ABSTRACT

                      This research on “A Study of Obhāsa as an inperfection of insight occurring while practicing Vipassanā Meditation based on the four foundations of mindfulness.” has three objectives 1 which are: (1) to study how to practice Vipassanābhāvanā (insight meditation) on the Theravāda Buddhism Doctrine’s Four Foundations of Mindfulness base. (2) to study the occurrence of the Obhāsa as stated in the Theravāda Buddhism Doctrine (3) to study the occurrence of the Vipassanūpakilesa (Obhāsa only) during the practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.

                     This is the qualitative research with documentation focus. The Thesis took informations from Theravāda Buddhist Tipitaka, Scriptures, Tīkā and related Commentaries.  Data were then described  and  certified by Thesis Advisers and Vipassanā Specialists.

                      The researcher has found that the Obhāsa arises from Saddhā (Faith) and in fact, it has always been taken wrongly as extraordinary phenomenon. Some practitioner sees different kinds of lights and believed he has become a special person to have attained such lights. But all such lights are not at all Vipassanā’s Obhāsa. They have only been the nonsense, unconscious and unreasonable belief. In contrary, the lights occurring in Vipassanābhāvanā arrived on a logical base. Furthermore, the Obhāsa light has to happen on a serious practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which could last in one of the lengths of 7 days, 7 months or 7 years. It is stated in the doctrine that when a practitioner practises in one of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness’s bases, the Dhammnāupassanā, (contemplation of mind-objects), and has entered into the low level of the Fourth Ñāna, the Udayabbaya Ñāna, which he will then face with some 10 kinds of extraordinary phenomena, in which Obhāsa is one. But with thorough understanding that these are just the Tilakkhanā (the Common Characteristics) the practitioner then learns how to pay no attention, which is called Upekkhā, the equanimity. On the other hand, practitioners who appreciate such Obhāsa will impure his own Vipassanā result.

                      Having said that, the s Obhsāa till is important because it helps practitioners to find his level in Vipassanā-Ñāna. This is because the Visuddhimagga scripture stated that Vipassanūpakilesā will not happen to those who attained the Magga, those who have practiced wrongly, those who abandoned the Kammathanā practice and those lazy ones. Obhāsa will happen to the ones who only have practiced seriously.

                      To further clarify the Obhāsa, it can be explained that this kind of light occurs during the practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. This four-base practice focuses on Sati (the Right Mindfulness) of the Nāma-Rupa (mind and matter), which covers the Five (Groups of Existence), the Āyatana (12 sense-fields), the Dhātu (18 elements), the Indriya (22 faculties) and the Paticcasamuppāda (12 Dependent Origination). All these are grouped and called Vipassanābhūmi 6 (the exercises for the Insight Development).  The word ‘Vipassanā’ could be interpreted as the clear knowledge of the Nāma-Rūpa (mind and matter), that they are impermanence, suffering and cannot be controlled. When the practitioner sees clearly the impermanence of the Three Characteristics he will then have faith in further practice. Such faith then leads him to see the light of wisdom, the Obhāsa.