ANALYSIS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MINDFUNESS POWER IN THE SENSES ACCORDING TO THEN PRINCIPLES OF VIPASSANĀ MEDITATION

Abstract

This research contains 3 primary objectives: (1) to study mindfulness in Theravada Buddhist scriptures, (2) to study mindfulness in developing Vipassanā Bhavana, and (3) to study the development of mindfulness through the sense bases for developing Vipassanā Bhavana. This was documentary research, compiled and reported in descriptive analysis.

The research results showed that the analysis of the mindfulness development in the sensual bases according to Vipassana meditation indicated that Satibala or the power of mindfulness helps those who develop mindfulness achieve the highest level of Dhamma with mindfulness that is firm, stable and undeterred by all defilements. Those with mindfulness as a power are the greatest protectors of themselves. The mindfulness is to control the mind for any activity and words delivered a long time; it arouses the moral development. To have such mindfulness power, one must not be shaken by carelessness, that is, mindfulness with power is to resist carelessness and arising of wondering thoughts. If one is careless and does not try to be aware all the time while doing, speaking, thinking, mindfulness will not arise as mindful power. Without mindfulness power, it is difficult to understand the true nature of Dhamma or to suppress defilements. Mindfulness must be trained in every posture in the correct way. Developing mindfulness power starts from 12 sense faculties restraint because the contact of the external sense faculties and the internal sense faculties cause the rise of all natural phenomena, the internal sense faculties include the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and consciousness, the external sense faculties include form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects. The practitioner can then follow and understand the natural phenomena that arise, seeing the impermanence, suffering, and non-self in detail clearly through the three characteristics called “knowing the object of the sense faculties of practicing insight meditation.” It is a principle that helps practitioners develop wisdom and stabilizing the firm mind focused on observing the natural phenomena. This will lead to the development of wisdom by using the mindfulness power for advanced insight meditation until it reaches the insight knowledge, leading to the cessation of all suffering.