Part 11
[01] No Free Time is for Sufferings
[02] Who is your Creator?
[03] What is the most Important Thing?
[04] Simple & Direct
[05] The End of the World
[06] Why So Many Corpses?
[07] Dāna & Nibbāna
[08] Practicing for Dying
[09] Seeing Nibbāna with the Pure Mind
[10] Two Ways of Dying
[11] Dependency is Wavering
[12] The Creator
[13] Not a Soul, an Intrinsic Nature
[14] Why Can’t Discern Dukkha?
[15] Becoming & Not Becoming
[16] Don’t Live & Die with Ignorance
[17] Wise Attention & Wisdom
[18] Human Characters
[19] Not Becoming Dog Again
[20] Difficult to Know Dukkha & Vedana
[21] Bond with Ditthi Rope & Carrying Away by Tanhā Water
[22] Dispelling Ditthi before Insight
[23] A Noble Life & Practice
[24] Conditioned Phenomena
[25] Practice Only One
[26] Deceiving by The Active Mind
[27] Ignoble & Noble Searches
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 11
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 11-1
[01] No Free Time is for Sufferings
4th February 1961
D.A is one’s own khandha process & it’s going on every day. Don’t take them separately as different. This time it’s arising & this time it has to be cut off. That’ll not make it continues. If you don’t cut it off is collecting unwholesome kammas. You have to be very careful on this point.
For e.g. on the body pleasant feeling arises. This is the arising of the D.A of the khandha. After that the appreciation of tanhā, saṅkhārakkhandha continues to arise. One khandha ceases & another khandha continues to arise. Let’s looking at its cause & effect connection.
Vedana paccaya tanhā – feeling conditions craving, khandha continues to arise. This will continue to upādānā & kamma, so saṅkhārakkhandha are continuing to arise. One khandha ceases & another khandha arises. Vedana & kamma are this life (vedana→tanhā→upādānā→kamma). Kamma paccaya jati – action conditions birth.
These are the birth of the 5 khandhas will arise in next life. And then jarā & marana (ageing & death) khandhas continue. It is doing the job of connection of 2 lives. It has no demerits but looking for dukkha. Everyday these kammas are uncountable. These kammas are also anicca.
So why shouldn’t it disappear? Because these tanhā, upādānā are not yet abandon with the Path Knowledge. So they are always as latent disposition in the mind. They are keeping all these kammas for not to disappear (Tanhā is storing these kammic energy with it).
If one of the kammic energy has finished & it sending out another one, etc. Then if you fall to the plane of misery can you come out again? There are many uncountable kammas of this life & past lives are in its storage.
Therefore the Buddha said that there were no time limit of lifespan in the hells. If you’re making one mistake; “Do you have the chance to come out again? Therefore let us looking for a refuge. It’s necessary to look for a dhamma making these kammas become fruitless.
If not only dukkha sacca will arise. With the realization of sotāpatti magga (stream entry knowledge), the storage of many past lives & this present life unwholesome kammas become fruitless. If you are heedless & lazy, you are only coming to this human world for a visit. (just wasting time).
And if you die & will go to painful planes of existence. You have debts (and) shouldn’t be in a relaxed mood. Not contemplation of vedana with insight that tanhā & upādānā are storing the kammas. They release it one by one & do you have any freedom? Don’t be afraid of the results but the causes.
Contemplate the impermanence of vedana. If you not pay attention for them & it will do the connections. This is dhamma niyama – fixed order of the dhamma. Vedana → tanhā, upādānā & kamma → jati continues. (mentioned about vedana in the Sakka Pañha Sutta)
Contemplate the 3 feelings. If you not forget them & vedana paccaya paññā – feeling conditions wisdom (with practice). And if you forget them, & vedana paccaya tanhā – feeling conditions craving. Forgetfulness is ignorance. If you are in a more relaxed way & it make more connections.
The fault of heedlessness is very great indeed. Why it becomes vedana nirodha tanhā nirodho – with the cessation of feeling & craving also ceases? Because magga arises (path factors) & feeling ceases, so tanhā can’t arise. You have no free time means connecting the D.A processes.
You are working for feelings that connecting with tanhā & upādānā. The fault of no free time is very great indeed. The cessation of tanhā means it’s not arising. Instead at the place of tanhā, magga arises. If you can continue the ending of vedana, tanhā, māna & ditthi cease (i.e Nibbāna).
4th February 1961
D.A is one’s own khandha process & it’s going on every day. Don’t take them separately as different. This time it’s arising & this time it has to be cut off. That’ll not make it continues. If you don’t cut it off is collecting unwholesome kammas. You have to be very careful on this point.
For e.g. on the body pleasant feeling arises. This is the arising of the D.A of the khandha. After that the appreciation of tanhā, saṅkhārakkhandha continues to arise. One khandha ceases & another khandha continues to arise. Let’s looking at its cause & effect connection.
Vedana paccaya tanhā – feeling conditions craving, khandha continues to arise. This will continue to upādānā & kamma, so saṅkhārakkhandha are continuing to arise. One khandha ceases & another khandha arises. Vedana & kamma are this life (vedana→tanhā→upādānā→kamma). Kamma paccaya jati – action conditions birth.
These are the birth of the 5 khandhas will arise in next life. And then jarā & marana (ageing & death) khandhas continue. It is doing the job of connection of 2 lives. It has no demerits but looking for dukkha. Everyday these kammas are uncountable. These kammas are also anicca.
So why shouldn’t it disappear? Because these tanhā, upādānā are not yet abandon with the Path Knowledge. So they are always as latent disposition in the mind. They are keeping all these kammas for not to disappear (Tanhā is storing these kammic energy with it).
If one of the kammic energy has finished & it sending out another one, etc. Then if you fall to the plane of misery can you come out again? There are many uncountable kammas of this life & past lives are in its storage.
Therefore the Buddha said that there were no time limit of lifespan in the hells. If you’re making one mistake; “Do you have the chance to come out again? Therefore let us looking for a refuge. It’s necessary to look for a dhamma making these kammas become fruitless.
If not only dukkha sacca will arise. With the realization of sotāpatti magga (stream entry knowledge), the storage of many past lives & this present life unwholesome kammas become fruitless. If you are heedless & lazy, you are only coming to this human world for a visit. (just wasting time).
And if you die & will go to painful planes of existence. You have debts (and) shouldn’t be in a relaxed mood. Not contemplation of vedana with insight that tanhā & upādānā are storing the kammas. They release it one by one & do you have any freedom? Don’t be afraid of the results but the causes.
Contemplate the impermanence of vedana. If you not pay attention for them & it will do the connections. This is dhamma niyama – fixed order of the dhamma. Vedana → tanhā, upādānā & kamma → jati continues. (mentioned about vedana in the Sakka Pañha Sutta)
Contemplate the 3 feelings. If you not forget them & vedana paccaya paññā – feeling conditions wisdom (with practice). And if you forget them, & vedana paccaya tanhā – feeling conditions craving. Forgetfulness is ignorance. If you are in a more relaxed way & it make more connections.
The fault of heedlessness is very great indeed. Why it becomes vedana nirodha tanhā nirodho – with the cessation of feeling & craving also ceases? Because magga arises (path factors) & feeling ceases, so tanhā can’t arise. You have no free time means connecting the D.A processes.
You are working for feelings that connecting with tanhā & upādānā. The fault of no free time is very great indeed. The cessation of tanhā means it’s not arising. Instead at the place of tanhā, magga arises. If you can continue the ending of vedana, tanhā, māna & ditthi cease (i.e Nibbāna).
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 11-2
[02] Who is Your Creator?
16th February 1961
(From the beginning, Sayadaw explained the D.A process of the tongue door.) Vedana paccaya tanhā – Feeling conditions craving. Feeling is paticcasamupada – the cause & craving is paticcasamupana – the result, cause & effect process. Tanhā & upādānā are called taints – āsava. It’s including all āsava;
these are: kamāsava, bhavāsava, ditthāsava & avijjāsava – taints of sensuality, becoming, wrong view & ignorance. During the eating, contemplate the impermanence of taste consciousness. With this, the feeling not connects with the action (i.e. vedana to kamma), & the 4 āsava are cutting off.
Directly cutting off are; kamāsava, bhavāsava & ditthāsava. Avijjāsava includes as sahajāta – conascence. If jati, jarā & marana – birth, ageing & death are not arising & then āsava ends.
If the Buddha had not arisen or if you not contemplate them birth, ageing & death arise. Births will uncountable to arise, because of not ending the āsava. Kammas have to do the jobs for āsava.
Who made the taste consciousness? Only someone has the āsava & it’ll arise. In Nibbāna doesn’t has these things. Do you know that it was made by the āsava of past life? All the objects of contemplation are made by the āsava. (This point is interesting for contemplation & has some hidden meanings.)
The things made by āsava are anicca & the contemplation is magga. Āsava of the past made dukkha sacca. All these things are anicca, dukkha., anatta, asubha & dukkha sacca. We have been found out the injuries made by the āsava. It’s better to know them profoundly & contemplate.
Let you to know with the contemplation that the things made by the past āsava are not right. In the past you didn’t have the sāsana eye (i.e. Dhamma eyes). So it happened randomly. Vipassanā dhamma is the nearest to Nibbāna for the ending of āsava.
If not, your prayers for Nibbāna are only in a traditional way (We can see this metanlity in some Buddhists, only rely on prayers & vows with outside power).
The whole body is made by āsava. In the Buddha’s First Discourse (Dhammacakkapavuttana Sutta) said, upādānākkhandhapi dukkha – the 5 khandhas subject to clinging (āsava) are dukkha sacca. In the process of ending āsava, with the contemplation of impermanence & magga arises.
Only with magga arises & āsava will end. Your own defiled things are āsava dhamma. Āsava creates the khandhas & it’s not kamma. If you want to clear on this point; after his enlightment, the Buddha made this exclamation; “Tanhā man, the carpenter, you can’t make the khandhas again for me.” It means as I had no more āsava (tanhā) for a new khandha.
16th February 1961
(From the beginning, Sayadaw explained the D.A process of the tongue door.) Vedana paccaya tanhā – Feeling conditions craving. Feeling is paticcasamupada – the cause & craving is paticcasamupana – the result, cause & effect process. Tanhā & upādānā are called taints – āsava. It’s including all āsava;
these are: kamāsava, bhavāsava, ditthāsava & avijjāsava – taints of sensuality, becoming, wrong view & ignorance. During the eating, contemplate the impermanence of taste consciousness. With this, the feeling not connects with the action (i.e. vedana to kamma), & the 4 āsava are cutting off.
Directly cutting off are; kamāsava, bhavāsava & ditthāsava. Avijjāsava includes as sahajāta – conascence. If jati, jarā & marana – birth, ageing & death are not arising & then āsava ends.
If the Buddha had not arisen or if you not contemplate them birth, ageing & death arise. Births will uncountable to arise, because of not ending the āsava. Kammas have to do the jobs for āsava.
Who made the taste consciousness? Only someone has the āsava & it’ll arise. In Nibbāna doesn’t has these things. Do you know that it was made by the āsava of past life? All the objects of contemplation are made by the āsava. (This point is interesting for contemplation & has some hidden meanings.)
The things made by āsava are anicca & the contemplation is magga. Āsava of the past made dukkha sacca. All these things are anicca, dukkha., anatta, asubha & dukkha sacca. We have been found out the injuries made by the āsava. It’s better to know them profoundly & contemplate.
Let you to know with the contemplation that the things made by the past āsava are not right. In the past you didn’t have the sāsana eye (i.e. Dhamma eyes). So it happened randomly. Vipassanā dhamma is the nearest to Nibbāna for the ending of āsava.
If not, your prayers for Nibbāna are only in a traditional way (We can see this metanlity in some Buddhists, only rely on prayers & vows with outside power).
The whole body is made by āsava. In the Buddha’s First Discourse (Dhammacakkapavuttana Sutta) said, upādānākkhandhapi dukkha – the 5 khandhas subject to clinging (āsava) are dukkha sacca. In the process of ending āsava, with the contemplation of impermanence & magga arises.
Only with magga arises & āsava will end. Your own defiled things are āsava dhamma. Āsava creates the khandhas & it’s not kamma. If you want to clear on this point; after his enlightment, the Buddha made this exclamation; “Tanhā man, the carpenter, you can’t make the khandhas again for me.” It means as I had no more āsava (tanhā) for a new khandha.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 11-3
[03] What is the Most Important Thing?
19th March 1961
[In this talk, Sayadaw used his own verses on the 4 Noble Truths to explain the practice. These verses are:-
①Every formation is impermanent; remember as dukkha sacca.
②Taking the impermanence as me; remember as the cause (samudaya) of affection
③The ending of all the mind & matter; remember their cessation as Nibbāna.
④The knowledge of the cessation; remember as the Path Knowledge]
It’s important to know the truth. If you don’t know & it’s like a stick throwing up to the sky & falling down again in a random way. Your destination of rebirth is random & without stability. Therefore you have to practice & know the truth until your bones & skin are worn out.
At the time of encountering the sāsana & you must work hard. As the khandha is dukkha sacca & it needs to discern their oppressive nature. (pilantha). (continued the story of naked ascetic Kassapa). Avijjā – ignorance is not knowing the truth (told some stories of the people fell into hells, animal realms, etc).
Now, you can smile & also have to cry in the future. The practice of satipatthāna is the task of knowing the truth. For knowing the truth, avijjā – ignorance must become vijjā - knowledge. Only looking after the mind & body, when’ll you have the free time? It oppresses mercilessly to someone has affection for it. (It oppresses like the twin of blind & invalid babies i.e, body & mind to the mother).
People didn’t have any affections were all in Nibbāna now. Except the task of becoming a noble person (ariya), all the other things are oppressing you. You must know that the khandha is the oppressive dukkha sacca. With more affection to it & more oppressive it’ll become.
If you are treating it well & do you still have free time? You must see its oppressive nature with knowledge. Observe the 5 khandhas with the 5 path factors.
①Every formation is impermenent; remember as dukkha sacca. If you’re discerning the impermanence of conditioned dhamma & seeing dukkha sacca. Arising is dukkha. & vanishing is dukkha. In the khandha only the impermanence will arise. Paying more attention to discern impermanence than family & business matters.
Because in the Saṁyutta Nikāya, the Buddha was urging as if we had the chance for listening the truth (for enlightenment), even we should accept the spear inflicted on us (Every day in the morning time 300 spears, in mid-day for 300 spears & in the evening for 300 spears, respectively.
Even though we may die for once only. If we don’t know the truth will die for many lives to come. Also many uncountable sufferings are waiting for us, such as in hells, as animals, as hungry ghosts, etc). Seeing, hearing, smelling, etc.
whatever arises & vanishes with change. With the blind & invalid (i.e, body & mind) combine together, seeing, hearing, smelling, etc are arising. After the arising & both are vanishing (mind & form). The mind is more quicker & the form a little slower. Because of the changing & vanishing that it is dukkha sacca.
If you prefer kāya (form) & contemplate form. If you prefer mind & contemplate mind. Only you’ll see impermanence & end up with the knowing of dukkha sacca. Whatever you are contemplating only seeing impermanence, and knowing the truth (sacca).
② Taking the impermanence as me; remember as the cause of affection. If you not contemplate & become ditthi/tanhā & continue the saṁsāra. Beings are falling down randomly & it’s not good for happening. And it needs to abandon them. “I think therefore I am” is attaching to wrong views and arising everyday quite a lot.
You have to do this task very quickly as going towards the cemetery. Because you’re going towards death (i.e. every second closer to death). The saying of you become older means it’s closer to the cemetery. ① is for contemplation (i.e. saṅkhāra dhamma, the 5 khandhas).
② is for abandoning (ditthi/tanhā). What is Nibbāna? With the contemplation of impermanence, it become mature & with a blip mind & body disappear (even if you’re contemplating the mind). This knowledge (ñāna) is in contemplating but under the knowledge these are disappeared.
③ The ending of all the mind and matter; remember their cessation, as Nibbāna. If you realize it & your destinations are becoming stable. (Will never fall back into the planes of misery). If you’re a tihetuka person (born with three wholesome roots of non-greed, non-hatred & non-delusion) ,and your practice is also right with viriya (right effort) will sure to realize it.
Here only ① & ③ verses are important. It’s like you get the train ticket at Mandalay Railway station & arriving at Rangoon Railway Station (compared to the 1.& 3. verses). You’re passing through the knowledges between them. (From impermanence to Nibbāna. It’s also the same as from Mandalay to Rgn. will pass through other stations on the way.)
④ The knowledge of the cessation, remember as the Path Knowledge. After the lokuttara magga arises, ① & ② maggas cease (① is arising & ② is vanishing). After the Path Knowledge & Fruition Knowledge arises. And then you are becoming a sotāpanna.
After the Path Knowledge ceases & the Fruition Knowledge arises is akāliko – non-temporal/immediate. (This point was not accepted by some scholars. But the yogis know what they are talking about).
Don’t lost these 4 verses. These are the processes of the practice. Don’t mix-up the vibrations of impermanence with me (self). If the hungry mind arises & don’t let it becomes I am hungry. Watch & observe, it’ll disappear.
If contemplating this way, do you still thinking as the saṅkhāra is me?
Wanting to sleep as me, wanting to eat also me & saṅkhāra will continue. Is it not terrible? Therefore before the contemplation, it’s important to dispel sassata & uccheda ditthi first. Are these saṅkhāra dhamma arising by you or by others? Or by you & others (both)? Not at all.
It arises by avijjā & saṅkhāra. After dispelling ditthi & practice with no. ①. And then no.③ will airse. Then you’ll get no.④.
19th March 1961
[In this talk, Sayadaw used his own verses on the 4 Noble Truths to explain the practice. These verses are:-
①Every formation is impermanent; remember as dukkha sacca.
②Taking the impermanence as me; remember as the cause (samudaya) of affection
③The ending of all the mind & matter; remember their cessation as Nibbāna.
④The knowledge of the cessation; remember as the Path Knowledge]
It’s important to know the truth. If you don’t know & it’s like a stick throwing up to the sky & falling down again in a random way. Your destination of rebirth is random & without stability. Therefore you have to practice & know the truth until your bones & skin are worn out.
At the time of encountering the sāsana & you must work hard. As the khandha is dukkha sacca & it needs to discern their oppressive nature. (pilantha). (continued the story of naked ascetic Kassapa). Avijjā – ignorance is not knowing the truth (told some stories of the people fell into hells, animal realms, etc).
Now, you can smile & also have to cry in the future. The practice of satipatthāna is the task of knowing the truth. For knowing the truth, avijjā – ignorance must become vijjā - knowledge. Only looking after the mind & body, when’ll you have the free time? It oppresses mercilessly to someone has affection for it. (It oppresses like the twin of blind & invalid babies i.e, body & mind to the mother).
People didn’t have any affections were all in Nibbāna now. Except the task of becoming a noble person (ariya), all the other things are oppressing you. You must know that the khandha is the oppressive dukkha sacca. With more affection to it & more oppressive it’ll become.
If you are treating it well & do you still have free time? You must see its oppressive nature with knowledge. Observe the 5 khandhas with the 5 path factors.
①Every formation is impermenent; remember as dukkha sacca. If you’re discerning the impermanence of conditioned dhamma & seeing dukkha sacca. Arising is dukkha. & vanishing is dukkha. In the khandha only the impermanence will arise. Paying more attention to discern impermanence than family & business matters.
Because in the Saṁyutta Nikāya, the Buddha was urging as if we had the chance for listening the truth (for enlightenment), even we should accept the spear inflicted on us (Every day in the morning time 300 spears, in mid-day for 300 spears & in the evening for 300 spears, respectively.
Even though we may die for once only. If we don’t know the truth will die for many lives to come. Also many uncountable sufferings are waiting for us, such as in hells, as animals, as hungry ghosts, etc). Seeing, hearing, smelling, etc.
whatever arises & vanishes with change. With the blind & invalid (i.e, body & mind) combine together, seeing, hearing, smelling, etc are arising. After the arising & both are vanishing (mind & form). The mind is more quicker & the form a little slower. Because of the changing & vanishing that it is dukkha sacca.
If you prefer kāya (form) & contemplate form. If you prefer mind & contemplate mind. Only you’ll see impermanence & end up with the knowing of dukkha sacca. Whatever you are contemplating only seeing impermanence, and knowing the truth (sacca).
② Taking the impermanence as me; remember as the cause of affection. If you not contemplate & become ditthi/tanhā & continue the saṁsāra. Beings are falling down randomly & it’s not good for happening. And it needs to abandon them. “I think therefore I am” is attaching to wrong views and arising everyday quite a lot.
You have to do this task very quickly as going towards the cemetery. Because you’re going towards death (i.e. every second closer to death). The saying of you become older means it’s closer to the cemetery. ① is for contemplation (i.e. saṅkhāra dhamma, the 5 khandhas).
② is for abandoning (ditthi/tanhā). What is Nibbāna? With the contemplation of impermanence, it become mature & with a blip mind & body disappear (even if you’re contemplating the mind). This knowledge (ñāna) is in contemplating but under the knowledge these are disappeared.
③ The ending of all the mind and matter; remember their cessation, as Nibbāna. If you realize it & your destinations are becoming stable. (Will never fall back into the planes of misery). If you’re a tihetuka person (born with three wholesome roots of non-greed, non-hatred & non-delusion) ,and your practice is also right with viriya (right effort) will sure to realize it.
Here only ① & ③ verses are important. It’s like you get the train ticket at Mandalay Railway station & arriving at Rangoon Railway Station (compared to the 1.& 3. verses). You’re passing through the knowledges between them. (From impermanence to Nibbāna. It’s also the same as from Mandalay to Rgn. will pass through other stations on the way.)
④ The knowledge of the cessation, remember as the Path Knowledge. After the lokuttara magga arises, ① & ② maggas cease (① is arising & ② is vanishing). After the Path Knowledge & Fruition Knowledge arises. And then you are becoming a sotāpanna.
After the Path Knowledge ceases & the Fruition Knowledge arises is akāliko – non-temporal/immediate. (This point was not accepted by some scholars. But the yogis know what they are talking about).
Don’t lost these 4 verses. These are the processes of the practice. Don’t mix-up the vibrations of impermanence with me (self). If the hungry mind arises & don’t let it becomes I am hungry. Watch & observe, it’ll disappear.
If contemplating this way, do you still thinking as the saṅkhāra is me?
Wanting to sleep as me, wanting to eat also me & saṅkhāra will continue. Is it not terrible? Therefore before the contemplation, it’s important to dispel sassata & uccheda ditthi first. Are these saṅkhāra dhamma arising by you or by others? Or by you & others (both)? Not at all.
It arises by avijjā & saṅkhāra. After dispelling ditthi & practice with no. ①. And then no.③ will airse. Then you’ll get no.④.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 11-4
[04] Simple & Direct
16th August 1961
Why we’re not starting from nāmarūpapariggaha ñāna- & paccaya- pariggaha ñāna? (knowledges of discernment of mind/matter & discernment of conditions). Because you had already known about them. You can differentiate or analyze mind/body & relate to cause & effect.
Therefore, today we start from the insight knowledges. (continued to talk about cittānupassanā) The 5 path factors – maggaṅga are neither black nor white kammas (unwholesome & wholesome). Mind arises & vanishes at the same place.
If you’re discerning the arising & vanishing & it becomes the 5 path factors. I’ll explain the meaning of discernment. Seeing (discerning) is knowing it as not-existing (in the same moment). By contemplating the mind & knowing that the mind is not-existing anymore. Not-existing is anicca/knowing is magga.
I am not teaching for good to hear about them, but teaching you how to practice. In the whole saṁsāra you had not found these things before. Now, you are free as a blind & crazy worldling. Why? Because, now you know which is not-existing as not-existing & know which is existing as existing. (not becoming deluded).
Before it’s existing & with the contemplating is not-existing. So you know it as existing & not-existing. You know its impermanence. How did you live your life before also become clear? You was living like a blind & crazy person. You have to continue the contemplation.
How knowledge (ñāna) develop? Before you’re alive with the seeing mind. After that you’re passing away (die). Alive with the wanting mind & passing away with the wanting mind. So you’ll see your own death.
For e.g. you see your own corpse & someone’s corpse. Which one is more disenchanting for you? It’s developing into the knowledge of disenchantment. Before that it develops from the knowledge of rise & fall (udayabbaya ñāna) & knowledge of dissolution (bhanga ñāna).
If you see your own death, it develops into nibbida ñāna (knowledge of disenchantment). Mind & body are can’t separate & arising together. How knowledge arises in the disenchanted person?
Wherever I’ll be only get these deaths. It’s maranaṁpi dukkha saccaṁ – death is dukkha sacca. So he knows it as dukkha sacca. It’s clear for him as all are dukkha sacca. By thoroughly knowing dukkha the contemplative mind which seeing from dukkha existing to dukkha not-existing.
This is knowledge changing, changing to amoha-non-delusion. Before it only turning towards dukkha existing. After that turning towards dukkha not-existing. Dukkha not-existing is Nibbāna. The contemplative mind becomes the Path Knowledge.
After that, Fruition & Reviewing Knowledges arise. The important point is to contemplate. Knowledge will turn towards Nibbāna by itself. And then become a sotāpanna.
With the really disenchanting; become really not wanting it & the mind really turning towards Nibbāna. All 3 types of kammas are cutting off. (i.e. black, white, & mixed kammas). Therefore, firstly to see impermanence is our matter. Secondly disenchantment, & thirdly contemplate to know dukkha sacca thoroughly are our matter.
After that knowledge will turn towards no impermanence by itself. All these came from Milinda Pañha. Without the dawn period, the sun’ll not arise. Without the dawn period of knowledges of impermanence & disenchantment, & the sun of the Path Knowledge will not arise.
Without including these 2 knowledges (impermanence & its disenchantment) & the Path Knowledge will not arise. Today I explain with cittanupassanā & tomorrow with vedananupassanā.
16th August 1961
Why we’re not starting from nāmarūpapariggaha ñāna- & paccaya- pariggaha ñāna? (knowledges of discernment of mind/matter & discernment of conditions). Because you had already known about them. You can differentiate or analyze mind/body & relate to cause & effect.
Therefore, today we start from the insight knowledges. (continued to talk about cittānupassanā) The 5 path factors – maggaṅga are neither black nor white kammas (unwholesome & wholesome). Mind arises & vanishes at the same place.
If you’re discerning the arising & vanishing & it becomes the 5 path factors. I’ll explain the meaning of discernment. Seeing (discerning) is knowing it as not-existing (in the same moment). By contemplating the mind & knowing that the mind is not-existing anymore. Not-existing is anicca/knowing is magga.
I am not teaching for good to hear about them, but teaching you how to practice. In the whole saṁsāra you had not found these things before. Now, you are free as a blind & crazy worldling. Why? Because, now you know which is not-existing as not-existing & know which is existing as existing. (not becoming deluded).
Before it’s existing & with the contemplating is not-existing. So you know it as existing & not-existing. You know its impermanence. How did you live your life before also become clear? You was living like a blind & crazy person. You have to continue the contemplation.
How knowledge (ñāna) develop? Before you’re alive with the seeing mind. After that you’re passing away (die). Alive with the wanting mind & passing away with the wanting mind. So you’ll see your own death.
For e.g. you see your own corpse & someone’s corpse. Which one is more disenchanting for you? It’s developing into the knowledge of disenchantment. Before that it develops from the knowledge of rise & fall (udayabbaya ñāna) & knowledge of dissolution (bhanga ñāna).
If you see your own death, it develops into nibbida ñāna (knowledge of disenchantment). Mind & body are can’t separate & arising together. How knowledge arises in the disenchanted person?
Wherever I’ll be only get these deaths. It’s maranaṁpi dukkha saccaṁ – death is dukkha sacca. So he knows it as dukkha sacca. It’s clear for him as all are dukkha sacca. By thoroughly knowing dukkha the contemplative mind which seeing from dukkha existing to dukkha not-existing.
This is knowledge changing, changing to amoha-non-delusion. Before it only turning towards dukkha existing. After that turning towards dukkha not-existing. Dukkha not-existing is Nibbāna. The contemplative mind becomes the Path Knowledge.
After that, Fruition & Reviewing Knowledges arise. The important point is to contemplate. Knowledge will turn towards Nibbāna by itself. And then become a sotāpanna.
With the really disenchanting; become really not wanting it & the mind really turning towards Nibbāna. All 3 types of kammas are cutting off. (i.e. black, white, & mixed kammas). Therefore, firstly to see impermanence is our matter. Secondly disenchantment, & thirdly contemplate to know dukkha sacca thoroughly are our matter.
After that knowledge will turn towards no impermanence by itself. All these came from Milinda Pañha. Without the dawn period, the sun’ll not arise. Without the dawn period of knowledges of impermanence & disenchantment, & the sun of the Path Knowledge will not arise.
Without including these 2 knowledges (impermanence & its disenchantment) & the Path Knowledge will not arise. Today I explain with cittanupassanā & tomorrow with vedananupassanā.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 11-5
[05] The End of the World
28th October 1961
(Told the story of Rohitassa Devata who had searched the end of the world in his past life as a hermit). The end of the world means Nibbāna. Only by going with knowledge (ñāna) & will arrive there. Can’t go there by other ways. The world (loka) is saṅkhāra loka – the conditioned world – the 5 khandhas.
Saṅkhāra loka is the khandhas arise by conditioning. Arising & vanishing moment to moment is loka. You’ll not arrive to Nibbāna with good kamma but with good knowledge. So it’s clear that Nibbāna is nyan path. Kam path is to the 31 realms of existence.
There are 3 paths; kam path jhan path & nyan path (Some short Burmese words came from the Pali language – kam=kamma, jhan=jhāna, ñāna=nyan, etc). Kam path is the far cause. Jhan path is the near cause. Nyan path is the direct path, the cause of sending there. (Kamma & jhāna are supporting cause & ñāna is producing cause to Nibbāna).
Human life span is short (now human life span is around 75 years. Will be degenerated to 10yrs in the far future. see the Cakkavati Sīhanāda Sutta of Digha Nikāya) If you want to be quicker have to follow the nyan path.
Within this 2 armed length body observe with maggan nyan. Of the 4 satipatthāna follow with any one of them in according to your preference. If vedana is distinct for your knowledge & practice with vedana. If mind & then with the mind, etc. Whatever the arising & follow with nyan. Following the impermanent saṅkhāra loka with nyan is vipassanā.
The Buddha taught that the 4 truths exist in the khandha. Except lobha, mind & form are dukkha sacca. If tanhā not exists is nirodha sacca. Sometime I am asking you; “Do the khandhas disappear?” is loka nirodha sacca. The ariya savaka eye is magga sacca.
(Here we can see Sayadaw’s skill in using dhamma lauguage. Loka nirodho is the cessation of mind & body. The ariya savaka eye is contemplative knowledge) With the observation & loka will tell you as I am dukkha sacca.
This khandha’ll tell you, anicca, dukkha & nirodha. (Here nirodha is the cessation of the khandha). Khandha is the teller & nyan is the observer. Whatever has to say & it’ll tell you. If, it has nothing left to say & will not tell you anymore.
Then the observer will see the ending of it. The ending of the khandhas is Nibbāna. Birth & death are loka. Arising & vanishing are loka. Arising dukkha & vanishing dukkha are loka. You have to make a decision that there is no happiness in the 31 realms of existence.
If you ask; “How long it has to be contemplated?” It’s right to say as it’s difficult & also easy to say. If you have thick kilesa & it take longer time. If your kilesa is thin; practicing in the morning & even can realize it in the evening. Don’t take it on the parami? Don’t think about it.
Only need to invigorate your faith–saddhā & effort-viriya. If you discerning impermanence & take it as seeing the truth. After listening the sacca dhamma & observing to see it. With more analyzing about it & taking more time for the practice. (And then talked about vedana in practice).
There is no time without vedana. During the pregnancy is dukkha. After birth is also dukkha. Dying is dukkha. Except dukkha arises & dukkha ceases, nothing exists. You’ll surely find out as only dukkha. If the khandha disappears & dukkha also disappears. It disappears under the contemplative mind.
Nibbāna exists at the end of the khandha. Just following it & will arrive to the end. Contemplation with bhāvetabba & will see Nibbāna. By waiting with good kamma & it will never arise. Only waiting with nyan & it’ll arise. The end of loka means your own loka (one’s khandhas) with the knowledge of not wanting arise & it will end.
28th October 1961
(Told the story of Rohitassa Devata who had searched the end of the world in his past life as a hermit). The end of the world means Nibbāna. Only by going with knowledge (ñāna) & will arrive there. Can’t go there by other ways. The world (loka) is saṅkhāra loka – the conditioned world – the 5 khandhas.
Saṅkhāra loka is the khandhas arise by conditioning. Arising & vanishing moment to moment is loka. You’ll not arrive to Nibbāna with good kamma but with good knowledge. So it’s clear that Nibbāna is nyan path. Kam path is to the 31 realms of existence.
There are 3 paths; kam path jhan path & nyan path (Some short Burmese words came from the Pali language – kam=kamma, jhan=jhāna, ñāna=nyan, etc). Kam path is the far cause. Jhan path is the near cause. Nyan path is the direct path, the cause of sending there. (Kamma & jhāna are supporting cause & ñāna is producing cause to Nibbāna).
Human life span is short (now human life span is around 75 years. Will be degenerated to 10yrs in the far future. see the Cakkavati Sīhanāda Sutta of Digha Nikāya) If you want to be quicker have to follow the nyan path.
Within this 2 armed length body observe with maggan nyan. Of the 4 satipatthāna follow with any one of them in according to your preference. If vedana is distinct for your knowledge & practice with vedana. If mind & then with the mind, etc. Whatever the arising & follow with nyan. Following the impermanent saṅkhāra loka with nyan is vipassanā.
The Buddha taught that the 4 truths exist in the khandha. Except lobha, mind & form are dukkha sacca. If tanhā not exists is nirodha sacca. Sometime I am asking you; “Do the khandhas disappear?” is loka nirodha sacca. The ariya savaka eye is magga sacca.
(Here we can see Sayadaw’s skill in using dhamma lauguage. Loka nirodho is the cessation of mind & body. The ariya savaka eye is contemplative knowledge) With the observation & loka will tell you as I am dukkha sacca.
This khandha’ll tell you, anicca, dukkha & nirodha. (Here nirodha is the cessation of the khandha). Khandha is the teller & nyan is the observer. Whatever has to say & it’ll tell you. If, it has nothing left to say & will not tell you anymore.
Then the observer will see the ending of it. The ending of the khandhas is Nibbāna. Birth & death are loka. Arising & vanishing are loka. Arising dukkha & vanishing dukkha are loka. You have to make a decision that there is no happiness in the 31 realms of existence.
If you ask; “How long it has to be contemplated?” It’s right to say as it’s difficult & also easy to say. If you have thick kilesa & it take longer time. If your kilesa is thin; practicing in the morning & even can realize it in the evening. Don’t take it on the parami? Don’t think about it.
Only need to invigorate your faith–saddhā & effort-viriya. If you discerning impermanence & take it as seeing the truth. After listening the sacca dhamma & observing to see it. With more analyzing about it & taking more time for the practice. (And then talked about vedana in practice).
There is no time without vedana. During the pregnancy is dukkha. After birth is also dukkha. Dying is dukkha. Except dukkha arises & dukkha ceases, nothing exists. You’ll surely find out as only dukkha. If the khandha disappears & dukkha also disappears. It disappears under the contemplative mind.
Nibbāna exists at the end of the khandha. Just following it & will arrive to the end. Contemplation with bhāvetabba & will see Nibbāna. By waiting with good kamma & it will never arise. Only waiting with nyan & it’ll arise. The end of loka means your own loka (one’s khandhas) with the knowledge of not wanting arise & it will end.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 11-6
[06] Why So Many Corpses?
29th December 1961
I am old now. I’ll die very soon. Think yourself with these things. Where are ageing & death coming from? It is from birth (jati). Ageing & death are dukkha sacca – the result. Birth is samudaya sacca – the cause.
Thinking about the khandha & these things appear. Then you know about truths (sacca). Again where is jati coming from? From kamma-bhava – the producing of kamma for becoming. Kammabhava is the cause-samudaya. And jati is the result-dukkha.
If both of them cease & become nirodha sacca. The practice of their cessation is magga sacca. Therefore you have to practice magga sacca. Thinking in this way is knowing about the truths. You’re afraid of kamma (here, black or unwholesome ones).
Why is that? Because it makes jati – birth (painful births). It makes dukkha sacca. But also you’re expecting good kamma (for blissful rebirths & enjoying the fruits). This also will give you dukkha sacca. By thinking backwardly (the reverse order – patiloma of D.A process) & will find the 5 khandhas as the cause.
Because of the 5 khandhas that tanhā arises. From the khandha & tanhā arises is not knowing about it. This is not knowing it as the 5 khandhas (with ignorance & have ditthi/tanhā). The Buddha said that tanhā came from upadhi (acquisition); it means khandha.
With affection to one’s own khandha & others’ khandhas that tanhā arises. If you have affection to the khandha means you want to die. (According to the D.A process; section② → section③ → section④ = the 5 khanda → tanhā, upādānā, kamma → jāra, marana).
Whatever khandha you have affection is wanting to die. With the affection to the khandha, wherever you’ll be had to die. All your corpses were piling up (like mountains). Don’t say that it’s kamma. It’s the cause of affection to the khandha (tanhā). Affection means foolishness for deaths. The D.A process is telling you that because of affection & you have to die.
Khandha is section ②, affection is sec.③ & death is sec.④. Having to die again & again are tormenting by affection. In the many kinds of death which one do you like? (Sayadaw mentioned some of them) If you contemplate the impermanence of your khandha & no affection for it. No affection is magga. It’s non-greed (alobha). This khandha is like a liquor mixed with poison. If you drink it & have to die.
In the same way if you have affection to the khandha & also have to die. The poisonous liquor is like the khandha (In one of the sutta, the Buddha compared it with the 4 poisonous snakes). The foolish worldling is the person clinging to it. The one who drinks the poisonous liquor. If you contemplate the impermanence of the khandha & no affection arises. If you are without affection for it & will not die again.
29th December 1961
I am old now. I’ll die very soon. Think yourself with these things. Where are ageing & death coming from? It is from birth (jati). Ageing & death are dukkha sacca – the result. Birth is samudaya sacca – the cause.
Thinking about the khandha & these things appear. Then you know about truths (sacca). Again where is jati coming from? From kamma-bhava – the producing of kamma for becoming. Kammabhava is the cause-samudaya. And jati is the result-dukkha.
If both of them cease & become nirodha sacca. The practice of their cessation is magga sacca. Therefore you have to practice magga sacca. Thinking in this way is knowing about the truths. You’re afraid of kamma (here, black or unwholesome ones).
Why is that? Because it makes jati – birth (painful births). It makes dukkha sacca. But also you’re expecting good kamma (for blissful rebirths & enjoying the fruits). This also will give you dukkha sacca. By thinking backwardly (the reverse order – patiloma of D.A process) & will find the 5 khandhas as the cause.
Because of the 5 khandhas that tanhā arises. From the khandha & tanhā arises is not knowing about it. This is not knowing it as the 5 khandhas (with ignorance & have ditthi/tanhā). The Buddha said that tanhā came from upadhi (acquisition); it means khandha.
With affection to one’s own khandha & others’ khandhas that tanhā arises. If you have affection to the khandha means you want to die. (According to the D.A process; section② → section③ → section④ = the 5 khanda → tanhā, upādānā, kamma → jāra, marana).
Whatever khandha you have affection is wanting to die. With the affection to the khandha, wherever you’ll be had to die. All your corpses were piling up (like mountains). Don’t say that it’s kamma. It’s the cause of affection to the khandha (tanhā). Affection means foolishness for deaths. The D.A process is telling you that because of affection & you have to die.
Khandha is section ②, affection is sec.③ & death is sec.④. Having to die again & again are tormenting by affection. In the many kinds of death which one do you like? (Sayadaw mentioned some of them) If you contemplate the impermanence of your khandha & no affection for it. No affection is magga. It’s non-greed (alobha). This khandha is like a liquor mixed with poison. If you drink it & have to die.
In the same way if you have affection to the khandha & also have to die. The poisonous liquor is like the khandha (In one of the sutta, the Buddha compared it with the 4 poisonous snakes). The foolish worldling is the person clinging to it. The one who drinks the poisonous liquor. If you contemplate the impermanence of the khandha & no affection arises. If you are without affection for it & will not die again.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 11-7
[07] Dāna & Nibbāna
15th December 1961
[A talk on dāna offering. U Kyaw Thein & Daw Tin Hla (a couple) offering a Dhamma Hall for practice. Sayadaw explained to them how to make dāna for a decisive support – upanisaya for Nibbāna.]
Dāna gives the rebirth-linking result (patisandhi) & present life result (pavutti). Pavutti result means to encounter with a good teacher & helping a decisive support for the cause of the path. It is leading to the path condition (magga paccayo).
To encounter a good teacher is the power of decisive support. Dāna also a decisive support for the path condition. To arrive human world & encounter with the Buddha’s Teachings are upanisaya. Without upanisaya & having the nyan ear to listen sacca dhamma is impossible.
The Buddha himself said that upanisaya helped the path condition & could let Path & Fruition Knowledges to arise. (Sayadaw talked about the 5 results came from the offering of monastery buildings in the Aṅguttara Nikāya These are: Ayu, vanna, sukha, paññā & bala – long life, good looking, happiness, wisdom & power). W
ealths & properties can be changed at anytime before death. It can be met with the 5 dangers of water, fire, king, thieves & one’s own family members. It can be also misued & spending them with one’s kilesa. Therefore dāna offering are like taking things out from a house on fire. If you die & can’t take it with you & have to leave behind.
(People not doing dāna, merits & wholesome things are foolish indeed. Because human world is the most important place for living beings to cultivate goodness & practicing for transcending dukkha. Instead most human beings are wasting their precious time & chances with sensual pleasure & unwholesome dhamma).
Dāna offerings are like taking things out from the burning house & save it as one’s own properties. Should not think it as reducing or spending your wealths. 31 realms of existence are kilesa fire. So they are burning with the fire of dukkha. The Buddha was admonishing us for not taking out things from the burning fire.”
(Even most people even don’t know as these are burning with fire. And it’s worth to do it. Here Sayadaw mentioned a current news happened in Rangoon where a man was robbed & killed by robbers). His khandha & properties are burned down with fire.
(Again Sayadaw talked about the last day of the Buddha. The Buddha laid down his burdened khandha at the sal-grove in Kusinārā. Because of the saṅkhāra dhamma & nothing was left there nowadays. All the grandeur was gone. It was quite a saṁvega story.
It was not more than a dream). By performing dāna & it finished with anicca. If you don’t perform it also the same nature. Dāna offerings with the enriching of wisdom are finished the same. But it is following with non-greed, loving kindness & wisdom (alobha, adosa & amoha). If you let it finishing by itself & following with lobha, dosa & moha. The differences are one ends dukkha. & the other connecting dukkha. (We should think about this point seriously).
(Sayadaw talked about the 6 wholesome & unwholesome mind mentioned about with the D.A process.) Offering dāna with alobha, adosa & amoha (paññā) is not connecting saṁsāra. Offering with seeing dukkha sacca & can’t connect dukkha. Not wanting is magga-alobha. Not wanting the khandha & properties are offering with magga. (He instructed the couple how to have right attention).
The khandha is always burning with 11 kinds of fire. To have the khandha is becoming fuels. Therefore wanting to end the fuels (khandha) & extinguishing the fire (kilesa) that we are performing dāna. A dāna combines with truth (sacca) & volition (cetana). Cetana (kamma) has to follow behind knowledge.
(Sayadaw gave an example with the Buddha) The Bodhisatta (Buddha to-be), for many past lives (incalculable) had done a lot of great dāna paramis (perfection for givings), but only with the knowledge of becoming a Buddha. If his volitions (cetana/kamma) had to follow him would not become a Buddha.
But only let cetana following behind knowledge (ñāna) that became a Buddha, & attained Nibbāna. Nyan as a predominant quality is seeing dukkha. Nyan as a leader & cetana as a follower. Nyan is making the kammic power becomes weakened. Therefore it’s the dhamma cutting off kamma.
15th December 1961
[A talk on dāna offering. U Kyaw Thein & Daw Tin Hla (a couple) offering a Dhamma Hall for practice. Sayadaw explained to them how to make dāna for a decisive support – upanisaya for Nibbāna.]
Dāna gives the rebirth-linking result (patisandhi) & present life result (pavutti). Pavutti result means to encounter with a good teacher & helping a decisive support for the cause of the path. It is leading to the path condition (magga paccayo).
To encounter a good teacher is the power of decisive support. Dāna also a decisive support for the path condition. To arrive human world & encounter with the Buddha’s Teachings are upanisaya. Without upanisaya & having the nyan ear to listen sacca dhamma is impossible.
The Buddha himself said that upanisaya helped the path condition & could let Path & Fruition Knowledges to arise. (Sayadaw talked about the 5 results came from the offering of monastery buildings in the Aṅguttara Nikāya These are: Ayu, vanna, sukha, paññā & bala – long life, good looking, happiness, wisdom & power). W
ealths & properties can be changed at anytime before death. It can be met with the 5 dangers of water, fire, king, thieves & one’s own family members. It can be also misued & spending them with one’s kilesa. Therefore dāna offering are like taking things out from a house on fire. If you die & can’t take it with you & have to leave behind.
(People not doing dāna, merits & wholesome things are foolish indeed. Because human world is the most important place for living beings to cultivate goodness & practicing for transcending dukkha. Instead most human beings are wasting their precious time & chances with sensual pleasure & unwholesome dhamma).
Dāna offerings are like taking things out from the burning house & save it as one’s own properties. Should not think it as reducing or spending your wealths. 31 realms of existence are kilesa fire. So they are burning with the fire of dukkha. The Buddha was admonishing us for not taking out things from the burning fire.”
(Even most people even don’t know as these are burning with fire. And it’s worth to do it. Here Sayadaw mentioned a current news happened in Rangoon where a man was robbed & killed by robbers). His khandha & properties are burned down with fire.
(Again Sayadaw talked about the last day of the Buddha. The Buddha laid down his burdened khandha at the sal-grove in Kusinārā. Because of the saṅkhāra dhamma & nothing was left there nowadays. All the grandeur was gone. It was quite a saṁvega story.
It was not more than a dream). By performing dāna & it finished with anicca. If you don’t perform it also the same nature. Dāna offerings with the enriching of wisdom are finished the same. But it is following with non-greed, loving kindness & wisdom (alobha, adosa & amoha). If you let it finishing by itself & following with lobha, dosa & moha. The differences are one ends dukkha. & the other connecting dukkha. (We should think about this point seriously).
(Sayadaw talked about the 6 wholesome & unwholesome mind mentioned about with the D.A process.) Offering dāna with alobha, adosa & amoha (paññā) is not connecting saṁsāra. Offering with seeing dukkha sacca & can’t connect dukkha. Not wanting is magga-alobha. Not wanting the khandha & properties are offering with magga. (He instructed the couple how to have right attention).
The khandha is always burning with 11 kinds of fire. To have the khandha is becoming fuels. Therefore wanting to end the fuels (khandha) & extinguishing the fire (kilesa) that we are performing dāna. A dāna combines with truth (sacca) & volition (cetana). Cetana (kamma) has to follow behind knowledge.
(Sayadaw gave an example with the Buddha) The Bodhisatta (Buddha to-be), for many past lives (incalculable) had done a lot of great dāna paramis (perfection for givings), but only with the knowledge of becoming a Buddha. If his volitions (cetana/kamma) had to follow him would not become a Buddha.
But only let cetana following behind knowledge (ñāna) that became a Buddha, & attained Nibbāna. Nyan as a predominant quality is seeing dukkha. Nyan as a leader & cetana as a follower. Nyan is making the kammic power becomes weakened. Therefore it’s the dhamma cutting off kamma.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 11-8
[08] Practicing for Dying
11th to 12th August 1962
T1
[Here Sayadaw gave 2 talks on vedana & how to deal with them, especially near dying. We shouldn’t waste our precious life as a human being by doing useless things & leading to painful rebirths. We should observe & study on people near dying.
Even ourselves were more or less had experiences these things with our family members or friends. It was quite painful to see people died painfully & in tragic ways. Their ways of dying were expressing their painful rebirths.
The flood water of ageing, sickness & death are waiting for us as arising. We need to prepare the maggin raft to cross over the ocean of saṁsāra to a safety place. He taught vedanānupassanā for dealing with tanhā. And already had taught cittānupassanā for dealing with ditthi.
Tanhā is sharper than ditthi, & avijjā is powerful than tanhā. Eradication of kilesa are from ditthi to tanhā, & tanhā to avijjā successively. Ditthi constructs the lower khandha of painful births. And tanhā constructs higher khandha of human to arūpa brahma worlds.
Vedana can appear on the body & in the heart area (hadaya vatthu). It’s important to observe at the right places. It’s ñāta pariññā – theoretical knowledge & without this can’t do tirana pariññā – development with contemplation.
There’re 3 kinds if vedana; sukha, dukkha, upekkha appear internally & externally of the body. Usually we only use sukha. & dukkha in our daily life language, & not including upekkha. In vipassanā contemplation if not observing at the right places & Nibbāna not arises. It will be impossible if the objects & mind (nyan) are not in accordance with each other. Can’t cut off D.A process.
Sayadaw explained the vipassanā process very simple & clear. He placed serially 5 small betel nuts on the table in front of him. The first to the 3rd nuts were representing mundane path knowledges (all are discerning anicca; udayabbaya, bhanga & nibbida ñāna.
The 4th is the Path Knowledge (not seeing anicca anymore & instead their ending or Nibbāna). It can’t kill kilesa perfectly yet (anusaya). It’s only the seed of ariya. The 1st to 3rd knowledges are still the worldling mind. The 4th knowledge is ariya mind. From ① to ④ are ceasing successively, & complete with the 8 path factors.
The knowledges following after the ④ are also seeing Nibbāna. The 5th seeing Nibbāna & also killing tanhā (i.e. the Fruition Knowledge kills anusaya). The knowledges of ① to ③ are very important, because it has connection with bhavetabba. The 4th & 5th knowledges are arising naturally (the outcome of 1, 2, 3 knowledges)]
With the ordinary dāna & sīla is a sleeping person. Without preparing the maggin raft & doing things in accordance with tanhā is in sleep. This is sleeping with avijjā & tanhā. Tanhā is more sharper than ditthi. Avijjā is more sharper than tanhā. During the time of vedana paccaya tanhā (feeling conditions of craving) he was still a bodhisatta.
Wanting to become a Buddha, the bodhisatta was contemplating vedana until it became ending. (Gave instruction on Vedana). Venada arises on the body & also in the mind. Contemplate it at the arising place. As an e.g. on the body sukha vedana arises & in the mind also happiness arises.
If arising on the body & contemplate on the body. In the mind also in the same way. If the contemplation is not at the right place can’t attain Nibbāna. It means the object of contemplation & contemplative mind are not at the same place. Also it means D.A process can’t cut off.
Three insight knowledges must airse. ① udayabbaya ñāna – knowledge of rise & fall ② banga ñāna – knowledge of dissolution ③ nibbida ñāna – knowledge of disenchantment. All 3 of them are contemplating of impermanence. ① to ③ are the knowledges of a worldling. All are the path factors of a worldling (5 maggan). Knowing as all are in dissolution.
After ③ ceases & not seeing the dissolution. At the ending of them seeing Nibbāna arises. It’s the no.④ mind – i.e. the Path Knowledge. It is seeing Nibbāna, but still can’t kill kilesa yet. The 4th not see impermanence but still can’t kill the latent kilesa. The 4th is the seed of ariya. From ① to ④ can’t cut off kilesa are the same & only different in views.
After that maggin raft will appear. ④ arises for the cutting off the worldling status, not for the kilesa. After the ④ ceases & the 8 path factors appear. It’s no.⑤ & also see Nibbāna. It needs to ask who shows Nibbāna to him. ④ showing it & ⑤ seeing it. ④ is the cause & ⑤ is the result.
⑤ is seeing Nibbāna & killing tanhā. ④ only seeing it & can’t kill tanhā. ① to ③ are seeing anicca but tanhā not dies. ④ is seeing Nibbāna & tanhā also not dies. ⑤ seeing Nibbāna & tanhā dies. If ① arises must leading to ⑤ & it’s sure. The task is finished with these 5 points.
T2
Death & birth (cuti & patisandhi) are only far away from each other in realms of existence (e.g. dies as human & reborn as devata. As dhamma they are very close to each other. After death & hell birth arises (as an example for painful birth).
This dying kamma is near to death. This near kamma is making this birth. The kamma you had done before such as building pagoda & monastery were quite far away. Therefore the near kamma gives the result. (The good kammas of the past had done before not arise at the time of death).
So it’s called asanna kamma (near death kamma). Who has done it? At near dying; it’s overwhelming with vedana & dukkha vedana is unbearable. The mind also becomes unbearable. You have to separate vedana with anatta. (instead we combine vedana with atta). For that I want you do the contemplation from now on.
So that at the time of death you’ll know that it’s vedana or the impermanence of anatta? I want you all to practice hard earlier to overcome vedana & seeing their vanishing of anatta. At near death it becomes anatta mind. Anatta is a knowledge. After that death comes & becomes arahant at the same time.
Even not become an arahant, after death to a blissful birth. If you can’t bear dukkha vedana & near death the 5 mind moments of dosa arise (as anguished state). Death & dosa mind are near to each other at that time. Therefore the wholesome kammas you have done before can’t give the result. Instead the near kamma gives the result. It’s called asanna kamma (near death kamma).
Therefore it needs to contemplate vedana to become anatta. (Sayadaw gave the example of the asanna kamma with the older bulls near the entrance of a cow pen. When the cow pen is opened in the early morning & the older bulls come out first. Because they are near the entrance. Here older bulls are asanna kamma & the entrance is death)
Other habitual kamma (acinna kamma) are far away. But they’ll give the results later. Now at this time you’re in good health & with contemplation to know the impermanence of vedana. Later if vedana come & will see the vanishing of it. And will die as a magga/phala person.
Because you discern impermanence with the contemplation at near death. If you not exercising for dying & it’s a great loss (We should take this point very serious). For someone in practice, even not becomes an arahant & near death it can be. Why is that? Because near death has strong determination.
At that time will not pay attention to family matters & has strong effort. (Some disciples of Sayadaw, when they were near death cut off communication with their family members. They shut themselves in their rooms, listening to Sayadaw’s talks & contemplating their khandhas & died).
Now if you are taking it easy & relax, will encounter with the worse situation. With the practicing kamma & at near death also these vedana. The practice kamma before death was just normal desire (chanda), viriya & paññā. Now at near death the chanda, viriya & paññā are becoming stronger. (Because it’s the last hope).
As like cittānupassanā is important (in daily life), & near the entrance of death vedanānupassanā is also important. Vedana arising is anatta & vanishing is also anatta. They are arising & vanishing in accordance with their nature. The mind is seeing anatta & becomes asanna kamma. And then becomes arahant; if not & takes rebirth in the blissful plane.
(Sayadaw told the differences between human beings & devata). Devata doesn’t has bile, phlegm, mucus & blood like human being. So, the mind of a devata is bright & clear. Human has a lot of phlegm & mucus full with the volume of a condensed milk can which effect the mind base. In the celestial realm & continues the contemplation, with a blip discerns impermanence.
It doesn’t has any obstruction. Because devata body doesn’t has phlegm, mucus, bile, blood, etc. Between them only has one mind separated (i.e, between death & birth). It can be entered the stream instantly. You can rember your merit only without the coarse vedana (i.e, painful feeling). If it’s coarse & you can’t.
Now, you know that people not doing the practice will be in danger. I am telling you clearly that by doing the practice will be successful, including the benefit & the faults without it. At near dying by reciting the Metta Sutta is impossible because can’t hear anymore (depend on the situations).
Near death mostly dukkha vedana arises. Without the habitual kamma die with anger or anguish. (Sayadaw gave the story of the 30 monks at the time of the Buddha, to illustrate the benefit of habitual kamma. 30 monks were practicing in a forest. A tiger came every night & took for a monk.
At last they knew the situation, & had to alarm each other if the tiger came back again. It came back again & dragged a monk away. The other monks were chasing to save the victim until couldn’t follow anymore. They reminded the victim to rely on his practice. The victim because of his habitual practice (kamma) overcame the dukkha vedana & became arahant before passing away.
At the time of seeing anicca even vedana not appears in the yogi mind. Separate vedana with contemplation & discern anicca/anatta. All conditioned phenomena are anicca & dukkha. All dhammas are anatta. Do you still see vedana? You only see the vanishing. Later he became an arahant before passing away. It was not by vedana, but with anicca, dukkha & anatta.
If you are practicing now & will see this only. No contemplation & die with anger/anguish, & with contemplation will has the path factors. If you don’t want to die with an unpleasant death have to prepare for it. At near death you can’t rely on other things.
Before that have to prepare for the anicca, dukkha & anatta. Near death even not die with anguish & with the attachment to family members & wealth becomes peta (hungry ghost). Die with delusion of unclear mind becomes animal. You have to suffer by the arrangement of asanna kamma. Vedana are killing the whole world.
Therefore it’s very important. Near death is overwhelming by vedana. So don’t take it lightly. With it the wholesome mind can’t arise. Someone has the preparation & it doesn’t has power over him. Even it can send to Nibbāna. Vedana is also a nutriment (āhāra).
(The Buddha taught 4 kinds of nutriments. These are: ① Phassa - contact ② Cetana – volition ③ Consciousness ④ Foods. Another meaning of āhāra is the cause carries the result with it. ① to ③ are mind nutriment, & ④ is physical. With phassa different types of vedana arise.
Cetana conditions rebirth – linking consciousness (one of the important cause). Here consciousness is (rebirth) consciousness & it conditions mind/matter (nāma/rūpa). With foods increase new matters. By knowing these 4 āhāras clearly free from saṁsāra. Can abandon foods becomes anagamin. Ovecome phassa/vedana becomes arahant.
If seeing the faults of cetana (kamma) can abandon tanhā & becomes arahant. With phassa exists has the danger of contact with sense objects. Cetana exists has the danger of becoming (bhava). Consciousness exists has the danger of connecting mind/matter. We have to eat foods to free from the other 3 dangers. To abandon tanhā conditioning by them. From Sayadaw Dr. Nandamalabhivamsa’s talk)
So we’re alive with vedana. How hell beings survive in hell? Nobody comes to feed them. They’re suffering with dukkha vedana. Their vedana are āhāra. At the time of the Buddha there were large petas. Their bodies were as high as a palm tree.
Their mouths were tiny as a needle hole. It made by kammas. Kammaniyama acinteyyo – the law of kamma is unthinkable. They didn’t have the kamma to eat foods. They were alive with vedanāhāra. (In one of his talks also referred it as kammāhāra).
If you contemplate vedana & it is including mind, vice versa. Then contemplate the one more distinctive to you, & it’s easy to catch on. In regards to vedana; when it’s pleasant – oh! it’s good! When painful, Ahh! it’s pain. (Sayadaw gave some examples of them). With vedana, it starts become unconfortable, if you can contemplate it & not become severe (i.e, painful feeling).
You contemplate the beginning of vedana & big vedana not arises. Sitting & watching the in-breath & out-breath, and vedana will arise. When you observe it & not ther. Because after it passing away that contemplative mind can arise. Vedana is arising & vanishing (khaya/vaya). Contemplative mind is magga.
After that 3 kinds of vedana arise accordingly. Everytime of it arising & can contemplate & become khaya-vaya/anicca & magga. Vanishing is as an object benefitting the magga. With watching & observing – anicca/magga are arising accordingly.
11th to 12th August 1962
T1
[Here Sayadaw gave 2 talks on vedana & how to deal with them, especially near dying. We shouldn’t waste our precious life as a human being by doing useless things & leading to painful rebirths. We should observe & study on people near dying.
Even ourselves were more or less had experiences these things with our family members or friends. It was quite painful to see people died painfully & in tragic ways. Their ways of dying were expressing their painful rebirths.
The flood water of ageing, sickness & death are waiting for us as arising. We need to prepare the maggin raft to cross over the ocean of saṁsāra to a safety place. He taught vedanānupassanā for dealing with tanhā. And already had taught cittānupassanā for dealing with ditthi.
Tanhā is sharper than ditthi, & avijjā is powerful than tanhā. Eradication of kilesa are from ditthi to tanhā, & tanhā to avijjā successively. Ditthi constructs the lower khandha of painful births. And tanhā constructs higher khandha of human to arūpa brahma worlds.
Vedana can appear on the body & in the heart area (hadaya vatthu). It’s important to observe at the right places. It’s ñāta pariññā – theoretical knowledge & without this can’t do tirana pariññā – development with contemplation.
There’re 3 kinds if vedana; sukha, dukkha, upekkha appear internally & externally of the body. Usually we only use sukha. & dukkha in our daily life language, & not including upekkha. In vipassanā contemplation if not observing at the right places & Nibbāna not arises. It will be impossible if the objects & mind (nyan) are not in accordance with each other. Can’t cut off D.A process.
Sayadaw explained the vipassanā process very simple & clear. He placed serially 5 small betel nuts on the table in front of him. The first to the 3rd nuts were representing mundane path knowledges (all are discerning anicca; udayabbaya, bhanga & nibbida ñāna.
The 4th is the Path Knowledge (not seeing anicca anymore & instead their ending or Nibbāna). It can’t kill kilesa perfectly yet (anusaya). It’s only the seed of ariya. The 1st to 3rd knowledges are still the worldling mind. The 4th knowledge is ariya mind. From ① to ④ are ceasing successively, & complete with the 8 path factors.
The knowledges following after the ④ are also seeing Nibbāna. The 5th seeing Nibbāna & also killing tanhā (i.e. the Fruition Knowledge kills anusaya). The knowledges of ① to ③ are very important, because it has connection with bhavetabba. The 4th & 5th knowledges are arising naturally (the outcome of 1, 2, 3 knowledges)]
With the ordinary dāna & sīla is a sleeping person. Without preparing the maggin raft & doing things in accordance with tanhā is in sleep. This is sleeping with avijjā & tanhā. Tanhā is more sharper than ditthi. Avijjā is more sharper than tanhā. During the time of vedana paccaya tanhā (feeling conditions of craving) he was still a bodhisatta.
Wanting to become a Buddha, the bodhisatta was contemplating vedana until it became ending. (Gave instruction on Vedana). Venada arises on the body & also in the mind. Contemplate it at the arising place. As an e.g. on the body sukha vedana arises & in the mind also happiness arises.
If arising on the body & contemplate on the body. In the mind also in the same way. If the contemplation is not at the right place can’t attain Nibbāna. It means the object of contemplation & contemplative mind are not at the same place. Also it means D.A process can’t cut off.
Three insight knowledges must airse. ① udayabbaya ñāna – knowledge of rise & fall ② banga ñāna – knowledge of dissolution ③ nibbida ñāna – knowledge of disenchantment. All 3 of them are contemplating of impermanence. ① to ③ are the knowledges of a worldling. All are the path factors of a worldling (5 maggan). Knowing as all are in dissolution.
After ③ ceases & not seeing the dissolution. At the ending of them seeing Nibbāna arises. It’s the no.④ mind – i.e. the Path Knowledge. It is seeing Nibbāna, but still can’t kill kilesa yet. The 4th not see impermanence but still can’t kill the latent kilesa. The 4th is the seed of ariya. From ① to ④ can’t cut off kilesa are the same & only different in views.
After that maggin raft will appear. ④ arises for the cutting off the worldling status, not for the kilesa. After the ④ ceases & the 8 path factors appear. It’s no.⑤ & also see Nibbāna. It needs to ask who shows Nibbāna to him. ④ showing it & ⑤ seeing it. ④ is the cause & ⑤ is the result.
⑤ is seeing Nibbāna & killing tanhā. ④ only seeing it & can’t kill tanhā. ① to ③ are seeing anicca but tanhā not dies. ④ is seeing Nibbāna & tanhā also not dies. ⑤ seeing Nibbāna & tanhā dies. If ① arises must leading to ⑤ & it’s sure. The task is finished with these 5 points.
T2
Death & birth (cuti & patisandhi) are only far away from each other in realms of existence (e.g. dies as human & reborn as devata. As dhamma they are very close to each other. After death & hell birth arises (as an example for painful birth).
This dying kamma is near to death. This near kamma is making this birth. The kamma you had done before such as building pagoda & monastery were quite far away. Therefore the near kamma gives the result. (The good kammas of the past had done before not arise at the time of death).
So it’s called asanna kamma (near death kamma). Who has done it? At near dying; it’s overwhelming with vedana & dukkha vedana is unbearable. The mind also becomes unbearable. You have to separate vedana with anatta. (instead we combine vedana with atta). For that I want you do the contemplation from now on.
So that at the time of death you’ll know that it’s vedana or the impermanence of anatta? I want you all to practice hard earlier to overcome vedana & seeing their vanishing of anatta. At near death it becomes anatta mind. Anatta is a knowledge. After that death comes & becomes arahant at the same time.
Even not become an arahant, after death to a blissful birth. If you can’t bear dukkha vedana & near death the 5 mind moments of dosa arise (as anguished state). Death & dosa mind are near to each other at that time. Therefore the wholesome kammas you have done before can’t give the result. Instead the near kamma gives the result. It’s called asanna kamma (near death kamma).
Therefore it needs to contemplate vedana to become anatta. (Sayadaw gave the example of the asanna kamma with the older bulls near the entrance of a cow pen. When the cow pen is opened in the early morning & the older bulls come out first. Because they are near the entrance. Here older bulls are asanna kamma & the entrance is death)
Other habitual kamma (acinna kamma) are far away. But they’ll give the results later. Now at this time you’re in good health & with contemplation to know the impermanence of vedana. Later if vedana come & will see the vanishing of it. And will die as a magga/phala person.
Because you discern impermanence with the contemplation at near death. If you not exercising for dying & it’s a great loss (We should take this point very serious). For someone in practice, even not becomes an arahant & near death it can be. Why is that? Because near death has strong determination.
At that time will not pay attention to family matters & has strong effort. (Some disciples of Sayadaw, when they were near death cut off communication with their family members. They shut themselves in their rooms, listening to Sayadaw’s talks & contemplating their khandhas & died).
Now if you are taking it easy & relax, will encounter with the worse situation. With the practicing kamma & at near death also these vedana. The practice kamma before death was just normal desire (chanda), viriya & paññā. Now at near death the chanda, viriya & paññā are becoming stronger. (Because it’s the last hope).
As like cittānupassanā is important (in daily life), & near the entrance of death vedanānupassanā is also important. Vedana arising is anatta & vanishing is also anatta. They are arising & vanishing in accordance with their nature. The mind is seeing anatta & becomes asanna kamma. And then becomes arahant; if not & takes rebirth in the blissful plane.
(Sayadaw told the differences between human beings & devata). Devata doesn’t has bile, phlegm, mucus & blood like human being. So, the mind of a devata is bright & clear. Human has a lot of phlegm & mucus full with the volume of a condensed milk can which effect the mind base. In the celestial realm & continues the contemplation, with a blip discerns impermanence.
It doesn’t has any obstruction. Because devata body doesn’t has phlegm, mucus, bile, blood, etc. Between them only has one mind separated (i.e, between death & birth). It can be entered the stream instantly. You can rember your merit only without the coarse vedana (i.e, painful feeling). If it’s coarse & you can’t.
Now, you know that people not doing the practice will be in danger. I am telling you clearly that by doing the practice will be successful, including the benefit & the faults without it. At near dying by reciting the Metta Sutta is impossible because can’t hear anymore (depend on the situations).
Near death mostly dukkha vedana arises. Without the habitual kamma die with anger or anguish. (Sayadaw gave the story of the 30 monks at the time of the Buddha, to illustrate the benefit of habitual kamma. 30 monks were practicing in a forest. A tiger came every night & took for a monk.
At last they knew the situation, & had to alarm each other if the tiger came back again. It came back again & dragged a monk away. The other monks were chasing to save the victim until couldn’t follow anymore. They reminded the victim to rely on his practice. The victim because of his habitual practice (kamma) overcame the dukkha vedana & became arahant before passing away.
At the time of seeing anicca even vedana not appears in the yogi mind. Separate vedana with contemplation & discern anicca/anatta. All conditioned phenomena are anicca & dukkha. All dhammas are anatta. Do you still see vedana? You only see the vanishing. Later he became an arahant before passing away. It was not by vedana, but with anicca, dukkha & anatta.
If you are practicing now & will see this only. No contemplation & die with anger/anguish, & with contemplation will has the path factors. If you don’t want to die with an unpleasant death have to prepare for it. At near death you can’t rely on other things.
Before that have to prepare for the anicca, dukkha & anatta. Near death even not die with anguish & with the attachment to family members & wealth becomes peta (hungry ghost). Die with delusion of unclear mind becomes animal. You have to suffer by the arrangement of asanna kamma. Vedana are killing the whole world.
Therefore it’s very important. Near death is overwhelming by vedana. So don’t take it lightly. With it the wholesome mind can’t arise. Someone has the preparation & it doesn’t has power over him. Even it can send to Nibbāna. Vedana is also a nutriment (āhāra).
(The Buddha taught 4 kinds of nutriments. These are: ① Phassa - contact ② Cetana – volition ③ Consciousness ④ Foods. Another meaning of āhāra is the cause carries the result with it. ① to ③ are mind nutriment, & ④ is physical. With phassa different types of vedana arise.
Cetana conditions rebirth – linking consciousness (one of the important cause). Here consciousness is (rebirth) consciousness & it conditions mind/matter (nāma/rūpa). With foods increase new matters. By knowing these 4 āhāras clearly free from saṁsāra. Can abandon foods becomes anagamin. Ovecome phassa/vedana becomes arahant.
If seeing the faults of cetana (kamma) can abandon tanhā & becomes arahant. With phassa exists has the danger of contact with sense objects. Cetana exists has the danger of becoming (bhava). Consciousness exists has the danger of connecting mind/matter. We have to eat foods to free from the other 3 dangers. To abandon tanhā conditioning by them. From Sayadaw Dr. Nandamalabhivamsa’s talk)
So we’re alive with vedana. How hell beings survive in hell? Nobody comes to feed them. They’re suffering with dukkha vedana. Their vedana are āhāra. At the time of the Buddha there were large petas. Their bodies were as high as a palm tree.
Their mouths were tiny as a needle hole. It made by kammas. Kammaniyama acinteyyo – the law of kamma is unthinkable. They didn’t have the kamma to eat foods. They were alive with vedanāhāra. (In one of his talks also referred it as kammāhāra).
If you contemplate vedana & it is including mind, vice versa. Then contemplate the one more distinctive to you, & it’s easy to catch on. In regards to vedana; when it’s pleasant – oh! it’s good! When painful, Ahh! it’s pain. (Sayadaw gave some examples of them). With vedana, it starts become unconfortable, if you can contemplate it & not become severe (i.e, painful feeling).
You contemplate the beginning of vedana & big vedana not arises. Sitting & watching the in-breath & out-breath, and vedana will arise. When you observe it & not ther. Because after it passing away that contemplative mind can arise. Vedana is arising & vanishing (khaya/vaya). Contemplative mind is magga.
After that 3 kinds of vedana arise accordingly. Everytime of it arising & can contemplate & become khaya-vaya/anicca & magga. Vanishing is as an object benefitting the magga. With watching & observing – anicca/magga are arising accordingly.
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw--Part 11-9
[09] Seeing Nibbāna with the Pure Mind
23rd August 1962
In practicing dhamma to Nibbāna must know about Nibbāna. To know about the place of destination & try to practice for arriving there. If not, will not try for it. King Milinda wanted to know the following 6 questions & asked Ven. Nāgasena.
① Phenomena arise by kamma
② Phenomena arise by causes
③ Phenomena arise by temperature - utu
④ Phenomena not arise by kamma
⑤ Phenomena not arise by causes
⑥ Phenomena not arise by utu.
① Cetana-volition-kamma causes living beings to arise. Kamma causes mind & matter to arise. ② Seeds, trees & forest fire arise by causes (fire, seeds) ③ Temparature causes earth, water, air & mountain to arise. Dhammas not arise by kamma, causes & temperature are sky & Nibbāna. Nibbāna is not the path of kamma, but have to remember it as the path of knowledge (nyan).
(Sayadaw made a critical view on people asking Nibbāna with prayers & merits). If you try to attain Nibbāna with kamma will not get it. I want you to try it with nyan. You can’t connect it with cause & effect. Therefore every day I am talking to you searching with knowledge.
You must regard knowledge (nyan) as the main point/factor. Nibbāna is the way with the path factors of right view – sammāditthi maggan. Nibbāna is nyan way. Therefore the Buddha was searching Nibbāna with knowledge & leaving kamma behind. You have your own ageing & death. Can you separate ageing & death with you?
Ven. Nāgasena explained Nibbāna to Kind Milinda. It’s not arising at the present. If arising at the present & everyone’ll see it. Also it not had arisen. This is not the kind of dhamma arises by others. Not the past dhamma. And not the present dhamma. Also not a future dhamma.
Some people making prayers such as in the end of our lives may we be realized Nibbāna. (Sayadaw corrected their mistakes) The ending of becoming never happen without practice. This is the same as may we be never realized Nibbāna) Don’t put the words of at the end of my life in your prayers. It should be only, may my practice supports the realization of Nibbāna.
If you want to end it have to make it yourself. If you take it as will be ended by itself is wrong. Meeting with a spiritual friend – kalynamitta & if you want to end it by practice & will be ended. You have to correct your traditional view. If you leave it by itself & will be never ended.
(i.e. important of the practice & not only rely on kamma). It’s not a kind of dhamma make by other. Therefore the Buddha said, “Teaching people is my task. Practicing is your duty.” Nibbāna is free from 3 periods of time (had arisen, is arriving & will be arisen).
If, it’s free from the periods of time, should we take it as not exists? Among the 6 senses doors can’t know with the eye, ……, body, the 5 sense doors. Only know & see with the mind door. Do you satisfy with the saying of looking with the mind? Sleeping & thinking are also the mind. So you can ask me as does every mind can see Nibbāna? With a clear question and will appreciate the answer.
You can see it with the pure mind. If it’s not pure & you can’t. Only with the mind not mixed with kilesa. If you still not seeing Nibbāna & your mind is still not pure. If practicing, we are the disciples of the ariya. Don’t mix-up with the 5 hindrances.
If you discerning impermanence, disenchantment of it & nyan becomes quite sharp. But it’s still in the āsava of the sense sphere. Vipassanā knowledges are still mixing with kilesa. Still not free from the sphere of āsava. There are 3 types of mind (mano); ① mano mixed with kilesa ② nyan mind in the sphere of kilesa ③ mano free from kilesa.
The mind thoroughly penetrated dukkha & not wanting of it will see Nibbāna. Only magga citta arises will free from kilesa, & seeing Nibbāna. Even the arising of insight knowledges are still under the influence of ignorance. The pure nyan is lokuttara nyan. If not arriving to the Path Knowledge & still not pure. After the disenchantment & not ending of it still not pure. So this is about pure knowledge & not kamma.
At the time the mind is pure will see Nibbāna. This is the thing of a noble person (ariyan). So it’s free from the 3 periods of time. Today we know about ourselves. Nibbāna not accepting someone who has the leprosy of kilesa. People don’t want to go Nibbāna. Instead they are wanting to be near the fire.
They are having the kilesa leprosy that can’t close to Nibbāna (This simile came from the Magandiya Sutta). Nibbāna has nothing to do with the place. The mind is pure at the time can see it at anywhere & at any time. Purity & impurity of the mind depend on sharp or not sharp knowledges.
So insight knowledges arise for this process. Also has connection with far or not far from kilesa. In the Dhammacakkapavuttana Sutta – the First Discourse mentioned 3 knowledges; ① Udayabbaya ñāna – or Yathābhūta ñāna – the knowledge of rise & fall ② Nibbida ñāna – knowledge of disenchantment ③ Magga ñāna – the Path Knowledge.
It had arranged for kilesa; ① Knowing anicca, dukkha & anatta are not yet disenchanting to the mind & body. ② is the Knowledge of the middle level. ③ Seeing Nibbāna with the freedom from the sphere of dukkha. ① & ② are saṅkhāre passati – seeing saṅkhāra dhamma ③ is Nibbānaṁmaggasa – nibbānaṁphalasa – seeing Nibbāna with Path & Fruition Knowledges.
23rd August 1962
In practicing dhamma to Nibbāna must know about Nibbāna. To know about the place of destination & try to practice for arriving there. If not, will not try for it. King Milinda wanted to know the following 6 questions & asked Ven. Nāgasena.
① Phenomena arise by kamma
② Phenomena arise by causes
③ Phenomena arise by temperature - utu
④ Phenomena not arise by kamma
⑤ Phenomena not arise by causes
⑥ Phenomena not arise by utu.
① Cetana-volition-kamma causes living beings to arise. Kamma causes mind & matter to arise. ② Seeds, trees & forest fire arise by causes (fire, seeds) ③ Temparature causes earth, water, air & mountain to arise. Dhammas not arise by kamma, causes & temperature are sky & Nibbāna. Nibbāna is not the path of kamma, but have to remember it as the path of knowledge (nyan).
(Sayadaw made a critical view on people asking Nibbāna with prayers & merits). If you try to attain Nibbāna with kamma will not get it. I want you to try it with nyan. You can’t connect it with cause & effect. Therefore every day I am talking to you searching with knowledge.
You must regard knowledge (nyan) as the main point/factor. Nibbāna is the way with the path factors of right view – sammāditthi maggan. Nibbāna is nyan way. Therefore the Buddha was searching Nibbāna with knowledge & leaving kamma behind. You have your own ageing & death. Can you separate ageing & death with you?
Ven. Nāgasena explained Nibbāna to Kind Milinda. It’s not arising at the present. If arising at the present & everyone’ll see it. Also it not had arisen. This is not the kind of dhamma arises by others. Not the past dhamma. And not the present dhamma. Also not a future dhamma.
Some people making prayers such as in the end of our lives may we be realized Nibbāna. (Sayadaw corrected their mistakes) The ending of becoming never happen without practice. This is the same as may we be never realized Nibbāna) Don’t put the words of at the end of my life in your prayers. It should be only, may my practice supports the realization of Nibbāna.
If you want to end it have to make it yourself. If you take it as will be ended by itself is wrong. Meeting with a spiritual friend – kalynamitta & if you want to end it by practice & will be ended. You have to correct your traditional view. If you leave it by itself & will be never ended.
(i.e. important of the practice & not only rely on kamma). It’s not a kind of dhamma make by other. Therefore the Buddha said, “Teaching people is my task. Practicing is your duty.” Nibbāna is free from 3 periods of time (had arisen, is arriving & will be arisen).
If, it’s free from the periods of time, should we take it as not exists? Among the 6 senses doors can’t know with the eye, ……, body, the 5 sense doors. Only know & see with the mind door. Do you satisfy with the saying of looking with the mind? Sleeping & thinking are also the mind. So you can ask me as does every mind can see Nibbāna? With a clear question and will appreciate the answer.
You can see it with the pure mind. If it’s not pure & you can’t. Only with the mind not mixed with kilesa. If you still not seeing Nibbāna & your mind is still not pure. If practicing, we are the disciples of the ariya. Don’t mix-up with the 5 hindrances.
If you discerning impermanence, disenchantment of it & nyan becomes quite sharp. But it’s still in the āsava of the sense sphere. Vipassanā knowledges are still mixing with kilesa. Still not free from the sphere of āsava. There are 3 types of mind (mano); ① mano mixed with kilesa ② nyan mind in the sphere of kilesa ③ mano free from kilesa.
The mind thoroughly penetrated dukkha & not wanting of it will see Nibbāna. Only magga citta arises will free from kilesa, & seeing Nibbāna. Even the arising of insight knowledges are still under the influence of ignorance. The pure nyan is lokuttara nyan. If not arriving to the Path Knowledge & still not pure. After the disenchantment & not ending of it still not pure. So this is about pure knowledge & not kamma.
At the time the mind is pure will see Nibbāna. This is the thing of a noble person (ariyan). So it’s free from the 3 periods of time. Today we know about ourselves. Nibbāna not accepting someone who has the leprosy of kilesa. People don’t want to go Nibbāna. Instead they are wanting to be near the fire.
They are having the kilesa leprosy that can’t close to Nibbāna (This simile came from the Magandiya Sutta). Nibbāna has nothing to do with the place. The mind is pure at the time can see it at anywhere & at any time. Purity & impurity of the mind depend on sharp or not sharp knowledges.
So insight knowledges arise for this process. Also has connection with far or not far from kilesa. In the Dhammacakkapavuttana Sutta – the First Discourse mentioned 3 knowledges; ① Udayabbaya ñāna – or Yathābhūta ñāna – the knowledge of rise & fall ② Nibbida ñāna – knowledge of disenchantment ③ Magga ñāna – the Path Knowledge.
It had arranged for kilesa; ① Knowing anicca, dukkha & anatta are not yet disenchanting to the mind & body. ② is the Knowledge of the middle level. ③ Seeing Nibbāna with the freedom from the sphere of dukkha. ① & ② are saṅkhāre passati – seeing saṅkhāra dhamma ③ is Nibbānaṁmaggasa – nibbānaṁphalasa – seeing Nibbāna with Path & Fruition Knowledges.