Acknowledgement.

Writing this book had been the inspiration I derived from those who encouraged me in the pursuit of my spiritual search. I was born a Buddhist but that by itself did not make me a Buddhist. It was first the Buddhist environment that was around me, and my mother’s devotion to Buddhism and the rituals and ceremonies into which she introduced me as a child that fascinated me to Buddhism. It was that beginning which later awakened in me the desire to know more about the teachings of the Buddha.

Thereafter, I understood the rituals and ceremonies, the temples and the serene statues were only the outer coating of a more profound philosophy that was not limited to offering flowers, lighting lamps, giving alms to monks, and making prayers. The search of the philosophy opened me to the core of my religion the Buddhist meditation.

It was first my friend late Godwin Samararatne who introduced me to the profundity of the Buddhist Meditation and invited me to follow retreats at his Meditation Centre at Nilambe.

My subsequent meeting with the Venerable Late Amatha Gavesi of the Pallekele Devena Pethis Samatha Vipassana Meditation Centre, Kundasale, opened me to yet undiscovered meditation experiences. The Pallekele Meditation Centre is run by Buddhist Nuns (Manio) trained by Venerable late Amatha Gavesi to teach meditation to lay Buddhists.

I express my deep gratitude to Venerable Dhammadinna Manio who initially guided me through different stages of mental concentration, the Venerable Chandra Manio in charge of the Meditation Centre, who instructed me in Vipassana meditation, and Venerable Subhadra Manio and Venerable Khema Manio who guided me through various phases of meditation.

It was in my further search into the teachings that I came across the books on Abhidhamma written by Ms Nina van Gorkom, which enabled me to understand the subtlety of the teachings of Abhidhamma which explains in detail the “mind – matter” entity. It was reading her writings that made me realise that a knowledge of Abhidhamma is a key to understand the unobservable complexity of the mind and its implication in mental development. It was that which inspired me to write the present book.

I pay tribute to these learned men and women all my spiritual teachers I met on my path in search for Dhamma and extend my gratitude to all of them, and transfer some of the merit I may have accumulated in following the path, to those who are no more for their contribution to my understanding the sublime teachings of the Compassionate Buddha.

In this book I have given the Buddhist Canonical terms in italics against the English words, to help any one who is foreign to the teachings of the Buddha to familiarise with the Buddhist Canonical terms which are in Pali.

I also thank my wife who though foreign to my religion, nevertheless, encouraged me through out the long period of writing this book. My son Lalith helped me to keep on writing with out slacking in my attention.

I should be failing in my duty if I do not thank my close relative Mr. Duminda Tennakoon the Director of the Sampath Graphics, Piliyandala, who did the compilation of the book. If not for him this book may not have seen the light of day.

I also thank profusely …………………………………………… the Publisher and his staff for their excellent work in bringing out this book in print.



Charles.S.Perera,
53 rue du Petit Pont,
Gagny, France. 30 December,2010
e-mail: perera.charles@gmail.com