Part 10
[01] The Middle Way
[02] Correct One’s Mistakes in Time
[03] Are you a fool?
[04] Our Murderers
[05] The Four Noble Truths
[06] Pay Your Debts with Knowledge
[07] Protecting Your Mind
[08] The Creator: The Deceitful Mind
[09] Wise Attention & Effort
[10] Rust Corrodes the Iron
[11] To Nibbāna with One Dhamma
[12] To Nibbāna with Stopping
[13] True Refuge
[14] Diseased Body
[15] Important of Samadhi
[16] Craving & Suffering
[17] Fulfilling One’s Duty
[18] Impermanent & Taintless
[19] Dukkha & Nibbāna
[20] How to Think?
[21] Four Nibbānas
[22] On Insight Knowledge
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 10
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 10-1
[01] The Middle Way
13th December 1960
(Sayadaw reminded yogis to observe their internal phenomena, when they see the external phenomena. In this way many realized Dhamma in the past. There were some Theras’ and Theris’ gathas mentioned these experiences.
A bhikkhuni saw a candle flame was extinguished & another saw the water flowed into the earth & disappeared were attaining enlightenments.
Sayadaw said one important point in the observation. He gave an example, a candle continuously burning is not arising & changing into something But it’s arising & perishing, arising & disappearing, etc. at the same spot.
If it’s changing into something & become a sassata view (It’s similar to a soul view). The reality is one flame disappears & substitute with a new flame. In this way free from wrong views)
An intelligent person saw a tree leaf fell from the tree & got enlightenment. A leaf drying up from green to yellow colors & fell off from the tree (This referred to an interesting & famous jataka story nearly every Buddhist knew. Sonaka, a minister son sat sown under a tree & saw a tree leaf falling down to him.
This incidence & with the contemplation of his khandhas & became a Pacchekabuddha. After some years passed by he went to the palace & taught dhamma to his friend the king-the Bodhisatta. One of the well-known story he taught was a silly crow & a dead elephant floating in the ocean.
Nowadays human beings are more sillier than this crow. We can know this from the current human societies on earth). It’s a form (rūpa), will be changed & fallen. All forms contact with heat will change. Contact with cold in change. Every mind is changing. For e.g., a small child is crying.
The mother becomes anxious with what happen to the child. After knowing nothing happens & becomes glad. From the anxious mind & changes into gladden mind. Therefore mind & form are changing with their causes.
Is change (here the Pali word viparināma) means after arising & changing into something? Or after vanishing & substitutes with something? Don’t take it as changing but as vanishing with substitution. If changing becomes view of eternalism (sassata ditthi).
Vanishing is anicca nyan-knowledge of seeing impermanence. Changing is ditthi & taking it as vanishing & free from ditthi. For e.g., moving the cup here to this place is changing. Vanishing means at here disappears and at here (at the same spot) a new substitution.
Therefore changing & vanishing are different. Disbanding its own nature is vanishing. If you see the outside things are vanishing & turning inwards of one’s khandha. The preceding mind not exists & the new following mind arises.By turning the mind inwards & seeing the same as like the outwards things & D.A is cutting off.
Because the knowledge of seeing the vanishing comes in. The external & internal phenomena become the same and will get the Path Knowledge (Sayadaw gave the story of a woman, by frying vegetables and seeing the changes of it. And at the same time turning inside her with contemplation & became a sotāpanna).
Sabbe saṅkhāra anicca- All conditioned phenomena are impermanent- external & internal phenomena are impermanent. In this way tanhā connects internal with the external dies away. There are only the internal and the external existences.
Therefore the Buddha taught to contemplate the externatl & internal in the Satipatthāna Sutta. If you only see the internal vanishing is also enough (This point supported by some yogis practice with Mahasi System. Most system only teach to contemplate one’s own khandha).
The Buddha from the monastery instructed the woman to turn inwardly and contemplate her khandha. By following with the contemplation of impermanence, nyan develops & becomes mature. The whole khandha is full with impermanences and even you can’t put in a tip of a needle inside them.
After that you penetrate dukkha thoroughly & if dukkha ceases and will see Nibbāna. If dukkha not ceases can’t see Nibbāna yet. After seeing dukkha & not wanting and it ceases. Seeing dukkha ceases is the Path Knowledge. Free from the 8 faults and closed are the doors to woeful births.
(The 8 faults for living beings were mentioned in the Aṅguttara Nikāya. These are; the 3 woeful planes-1. Hells, animals, ghosts. The commentary divided ghosts (petas) to 2 types; petas with sufferings only & vemanika petas with half sufferings and half bliss.
4. Arūpa Brahma gods (with mind only) and Asañña Brahma gods (with body only) 5. Human beings born with 3 unwholesome roots (greed, hatred and delusion) 6. The places the Buddha’s Teachings can’t reach out. For e.g., border areas, hill tribes, etc. 7.People have wrong views 8. The time when a Buddha is not arising, so the Dhamma not exists)
You have to practice for seeing the cessation of dukkha. There is no other things to do. If ditthi-tanhā still exist & not finish yet. If you can decide this is not me, not I am & not mine & it ceases. [There was an interesting story of a yogi. An Italian man had an interview with his teacher.
He said that every time was seeing emptiness (i.e impermanence) and he wanted jumping into it, but couldn’t do it. (Here wrong view came in and hindered the practice.) Then he asked himself, who wanted jumping into it? “There is no I & no me, who can jump (Here he dispelled his wrong view with practice).
As soon as he contemplated not-self-anatta, the whole khandha disappeared with an explosion. This yogi’s experience supported what Mogok Sayadaw always emphasized strongly for, first dispelling wrong view with intellectual knowledge before the practice.
Wrong views were very deep rooted strongly in living beings from undiscoverable saṁsāra. Some bhikkhus’ stories in the time of the Buddha also supported it. For e.g., Ven. Channa, Ven.Yamaka & Ven. Anuradha. This Italian yogi overcame it because his teacher was also a Mogok yogi.
He taught him before using the law of D.A process to dispel his wrong view. Even though wrong view still crept in. You see how strong self-view is? Therefore, anatta doctrine is difficult to understand and accept. Except a Buddha no one can teach about it. Therefore the Buddha said without the Noble Eight-fold Path no-one could become ariya].
If, it’s still not mature with the continuous contemplation and becomes maturity. And slowly it will mature. This is not a tiresome task. Because it is the middle way. Making money for sensuality is very tiresome. It’s the same with the practices of torturing oneself.
Contemplation of impermanence is the middle way. If you can’t put your feet on the middle way and you are changing yourself between the 2 extremes. The hedonists (especially modern man) follow sensuality are having dukkha. and searching for dukkha. (quite silly). This path should not go. The path of torturing oneself is directly to painful births.
Only meeting with a good teacher can walk on the middle path. The path of sensuality is the way father and mother teach you. They can do this only. (Sayadaw mentioned about the Bodhisatta’s extreme practices).
The path of contemplation of one’s khandhas is knowing the truth of the khandha. And it becomes right disenchantment. After not wanting it and the khandha comes to an end. The ending of the khandha is Nibbāna
13th December 1960
(Sayadaw reminded yogis to observe their internal phenomena, when they see the external phenomena. In this way many realized Dhamma in the past. There were some Theras’ and Theris’ gathas mentioned these experiences.
A bhikkhuni saw a candle flame was extinguished & another saw the water flowed into the earth & disappeared were attaining enlightenments.
Sayadaw said one important point in the observation. He gave an example, a candle continuously burning is not arising & changing into something But it’s arising & perishing, arising & disappearing, etc. at the same spot.
If it’s changing into something & become a sassata view (It’s similar to a soul view). The reality is one flame disappears & substitute with a new flame. In this way free from wrong views)
An intelligent person saw a tree leaf fell from the tree & got enlightenment. A leaf drying up from green to yellow colors & fell off from the tree (This referred to an interesting & famous jataka story nearly every Buddhist knew. Sonaka, a minister son sat sown under a tree & saw a tree leaf falling down to him.
This incidence & with the contemplation of his khandhas & became a Pacchekabuddha. After some years passed by he went to the palace & taught dhamma to his friend the king-the Bodhisatta. One of the well-known story he taught was a silly crow & a dead elephant floating in the ocean.
Nowadays human beings are more sillier than this crow. We can know this from the current human societies on earth). It’s a form (rūpa), will be changed & fallen. All forms contact with heat will change. Contact with cold in change. Every mind is changing. For e.g., a small child is crying.
The mother becomes anxious with what happen to the child. After knowing nothing happens & becomes glad. From the anxious mind & changes into gladden mind. Therefore mind & form are changing with their causes.
Is change (here the Pali word viparināma) means after arising & changing into something? Or after vanishing & substitutes with something? Don’t take it as changing but as vanishing with substitution. If changing becomes view of eternalism (sassata ditthi).
Vanishing is anicca nyan-knowledge of seeing impermanence. Changing is ditthi & taking it as vanishing & free from ditthi. For e.g., moving the cup here to this place is changing. Vanishing means at here disappears and at here (at the same spot) a new substitution.
Therefore changing & vanishing are different. Disbanding its own nature is vanishing. If you see the outside things are vanishing & turning inwards of one’s khandha. The preceding mind not exists & the new following mind arises.By turning the mind inwards & seeing the same as like the outwards things & D.A is cutting off.
Because the knowledge of seeing the vanishing comes in. The external & internal phenomena become the same and will get the Path Knowledge (Sayadaw gave the story of a woman, by frying vegetables and seeing the changes of it. And at the same time turning inside her with contemplation & became a sotāpanna).
Sabbe saṅkhāra anicca- All conditioned phenomena are impermanent- external & internal phenomena are impermanent. In this way tanhā connects internal with the external dies away. There are only the internal and the external existences.
Therefore the Buddha taught to contemplate the externatl & internal in the Satipatthāna Sutta. If you only see the internal vanishing is also enough (This point supported by some yogis practice with Mahasi System. Most system only teach to contemplate one’s own khandha).
The Buddha from the monastery instructed the woman to turn inwardly and contemplate her khandha. By following with the contemplation of impermanence, nyan develops & becomes mature. The whole khandha is full with impermanences and even you can’t put in a tip of a needle inside them.
After that you penetrate dukkha thoroughly & if dukkha ceases and will see Nibbāna. If dukkha not ceases can’t see Nibbāna yet. After seeing dukkha & not wanting and it ceases. Seeing dukkha ceases is the Path Knowledge. Free from the 8 faults and closed are the doors to woeful births.
(The 8 faults for living beings were mentioned in the Aṅguttara Nikāya. These are; the 3 woeful planes-1. Hells, animals, ghosts. The commentary divided ghosts (petas) to 2 types; petas with sufferings only & vemanika petas with half sufferings and half bliss.
4. Arūpa Brahma gods (with mind only) and Asañña Brahma gods (with body only) 5. Human beings born with 3 unwholesome roots (greed, hatred and delusion) 6. The places the Buddha’s Teachings can’t reach out. For e.g., border areas, hill tribes, etc. 7.People have wrong views 8. The time when a Buddha is not arising, so the Dhamma not exists)
You have to practice for seeing the cessation of dukkha. There is no other things to do. If ditthi-tanhā still exist & not finish yet. If you can decide this is not me, not I am & not mine & it ceases. [There was an interesting story of a yogi. An Italian man had an interview with his teacher.
He said that every time was seeing emptiness (i.e impermanence) and he wanted jumping into it, but couldn’t do it. (Here wrong view came in and hindered the practice.) Then he asked himself, who wanted jumping into it? “There is no I & no me, who can jump (Here he dispelled his wrong view with practice).
As soon as he contemplated not-self-anatta, the whole khandha disappeared with an explosion. This yogi’s experience supported what Mogok Sayadaw always emphasized strongly for, first dispelling wrong view with intellectual knowledge before the practice.
Wrong views were very deep rooted strongly in living beings from undiscoverable saṁsāra. Some bhikkhus’ stories in the time of the Buddha also supported it. For e.g., Ven. Channa, Ven.Yamaka & Ven. Anuradha. This Italian yogi overcame it because his teacher was also a Mogok yogi.
He taught him before using the law of D.A process to dispel his wrong view. Even though wrong view still crept in. You see how strong self-view is? Therefore, anatta doctrine is difficult to understand and accept. Except a Buddha no one can teach about it. Therefore the Buddha said without the Noble Eight-fold Path no-one could become ariya].
If, it’s still not mature with the continuous contemplation and becomes maturity. And slowly it will mature. This is not a tiresome task. Because it is the middle way. Making money for sensuality is very tiresome. It’s the same with the practices of torturing oneself.
Contemplation of impermanence is the middle way. If you can’t put your feet on the middle way and you are changing yourself between the 2 extremes. The hedonists (especially modern man) follow sensuality are having dukkha. and searching for dukkha. (quite silly). This path should not go. The path of torturing oneself is directly to painful births.
Only meeting with a good teacher can walk on the middle path. The path of sensuality is the way father and mother teach you. They can do this only. (Sayadaw mentioned about the Bodhisatta’s extreme practices).
The path of contemplation of one’s khandhas is knowing the truth of the khandha. And it becomes right disenchantment. After not wanting it and the khandha comes to an end. The ending of the khandha is Nibbāna
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 10-2
[02] Correct One’s Mistakes in Time
18th December 1960
The Buddha said, one could know in 2 ways for one’s wholesome and unwholesome kammas one had done before. These were doing kammas still alive & near death mental signs arose. If you want to correct them at present is the best way. Before death it can be done. Near death some can do it and some can’t correct them. Near death generally people can’t make the corrections.
Now, if you want to correct them still can do it. In this way and near death you don’t need it. In the Aṅguttara Nikāya, the Buddha warned us that we should not take it as I had done unwholesome kamma and nobody knew it. At least you know it yourself. You have to correct them quickly.
If you die before, even though it has the 5000 years of Buddha Sāsanā, and your own sāsanā is disappeared (Buddhists should take this point seriously). Don’t count the Buddha Sāsanā with years. Make the counting with your own death. Man, only has the life span of one mind. If one of the breathing in and out mind is not arising and becomes dead.
What already has passed nothing to do with you. Next year also nothing to do with you. Sāsanā depending on your life span. Only you can cut off the D.A process and seeing impermanent is your own sāsanā. If you are choosing time for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow is a fool.
Today I have no time & not doing it. I will do it tomorrow is sassata ditthi. Sassata here is tomorrow I will still alive. It means it doesn’t die. Choosing days and hours is by sassata. If you are glad with the forbidden dhamma which send beings to painful births and then you’ll finish. Forbidden the Path Knowledge. is wrong view. In the whole of saṁsāra beings are hindered by it.
We were climbing up from the 4 woeful planes with difficulties (Some Buddhists might think we had good times in saṁsāra. We should go and have a check with the suttas in the Pali Nikāya, what the Buddha had said about it). Now, you know that ditthi is the biggest enemy.
(Sayadaw told a story in the Majjima Nikāya, how tanhā-ditthi hindered a man for realization. In the Kassapa Buddha’s time, a layman named Peya because of ditthi-tanhā missed the chance for Path and Fruition Knowledges. If he continued to listen for sometimes would enter the stream. But he had to wait until the Gautama Buddha’s time for realization. It was quite a long period of time.)
The Buddha taught 3 principles for sure realization. (Sayadaw talked about the Governing Principles (adipati) from the Anguttara Nikāya.
1. Self as a governing principle (attadipati)
2. Cosmos as a governing principle (lokadipati)
3. Dhamma as a governing principle ( Dhammadipati)
1. Taking oneself as a governing principle. 2. Taking others as a governing principle 3. Taking the qualities of Dhamma as a governing principle. ① I am not practicing for the sake of the 4 requisites nor for the fortunes of future births. But to be freed from the dangers of birth, ageing, sickness and death, etc. We can’t realize it with the practice for the desire of sensuality and becoming-bhavatanhā. You should not have your own desire in the practice. You can’t practice with desire.
2. If kilesa comes in or many thoughts arise and admonish oneself. And contemplate the impermanence of whatever mind state arises. Admonish oneself as there are unseen beings watching at me (e.g, devatas, monks have psychic abilities, etc.).
3. During the practice if worldly mental states come in and contemplate the Qualities of Dhamma, admonish oneself with it. (Sayadaw talked about the Dhamma is calling at you and also passes away. Therefore if you go with the calling and seeing death. The calling is arising, with the going and not seeing it is vanishing.
Anyone going with the calling will find out its impermanence. There are also wrong goings. For e.g., mosquito bites and going with the hand (bang!) This is going with anger (dosa). Therefore you must go with knowledge. It’s sure that it’ll become non-temporal-akāliko.
18th December 1960
The Buddha said, one could know in 2 ways for one’s wholesome and unwholesome kammas one had done before. These were doing kammas still alive & near death mental signs arose. If you want to correct them at present is the best way. Before death it can be done. Near death some can do it and some can’t correct them. Near death generally people can’t make the corrections.
Now, if you want to correct them still can do it. In this way and near death you don’t need it. In the Aṅguttara Nikāya, the Buddha warned us that we should not take it as I had done unwholesome kamma and nobody knew it. At least you know it yourself. You have to correct them quickly.
If you die before, even though it has the 5000 years of Buddha Sāsanā, and your own sāsanā is disappeared (Buddhists should take this point seriously). Don’t count the Buddha Sāsanā with years. Make the counting with your own death. Man, only has the life span of one mind. If one of the breathing in and out mind is not arising and becomes dead.
What already has passed nothing to do with you. Next year also nothing to do with you. Sāsanā depending on your life span. Only you can cut off the D.A process and seeing impermanent is your own sāsanā. If you are choosing time for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow is a fool.
Today I have no time & not doing it. I will do it tomorrow is sassata ditthi. Sassata here is tomorrow I will still alive. It means it doesn’t die. Choosing days and hours is by sassata. If you are glad with the forbidden dhamma which send beings to painful births and then you’ll finish. Forbidden the Path Knowledge. is wrong view. In the whole of saṁsāra beings are hindered by it.
We were climbing up from the 4 woeful planes with difficulties (Some Buddhists might think we had good times in saṁsāra. We should go and have a check with the suttas in the Pali Nikāya, what the Buddha had said about it). Now, you know that ditthi is the biggest enemy.
(Sayadaw told a story in the Majjima Nikāya, how tanhā-ditthi hindered a man for realization. In the Kassapa Buddha’s time, a layman named Peya because of ditthi-tanhā missed the chance for Path and Fruition Knowledges. If he continued to listen for sometimes would enter the stream. But he had to wait until the Gautama Buddha’s time for realization. It was quite a long period of time.)
The Buddha taught 3 principles for sure realization. (Sayadaw talked about the Governing Principles (adipati) from the Anguttara Nikāya.
1. Self as a governing principle (attadipati)
2. Cosmos as a governing principle (lokadipati)
3. Dhamma as a governing principle ( Dhammadipati)
1. Taking oneself as a governing principle. 2. Taking others as a governing principle 3. Taking the qualities of Dhamma as a governing principle. ① I am not practicing for the sake of the 4 requisites nor for the fortunes of future births. But to be freed from the dangers of birth, ageing, sickness and death, etc. We can’t realize it with the practice for the desire of sensuality and becoming-bhavatanhā. You should not have your own desire in the practice. You can’t practice with desire.
2. If kilesa comes in or many thoughts arise and admonish oneself. And contemplate the impermanence of whatever mind state arises. Admonish oneself as there are unseen beings watching at me (e.g, devatas, monks have psychic abilities, etc.).
3. During the practice if worldly mental states come in and contemplate the Qualities of Dhamma, admonish oneself with it. (Sayadaw talked about the Dhamma is calling at you and also passes away. Therefore if you go with the calling and seeing death. The calling is arising, with the going and not seeing it is vanishing.
Anyone going with the calling will find out its impermanence. There are also wrong goings. For e.g., mosquito bites and going with the hand (bang!) This is going with anger (dosa). Therefore you must go with knowledge. It’s sure that it’ll become non-temporal-akāliko.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 10-3
[03] Are you a fool?
18th December 1960
The Buddha said, the 5 khandhas, wife, children and wealths were like the things in dreams. Dreams are not stable, if you wake up and can’t find it. The nature of the khandha is also last momentary. Wealth and belongings are also not stable. Again the khandha is also like borrowed things. It’ll return back to the owner. Ageing and death will take back the khandha.
Therefore the 5 khandhas have nothing of me and mine. Also you can’t find any of me and mine. If you can see it as arising momentarily and passing away, will know that it’s like a dream and borrowed things. Therefore, it never have stability and control.
If you know this, tanhā (craving), upādāna (clinging) and kamma (action) fall away. If you think the khandha has stability is like the foolish lion (The lion died by its shadow in the mirror.). We are taking the shadow of the khandha as stable. And also are thinking them as beings.
You are making fortunes is like a blind man pouring water. However much you are searching for them can never fulfill it. The 6 sense-doors are like the 6 oceans. If you are filling them with tanhā water can never fill it up. The ocean water still can be dried up, when doomsday arrives.
Therefore, by filling the 6 sense-doors and you will never satisfy with it. For them in saṁsāra you was over tired. Not knowing is avijjā and filling with tanhā water is saṅkhāra. You are wasting time with avijjā and saṅkhāra.
If you have the 6 oceans and can never finish with it. Therefore, if you can make them disappear and it’ll finish. So, if khandha disappears will arrive to happiness. Filling the khandha ocean is like filling a pot with holes in it.
Because it’ll never fill up. Don’t know about the khandha with clinging and affection that look after it is like a blind man filling a pot with holes. For the khandha to disappear must do vipassanā for seeing impermanence.
18th December 1960
The Buddha said, the 5 khandhas, wife, children and wealths were like the things in dreams. Dreams are not stable, if you wake up and can’t find it. The nature of the khandha is also last momentary. Wealth and belongings are also not stable. Again the khandha is also like borrowed things. It’ll return back to the owner. Ageing and death will take back the khandha.
Therefore the 5 khandhas have nothing of me and mine. Also you can’t find any of me and mine. If you can see it as arising momentarily and passing away, will know that it’s like a dream and borrowed things. Therefore, it never have stability and control.
If you know this, tanhā (craving), upādāna (clinging) and kamma (action) fall away. If you think the khandha has stability is like the foolish lion (The lion died by its shadow in the mirror.). We are taking the shadow of the khandha as stable. And also are thinking them as beings.
You are making fortunes is like a blind man pouring water. However much you are searching for them can never fulfill it. The 6 sense-doors are like the 6 oceans. If you are filling them with tanhā water can never fill it up. The ocean water still can be dried up, when doomsday arrives.
Therefore, by filling the 6 sense-doors and you will never satisfy with it. For them in saṁsāra you was over tired. Not knowing is avijjā and filling with tanhā water is saṅkhāra. You are wasting time with avijjā and saṅkhāra.
If you have the 6 oceans and can never finish with it. Therefore, if you can make them disappear and it’ll finish. So, if khandha disappears will arrive to happiness. Filling the khandha ocean is like filling a pot with holes in it.
Because it’ll never fill up. Don’t know about the khandha with clinging and affection that look after it is like a blind man filling a pot with holes. For the khandha to disappear must do vipassanā for seeing impermanence.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 10-4
[04] Our Murderers
25th December 1960
I’ll teach you the contemplation of feeling. If you want to become a noble person, should know these 7 points on feeling. ① To know how many feeling are there? (Other khandhas are also have to know with these 7 points.) ② To know the cause of feeling. ③ To know the cessation of feeling.
④To know the practice leading to the cessation of feeling.
⑤To know the gratification (assāda) on feeling when it arises.
⑥To know the danger (ādinava) of feeling
⑦To know the escape (nisarana) from feeling
You have to know these things before.
① To know 6 kinds of feeling (Feelings arise from the 6 sense -doors. Here Sayadaw mentioned 13 types of feeling which are arising from the 6 sense -doors according to his teaching on the contemplation of feeling).
② All these feelings arise from contact (phassa). Phassa paccaya vedana- contact conditions feeling.
③ With the cessation of contact and feeling also ceases. Because it caused by contact
④ Practice with the 5 path factors. The yogi has to know the arising and passing away. Knowing is maggaṅga (path factors). This is knowing the cessation of feeling. If all feelings come to the cessation & what’ll leave behind? This is the cessation of dukkha sacca. Have to practice up to this point.
⑤ if you don’t practice in this way, because of feeling and gratification arises (assāda). Taking them with pleasure arises. For e.g., it’s pleasant to see it. With pleasure arises and following behind are craving, clinging and action. I am worrying about craving arising and telling you practice for the cessation.
Is it not sure, if pleasure arises and dukkha will follow? Taking no.④as a main point for practice. What I am teaching is also focus on no.④. (That is true. With research on Sayadaw’s talks and find out that mostly he concentrated on this point).
⑥ If pleasure arises and you’ll fall into the danger of dukkha. (ādīnava). And then tanhā, upādāna, kamma and jati will follow. If gratification arises (assāda) and these things will follow behind (i.e, craving, clinging, action and birth). So, it’s impossible not to contemplate (i.e., must have to do it).
⑦ If you want to know the escape from feeling, practice with no. ④. And then, it’ll become the 8 path factors (i.e., escape from feeling or dukkha). This dhamma was showing the process of the practice (by the Buddha). ④ First, contemplate with the 5 magganga. If you succeed and will fulfill the 8 path factors.
⑥ Feeling is under the fault of 3 characteristics, such as impermanence, suffering & not-self. Doing the contemplation is to understand the fault or danger. With the contemplation and knowing the 2 faults of the khandha.
First, with the contemplation and knowing the fault of khandha with the 3 characteristics. Second, without the contemplation and knowing that the khandha dukkha processes are following someone. We are always under the fault of 3 characteristics.
Can you destroy it? And if we know under the fault of 3 characteristics. and will escape from it. Do you still want it? If you don’t want and will not get it. Not getting it and become free. I’ll talk about another way of without the contemplation how dangers arise (the connection of D.A process).
I’ll talk only regard to seeing. The fish in the water dies on land. You may ask, the fish in the water should die in the water. It dies on land because of encountering danger. There are also men die in water. (fishermen). They die for feeling. If there are no feelings,
do they need to die? The fish in the water is seeing the bait with the hook. Just seeing is neither pleasant nor unpleasant-neutral feeling (upekkha vedana). After seeing and wanting to eat pleasant feeling arises (somanassa vedana or tanhā). And eats the bait and pierces its mouth with the hook. After it arrives on land and beaten by a stick and dies with painful feeling. (dukkha vedana).
Neutral feeling is the showman. Pleasant feeling is the gulper or swallower. And painful feeling is the killer. These are showing the danger of feeling. Which type of feeling is your friend? All 3 feelings are the messengers of death. They all are enemies. We can’t overcome these 3 feelings and always living with death.
Therefore you can’t leave feelings on it own. (Sayadaw continued to explain about feeling connects with the 5 other sense-doors in the daily life). These 3 feelings exist in your khandha and will kill you together. You are also living with these 3 feelings.
Therefore the Buddha said; vedana māro-feeling is the murderer, or killer. The messenger of death have to be contemplated in this way. Without them and only free from death. Therefore, have to contemplate until it extincts. If not, they’ll kill you. They are the most fearful things.
We are living together with the messenger of death. Don’t want to contemplate feeling & prefer them is still wanting to die. By hearing about heaven is good and prefer heaven. We are taking the Brahma world also in the same way. Wherever you’ll be and will kill by them.
Tonight I am talking about feeling very clear. Whatever life you are praying and asking for feeling, it is the same as may I meet the murderers. May I live with them together. Without knowing them and it happens in foolish ways. Therefore there are only murderers in the 31 realms of existence.
You have to practice to escape from feeling. Seeing impermanent of feeling; and them its disenchantment and not wanting it. Then you’ll not get the aggregate of feeling. Not getting it and free from death. And then you are separating from the murderers.
Today talk is emphasizing on practice. And also it includes sense of urgency (saṁvega). You are out of your mind, if you make friends with the 3 murderers. If you can contemplate to see impermanent, disenchantment and not wanting it and the 8 factors will complete. With the khandha disappears and no khandha for dying anymore. No khandha for dying is Nibbāna.
25th December 1960
I’ll teach you the contemplation of feeling. If you want to become a noble person, should know these 7 points on feeling. ① To know how many feeling are there? (Other khandhas are also have to know with these 7 points.) ② To know the cause of feeling. ③ To know the cessation of feeling.
④To know the practice leading to the cessation of feeling.
⑤To know the gratification (assāda) on feeling when it arises.
⑥To know the danger (ādinava) of feeling
⑦To know the escape (nisarana) from feeling
You have to know these things before.
① To know 6 kinds of feeling (Feelings arise from the 6 sense -doors. Here Sayadaw mentioned 13 types of feeling which are arising from the 6 sense -doors according to his teaching on the contemplation of feeling).
② All these feelings arise from contact (phassa). Phassa paccaya vedana- contact conditions feeling.
③ With the cessation of contact and feeling also ceases. Because it caused by contact
④ Practice with the 5 path factors. The yogi has to know the arising and passing away. Knowing is maggaṅga (path factors). This is knowing the cessation of feeling. If all feelings come to the cessation & what’ll leave behind? This is the cessation of dukkha sacca. Have to practice up to this point.
⑤ if you don’t practice in this way, because of feeling and gratification arises (assāda). Taking them with pleasure arises. For e.g., it’s pleasant to see it. With pleasure arises and following behind are craving, clinging and action. I am worrying about craving arising and telling you practice for the cessation.
Is it not sure, if pleasure arises and dukkha will follow? Taking no.④as a main point for practice. What I am teaching is also focus on no.④. (That is true. With research on Sayadaw’s talks and find out that mostly he concentrated on this point).
⑥ If pleasure arises and you’ll fall into the danger of dukkha. (ādīnava). And then tanhā, upādāna, kamma and jati will follow. If gratification arises (assāda) and these things will follow behind (i.e, craving, clinging, action and birth). So, it’s impossible not to contemplate (i.e., must have to do it).
⑦ If you want to know the escape from feeling, practice with no. ④. And then, it’ll become the 8 path factors (i.e., escape from feeling or dukkha). This dhamma was showing the process of the practice (by the Buddha). ④ First, contemplate with the 5 magganga. If you succeed and will fulfill the 8 path factors.
⑥ Feeling is under the fault of 3 characteristics, such as impermanence, suffering & not-self. Doing the contemplation is to understand the fault or danger. With the contemplation and knowing the 2 faults of the khandha.
First, with the contemplation and knowing the fault of khandha with the 3 characteristics. Second, without the contemplation and knowing that the khandha dukkha processes are following someone. We are always under the fault of 3 characteristics.
Can you destroy it? And if we know under the fault of 3 characteristics. and will escape from it. Do you still want it? If you don’t want and will not get it. Not getting it and become free. I’ll talk about another way of without the contemplation how dangers arise (the connection of D.A process).
I’ll talk only regard to seeing. The fish in the water dies on land. You may ask, the fish in the water should die in the water. It dies on land because of encountering danger. There are also men die in water. (fishermen). They die for feeling. If there are no feelings,
do they need to die? The fish in the water is seeing the bait with the hook. Just seeing is neither pleasant nor unpleasant-neutral feeling (upekkha vedana). After seeing and wanting to eat pleasant feeling arises (somanassa vedana or tanhā). And eats the bait and pierces its mouth with the hook. After it arrives on land and beaten by a stick and dies with painful feeling. (dukkha vedana).
Neutral feeling is the showman. Pleasant feeling is the gulper or swallower. And painful feeling is the killer. These are showing the danger of feeling. Which type of feeling is your friend? All 3 feelings are the messengers of death. They all are enemies. We can’t overcome these 3 feelings and always living with death.
Therefore you can’t leave feelings on it own. (Sayadaw continued to explain about feeling connects with the 5 other sense-doors in the daily life). These 3 feelings exist in your khandha and will kill you together. You are also living with these 3 feelings.
Therefore the Buddha said; vedana māro-feeling is the murderer, or killer. The messenger of death have to be contemplated in this way. Without them and only free from death. Therefore, have to contemplate until it extincts. If not, they’ll kill you. They are the most fearful things.
We are living together with the messenger of death. Don’t want to contemplate feeling & prefer them is still wanting to die. By hearing about heaven is good and prefer heaven. We are taking the Brahma world also in the same way. Wherever you’ll be and will kill by them.
Tonight I am talking about feeling very clear. Whatever life you are praying and asking for feeling, it is the same as may I meet the murderers. May I live with them together. Without knowing them and it happens in foolish ways. Therefore there are only murderers in the 31 realms of existence.
You have to practice to escape from feeling. Seeing impermanent of feeling; and them its disenchantment and not wanting it. Then you’ll not get the aggregate of feeling. Not getting it and free from death. And then you are separating from the murderers.
Today talk is emphasizing on practice. And also it includes sense of urgency (saṁvega). You are out of your mind, if you make friends with the 3 murderers. If you can contemplate to see impermanent, disenchantment and not wanting it and the 8 factors will complete. With the khandha disappears and no khandha for dying anymore. No khandha for dying is Nibbāna.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 10-5
[05] The Four Noble Truths
6th to 25th December 1957
(Sayadaw gave the extensive talks on the 4 Noble Truths with their 16 meaning. Each truth has 4 meanings. These were delivered in Mandalay City. Some disciples transcribed into books and had 2 volumes. I had made these notes from the tapes directly. It was not complete translation and just for personal use.
Every Buddhist should know the 4 Noble Truths to become a true Buddhist, especially on the meanings of dukkha sacca. Because in some suttas the Buddha himself mentioned that all Buddhas had arisen in the world (also for the future Buddhas) to teach dukkha and the ending of dukkha.
Understanding of dukkha intellectually is also very important. We have to use it in everyday life for contemplation. For the development of love & compassion for oneself & others. To have sense of urgency (saṁvega) for transcending dukkha.
Another important point I want to clear about is Sayadaw’s teaching on wrong views. Actually, every true Buddhist teaching was the Buddha’s teaching not our own. In one of his talks even Sayadaw emphasized it. He said his teachings were not his views & ideas. If they were then became adamma, which meant not the teachings of the Buddha. It misrepresented the Buddha that the results of them were not good.
All wrong views come out form the identity view-sakkāya ditthi. Some are serious ones and some not. For example, the fixed wrong views (niyata miccha-ditthi). (Here fixed means the results of these wrong views are rebirths in hells.). These are; akiriya ditthi-non-action, ahetuka ditthi-non-cause & natthika ditthi-non-causes & non-effects.
People believe in the law of kamma have the basic right view. But they also have identity view. It’s a type of wrong view hinder wisdom development. People have identity view can commit the 5 heavy kammas which leading to hells. Have identity view but also believe in kamma & doing wholesome kamma can take rebirths in the planes of bliss (sugati).
So people have identity view and believe in law of kamma can create wholesome and unwholesome kammas which can lead beings to the rebirths in bliss and misery. Here Sayadaw emphasized to destroy sakkāya ditthi which is the seed of rebirths, both bliss and misery. It depends on what kinds of kamma we create. At least become a Buddhist should has basic right view-believe in the law of kamma.)
1. Dukkha Sacca- The Noble Truth of Dukkha.
(a) Pilanatha- Oppressive
[Torture & torment the owner, who attaches to them, i.e, mind & body. The Buddha gave an analogy of a mother gave birth to a twin, represented mind & body. The mind baby without hands & legs, a lunatic.
The body baby with blind eyes & has stomach problem. For a mother has a lot of difficulties & sufferings to look after these 2 children. Sayadaw mentioned about them with humor. So here nāma & rūpa torment someone attaching to them.]
There are 2 knowledges; anubodha nyan & pativeda nyan. By listening dhamma talks & study books-the suttas, and practice in accordance with the knowledge from the study & seeing impermanence. This is anubodha nyan. Pativeda is penetrating the truth of dukkha. (Sayadaw talked about the analogy of the twin babies to elaborate the meaning of pilanatha.)
(b) Saṅkhatatha- Conditions by Craving- Tanhā
Mind & body are conditioning by tanhā. Both of them are oppressed by tanhā, the carpenter. In the beginning Sayadaw mentioned 2 qualities for enlightenment. These are listening to the sacca dhamma & wise attention (yoniso).
By listening sacca dhamma & kilesas become dry out. It’s like after drying out a wet log in the sun & burning it. After listening dhamma talk & practicing with right attention & kilesas brunt up. At the time of seeing impermanence is with the 5 factors of contemplative knowledge. At the time of seeing the ending of dukkha is with the 8 path factors.
This is seeing Nibbāna. (Sayadaw referred these points to Patthāna Pali). Saṅkhāre vipassanti & Nibbānaṁ maggassa phalassa seeing the formation with insight and seeing Nibbāna with the Path & Fruition Knowledges. Pilanatha is mind & body oppress the owner (The active part).
Saṅkhatatha is mind & body are oppressed by tanhā (The passive part). Beings get the khandhas are conditioned & controlled by tanhā. (Sayadaw gave a very good example of the ball player & the ball. Tanhā is like the ball player & the ball is the khandha).
© Santapatha- Burning with Tanhā Fire
(Khandhas are always burning with the fire of tanhā. This was a very uplifting talk. Sayadaw emphasized that enlightenment was not difficult. Only need to listen sacca dhamma, wise attention (yoniso) & behavetabba-observe anicca continuously.
He already sent disciples on the half-way. The other half was the duties of the disciples. Now was the opportunity for enlightenment. Therefore, don’t waste the chances. If you miss it and will never come back again.)
Bhavetabba- Developing means, for e.g., of the 4 satipatthāna you can contemplate any one of them. Only seeing the kaya-body, vedana-feeling, etc. is not developing yet. Seeing their both arising & passing away is called bhavetabba. If only seeing kaya, vedana, etc. are not tirana pariññā, only ñāta pariññā yet. With contemplation and only seeing that much is not yet.
You have to discern impermanence. The real existence is only impermanence. (Here Sayadaw mentioned how to listen Dhamma. In the time of the Buddha, people got enlightenments by listening to the talks & at the same time observing the khandhas. And at the end of the talks & realized Nibbāna) You shouldn’t underestimate yourselves. Because Buddhas had arisen in the world in the past.
Now you are born as human beings in a Buddhist country, & also have the chances to listen sacca dhamma. You only need the development by contemplation. Now is the best chance for ending dukkha. If you miss this chance will like a pebble has been fallen into the water & never comes out again. Also it’s like food come near to one’s mouth & suddenly falls to the ground.
The nature of the khandha is to torture & for torture (active & passive). For these purposes we all have it. The khandha is always burning with fire (santapatha). It’s the fuel & 1500 kilesas are fire. Eradicate kilesa is like extinguishing the fire of kilesa.
Extinguished kilesa is Sa-upādisesa nibbānadhātu-Nibbāna element with residue or kilesa parinibbāna-the quenching of defilement. The arahant after dies is like the fuel become finished. After consuming of the fuel (both fire & fuel) is anupādisesa-nibbānadhātu-khandha parinibbāna- the quenching of the continuance of a ggregates.
(Sayadaw gave the example of mind/body process were like fire & fuel, burning & substituting again & again never end)
It’s more evident in hell beings. They are suffering by burning & disappearing, reappearing & burning again & again until their unwholesome kammas are finished. (Sayadaw in one of his talks mentioned some petas (hungry ghosts) had a very tiny hole of mouth & always in thirst. But they never die until their kammas were finished. They were alive with kammahara-foods of kamma.
So, kamma is one of the accinteyya dhamma-inconceivable. Four inconceivable dhammas were mentioned by the Buddha.
1. The Buddha range of the Buddhas
2. The jhana range a person in jhana
3. The mechanism & precise working results of kamma.
4. Conjecture about the origin, etc. of the world.
Later some Buddhists (may be philosophers & scholars) were thinking about the origin of the world. Instead of practicing for the transcending of dukkha. And became philosophers. They mixed the Buddha Dhamma with worldly matters)
(d) Viparinamatha- Changing Dukkha
Torture by changing from ageing, sickness & death. The 5 khandhas have the nature of change. Starting from the beginning of getting the khandha & ageing & death come with it. It always has these 2 nooses of ropes to hang us.
Whatever khandha you get has these 2 nooses. Another example is in the timber factory. The ageing of the iron chain (jara) pulling the timber trunk (khandha) on the death of saw machine (marana) & cutting it into pieces.
(Sayadaw continued to talk about the process of the practice with sacca nyan, kicca nyan & kata nyan). Arriving at kata nyan & dukkha. is ended, & no khandha is leaving behind. It’s not nothingness. No dukkha left but dukkha exists.
The Buddha in the Udana Pali said that Nibbāna was atthi-presence or really existed. (Sayadaw gave the example of an ulcer. With treatment & it’s cured. First with the ulcer is painful/dukkha and after without it is happiness/sukha. So it’s not nothingness but has sukha.). Another example is fire & heat. Fire is like kilesa & heat is dukkha without fire & heat is not nothingness. It becomes cool & peaceful.
2. Samudaya Sacca- The Noble Truth of the Cause of Dukkha.
(a) Ayuhanatha-Creating or Generating Dukkha.
(This is a penetrative talk on tanhā (samudaya). It gives someone fearful & disenchantment on tanhā. Tanhā is the culprit keeping all the results of kamma in saṁsāra to give vipakavattas (resultant round of existence). In the Sutta Nipāta the Buddha said, by not understanding on tanhā & beings were roaming in the round of rebirths. If penetrate tanhā will realize Nibbāna.)
( Sayadaw said, for someone the Buddha had arisen or not have to know in the following way). According to the D.A process, vedana paccaya tanhā feeling conditions craving. This is someone not in practice. so the Buddha had not arisen for him. Vedana nirodha tanhā nirodho – with the cessation of feeling & craving ceases. This is someone with the practice.
So the Buddha had arisen for him & craving ceases. This is someone with the practice. So the Buddha had arisen for him. The differences between faith (saddhā) & wisdom (paññā) are here. The Buddha said, in all of the dhamma wisdom was the best. Because it could penetrate everything.
I have to talk about the evil things of tanhā. With this & not wanting it will arise. We are educating for tanhā to arise in worldly matters. From parents to children are in this way.
( Sayadaw called human beings as the species pushing down someone over the cliff. If we observe the world today the power of tanhā is stronger than ever. Always talking about money & sensual pleasures in all medias. And never about moral issues which make human really a human).
Human begins are always making companion with tanhā. Sometimes with greed ( lobha), sometimes with hatred (dosa) & sometimes with delusion (moha). Someone not practices always taking tanhā as companion.
Ayuhanatha means tanhā always making arrangements for living beings not to separate forever from dukkha objects & matters. If you don’t know about tanhā & will wander in saṁsāra. If you know it & will realize Nibbāna. Even spreading loving kindness (metta bhavana) & tanhā can come in for making trouble.
(b) Nidanatha- tanhā is the Cause of Dukkha.
It’ll give every kind of dukkha to living beings who accept tanhā. Vedana nirodha tanhā nirodho – with the cessation of feeling & craving also ceases. Seeing feeling not exists & craving not arises. This is the arising of the 5 path factors.
Because of magganga arise & tanhā not arises. Vipassanā is the cessation of tanhā by not arising. The 5 path factors is called the forerunner of knowledge (pubbabhaga magga). Completed with 8 factors is called the last knowledge.
(c)Samyogatha-Fetters or Yokes
Tanhā (samudaya) is entering a person to fetter or yoke him with dukkha like an ox. Taking anyone of the khandhas with clinging as I, I am & mine & become identity view-sakkāya ditthi. [Sayadaw talked about the vipassanā processes & vipassanā nyan (seeing anicca) effect on kilesas.]
Vipassanā nyan only suppress the coarse & mild defilements like the jhana samādhi. Only the Path Knowledge. eradicates the latent defilments-anusaya. Tanhā yokes the person with heavy loads like an ox. (Sayadaw talked about how tanhā effects human begins in society with humour.)
(d)Palibodhatha-Hinder or Disturb
Tanhā samudaya hinders or disturbs a person to free from dukkha. In the beginning Sayadaw talked to people not to cling to the 5 khandhas as this is me, this I am & this is mine. Mind/body are arising by conditions & causes. Contemplated oneself & other things as suññāta (emptiness) and to get the suññāta nyan. He based on the sutta from Sutta Nipāta, Mogharāja’s Question to Buddha, which was about suññāta. Palibodha means hinder the path to Nibbāna.
Tanhā prefers the birth, ageing & death of saṁsāra. And it hinders path & fruit. In the Dhammapada, the Buddha compared tanhā to a mother & avijjā to a father.
3.Nirodha Sacca- The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Dukkha.
(a) Nisaranatha- Escaping from Dukkha.
Escape from the 3 rounds of existence – vattas. These are; kilesa, kamma and vipaka vattas. Sayadaw gave a very strong saṁvega talk, & sometimes it was humorous. A place free from the 3 rounds of existence.
Only we understand beings are revolving around the 3 vattas & wanting to escape from them. Therefore first, I’ll show how beings are in the endless cycle around the 3 vatta. Vatta-means a circle, revolving like a ball is called vatta.
(Sayadaw in a talk gave a simile of a ball player & a ball represented tanhā and khandha. He explained the 3 vattas by using D.A process. His demonstration of a being tortured & oppressed by 3 vatts were quite interesting).
Beings have to suffer until their kileasa & kammas vattas are finished. I’ll talk the benefits of escaping from vattas. Living beings are running around in circle, becoming nausea & dizziness. But they are not tired & happy about with it.
After beings are dying & dying & changing heads to heads (He gave some stories of changing heads. Some people only know about the evolution but not the de-evolution. They taught us that men developed from monkeys. But they don’t know men also can be in de-evolution or degenerate into monkeys. Both are including in the law of kamma.
Now human beings are at the point of de-evolution stage). People don’t want to be freed from dukkha. The 3 vattas are including in the 3 crazy types; rāgaumattaka-lunatics of lust, dosaunmattaka- lunatics of ager & mohaumattaka – lunatics of delusion.
(b) Vivekatha – Seclusion
It has the secluded nature. If you looking at mind & body with nyan eyes and they are in disturbances with the impermanence. If will be very clear about them with the practice (i.e sankhata & asankhatā or mind/body & Nibbāna).
If you practice with the contemplation of feeling and it includes cittanupassanā & dhammanupassanā. The life span of a feeling is only ① & ②. At ① is arising & at ② is vanishing. It’s during the one mind moment.
Contemplation of feeling arises in the body & the contemplative mind (nyan) arises at mano (mind base). At the time of contemplation will see its non-existence. Vipassanā has to be made effort. You have to think and to be mindful. It needs a lot of effort in the practice to see impermanence.
Therefore in the matter of seeing Nibbāna have to be worked hard & persevered. When in Nibbāna it’s not tired. At the time of seeing anicca is seeing disturbances. Free from disturbances is Nibbāna. If vipassana nyan becomes more mature & seeing impermanence in more detailed with more disturbances.
Don’t say about seeing & knowing Nibbāna. If you don’t see the disturbances of impermanence even can’t speculate about it (i.e nibbān). It’s better to see a lot of impermanence & have strong disenchantment with it. With these and rise up to the knowledge of not wanting it. At the time if you can make the decision- as it’s real dukkha. and all the impermanences come to an end with a blip!
Because of the disappearance of defilements & impermanences also disappear. The Path Knowledge is seeing the no disturbances. It is not the mind cutting off kileasa. It’s the 8 Path Factors doing the job. The mind is including as conascence conditions-sahajātapaccayo.
Don’t take Nibbāna as seeing the nothingness. The death of kilesa Nibbāna has the nature of good looking at it. Will find the nature of good staying with the passing away of the arahant – (parinibbāna). If you are looking at whichever place of the 31 realms of existence & will only find disturbances with anicca.
These are the causes of defilements (kilesas). It’s free from the disturbances of kilesa that Nibbāna is clear away of all other things. In Nibbāna doesn’t has the mind & body as we have. If you ask; “It is the mind or the body?”
The answer is mind dhamma (nāma dhamma). It’s not the kind of nāma (mind) dhamma has the arising, presence & dissolution (uppāda, thiti & bhanga).
It’s the place where the enlightened yogis are frequently taking enjoyment in it. This is the place where the dhamma of Nibbāna is leading there. These dhammas have to incline towards it. Our mind (nāma) has to incline towards the objects (i.e. the worldly mind). The other minds (i.e. supramundane mind or fruitions) have to incline towards Nibbānic mind (nāma).
Someone enters into the attainment of cessation-nirodha samāpatti or cessation of perception & feeling- saññāvedayitanirodha can incline his/her mind to Nibbāna for 7 days. The nāma dhamma of Nibbāna & the fruition knowledge are arising together without separation. (Sayadaw gave the following example).
In the center of Mandalay Zay-cho Bazzar there is a big clock tower. All the cars come from whichever directions have to look at the clock there. it’s like this clock. In the same way yogis experienced Nibbāna & it was impossible for them not to see it again. It’s the best of the best. All ariyas if they have free of time and always inclining towards it.
Why is that? Because it gives you comfort. Therefore you can call it happiness-sukha (The Buddha defined it as the Supreme Happiness. Transcend all worldly happiness including jhana). All worldly matters give you dukkha but Nibbāna has the characteristic of happiness, peace & joy.
Is Nibbāna has the body or not? If, it has the body must has to be changed & perished. If without the body and how can it stays put? It has no body, no form, no shape & no image. By looking at it is happy & peaceful. This is someone still has the body (still alive with the body).
It is a very special place. Nibbāna is the noblest thing. If no dukkha that the worldings also have to like it. It’s the best thing for the Buddha. Therefore there are no other things better than that.
(c) Asaṅkhatatha-Unconditioned
(Sayadaw explained saṅkhata dukkha & asaṅkhata Nibbāna in a very skillful way. He could talk about conditioned dhamma in worldly life with penetration. So, we can see the foolishness & stupidity of human beings. Conditioned phenomena are really dukkha. but all living beings are like a blind elephant pushing blindly through the very thick & dangerous forest. It’s quite a tragedy.)
It’s free from continuous conditioning, & originally stable nature. Everything under the conditioning end up with dissolution. Only you understand the conditioned nature & prefer the unconditioned. The 5 khandhas survive & arise with the conditions of kamma, citta, utu & ahara (action, mind, temperature & food).
Therefore the conditions are masters & the 5 khandhas are slaves. Someone can clear away saṅkhata dhamma will see asaṅkhata. This is looking at its nature. Nibbāna has the nature of peacefulness. The Path factors looking at it also peaceful, because it have no kilesas. This is arriving at Nibbāna with inclining. The real arriving is only becoming an arahant & passing away.
At once time the Buddha with a monk ascended on a mountain & both of them were looking down to the very deep cliff. The monk exclaimed as it was very terrifying. But the Buddha responded to him as not knowing the truth was more terrifying than that. This only died once but if you didn’t know the truth would die again & again.
(And then Sayadaw explained about many different types of khandha dukkha came from the conditioning. Every Buddhist should understand about dukkha intellectually & reflect on it very often. If not our knowledge on dukkha is still on the animal level.
Understand rightly on dukkha develop love, compassion & wisdom. In the commentary mentioned 3 kinds of dukkha. There only took saṅkhāra dukkha as paramattha dukkha. Except dukkha-dukkhata, the other two saṅkhāra & viparinama dukkhas are can be used as conventional & ultimate dukkhas.
Here Sayadaw was using the saṅkhāra dukkha as the conventional dukkha to explain many things in life. It gives the sense of strong saṁvega.)
This body is not good, so we have to make correction of it. Everyday we have to condition it in many different ways. Even we take these things as a pleasure (the power of ignorance). Today I’ll talk about the quenching- nibbhuta nature of Nirodha Sacca. (He gave the example from the Aggivaccha Sutta)
Nibbāna dhamma is like the fuels finished & the fire extinguished. No khandhas left behind (both mind & body). It’s only staying with quenching. The cycle of saṁsāra is with fuels & fire going together. Therefore the nature of Nibbāna is quenching & clear (Because of no aggregates). Jhanas are peaceful but has body, so not clear away with things.
(d) Amatatha-Deathless
With the khandhas every living being brings with them ageing, sickness & death. They are like torturers & the khandhas are sufferers. Beings are always burning with 11 kinds of fire; lobha, dosa, moha, ageing, sickness, death, soka, parideva, dukkha., domanassa & upayasa. Nibbāna has no ageing & death, and always exists.
Khandhas are like a poisonous tree. The nature of ageing & death poisons are existing together with the khandhas. The oppressed khandhas and the oppressive dhammas are going together. (Here Sayadaw talked about feelings in an extensive way).
Living beings are sinking in the pleasant feelings (Like the ants are sinking & sticking in honey). Everyday beings are doing things for enjoying in pleasant feelings. Feeling is like the poison and a murderer. If you looking at the D.A process & will find that because of feeling & tanhā, upādāna & kamma come to be.
(Sayadaw ending his talk with the contemplation of feeling). Seeing impermanence of feeling is seeing your own death. After comes disenchantment, its ending & escape from death. It’s the deathl`ess of Nibbāna-Amatatha.
4. Magga Sacca- The Truth of the Path
(a) Niyanatha- Escape from the 3 Vattas, & leading to Nibbāna.
Dhamma carries someone from the 3 vattas towards Nibbāna. For this purpose Sayadaw was using Vedananupassanā in practice.
Every time feeling arises contemplate to see impermanence. Every time seeing impermanence free from the 3 vattas. The contemplative mind (magganga) arise at the mind base (mano). Tanhā (craving) is a mental factor (cetasika). Also it arises at the mind base. Every time nyan comes in & tanhā can’t arise & free from the vattas.
First, seeing impermanence is a cula-sotāpanna & will safe from one life to the planes of misery. But at near death still āsanna kamma (death proximate kamma) can come in. So near death if you can contemplate impermanence is not a problem.
(So, near death still can maintain the power of anicca is not becoming a problem for dying. For the maintenance of anicca we need a regular practice. Therefore, Sayadaw encouraged disciples to practice until it’s safety, i.e becomes a sotāpanna.)
Must continue the contemplation to become disenchantment. If the knowledge of not wanting arises & defilements die away. With the cessation of feeling kilesa vitta disappears.
Sayadaw gave the example of cutting a tree. Yathabhūta Nyan cuts the tree at the top points, Nibbida Nyan near the base. And the Path Knowledge. is digging out the root.
(b)Hetuttha- Straight towards Nibbāna
Magga Sacca is the straight forwards dhamma & Samudaya Sacca (tanhā is the crooked dhamma. With the comparison of both will understand them. With the straight forwards dhamma & going straightly will arrive to the place. With the crooked dhamma can’t arrive there. By knowing the straight forwards one & can let go of the crooked one.
(Sayadaw using the monkey trap to express the cunning of tanhā). A monkey out of greed was taking the foods in a trap. It was set up by a hunter with pitch inside. Because of that the monkey’s 2 hands, 2 legs & the head were sticking with the pitch, inside the trap. In the same way the 5 khandhas are sticking with the pitch of tanhā.
(C)Dassanatha-Vision
The path leads to the vision of Nibbāna & penetrate the 4 Noble Truths. (Sayadaw using the Nacked Ascetic Kassapa Sutta to dispel wrong view & the vision of Nibbāna). I’ll explain the vision of Nibbāna. If become knowledge-vijjā, it is not only seeing Nibbāna, but also the 4 Noble Truth at the same time. Sammāditthi- The eyes of knowledge is better than the eyes of the Brahma gods.
For seeing the 4 Noble Truths is very difficult. Brahma gods can see things clearly with their divine eyes although they can’t penetrate it. If the practice not becomes the vision of Nibbāna (dassanatha) & it can still fall into the dangers of misery. (Sayadaw gave some examples of this dangers & urged his disciples to practice hard).
After it becomes vision – dassanatha & will has stability without changes.
You are only going upwardly without falling down again.
(d) Adhipadeyatha-Predominance, Governing
Unshakable- after enlightenments; sīla, samādhi & paññā become adhisīla, adhisamādhi & adhipaññā (higher virtuous behavior, higher concentration & wisdom). Nobody can comes & destroy it. There were many stories in the time of the Buddha,
Mara-the evil one had tested his disciples & never succeeded. Only by seeing Nibbāna which is the ending of dukkha will become adipadeyatha. With ordinary sila, samādhi & paññā when encounter with the coarse objects still can be fallen apart.
(For the adhisamādhi Sayadaw gave the example with Devadatta)
He had jhana samādhi & psychic power but not sammā samādhi (adhisamādhi) or paññā samādhi. So he ended up in ruin. (Sayadaw continued to talk about the influence of tanhā by using the Nadi Sutta).
Living beings with tanhā & clinging to things which are unstable & unreliable. Devedatta was a good example. Even jhana & abhinñā are unreliable & no need to talk about the worldly pleasures. (Sayadaw continued to talk on cittānupassanā).
Whatever mind arises contemplate impermanence. After that continue to contemplate its disenchantment (Nibbidā Nyan) to arise. From the knowledge of impermanence to the knowledge of disenchantment is not easy. It takes a very long time to develop. But someone mature in paramita it doesn’t take very long.
6th to 25th December 1957
(Sayadaw gave the extensive talks on the 4 Noble Truths with their 16 meaning. Each truth has 4 meanings. These were delivered in Mandalay City. Some disciples transcribed into books and had 2 volumes. I had made these notes from the tapes directly. It was not complete translation and just for personal use.
Every Buddhist should know the 4 Noble Truths to become a true Buddhist, especially on the meanings of dukkha sacca. Because in some suttas the Buddha himself mentioned that all Buddhas had arisen in the world (also for the future Buddhas) to teach dukkha and the ending of dukkha.
Understanding of dukkha intellectually is also very important. We have to use it in everyday life for contemplation. For the development of love & compassion for oneself & others. To have sense of urgency (saṁvega) for transcending dukkha.
Another important point I want to clear about is Sayadaw’s teaching on wrong views. Actually, every true Buddhist teaching was the Buddha’s teaching not our own. In one of his talks even Sayadaw emphasized it. He said his teachings were not his views & ideas. If they were then became adamma, which meant not the teachings of the Buddha. It misrepresented the Buddha that the results of them were not good.
All wrong views come out form the identity view-sakkāya ditthi. Some are serious ones and some not. For example, the fixed wrong views (niyata miccha-ditthi). (Here fixed means the results of these wrong views are rebirths in hells.). These are; akiriya ditthi-non-action, ahetuka ditthi-non-cause & natthika ditthi-non-causes & non-effects.
People believe in the law of kamma have the basic right view. But they also have identity view. It’s a type of wrong view hinder wisdom development. People have identity view can commit the 5 heavy kammas which leading to hells. Have identity view but also believe in kamma & doing wholesome kamma can take rebirths in the planes of bliss (sugati).
So people have identity view and believe in law of kamma can create wholesome and unwholesome kammas which can lead beings to the rebirths in bliss and misery. Here Sayadaw emphasized to destroy sakkāya ditthi which is the seed of rebirths, both bliss and misery. It depends on what kinds of kamma we create. At least become a Buddhist should has basic right view-believe in the law of kamma.)
1. Dukkha Sacca- The Noble Truth of Dukkha.
(a) Pilanatha- Oppressive
[Torture & torment the owner, who attaches to them, i.e, mind & body. The Buddha gave an analogy of a mother gave birth to a twin, represented mind & body. The mind baby without hands & legs, a lunatic.
The body baby with blind eyes & has stomach problem. For a mother has a lot of difficulties & sufferings to look after these 2 children. Sayadaw mentioned about them with humor. So here nāma & rūpa torment someone attaching to them.]
There are 2 knowledges; anubodha nyan & pativeda nyan. By listening dhamma talks & study books-the suttas, and practice in accordance with the knowledge from the study & seeing impermanence. This is anubodha nyan. Pativeda is penetrating the truth of dukkha. (Sayadaw talked about the analogy of the twin babies to elaborate the meaning of pilanatha.)
(b) Saṅkhatatha- Conditions by Craving- Tanhā
Mind & body are conditioning by tanhā. Both of them are oppressed by tanhā, the carpenter. In the beginning Sayadaw mentioned 2 qualities for enlightenment. These are listening to the sacca dhamma & wise attention (yoniso).
By listening sacca dhamma & kilesas become dry out. It’s like after drying out a wet log in the sun & burning it. After listening dhamma talk & practicing with right attention & kilesas brunt up. At the time of seeing impermanence is with the 5 factors of contemplative knowledge. At the time of seeing the ending of dukkha is with the 8 path factors.
This is seeing Nibbāna. (Sayadaw referred these points to Patthāna Pali). Saṅkhāre vipassanti & Nibbānaṁ maggassa phalassa seeing the formation with insight and seeing Nibbāna with the Path & Fruition Knowledges. Pilanatha is mind & body oppress the owner (The active part).
Saṅkhatatha is mind & body are oppressed by tanhā (The passive part). Beings get the khandhas are conditioned & controlled by tanhā. (Sayadaw gave a very good example of the ball player & the ball. Tanhā is like the ball player & the ball is the khandha).
© Santapatha- Burning with Tanhā Fire
(Khandhas are always burning with the fire of tanhā. This was a very uplifting talk. Sayadaw emphasized that enlightenment was not difficult. Only need to listen sacca dhamma, wise attention (yoniso) & behavetabba-observe anicca continuously.
He already sent disciples on the half-way. The other half was the duties of the disciples. Now was the opportunity for enlightenment. Therefore, don’t waste the chances. If you miss it and will never come back again.)
Bhavetabba- Developing means, for e.g., of the 4 satipatthāna you can contemplate any one of them. Only seeing the kaya-body, vedana-feeling, etc. is not developing yet. Seeing their both arising & passing away is called bhavetabba. If only seeing kaya, vedana, etc. are not tirana pariññā, only ñāta pariññā yet. With contemplation and only seeing that much is not yet.
You have to discern impermanence. The real existence is only impermanence. (Here Sayadaw mentioned how to listen Dhamma. In the time of the Buddha, people got enlightenments by listening to the talks & at the same time observing the khandhas. And at the end of the talks & realized Nibbāna) You shouldn’t underestimate yourselves. Because Buddhas had arisen in the world in the past.
Now you are born as human beings in a Buddhist country, & also have the chances to listen sacca dhamma. You only need the development by contemplation. Now is the best chance for ending dukkha. If you miss this chance will like a pebble has been fallen into the water & never comes out again. Also it’s like food come near to one’s mouth & suddenly falls to the ground.
The nature of the khandha is to torture & for torture (active & passive). For these purposes we all have it. The khandha is always burning with fire (santapatha). It’s the fuel & 1500 kilesas are fire. Eradicate kilesa is like extinguishing the fire of kilesa.
Extinguished kilesa is Sa-upādisesa nibbānadhātu-Nibbāna element with residue or kilesa parinibbāna-the quenching of defilement. The arahant after dies is like the fuel become finished. After consuming of the fuel (both fire & fuel) is anupādisesa-nibbānadhātu-khandha parinibbāna- the quenching of the continuance of a ggregates.
(Sayadaw gave the example of mind/body process were like fire & fuel, burning & substituting again & again never end)
It’s more evident in hell beings. They are suffering by burning & disappearing, reappearing & burning again & again until their unwholesome kammas are finished. (Sayadaw in one of his talks mentioned some petas (hungry ghosts) had a very tiny hole of mouth & always in thirst. But they never die until their kammas were finished. They were alive with kammahara-foods of kamma.
So, kamma is one of the accinteyya dhamma-inconceivable. Four inconceivable dhammas were mentioned by the Buddha.
1. The Buddha range of the Buddhas
2. The jhana range a person in jhana
3. The mechanism & precise working results of kamma.
4. Conjecture about the origin, etc. of the world.
Later some Buddhists (may be philosophers & scholars) were thinking about the origin of the world. Instead of practicing for the transcending of dukkha. And became philosophers. They mixed the Buddha Dhamma with worldly matters)
(d) Viparinamatha- Changing Dukkha
Torture by changing from ageing, sickness & death. The 5 khandhas have the nature of change. Starting from the beginning of getting the khandha & ageing & death come with it. It always has these 2 nooses of ropes to hang us.
Whatever khandha you get has these 2 nooses. Another example is in the timber factory. The ageing of the iron chain (jara) pulling the timber trunk (khandha) on the death of saw machine (marana) & cutting it into pieces.
(Sayadaw continued to talk about the process of the practice with sacca nyan, kicca nyan & kata nyan). Arriving at kata nyan & dukkha. is ended, & no khandha is leaving behind. It’s not nothingness. No dukkha left but dukkha exists.
The Buddha in the Udana Pali said that Nibbāna was atthi-presence or really existed. (Sayadaw gave the example of an ulcer. With treatment & it’s cured. First with the ulcer is painful/dukkha and after without it is happiness/sukha. So it’s not nothingness but has sukha.). Another example is fire & heat. Fire is like kilesa & heat is dukkha without fire & heat is not nothingness. It becomes cool & peaceful.
2. Samudaya Sacca- The Noble Truth of the Cause of Dukkha.
(a) Ayuhanatha-Creating or Generating Dukkha.
(This is a penetrative talk on tanhā (samudaya). It gives someone fearful & disenchantment on tanhā. Tanhā is the culprit keeping all the results of kamma in saṁsāra to give vipakavattas (resultant round of existence). In the Sutta Nipāta the Buddha said, by not understanding on tanhā & beings were roaming in the round of rebirths. If penetrate tanhā will realize Nibbāna.)
( Sayadaw said, for someone the Buddha had arisen or not have to know in the following way). According to the D.A process, vedana paccaya tanhā feeling conditions craving. This is someone not in practice. so the Buddha had not arisen for him. Vedana nirodha tanhā nirodho – with the cessation of feeling & craving ceases. This is someone with the practice.
So the Buddha had arisen for him & craving ceases. This is someone with the practice. So the Buddha had arisen for him. The differences between faith (saddhā) & wisdom (paññā) are here. The Buddha said, in all of the dhamma wisdom was the best. Because it could penetrate everything.
I have to talk about the evil things of tanhā. With this & not wanting it will arise. We are educating for tanhā to arise in worldly matters. From parents to children are in this way.
( Sayadaw called human beings as the species pushing down someone over the cliff. If we observe the world today the power of tanhā is stronger than ever. Always talking about money & sensual pleasures in all medias. And never about moral issues which make human really a human).
Human begins are always making companion with tanhā. Sometimes with greed ( lobha), sometimes with hatred (dosa) & sometimes with delusion (moha). Someone not practices always taking tanhā as companion.
Ayuhanatha means tanhā always making arrangements for living beings not to separate forever from dukkha objects & matters. If you don’t know about tanhā & will wander in saṁsāra. If you know it & will realize Nibbāna. Even spreading loving kindness (metta bhavana) & tanhā can come in for making trouble.
(b) Nidanatha- tanhā is the Cause of Dukkha.
It’ll give every kind of dukkha to living beings who accept tanhā. Vedana nirodha tanhā nirodho – with the cessation of feeling & craving also ceases. Seeing feeling not exists & craving not arises. This is the arising of the 5 path factors.
Because of magganga arise & tanhā not arises. Vipassanā is the cessation of tanhā by not arising. The 5 path factors is called the forerunner of knowledge (pubbabhaga magga). Completed with 8 factors is called the last knowledge.
(c)Samyogatha-Fetters or Yokes
Tanhā (samudaya) is entering a person to fetter or yoke him with dukkha like an ox. Taking anyone of the khandhas with clinging as I, I am & mine & become identity view-sakkāya ditthi. [Sayadaw talked about the vipassanā processes & vipassanā nyan (seeing anicca) effect on kilesas.]
Vipassanā nyan only suppress the coarse & mild defilements like the jhana samādhi. Only the Path Knowledge. eradicates the latent defilments-anusaya. Tanhā yokes the person with heavy loads like an ox. (Sayadaw talked about how tanhā effects human begins in society with humour.)
(d)Palibodhatha-Hinder or Disturb
Tanhā samudaya hinders or disturbs a person to free from dukkha. In the beginning Sayadaw talked to people not to cling to the 5 khandhas as this is me, this I am & this is mine. Mind/body are arising by conditions & causes. Contemplated oneself & other things as suññāta (emptiness) and to get the suññāta nyan. He based on the sutta from Sutta Nipāta, Mogharāja’s Question to Buddha, which was about suññāta. Palibodha means hinder the path to Nibbāna.
Tanhā prefers the birth, ageing & death of saṁsāra. And it hinders path & fruit. In the Dhammapada, the Buddha compared tanhā to a mother & avijjā to a father.
3.Nirodha Sacca- The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Dukkha.
(a) Nisaranatha- Escaping from Dukkha.
Escape from the 3 rounds of existence – vattas. These are; kilesa, kamma and vipaka vattas. Sayadaw gave a very strong saṁvega talk, & sometimes it was humorous. A place free from the 3 rounds of existence.
Only we understand beings are revolving around the 3 vattas & wanting to escape from them. Therefore first, I’ll show how beings are in the endless cycle around the 3 vatta. Vatta-means a circle, revolving like a ball is called vatta.
(Sayadaw in a talk gave a simile of a ball player & a ball represented tanhā and khandha. He explained the 3 vattas by using D.A process. His demonstration of a being tortured & oppressed by 3 vatts were quite interesting).
Beings have to suffer until their kileasa & kammas vattas are finished. I’ll talk the benefits of escaping from vattas. Living beings are running around in circle, becoming nausea & dizziness. But they are not tired & happy about with it.
After beings are dying & dying & changing heads to heads (He gave some stories of changing heads. Some people only know about the evolution but not the de-evolution. They taught us that men developed from monkeys. But they don’t know men also can be in de-evolution or degenerate into monkeys. Both are including in the law of kamma.
Now human beings are at the point of de-evolution stage). People don’t want to be freed from dukkha. The 3 vattas are including in the 3 crazy types; rāgaumattaka-lunatics of lust, dosaunmattaka- lunatics of ager & mohaumattaka – lunatics of delusion.
(b) Vivekatha – Seclusion
It has the secluded nature. If you looking at mind & body with nyan eyes and they are in disturbances with the impermanence. If will be very clear about them with the practice (i.e sankhata & asankhatā or mind/body & Nibbāna).
If you practice with the contemplation of feeling and it includes cittanupassanā & dhammanupassanā. The life span of a feeling is only ① & ②. At ① is arising & at ② is vanishing. It’s during the one mind moment.
Contemplation of feeling arises in the body & the contemplative mind (nyan) arises at mano (mind base). At the time of contemplation will see its non-existence. Vipassanā has to be made effort. You have to think and to be mindful. It needs a lot of effort in the practice to see impermanence.
Therefore in the matter of seeing Nibbāna have to be worked hard & persevered. When in Nibbāna it’s not tired. At the time of seeing anicca is seeing disturbances. Free from disturbances is Nibbāna. If vipassana nyan becomes more mature & seeing impermanence in more detailed with more disturbances.
Don’t say about seeing & knowing Nibbāna. If you don’t see the disturbances of impermanence even can’t speculate about it (i.e nibbān). It’s better to see a lot of impermanence & have strong disenchantment with it. With these and rise up to the knowledge of not wanting it. At the time if you can make the decision- as it’s real dukkha. and all the impermanences come to an end with a blip!
Because of the disappearance of defilements & impermanences also disappear. The Path Knowledge is seeing the no disturbances. It is not the mind cutting off kileasa. It’s the 8 Path Factors doing the job. The mind is including as conascence conditions-sahajātapaccayo.
Don’t take Nibbāna as seeing the nothingness. The death of kilesa Nibbāna has the nature of good looking at it. Will find the nature of good staying with the passing away of the arahant – (parinibbāna). If you are looking at whichever place of the 31 realms of existence & will only find disturbances with anicca.
These are the causes of defilements (kilesas). It’s free from the disturbances of kilesa that Nibbāna is clear away of all other things. In Nibbāna doesn’t has the mind & body as we have. If you ask; “It is the mind or the body?”
The answer is mind dhamma (nāma dhamma). It’s not the kind of nāma (mind) dhamma has the arising, presence & dissolution (uppāda, thiti & bhanga).
It’s the place where the enlightened yogis are frequently taking enjoyment in it. This is the place where the dhamma of Nibbāna is leading there. These dhammas have to incline towards it. Our mind (nāma) has to incline towards the objects (i.e. the worldly mind). The other minds (i.e. supramundane mind or fruitions) have to incline towards Nibbānic mind (nāma).
Someone enters into the attainment of cessation-nirodha samāpatti or cessation of perception & feeling- saññāvedayitanirodha can incline his/her mind to Nibbāna for 7 days. The nāma dhamma of Nibbāna & the fruition knowledge are arising together without separation. (Sayadaw gave the following example).
In the center of Mandalay Zay-cho Bazzar there is a big clock tower. All the cars come from whichever directions have to look at the clock there. it’s like this clock. In the same way yogis experienced Nibbāna & it was impossible for them not to see it again. It’s the best of the best. All ariyas if they have free of time and always inclining towards it.
Why is that? Because it gives you comfort. Therefore you can call it happiness-sukha (The Buddha defined it as the Supreme Happiness. Transcend all worldly happiness including jhana). All worldly matters give you dukkha but Nibbāna has the characteristic of happiness, peace & joy.
Is Nibbāna has the body or not? If, it has the body must has to be changed & perished. If without the body and how can it stays put? It has no body, no form, no shape & no image. By looking at it is happy & peaceful. This is someone still has the body (still alive with the body).
It is a very special place. Nibbāna is the noblest thing. If no dukkha that the worldings also have to like it. It’s the best thing for the Buddha. Therefore there are no other things better than that.
(c) Asaṅkhatatha-Unconditioned
(Sayadaw explained saṅkhata dukkha & asaṅkhata Nibbāna in a very skillful way. He could talk about conditioned dhamma in worldly life with penetration. So, we can see the foolishness & stupidity of human beings. Conditioned phenomena are really dukkha. but all living beings are like a blind elephant pushing blindly through the very thick & dangerous forest. It’s quite a tragedy.)
It’s free from continuous conditioning, & originally stable nature. Everything under the conditioning end up with dissolution. Only you understand the conditioned nature & prefer the unconditioned. The 5 khandhas survive & arise with the conditions of kamma, citta, utu & ahara (action, mind, temperature & food).
Therefore the conditions are masters & the 5 khandhas are slaves. Someone can clear away saṅkhata dhamma will see asaṅkhata. This is looking at its nature. Nibbāna has the nature of peacefulness. The Path factors looking at it also peaceful, because it have no kilesas. This is arriving at Nibbāna with inclining. The real arriving is only becoming an arahant & passing away.
At once time the Buddha with a monk ascended on a mountain & both of them were looking down to the very deep cliff. The monk exclaimed as it was very terrifying. But the Buddha responded to him as not knowing the truth was more terrifying than that. This only died once but if you didn’t know the truth would die again & again.
(And then Sayadaw explained about many different types of khandha dukkha came from the conditioning. Every Buddhist should understand about dukkha intellectually & reflect on it very often. If not our knowledge on dukkha is still on the animal level.
Understand rightly on dukkha develop love, compassion & wisdom. In the commentary mentioned 3 kinds of dukkha. There only took saṅkhāra dukkha as paramattha dukkha. Except dukkha-dukkhata, the other two saṅkhāra & viparinama dukkhas are can be used as conventional & ultimate dukkhas.
Here Sayadaw was using the saṅkhāra dukkha as the conventional dukkha to explain many things in life. It gives the sense of strong saṁvega.)
This body is not good, so we have to make correction of it. Everyday we have to condition it in many different ways. Even we take these things as a pleasure (the power of ignorance). Today I’ll talk about the quenching- nibbhuta nature of Nirodha Sacca. (He gave the example from the Aggivaccha Sutta)
Nibbāna dhamma is like the fuels finished & the fire extinguished. No khandhas left behind (both mind & body). It’s only staying with quenching. The cycle of saṁsāra is with fuels & fire going together. Therefore the nature of Nibbāna is quenching & clear (Because of no aggregates). Jhanas are peaceful but has body, so not clear away with things.
(d) Amatatha-Deathless
With the khandhas every living being brings with them ageing, sickness & death. They are like torturers & the khandhas are sufferers. Beings are always burning with 11 kinds of fire; lobha, dosa, moha, ageing, sickness, death, soka, parideva, dukkha., domanassa & upayasa. Nibbāna has no ageing & death, and always exists.
Khandhas are like a poisonous tree. The nature of ageing & death poisons are existing together with the khandhas. The oppressed khandhas and the oppressive dhammas are going together. (Here Sayadaw talked about feelings in an extensive way).
Living beings are sinking in the pleasant feelings (Like the ants are sinking & sticking in honey). Everyday beings are doing things for enjoying in pleasant feelings. Feeling is like the poison and a murderer. If you looking at the D.A process & will find that because of feeling & tanhā, upādāna & kamma come to be.
(Sayadaw ending his talk with the contemplation of feeling). Seeing impermanence of feeling is seeing your own death. After comes disenchantment, its ending & escape from death. It’s the deathl`ess of Nibbāna-Amatatha.
4. Magga Sacca- The Truth of the Path
(a) Niyanatha- Escape from the 3 Vattas, & leading to Nibbāna.
Dhamma carries someone from the 3 vattas towards Nibbāna. For this purpose Sayadaw was using Vedananupassanā in practice.
Every time feeling arises contemplate to see impermanence. Every time seeing impermanence free from the 3 vattas. The contemplative mind (magganga) arise at the mind base (mano). Tanhā (craving) is a mental factor (cetasika). Also it arises at the mind base. Every time nyan comes in & tanhā can’t arise & free from the vattas.
First, seeing impermanence is a cula-sotāpanna & will safe from one life to the planes of misery. But at near death still āsanna kamma (death proximate kamma) can come in. So near death if you can contemplate impermanence is not a problem.
(So, near death still can maintain the power of anicca is not becoming a problem for dying. For the maintenance of anicca we need a regular practice. Therefore, Sayadaw encouraged disciples to practice until it’s safety, i.e becomes a sotāpanna.)
Must continue the contemplation to become disenchantment. If the knowledge of not wanting arises & defilements die away. With the cessation of feeling kilesa vitta disappears.
Sayadaw gave the example of cutting a tree. Yathabhūta Nyan cuts the tree at the top points, Nibbida Nyan near the base. And the Path Knowledge. is digging out the root.
(b)Hetuttha- Straight towards Nibbāna
Magga Sacca is the straight forwards dhamma & Samudaya Sacca (tanhā is the crooked dhamma. With the comparison of both will understand them. With the straight forwards dhamma & going straightly will arrive to the place. With the crooked dhamma can’t arrive there. By knowing the straight forwards one & can let go of the crooked one.
(Sayadaw using the monkey trap to express the cunning of tanhā). A monkey out of greed was taking the foods in a trap. It was set up by a hunter with pitch inside. Because of that the monkey’s 2 hands, 2 legs & the head were sticking with the pitch, inside the trap. In the same way the 5 khandhas are sticking with the pitch of tanhā.
(C)Dassanatha-Vision
The path leads to the vision of Nibbāna & penetrate the 4 Noble Truths. (Sayadaw using the Nacked Ascetic Kassapa Sutta to dispel wrong view & the vision of Nibbāna). I’ll explain the vision of Nibbāna. If become knowledge-vijjā, it is not only seeing Nibbāna, but also the 4 Noble Truth at the same time. Sammāditthi- The eyes of knowledge is better than the eyes of the Brahma gods.
For seeing the 4 Noble Truths is very difficult. Brahma gods can see things clearly with their divine eyes although they can’t penetrate it. If the practice not becomes the vision of Nibbāna (dassanatha) & it can still fall into the dangers of misery. (Sayadaw gave some examples of this dangers & urged his disciples to practice hard).
After it becomes vision – dassanatha & will has stability without changes.
You are only going upwardly without falling down again.
(d) Adhipadeyatha-Predominance, Governing
Unshakable- after enlightenments; sīla, samādhi & paññā become adhisīla, adhisamādhi & adhipaññā (higher virtuous behavior, higher concentration & wisdom). Nobody can comes & destroy it. There were many stories in the time of the Buddha,
Mara-the evil one had tested his disciples & never succeeded. Only by seeing Nibbāna which is the ending of dukkha will become adipadeyatha. With ordinary sila, samādhi & paññā when encounter with the coarse objects still can be fallen apart.
(For the adhisamādhi Sayadaw gave the example with Devadatta)
He had jhana samādhi & psychic power but not sammā samādhi (adhisamādhi) or paññā samādhi. So he ended up in ruin. (Sayadaw continued to talk about the influence of tanhā by using the Nadi Sutta).
Living beings with tanhā & clinging to things which are unstable & unreliable. Devedatta was a good example. Even jhana & abhinñā are unreliable & no need to talk about the worldly pleasures. (Sayadaw continued to talk on cittānupassanā).
Whatever mind arises contemplate impermanence. After that continue to contemplate its disenchantment (Nibbidā Nyan) to arise. From the knowledge of impermanence to the knowledge of disenchantment is not easy. It takes a very long time to develop. But someone mature in paramita it doesn’t take very long.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 10-6
[06] Pay Your Debts with Knowledge
28th December 1960
Only vipassanā is the real refuge.
(Told the story of Milakkha Tissa, the hunter. Because of working many years as a hunter, his unwholesome kamma ripened even in this life. Later with saṁvega & fright ordained as a monk & practiced. But a lot of hindrances (restless & worry) appeared in his practice & wanted to give up & back to lay life.
Before disrobing his teacher the arahant gave him a duty to collect some wet woods & burn it down. Because it was so wet and not in success. The arahant with his supernormal power showed him the hell, went there & fetched the hell fire of the size of a firefly. And then put it on the wet woods & it burnt down instantly into ashes. Tissa was very frightened.
Instead of disrobing worked very hard in practice & became a non-returner. All his kammic debts for hells were paid with knowledge.)
Hells are not ordinary & very severe & frightening. If you don’t practice & have to pay your debts in hells with khandhas (for unwholesome kammas).
Among you everyone had been there before because you are always living with greed, hatred, delusion, envy & avarice. Then, how do you protect yourselves? Protect with the Dhamma. For someone doesn’t has these debts and no need to teach him.
But for someone has these debts must practice very hard. It’s not important for someone without debts & in sleep. For someone has the hell debts should not in sleep. If death comes to you earlier & have to pay your debts with the khandhas. If you pay them with knowledge (nyan) & will be free from debts. Paying with khandhas will never be freed from it.
Nibbāna is the matter of knowledge. The whole day a lot of lobha, dosa & moha are arising within you.
(Sayadaw continued to talk on cittanupassanā system) insight knowledge prevents the kammas not arising yet. And also it prevents kammas already had arisen. People had committed the 5 heavy kammas & the path factors will not arise.
The path factors can cut off wholesome & unwholesome kammas had already done. If you have debts & not good to be in sleep. And then borrow again these debts are not good. (i.e, without the practice & unwholesome mental states arise).
If you discern impermanence & half of the debts are paid. At last, if you die with impermanence & will arrive heaven & become a sotāpanna there. Dāna, sila, samatha only prevent unwholesome kammas already had done. But they can’t destroy it.
There are 2 kinds of medicine; preventive and cure. Dāna, sīla & samatha are lika the preventive medicines & vipassanā is the medicine for cure. Therefore don’t let go off the preventing medicine. And also have to drink the medicine for cure. This oral medicine can exist only during the Buddha Sāsana.
28th December 1960
Only vipassanā is the real refuge.
(Told the story of Milakkha Tissa, the hunter. Because of working many years as a hunter, his unwholesome kamma ripened even in this life. Later with saṁvega & fright ordained as a monk & practiced. But a lot of hindrances (restless & worry) appeared in his practice & wanted to give up & back to lay life.
Before disrobing his teacher the arahant gave him a duty to collect some wet woods & burn it down. Because it was so wet and not in success. The arahant with his supernormal power showed him the hell, went there & fetched the hell fire of the size of a firefly. And then put it on the wet woods & it burnt down instantly into ashes. Tissa was very frightened.
Instead of disrobing worked very hard in practice & became a non-returner. All his kammic debts for hells were paid with knowledge.)
Hells are not ordinary & very severe & frightening. If you don’t practice & have to pay your debts in hells with khandhas (for unwholesome kammas).
Among you everyone had been there before because you are always living with greed, hatred, delusion, envy & avarice. Then, how do you protect yourselves? Protect with the Dhamma. For someone doesn’t has these debts and no need to teach him.
But for someone has these debts must practice very hard. It’s not important for someone without debts & in sleep. For someone has the hell debts should not in sleep. If death comes to you earlier & have to pay your debts with the khandhas. If you pay them with knowledge (nyan) & will be free from debts. Paying with khandhas will never be freed from it.
Nibbāna is the matter of knowledge. The whole day a lot of lobha, dosa & moha are arising within you.
(Sayadaw continued to talk on cittanupassanā system) insight knowledge prevents the kammas not arising yet. And also it prevents kammas already had arisen. People had committed the 5 heavy kammas & the path factors will not arise.
The path factors can cut off wholesome & unwholesome kammas had already done. If you have debts & not good to be in sleep. And then borrow again these debts are not good. (i.e, without the practice & unwholesome mental states arise).
If you discern impermanence & half of the debts are paid. At last, if you die with impermanence & will arrive heaven & become a sotāpanna there. Dāna, sila, samatha only prevent unwholesome kammas already had done. But they can’t destroy it.
There are 2 kinds of medicine; preventive and cure. Dāna, sīla & samatha are lika the preventive medicines & vipassanā is the medicine for cure. Therefore don’t let go off the preventing medicine. And also have to drink the medicine for cure. This oral medicine can exist only during the Buddha Sāsana.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 10-7
[07] Protecting Your Mind
31st December 1960
A jackal saw a tortoise, came near and wanted to eat him. But the tortoise knew it & inserted his 5 body parts of head, hands and legs inside the hard shell.
The jackal waited for sometimes & knew that impossible to eat him and left the place. The jackal is king of the death. The five parts of the body; the head, hands & legs are representing eyes, ears, nose, tongue & the body.
If the eye see something & wanting it (tanhā), clinging to it (upādāna) & acting to get it (kamma) & leading to birth, ageing &death.
From the eyes come out & leading to death. From the ears are also the same & meet with the death of the jackal. These are don’t know how to use them & how to come out. It’s over use them & over reaching the boundary.
If you want to come out from the 5 sense-doors as much as you like & will arrive to the kingdom of death. The Buddha said, “Someone is practicing has to behave like a tortoise.”
If you see something & contemplate the impermanence of seeing (seeing consciousness or the form (object). And then it becomes the path factors (magga). It becomes anicca & magga that not over-reaching the boundary.
It’s not leading to the kingdom of death. It’ll lead to Nibbāna which is free from dangers. This simile came from Samyutta Nikāya. Protecting the 5 sense-doors under the path factors that free from dangers.
We all never had done this before in saṁsāra & ended up under the king of death. We have to contemplate one of the impermanence, form or seeing, sound or hearing etc. Don’t give up yourself to any birth & becoming. It’s the same as giving your body for death to them. In everyday life, you are afraid of sickness, pain & suffering.
Therefore always taking care of the body. In the same way if you take care of the practice & will be free from the king of death.
By taking care of the body can’t free from it. You all are always taking care of which you can’t protect. But you don’t take care of which you can protect. (Sayadaw talked about people; in every day taking care and conditioning for the body) You are doing saṅkhāra dukkha with satisfaction. Taking care of the body is not free from dukkha.
But you are not caring for the mind which can free from dukkha. (We should think about this point seriously). All of you are difficult people. Aren’t you? A lot of taking care in matters which can’t prevent them. But have no mindfulness in things which you can prevent them.
Therefore yogis must practice like the tortoise. If not you’ll become the food for the jackal- the king of death. Have to contemplate for catching any one of them, the seeing or the form, etc.
31st December 1960
A jackal saw a tortoise, came near and wanted to eat him. But the tortoise knew it & inserted his 5 body parts of head, hands and legs inside the hard shell.
The jackal waited for sometimes & knew that impossible to eat him and left the place. The jackal is king of the death. The five parts of the body; the head, hands & legs are representing eyes, ears, nose, tongue & the body.
If the eye see something & wanting it (tanhā), clinging to it (upādāna) & acting to get it (kamma) & leading to birth, ageing &death.
From the eyes come out & leading to death. From the ears are also the same & meet with the death of the jackal. These are don’t know how to use them & how to come out. It’s over use them & over reaching the boundary.
If you want to come out from the 5 sense-doors as much as you like & will arrive to the kingdom of death. The Buddha said, “Someone is practicing has to behave like a tortoise.”
If you see something & contemplate the impermanence of seeing (seeing consciousness or the form (object). And then it becomes the path factors (magga). It becomes anicca & magga that not over-reaching the boundary.
It’s not leading to the kingdom of death. It’ll lead to Nibbāna which is free from dangers. This simile came from Samyutta Nikāya. Protecting the 5 sense-doors under the path factors that free from dangers.
We all never had done this before in saṁsāra & ended up under the king of death. We have to contemplate one of the impermanence, form or seeing, sound or hearing etc. Don’t give up yourself to any birth & becoming. It’s the same as giving your body for death to them. In everyday life, you are afraid of sickness, pain & suffering.
Therefore always taking care of the body. In the same way if you take care of the practice & will be free from the king of death.
By taking care of the body can’t free from it. You all are always taking care of which you can’t protect. But you don’t take care of which you can protect. (Sayadaw talked about people; in every day taking care and conditioning for the body) You are doing saṅkhāra dukkha with satisfaction. Taking care of the body is not free from dukkha.
But you are not caring for the mind which can free from dukkha. (We should think about this point seriously). All of you are difficult people. Aren’t you? A lot of taking care in matters which can’t prevent them. But have no mindfulness in things which you can prevent them.
Therefore yogis must practice like the tortoise. If not you’ll become the food for the jackal- the king of death. Have to contemplate for catching any one of them, the seeing or the form, etc.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 10-8
[08] The Creator: The Deceitful Mind
1st to 5th. January 1961
(Sayadaw gave 5 talks on the mind. It’s very important to understand one’s own mind than any other things. Because it’s the creator of suffering & happiness to all of us. Without understanding the mind that human beings create a lot of problems, chaos & sufferings from the family level to international level.)
Nāma dhamma is the mind. No mind arises on its own. Except Nibbāna Dhātu; no other dhmma is free from the causes & effect relationship. Because of eyes & form, seeing consciousness arises. If you ask me to say it in the complete causes ; there are 4 causes; eyes, form, the light & attention to see (manasikāra).
Therefore it’s not right to say I see & my mind. Because it’s nothing to do with you. I am helping you to dispel wrong view. Do the I & me can really come into the process? You can say I see it but nothing to do with the I & belong to the I. Saying about it one thing & knowing about it is the other. It’s quite different.
So can you say this is me, this I am & this is mine? Seeing consciousness is only seeing consciousness. This is a mind arising by 4 causes. If one of the causes ceases & it also ceases (e.g, the eyes damage, no object, no light & no attention). The eyes are made by kamma.
Form & light are made by temperature (utu). Attention is made by the mind (nāma). If you know that this is not me, not I am & not mine & free from tanhā, māna &ditthi. And no kamma arises to connect with them & next birth will not arise. So you don’t encounter with ageing, sickness & death. You know it as mind arises by 4 causes, wrong view & doubt die away.
This die away is with the intellectual knowing & not by contemplation. It’s called cula-sotāpanna. With this knowledge free from falling into the planes of misery for one life. Contemplate the impermanence of the seeing, its disenchantment & then its ending.
After with these process & completely free from the planes of misery. With intellectual knowledge is free from one life. And them with the contemplation of to the ending is free for the whole saṁsāra. Therefore you should not forget about this.
With the contemplation of impermanence tanhā, māna & ditthi die & free from saṁsāra. After you know it and become easy. (Important of teacher) If you don’t know & die with tanhā, māna & ditthi. Seeing consciousness is arising very fast & if you can’t contemplate it, contemplate the color of the object. All of them are can be contemplated.
(continued to hearing consciousness). Hearing arises by 4 causes; sound, ear-base, air, attention. You can contemplate hearing consciousness (or) the sound (or) the type of sound (perception). Hearing consciousness is contemplating the internal. Sound is external & the type of sound is internal. Have to contemplate to catch on anyone of them. Then you’ll be safe from the 4 planes of misery. No need to worry about them.
(Continued the previous talk). Today I’ll start from the nose door. If you know smelling-consciousness arises by 4 causes & a cula-sotāpanna. And safe from one life to the planes of misery. Why is that? I smell it and it make me feeling good, etc. & having wrong view with it.
Smelling consciousness arises in the nose. It’s arising & vanishing. This is looking at the dead with the living. Anicca is dead & magga is alive. Every time with the arising & contemplate it. This is alive with the nose-consciousness.
If you don’t know this & don’t know what’s happening to you. You don’t know your own mind. Not knowing is ignorance. And turning towards volitional formation (saṅkhāra) & birth. (avijjā → saṅkhāra → viññānaṁ) Paying attention to the in & out breaths & breathing in &out arise (one of the causes, i.e attention). Knowing with the analytical knowledge of cause & effect is penetrating with the not-self (anatta).
The causes cease & the result also ceases means it is not perishing by it own. Arising & vanishing by itself has wrong view in it. Not contemplate this one only but also whatever arising of seeing, hearing, smelling, etc.
Whenever it’s arising with the contemplation & will see impermanence.This is magga (The path Factors). Magga means cutting off saṁsāra.Saṁsāra is the arising of khandha dukkha. It’s cutting off all these dukkha.
You get magga with the contemplation. If you can’t contemplate the smelling consciousness, then contemplate the smell or fragrance/ smelly (i.e. perception). Contemplate to catch the impermanence of any-one of them. This is seeing the dead with the living.
This is knowing anicca with magga (the dead is anicca & the living is magga). Anicca is before & magga is after. Therefore you are seeing the already passing away with the non-perishing.
(This is not saying that the contemplative mind is permanent. Two minds can’t arise at the same moment. Sayadaw was very skillful in explaining dhamma in many different ways. This kind of qualities were very rare in teachers).
Dhamma will arise from the 6 sense-doors accordingly. Can be contemplated are 3 points. If you contemplate the smell is external (i.e., nose-consciousness). If, breathing in & out consciousness are internal (mind consciousness at the heart base)
(Note: Knowing all the external objects are arising at 2 places. The 5 sense-doors; i.e. eyes, ears, nose, tongue & body doors & the mind-door/base). All dhammas arising in the khandha are anicca. Therefore, it’s the contemplation of anicca.
(Sayadaw continued to talk on the tongue-door) tasting consciousness arises by 4 causes; foods, tongue-base, saliva & attention. If you want to become mahā-sotāpanna & contemplate impermanence. By knowing intellectually is cula- sotāpanna.
(It seems to be, a cula- sotāpanna is someone who has the knowledge of khandha, ayatana, dhātu, D.A process, suññāta dhamma & discerning impermanence. Some teachers, including Mogok Sayadaw said at least someone had the knowledge of mind & body-purification of view & knowledge of the conditions of mind & body – purification of overcoming doubt).
By seeing impermanence, its disenchantment & its ending & becomes mahā-sotāpanna. Can you say as all the minds are me, I am & mine? By knowing that they all are arising & vanishing, then tanhā & ditthi will fall away. Seeing impermanence is cutting of the dhamma connect with saṁsāra. Saṁsāra refers to the dangers of ageing, sickness & death.
You have to know tanhā as connects this life to next life, i.e, to birth. Also it connects kamma to the result. And it connects to dukkha. Therefore tanhā has 3 connections & like a tailor.It’s the connector of what is not good. It’ll do the connection of jobs until it dies out.
Now, you catch the culprit which connects saṁsāra. You all are worshipping tanhā as a master (mentioned some of them). Tanhā is asking you whatever he wants & after you die sends you to the planes of misery. You are not in pair with tanhā, because of not knowing. Not knowing is Ignorance. Therefore you don’t know that tanhā is controlling you.
(Continued to mention about tanhā in daily life).
A dead body only has the matters of origination from temperature (utusamutthānarūpa). It doesn’t has the matters of origination from kamma. Therefore no mind arises in the dead body. Body consciousness (kaya viññānaṁ) has 4 causes to make it arises.
The tangible elements (objects)-photthabba dhatu + body sensitivity (body-base) + matters originating from kamma (kammasamutthānarūpa) + attention. Because of these 4 causes, pleasant & unpleasant body consciousness can arise.
This body consciousness is not made by me or other. Knowing as only by causes & doubt falls away. It’s not a person nor a being & only body consciousness & wrong view dies. This knowledge not lead to painful birth for one life. Intellectual knowing is not enough yet & must practice.
Every time it arises & contemplate as anicca, dukkha, anatta & asubha.(with one of them) By watching & contemplating them as (perishing & vanishing). Contemplate it until to know its unstable nature. Contemplate it untilcan disband the perception of its stable nature. If you can contemplate its finished point and all feelings disappear.
This is the medicine of the Buddha. If you don’t contemplate & taking it as painful & anger & displeasure
(dosa & domanassa) will follow. And it will connect to the saṁsāra. Why is that? This is your failure of can’t contemplate the pain until it disappears. If you can contemplate with magga & it must disappear. Each contemplation is magga. (Here the importance of sati is clear).
Whoever could contemplate the ending of feeling would realize Nibbāna (For this point, Sayadaw recited the Pali in the Khandhavagga Samyutta).
Because tanhā not arises. If you can’t contemplate & wanting it to go away & tanhā arises & continue the D.A process. If you don’t contemplate; avijjā saṅkhāra arises. (lost sati). If you want it to go away; & tanhā upādāna arises.
Then, there is no security for the body & you have to go to the planes of misery. If you can contemplate whatever arising, and at anytime you can do vipassanā. If you know how to use it & becomes medicine. And if you don’t & it’s for dangers (poison).
(This was one of the Burmese Sayings. It’s a very important point for human to contemplate. Mostly human begins using their bodies for creating unwholesome kammas all the times. We can see these things a lot in nowadays medias. Mind pollutions & environmental pollutions are going together. Using it doing wholesome kammas for oneself & others are quite rare. No need to say about transcending it.)
Khandha is always in the state of impermanence & dukkha. sacca. How can it be a good fortune for us? However & whatever looking after your body not free from dukkha. sacca. From the body-door can go to the planes of misery. Also can close the doors to the planes of misery. If you are staying with the contemplation & not difficult.
You don’t know how to use it & encounter with dangers. With the body-door there are a lot of sufferings going on & on (Sayadaw mentioned some of them. Most of the saṅkhāra dukkha. are connection with the body). Only without it that you’ll live with true happiness. True happiness is Nibbāna.
You are not only concern for your body door but also for your wife & children. Does it appears to you the oppression come from the body door? Which one of the doors you have to spend most of the money? Is it still not appear to you the oppression of the body?
If you can’t end your body door & it’ll torment you wherever you are. You have to look after it &still have to fall into the planes of misery. People suffer in hell because they have the bodies. People are hungry because of the body. The sufferings coming from the body door are incalculable & no ending about it.
Whoever can make this body not exists is truly happy. People are doing merits for long life, healthy & (fortunes) in next life. Not including of the realization of Nibbāna. They are just for the sake of the physical body. They are still not have enough for the oppression in this life.
Therefore they are looking for more oppression in next life. Isn’t not too much? You don’t understand the body very well. If you can contemplate the body as anicca, dukkha, antta & asubha a lot, & do you still have the body to torment you? And you’ll be in peace & happiness. What I am talking about the body door are still little.
Mind base (manāyatana) exists in the heart base (hadayavatthu).
[The Buddha used mind base as vatthu. Hadayavatthu was by Ven.Buddhagosa. In the Abhidhamma Patthāna also used as vatthu. Hadaya sometimes used as heart, sometimes referred to as mind.
The mind base is in the blood of the heart (not the heart nor the blood). The Buddha not mentioned a specific place for it. One teacher had suggested 2 possibilities; the heart area & the brain. If we have emotions & feel it at the heart. If we think something & scratching the head]
There are 3 causes for mind consciousness arise; mind base, the mirror of mano dvara truing towards mental objects and then thoughts can arise. Thoughts can arise by 3 causes; mental object (dhammarammana) + mind base + attention.
If you turn the mind base towards the past, present and future mental objects & thoughts arise. If you are turning it towards the objects in the safe even can’t see it & still will appear to you. Therefore mind consciousness
is the sharpest one.
If you turn the mind base towards gladden things & the gladden mind arises. If you are turning it towards unpleasant things & the unpleasant mind arises. If you are turning it towards the Buddha and the thought on the Buddha arises. Why you all are happy & suffered?
Because you all are turning the clear mirror of the mind towards the wrong directions. If you are turning towards impermanence & seeing impermanence arises. Turing your mind towards wife & children, sorrow, lamentation follow behind thoughts.
You don’t turn it towards good directions. Mostly turning towards the bad directions. The shadows appear in the mirror are like thoughts. You are like a psychotic person who gets a mirror. After getting a mirror & turning it towards everywhere.
And then looking into the mirror & smiling (laughing), frowning, & (crying). Does it appear by itself? Or turning towards wrong direction? If you are turning toward dukkha sacca & knowing dukkha sacca arises.
Don’t turn towards the wrong directions. If not, you’ll shed tears, even no one is beating you. All are turning towards not good, such as worries, concerns, etc. If you want so and should turn towards happiness.
Or turn it towards of knowing anicca, dukkha. & anatta. Turning the mirror wrongly that all are in sufferings. If you know this one very well will become a good person. For the Buddha; if someone had the potentiality of
liberation & he would appear in his mirror.
If you are turning your mind to this tree which you heard as having ghost in it & frightening mind arises. This one mind is tormenting all living beings. For e.g., having a family may be good. So people were turning towards it & after the married life increasing more dukkha. This was making a big mistake.
Is it the cause of kamma or the mirror? Without listening to this kind of talk old man & woman are dying with turning the mirrors to wrong directions, such as worries and displeasure. Is it the past kamma or turning
towards the wrong directions? The shadows in the mirror are tormenting them. It’s more painful than beaten with a stick.
(Sayadaw talked about how Ven. Ananda became a sotāpanna. Ven. Punna taught to the monks by using the simile of the shadow in the mirror).
From today onwards turning your mind towards impermanent dukkha sacca & maggan will arise. Therefore don’t turn it towards the wrong directions.
(T5)
Mind base & thought object contact & thoughts arise. Also include attention (adverting-avajjana). So there are 3 causes for thought arises. The Buddha also had thoughts. There are 2 kinds of thought; good to think & not
good to think. If you are turning towards worry & worrying mind arises.
These minds arising are not done by you. It arises by 3 causes. Then your doubt falls away. With a blip it arises from nowhere. After that it vanishes to nowhere. Arising by causes & vanishing by causes that has the nature of impermanence.
Can you say that the perishing & vanishing nature is me & mine? The arts are made by this mind. Making the world beautiful or ugly are this mind. Cittena niyatiloko-the mind constructs the world. It’s the builder of the world. If you don’t want anything & only for Nibbāna is also this mind.
Then you have to contemplate impermanence. If you want to end the world or to expand it also this mind.
Go & have a look at the puppies. Their different forms are by this mind.
Kamma can make mind & body only. Different kinds of forms & decoration are made by the mind. The mind is leading everything by pulling the strings behind. If the mind is wanting the heavenly mansions to
appear & it will appear.
The evil mind constructs hell woks & hell fire. If you are turning the mirror in the wrong directions & suffer accordingly with its arrangements. All living beings happen in accordance with the mind. All birds lay eggs. But hen egg becomes chick. Duck egg becomes duckling.
Eggs are the same but because of the chicken mind & becomes chick. Kamma only gives the mind & body. Because of the mind that it happens accordingly, to the parents’ form. Not created by any God. It happens in accordance with the mind, the weather & the temperature.
The white & dark skins are in accordance with temperature. Different forms are in accordance with the mind.
Therefore you have to make wholesome minds arise. If you are turning towards unwholesome & D.A process continues. And not turning towards wrongly, & the wholesome mind arises.
Therefore how to turn the mind is the main point. If you are turning the mind wrongly & it’ll make arrangement for you this way. (This point is very important. What we think & what we are. Always has to check in one’s own mind. Mind one’s own business & not to others).
Turning on the mind is number one. Next, the mind making arrangement is number two. For e.g., because of the frightening mind & the body is sweating. (Sayadaw continued to give some of the examples.)
Human beings are like a psychotic who gets a mirror. Always turning it towards things which are not good. (Therefore most living beings create unwholesome kammas. Most people are taking it as normal & even
enjoying it.)
Wars are going on by turning the mind in the wrong directions. Therefore number one is important. The Buddha said that we had to turn our minds. Without sense objects & minds can’t arise.
(The Doctrine of mind is the only reality was not mentioned by Him. The Law of Dependent Origination also not supported this point.)
If you are not turning it & minds can’t arise. If you have no mind & you are dead. Using your mind is number two. What do you think who make the 31 realms of existence? Your mind builds your own hell.
If you want arriving to Nibbāna & turning your mind towards impermanent dukkha sacca. But now, you want to be in heaven & doing things to be there. Even forest, mountain & earth were made by the mind.
(He talked about how human beings effect the natural environments. Nowadays we see these things very clear. Pollution, climate change, etc. We also know that how morality & immorality effect human life span
& the environments- the natural world in some of the suttas.)
For people can’t control their minds & saṁsāra is becoming a very extensive matter. Can you ever finished by running along the 31 realms of existence to & fro? Mind consciousness is very extensive (Sayadaw
talked about things caused by science & technology).
Kamma is mysterious & so do the mind. With the mysterious mind & the result is also mysterious. So kamma & mind are mixed together. Without kamma & mind, the mystery will cease. Therefore has to practice insight on the mind. Whatever arising of good or bad minds have to contemplate its impermanence.
It needs to contemplate to overcome it. And then continue to its disenchantment & ending. After that kamma can’t make arrangement & the mind can’t control anymore. Except the contemplation of mind no other refuge. Husband & wife become disharmony is this mind. And making them in harmony is also this mind. (mentioned the family life).
It’s called loka-the world, because of the arising & vanishing. The world made by the mind is always impermanence. With it & you’ll shed tears. Mind is anicca, & whatever its makings are also anicca. Whatever made by anicca is becoming anicca. In this way you’ll never come out from the province of anicca.
Therefore in Nibbāna no mind and no form made by it. Without the mind & body is transcending the world.
Mind is the cause of dukkha. Dukkha made by it is the result of dukkha. The happiness without them is NIBBĀNA.
1st to 5th. January 1961
(Sayadaw gave 5 talks on the mind. It’s very important to understand one’s own mind than any other things. Because it’s the creator of suffering & happiness to all of us. Without understanding the mind that human beings create a lot of problems, chaos & sufferings from the family level to international level.)
Nāma dhamma is the mind. No mind arises on its own. Except Nibbāna Dhātu; no other dhmma is free from the causes & effect relationship. Because of eyes & form, seeing consciousness arises. If you ask me to say it in the complete causes ; there are 4 causes; eyes, form, the light & attention to see (manasikāra).
Therefore it’s not right to say I see & my mind. Because it’s nothing to do with you. I am helping you to dispel wrong view. Do the I & me can really come into the process? You can say I see it but nothing to do with the I & belong to the I. Saying about it one thing & knowing about it is the other. It’s quite different.
So can you say this is me, this I am & this is mine? Seeing consciousness is only seeing consciousness. This is a mind arising by 4 causes. If one of the causes ceases & it also ceases (e.g, the eyes damage, no object, no light & no attention). The eyes are made by kamma.
Form & light are made by temperature (utu). Attention is made by the mind (nāma). If you know that this is not me, not I am & not mine & free from tanhā, māna &ditthi. And no kamma arises to connect with them & next birth will not arise. So you don’t encounter with ageing, sickness & death. You know it as mind arises by 4 causes, wrong view & doubt die away.
This die away is with the intellectual knowing & not by contemplation. It’s called cula-sotāpanna. With this knowledge free from falling into the planes of misery for one life. Contemplate the impermanence of the seeing, its disenchantment & then its ending.
After with these process & completely free from the planes of misery. With intellectual knowledge is free from one life. And them with the contemplation of to the ending is free for the whole saṁsāra. Therefore you should not forget about this.
With the contemplation of impermanence tanhā, māna & ditthi die & free from saṁsāra. After you know it and become easy. (Important of teacher) If you don’t know & die with tanhā, māna & ditthi. Seeing consciousness is arising very fast & if you can’t contemplate it, contemplate the color of the object. All of them are can be contemplated.
(continued to hearing consciousness). Hearing arises by 4 causes; sound, ear-base, air, attention. You can contemplate hearing consciousness (or) the sound (or) the type of sound (perception). Hearing consciousness is contemplating the internal. Sound is external & the type of sound is internal. Have to contemplate to catch on anyone of them. Then you’ll be safe from the 4 planes of misery. No need to worry about them.
(Continued the previous talk). Today I’ll start from the nose door. If you know smelling-consciousness arises by 4 causes & a cula-sotāpanna. And safe from one life to the planes of misery. Why is that? I smell it and it make me feeling good, etc. & having wrong view with it.
Smelling consciousness arises in the nose. It’s arising & vanishing. This is looking at the dead with the living. Anicca is dead & magga is alive. Every time with the arising & contemplate it. This is alive with the nose-consciousness.
If you don’t know this & don’t know what’s happening to you. You don’t know your own mind. Not knowing is ignorance. And turning towards volitional formation (saṅkhāra) & birth. (avijjā → saṅkhāra → viññānaṁ) Paying attention to the in & out breaths & breathing in &out arise (one of the causes, i.e attention). Knowing with the analytical knowledge of cause & effect is penetrating with the not-self (anatta).
The causes cease & the result also ceases means it is not perishing by it own. Arising & vanishing by itself has wrong view in it. Not contemplate this one only but also whatever arising of seeing, hearing, smelling, etc.
Whenever it’s arising with the contemplation & will see impermanence.This is magga (The path Factors). Magga means cutting off saṁsāra.Saṁsāra is the arising of khandha dukkha. It’s cutting off all these dukkha.
You get magga with the contemplation. If you can’t contemplate the smelling consciousness, then contemplate the smell or fragrance/ smelly (i.e. perception). Contemplate to catch the impermanence of any-one of them. This is seeing the dead with the living.
This is knowing anicca with magga (the dead is anicca & the living is magga). Anicca is before & magga is after. Therefore you are seeing the already passing away with the non-perishing.
(This is not saying that the contemplative mind is permanent. Two minds can’t arise at the same moment. Sayadaw was very skillful in explaining dhamma in many different ways. This kind of qualities were very rare in teachers).
Dhamma will arise from the 6 sense-doors accordingly. Can be contemplated are 3 points. If you contemplate the smell is external (i.e., nose-consciousness). If, breathing in & out consciousness are internal (mind consciousness at the heart base)
(Note: Knowing all the external objects are arising at 2 places. The 5 sense-doors; i.e. eyes, ears, nose, tongue & body doors & the mind-door/base). All dhammas arising in the khandha are anicca. Therefore, it’s the contemplation of anicca.
(Sayadaw continued to talk on the tongue-door) tasting consciousness arises by 4 causes; foods, tongue-base, saliva & attention. If you want to become mahā-sotāpanna & contemplate impermanence. By knowing intellectually is cula- sotāpanna.
(It seems to be, a cula- sotāpanna is someone who has the knowledge of khandha, ayatana, dhātu, D.A process, suññāta dhamma & discerning impermanence. Some teachers, including Mogok Sayadaw said at least someone had the knowledge of mind & body-purification of view & knowledge of the conditions of mind & body – purification of overcoming doubt).
By seeing impermanence, its disenchantment & its ending & becomes mahā-sotāpanna. Can you say as all the minds are me, I am & mine? By knowing that they all are arising & vanishing, then tanhā & ditthi will fall away. Seeing impermanence is cutting of the dhamma connect with saṁsāra. Saṁsāra refers to the dangers of ageing, sickness & death.
You have to know tanhā as connects this life to next life, i.e, to birth. Also it connects kamma to the result. And it connects to dukkha. Therefore tanhā has 3 connections & like a tailor.It’s the connector of what is not good. It’ll do the connection of jobs until it dies out.
Now, you catch the culprit which connects saṁsāra. You all are worshipping tanhā as a master (mentioned some of them). Tanhā is asking you whatever he wants & after you die sends you to the planes of misery. You are not in pair with tanhā, because of not knowing. Not knowing is Ignorance. Therefore you don’t know that tanhā is controlling you.
(Continued to mention about tanhā in daily life).
A dead body only has the matters of origination from temperature (utusamutthānarūpa). It doesn’t has the matters of origination from kamma. Therefore no mind arises in the dead body. Body consciousness (kaya viññānaṁ) has 4 causes to make it arises.
The tangible elements (objects)-photthabba dhatu + body sensitivity (body-base) + matters originating from kamma (kammasamutthānarūpa) + attention. Because of these 4 causes, pleasant & unpleasant body consciousness can arise.
This body consciousness is not made by me or other. Knowing as only by causes & doubt falls away. It’s not a person nor a being & only body consciousness & wrong view dies. This knowledge not lead to painful birth for one life. Intellectual knowing is not enough yet & must practice.
Every time it arises & contemplate as anicca, dukkha, anatta & asubha.(with one of them) By watching & contemplating them as (perishing & vanishing). Contemplate it until to know its unstable nature. Contemplate it untilcan disband the perception of its stable nature. If you can contemplate its finished point and all feelings disappear.
This is the medicine of the Buddha. If you don’t contemplate & taking it as painful & anger & displeasure
(dosa & domanassa) will follow. And it will connect to the saṁsāra. Why is that? This is your failure of can’t contemplate the pain until it disappears. If you can contemplate with magga & it must disappear. Each contemplation is magga. (Here the importance of sati is clear).
Whoever could contemplate the ending of feeling would realize Nibbāna (For this point, Sayadaw recited the Pali in the Khandhavagga Samyutta).
Because tanhā not arises. If you can’t contemplate & wanting it to go away & tanhā arises & continue the D.A process. If you don’t contemplate; avijjā saṅkhāra arises. (lost sati). If you want it to go away; & tanhā upādāna arises.
Then, there is no security for the body & you have to go to the planes of misery. If you can contemplate whatever arising, and at anytime you can do vipassanā. If you know how to use it & becomes medicine. And if you don’t & it’s for dangers (poison).
(This was one of the Burmese Sayings. It’s a very important point for human to contemplate. Mostly human begins using their bodies for creating unwholesome kammas all the times. We can see these things a lot in nowadays medias. Mind pollutions & environmental pollutions are going together. Using it doing wholesome kammas for oneself & others are quite rare. No need to say about transcending it.)
Khandha is always in the state of impermanence & dukkha. sacca. How can it be a good fortune for us? However & whatever looking after your body not free from dukkha. sacca. From the body-door can go to the planes of misery. Also can close the doors to the planes of misery. If you are staying with the contemplation & not difficult.
You don’t know how to use it & encounter with dangers. With the body-door there are a lot of sufferings going on & on (Sayadaw mentioned some of them. Most of the saṅkhāra dukkha. are connection with the body). Only without it that you’ll live with true happiness. True happiness is Nibbāna.
You are not only concern for your body door but also for your wife & children. Does it appears to you the oppression come from the body door? Which one of the doors you have to spend most of the money? Is it still not appear to you the oppression of the body?
If you can’t end your body door & it’ll torment you wherever you are. You have to look after it &still have to fall into the planes of misery. People suffer in hell because they have the bodies. People are hungry because of the body. The sufferings coming from the body door are incalculable & no ending about it.
Whoever can make this body not exists is truly happy. People are doing merits for long life, healthy & (fortunes) in next life. Not including of the realization of Nibbāna. They are just for the sake of the physical body. They are still not have enough for the oppression in this life.
Therefore they are looking for more oppression in next life. Isn’t not too much? You don’t understand the body very well. If you can contemplate the body as anicca, dukkha, antta & asubha a lot, & do you still have the body to torment you? And you’ll be in peace & happiness. What I am talking about the body door are still little.
Mind base (manāyatana) exists in the heart base (hadayavatthu).
[The Buddha used mind base as vatthu. Hadayavatthu was by Ven.Buddhagosa. In the Abhidhamma Patthāna also used as vatthu. Hadaya sometimes used as heart, sometimes referred to as mind.
The mind base is in the blood of the heart (not the heart nor the blood). The Buddha not mentioned a specific place for it. One teacher had suggested 2 possibilities; the heart area & the brain. If we have emotions & feel it at the heart. If we think something & scratching the head]
There are 3 causes for mind consciousness arise; mind base, the mirror of mano dvara truing towards mental objects and then thoughts can arise. Thoughts can arise by 3 causes; mental object (dhammarammana) + mind base + attention.
If you turn the mind base towards the past, present and future mental objects & thoughts arise. If you are turning it towards the objects in the safe even can’t see it & still will appear to you. Therefore mind consciousness
is the sharpest one.
If you turn the mind base towards gladden things & the gladden mind arises. If you are turning it towards unpleasant things & the unpleasant mind arises. If you are turning it towards the Buddha and the thought on the Buddha arises. Why you all are happy & suffered?
Because you all are turning the clear mirror of the mind towards the wrong directions. If you are turning towards impermanence & seeing impermanence arises. Turing your mind towards wife & children, sorrow, lamentation follow behind thoughts.
You don’t turn it towards good directions. Mostly turning towards the bad directions. The shadows appear in the mirror are like thoughts. You are like a psychotic person who gets a mirror. After getting a mirror & turning it towards everywhere.
And then looking into the mirror & smiling (laughing), frowning, & (crying). Does it appear by itself? Or turning towards wrong direction? If you are turning toward dukkha sacca & knowing dukkha sacca arises.
Don’t turn towards the wrong directions. If not, you’ll shed tears, even no one is beating you. All are turning towards not good, such as worries, concerns, etc. If you want so and should turn towards happiness.
Or turn it towards of knowing anicca, dukkha. & anatta. Turning the mirror wrongly that all are in sufferings. If you know this one very well will become a good person. For the Buddha; if someone had the potentiality of
liberation & he would appear in his mirror.
If you are turning your mind to this tree which you heard as having ghost in it & frightening mind arises. This one mind is tormenting all living beings. For e.g., having a family may be good. So people were turning towards it & after the married life increasing more dukkha. This was making a big mistake.
Is it the cause of kamma or the mirror? Without listening to this kind of talk old man & woman are dying with turning the mirrors to wrong directions, such as worries and displeasure. Is it the past kamma or turning
towards the wrong directions? The shadows in the mirror are tormenting them. It’s more painful than beaten with a stick.
(Sayadaw talked about how Ven. Ananda became a sotāpanna. Ven. Punna taught to the monks by using the simile of the shadow in the mirror).
From today onwards turning your mind towards impermanent dukkha sacca & maggan will arise. Therefore don’t turn it towards the wrong directions.
(T5)
Mind base & thought object contact & thoughts arise. Also include attention (adverting-avajjana). So there are 3 causes for thought arises. The Buddha also had thoughts. There are 2 kinds of thought; good to think & not
good to think. If you are turning towards worry & worrying mind arises.
These minds arising are not done by you. It arises by 3 causes. Then your doubt falls away. With a blip it arises from nowhere. After that it vanishes to nowhere. Arising by causes & vanishing by causes that has the nature of impermanence.
Can you say that the perishing & vanishing nature is me & mine? The arts are made by this mind. Making the world beautiful or ugly are this mind. Cittena niyatiloko-the mind constructs the world. It’s the builder of the world. If you don’t want anything & only for Nibbāna is also this mind.
Then you have to contemplate impermanence. If you want to end the world or to expand it also this mind.
Go & have a look at the puppies. Their different forms are by this mind.
Kamma can make mind & body only. Different kinds of forms & decoration are made by the mind. The mind is leading everything by pulling the strings behind. If the mind is wanting the heavenly mansions to
appear & it will appear.
The evil mind constructs hell woks & hell fire. If you are turning the mirror in the wrong directions & suffer accordingly with its arrangements. All living beings happen in accordance with the mind. All birds lay eggs. But hen egg becomes chick. Duck egg becomes duckling.
Eggs are the same but because of the chicken mind & becomes chick. Kamma only gives the mind & body. Because of the mind that it happens accordingly, to the parents’ form. Not created by any God. It happens in accordance with the mind, the weather & the temperature.
The white & dark skins are in accordance with temperature. Different forms are in accordance with the mind.
Therefore you have to make wholesome minds arise. If you are turning towards unwholesome & D.A process continues. And not turning towards wrongly, & the wholesome mind arises.
Therefore how to turn the mind is the main point. If you are turning the mind wrongly & it’ll make arrangement for you this way. (This point is very important. What we think & what we are. Always has to check in one’s own mind. Mind one’s own business & not to others).
Turning on the mind is number one. Next, the mind making arrangement is number two. For e.g., because of the frightening mind & the body is sweating. (Sayadaw continued to give some of the examples.)
Human beings are like a psychotic who gets a mirror. Always turning it towards things which are not good. (Therefore most living beings create unwholesome kammas. Most people are taking it as normal & even
enjoying it.)
Wars are going on by turning the mind in the wrong directions. Therefore number one is important. The Buddha said that we had to turn our minds. Without sense objects & minds can’t arise.
(The Doctrine of mind is the only reality was not mentioned by Him. The Law of Dependent Origination also not supported this point.)
If you are not turning it & minds can’t arise. If you have no mind & you are dead. Using your mind is number two. What do you think who make the 31 realms of existence? Your mind builds your own hell.
If you want arriving to Nibbāna & turning your mind towards impermanent dukkha sacca. But now, you want to be in heaven & doing things to be there. Even forest, mountain & earth were made by the mind.
(He talked about how human beings effect the natural environments. Nowadays we see these things very clear. Pollution, climate change, etc. We also know that how morality & immorality effect human life span
& the environments- the natural world in some of the suttas.)
For people can’t control their minds & saṁsāra is becoming a very extensive matter. Can you ever finished by running along the 31 realms of existence to & fro? Mind consciousness is very extensive (Sayadaw
talked about things caused by science & technology).
Kamma is mysterious & so do the mind. With the mysterious mind & the result is also mysterious. So kamma & mind are mixed together. Without kamma & mind, the mystery will cease. Therefore has to practice insight on the mind. Whatever arising of good or bad minds have to contemplate its impermanence.
It needs to contemplate to overcome it. And then continue to its disenchantment & ending. After that kamma can’t make arrangement & the mind can’t control anymore. Except the contemplation of mind no other refuge. Husband & wife become disharmony is this mind. And making them in harmony is also this mind. (mentioned the family life).
It’s called loka-the world, because of the arising & vanishing. The world made by the mind is always impermanence. With it & you’ll shed tears. Mind is anicca, & whatever its makings are also anicca. Whatever made by anicca is becoming anicca. In this way you’ll never come out from the province of anicca.
Therefore in Nibbāna no mind and no form made by it. Without the mind & body is transcending the world.
Mind is the cause of dukkha. Dukkha made by it is the result of dukkha. The happiness without them is NIBBĀNA.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 10-9
[09] Wise Attention & Effort
9th January 1961
With wise attention (yoniso) & effort, wisdom (paññā) becomes sharp. If wise attention is good & knowledge-nyan cutting off defilements of the mind. With not good attention can’t see impermanence, & nyan not cutting off kileasas.
You have to remember that including with both of wise attention & nyan & kilesas will cut off. Then, good yoniso is the helper of knowledge. With only nyan can’t do anything. With wise attention & nyan becomes sharp. With the wise attention of anicca & nyan is cutting kilesas.
With the wise attention of dukkha & anatta are also in the same way. With asubha & dukkha sacca are also the same. With wrong attention &nyan doesn’t has the chances to come in. These points were the Buddha taught to Ven.
Potthila (Told the story of Potthila). An iguana was hiding in an earth mound with the 6 outlets. If you want to catch it, close the 5 outlets & waiting & watching at the opened one. In the same way close the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body, the 5 outlets. And then contemplate whatever arising from the mind outlet (mano).
“From the mind door contemplate of impermanence with good attention.” The Buddha taught to Ven. Potthila from the monastery.If you have right attention & wisdom develops. With wrong attention & wisdom dries up.
(These 2 points are very important for development of wisdom. In everyday life we should use the Buddha’s Teachings wisely to contemplate our experiences. Then we’ll see ourselves become wiser & wiser. Not just sitting there for meditation only. If we are watching the polluted medias everyday for many hours or unwholesome educations & our mind becomes more defiled).
Anicca, dukkha, anatta, asubha & dukkha sacca; these are the 5 right attentions.It’s like cutting the rice plants. Wise attention is like the left hand collecting & grasping at the rice plants. And knowledge (nyan) is like the right hand holding the sickle & cutting the rice plants in the left hand (a simile from the Milinda Pañha).
Different kinds of vedana are arising in the body. If you can contemplate impermanence of them & nyan cutting off kilesas. With wrong attention & taints-āsava arise. Remember these opposites; the results of wise & unwise attentions.
For e.g, seeing a flower & not contemplate it as anicca. And instead contemplate it as beautiful & desire (lobha) arises. If you are looking at a person as disgusting. It’s wrong attention & follow with anger.
(All these kinds of things are important in daily life. We built characters & habits by how we behave or react to the sensual worlds).
With wrong attention & taint of ignorance follows. With ignorance & lobha/dosa arise. Have to remember that, if taints arises & you’re far away from Nibbāna. If smell arises should not has wrong attention.
Contemplate it as impermanence and the D.A process is cutting off there. If not, will follow with anger. You all must remember is making effort with right attention & will cut off kilesas. It’s like holding the sickle firmly
& cutting off the rice plants with force.
Therefore, there are 2 helpers for knowledge (nyan); with right attention & practice with effort & nyan will become sharp. For e.g., if you put down a sharp knife & it can cut things off by itself? These words are important, & have to remember it.
Ven. Potthila became arahant with these 2 points. With wrong attention, & if the mind is straying away to here &there & nyan can’t sharp. If feelings are arising in the body & contemplate them as not me, nor a person & not a being, only anicca.
After that continue the contemplation as dukkha. sacca. Rice plants are kilesas, the left-hand collecting & grasping the plant is right attention, right hand holding the sickle is effort & the sickle is knowledge/nyan).
9th January 1961
With wise attention (yoniso) & effort, wisdom (paññā) becomes sharp. If wise attention is good & knowledge-nyan cutting off defilements of the mind. With not good attention can’t see impermanence, & nyan not cutting off kileasas.
You have to remember that including with both of wise attention & nyan & kilesas will cut off. Then, good yoniso is the helper of knowledge. With only nyan can’t do anything. With wise attention & nyan becomes sharp. With the wise attention of anicca & nyan is cutting kilesas.
With the wise attention of dukkha & anatta are also in the same way. With asubha & dukkha sacca are also the same. With wrong attention &nyan doesn’t has the chances to come in. These points were the Buddha taught to Ven.
Potthila (Told the story of Potthila). An iguana was hiding in an earth mound with the 6 outlets. If you want to catch it, close the 5 outlets & waiting & watching at the opened one. In the same way close the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body, the 5 outlets. And then contemplate whatever arising from the mind outlet (mano).
“From the mind door contemplate of impermanence with good attention.” The Buddha taught to Ven. Potthila from the monastery.If you have right attention & wisdom develops. With wrong attention & wisdom dries up.
(These 2 points are very important for development of wisdom. In everyday life we should use the Buddha’s Teachings wisely to contemplate our experiences. Then we’ll see ourselves become wiser & wiser. Not just sitting there for meditation only. If we are watching the polluted medias everyday for many hours or unwholesome educations & our mind becomes more defiled).
Anicca, dukkha, anatta, asubha & dukkha sacca; these are the 5 right attentions.It’s like cutting the rice plants. Wise attention is like the left hand collecting & grasping at the rice plants. And knowledge (nyan) is like the right hand holding the sickle & cutting the rice plants in the left hand (a simile from the Milinda Pañha).
Different kinds of vedana are arising in the body. If you can contemplate impermanence of them & nyan cutting off kilesas. With wrong attention & taints-āsava arise. Remember these opposites; the results of wise & unwise attentions.
For e.g, seeing a flower & not contemplate it as anicca. And instead contemplate it as beautiful & desire (lobha) arises. If you are looking at a person as disgusting. It’s wrong attention & follow with anger.
(All these kinds of things are important in daily life. We built characters & habits by how we behave or react to the sensual worlds).
With wrong attention & taint of ignorance follows. With ignorance & lobha/dosa arise. Have to remember that, if taints arises & you’re far away from Nibbāna. If smell arises should not has wrong attention.
Contemplate it as impermanence and the D.A process is cutting off there. If not, will follow with anger. You all must remember is making effort with right attention & will cut off kilesas. It’s like holding the sickle firmly
& cutting off the rice plants with force.
Therefore, there are 2 helpers for knowledge (nyan); with right attention & practice with effort & nyan will become sharp. For e.g., if you put down a sharp knife & it can cut things off by itself? These words are important, & have to remember it.
Ven. Potthila became arahant with these 2 points. With wrong attention, & if the mind is straying away to here &there & nyan can’t sharp. If feelings are arising in the body & contemplate them as not me, nor a person & not a being, only anicca.
After that continue the contemplation as dukkha. sacca. Rice plants are kilesas, the left-hand collecting & grasping the plant is right attention, right hand holding the sickle is effort & the sickle is knowledge/nyan).