The purpose of listening to seven sections of the Abhidhamma is to dedicate the merit and peace to one’s dead relations. So one listens to the chanting, “Kusala Dhamma” – all the wholesome Dhamma, the profitable states; “Akusala Dhamma” – all the unwholesome Dhamma which is of unskilful or immoral consciousness; “Abyakata Dhamma” – the indeterminate dealing with all the training of mind.”
The cultivation of the wholesome state of mind is called “Kusalam Cittam Uppannam.” This means the technique of concentration of mind leading to peace. Everyone has to face old age, illness and death after birth. No one can escape the natural law which is Dhamma. Death is natural for all.
In the case of understanding one’s mind, the training of the mind itself, to appreciate its own movement, is of great merit, unfortunately, most of us lack mindfulness and have very little awareness of our states of consciousness because the mind always clings to outside objects as we always look outwards. So to know one’s mind is meritorious. The Buddha said, “Only when there is awareness of mind will it become first wholesome and then very wholesome consciousness!” One who wishes to know the nature of happiness and suffering and who can enter heaven, hell or Nibbana must be equipped with the state of full awareness.
On the other hand one who cannot train his or her own mind is unhappy or cannot find peace and tranquillity and has never experienced any wholesome state or wholesome consciousness. Usually most of us are not interested in our own mind but interested in others’. For example we look out for whether others are good or bad, happy, unhappy, lucky, praised, how this person is, how that person is. It shows that our eyes look outwards. Our ears contact the sound outside. Our nose likes to contact the smell outside.
Altogether we only have external sensefields so we do not understand our internal sensefields.
The chanting which we listen to is the Buddha’s teaching which points the way for everyone to realise their mind. Therefore when there is a cremation we will have a clear comprehension about the profound Dhamma, which is about understanding one’s mind. Before we can understand our own mind, the word “Bhavana” should be understood first.
To meditate brings great merit. If one does not meditate one will not know how to perform meritorious deeds. One does not know how to perform it within oneself and one does not know how to use oneself to cultivate merit. In other words, not knowing how to create peace within the mind. We can meditate just by saying “Bud” when we breath in and say “Dho” when we breath out and do so whether we stand, walk, sit, or lie down. The same practice should be applied for five minutes for each of these postures. This is for cultivating a wholesome state of mind which is portrayed by the form of a celestial being who dwells in the consciousness.
This celestial being within one’s consciousness signifies brightness, cheerfulness and peace in the mind. Actually how we acquire our human form stems from our mind. If the mind is satisfied with a female form, we will take rebirth as a woman. If the mind takes delight in a male form we will become a man. The mind which favours charity or meritorious deeds will lead to rebirth in the land of good people. The mind which has an inclination to do evil will bring rebirth in the land of bad people. This is called “Coming from the state of consciousness.”
Therefore training one’s mind is an exercise for realisation of the Dhamma which is peace. Most people do not understand their own mind and as a result they cannot protect it. They are unhappy, irritable, frustrated, angry, grieving, tense, have hallucinations or worry and are anxious all day.
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