Foreword


For a number of years, whenever I could spare a few hours or a day or two, I worked simultaneously on the English and German translations of Chanmyay Myaing Sayadaw's book The Bojjhangas - Medicine that Makes All Diseases Disappear." The bojjhangas are a set of seven mental factors that meditators need to develop and strengthen in order to become fully liberated. These factors, when fully developed, have the potential to fully cure a person from the painful afflictions caused by the defilements. In this way, the bojjhangas, the enlightenment factors, are the best medicine for perfect health.

Whenever I was immersed in the work of translating this text, I found myself in a state similar to that of the dedicated meditator. By applying patient persevering effort, the meditator tries to be mindful of all phenomena arising in both the body and mind. Based on the two factors of mindfulness and effort, other mental qualities will naturally arise. And as the mind becomes focussed on each successive object, concentration will be established. A concentrated and alert mind is able to see things as they really are. In addition, the mind becomes filled with interest and rapture as well as calm and tranquillity. The qualities of rapture and tranquillity are especially appealing and add a unique flavour to the practice. However, as practice matures, they recede into the background, and equanimity becomes more prominent.

Translating a text requires not only exertion but the ability to be fully present with the text. Whenever I sat down to work on this translation, I often found myself deeply absorbed in the text within a short time. Time seemed to disappear during these periods of full immersion in the book's contents. The essential challenge was to find the most appropriate words to convey the meaning of Sayadaw's explanations, stories,instructions,and advice. While engaged in this task, I noticed that my mind became filled with pleasurable interest as well as tranquillity and calm. When these mental qualities were present, I felt a great sense of ease and comfort in the body. Even after sitting at my desk for hours on end, I didn't feel mentally tired nor did my body ache or feel stiff.

The qualities of mindfulness, investigation, energy, rapture, tranquillity, concentration, and equanimity are the set of mental factors called 'enlightenment factors'. They can be developed and cultivated in either worldly or spiritual frames of reference. Whenever they are well developed, a person will feel happy and joyful and be at ease physically and mentally. When cultivated as factors of enlightenment, they will naturally lead to a fully liberated mind. In other words, they lead to enlightenment, a state in which the mind is completely liberated from all defilements.

Although I have completed the main task of translating the text from Burmese into English, this book could not have come into existence without the generous help and support of many other people. My Burmese friend Mimmi has patiently answered all my questions regarding parts of the text that were not very clear. Judy Witheford, Marjo Oosterhoff, and Daw VirananT have also offered their skills and expertise editing the text. Knowing that I could count on their valuable help, I decided to translate this book on the bojjhahgas. And last but not least, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those helpers and volunteers who very generously offer their work and time in the meditation centres or monasteries where I stayed while working on this translation.

For this English translation, the passage Inge's Tumour" was revised by Inge herself and as a result, it differs slightly from the Burmese original.

May the readers of this book derive as much inspiration and interest in developing the enlightenment factors as I did while working on this translation. May all of our combined efforts be for the welfare, happiness, and well-being of all living beings.


Ven. Ariya Nam
Chanmyay Myaing Meditation Centre
Mingaladon Township
Yangon, Myanmar

March 2008

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