Course in Israel

The first course in Israel will be held later this autumn. The site will be the field school of the Society for the Protection of Nature at Mount Meron, in the beautiful hills of Upper Galilee, near Tsfat (Safed).

For over a year, students have been preparing Hebrew translations in preparation for the course. The discourses have already been recorded, and meditation instructions will be prepared in time for the course.

New Appointments

Senior Assistant Teachers
Barry and Kate Lapping, United States

Bhikkhu teaching with Goenkaji's tapes:
Bhikkhu Ratanapalo, India

Assistant Teachers:
Floh Lehmann, Germany
Parker and Laura Mills, United States
Brindley and Damayanthi Ratwatte, Sri Lanka
Mr. N. O. Patil, India.

Announcements

Center Coordinators

Now that so many Vipassana centers have been established, it is no longer possible for Goenkaji to involve himself so closely as before in the running of each of them. For this reason, he has given certain assistant teachers the responsibility for guiding the operation of particular centers. The center coordinators will appoint trustees and other officers, and will define their duties. They will oversee activities at the center for which they are responsible, and will help to ensure its smooth functioning. They will regularly consult among themselves and with Goenkaji to maintain a uniform policy. If questions arise about the running of a center, they should be approached for clarification.

The following center coordinators have been appointed:
Dhamma Thalī, Jaipur, India-Mr. and Mrs. Ram Singh
Dhamma Khetta, Hyderabad, India-Mr. L.N. Rathi
Dhamma Dharā, Massachusetts, USA-Bill Hart
Dhamma Bhānu, Japan-John and Gail Beary
Dhamma Dīpa, U.K.-Drs. B.P. and K.B. Gandhi
Dhamma Medinī, New Zealand-John and Joanna Luxford
Dhamma Rasmi, Queensland, Australia-Anne Gambie
Dhamma Bhūmi, N.S.W., Australia-Patrick and Ginnie Given-Wilson

Sayagyi U Ba Khin Commemorative Journal

Twenty years have elapsed since Sayagyi U Ba Khin passed away on 19th January 1971. In commemoration of this anniversary the Vipassana Research Institute is preparing a new journal which will be available by the end of this year.

The journal will contain short biographical sketches of the chain of teachers, the writings of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, reminiscences about Sayagyi by Goenkaji and other writings by Goenkaji, some of which have not appeared before in English. There will also be articles by assistant teachers, student experiences, a few research papers by VRI on Pali subjects and a section on all the current Vipassana Centers in the World.

This volume of pariyatti (the theory of Dhamma) is offered primarily to inspire the practice of patipatti (the practice of Dhamma), both in those who have previously taken a course as well as those who have no experience in Vipassana meditation.

May Dhamma continue to spread for the good of all!

When an Enlightened One teaches Dhamma, it is always pure Dhamma, free from sectarianism. Pure Dhamma is universal truth. Pure Dhamma is good for all, beneficial to all.
- S. N. Goenka