Cittānupassanā

Cittānupassanā in Theory and Practice Sutta Study with Meditation Workshop

Introduction

Organised by the Theravada Buddhist Council of Malaysia and facilitated by Āyasmā Aggacitta, Cittānupassanā in Theory and Practice Sutta Study with Meditation Workshops were held online in 2022 for Kinrara Metta Buddhist Society (5 March), Buddhist Gem Fellowship (12 March), Sasanarakkha Buddhist Sanctuary (19 March), Subang Jaya Buddhist Association (26 March), Bandar Utama Buddhist Society (2 April) and Bodhi Heart Sanctuary (9 April) respectively.

The purpose of this web page is to provide an opportunity for those who could not attend the online course to follow the best of these workshops and for those who attended to review what they had learnt and to acquire additional information from other workshop venues.

Overview

In the Satipaṭṭhāna Saṁyutta (Connected Discourses on the Establishments of Mindfulness), comprising over 100 suttas, no details are given of how each of the 4 satipaṭṭhānas (establishments of mindfulness) is to be specifically practised. Only in the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (DN 22) and Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10) are the details of practice for each of the four satipaṭṭhānas to be found. However, these details are not the same across the parallels found in the different schools of Buddhism. The purpose of this workbook is to provide a compilation of relevant excerpts from the suttas so that we can investigate this issue and draw educated, sutta-based conclusions that can improve our understanding of cittānupassanā and how it can be more effectively practised.

Structure of Workbook

There are 3 sections in the workbook:

1. Scrutinise the contexts in which these eight pairs of exercises can be found
2. Explore passages where there are more specific descriptions of how to watch the mind
3. Draw conclusions based on the above for a better understanding of the nature and scope of cittānupassanā.

Format of Workshop

Throughout the workshop, participants are urged to maintain an open-minded spirit of true enquiry while critically scrutinising the scriptural references and trying out the meditation techniques presented here.

Āyasmā Aggacitta gives an overview of the workshop before participants begin their discussion. Sutta study is made practical through guided open awareness meditation exercises in between discussion topics. At the end of each discussion session, a representative from each selected group will then present the group’s findings. This is followed by Āyasmā Aggacitta’s explanation of the answer to the discussion topic. His explanations are often not only based on the Pāḷi scriptures but also include other sources of ancient wisdom and from modern research findings and real-life experiences. There are also Q&A sessions whenever appropriate.