An established belief in going to a forest for austerity practices

Question:
Venerable Sir, there is an established belief that one should go to a forest, shade of
a tree or an empty building for austerity practices. If this is the case, we, laymen
are not in a position to practice meditation. However, Satipattana Sutta was
expounded to the residents of the city of Kuru. So, it is evident that the Buddha had
addressed the common people, living in this city. In this circumstance, we feel that
there could be a hidden meaning in this respect. What is your opinion on this?
Answer:
Here, we need to understand the real meaning associated with these phrases in
terms of the Satipattana Sutta. Non-awareness of the real meanings has led to
different interpretations. In the Satipattana Sutta, we find, arannagato v
rukkhamulagato v sunngragato v nisdati pallakam bhujitv uju kya
paidhya parimukha sati upahapetv.... The terms arannagato v refer
to a past action. It refers to a past action, meaning, as if gone to a forest.
However, this has been misinterpreted as a necessity of going to a forest for the
purpose of meditation. Present society does not allow most of you to go to a forest,
a shade of a tree or an empty building to practice meditation. Also, you cannot find
peace in these three locations. The Buddha has not proclaimed three destinations
for meditators. It is neither practical nor scientific. The Buddha has proclaimed a
way of constant practice. If you do not practice constantly, you can purify your
mind of defilements. No matter where you are, you need to keep practicing what is
taught in this sutta.
By the phrase arannagato v, the Buddha taught us to have a mental frame of a
person who happens to be in a forest environment. A person who enters a forest
always experiences fear and suspense. This persons priority is to escape from the
dangers of the forest as soon as possible. Similarly, a meditators mind should be
preoccupied with honest intention of escaping from the cycle of rebirth and death
as it is filled with dangers and misery. Then only a meditator could reap benefits
from the practice of the Satipattana meditation.
When we observe the mental state of a person who takes shelter in the shade of a
tree, you would see that this person finds some peace, calmness as long he sits
there. However, he cannot continue to sit in the shade of the tree due to the
presence of dangers in the night and adverse weather conditions such as rain, wind,

and storms. So, he realises the shade of the tree to be a temporary, volatile peace.
He realises that he cannot hold on to the shade of the tree indefinitely.
The person who entered the forest, now, finds temporary peace in the shade of a
tree as took into consideration all the dangers present in the forest, while being
vigilant and alert to escape from the forest environment. Similarly, as a meditator
fights the mental defilements as in the case of a person who enters a forest and
fights dangers present in a forest. Once a meditator fights with his defilements
effectively, he could bring about peace, tranquility to his mind as a wanderer in a
forest finds shelter in the shade of a tree. The tranquility achieved by a meditator
with the subjugation of defilements is identified as Samadhi (concentration) and
Jhana (absorptions). Samadhi and Jhana result from subjugation of defilements on
a temporary basis which is analogous to the short term peaceful state under the
shade of a tree. As this temporary peaceful state in the shade is subject to dangers
and adverse weather conditions, Samadhi and jhana states are not everlasting.
Therefore, meditators should not attach to Samadhi and Jhana states.
Now, lets consider the phrase sunngragato v.... Sunngra (empty building)
is not an old type bungalow or a residence as these structures have some value,
even though these may be very old. Sunngra is structure without any value at
all. It is similar to a dilapidated, abandoned building which is uninhabitable totally.
As a person does not attach any value to an abandoned, uninhabitable building
under any circumstance, a meditator should observe ones body filled with 32
repulsive body parts and subject to aging and death, as a worthless entity. When a
meditator comprehends the repulsive nature of the body and the worthless nature
of existence, he makes every attempt to keep away from this existence. He does
everything with this view in mind.
The Buddha used the similes of going to a forest, the shade of a tree and the empty
building to illustrate the gradual path for the subjugation of defilements which
should be pursued and trained in three stages, namely, sila sikkha (morality
training), samadhi sikkha (concentration training) and panna sikkha (wisdom
training). These similes do not call for a obligatory need for going to a forest in
order to practice mental training. Meditation practices referred to in the Satipattana
Sutta could be performed at any place. Those are meditation techniques which
should be practiced regularly, no matter where you are.
There were instances where the Buddha dispatched some of his disciples to forests to
facilitate breaking up of some of the course defilements with the aid of the atmosphere
prevailed in the forests. Also, some of the monks, who preferred the natural ambience of a
forest, used to live in seclusion in forests, enjoying jhanic bliss.