การปฏิบัติธรรมมีสองแบบคือ เจโตวิมุตติ (ทำใจให้นิ่งอยู่ในอารมณ์เดียว) กับปัญญาวิมุตติ (เกิดความรู้ความเข้าใจ) ความคิดที่ผุดขึ้นมา “สอนตนเอง” ระหว่างนั่งสมาธิ อาจไม่ใช่กุศลที่แท้จริง แต่เป็นอัพยากตะที่แฝงมาในคราบการสอนThere are two paths in practice: cetovimutti (stilling the mind in a single object) and paññāvimutti (arising knowledge and understanding). A thought that seems to “teach you” during meditation may not be genuine wholesomeness at all — it can be avyākata, a neutral mental state disguised as teaching.
A student asked: nirodha samāpatti means making the mind stop and become still. But during meditation, thoughts sometimes arise that seem to teach oneself — which should be a good thing — yet it doesn't feel still.
There are two ways of practicing: and .
Ceto is through the power of a purified mind — stopping the mind, making it still, resting in a single object with nothing else mixed in. But if something else does mix in — such as a thought that keeps teaching you like this — that falls into the category of paññāvimutti.
Paññāvimutti involves and understanding that “teaches” oneself. But if what is being taught is something you already know, then being taught what you already know serves no purpose — you already know it.
This is where avyākata, factor, comes in — trying to teach you, wanting to tell you this and that. It looks good on the surface. But if it is genuine wholesomeness () coming to teach, here is the point: while you are settling the mind into a single object, wholesomeness does not intrude — it helps, and helps keep the mind unified in that one object. The exception is when you are cultivating paññāvimutti and wish to know and understand — then wholesomeness comes to guide you toward knowing and understanding.
But if, while you are settling the mind into a single object — (ekaggatā), a single object with nothing else mixed in — something else intrudes, appearing to teach you, to advise you, to instruct you in various things, that is the nature of avyākata.