Yoniso Manasikara

Meaning

Yoniso manasikara - thorough, wise, methodically right examination-attention.

Yoni - in the context of the suttas often rendered as “the right way”. Literally, though, yoni = “womb”: the place where a result is born - source, origin.

Yoniso - an adverb derived from yoni with an ablative sense (“from what? out of what?”): “proceeding from the basis, in accordance with the source”; in translations - “thoroughly, properly, wisely”.

Manasikāra - “directing the mind”, attention.

Accordingly, yoniso manasikāra is attention in accordance with the source: through the surface layer of phenomena, toward where they come from and how they persist. In the context of the suttas - a way of examining experience that reveals its conditions, its arising, its cessation and its meaning in terms of the Dhamma.

Attention comes first

In the suttas, yoniso manasikara is the primary internal condition for right view. It is wise attention that leads to right view, and once right view has arisen, it feeds it (serves as its nutriment, ahara). Right view, in turn, is the keystone of the entire Noble Eightfold Path.

It works the other way too: ayoniso manasikāra, superficial attention, is fuel for all five hindrances. Sensual desire does not arise because an attractive object happens to be in front of us: the object in itself is neutral. The desire arises and grows fed by careless attention to the attractive aspect of the object.

In examples

Careless attention: “Why do I feel so bad? Why me? Who is to blame?” - questions that whip papanca up to a boil.

Thorough attention: “What is this state? What does it depend on? What strengthens it, what weakens it? How did it appear, how does it last, when will it cease?”

The difference is one of direction: the first set circles around the “self”, the second opens up the mechanics of the process of perception.

One of the principal forms of such examination is to see:

• the impermanent as impermanent,
• the unsatisfactory as unsatisfactory,
• the essenceless as essenceless.

In practice

Yoniso manasikara is, among other things, the habit of asking “where does it grow from, how does it last, how does it end?” instead of the habitual “how do I get rid of it?”.

For example, on noticing irritation - not rushing to get rid of it and not justifying it, but looking at the source: lack of sleep? an expectation? wounded pride?

And can this fuel be removed? Should it be? Or would something else fit the situation better?