This talk was given at Cambridge Buddhist Centre, Dharma Day, July 2016
It was a few sentences that are repeated like a refrain in the Mahanama Sutta that caught my attention and led me to want to explore it further. It says: "Mahanama, you should develop this recollection (of the Buddha) while you are walking, while you are standing, while you are sitting, while you are lying down, while you are busy at work, while you are resting in your home crowded with children.” (Anguttara Nikaya, 11.13)
This Sutta is basically about six different reflections or recollections which the Buddha is recommending and which he seems to think it is possible to bear in mind whatever you’re doing or whatever the circumstances. Many of us do not have time to do a lot of meditation or Puja or put aside time for quiet reflection. Perhaps this is a practice for those who are time-poor.
The basic practice is to bring to mind six different things one at a time and just let your mind dwell on them. They are called the six Anussatis. Sati means mindfulness or awareness and anussati is constant mindfulness. The six anussatis or six recollections are:
Recollecting the Buddha
Recollecting the Dharma
Recollecting the Sangha
Recollecting your own generosity
Recollecting your own virtues or your integrity
Recollecting the gods. This last one will need a bit of explanation .
I’ll just go through these six and give some pointers as to how we might do this practice. It doesn’t have to be done as a sitting meditation, as the Buddha indicates in the Sutta. I think the best way to do it in daily life would be to devote a certain period of time to each one; a day, a week, a month, a year!!
What does it mean to recollect the Buddha. Traditionally this is about bringing to mind the qualities of the Buddha as repeated often in the scriptures and recited in the chanting of the Tiratana Vandana. The Tiratana Vandana starts with same line as the Refuges and Precepts: “Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammāsaṁbuddhassa.” As with the Refuges, the very first words, ‘namo tassa’, mean ‘respectful salutations to him’. Bhagavato implies someone who stands out from everyone else, someone who has the highest spiritual qualities, someone awe inspiring, someone sublime, someone auspicious. The Buddha is also ‘arahato’ meaning 'worthy or noble' and ‘sammāsaṁbuddhassa’ meaning 'really and truly awake'.
The next verse then emphasises the truth of what has been said: ‘Such indeed is he’ (‘Iti’pi so’). He really is like this. He truly is awake, while we are still asleep and dreaming. Because he is not compulsively chasing pleasures as in a dream and running away from fears as in a dream, he is free, while we are imprisoned by the delusional reality we experience. He is ‘equipped with knowledge (‘vijjā’) and practice (‘carana’). In other words his Insight is not merely an intellectual understanding. He is not someone who speaks well, but whose live is ruled by the same conventional worldly concerns as everybody else. He has attained to real happiness (‘sugato’), because he is living in reality, not in delusion. And he is the ‘Knower of the Worlds’ (‘loka-vidū’) – his vision is beyond anything we can conceive, beyond anything we can imagine . For all these reasons he is ‘the Unsurpassed Guide of those to be tamed’ (‘anuttaro purisa-damma sāratī’).
The Pāli word ‘purisa-damma’, which is translated as ‘men to be tamed’, means, acccording to Bhante Sangharakshita, something more like, ‘those who wish to be more controlled’, or perhaps even ‘people of the Dharma.’ We count ourselves as people who wish to be more controlled, and less given over to greed hatred and delusion; so the Buddha is the teacher we need to follow. He is ‘Unsurpassed’ or foremost, (‘anuttaro’), far above any other teacher, and therefore far more important to us than any currently fashionable writer or thinker
This is the traditional way of recollecting the Buddha, but we don’t need to stop there we can be creative with the practice. We could for instance recollect some of our favourite stories from the live of the Buddha: Kisa Gotami, Meghiya, the three friends in the forest; Aniruddha,Kimbala and Nandiya and so on. We could reflect on the life of the Buddha and the legacy he has left. We could read books like Gautama Buddha by Vishavapani or Life of the Buddha by Nanamoli. We could reflect on the archetypal Buddhas of later Buddhism: Akshobya, Amitabha, Ratnasambhava, Amoghasiddhi and Vairocana. We could ask ourselves how we relate to the Buddha or what image comes to mind when we think of the Buddha. Is it a seated figure in meditation or someone walking the dusty roads of Northern India or someone teaching the Dharma to a gathering of people. We could allow this image to develop in our minds and become more vivid. Chanting a mantra is another way to recollect the Buddha. For myself, I love to read the stories in the Pali Canon of the Buddha’s interactions with all sorts of different people. In these stories I can often get a glimpse of the Buddha’s humanity and his great wisdom and compassion.
Then there is recollection of the Dharma. Again the traditional form is as it appears in the Tiratana Vandana. The second part of the Tiratana Vandana starts with a hymn in praise of the Dharma, Dhamma’ in Pāli, in which we call to mind the positive qualities of the teaching, and our gratitude, respect and reverence for it. The teaching is described as ‘bhagavatā Dhammo’, the Dharma of a Buddha. This is no ordinary teaching, on a par with the other systems of thought.
In Bhante Sangharakshita’s words “The Dhamma is an expression in words… of the ultimate reality of things. The Dhamma as the Buddha's teaching … is His communication of, His experience of, the ultimate reality of things. [It] is the Dhamma which has issued from the mind, or the spiritual realization, of a Buddha, a perfectly enlightened one, and not something which has been fabricated intellectually, or put together in an eclectic manner from sources.” (Salutation to the Three Jewels,1978,p.43)
This is a teaching that comes from a higher dimension of being. It is a teaching worthy of reverence, to which we can honourably bow our heads. This Dharma is also ‘well communicated’, (‘svākkhāto’) and put into a form that we can understand, using not only rational discourse, but also parables, metaphors, and poetic imagery. The teaching is also ‘immediately apparent’ (‘sandiṭṭhiko’). It has an observable effect, which we do not need to wait for the next life to experience. If we practice the metta bhavana, for example, we will notice an effect on our emotions and our relationships with others. If we go on retreat, our mental states will be altered. This is a matter of experience, not speculation. We could call to mind at this point the ways in which the Dharma has affected us, stimulating our faith that it will have ever greater effects in the future.
The Dharma is ‘perrenial’ (‘akāliko’), which means timeless, free from time, or outside of time. At one level this may point to the fact that the Dharma is like a message from a higher dimension of reality, a dimension that is outside of time. At a more down-to earth level it means that the essence of the Dharma is true in any historical period and in any culture, even though it may be in conflict with the values and worldviews that happen to be fashionable in any particular time or place.
The Dharma is also ‘of the nature of a personal invitation’ (‘ehipassiko’). The Pāli ‘ehi’ literally means ‘come’, and ‘passiko’ means ‘see’. It is the ‘come-and-see Dharma’. Nobody is forcing us to practice it. We are invited to try it out, to see if it works. We keep practising because we know from experience that it does us good. We have benefited from it in the past, and we expect to benefit in the future. Then the Dharma is ‘progressive’ (‘opanayiko’). Opanayiko means leading forward or leading onward. The Dharma leads us forward step by step and stage by stage, opening our eyes gradually, as our whole inner being develops. It is a path of organic growth that is progressive and evolutionary, so it does not ask us to take on anything we are not ready for, and there are always practices we can do that suit our present condition.
Finally the Dharma is ‘to be understood individually by the wise’ (‘paccataṁ veditabbo viññūhi'ti’). ‘Paccataṁ’ means ‘personally’; ‘veditabbo’ means ‘to be known’; ‘viññūhi'ti’ means ‘by those who are wise’, or ‘by those who understand.’ The Dharma is not a dogma we must accept on blind faith. We need to explore it, to understand it for ourselves, and to make it our own.
Those are the qualities of the Dharma that are brought to mind in the traditional practice of Dhammanusati, Recollection of the Dharma. We could also think about what first attracted us to the Dharma for instance and why and what part that plays in our practice now. We could bring to mind symbols of the Dharma like the Dharmachakra, the wheel of the Dharma or images like the Path, the rain of the Dharma or the lotus or fire. The important thing is to make a connection with what inspires you and allow yourself to be uplifted and let yourself experience reverence or gratitude or whatever emerges.
We, in the Triratna Community, can also recollect the Dharma as elucidated by Bhante Sangharakshita. Perhaps you have favourite teachings; mind reactive and creative, the five stages of spiritual life, building the Buddhaland, the group,the individual and the spiritual community, the higher evolution,the new society.
Then comes the third reflection, recollection of the Sangha. This is the third verse of the Tiratana Vandana. As with the Buddha and Dharma, the third part of the Tiratana Vandana opens with a number of phrases in praise of the third Jewel, the Sangha. The Sangha is referred to as ‘Bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho’, the spiritual community of those who are disciples of, those who are open to, the Buddha and his teaching.
This Sangha is ‘happily proceeding’ (‘supaṭipanno’). The members of this community proceed well and happily, treading a positive path, moving forward on a path of practice, and they are doing this happily. They are also ‘uprightly proceeding’ (‘ujupatipanno’). ‘Uju’ means ‘straight’, so this could be taken to mean that the members of the Sangha are on the direct, straight path to spiritual progress; but the word ‘uprightly’ used in the translation seems to carry a strong hint of ethical uprightness, also implying that the Sangha proceeds ethically, with integrity and honesty, and with the upright dignity that an ethical life confers.
The Sangha are also ‘methodically proceeding’ (‘ñāyapaṭipanno’). They practice systematically, according to a definite method, where each stage builds on what went before. The final way in which the Sangha is said to be ‘proceeding’ is 'harmoniously proceeding', (‘sāmicipaṭipano’) proceeding together, proceeding in harmony. We do not just practice the Dharma for our own spiritual progress, we practice to create a harmonious community, and this is essential to our development as individuals. Harmony among its members would be an important part of any adequate definition of the Sangha. This fellowship of the Buddhas disciples is worthy of worship (‘āhuneyyo’), worthy of hospitality (‘pāhuneyyo’), worthy of offerings (‘dakkhineyo’), and worthy of salutation(‘añjalikaraniyo’).
And the reason that these people are worthy of this level of respect is that they are ‘an incomparable source of goodness to the world’ (‘anuttaraṁ puññakhettam lokassā’ti’).
At this point we could call to mind all the great figures of the Buddhist tradition, as well as all the unknown people who have made their own contribution, and we could include any present-day members of the Sangha we have a particular respect for. We could connect with our sense of gratitude for the great gift these people have given us. We could, perhaps, imagine ourselves bowing to them respectfully, with folded hands because people who transmit the Dharma to future generations are indeed an ‘incomparable source of goodness to the world.’ We could reflect on the importance of Sangha, we could reflect on the truth of interdependence and we could reflect on Sangha as a practice that we do. I like to bring to mind any large gatherings of the Sangha I have experienced, such as Festival Days, Order Conventions, or any event where we come together to practice and to chat and enjoy each others company.
Then we come to reflection on our own generosity. This is what the Mahanama Sutta says: "Furthermore, there is the case where you recollect your own generosity: 'It is a gain, a great gain for me, that — among people overcome with the stain of possessiveness — I live at home, my awareness cleansed of the stain of possessiveness, freely generous, openhanded, delighting in being magnanimous, responsive to requests, delighting in the distribution of alms.' At any time when a disciple of the noble ones is recollecting generosity, his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on generosity. And when the mind is headed straight, the disciple of the noble ones gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes concentrated.”
You can bring to mind acts of generosity and you can reflect on how to be less possessive, how to be as the sutta says “cleansed of the stain of possessiveness”. You can bring to mind ways in which you are already open-handed, already non-attached, not possessive. You can bring to mind what it feels like to be generous, the feelings of joy or expansiveness. And of course you can go deeper into reflecting what it means be responsive to requests, “delighting in the distribution of alms”, as the Sutta says. You can reflect on what it means to be generous, why it’s important and how you do it.
You can reflect on how the practice of generosity can help to loosen any tightness around money or material things and move us out of a poverty mentality into a sense of abundance, a sense of freedom. This feeling of freedom is the beginnings of a more complete sense of non-attachment and that sense of non-attachment is the precursor to a letting go of any sense of a fixed and separate self. When we begin to go beyond our attachment to a fixed a separate self, then we are partaking of the wisdom of the Buddha and our sense of abundance and generosity expands continuously.
Then there is the fifth recollection, recollection of your virtues. This is what the Sutta says: "Furthermore, there is the case where you recollect your own virtues: '[They are] unbroken, flawless, unblemished, liberating, praised by the wise, untarnished, conducive to concentration.' At any time when a disciple of the noble ones is recollecting virtue, his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on virtue. And when the mind is headed straight, the disciple of the noble ones gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes concentrated.”
The reason for recollecting your own integrity, your own virtues, is that while you are doing that your mind is free from greed, aversion and delusion. You could do this practice by bringing the positive precepts to mind and reflecting on how you practice non-violence, contentment, honesty and mindfulness. You could reflect on how your ethical life has changed and improved over time. You could bring to mind your good qualities. This is very like the first stage of the Metta Bhavana.
For some reason many people are wary of rejoicing in their own worth and even find it difficult to accept genuine praise or rejoicings from others. This may be due to a fear of being thought arrogant or it may be due to low self-esteem or it may be a fear of the responsibility that comes with strength and awareness. Whatever the reason, it is important to be able to have a realistic appraisal of yourself, not rejecting your weaknesses or your strengths. It can really hold us back if we are attached to view of ourselves as worthless or incapable; incapable of understanding or practising or contributing.
The final recollection is the recollection of the gods. The gods here symbolise any higher states of consciousness, higher than greed, aversion and delusion. This recollection is also specifically about faith or confidence in spiritual practice. The way it’s explained is that to be born as a god you need to have sufficient faith in spiritual practice to do it over a long period of time. What you are recollecting in this stage is your spiritual aspiration, your confidence in spiritual practice and the fruits of your practice so far. Reflecting on the fruits of your practice increases your confidence. This brings to mind the earth touching mudra of the Buddha, which is a gesture of confidence. The previous recollection, recollecting our own virtues, is a kind of 'earth touching'. In this final recollection you could reflect on the occasions when you have experienced greater happiness or greater awareness or greater confidence, perhaps on retreat. Or you could reflect on what you really have confidence in or even what it means to have confidence in something.
Those are the six recollections, the six anussatis that the Buddha recommended to Mahanama. He says that this practice is beneficial because in whoever does it: “his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on the [qualities of the] devas. And when the mind is headed straight, the disciple of the noble ones gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes concentrated.”
In other words, doing this practice gives you a sense of what your life is about and having a sense of what your life is really about is calming and conduces to happiness. This is a mindfulness practice rather than a meditation practice, which means you don’t have to sit in meditation posture etc. This is a practice to be taken into the activities of your everyday life. As the Sutta says: “you should develop this recollection (of the Buddha) while you are walking, while you are standing, while you are sitting, while you are lying down, while you are busy at work, while you are resting in your home crowded with children.”
It is a practice to counteract our tendency to get caught up with narrow, unhelpful and even unskilful mental states. In that respect it is somewhat like mindfulness of the body or mindfulness of our surroundings. It is a method of filling our minds with positive and uplifting reflections. This practice doesn’t need to be done in any particular way- you could stick with one of the recollections for days or months or years or cover all six everyday, whatever works for you. You may find that whichever one you choose to reflect on will quite naturally lead you to the others.
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