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four qualities of a great person with great wisdom in a meditation. Can we attain insight just by listening
worldly context. to a Dharma talk or contemplating deeply on what
the Buddha taught without formal Vipassanā
In fact, the ethical quality of mindfulness is determined meditation?
by the motivation behind its application. In the ultimate
Buddhist sense, it is unwholesome if motivated by Ven Aggacitta: Āvaraṇa-nīvaraṇa Sutta (SN 46:38) states
greed, hate or delusion but wholesome if motivated by that when one listens intently to the Dhamma, the five
non-greed, non-hate or non-delusion. hindrances are abandoned and the seven factors of
awakening go to the completion of development. In
Ven Min Wei: The statement by the Dalai Lama is not other words, awakening can occur.
totally wrong. However, this kind of mindfulness cannot
be compared to that taught by the Buddha. Right There is a stock passage (e.g. in Sīha Sutta, AN 8.12) that
mindfulness stated in the Noble Eightfold Path generally describes how the Buddha gauges the mental readiness
refers to practice of the Four Abidings of Mindfulness, of his audience as pliant, softened, rid of hindrances,
memory of the Dharma, memory of a Buddha, and the uplifted and confident, before revealing the Four Noble
inconceivable mindfulness of a Buddha. Truths for them to attain the Dhamma Eye, i.e. become
enlightened.
However, we should differentiate between mindfulness
and right mindfulness. Generally, mindfulness means Based on this stock passage, I would think that the
focus or concentration on doing something. For a Dhamma mentioned in (SN 46:38) above should be
suicide bomber, we might say that one also has to be about the Four Noble Truths or anything else directly
mindful on doing unwholesome actions. related to the practice for liberation.
However, if you have intently listened to such Dhamma
In Buddhism, unwholesome intentions include sensual talks or deeply contemplated such Dhamma numerous
desire, ill will, and cruelty. Wholesome intentions are times before and you still haven’t attained insight to
renunciation, non-ill will, and non-cruelty. Therefore, your satisfaction, doesn’t it make sense to increase your
right intention which means not harming others or chances of making better progress by also practicing
ourselves, or both, is always based on right mindfulness. samatha and vipassanā?

Geshe Dadul: Of course, mindfulness mentioned within Ven Min Wei: In the Pāḷi Texts we find many
the Noble Eight-fold Path is presented in the context of a instances of people who attained the various stages
Buddhist practitioner bent on seeking simply nirvāṇa or of enlightenment while listening to the Buddha’s
samyaksaṃbodhi, or at least a fortunate rebirth in the teachings. But the Texts also show that not all who
next life. For that, the foundation of morality is crucial. listened were enlightened.
However, to develop some mindfulness, which could
come in many different levels, there is no necessity to In the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch it is said:
profess any religion nor of subscribing to a set code of To concentrate the mind and to contemplate it until it is
ethics. Surely, one would benefit by observing some still, is a disease and not Zen.
discipline and restraint, at least during the training.
After all, mindfulness practice can be pursued in a This is to say that meditation is simply a tool, those who
secular setting. In this regard we are not necessarily attached to it, will not be able to attain enlightenment
speaking of a very advanced state of mindfulness or wisdom. Therefore, from a Buddhist perspective, by
merely listening and contemplating deeply on Dharma
We read about the Buddha’s early disciples one can attain insight.
becoming enlightened after listening to the
Buddha’s discourses, and they were not in deep