Eighteen Days In Solitude
Dhamma Instructions in a Meditation Retreat
Venerable U Ādiccaransi
Translated by Phoe Suññā (鄔達摩尊者）
Introduction
Day 01: 17th October, 2002
Day 02: 18th October, 2002
Day 03: 19th October, 2002
Day 04: 20th October, 2002
Day 05: 21th October, 2002
Day 06: 22th October, 2002
Day 07: 23th October, 2002
Day 08: 24th October, 2002
Day 09: 25th October, 2002
Day 10: 26th October, 2002
Day 11: 27th October, 2002
Day 12: 28th October, 2002
Day 13: 29th October, 2002
Day 14: 30th October, 2002
Day 15: 31th October, 2002
Day 16: 1th November, 2002
Day 17: 2th November, 2002
Day 18: 3th November, 2002
Eighteen Days In Solitude--Dhamma Instructions in a Meditation Retreat
Introduction
Introduction
“Eighteen Days in Solitude” is not a famous novel like “The Hundred Days in Solitude” for entertainment, which you cannot take anything with you after death. These were the instructional Dhamma talks on Samatha-Vipassanā practice. It was giving in the year of 2002 during the 18 days retreat in Rangoon.
Ven. U Ādiccaransi the meditation teacher was not well-known outside Burma either. But he was well-known in Burma as an author and Dhamma teacher. He was an interesting and colorful man in his life. The following short biography came from two of his books, the famous and best seller, “The Story of a Man Who has Faith and Taken Refuge in the Triple Gems”.
The second book was “A Man Walking on the Path of Spiritual Knowledge”, and from some of his talks. This short biography is not promoting the identity view which all Buddhists should be abandoned, but for a reflection on Dhamma. There were many things we can learn from his life. The Buddha always emphasized on wisdom (paññā). Without wisdom or wisdom faculty, human beings, out of ignorance and craving create a lot of problems in life, and in societies around the world.
He was born in 1937 as Sun Lwin in the south-western part of Burma. The only son to a Muslim parents. So at the young age he was forced to educate the Koran teaching by his father. He never easily accepted anything with blind faith without knowing them clearly. His father appointed a good teacher for Koran teaching.
Because of his intelligent and philosophical mind always questioned about the existence of God and the Creation. He asked questions to his teacher who would not give the proper answers to satisfy his mind. At last he said to his father that he would not accept any religions without knowing them clearly.
This made his father very angry and later it broke up the family apart. After finishing his high school, he went to Rangoon. He worked at day time in a government office and studied at a night time university. There he met a Christian woman and fell in love with her. Out of love he wanted to become a Christian and studied Christianity (Lust is stronger than faith. Here is the same God and Creation).
After over 3 years, with different views and feelings, they separated. And then his mother arranged a Muslim woman for him. He married this woman out of respect for his mother. In his last year of B.A degree, he moved to Rangoon University and continued the study on Philosophy. For this purpose he resigned his job as a government staff and taught as a teacher at night time schools.
From that period, he started writing romantic short stories. With his interest and sharp mind he passed his B.A degree with distinction in Philosophy on Ethics. This was the first time happened in the history of Philosophy Department. He continued his M.A degree and taught as a tutor at the Department. As a Philosophy teacher he was an atheist and influenced by Marxism-Leninism and Mao Tse-Tung Thought or communist literatures. He did not have a happy family life and it became degenerated and ended up with divorce (There were some reasons behind this.
The most important one was the fanatic view of his Muslim wife). Later he met another young Buddhist Chinese woman who was one of his students. He married her because she resembled his first love whom he could not forget (The main cause was they had strong kammic link from their past lives). One day his teacher Professor Dr. U Khin Maung Win (Yale University graduate, later he became the Educational Minister) gave him an assignment for writing a textbook on Buddhist Ethic in Burmese, as a curriculum for students in Philosophy.
He was already success in writing books and a bright person, but did not know much about Buddhism except in the Philosophy books. This was a great turning point in his life. This was also a very strange case because there were other Buddhist teachers in the Department. He came from the Muslim family and did not know much about Buddhism. The working of kamma was inconceivable. He had strong kammic link with Buddhism in his past lives.
So he studied and researched diligently for many months with Buddhist texts in English and Burmese. Near the end of his research, his teacher told him to stop the project. The reason was wanting to send him to Northern Burma, in the Kachin State as an assistant lecturer and the head of the philosophy Department. Even though he did not has the chance for writing the textbook, but gained the priceless knowledge of Buddhism.
During these periods, he wrote some books on Philosophy; “ABC of Philosophy”, “Philosophers of the World”, “Chinese Philosophers”, “Russian Philosophers”, “Einstein”(a biography in 2 volumes), etc. He also studied world religions and wrote a book on world religions. With the knowledge on religions, he preferred Buddhism to more than others. But still he was not becoming a Buddhist yet. Because he still could not accept the idea of rebirth and need to verify it.
Later he encountered evidences for rebirth and the law of kamma. In his second book on his life, “A Man Walking on the Path of Spiritual Knowledge”, he mentioned an incident on rebirth. As a young boy in the primary school, one day the teacher taught about Taunggnoo History (round about 14th or 15th century). The teacher told the story of a Burmese King from Ava (Inwa) Kingdom attacked the Kingdom of Taunggnoo (it was recorded in the history book). At the end of the story, he suddenly cried. The teacher asked him the reason.
He only said to her that in his past life he was a Buddhist. In the evening after back home he told his mother what had happened. At that time he was the king of Ava and with the help of his teacher, a Burmese monk named Phamei Sayadaw conquered Taunggnoo kingdom. He told his mother in details of the episode. This was remembering one of his past lives as a young boy.
Another incident was happening around 1971 or 1972, and he was still a teacher in Rangoon University. A spirit possessed a spirit worshipper and wanted to see him. At that time he was a materialist (influenced by communism) and rejected to meet the spirit and took them as nonsense. After some days passed by, the spirit possessed again to the same man and requested to see him and wanted to give him something.
He rejected it again, but this time his wife persuaded him to go and see what would be happened. As soon as he was arriving to the spirit house, the spirit possessed the same man instantly and told him about the story. She was a kind of vemanika peta (a kind of earthly supernatural spirit) and his daughter in past life. At that time he was a king in Shan State (something like a maharaja in India).
After she passed away in that life and born as a vemanika peta and looked after the treasures they had left behind. He did not believe in what she said and asked her to show him the evidences. The spirit with her psychic power gave him some ancient silver coins with a peacock symbol and letters on it and also some ancient Buddha images. As a vemanika peta, she was searching for him.
She asked him for permission to become his daughter again. She made a prediction to him that after she was born and he would resign his job as a university teacher. This youngest daughter was born to him in 1972 and later he also resigned his job as a teacher.
After resigned his post as a teacher and he entered the movie films business. He studied books on movie arts and then directed some movie films and opened classes for acting. One day during a class lecture on acting, a group of five persons were acting wrongly. So he asked them to look into his eyes and talked to them how to do it. And then these people fell into the subconscious states. He was surprised and did not know what to do with them.
But instantly he remembered that they were in the hypnotic states. He had been written a book on hypnotic before by reading some books on them. Now, he used this chance to make a test. He ordered them to cry and they cried. Asked them to laugh and they were laughing heartedly. Now knowing that he had this ability and from that day onwards he hypnotized people if had any chance. And also found out that he could cure their past lives related diseases which medicines had no effects.
One time he hypnotized one of his old university students. This male student in the hypnotic state told his own past life which also had connection with him. So he was very interested and asked more informations from him. The student said that in that period he was their teacher and teaching on the art of warfare. And he had three daughters and the youngest one was now his present wife. It was a great shock for him. He could not believe it.
So he had to try again with another student who was mentioned by the first student. This student also mentioned the same episode in the hypnotic state. He still unsatisfied with the result and wanted to try on his wife. At first his wife was rejected for sometimes. In the end he succeeded and in the hypnotic state she confirmed the same episode as mentioned by the two students. He continued to ask her where about in her last life from this life.
In her last life, she was the daughter of a well-known traditional doctor in a city in Burma. Later she ordained as a nun. So it was easy for him to make inquiries by following the story. And it confirmed what she had said before. It solved his doubts on rebirth and the law of kamma. During the periods of his treatments to illnesses with hypnotism he made records of them with the photos of these people, and later he wrote a book about them. Publication censor-board not allowed to publish this book.
[Quite a strange censorship by a Buddhist government. Even western scientists were making researches about rebirths (for them was reincarnations) quite a long time ago and they also confirmed about it. These are not superstitions and even helping to understand rebirths and law of kamma which are important for Buddhism.]
Later he became a Buddhist and wrote a book on his life, entitled “The Story of a Man Who has Faith and Taken Refuge in the Triple Gems.” It came out in 1989 and became a best seller book in Burma. Reprinted quite a few times and made him rich. It had four volumes; volume I “Three World Religions and Sun Lwin”, volume II “World Philosophy and Sun Lwin, and volume III “The Buddhist Texts and Sun Lwin”.
The third volume ended up with his desire to walk the bodhisatta path. During his periods of following the bodhisatta way, he was associated with people who were practicing the worldly Dhamma, such as mantras, tantra and mandalas, for long life and psychic power (gandhāri vijjā). So he was misleading by these people. Because of following the bodhisatta way and he only practice samatha and never vipassanā. Later he reflected his desire and vow carefully after reading some books about the bodhisatta path, both Theravada and Mahāyāna. And found out that he did not have any qualities of them which mentioned in the Theravada texts.
One day he went to Sayagyi U Ba Khin’s Centre for ten days vipassanā retreat. He had penetrated the four Noble Truths with direct experience and let go of his desire for the bodhisatta path. He described this experience in his last book, “Walking on the Path of Spiritual Knowledge” (came out in 2003). Later he gave up his wealth and family and ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1994. His ordination had two purposes, continued his practice and giving lectures on Dependent Origination (Paticcasamupada) around Burma.
The last purpose came from Mogok Sayadaw’s and Ledi Sayadaw’s teachings. After ordained, he went to Taunggnoo, stayed in a forest and pratising alone there for sometimes. Later he established a meditation centre there. Also busy with moving across Burma and giving lectures on Paticcasamupada to all Buddhists who were inviting him. He was so popular that had a lot of invitations. Maybe overworked and health problems, he passed away in 2002.
This instructional talks were giving in 2002, from 17th October to 3rd November. Even might be his last talks. He passed away in lower Burma. In one of his talks he mentioned to end his biography by writing on his life as a monk. He did not finish his biography and would never be. But one thing is sure that he will finish his spiritual journey in the near future. Because he had already on the straight and right path without any hindrances anymore.
“Eighteen Days in Solitude” is not a famous novel like “The Hundred Days in Solitude” for entertainment, which you cannot take anything with you after death. These were the instructional Dhamma talks on Samatha-Vipassanā practice. It was giving in the year of 2002 during the 18 days retreat in Rangoon.
Ven. U Ādiccaransi the meditation teacher was not well-known outside Burma either. But he was well-known in Burma as an author and Dhamma teacher. He was an interesting and colorful man in his life. The following short biography came from two of his books, the famous and best seller, “The Story of a Man Who has Faith and Taken Refuge in the Triple Gems”.
The second book was “A Man Walking on the Path of Spiritual Knowledge”, and from some of his talks. This short biography is not promoting the identity view which all Buddhists should be abandoned, but for a reflection on Dhamma. There were many things we can learn from his life. The Buddha always emphasized on wisdom (paññā). Without wisdom or wisdom faculty, human beings, out of ignorance and craving create a lot of problems in life, and in societies around the world.
He was born in 1937 as Sun Lwin in the south-western part of Burma. The only son to a Muslim parents. So at the young age he was forced to educate the Koran teaching by his father. He never easily accepted anything with blind faith without knowing them clearly. His father appointed a good teacher for Koran teaching.
Because of his intelligent and philosophical mind always questioned about the existence of God and the Creation. He asked questions to his teacher who would not give the proper answers to satisfy his mind. At last he said to his father that he would not accept any religions without knowing them clearly.
This made his father very angry and later it broke up the family apart. After finishing his high school, he went to Rangoon. He worked at day time in a government office and studied at a night time university. There he met a Christian woman and fell in love with her. Out of love he wanted to become a Christian and studied Christianity (Lust is stronger than faith. Here is the same God and Creation).
After over 3 years, with different views and feelings, they separated. And then his mother arranged a Muslim woman for him. He married this woman out of respect for his mother. In his last year of B.A degree, he moved to Rangoon University and continued the study on Philosophy. For this purpose he resigned his job as a government staff and taught as a teacher at night time schools.
From that period, he started writing romantic short stories. With his interest and sharp mind he passed his B.A degree with distinction in Philosophy on Ethics. This was the first time happened in the history of Philosophy Department. He continued his M.A degree and taught as a tutor at the Department. As a Philosophy teacher he was an atheist and influenced by Marxism-Leninism and Mao Tse-Tung Thought or communist literatures. He did not have a happy family life and it became degenerated and ended up with divorce (There were some reasons behind this.
The most important one was the fanatic view of his Muslim wife). Later he met another young Buddhist Chinese woman who was one of his students. He married her because she resembled his first love whom he could not forget (The main cause was they had strong kammic link from their past lives). One day his teacher Professor Dr. U Khin Maung Win (Yale University graduate, later he became the Educational Minister) gave him an assignment for writing a textbook on Buddhist Ethic in Burmese, as a curriculum for students in Philosophy.
He was already success in writing books and a bright person, but did not know much about Buddhism except in the Philosophy books. This was a great turning point in his life. This was also a very strange case because there were other Buddhist teachers in the Department. He came from the Muslim family and did not know much about Buddhism. The working of kamma was inconceivable. He had strong kammic link with Buddhism in his past lives.
So he studied and researched diligently for many months with Buddhist texts in English and Burmese. Near the end of his research, his teacher told him to stop the project. The reason was wanting to send him to Northern Burma, in the Kachin State as an assistant lecturer and the head of the philosophy Department. Even though he did not has the chance for writing the textbook, but gained the priceless knowledge of Buddhism.
During these periods, he wrote some books on Philosophy; “ABC of Philosophy”, “Philosophers of the World”, “Chinese Philosophers”, “Russian Philosophers”, “Einstein”(a biography in 2 volumes), etc. He also studied world religions and wrote a book on world religions. With the knowledge on religions, he preferred Buddhism to more than others. But still he was not becoming a Buddhist yet. Because he still could not accept the idea of rebirth and need to verify it.
Later he encountered evidences for rebirth and the law of kamma. In his second book on his life, “A Man Walking on the Path of Spiritual Knowledge”, he mentioned an incident on rebirth. As a young boy in the primary school, one day the teacher taught about Taunggnoo History (round about 14th or 15th century). The teacher told the story of a Burmese King from Ava (Inwa) Kingdom attacked the Kingdom of Taunggnoo (it was recorded in the history book). At the end of the story, he suddenly cried. The teacher asked him the reason.
He only said to her that in his past life he was a Buddhist. In the evening after back home he told his mother what had happened. At that time he was the king of Ava and with the help of his teacher, a Burmese monk named Phamei Sayadaw conquered Taunggnoo kingdom. He told his mother in details of the episode. This was remembering one of his past lives as a young boy.
Another incident was happening around 1971 or 1972, and he was still a teacher in Rangoon University. A spirit possessed a spirit worshipper and wanted to see him. At that time he was a materialist (influenced by communism) and rejected to meet the spirit and took them as nonsense. After some days passed by, the spirit possessed again to the same man and requested to see him and wanted to give him something.
He rejected it again, but this time his wife persuaded him to go and see what would be happened. As soon as he was arriving to the spirit house, the spirit possessed the same man instantly and told him about the story. She was a kind of vemanika peta (a kind of earthly supernatural spirit) and his daughter in past life. At that time he was a king in Shan State (something like a maharaja in India).
After she passed away in that life and born as a vemanika peta and looked after the treasures they had left behind. He did not believe in what she said and asked her to show him the evidences. The spirit with her psychic power gave him some ancient silver coins with a peacock symbol and letters on it and also some ancient Buddha images. As a vemanika peta, she was searching for him.
She asked him for permission to become his daughter again. She made a prediction to him that after she was born and he would resign his job as a university teacher. This youngest daughter was born to him in 1972 and later he also resigned his job as a teacher.
After resigned his post as a teacher and he entered the movie films business. He studied books on movie arts and then directed some movie films and opened classes for acting. One day during a class lecture on acting, a group of five persons were acting wrongly. So he asked them to look into his eyes and talked to them how to do it. And then these people fell into the subconscious states. He was surprised and did not know what to do with them.
But instantly he remembered that they were in the hypnotic states. He had been written a book on hypnotic before by reading some books on them. Now, he used this chance to make a test. He ordered them to cry and they cried. Asked them to laugh and they were laughing heartedly. Now knowing that he had this ability and from that day onwards he hypnotized people if had any chance. And also found out that he could cure their past lives related diseases which medicines had no effects.
One time he hypnotized one of his old university students. This male student in the hypnotic state told his own past life which also had connection with him. So he was very interested and asked more informations from him. The student said that in that period he was their teacher and teaching on the art of warfare. And he had three daughters and the youngest one was now his present wife. It was a great shock for him. He could not believe it.
So he had to try again with another student who was mentioned by the first student. This student also mentioned the same episode in the hypnotic state. He still unsatisfied with the result and wanted to try on his wife. At first his wife was rejected for sometimes. In the end he succeeded and in the hypnotic state she confirmed the same episode as mentioned by the two students. He continued to ask her where about in her last life from this life.
In her last life, she was the daughter of a well-known traditional doctor in a city in Burma. Later she ordained as a nun. So it was easy for him to make inquiries by following the story. And it confirmed what she had said before. It solved his doubts on rebirth and the law of kamma. During the periods of his treatments to illnesses with hypnotism he made records of them with the photos of these people, and later he wrote a book about them. Publication censor-board not allowed to publish this book.
[Quite a strange censorship by a Buddhist government. Even western scientists were making researches about rebirths (for them was reincarnations) quite a long time ago and they also confirmed about it. These are not superstitions and even helping to understand rebirths and law of kamma which are important for Buddhism.]
Later he became a Buddhist and wrote a book on his life, entitled “The Story of a Man Who has Faith and Taken Refuge in the Triple Gems.” It came out in 1989 and became a best seller book in Burma. Reprinted quite a few times and made him rich. It had four volumes; volume I “Three World Religions and Sun Lwin”, volume II “World Philosophy and Sun Lwin, and volume III “The Buddhist Texts and Sun Lwin”.
The third volume ended up with his desire to walk the bodhisatta path. During his periods of following the bodhisatta way, he was associated with people who were practicing the worldly Dhamma, such as mantras, tantra and mandalas, for long life and psychic power (gandhāri vijjā). So he was misleading by these people. Because of following the bodhisatta way and he only practice samatha and never vipassanā. Later he reflected his desire and vow carefully after reading some books about the bodhisatta path, both Theravada and Mahāyāna. And found out that he did not have any qualities of them which mentioned in the Theravada texts.
One day he went to Sayagyi U Ba Khin’s Centre for ten days vipassanā retreat. He had penetrated the four Noble Truths with direct experience and let go of his desire for the bodhisatta path. He described this experience in his last book, “Walking on the Path of Spiritual Knowledge” (came out in 2003). Later he gave up his wealth and family and ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1994. His ordination had two purposes, continued his practice and giving lectures on Dependent Origination (Paticcasamupada) around Burma.
The last purpose came from Mogok Sayadaw’s and Ledi Sayadaw’s teachings. After ordained, he went to Taunggnoo, stayed in a forest and pratising alone there for sometimes. Later he established a meditation centre there. Also busy with moving across Burma and giving lectures on Paticcasamupada to all Buddhists who were inviting him. He was so popular that had a lot of invitations. Maybe overworked and health problems, he passed away in 2002.
This instructional talks were giving in 2002, from 17th October to 3rd November. Even might be his last talks. He passed away in lower Burma. In one of his talks he mentioned to end his biography by writing on his life as a monk. He did not finish his biography and would never be. But one thing is sure that he will finish his spiritual journey in the near future. Because he had already on the straight and right path without any hindrances anymore.
Day 1: 17th October, 2002
Namo tassa Bhagvato arahato
Sammā-sambuddhassa
Eighteen Days in Solitude
Day 1: 17th October, 2002
This is the first time of international vippassanā retreat in Rangoon. In the beginning of the practice, the point you should know is can’t do things as you like to. There’re programmes. The first thing to do is satipatthāna practice. It’s based on mindfulness (sati). Sati is important for attaining the Path and Fruit. Why we’re doing satipatthāna? Human beings are alive without knowing. People had been listened Paticcasamupada (Dependent Arising) before knowing this point.
What is not knowing? Not knowing is avijjā (ignorance). Human beings are alive without knowing themselves. They don’t know what will happen tomorrow. They don’t know where to die. During sleeping, eating and moving around anytime even don’t know they are alive with their breathings. Don’t know their breathings with the right or left nose. If we think about it and will know that we’re living without knowing anything. If we do vipassanā and have to know exactly. We have to know it with the practice.
The Buddha reflected as why people were doing things without knowing? They’re doing things without any sure for tomorrow. Don’t say for tomorrow, even don’t know what will happen in next hour. Living the whole life without knowing and also die without knowing.
The Buddha reflected with his perfect wisdom (sabbaññuta ñāṇa); “Why people don’t know?” “No mindfulness (sati) that they don’t know it.” His last words before passing away was ; “Monks! Don’t be in heedlessness. Always stay with sati.” After satipatthāna, it changes to vipassanā and arrive to the stage of satipatthāna bhavana. So the whole practice has three parts. (In all these talks, sometimes he mentioned about Mogok Sayadaw’s talks. Because in the retreat he used some of Sayadaw’s teaching.)
For the first part, we start from the satipatthāna. At the time of breathing practice with sustained mindfulness to know them. With the sustained sati to do the going, eating, bathing and at the toilet, etc. What are the benefits you’ll get from it? The mind becomes purified. First, giving you the eight precepts and must have the purification of the precepts (sīla). Second, with only purified sīla is not enough yet, and also make the mind to be purified (sīla only control verbal and bodily actions, so it needs to control the mind).
In the mind there are lobha (greed), dosa (hatred), kilesa (defilement) exist. Making them reduced and purified have to use satipatthāna. With the polluted mind you can’t do vipassanā. Before it we have to do the four stages of sīla, citta, ditthi and kaṅkhāvitarana visuddhis respectively (these are the purification of precept, mind, view and doubt).
For the purification of the mind have to do the satipatthāna to purify the kilesa of lobha, dosa, māna and ditthi. With it you must know the breathing. With practice the yogi finds out that his mind is in a random state. And beginning to know about oneself. Human mind is like a monkey mind. Before we took it as could control the mind.
With the practice and knowing that we can’t. It wants to go anywhere out of control. We have to overcome and make it calm down. For example, stabilized a glass of water with the sediments in it, and the water slowly becomes clear. It’s like binding the mind at a post and making it calming down is satipatthāna.
In Burma there are two ways of practice. A yogi after arriving to the centre and teach him vipassanā method. This is not wrong and also right. Ledi Sayadaw called it sukkha vipassanā method (i.e., not practice samatha seperately). It’s good for people who have the strength of sharp knowledge and strength of effort (viriya).
For ordinary neyya people, this method is not very good. (A neyya person has born with three wholesome roots, i.e. non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion can attain realization in this life, if practice properly with right effort.) Ledi Sayadaw was the first person made vipassanā well known in Burma. I follow his system. This is vipassanā based on samatha.
Our method is the samatha yanika-vipassanā. After making the mind has the strength and purified and will do vipassanā. We’ll do it with the ānāpāna method. There are also other ways of using rosary beads, concentration on discs (kasinas), contemplation on loathsomeness (asubha), etc. Here is no need for outside objects. Only to know the in breaths and out breaths. We do it with all the four postures.
There are centres doing with sitting, walking, and with both. But not doing with the standing and lying down postures. We’re doing all these for balancing the postures. With walking, it makes the body healthy, digest the foods and has strong samādhi (samādhi lasts longer). First, how to contemplate in sitting? There are postures (asanas). You can sit comfortably as you like.
Using the posture you can sit longer and with comfort. Second point is straightening the back. This is important. If the spinal cord and back bones are bending will become tired and painful (i.e., with ease and relax). If the bones are in the state of like the ice cream cone cups overlap each other systematically and it becomes comfortable. And also you can sit longer. After that don’t let the head inclining downwards or upwards. Put one hand on top of the other or both on the knees or on the laps with comfort.
Don’t put it on the floor and will destroy the yogi’s posture. Close the eyes and pay attention at the entrance of the nose. You can also open your eyes and pay attention to the tip of the nose. When breathing in knowing the air comes into the nose. With breathing some are short and some are long breathing, each person is not the same. After the coming in air ends and wanting to breathe out arises, breathe naturally.
Is it with the right or left nose? One of the noses is usually closed, breathing with both noses are few. Only with one side is more often. After knowing the touching and again know the knowing mind. The mind wanting to breathe out arises. When breathing out and know it from the beginning to the end. These are touching and knowing with mindfulness (sati).
What kind of problem it can arise? Sometimes we don’t know about it because the mind is running away. Not staying at where we want it to be. The mind is playing around on kilesa objects. It doesn’t like the normal kinds of object and following the objects it prefers. If without sati and the mind will run away. Staying with sati and not let the mind running away. If it runs away, then pull it back on to the object.
Mediation is pulling back the running away mind on to the object again and again. This is called applied thought (vitakka). Practicing to know it all the time. This is satipatthāna and you don’t need to search for it. With sati and it comes back again. This is practising with one of the jhanic factors vitakka. Bhāvita means contemplating again and again (if not happen and make it happens and after happen make it develops).
Only doing this and make the mind staying at the spot. Making the mind calming down is called samatha (in the practice of mind development, there are 2 factors involve. These are bhavita and bahulikata. Bahulikata means make it happens for many times. Both together similar to right effort).
For standing meditation, two feet should be nearly one foot (12 inches) or at least 6 inches apart. Both hands shouldn’t be at the sides. Overlapping your two hands in front of you. Holding your both arms also not good. Close your eyes and knowing the in and out breaths as before.
For lying down with your back is on the floor. If you want to lie down to the side also all right (mostly to the right side), but with your back is better. Two big toes must touch each other. If not touching, bind them with the rubber ring. This will get it point. Place the hands at both sides or on the stomach with two hands overlap lightly. Don’t use the pillow under your head, instead with a folded cloth. With sati, you note the touching of the breath.
During the walking meditation, noticing of the touching and knowing of the breath at the entrance of the nostril is not possible. (In the beginning it may be difficult. Webu Sayadaw’s teaching included all postures with ānāpāna. People can try it out by themselves.) Contemplate it on the feet. It is not just walking. Normal walking is out of mindfulness (not concerning with the practice).
The distance should be 20 or 30 paces (similar to the Thai forest tradition), walking to and fro from this side to the other side. The mind concentrates on the feet. What you have to do in the beginning? Every time the feet touching the ground you have to know it. You must know the every touching of the right and left feet. Later will separate them and do the contemplation. Now, both are together.
Sitting meditation is like climbing the mountain. For someone looking at nearby it seems to be nothing happened to the yogi. Pain and aches will arise. If torment by painful sensations, how the yogi should be reacted? Shouldn’t torture oneself as I don’t care about it. Also you shouldn’t change it very often. Shouldn’t follow one’s desire and self-mortification.
You have to be in the middle way (majjhima patipadā). The Buddha had practiced for 6 years with self-mortification and he didn’t realize the Dhamma. This Dhamma is not for self-mortification and it must have ease with the body and mind. If following with one’s desire also can’t get samādhi.
How to be in the balance? For example, you sit for half an hour. If the time is not arriving yet, I’ll not change it. After half an hour and the mind is wanting to change it. When the mind wants to change and it stays away from the tip of the nose. Wanting to change is tanhā. For an hour sitting and you can change two times. By developing the sitting slowly and you can bear the pain.
You will be worried in the standing posture. Will the body fall off or become trembled. The under feet will hot like fire. If they become very hot and lifting it slightly, but you do it mindfully. Shouldn’t do it very often, like moving the body this side and that side. How long could you stand? Even you can’t stand for an hour. If you can’t bear it anymore, sit down and contemplate. Slowly you increase the time for the standing.
Even after sometimes, standing is better for some people. With standing not much pain and aches and become more convenient. Lying down also has problem. Don’t think that the sleeping posture is easy. Even worse because you can’t move. At normal time we’re changing and moving that not knowing the torture of the body. If become unbearable and want to turn the body, then incline to the right side.
Sammā-sambuddhassa
Eighteen Days in Solitude
Day 1: 17th October, 2002
This is the first time of international vippassanā retreat in Rangoon. In the beginning of the practice, the point you should know is can’t do things as you like to. There’re programmes. The first thing to do is satipatthāna practice. It’s based on mindfulness (sati). Sati is important for attaining the Path and Fruit. Why we’re doing satipatthāna? Human beings are alive without knowing. People had been listened Paticcasamupada (Dependent Arising) before knowing this point.
What is not knowing? Not knowing is avijjā (ignorance). Human beings are alive without knowing themselves. They don’t know what will happen tomorrow. They don’t know where to die. During sleeping, eating and moving around anytime even don’t know they are alive with their breathings. Don’t know their breathings with the right or left nose. If we think about it and will know that we’re living without knowing anything. If we do vipassanā and have to know exactly. We have to know it with the practice.
The Buddha reflected as why people were doing things without knowing? They’re doing things without any sure for tomorrow. Don’t say for tomorrow, even don’t know what will happen in next hour. Living the whole life without knowing and also die without knowing.
The Buddha reflected with his perfect wisdom (sabbaññuta ñāṇa); “Why people don’t know?” “No mindfulness (sati) that they don’t know it.” His last words before passing away was ; “Monks! Don’t be in heedlessness. Always stay with sati.” After satipatthāna, it changes to vipassanā and arrive to the stage of satipatthāna bhavana. So the whole practice has three parts. (In all these talks, sometimes he mentioned about Mogok Sayadaw’s talks. Because in the retreat he used some of Sayadaw’s teaching.)
For the first part, we start from the satipatthāna. At the time of breathing practice with sustained mindfulness to know them. With the sustained sati to do the going, eating, bathing and at the toilet, etc. What are the benefits you’ll get from it? The mind becomes purified. First, giving you the eight precepts and must have the purification of the precepts (sīla). Second, with only purified sīla is not enough yet, and also make the mind to be purified (sīla only control verbal and bodily actions, so it needs to control the mind).
In the mind there are lobha (greed), dosa (hatred), kilesa (defilement) exist. Making them reduced and purified have to use satipatthāna. With the polluted mind you can’t do vipassanā. Before it we have to do the four stages of sīla, citta, ditthi and kaṅkhāvitarana visuddhis respectively (these are the purification of precept, mind, view and doubt).
For the purification of the mind have to do the satipatthāna to purify the kilesa of lobha, dosa, māna and ditthi. With it you must know the breathing. With practice the yogi finds out that his mind is in a random state. And beginning to know about oneself. Human mind is like a monkey mind. Before we took it as could control the mind.
With the practice and knowing that we can’t. It wants to go anywhere out of control. We have to overcome and make it calm down. For example, stabilized a glass of water with the sediments in it, and the water slowly becomes clear. It’s like binding the mind at a post and making it calming down is satipatthāna.
In Burma there are two ways of practice. A yogi after arriving to the centre and teach him vipassanā method. This is not wrong and also right. Ledi Sayadaw called it sukkha vipassanā method (i.e., not practice samatha seperately). It’s good for people who have the strength of sharp knowledge and strength of effort (viriya).
For ordinary neyya people, this method is not very good. (A neyya person has born with three wholesome roots, i.e. non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion can attain realization in this life, if practice properly with right effort.) Ledi Sayadaw was the first person made vipassanā well known in Burma. I follow his system. This is vipassanā based on samatha.
Our method is the samatha yanika-vipassanā. After making the mind has the strength and purified and will do vipassanā. We’ll do it with the ānāpāna method. There are also other ways of using rosary beads, concentration on discs (kasinas), contemplation on loathsomeness (asubha), etc. Here is no need for outside objects. Only to know the in breaths and out breaths. We do it with all the four postures.
There are centres doing with sitting, walking, and with both. But not doing with the standing and lying down postures. We’re doing all these for balancing the postures. With walking, it makes the body healthy, digest the foods and has strong samādhi (samādhi lasts longer). First, how to contemplate in sitting? There are postures (asanas). You can sit comfortably as you like.
Using the posture you can sit longer and with comfort. Second point is straightening the back. This is important. If the spinal cord and back bones are bending will become tired and painful (i.e., with ease and relax). If the bones are in the state of like the ice cream cone cups overlap each other systematically and it becomes comfortable. And also you can sit longer. After that don’t let the head inclining downwards or upwards. Put one hand on top of the other or both on the knees or on the laps with comfort.
Don’t put it on the floor and will destroy the yogi’s posture. Close the eyes and pay attention at the entrance of the nose. You can also open your eyes and pay attention to the tip of the nose. When breathing in knowing the air comes into the nose. With breathing some are short and some are long breathing, each person is not the same. After the coming in air ends and wanting to breathe out arises, breathe naturally.
Is it with the right or left nose? One of the noses is usually closed, breathing with both noses are few. Only with one side is more often. After knowing the touching and again know the knowing mind. The mind wanting to breathe out arises. When breathing out and know it from the beginning to the end. These are touching and knowing with mindfulness (sati).
What kind of problem it can arise? Sometimes we don’t know about it because the mind is running away. Not staying at where we want it to be. The mind is playing around on kilesa objects. It doesn’t like the normal kinds of object and following the objects it prefers. If without sati and the mind will run away. Staying with sati and not let the mind running away. If it runs away, then pull it back on to the object.
Mediation is pulling back the running away mind on to the object again and again. This is called applied thought (vitakka). Practicing to know it all the time. This is satipatthāna and you don’t need to search for it. With sati and it comes back again. This is practising with one of the jhanic factors vitakka. Bhāvita means contemplating again and again (if not happen and make it happens and after happen make it develops).
Only doing this and make the mind staying at the spot. Making the mind calming down is called samatha (in the practice of mind development, there are 2 factors involve. These are bhavita and bahulikata. Bahulikata means make it happens for many times. Both together similar to right effort).
For standing meditation, two feet should be nearly one foot (12 inches) or at least 6 inches apart. Both hands shouldn’t be at the sides. Overlapping your two hands in front of you. Holding your both arms also not good. Close your eyes and knowing the in and out breaths as before.
For lying down with your back is on the floor. If you want to lie down to the side also all right (mostly to the right side), but with your back is better. Two big toes must touch each other. If not touching, bind them with the rubber ring. This will get it point. Place the hands at both sides or on the stomach with two hands overlap lightly. Don’t use the pillow under your head, instead with a folded cloth. With sati, you note the touching of the breath.
During the walking meditation, noticing of the touching and knowing of the breath at the entrance of the nostril is not possible. (In the beginning it may be difficult. Webu Sayadaw’s teaching included all postures with ānāpāna. People can try it out by themselves.) Contemplate it on the feet. It is not just walking. Normal walking is out of mindfulness (not concerning with the practice).
The distance should be 20 or 30 paces (similar to the Thai forest tradition), walking to and fro from this side to the other side. The mind concentrates on the feet. What you have to do in the beginning? Every time the feet touching the ground you have to know it. You must know the every touching of the right and left feet. Later will separate them and do the contemplation. Now, both are together.
Sitting meditation is like climbing the mountain. For someone looking at nearby it seems to be nothing happened to the yogi. Pain and aches will arise. If torment by painful sensations, how the yogi should be reacted? Shouldn’t torture oneself as I don’t care about it. Also you shouldn’t change it very often. Shouldn’t follow one’s desire and self-mortification.
You have to be in the middle way (majjhima patipadā). The Buddha had practiced for 6 years with self-mortification and he didn’t realize the Dhamma. This Dhamma is not for self-mortification and it must have ease with the body and mind. If following with one’s desire also can’t get samādhi.
How to be in the balance? For example, you sit for half an hour. If the time is not arriving yet, I’ll not change it. After half an hour and the mind is wanting to change it. When the mind wants to change and it stays away from the tip of the nose. Wanting to change is tanhā. For an hour sitting and you can change two times. By developing the sitting slowly and you can bear the pain.
You will be worried in the standing posture. Will the body fall off or become trembled. The under feet will hot like fire. If they become very hot and lifting it slightly, but you do it mindfully. Shouldn’t do it very often, like moving the body this side and that side. How long could you stand? Even you can’t stand for an hour. If you can’t bear it anymore, sit down and contemplate. Slowly you increase the time for the standing.
Even after sometimes, standing is better for some people. With standing not much pain and aches and become more convenient. Lying down also has problem. Don’t think that the sleeping posture is easy. Even worse because you can’t move. At normal time we’re changing and moving that not knowing the torture of the body. If become unbearable and want to turn the body, then incline to the right side.
Day 2: 18th October, 2002
Day 2: 18th October, 2002
We’ll continue to do the practice of stabilizing sati. The time reserve for the practice of satipatthāna is 7 days. The work of sati is jhāna practice and not of the knowledge. There’re 5 stages of the practice in strengthening of sati. The first stage is applied thought (vitakka-application of thought on the object). It has also other meanings; thinking and planning in various ways. Here is not thinking and planning. It’s pulling back the running mind on to the meditation object.
The object is at the tip of the nose or the upper lip. Pulling back the distracted mind on to the object again and again is vatakka. Yesterday by observing the yogis and found out that their experiences in the practice are quite different. Some had been practiced for many times in other centres. Now, at here their postures are quite stable, calm and mature in faculties. Even some are in the stage of one-pointedness (ekaggatā).
These yogis can be regarded as at the level of high knowledge. For the second group, they are new yogis and practice only now. Here even have two separated groups. Some of them have zeal and their postures are calm and stable. It’s with interest and seriousness. Some are not mature and stable. They are not taking it in seriousness. Some of them had been practiced before (may be at his centre).
These people must take more care in their practice. Even they had been practiced before but no realization. Before I had not been observed them. Now, they are near me and observing them. Even they had been practiced it before; what are the weak points of no realization? I have interest and done the observation. What I found out are; They are not in accordance with the yogi posture. Their sitting postures are wrong.
Another point is, in the way of making the mind calming down you shouldn’t move the body. When the body is still and the mind also calm down. If you want to calm down the water in the glass and have to hold it without moving. And the sediments inside will settle down. If the body is moving and the mind can never calm down. For this problem there are two points; without the right posture and the mind has distractions that it’s moving.
In the way of calming the mind, there are the dhammas destroying samādhi. The Buddha said that these were the hindrances (nīvaranas) which preventing the path and fruition knowledges (magga and phala). What are these dhamma? The hindrance of sensuality or sensual desire – kāmacchanda- nīvarana; the mind follows after sensual objects.
Hearing a sound and the mind moving towards the sound. Seeing a form and moving towards the forms, to the smell, etc. Here it’s important to know the significance of Mogok vipassanā teaching. Before I only allowed people to the retreats who had been listened Mogok Sayadaw’s talks. (He gave talks on Khandha Paticcasamuppāda according to the way of Mogok Sayadaw around Burma, or even may be at his centre. It seemed to be even using Sayadaw’s talks for the yogis in the retreat.) Here at this place no preparation for this and allowing people who wanted to practice.
Usually only allow people who have been taken the lectures on paticcasamuppāda. So I take it as you all understand paticcasamuppāda. There are two paticcasamuppādas; book knowledge and khandha knowledge. If I have to talk on khandha paticcasamuppāda for understanding; for example, the eyes see a physical form. If you see something is a mistake. You can’t contemplate what I see. Must contemplate as seeing consciousness arises and should not follow with the seeing object.
Seeing consciousness arises is the present khandha arising. Not only the seeing consciousness arises. With it, pleasure on the seeing is feeling aggregate (vedanākkhadha). Wanting it is the aggregate of mental formation (sankhārakkhadha). Noticing of them is the aggregate of perception (saññākkhandha). The contact (phassa) of sense object and sense door are form aggregate (rūpakkhandha).
The 5 khandhas arise together. Someone understands Dependent Arising shouldn’t think in an ordinary way. If mosquito bites and thinking it as a khandha arises. If not, feeling arises and become vedana paccaya tanhā feeling conditions craving. And it becomes the desirous mind. This tanhā creates action (kamma). Kamma gives the result of next life, rebirth khandha. It becomes woeful birth (apāyajati). At eating, touching and knowing mind arise.
If no contemplation and the feeling of the tasting mind arises, and it becomes the feeling aggregate. Continue to; this food is very good. From feeling and craving arises. Tanhā arises by eating food. From tanhā and action arises. With eating and going to the plane of misery (apāyas). How much profundity of the meaning is in the practice? Most people are thinking that only doing unwholesome actions has fallen into the planes of misery.
During the eating Dependent Arising (D.A) processes are continuing. For this Dependent Arising machine not in turning, and must be mindful on the objects of eating. If taste arises on the tongue, don’t let it happens as very good. Only knowing them as hot, sour, bitter taste, etc. With mindfulness and not connect to feeling. Now, I’ll talk about how to do it.
For example, during eating, you’re eating without sati. You know this very well. How do you eat without sati? You take the food with your hand and put it into the mouth. And then chew the food, after that swallow it. After swallow, and the hand takes another lump. Here, I am talking about the eating process happens one after another.
In reality, we’re chewing the food and the hand going to take another one. How can we have sati at the same time in doing 2 jobs? We have been eaten foods for quite a long time now. How many lumps of food will make us full? We have been eaten it for our whole life. Even up to this age and don’t know how much of it is enough.
Is it not clear that we’re alive with not knowing-avijjā? How many times we’re chewing each lump of food? And when do we swallow the food? Therefore, we are eating with avijjā. After avijjā and tanhā will arise. Doing things without mindfulness that humans are in suffering. Living with ignorance that craving (tanhā) arises. If you want to abandon tanhā and must do with sati. Doing things without sati is not difficult because you’re used to it. (This point is very important for contemplation).
Eating with sati seems to be tiredsome because of doing with effort. Know the in and out breaths is a part of the practice. Now, I’ll talk about eating. You must try to eat with sati. You put a lump of food into the mouth and chewing it. Following with the counting, as how many times you’re chewing? Can count with numbers as 1, 2, 3, etc. For example, after 25 times of chewing and you swallow it. Without wanting to swallow and you don’t swallow it.
Chewing with sati and it becomes loathsome (It seems to be a burden and dukkha; can’t enjoy the pleasure). It arises in the mind eye. Wanting to enjoy the taste doesn’t arise. Doing with sati that knowing the khandha dukkha. You must do it with one after another. During the chewing, don’t take another food again, just concentrate on the chewing process with sati. If someone is looking at you, you also have the composure. Dependent Arising process also not continues.
People think that practicing of sati is calming the mind. In reality, it purifies the mind. With the purified mind and insight knowledges will arise. During the bathing, contemplate the touching and knowing of the water falling on the head and the body. By using soap on the body with sati and contemplate the touching and the knowing. Yogi should be a person with sati. The hand contacts with the spoon; touching and knowing mind arises. Touching and knowing mind is never end with the contemplation. Because everything is touching and knowing
(Webu Sayadaw and Soon Loon Sayadaw were very well known in Burma. Webu Sayadaw’s main instruction was observing the touching and knowing of the sensations of in breath and out breath. Soon Loon Sayadaw himself using the touching and knowing of the physical sensations in his daily activities. So Sayadaw made a slogan in practice:”Touching, Knowing, Sati”.)
Another hindrance is aversion (byāpāda nīvarana). During the practice it can also give a lot of trouble. If they arise and contemplate them and will disappear. The hindrance of sloth and torpor (thinamiddha nīvarana). Some of you are nodding in sitting. You were nodding at 6 p.m. I came and checked at 8 p.m. and you’re still nodding. It’s not the time for sleep yet and why you’re nodding. Because your postures are not right. Look at the Buddha image, no slanting of the head and the body, not inclining to the side.
So it’s important to have the right postures. With the bending of the body and you can’t practice very well. The hindrances of restlessness and worry (uddhacca and kukkucca nīvarana). The mind in the state of restlessness is uddhacca. If someone is scratching the head, moving the body and bending the fingers; then the yogi is in restlessness. The Buddha at the time of enlightenment made a resolution of not to move. We should imitate him. Must not move the body as we like. Kukkucca is thinking and planning of many things. In samatha practice you must not think and plan for anything.
We’ll continue to do the practice of stabilizing sati. The time reserve for the practice of satipatthāna is 7 days. The work of sati is jhāna practice and not of the knowledge. There’re 5 stages of the practice in strengthening of sati. The first stage is applied thought (vitakka-application of thought on the object). It has also other meanings; thinking and planning in various ways. Here is not thinking and planning. It’s pulling back the running mind on to the meditation object.
The object is at the tip of the nose or the upper lip. Pulling back the distracted mind on to the object again and again is vatakka. Yesterday by observing the yogis and found out that their experiences in the practice are quite different. Some had been practiced for many times in other centres. Now, at here their postures are quite stable, calm and mature in faculties. Even some are in the stage of one-pointedness (ekaggatā).
These yogis can be regarded as at the level of high knowledge. For the second group, they are new yogis and practice only now. Here even have two separated groups. Some of them have zeal and their postures are calm and stable. It’s with interest and seriousness. Some are not mature and stable. They are not taking it in seriousness. Some of them had been practiced before (may be at his centre).
These people must take more care in their practice. Even they had been practiced before but no realization. Before I had not been observed them. Now, they are near me and observing them. Even they had been practiced it before; what are the weak points of no realization? I have interest and done the observation. What I found out are; They are not in accordance with the yogi posture. Their sitting postures are wrong.
Another point is, in the way of making the mind calming down you shouldn’t move the body. When the body is still and the mind also calm down. If you want to calm down the water in the glass and have to hold it without moving. And the sediments inside will settle down. If the body is moving and the mind can never calm down. For this problem there are two points; without the right posture and the mind has distractions that it’s moving.
In the way of calming the mind, there are the dhammas destroying samādhi. The Buddha said that these were the hindrances (nīvaranas) which preventing the path and fruition knowledges (magga and phala). What are these dhamma? The hindrance of sensuality or sensual desire – kāmacchanda- nīvarana; the mind follows after sensual objects.
Hearing a sound and the mind moving towards the sound. Seeing a form and moving towards the forms, to the smell, etc. Here it’s important to know the significance of Mogok vipassanā teaching. Before I only allowed people to the retreats who had been listened Mogok Sayadaw’s talks. (He gave talks on Khandha Paticcasamuppāda according to the way of Mogok Sayadaw around Burma, or even may be at his centre. It seemed to be even using Sayadaw’s talks for the yogis in the retreat.) Here at this place no preparation for this and allowing people who wanted to practice.
Usually only allow people who have been taken the lectures on paticcasamuppāda. So I take it as you all understand paticcasamuppāda. There are two paticcasamuppādas; book knowledge and khandha knowledge. If I have to talk on khandha paticcasamuppāda for understanding; for example, the eyes see a physical form. If you see something is a mistake. You can’t contemplate what I see. Must contemplate as seeing consciousness arises and should not follow with the seeing object.
Seeing consciousness arises is the present khandha arising. Not only the seeing consciousness arises. With it, pleasure on the seeing is feeling aggregate (vedanākkhadha). Wanting it is the aggregate of mental formation (sankhārakkhadha). Noticing of them is the aggregate of perception (saññākkhandha). The contact (phassa) of sense object and sense door are form aggregate (rūpakkhandha).
The 5 khandhas arise together. Someone understands Dependent Arising shouldn’t think in an ordinary way. If mosquito bites and thinking it as a khandha arises. If not, feeling arises and become vedana paccaya tanhā feeling conditions craving. And it becomes the desirous mind. This tanhā creates action (kamma). Kamma gives the result of next life, rebirth khandha. It becomes woeful birth (apāyajati). At eating, touching and knowing mind arise.
If no contemplation and the feeling of the tasting mind arises, and it becomes the feeling aggregate. Continue to; this food is very good. From feeling and craving arises. Tanhā arises by eating food. From tanhā and action arises. With eating and going to the plane of misery (apāyas). How much profundity of the meaning is in the practice? Most people are thinking that only doing unwholesome actions has fallen into the planes of misery.
During the eating Dependent Arising (D.A) processes are continuing. For this Dependent Arising machine not in turning, and must be mindful on the objects of eating. If taste arises on the tongue, don’t let it happens as very good. Only knowing them as hot, sour, bitter taste, etc. With mindfulness and not connect to feeling. Now, I’ll talk about how to do it.
For example, during eating, you’re eating without sati. You know this very well. How do you eat without sati? You take the food with your hand and put it into the mouth. And then chew the food, after that swallow it. After swallow, and the hand takes another lump. Here, I am talking about the eating process happens one after another.
In reality, we’re chewing the food and the hand going to take another one. How can we have sati at the same time in doing 2 jobs? We have been eaten foods for quite a long time now. How many lumps of food will make us full? We have been eaten it for our whole life. Even up to this age and don’t know how much of it is enough.
Is it not clear that we’re alive with not knowing-avijjā? How many times we’re chewing each lump of food? And when do we swallow the food? Therefore, we are eating with avijjā. After avijjā and tanhā will arise. Doing things without mindfulness that humans are in suffering. Living with ignorance that craving (tanhā) arises. If you want to abandon tanhā and must do with sati. Doing things without sati is not difficult because you’re used to it. (This point is very important for contemplation).
Eating with sati seems to be tiredsome because of doing with effort. Know the in and out breaths is a part of the practice. Now, I’ll talk about eating. You must try to eat with sati. You put a lump of food into the mouth and chewing it. Following with the counting, as how many times you’re chewing? Can count with numbers as 1, 2, 3, etc. For example, after 25 times of chewing and you swallow it. Without wanting to swallow and you don’t swallow it.
Chewing with sati and it becomes loathsome (It seems to be a burden and dukkha; can’t enjoy the pleasure). It arises in the mind eye. Wanting to enjoy the taste doesn’t arise. Doing with sati that knowing the khandha dukkha. You must do it with one after another. During the chewing, don’t take another food again, just concentrate on the chewing process with sati. If someone is looking at you, you also have the composure. Dependent Arising process also not continues.
People think that practicing of sati is calming the mind. In reality, it purifies the mind. With the purified mind and insight knowledges will arise. During the bathing, contemplate the touching and knowing of the water falling on the head and the body. By using soap on the body with sati and contemplate the touching and the knowing. Yogi should be a person with sati. The hand contacts with the spoon; touching and knowing mind arises. Touching and knowing mind is never end with the contemplation. Because everything is touching and knowing
(Webu Sayadaw and Soon Loon Sayadaw were very well known in Burma. Webu Sayadaw’s main instruction was observing the touching and knowing of the sensations of in breath and out breath. Soon Loon Sayadaw himself using the touching and knowing of the physical sensations in his daily activities. So Sayadaw made a slogan in practice:”Touching, Knowing, Sati”.)
Another hindrance is aversion (byāpāda nīvarana). During the practice it can also give a lot of trouble. If they arise and contemplate them and will disappear. The hindrance of sloth and torpor (thinamiddha nīvarana). Some of you are nodding in sitting. You were nodding at 6 p.m. I came and checked at 8 p.m. and you’re still nodding. It’s not the time for sleep yet and why you’re nodding. Because your postures are not right. Look at the Buddha image, no slanting of the head and the body, not inclining to the side.
So it’s important to have the right postures. With the bending of the body and you can’t practice very well. The hindrances of restlessness and worry (uddhacca and kukkucca nīvarana). The mind in the state of restlessness is uddhacca. If someone is scratching the head, moving the body and bending the fingers; then the yogi is in restlessness. The Buddha at the time of enlightenment made a resolution of not to move. We should imitate him. Must not move the body as we like. Kukkucca is thinking and planning of many things. In samatha practice you must not think and plan for anything.
Day 3: 19th October, 2002
Day 3: 19th October, 2002
The first thing yogis have to be mindful is days are not waiting for us. Each day has been gone very quickly. The effectiveness and success of the practice must measure with sati. In Mogok Sayadaw’s talks mentioned the importance of sati. For all matters without sati is impossible. For mundane and supramundane matters and in everyday life, sati is important.
Only by knowing these things and the yogis wanting to work hard with body and mind. Without sati and everything can be gone wrong. Life is encircling with enemies. We’re moving around among every kinds of danger. Before crossing the motor way and have to be mindful. In the beginning observing the left side and in the middle of the road observing the right side. Crossing without observing can lead to death. If you read the everyday newspaper, out of mindfulness that people encounter with deaths and dangers. (He talked about the 2002, Bali bombing in Indonesia.)
What happen in the surroundings? People are thinking and planning in many different ways to kill, torture and harm each other. (He also mentioned newsletter, booklets, etc, which were not allowing in Burma by the government of that time.) Someone was taking it to the tea shop without knowing it as illegal. And then he was arrested by the military intelligence (M.I).
These things are happening in many countries (He talked about another example of 9/11, 2001 in USA). No-one would think airplane could become a Bomb. In the world whenever hatred dhamma exists, killing and extermination are going on and on. If you don’t have sati and going on the way to death. If you want to free from the path of death must have sati. (He gave another incident in China. A man put pesticides for rats in to the foods of a shop closed by him with jealousy and killed some students.)
Hatred dhamma exists among the people, and human lives are never in safety. (For examples; nowadays terrorism, many parts of the Middle East, some African countries, etc.) All these sufferings and problems are made by human beings. So we need for practice to be with sati in daily life. (The above mentioned things were not only sati, but also included clearly comprehending - Sampajañña. See sati / sampajañña in the Satipatthāna Sutta.)
Clocks are invented for having sati. The clocks are reminding us. Usually I get up at 3:30 a.m. For this I made ready for the alarm. But today the clock was not making sound. This monk was also out of sati. Today I was arriving there late and lay people were waiting for the toilets. A lack of mindfulness and inconvenience happened. Therefore the inconveniences and deaths are the cause of heedlessness. If you can’t overcome it and no realization. If you don’t practice with care and can’t arrive to the destination.
You can’t work with careless. You come here and practice for the sake of path and fruit. If you work hard for 7 days and become a person has sati in everything. Every morning I come here for talk is reminding you. It needs to accept it. If not, even with the giving and attain nothing. If the sitting posture is not right and like the unconscious person.
Yesterday I came and observe people and still in the same postures. Why it happens like this? Humans have habit patterns. We’re behaving in these ways. With warning and only become temporary. And then going back to usual patterns. As an example, a scorpion was drifting in a stream. A hermit was also nearby. He was looking for a stick near him and couldn’t find none. So he took it with the hand.
The holy man was doing the holy job. But the scorpion stung him instantly. Do you want to say, the scorpion had no gratitude? Its habit was with the touching and came the stinging. But the hermit also knew about that. If a being was in danger and wanting to help was his habit. This was the holy mind. Scorpion also had the scorpion mind. Therefore it fell back into the water. The hermit didn’t have the nature of wanting it to die. So he saved it again.
No sati is also a habit. Used to do this thing and just to do like this. In learning computer and typewriter, in the beginning with sati and care press the keys. And have to practice in this way. After that no need for careful sati (become effortless sati). This is called conditioning. Practicing to become a habitual tendency. If become a habitual tendency and no need to do with difficulty and purpose.
With the observation of the yogis, some have experiences before, can sit calmly for an hour. Some no experiences are changing this side to that side. Now, it seems tiresome and difficult. And after used to it and become easy. People are 99% doing things without mindfulness. Now we have to do with sati that it is not become easy. Because we have been made ourselves with the habit of heedlessness. Insight practice and the life style of worldlings are opposite.
In worldly life, we have been taught to live without sati. If we are skillful in the practice and it becomes natural. So it was right what the Buddha taught as without sati was going towards death. Wanting arrive to the deathless Nibbana, no need to do the special things. Only it needs how to have sati with the practice.
Today we’re ascending to the level of piti (joy). Arriving to this level or not you will know it during the practice. Before dukkha vedana (painful sensations) were arising. Now they are reducing. Before the body was heavy. And now it becomes light. In the eyes light appears as bright sparks. These are signs of samādhi. Suddenly gooseflesh arises and you want to cry.
Yesterday some were already happening with these things. Here wanting to cry is not the cause of sadness (dosa), but the cause of joy. If become sadness and gladness tears also come out. If these things are happening and you arrive to the third level (i.e piti). For these things to happen you must contemplate in more details. Before I asked to contemplate the touching and the knowing.
Let’s stop the breathing and what happen to you? Wanting to breathe in arises. After breathing in and stop the breathing, and then what happen? Wanting to breathe out arises. Before we didn’t know that wanting to breathe and breathing arose. Now, we know that with the wanting to breathe and it breathes. The yogi must contemplate to see this mind. Before was with the breathing and knowing.
Now, is wanting to breathe and the breathing. So two points are here and knowing it with more in detail. More objects of contemplation make it become strong sati. These are the working of the wanting mind to breathe and the breath (rūpa). In eating also, wanting to eat mind and eating form (rūpa) process. Wanting to handle the spoon and handling, etc. Before at home, if you wanted to eat and just took the foods. (i.e without any contemplation. He also talked about wise reflection on consuming foods.)
Here we don’t eat without contemplation. Contemplate to see the wanting mind. And contemplate to see the moving form (rūpa). By put food into the mouth and don’t you know the touching? Wanting to breathe in and the breath coming in, wanting to breathe out and the breath going out, touching and knowing; totally six points. With more noting and the mind doesn’t go out. In the beginning it’s difficult because we’re doing things without aware of them.
At walking meditation, for example, if you start with the left foot. Wanting to lift the foot arises and then the lifting of the foot. Wanting to step and stepping the foot. Wanting to put down the foot and then putting down the foot. It’s not reciting it with the lips. To know with the noting of the mind wanting to lift the foot and the lifting of the form (rūpa) arise together. Before we only noted the touching.
Now, putting down the foot and also note the knowing of the touching. Here are totally eight points. (i.e, wanting to lift and lifting; wanting to step and the stepping; wanting to put down and the putting down; touching and knowing = 2X4=8 points.)
In the breathing, there are 6 points and walking 8 points respectively. Before in the walking, we only note the touching and knowing. Now all these activities are the works of kamma (actions) and not vipassanā. The reason for doing satipatthāna is, later there are levels like climbing up the mountain. For these, it needs the strength. Therefore it’s collecting the strength and power. It’s important to have strong interest for doing it.
This is seriousness. Can doing like this you must have faith (saddhā). The khandha also will show you. Today joy arises. The khandha becomes light and fresh. For 2 days, we didn’t do a lot of noting. And today it becomes more. Noting is samatha and knowing is paññā. Noting is to be mindful and become knowing is paññā. (Sayadaw helping the yogis to make the preliminary duties for practice – parikamma.
These are: Offering the body and mind to the triple gems – Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha. Asking forgiveness to the Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha, teachers, parents and other living beings for one had done anything wrong to them. Pervading loving friendliness - metta to all living beings, etc.)
The first thing yogis have to be mindful is days are not waiting for us. Each day has been gone very quickly. The effectiveness and success of the practice must measure with sati. In Mogok Sayadaw’s talks mentioned the importance of sati. For all matters without sati is impossible. For mundane and supramundane matters and in everyday life, sati is important.
Only by knowing these things and the yogis wanting to work hard with body and mind. Without sati and everything can be gone wrong. Life is encircling with enemies. We’re moving around among every kinds of danger. Before crossing the motor way and have to be mindful. In the beginning observing the left side and in the middle of the road observing the right side. Crossing without observing can lead to death. If you read the everyday newspaper, out of mindfulness that people encounter with deaths and dangers. (He talked about the 2002, Bali bombing in Indonesia.)
What happen in the surroundings? People are thinking and planning in many different ways to kill, torture and harm each other. (He also mentioned newsletter, booklets, etc, which were not allowing in Burma by the government of that time.) Someone was taking it to the tea shop without knowing it as illegal. And then he was arrested by the military intelligence (M.I).
These things are happening in many countries (He talked about another example of 9/11, 2001 in USA). No-one would think airplane could become a Bomb. In the world whenever hatred dhamma exists, killing and extermination are going on and on. If you don’t have sati and going on the way to death. If you want to free from the path of death must have sati. (He gave another incident in China. A man put pesticides for rats in to the foods of a shop closed by him with jealousy and killed some students.)
Hatred dhamma exists among the people, and human lives are never in safety. (For examples; nowadays terrorism, many parts of the Middle East, some African countries, etc.) All these sufferings and problems are made by human beings. So we need for practice to be with sati in daily life. (The above mentioned things were not only sati, but also included clearly comprehending - Sampajañña. See sati / sampajañña in the Satipatthāna Sutta.)
Clocks are invented for having sati. The clocks are reminding us. Usually I get up at 3:30 a.m. For this I made ready for the alarm. But today the clock was not making sound. This monk was also out of sati. Today I was arriving there late and lay people were waiting for the toilets. A lack of mindfulness and inconvenience happened. Therefore the inconveniences and deaths are the cause of heedlessness. If you can’t overcome it and no realization. If you don’t practice with care and can’t arrive to the destination.
You can’t work with careless. You come here and practice for the sake of path and fruit. If you work hard for 7 days and become a person has sati in everything. Every morning I come here for talk is reminding you. It needs to accept it. If not, even with the giving and attain nothing. If the sitting posture is not right and like the unconscious person.
Yesterday I came and observe people and still in the same postures. Why it happens like this? Humans have habit patterns. We’re behaving in these ways. With warning and only become temporary. And then going back to usual patterns. As an example, a scorpion was drifting in a stream. A hermit was also nearby. He was looking for a stick near him and couldn’t find none. So he took it with the hand.
The holy man was doing the holy job. But the scorpion stung him instantly. Do you want to say, the scorpion had no gratitude? Its habit was with the touching and came the stinging. But the hermit also knew about that. If a being was in danger and wanting to help was his habit. This was the holy mind. Scorpion also had the scorpion mind. Therefore it fell back into the water. The hermit didn’t have the nature of wanting it to die. So he saved it again.
No sati is also a habit. Used to do this thing and just to do like this. In learning computer and typewriter, in the beginning with sati and care press the keys. And have to practice in this way. After that no need for careful sati (become effortless sati). This is called conditioning. Practicing to become a habitual tendency. If become a habitual tendency and no need to do with difficulty and purpose.
With the observation of the yogis, some have experiences before, can sit calmly for an hour. Some no experiences are changing this side to that side. Now, it seems tiresome and difficult. And after used to it and become easy. People are 99% doing things without mindfulness. Now we have to do with sati that it is not become easy. Because we have been made ourselves with the habit of heedlessness. Insight practice and the life style of worldlings are opposite.
In worldly life, we have been taught to live without sati. If we are skillful in the practice and it becomes natural. So it was right what the Buddha taught as without sati was going towards death. Wanting arrive to the deathless Nibbana, no need to do the special things. Only it needs how to have sati with the practice.
Today we’re ascending to the level of piti (joy). Arriving to this level or not you will know it during the practice. Before dukkha vedana (painful sensations) were arising. Now they are reducing. Before the body was heavy. And now it becomes light. In the eyes light appears as bright sparks. These are signs of samādhi. Suddenly gooseflesh arises and you want to cry.
Yesterday some were already happening with these things. Here wanting to cry is not the cause of sadness (dosa), but the cause of joy. If become sadness and gladness tears also come out. If these things are happening and you arrive to the third level (i.e piti). For these things to happen you must contemplate in more details. Before I asked to contemplate the touching and the knowing.
Let’s stop the breathing and what happen to you? Wanting to breathe in arises. After breathing in and stop the breathing, and then what happen? Wanting to breathe out arises. Before we didn’t know that wanting to breathe and breathing arose. Now, we know that with the wanting to breathe and it breathes. The yogi must contemplate to see this mind. Before was with the breathing and knowing.
Now, is wanting to breathe and the breathing. So two points are here and knowing it with more in detail. More objects of contemplation make it become strong sati. These are the working of the wanting mind to breathe and the breath (rūpa). In eating also, wanting to eat mind and eating form (rūpa) process. Wanting to handle the spoon and handling, etc. Before at home, if you wanted to eat and just took the foods. (i.e without any contemplation. He also talked about wise reflection on consuming foods.)
Here we don’t eat without contemplation. Contemplate to see the wanting mind. And contemplate to see the moving form (rūpa). By put food into the mouth and don’t you know the touching? Wanting to breathe in and the breath coming in, wanting to breathe out and the breath going out, touching and knowing; totally six points. With more noting and the mind doesn’t go out. In the beginning it’s difficult because we’re doing things without aware of them.
At walking meditation, for example, if you start with the left foot. Wanting to lift the foot arises and then the lifting of the foot. Wanting to step and stepping the foot. Wanting to put down the foot and then putting down the foot. It’s not reciting it with the lips. To know with the noting of the mind wanting to lift the foot and the lifting of the form (rūpa) arise together. Before we only noted the touching.
Now, putting down the foot and also note the knowing of the touching. Here are totally eight points. (i.e, wanting to lift and lifting; wanting to step and the stepping; wanting to put down and the putting down; touching and knowing = 2X4=8 points.)
In the breathing, there are 6 points and walking 8 points respectively. Before in the walking, we only note the touching and knowing. Now all these activities are the works of kamma (actions) and not vipassanā. The reason for doing satipatthāna is, later there are levels like climbing up the mountain. For these, it needs the strength. Therefore it’s collecting the strength and power. It’s important to have strong interest for doing it.
This is seriousness. Can doing like this you must have faith (saddhā). The khandha also will show you. Today joy arises. The khandha becomes light and fresh. For 2 days, we didn’t do a lot of noting. And today it becomes more. Noting is samatha and knowing is paññā. Noting is to be mindful and become knowing is paññā. (Sayadaw helping the yogis to make the preliminary duties for practice – parikamma.
These are: Offering the body and mind to the triple gems – Buddha, Dhamma and Saṅgha. Asking forgiveness to the Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha, teachers, parents and other living beings for one had done anything wrong to them. Pervading loving friendliness - metta to all living beings, etc.)
Day 4: 20th October, 2002
Day 4: 20th October, 2002
Talking from the process of the practice, today we’re arriving to the level of jhānic factor happiness (sukha). In the 5 jhāna factors, vitakka is pulling the mind back to the object. Vicāra means the mind staying with the object of meditation. The mind is staying calm with the object. If the mind becomes calm the body also calm. It becomes free from lobha (greed), dosa (hatred), moha (delusion), restlessness (the mind moving around here and there), laziness, boredom, etc,
which are defilements (kilesa), obstructing the path and fruit. This is called purification of the mind (cittavisuddhi). There are 7 stages of purification. Now you’re undertaking the 8 precepts and during the practice the precepts are pure. Only with the pure sīla (precepts) is not enough.
The mind also has to be pure. With the polluted mind (kilesa) can’t do insight practice, and doing it with the contemplative knowledge (nana). This knowledge is establishing with the practice. Normal people don’t have it. What are the factors of this knowledge? Must have right view (sammā-ditthi). Thoughts must be right (sammā-saṅkappa).
For right effort (sammā-vāyāma); we’re talking about sitting meditation, but also can practice with walking, lying down and standing. Without effort, we can’t do anything. Right mindfulness (sammā-sati) is satipatthāna, which we’re doing now. It regards to everything. Only we have sati and will attain the path and fruit. You must grasp on this point. Control the mind with sati and not letting it going out.
Only with sati and viriya can have the calmness of samādhi. With the calmness of the mind and knowledge will arise. It’s wisdom (paññā). If the mind is seeing an object or hearing a sound and following with them. During the eating also it follows with the sweet, sour, salty tastes, etc. And the mind doesn’t stop there with only knowing. Also it’s enjoying the good or bad tastes. After the feeling, if you prefer the sweetness and like it. If not prefer and then you dislike it.
Originally like and dislike are not exist by itself, but adding by the eater. There are some people enjoy hot chillies and also some don’t. Like or dislike chillies are nothing to do with the chillies. It connects with the eater/enjoyer. He/she has the nature of justification on the objects. Contemplation on the in and out breaths are not interesting like watching video.
(This is a modern day human problem and serious. We polluted our mind from the media and never aware of the dangers it brings to human beings.)
Because it’s not like the objects of defilement. Therefore the mind is looking for a new object. If hearing a sound, it does not stay at the nostril and following towards the sound. It has interest at the sound with thinking.
Another thing is with the contemplation and the mind instantly forgets the object – seems like unconscious. It’s called falling into the bhavaṅga citta. This is not following other objects. The mind has two types; conscious and unconscious or sub-conscious minds. This unconscious or sub-conscious mind is bhavaṅga citta – life continuum mind. Instantly it forgets the object and changes into bhavaṅga citta. And then thinking and planning things arise. The mind strays away from the object is our past experiences have been recorded in the bhavaṅga (maybe like a recording machine).
In normal situations it doesn’t arise. We had been forgotten the things which happened long time ago at young age. These things can arise during the practice. In this way the mind is not staying with the meditation object and following with the new object. With these kinds of obstructing exist and in making the mind to be calmed, it needs great effort. If you arrive to this level and need this much effort.
This yogi seems like climbing a high mountain. Reaching higher up and you need the care of not to fall off. Like the example of a mountain climber. Reaching higher up and closer to life danger. Out of sati is the cause of death. (He mentioned Mogok Sayadaw’s talk on a prisoner carried a bowl full of oil. He had to protect his life for not spilling even a drop of it. It needs a great care and sati.)
The car driver can’t be out of sati. Because dangers are surrounding with it. Even with sati still can has accident. We’re establishing sati for the freedom of saṁsāric dangers which come from repeated existences, and have to do it with full interest. When night time arrives, some yogis’ minds become disarray. It’s sure of including with tiredness. And because of the painful sensations that you can reduce the effort.
It will be good enough only, always practice with great effort like a new person and new mind. Today we must arrive to the level of happiness (sukha). This is the level where the whole body becomes peaceful and happy. If the body is painful with aches and headache, etc. can’t attain happiness.
If I have to tell my experience, I didn’t do vipassanā practice before. It was because of my great vow. Because of this thought, I didn’t do it. [But he did samatha practice and influenced by worldly knowledges (lokiya vijjā) - such as gandhāri, mantra, mandala, etc. So he was getting lost in these things for sometimes.] After sometimes I made researches and found out that I didn’t have the qualities of a bodhisatta. And I had not been met a living Buddha for the future prediction (In some of his past lives he had been made bodhisatta vows).
Therefore at the time of doing vipassanā, my whole body was painful, numbed and with aches like you. From the knees downwards were numbed for the whole day and night. Next day was the same. And then on the third day I thought; was it becoming paralyzed? And then I made a decision of let it happened whatever might be and continued the effort. What were the characteristics when arriving to the level of happiness.
After the mid-day meal, it was still numbing. I was resting for awhile and took a bath. After the bath and all these numbness disappeared. At 1 p.m continued the sitting and arrived to the level of happiness. The dhamma was not like what I had thought and developing with the process. If arriving to the level of sukha and the whole body becomes light, the mind is clear and bright.
Some have goosefleshes, seeing light like the firefly, sign of cotton wool, cloud, etc. These are signs of samatha. If you’re seeing these things and it means arriving to a certain level in samatha practice. These are learning signs (uggaha-namitta) and counterpart signs (patibhāga namitta). Arriving to the stages of piti and sukha, the body becomes light and not heavy. Even can be found out that the lower part of the body disappears. If it arrives to the stage of onepointedness of mind (ekaggata), even becomes quiete and seems to be not breathed anymore.
Dhamma is developing in accordance with the process. We’re practicing with the time limit that if moving the body here and there will not arrive to this stage. Separate the practice for 18 days that, each day has to be developed from one stage to another stage. If the below stages are not fulfilling and can’t follow up. So you can’t take rest and have to be tried with right effort. It’s important to change postures without interrupt the acceleration. It was like rubbing 2 pieces of bamboo, you would never get the fire by rubbing and resting.
If you just do the rubbing, when the time comes and fire will come out. Samādhi practice is also in the same way. Noting, contemplating with sati, dhamma will do its job accordingly and samādhi develops. At that time must not thinking and planning this and that. If you put effort with sati and will find out that in and out breathing are faster. Whatever you are experiencing just binding the mind at the entrance of the nostrils is enough.
Some observe the arising and falling of the abdomen as object of contemplation. Some observe the heart beatings. They are watching at these. And then what problem will arise? A female yogi asked me; “If I don’t pay attention at the nostrils and instead at the chest area (i.e, the heart) or at the abdomen is possible?” Then I answered to her that if you knew it and it will be all right.
But it has a difficulty when changing to the next stage of knowledge (i.e, the knowledge of cause and effect relationship.) The beating of the heart is conditioning by the bhavaṅga citta. It funcions with the volitional mind. At the nostrils because of wanting to breathe in and it breathes in, and wanting to breathe out and it breathes out. The wanting mind is the cause. For the beating of the heart, we don’t know the reason. It has the difficulty when analyzing the cause and effect relationship.
For today, practice hard and don’t let the mind goes out to reach the sukha level. I had been reminded yogis not to incline the head downwards. But because of the habit carrying with them, and after sometimes it goes back to usual. You have to be remembered the instruction. Also it must have the part of checking for one’s practice. Then you can correct your mistakes. Another point is observing the touching and the knowing mind with another mind. This is contemplating the knowing mind with another mind and including more knowing.
Talking from the process of the practice, today we’re arriving to the level of jhānic factor happiness (sukha). In the 5 jhāna factors, vitakka is pulling the mind back to the object. Vicāra means the mind staying with the object of meditation. The mind is staying calm with the object. If the mind becomes calm the body also calm. It becomes free from lobha (greed), dosa (hatred), moha (delusion), restlessness (the mind moving around here and there), laziness, boredom, etc,
which are defilements (kilesa), obstructing the path and fruit. This is called purification of the mind (cittavisuddhi). There are 7 stages of purification. Now you’re undertaking the 8 precepts and during the practice the precepts are pure. Only with the pure sīla (precepts) is not enough.
The mind also has to be pure. With the polluted mind (kilesa) can’t do insight practice, and doing it with the contemplative knowledge (nana). This knowledge is establishing with the practice. Normal people don’t have it. What are the factors of this knowledge? Must have right view (sammā-ditthi). Thoughts must be right (sammā-saṅkappa).
For right effort (sammā-vāyāma); we’re talking about sitting meditation, but also can practice with walking, lying down and standing. Without effort, we can’t do anything. Right mindfulness (sammā-sati) is satipatthāna, which we’re doing now. It regards to everything. Only we have sati and will attain the path and fruit. You must grasp on this point. Control the mind with sati and not letting it going out.
Only with sati and viriya can have the calmness of samādhi. With the calmness of the mind and knowledge will arise. It’s wisdom (paññā). If the mind is seeing an object or hearing a sound and following with them. During the eating also it follows with the sweet, sour, salty tastes, etc. And the mind doesn’t stop there with only knowing. Also it’s enjoying the good or bad tastes. After the feeling, if you prefer the sweetness and like it. If not prefer and then you dislike it.
Originally like and dislike are not exist by itself, but adding by the eater. There are some people enjoy hot chillies and also some don’t. Like or dislike chillies are nothing to do with the chillies. It connects with the eater/enjoyer. He/she has the nature of justification on the objects. Contemplation on the in and out breaths are not interesting like watching video.
(This is a modern day human problem and serious. We polluted our mind from the media and never aware of the dangers it brings to human beings.)
Because it’s not like the objects of defilement. Therefore the mind is looking for a new object. If hearing a sound, it does not stay at the nostril and following towards the sound. It has interest at the sound with thinking.
Another thing is with the contemplation and the mind instantly forgets the object – seems like unconscious. It’s called falling into the bhavaṅga citta. This is not following other objects. The mind has two types; conscious and unconscious or sub-conscious minds. This unconscious or sub-conscious mind is bhavaṅga citta – life continuum mind. Instantly it forgets the object and changes into bhavaṅga citta. And then thinking and planning things arise. The mind strays away from the object is our past experiences have been recorded in the bhavaṅga (maybe like a recording machine).
In normal situations it doesn’t arise. We had been forgotten the things which happened long time ago at young age. These things can arise during the practice. In this way the mind is not staying with the meditation object and following with the new object. With these kinds of obstructing exist and in making the mind to be calmed, it needs great effort. If you arrive to this level and need this much effort.
This yogi seems like climbing a high mountain. Reaching higher up and you need the care of not to fall off. Like the example of a mountain climber. Reaching higher up and closer to life danger. Out of sati is the cause of death. (He mentioned Mogok Sayadaw’s talk on a prisoner carried a bowl full of oil. He had to protect his life for not spilling even a drop of it. It needs a great care and sati.)
The car driver can’t be out of sati. Because dangers are surrounding with it. Even with sati still can has accident. We’re establishing sati for the freedom of saṁsāric dangers which come from repeated existences, and have to do it with full interest. When night time arrives, some yogis’ minds become disarray. It’s sure of including with tiredness. And because of the painful sensations that you can reduce the effort.
It will be good enough only, always practice with great effort like a new person and new mind. Today we must arrive to the level of happiness (sukha). This is the level where the whole body becomes peaceful and happy. If the body is painful with aches and headache, etc. can’t attain happiness.
If I have to tell my experience, I didn’t do vipassanā practice before. It was because of my great vow. Because of this thought, I didn’t do it. [But he did samatha practice and influenced by worldly knowledges (lokiya vijjā) - such as gandhāri, mantra, mandala, etc. So he was getting lost in these things for sometimes.] After sometimes I made researches and found out that I didn’t have the qualities of a bodhisatta. And I had not been met a living Buddha for the future prediction (In some of his past lives he had been made bodhisatta vows).
Therefore at the time of doing vipassanā, my whole body was painful, numbed and with aches like you. From the knees downwards were numbed for the whole day and night. Next day was the same. And then on the third day I thought; was it becoming paralyzed? And then I made a decision of let it happened whatever might be and continued the effort. What were the characteristics when arriving to the level of happiness.
After the mid-day meal, it was still numbing. I was resting for awhile and took a bath. After the bath and all these numbness disappeared. At 1 p.m continued the sitting and arrived to the level of happiness. The dhamma was not like what I had thought and developing with the process. If arriving to the level of sukha and the whole body becomes light, the mind is clear and bright.
Some have goosefleshes, seeing light like the firefly, sign of cotton wool, cloud, etc. These are signs of samatha. If you’re seeing these things and it means arriving to a certain level in samatha practice. These are learning signs (uggaha-namitta) and counterpart signs (patibhāga namitta). Arriving to the stages of piti and sukha, the body becomes light and not heavy. Even can be found out that the lower part of the body disappears. If it arrives to the stage of onepointedness of mind (ekaggata), even becomes quiete and seems to be not breathed anymore.
Dhamma is developing in accordance with the process. We’re practicing with the time limit that if moving the body here and there will not arrive to this stage. Separate the practice for 18 days that, each day has to be developed from one stage to another stage. If the below stages are not fulfilling and can’t follow up. So you can’t take rest and have to be tried with right effort. It’s important to change postures without interrupt the acceleration. It was like rubbing 2 pieces of bamboo, you would never get the fire by rubbing and resting.
If you just do the rubbing, when the time comes and fire will come out. Samādhi practice is also in the same way. Noting, contemplating with sati, dhamma will do its job accordingly and samādhi develops. At that time must not thinking and planning this and that. If you put effort with sati and will find out that in and out breathing are faster. Whatever you are experiencing just binding the mind at the entrance of the nostrils is enough.
Some observe the arising and falling of the abdomen as object of contemplation. Some observe the heart beatings. They are watching at these. And then what problem will arise? A female yogi asked me; “If I don’t pay attention at the nostrils and instead at the chest area (i.e, the heart) or at the abdomen is possible?” Then I answered to her that if you knew it and it will be all right.
But it has a difficulty when changing to the next stage of knowledge (i.e, the knowledge of cause and effect relationship.) The beating of the heart is conditioning by the bhavaṅga citta. It funcions with the volitional mind. At the nostrils because of wanting to breathe in and it breathes in, and wanting to breathe out and it breathes out. The wanting mind is the cause. For the beating of the heart, we don’t know the reason. It has the difficulty when analyzing the cause and effect relationship.
For today, practice hard and don’t let the mind goes out to reach the sukha level. I had been reminded yogis not to incline the head downwards. But because of the habit carrying with them, and after sometimes it goes back to usual. You have to be remembered the instruction. Also it must have the part of checking for one’s practice. Then you can correct your mistakes. Another point is observing the touching and the knowing mind with another mind. This is contemplating the knowing mind with another mind and including more knowing.
Day 5: 21st October, 2002
Day 5: 21st October, 2002
This is like a preparation for climbing up a higher part of the mountain. It’s for the liberation from saṁsāric dukkha. So we must do the practice with the 3 governing principles.
[Oneself as a governing principle (attādhipati), taking the worlds (lokādhipati) and the Dhamma as governing principles (Dhammādhipati). Here taking the worlds as governing principles means the living beings who have the ability to see and know other mind. (See-Aṅguttara Nikāya, III 40 Governing principles.)]
Mogok Sayadaw said, “We could not do the practice in an ordinary way, but with the 3 governing principles (adhipati) and resolution.” The first one is making oneself as a governing principle (attādhipati). You can’t attain it with prayers, and must do it yourself. It needs the faith of I must realize it. You shouldn’t have this kind of thought, couldn’t I do it? You should have the determination of I must realize it with the practice. It can be happened that you retreat back or it takes more time.
We only have the 18 days limit and shouldn’t waste the time. From today onwards we must make the resolution for the practice. Practice with the resolution. Why are you coming here for the practice? Mogok Sayadaw said, “We didn’t come here because we have nothing to eat, or nothing to wear or nowhere to live.
Also not for the happiness of human and celestial beings that to come here and practice (i.e, sugati – good rebirths).” (For example of human dukkha, mentioned the story of bhikkhuni Patācārā.) Round of existence (saṁsāra) was so long that every living beings had shed tears more than the water in the 4 oceans. With deaths the bones were piling up like great mountains. After birth even like a criminal has the death sentence with him. We’re afraid of death and planning in many ways not to die. However you’re doing it can’t free from aging, sickness and death.
For a death-sentenced criminal, day after day the time to death is closer and closer and has more sense of urgency (saṁvega). But everyday most people are enjoying themselves with companions, sensual pleasures and eating and drinking. Their precious times are finishing in those ways. After deaths they will fall into the 4 woeful destinations like coconut fruits fall down at randomly.
The dangers of change (viparinama) and easily falling into painful destinations (vinipāta) are within us after births. This life can be used as to freed from these dangers. So it’s very important for us. We had been as animals for foods to others in many lives. Therefore we come here for the practice to escape from these worse situations.
Approaching a good teacher is one of the causes for realization. It’s very difficult to get a good teacher to teach us. After finished his own practice, Mogok Sayadaw wanted others to know and practice the Dhamma. So he was continuously teaching others without stopping. He was still teaching people until near his death. He gave the guarantee for his listeners and said, “If you practice with the 3 adhipatis in the evening and can realize it the next morning.” At least we should have the goal of not falling into bad destinations after death.
This is the situation of a small stream winner (cūla-sotāpanna). Someone discerns impermanence is a cūla-sotāpanna. We’re establishing samādhi for the discerning of impermanence. Later you’ll know how much height this khandha mountain is? Only by practicing hard you can attain path and fruit within the 18 days. There are many practicing for 10 years, 20 years already. Our groups had been practiced seriously before (the yogis at his centre in Taunggnoo).
Only a person with sharp faculty could realize it in 10 days. (He was one of them and mentioned his experiences in his book- “A Man Walking on the Path of Spiritual Knowledge”.) Most people are only discerning impermanence within 10 days. From the disenchanting of impermanence (i.e, nibbida ñāna) to the ending of it (i.e, path knowledge) in within 10 days was impossible (i.e, among his yogis).
Therefore I was making a plan. (That was his successful khandha paticcasamupada lectures across Burma by using the way of Mogok Sayadaw’s teaching on this topic.) Discern impermanence within 10 days and become cūla-sotāpanna. And will take rebirths in sugati. But still not free from the dangers of the planes of misery (apāyas). And then the yogi has the seed of mahā-sotāpanna for the next life. The tree will grow out in the next life, and will become a sotāpanna.
We’ll ascend the mountain with the 3 stages of knowledge as taught by Mogok Sayadaw. (Also mentioned by the Buddha himself for many times in some of the suttas.) Second, make preparation for climbing the mountain. For this we must make 2 resolutions (adhitthāna). The first one is we’ll do the practice with sitting, walking, standing and lying down in each posture exactly for an hour without changing. It doesn’t mean we have to do it in the extreme way but in the middle way. And it can be painful and become unbearable for you.
The reason is you don’t know how to contemplate by separating from it. We must make a test for how much can we bear it. This practice will make us to have the quality of endurance. The practice is not only to have samādhi but also to make the mind has patience. It’s also testing for oneself how much could you do with patience in dealing of with pain-dukkha. After half an hour painful sensations - dukkha vedana will arise. If it arises and you want it to disappear.
From wanting it to disappear and wanting to change the posture. Then you have to make this determination. Whenever to get this body – khandha, and this suffering dukkha will continue to come. If I change, and in next posture, it’ll torture me again. So I’ll not change and try up to 40 minutes. If I pass it and will increase another 5 minutes. After overcome it with 45 minutes and I’ll increase to the maximum.
There is nothing without ending. If anything has the beginning, and must has the ending. By following and observing the most painful one and at the end of it will find out the most pleasant one. At the end of suffering a happiness exists. I thought it would torture me continuously. After the worst things finish the good things exist. Here the yogis have to know one thing. You shouldn’t go in and feel the feeling - vedana unbearably. You were seemed to be in comfortable posture to someone nearby.
This is the battle between the body - khandha and knowledge. A lay woman in Minbu City (in Central Burma) was used to talk bluntly. At her retreat and said to me, “Ven. Sir, during the practice there are 3 enemies attacking me and quite unpleasant. The air element tortures me, and the heat element is very hot. Enemies are 3 and I’m the only one. But still I overcome them.” If the khandha is attacking us, we must conquer it.
Today onwards we should have this kind of spirit. It doesn’t mean that not to change at all. Develop bit by bit and do it as much as you can. If you overcome once and no difficulty anymore. With one success and has strong confidence.
Next resolution is noble silence. For the mind to be calm, you can’t be in talking. Even can’t talk about Dhamma between each other. It needs to make the mind has strength. With talking and samādhi has fallen apart. And then has difficulty to establish again. Also make others as a governing principle (i.e, lokādhipati). Don’t think that whatever is arising in my mind others don’t know and only I know about it. If the spirits at the surroundings know, others also know it. At my retreats someone comes in and protecting the place.
Even we don’t know about it the spirit is watching at us. If you’re yawning very often, the spirit comes and makes it to you. Because the yogi is thinking this and that without any control. And so he comes in and doing it by let me know this.
(This being was a tree spirit – rukkhamu devata as mentioned in the Metta Sutta. In a talk the venerable mentioned his experiences under a big tree in a deep forest after ordained. At that time with 3 robes, alms bowl and only living under a tree. This tree spirit was living there and later became his Dhamma protector.) If you’re near the realization, there are some beings who have strong relationship with you. These are beings from the different dimensions (paraloka – it was also confirmed by scientific research).
Another point is taking the Dhamma as a governing principle. Ehi-passiko- it means come and contemplate. You must have confidence that these are Dhamma leading to Nibbāna. For attaining the Dhamma, it needs good teacher and system. It happens to us quite rare indeed. You can try it out. You can’t encounter it as you want to be. We have past connection with each other.
You have to be careful about not to talk. If you’re getting lost in talking and will never attain the path and fruit. It’s a big fault. If you’re breaking your resolution and far from path and fruit. I had never been found someone who had realized Dhamma with talking. We’re practicing among people but have to behave like alone person.
The Bodhisatta renounced the world was for this purpose. It was the practice of renunciation. (This was renunciation, and one of the 10 paramis. If we check the jataka stories we’ll find out that the bodhisatta and some of his great and chief disciples were fulfilling this parami for many lives. Without it, realization is impossible.)
This is like a preparation for climbing up a higher part of the mountain. It’s for the liberation from saṁsāric dukkha. So we must do the practice with the 3 governing principles.
[Oneself as a governing principle (attādhipati), taking the worlds (lokādhipati) and the Dhamma as governing principles (Dhammādhipati). Here taking the worlds as governing principles means the living beings who have the ability to see and know other mind. (See-Aṅguttara Nikāya, III 40 Governing principles.)]
Mogok Sayadaw said, “We could not do the practice in an ordinary way, but with the 3 governing principles (adhipati) and resolution.” The first one is making oneself as a governing principle (attādhipati). You can’t attain it with prayers, and must do it yourself. It needs the faith of I must realize it. You shouldn’t have this kind of thought, couldn’t I do it? You should have the determination of I must realize it with the practice. It can be happened that you retreat back or it takes more time.
We only have the 18 days limit and shouldn’t waste the time. From today onwards we must make the resolution for the practice. Practice with the resolution. Why are you coming here for the practice? Mogok Sayadaw said, “We didn’t come here because we have nothing to eat, or nothing to wear or nowhere to live.
Also not for the happiness of human and celestial beings that to come here and practice (i.e, sugati – good rebirths).” (For example of human dukkha, mentioned the story of bhikkhuni Patācārā.) Round of existence (saṁsāra) was so long that every living beings had shed tears more than the water in the 4 oceans. With deaths the bones were piling up like great mountains. After birth even like a criminal has the death sentence with him. We’re afraid of death and planning in many ways not to die. However you’re doing it can’t free from aging, sickness and death.
For a death-sentenced criminal, day after day the time to death is closer and closer and has more sense of urgency (saṁvega). But everyday most people are enjoying themselves with companions, sensual pleasures and eating and drinking. Their precious times are finishing in those ways. After deaths they will fall into the 4 woeful destinations like coconut fruits fall down at randomly.
The dangers of change (viparinama) and easily falling into painful destinations (vinipāta) are within us after births. This life can be used as to freed from these dangers. So it’s very important for us. We had been as animals for foods to others in many lives. Therefore we come here for the practice to escape from these worse situations.
Approaching a good teacher is one of the causes for realization. It’s very difficult to get a good teacher to teach us. After finished his own practice, Mogok Sayadaw wanted others to know and practice the Dhamma. So he was continuously teaching others without stopping. He was still teaching people until near his death. He gave the guarantee for his listeners and said, “If you practice with the 3 adhipatis in the evening and can realize it the next morning.” At least we should have the goal of not falling into bad destinations after death.
This is the situation of a small stream winner (cūla-sotāpanna). Someone discerns impermanence is a cūla-sotāpanna. We’re establishing samādhi for the discerning of impermanence. Later you’ll know how much height this khandha mountain is? Only by practicing hard you can attain path and fruit within the 18 days. There are many practicing for 10 years, 20 years already. Our groups had been practiced seriously before (the yogis at his centre in Taunggnoo).
Only a person with sharp faculty could realize it in 10 days. (He was one of them and mentioned his experiences in his book- “A Man Walking on the Path of Spiritual Knowledge”.) Most people are only discerning impermanence within 10 days. From the disenchanting of impermanence (i.e, nibbida ñāna) to the ending of it (i.e, path knowledge) in within 10 days was impossible (i.e, among his yogis).
Therefore I was making a plan. (That was his successful khandha paticcasamupada lectures across Burma by using the way of Mogok Sayadaw’s teaching on this topic.) Discern impermanence within 10 days and become cūla-sotāpanna. And will take rebirths in sugati. But still not free from the dangers of the planes of misery (apāyas). And then the yogi has the seed of mahā-sotāpanna for the next life. The tree will grow out in the next life, and will become a sotāpanna.
We’ll ascend the mountain with the 3 stages of knowledge as taught by Mogok Sayadaw. (Also mentioned by the Buddha himself for many times in some of the suttas.) Second, make preparation for climbing the mountain. For this we must make 2 resolutions (adhitthāna). The first one is we’ll do the practice with sitting, walking, standing and lying down in each posture exactly for an hour without changing. It doesn’t mean we have to do it in the extreme way but in the middle way. And it can be painful and become unbearable for you.
The reason is you don’t know how to contemplate by separating from it. We must make a test for how much can we bear it. This practice will make us to have the quality of endurance. The practice is not only to have samādhi but also to make the mind has patience. It’s also testing for oneself how much could you do with patience in dealing of with pain-dukkha. After half an hour painful sensations - dukkha vedana will arise. If it arises and you want it to disappear.
From wanting it to disappear and wanting to change the posture. Then you have to make this determination. Whenever to get this body – khandha, and this suffering dukkha will continue to come. If I change, and in next posture, it’ll torture me again. So I’ll not change and try up to 40 minutes. If I pass it and will increase another 5 minutes. After overcome it with 45 minutes and I’ll increase to the maximum.
There is nothing without ending. If anything has the beginning, and must has the ending. By following and observing the most painful one and at the end of it will find out the most pleasant one. At the end of suffering a happiness exists. I thought it would torture me continuously. After the worst things finish the good things exist. Here the yogis have to know one thing. You shouldn’t go in and feel the feeling - vedana unbearably. You were seemed to be in comfortable posture to someone nearby.
This is the battle between the body - khandha and knowledge. A lay woman in Minbu City (in Central Burma) was used to talk bluntly. At her retreat and said to me, “Ven. Sir, during the practice there are 3 enemies attacking me and quite unpleasant. The air element tortures me, and the heat element is very hot. Enemies are 3 and I’m the only one. But still I overcome them.” If the khandha is attacking us, we must conquer it.
Today onwards we should have this kind of spirit. It doesn’t mean that not to change at all. Develop bit by bit and do it as much as you can. If you overcome once and no difficulty anymore. With one success and has strong confidence.
Next resolution is noble silence. For the mind to be calm, you can’t be in talking. Even can’t talk about Dhamma between each other. It needs to make the mind has strength. With talking and samādhi has fallen apart. And then has difficulty to establish again. Also make others as a governing principle (i.e, lokādhipati). Don’t think that whatever is arising in my mind others don’t know and only I know about it. If the spirits at the surroundings know, others also know it. At my retreats someone comes in and protecting the place.
Even we don’t know about it the spirit is watching at us. If you’re yawning very often, the spirit comes and makes it to you. Because the yogi is thinking this and that without any control. And so he comes in and doing it by let me know this.
(This being was a tree spirit – rukkhamu devata as mentioned in the Metta Sutta. In a talk the venerable mentioned his experiences under a big tree in a deep forest after ordained. At that time with 3 robes, alms bowl and only living under a tree. This tree spirit was living there and later became his Dhamma protector.) If you’re near the realization, there are some beings who have strong relationship with you. These are beings from the different dimensions (paraloka – it was also confirmed by scientific research).
Another point is taking the Dhamma as a governing principle. Ehi-passiko- it means come and contemplate. You must have confidence that these are Dhamma leading to Nibbāna. For attaining the Dhamma, it needs good teacher and system. It happens to us quite rare indeed. You can try it out. You can’t encounter it as you want to be. We have past connection with each other.
You have to be careful about not to talk. If you’re getting lost in talking and will never attain the path and fruit. It’s a big fault. If you’re breaking your resolution and far from path and fruit. I had never been found someone who had realized Dhamma with talking. We’re practicing among people but have to behave like alone person.
The Bodhisatta renounced the world was for this purpose. It was the practice of renunciation. (This was renunciation, and one of the 10 paramis. If we check the jataka stories we’ll find out that the bodhisatta and some of his great and chief disciples were fulfilling this parami for many lives. Without it, realization is impossible.)
Day 6: 22nd October, 2002
Day 6: 22nd October, 2002
We’re arriving at another part of the process for change. It needs to clearly understand the way of practice and the nature of the practice. From samatha practice we’ll develop vipassanā. There exists the process of insight knowledge. There are 2 basic knowledges of insight. These are: Understanding the characteristics of mind and material phenomena (nāmarūpa pariccheda ñāna). Discernment of conditions for mind and material phenomena (paccaya pariggaha ñāna).
These are still not arriving to the insight knowledge yet. This is the part for preparation to change there. For the 6th and 7th days we’ll develop these 2 knowledges. Why we’re establishing these knowledges. According to Mogok Sayadaw’s instruction we must dispel wrong views. Many meditation systems arose in Burma and no centres based on this point. Only Mogok Sayadaw took it as very important. He said many times in some of his talks that without dispelling wrong views and practiced not attained Nibbāna.
(There were some monks had wrong views as mentioned in some of the suttas. So the Buddha and Ven. Sariputta were helping them to dispel wrong views.)
Practicing vipassanā is not for the happiness of human and heavenly beings. But for killing the craving for becoming (bhava tanhā), so that not to get another mind and body (khandha). We came here for practice to free ourselves from dukkha. Mogok Sayadaw was helping yogis to dispel ditthi with Dhamma talks. I give vipassanā lectures and help yogis to dispel ditthi.
By listening to Mogok Sayadaw’s talks also possible. It’s still not a contemplative stage yet. (It’s intellectual knowledge.) Now, we arrive to the stage of how to dispel ditthi with the contemplation. Sayadawgyi said, “If you want to dispel ditthi, there are one thing you have to do.”
That is to understand Dependent Arising (paticcasamupada) teaching. Not from the book (i.e, in letters), but to understand the Dependent Arising of the mind and body process (khandha). Vipassanā contemplation is on the Dependent Arising process of the khandha. It’s not the past and future khandhas, but the present arising khandha. And you also have to know what the khandha is. As for the khandha most people take it and mixing up with the self body. What you’re seeing in the mirror is the self body and not the real khandha. Khandha is an intrinsic nature.
There are 5 khandhas. If you carefully observe, the nature of matter are hardness/softness, hot/cold, distention/pressure, cohesion/trickling (these are the 4 great elements of earth, heat, air and water). These are its intrinsic nature and material elements. These exist in nature as qualities. Talking about the form and the shape of the physical body is by ordinary people. Intelligent people – vipassanā yogis and scientists are talking about the intrinsic nature as matter.
The intrinsic nature of change or impermanence is matter. If we’re talking about matter (rūpa) and you must understand or see it as change or impermanence. These are the interpretations of matter. Consciousness (viññāna) is the impermanence of the intrinsic knowing nature. Therefore in this khandha exists only the changing nature of impermanent matter and the knowing nature of impermanent mind. Vedanākkhandha-feeling aggregate is the impermanent nature of feelings.
Saññākkhandha-perception aggregate is the impermanent nature of perceptions. Hearing of what I am saying is consciousness. Perceiving of what I am saying is perception. Good for hearing is feeling-vedana. Wanting to hear again is volitional formation-saṅkhārakkhadha. Therefor the 4 mind and mental khandhas arise together. The sound and ears are matter. These are the 5 intrinsic nature. Vipassanā is contemplating of these 5 intrinsic natures.
From samatha practice you can’t go directly to vipassanā practice. You have to build 2 basic knowledges. The first one is nāmarūpapariggaha-ñāna. Discernment of mind and matter with respect to their characteristics, functions, etc. Separating the 5 khandhas and you get one matter (rūpa) and 4 mind and mental phenomena (nāma). Condense them together and you get the mind and matter. You have to contemplate these mind and matter. Contemplate with the penetrative knowing mind and not with the 5 physical doors.
You follow behind sati with knowing. Before was only establishing for good sati. Now, you have to develop that knowledge by following behind sati with knowing. I’ll tell you how to do it. When you breathe in and at the entrance of the nostrils, with touching and the knowing mind arises. Before, not thinking anything and only notice the touching. This was making the mind calm down.
Only with the calm mind and knowledge will arise. With the touching and the mind knows it. These 2 are intrinsic natures. Following with knowledge, what’s touching and what’s knowing? Must know the touching, and must know the knowing. Have to understand them with differentiation. The air and nostrils are form (rūpa). These 2 intrinsic nature are touching each other. These are the touching of hardness of the earth element and the movement of the air element. Knowing of them is the mind dhamma.
We’re alive with the arising of mind and matter. We go for shopping, with the eyes see a piece of cloth. We eat foods. With the contact of food and the tongue, taste consciousness arises. Before their contact, it doesn’t arise. It arises now at the present moment. All mind and matter are arising at the present moment. Vipassanā practice is contemplating the present moment, of the arising khandha.
Thinking about what already has happened is not vipassanā. Vipassnā is knowing what’s arising now. Now, you’re sitting here and feeling (vedana) arises. Is it the back pain or the changing of form (rūpa)? It’s the changing of form and the mind knows it. Do you have to know it as pain, pain? You have to contemplate it as the mind knows the change of form. And it’s not pain and becomes the object of vipassanā. Without knowing the change and you don’t know the pain.
In the operation room, the patient doesn’t feel the operation, only with the knowing that feeling of the pain. Today in the contemplation of the khandha, everytime forms contacts must know them. Touching is form and knowing is the mind. Now, you’re sitting here. Why are you sitting here? Because you want to sit. Wanting to sit is the mind and the sitting is form. You’re eating foods. Wanting to eat is the mind and the eating is form.
Before I was talking about with the condition of forms and mind arose. Now, is with the condition of the mind and form arises. In breathing in and out, wanting to breathe in is the mind and the breathing is form, knowing these as mind and matter, etc. The whole day is the working of mind and form, but we take it as we’re doing for it.
Is it me or other, man or woman, who has really done it? It is only mind and form. We become conceited because of me and other; person and being. Now, you’re sitting here. And if you getting up, are there any mind and form of the sitting still exist? It dies away and we’re now with the new mind and form of standing. It’s replacing with new mind and form. From the standing and you start the stepping.
Is there any standing of the mind and form still exist? If it’s not there, then it dies away and disappears. How many times you’re dying every day? Are you alive or die for many times? It’s not the view of ordinary people. Now, we’re arriving to the view of insight knowledge. Therefore in the whole day many deaths are piling up. In one life, die only once is the conventional death. But ultimate death are many times, even you don’t need for sending off to the cemetery.
But we’re carrying around these corpses with us. Later you’ll know this khandha is good or bad. If you think you’re alive, that’s the view of eternalism. If you think after dying and everything is finished, that’s the view of annihilationism. Today you have to contemplate every process as mind and matter. And then you’ll get the knowledge of mind and form. To contemplate the present five khandhas arise is seeing one’s death. Then you’ll not have the view of tomorrow I’ll still alive.
Clinging to me and other, person and being disappear. All living beings are only mind and form. Giving names to things are only for convenience and called concepts (paññatti). Vipassanā is not contemplating the concepts. In the mirror, what we see as pretty, ugly, fat, thin, etc. are not really exist, and only thoughts or concepts. These are only mind and form. We’re looking at things with concepts that it becomes white complexion, beautiful, etc. What really exists is arising and passing away of impermanence.
So it’s dukkha - suffering. It doesn’t follow our desire and not-self (anatta). The views of worldlings and yogis are opposite. The things people think as good are loathsome to yogis. However you see yourself as beautiful and pretty. Do you see the khandha becomes old and degenerated? The hairs become white slowly, the teeth broken and skin becomes wrinkled. The molecules in the body are disintegrating and falling apart. Now, you practice to know the mind and form arise. Why you have to do it? Because it needs to dispel wrong views.
We’re arriving at another part of the process for change. It needs to clearly understand the way of practice and the nature of the practice. From samatha practice we’ll develop vipassanā. There exists the process of insight knowledge. There are 2 basic knowledges of insight. These are: Understanding the characteristics of mind and material phenomena (nāmarūpa pariccheda ñāna). Discernment of conditions for mind and material phenomena (paccaya pariggaha ñāna).
These are still not arriving to the insight knowledge yet. This is the part for preparation to change there. For the 6th and 7th days we’ll develop these 2 knowledges. Why we’re establishing these knowledges. According to Mogok Sayadaw’s instruction we must dispel wrong views. Many meditation systems arose in Burma and no centres based on this point. Only Mogok Sayadaw took it as very important. He said many times in some of his talks that without dispelling wrong views and practiced not attained Nibbāna.
(There were some monks had wrong views as mentioned in some of the suttas. So the Buddha and Ven. Sariputta were helping them to dispel wrong views.)
Practicing vipassanā is not for the happiness of human and heavenly beings. But for killing the craving for becoming (bhava tanhā), so that not to get another mind and body (khandha). We came here for practice to free ourselves from dukkha. Mogok Sayadaw was helping yogis to dispel ditthi with Dhamma talks. I give vipassanā lectures and help yogis to dispel ditthi.
By listening to Mogok Sayadaw’s talks also possible. It’s still not a contemplative stage yet. (It’s intellectual knowledge.) Now, we arrive to the stage of how to dispel ditthi with the contemplation. Sayadawgyi said, “If you want to dispel ditthi, there are one thing you have to do.”
That is to understand Dependent Arising (paticcasamupada) teaching. Not from the book (i.e, in letters), but to understand the Dependent Arising of the mind and body process (khandha). Vipassanā contemplation is on the Dependent Arising process of the khandha. It’s not the past and future khandhas, but the present arising khandha. And you also have to know what the khandha is. As for the khandha most people take it and mixing up with the self body. What you’re seeing in the mirror is the self body and not the real khandha. Khandha is an intrinsic nature.
There are 5 khandhas. If you carefully observe, the nature of matter are hardness/softness, hot/cold, distention/pressure, cohesion/trickling (these are the 4 great elements of earth, heat, air and water). These are its intrinsic nature and material elements. These exist in nature as qualities. Talking about the form and the shape of the physical body is by ordinary people. Intelligent people – vipassanā yogis and scientists are talking about the intrinsic nature as matter.
The intrinsic nature of change or impermanence is matter. If we’re talking about matter (rūpa) and you must understand or see it as change or impermanence. These are the interpretations of matter. Consciousness (viññāna) is the impermanence of the intrinsic knowing nature. Therefore in this khandha exists only the changing nature of impermanent matter and the knowing nature of impermanent mind. Vedanākkhandha-feeling aggregate is the impermanent nature of feelings.
Saññākkhandha-perception aggregate is the impermanent nature of perceptions. Hearing of what I am saying is consciousness. Perceiving of what I am saying is perception. Good for hearing is feeling-vedana. Wanting to hear again is volitional formation-saṅkhārakkhadha. Therefor the 4 mind and mental khandhas arise together. The sound and ears are matter. These are the 5 intrinsic nature. Vipassanā is contemplating of these 5 intrinsic natures.
From samatha practice you can’t go directly to vipassanā practice. You have to build 2 basic knowledges. The first one is nāmarūpapariggaha-ñāna. Discernment of mind and matter with respect to their characteristics, functions, etc. Separating the 5 khandhas and you get one matter (rūpa) and 4 mind and mental phenomena (nāma). Condense them together and you get the mind and matter. You have to contemplate these mind and matter. Contemplate with the penetrative knowing mind and not with the 5 physical doors.
You follow behind sati with knowing. Before was only establishing for good sati. Now, you have to develop that knowledge by following behind sati with knowing. I’ll tell you how to do it. When you breathe in and at the entrance of the nostrils, with touching and the knowing mind arises. Before, not thinking anything and only notice the touching. This was making the mind calm down.
Only with the calm mind and knowledge will arise. With the touching and the mind knows it. These 2 are intrinsic natures. Following with knowledge, what’s touching and what’s knowing? Must know the touching, and must know the knowing. Have to understand them with differentiation. The air and nostrils are form (rūpa). These 2 intrinsic nature are touching each other. These are the touching of hardness of the earth element and the movement of the air element. Knowing of them is the mind dhamma.
We’re alive with the arising of mind and matter. We go for shopping, with the eyes see a piece of cloth. We eat foods. With the contact of food and the tongue, taste consciousness arises. Before their contact, it doesn’t arise. It arises now at the present moment. All mind and matter are arising at the present moment. Vipassanā practice is contemplating the present moment, of the arising khandha.
Thinking about what already has happened is not vipassanā. Vipassnā is knowing what’s arising now. Now, you’re sitting here and feeling (vedana) arises. Is it the back pain or the changing of form (rūpa)? It’s the changing of form and the mind knows it. Do you have to know it as pain, pain? You have to contemplate it as the mind knows the change of form. And it’s not pain and becomes the object of vipassanā. Without knowing the change and you don’t know the pain.
In the operation room, the patient doesn’t feel the operation, only with the knowing that feeling of the pain. Today in the contemplation of the khandha, everytime forms contacts must know them. Touching is form and knowing is the mind. Now, you’re sitting here. Why are you sitting here? Because you want to sit. Wanting to sit is the mind and the sitting is form. You’re eating foods. Wanting to eat is the mind and the eating is form.
Before I was talking about with the condition of forms and mind arose. Now, is with the condition of the mind and form arises. In breathing in and out, wanting to breathe in is the mind and the breathing is form, knowing these as mind and matter, etc. The whole day is the working of mind and form, but we take it as we’re doing for it.
Is it me or other, man or woman, who has really done it? It is only mind and form. We become conceited because of me and other; person and being. Now, you’re sitting here. And if you getting up, are there any mind and form of the sitting still exist? It dies away and we’re now with the new mind and form of standing. It’s replacing with new mind and form. From the standing and you start the stepping.
Is there any standing of the mind and form still exist? If it’s not there, then it dies away and disappears. How many times you’re dying every day? Are you alive or die for many times? It’s not the view of ordinary people. Now, we’re arriving to the view of insight knowledge. Therefore in the whole day many deaths are piling up. In one life, die only once is the conventional death. But ultimate death are many times, even you don’t need for sending off to the cemetery.
But we’re carrying around these corpses with us. Later you’ll know this khandha is good or bad. If you think you’re alive, that’s the view of eternalism. If you think after dying and everything is finished, that’s the view of annihilationism. Today you have to contemplate every process as mind and matter. And then you’ll get the knowledge of mind and form. To contemplate the present five khandhas arise is seeing one’s death. Then you’ll not have the view of tomorrow I’ll still alive.
Clinging to me and other, person and being disappear. All living beings are only mind and form. Giving names to things are only for convenience and called concepts (paññatti). Vipassanā is not contemplating the concepts. In the mirror, what we see as pretty, ugly, fat, thin, etc. are not really exist, and only thoughts or concepts. These are only mind and form. We’re looking at things with concepts that it becomes white complexion, beautiful, etc. What really exists is arising and passing away of impermanence.
So it’s dukkha - suffering. It doesn’t follow our desire and not-self (anatta). The views of worldlings and yogis are opposite. The things people think as good are loathsome to yogis. However you see yourself as beautiful and pretty. Do you see the khandha becomes old and degenerated? The hairs become white slowly, the teeth broken and skin becomes wrinkled. The molecules in the body are disintegrating and falling apart. Now, you practice to know the mind and form arise. Why you have to do it? Because it needs to dispel wrong views.
Day 7: 23rd October, 2002
Day 7: 23rd October, 2002
It needs to know one’s level of knowledge during the practice. There are the stages of purification. You are undertaking the 8 precepts that during the practice not breaking the precepts (sīla). But if you go back home it may be. If you break your resolution is not breaking the sīla but with the purity of the mind. For the second of the purification have to purify the mind.
What are the differences between sīla and the purified mind? With sīla you can only purify the bodily actions and speech, but not for the mind. The purified mind is the outcome of samādhi practice. Making the mind calm down at the entrance of the nostrils is samatha practice. It’s stopping greed, hatred, delusion, conceit, wrong view, etc. to enter the mind.
Also have to purified the mind from wrong views – ditthivisuddhi. If the mind view is not pure not attaining path and fruit. The main wrong views are 3 kinds; i.e., identity view (sakkāya ditthi), view of eternalism (sassata ditthi) and view of annihilationism (uccheda ditthi).
There are no person and being, no man and woman and only the 5 aggregates (khandhas) exist. Only mind and form exist. I am not forcing you to see it, but to know the reality. By viewing as after death everything cut off is uccheda ditthi. This is viewing by materialist and communist, the view of extermination. And taking next life as stable and not changing is view of eternalism. This is the view of after death, the soul or self takes another new body. (It’s like taken off the old clothe and change a new one.
Even some monks are thinking in this way.) In Buddhism doesn’t have these views. You must see it as with the causes and the result arises. There is nothing such as dies from this life and goes into a new body. It’s only the result of action arises (vipāka). It makes rebirth consciousness arises. It’s not the mind and body of this life goes to next life. With volitional conditioning and rebirth consciousness arises.
For example, the sounds and images broadcast by the T.V station don’t come to this side (into a television). From this side is only receiving its energy. In the same way, the dying person not comes to that side. This is the Hindu Doctrine. (It’s not the same nor different person, only cause and effect relationship. No soul or self is wandering around.) In Buddhism there’s no existence of a soul. After death, it’s not annihilated nor stable, only the continuations of cause and effect process.
Kammic result has 4 kinds. (Sayadaw mentioned the result of kamma according to the 7 mind moments – javana citta (the active phase of the mind) in the Abhidhamma. The first of the 7 mind moments can give the result in this life. It’s called ditthadhamma-vedanīya-kamma. The 7th mind moment can give the result in next life – upapajja-vedanīya-kamma.
The 2nd to 6th of the 5 mind moments can give the results at any life time. The 4th kind of kamma is defunct kamma – ahosikamma.) The 4th purification is overcoming doubt – kaṅkhāvitaranavisuddhi. This can be overcome by understanding of cause and effect, i.e., seeing the Dependent Arising process. In the process of mind and matter arise; sometimes mind is the cause and matter is the result, sometimes matter is the cause and mind is the result.
These are happening in the khandha and to know them with the practice. For wanting to breathe in that mind made air element arises (cittaja vāyodhātu). For wanting to breathe out that mind made air element arises. Wanting to breathe in and out are the causes and the breaths come in and out are the results. Must contemplate the causes and effects. No need to think about them. If you’re thinking and can’t follow them in time. If you know them is enough. If you’re watching it with sati and know that with the mind of wanting to breathe in and the air arises. You can try it out by yourself.
During the time of eating foods; with the mind of wanting to eat, to take, etc that eating, taking, etc arise and can contemplate them. If you can contemplate, then the mind wants to enjoy the taste not arises. And then feeling (vedana) and craving (tanhā) not arise. And without samudaya (i.e., tanhā)and dukkha not arises. Samudaya is the cause and dukkha is the result. In the whole loka (world) nothing is free from causes and effects (except Nibbāna element). It’s only that we don’t know about them.
The grasses are growing. There must have their causes. All happen with their causes. Look at the chair. With the mind of wanting to sit that the chair comes into being. Everything of necessities is the causes. There are a lot of causes for mind and matter. At walking meditation, first, stand with 2 feet side by side. In standing with the left foot; wanting to lift the foot and it lifts up. Without the mind of wanting to step and the foot not steps forwards.
Here no need to include mind and matter. Only observe the cause and effect. Because of the mind and the air element moves. And then the yogi will know the connection of mind and matter. (Continued to talk about Sariputta met Ven. Assaji who said a few words to him. It was about cause and effect, and Sariputta entered the stream.) Whatever result arises and there are causes. With only these words of short instruction, Sariputta became a sotāpanna.
After hearing of what Ven. Assaji told him and he turned his mind in the khandha. Even here we practice for 18 days is not easy. But Sariputta had sharp knowledge and discerned the whole world (loka). I meet you all here has past causes. A teacher has his own followers and disciples. Someone could liberate by Ven. Sariputta was not by the Buddha. This also cause and effect connection. In the world there are a lot of men and women.
Only this man and this woman marry to each other because they have past causes with them. (Here he talked about the law of kamma, mentioned a story of a man who was the brother-in-law of a professor in Physics. This man’s father was very rich, so he inherited a lot of money. But later he spent all his money and became a beggar and died on a resting place near the road side. Someone past kamma is not good but he can make fortune with his present kamma.
So it’s important to understand about kamma. (Continued to explain cause and effect by using the 12 links of DEPENDENT ARISING process in reverse order-patiloma.) If you understand the cause and effect relationship and it’s the purification of overcoming doubt. Without repaying the kammic debts no-one will free from saṁsāra. Even the Buddha had repaid for it. Therefore saṁsāra is frightening. (Told the story of Ven. Mahā Moggallana murdered by the bandits because of the past kamma of killing his own parents.)
It needs to know one’s level of knowledge during the practice. There are the stages of purification. You are undertaking the 8 precepts that during the practice not breaking the precepts (sīla). But if you go back home it may be. If you break your resolution is not breaking the sīla but with the purity of the mind. For the second of the purification have to purify the mind.
What are the differences between sīla and the purified mind? With sīla you can only purify the bodily actions and speech, but not for the mind. The purified mind is the outcome of samādhi practice. Making the mind calm down at the entrance of the nostrils is samatha practice. It’s stopping greed, hatred, delusion, conceit, wrong view, etc. to enter the mind.
Also have to purified the mind from wrong views – ditthivisuddhi. If the mind view is not pure not attaining path and fruit. The main wrong views are 3 kinds; i.e., identity view (sakkāya ditthi), view of eternalism (sassata ditthi) and view of annihilationism (uccheda ditthi).
There are no person and being, no man and woman and only the 5 aggregates (khandhas) exist. Only mind and form exist. I am not forcing you to see it, but to know the reality. By viewing as after death everything cut off is uccheda ditthi. This is viewing by materialist and communist, the view of extermination. And taking next life as stable and not changing is view of eternalism. This is the view of after death, the soul or self takes another new body. (It’s like taken off the old clothe and change a new one.
Even some monks are thinking in this way.) In Buddhism doesn’t have these views. You must see it as with the causes and the result arises. There is nothing such as dies from this life and goes into a new body. It’s only the result of action arises (vipāka). It makes rebirth consciousness arises. It’s not the mind and body of this life goes to next life. With volitional conditioning and rebirth consciousness arises.
For example, the sounds and images broadcast by the T.V station don’t come to this side (into a television). From this side is only receiving its energy. In the same way, the dying person not comes to that side. This is the Hindu Doctrine. (It’s not the same nor different person, only cause and effect relationship. No soul or self is wandering around.) In Buddhism there’s no existence of a soul. After death, it’s not annihilated nor stable, only the continuations of cause and effect process.
Kammic result has 4 kinds. (Sayadaw mentioned the result of kamma according to the 7 mind moments – javana citta (the active phase of the mind) in the Abhidhamma. The first of the 7 mind moments can give the result in this life. It’s called ditthadhamma-vedanīya-kamma. The 7th mind moment can give the result in next life – upapajja-vedanīya-kamma.
The 2nd to 6th of the 5 mind moments can give the results at any life time. The 4th kind of kamma is defunct kamma – ahosikamma.) The 4th purification is overcoming doubt – kaṅkhāvitaranavisuddhi. This can be overcome by understanding of cause and effect, i.e., seeing the Dependent Arising process. In the process of mind and matter arise; sometimes mind is the cause and matter is the result, sometimes matter is the cause and mind is the result.
These are happening in the khandha and to know them with the practice. For wanting to breathe in that mind made air element arises (cittaja vāyodhātu). For wanting to breathe out that mind made air element arises. Wanting to breathe in and out are the causes and the breaths come in and out are the results. Must contemplate the causes and effects. No need to think about them. If you’re thinking and can’t follow them in time. If you know them is enough. If you’re watching it with sati and know that with the mind of wanting to breathe in and the air arises. You can try it out by yourself.
During the time of eating foods; with the mind of wanting to eat, to take, etc that eating, taking, etc arise and can contemplate them. If you can contemplate, then the mind wants to enjoy the taste not arises. And then feeling (vedana) and craving (tanhā) not arise. And without samudaya (i.e., tanhā)and dukkha not arises. Samudaya is the cause and dukkha is the result. In the whole loka (world) nothing is free from causes and effects (except Nibbāna element). It’s only that we don’t know about them.
The grasses are growing. There must have their causes. All happen with their causes. Look at the chair. With the mind of wanting to sit that the chair comes into being. Everything of necessities is the causes. There are a lot of causes for mind and matter. At walking meditation, first, stand with 2 feet side by side. In standing with the left foot; wanting to lift the foot and it lifts up. Without the mind of wanting to step and the foot not steps forwards.
Here no need to include mind and matter. Only observe the cause and effect. Because of the mind and the air element moves. And then the yogi will know the connection of mind and matter. (Continued to talk about Sariputta met Ven. Assaji who said a few words to him. It was about cause and effect, and Sariputta entered the stream.) Whatever result arises and there are causes. With only these words of short instruction, Sariputta became a sotāpanna.
After hearing of what Ven. Assaji told him and he turned his mind in the khandha. Even here we practice for 18 days is not easy. But Sariputta had sharp knowledge and discerned the whole world (loka). I meet you all here has past causes. A teacher has his own followers and disciples. Someone could liberate by Ven. Sariputta was not by the Buddha. This also cause and effect connection. In the world there are a lot of men and women.
Only this man and this woman marry to each other because they have past causes with them. (Here he talked about the law of kamma, mentioned a story of a man who was the brother-in-law of a professor in Physics. This man’s father was very rich, so he inherited a lot of money. But later he spent all his money and became a beggar and died on a resting place near the road side. Someone past kamma is not good but he can make fortune with his present kamma.
So it’s important to understand about kamma. (Continued to explain cause and effect by using the 12 links of DEPENDENT ARISING process in reverse order-patiloma.) If you understand the cause and effect relationship and it’s the purification of overcoming doubt. Without repaying the kammic debts no-one will free from saṁsāra. Even the Buddha had repaid for it. Therefore saṁsāra is frightening. (Told the story of Ven. Mahā Moggallana murdered by the bandits because of the past kamma of killing his own parents.)
Day 8: 24th October, 2002
Day 8: 24th October, 2002
Today we’re on the path of insight knowledge. We have to go on according to the purification process. For 5 days, we were working with the samatha practice of applied thought (vitakka), sustained thought (vicāra), rapture (piti), bliss (sukha) and one pointedness of mind (ekaggatā) which were the 5 jhānic factors. On the 6th and 7th days we were working with the purification of view and overcoming doubt. With wrong views can’t develop insight, and will make mistakes.
So can’t attain path and fruit. To be free from the identity view (sakkāya ditthi), eternalistic view (sassata ditthi) and annihilationism (uccheda ditthi); we were practicing to see the Dependent Arising of the khandha. If we get the knowledge of discerning of mind and matter, with the knowledge of conditions for mind and matter becomes a cūla-sotāpanna (has the same view as the stream winner). With the purified view becomes a learned disciple of the noble beings (ariyans).
In the world there are no existence of a person or a being as conceptual living beings. It’s only the existence of mind and matter process. Only exist as now arising and now vanishing phenomena. Knowing the arising of mind and matter as causes and effects relationship is the knowledge of conditions for mind and material phenomena – paccayapariggaha-ñāṇa.
Today we’ll develop insight. And there will be arisen of not real path knowledge which can be confused the yogis with the view of knowledge. We’ll practice to attain the knowledge of distinguishing the wrong path from the right path of contemplation. It’s called the purification of path and not path (maggā-maggañānadassanavisuddhi). The word vipassanā is ; vi means special, passanā means contemplation.
So it means contemplate in a special way. Mogok Sayadaw made the differentiation between the objects of contemplation and the contemplating mind. Contemplate with the 5 factors of knowledge (ñāṇa or mind). The object of contemplation also has 5 kinds (i.e, the 5 khandhas or the 4 satipatthāna). The contemplating mind is completed with the 5 path factors and contemplate with this polished mind. The contemplating mind is only one but included with the 5 path factors. These are:
Right View – Sammāditthi, abandon the wrong views and become right view. If contemplate with the wrong views and it makes mistakes. For example, looking an object with a green colour glasses and the object and the whole world become green.
Right Thought – Sammā-saṅkappa, not only have right view but also thoughts and thinking must be right.
These 2 are wisdom factors. Interviews are checking for your views and thoughts. In case, if you’re practicing with wrong views and thoughts, so that I can make the corrections. Right Exertion – Sammāvāyāma, vāyāma means exertion. Must be right perseverance.
If put exertion with greed will not achieve it. Have to practice in a harmonious way. Right Mindfulness – Sammā-sati, you must have right mindfulness. If you lost your sati and can’t achieve it. If you lost your sati, what’ll happen? This you’ll know it later. Right Concerntration – Sammā-samādhi, without it also you can’ get the result.
During the practice you don’t have the stable sīla. You only have the restrained sīla. Only attaining the path knowledge of the stream entrance (sotāpatti magga) that sīla is stable. All these 5 factors must include in the contemplating mind as insight knowledge. What are the objects of contemplation? These are the 5 khandhas. As satipatthāna only has 4 types.
If you contemplate the body (kāya) and it’s kāyānupassanā. If you contemplate the mind (citta) and it’s cittānupassanā. If you contemplate the feeling (vedana) and it’s vedanānupassanā. If you contemplate the volitional formations (saṅkhāra) and perceptions and it is dhammānupassanā. During the contemplation only contemplate one kind and not all together. We must select accordingly to our characters. Our time is neyya era (i.e, the yogis need a lot of practice and time).
In the time of the Buddha, Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Mahā Moggallana had very sharp knowledge (ñāṇa) and only heard a verse (a gatha) and realized Dhamma. It’s called uggatitañū. By listening to talks and at the same time contemplated their khandhas.
Nowadays we don’t have these kinds of people. Another type was people like pañcavaggi (the first 5 disciples listened to the first Discourse and the second Anattalakkhana Sutta). They were also had sharp knowledges. By listening to one or 2 talks became noble people. Nowadays also we don’t have these types of people. In this era we must have good teachers and systems. Also must listen Dhamma talks.
People who could realize Dhamma without a teacher were the Buddha and Paccekabuddha. Must approach a good teacher, listening to sacca dhamma and practicing diligently (The 4 factors for becoming a sotāpanna are;
1. Association with wise person.
2. Listening Dhamma.
3. Wise attention – yoniso.
4. Discerning impermanence).
Before I had been tested with yogis on contemplative objects. Cittānupassanā and Vedanānupassanā were easy for Mogok Sayadaw because of his great wisdom. But not easy for common people. For most people it is not easy and unable to contemplate. Can’t work with them. Therefore we use the very distinctive kāyānupassanā and contemplate form (rūpa).
Rūpakkhandha - material aggregate is not the body we see here. Let’s say, hearing consciousness arises. Are you hearing the sound or khandha arises? Knowing as khandha arises and become right view. If you’re hearing a car sound and then sticking with wrong view. In the yogi’s mind knows it as hearing khandha arises. And if you see something and then it’s ditthi. Seeing as khandha arises is the right one.
Let’s take an example, wanting to lift the foot. It’s the aggregate of mental formation (saṅ khārakkhandha). And then lifting the foot. It’s the aggregate of materiality (rūpakkhandha). And put it down; touching and knowing. Knowing is the aggregate of consciousness (viññānakkhandha). During the touching; hardness, softness, warm, cold, etc., the physical sensations are the aggregate of feeling (vedanākkhandha).
Note these things are the aggregate of perception (saññākkhandha). Within one step the 5 khandhas arise and vanish. For example, a mosquito bites you. Is it a mosquito bites or a khandha arises? You must know it as khandha arises. If not you’ll continue to make mistakes. (Such as ill will arises and kill the mosquito.) In Mogok Sayadaw’s talk, he said that whatever khandha arose and followed with knowledge. Ehi-passiko - Come and see (contemplate).
Someone hits by a thorn and it’s painful or khandha arises? it’s khandha arising and following with knowledge. When a mosquito bites you, don’t scratch with the hand, but with knowledge. We’ll contemplate rūpakkhandha. What is rūpakkhandha? Not this solid physical body. And if you contemplate it and end up with concepts, such as pretty, ugly, fat, thin, etc.
I am asking you to contemplate its intrinsic changing nature. It has 4 kinds. (Rūpakkhandha has 28 types, but contemplate the 4 great elements are enough for insight.) Pathavī – earth element, hardness, softness, solidity. If you’re handling the chair and find these nature. If you feel the warm and coolness, then contemplate heat element. If you’re lifting your feet and it’s air element. It has movement. pressure, distention, etc.
The air element on a car wheel can support many tons of weight of the body and heavy objects. The water element has the qualities of cohesion, fluidity, trickling, oozing, etc. During the practice sweat comes out. Have to contemplate the changes of the elements and not the bodily parts, such as head, hand, feet, etc. In vipassanā practice, we’re talking about contemplation of form, feeling, and mind, but actually not them.
To contemplate their arising and vanishing nature, for example, contemplating the impermanence of the changing forms. Contemplation of form, feeling and mind are to know mind and matter. For vipassanā to contemplate the impermanence of mind and matter. Therefore Mogok Sayadaw said to contemplate and see one’s own death. If not discern impermance and still not vipassanā yet. If you discern impermanence and arrive to the knowledge of rise and fall of formations (udayabhaya ñāṇaṃ).
Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccāti – yadā paññāya passati – All conditioned phenomena are impermanent, and one sees this with insight. Yogis establish their samādhi at the entrance of the nostrils and make the mind calm. If the mind stays calm at the entrance of the nostrils and move the mind on the head. Pay attention there and observe. Vipassanā is not make things happen. It’s observing. You’ll see the sensations like vibrations which are the changing of the elements.
Sometimes it seems prickling with needles or becomes tense by sticking with a wooden plank. These are not ordinary pains and aches. You see the changes of elements. Later you’ll see the whole body of them changing like even can’t put a needle between them. This body becomes old is the cause of change (viparinama). You’ll see it directly.
Today we’re on the path of insight knowledge. We have to go on according to the purification process. For 5 days, we were working with the samatha practice of applied thought (vitakka), sustained thought (vicāra), rapture (piti), bliss (sukha) and one pointedness of mind (ekaggatā) which were the 5 jhānic factors. On the 6th and 7th days we were working with the purification of view and overcoming doubt. With wrong views can’t develop insight, and will make mistakes.
So can’t attain path and fruit. To be free from the identity view (sakkāya ditthi), eternalistic view (sassata ditthi) and annihilationism (uccheda ditthi); we were practicing to see the Dependent Arising of the khandha. If we get the knowledge of discerning of mind and matter, with the knowledge of conditions for mind and matter becomes a cūla-sotāpanna (has the same view as the stream winner). With the purified view becomes a learned disciple of the noble beings (ariyans).
In the world there are no existence of a person or a being as conceptual living beings. It’s only the existence of mind and matter process. Only exist as now arising and now vanishing phenomena. Knowing the arising of mind and matter as causes and effects relationship is the knowledge of conditions for mind and material phenomena – paccayapariggaha-ñāṇa.
Today we’ll develop insight. And there will be arisen of not real path knowledge which can be confused the yogis with the view of knowledge. We’ll practice to attain the knowledge of distinguishing the wrong path from the right path of contemplation. It’s called the purification of path and not path (maggā-maggañānadassanavisuddhi). The word vipassanā is ; vi means special, passanā means contemplation.
So it means contemplate in a special way. Mogok Sayadaw made the differentiation between the objects of contemplation and the contemplating mind. Contemplate with the 5 factors of knowledge (ñāṇa or mind). The object of contemplation also has 5 kinds (i.e, the 5 khandhas or the 4 satipatthāna). The contemplating mind is completed with the 5 path factors and contemplate with this polished mind. The contemplating mind is only one but included with the 5 path factors. These are:
Right View – Sammāditthi, abandon the wrong views and become right view. If contemplate with the wrong views and it makes mistakes. For example, looking an object with a green colour glasses and the object and the whole world become green.
Right Thought – Sammā-saṅkappa, not only have right view but also thoughts and thinking must be right.
These 2 are wisdom factors. Interviews are checking for your views and thoughts. In case, if you’re practicing with wrong views and thoughts, so that I can make the corrections. Right Exertion – Sammāvāyāma, vāyāma means exertion. Must be right perseverance.
If put exertion with greed will not achieve it. Have to practice in a harmonious way. Right Mindfulness – Sammā-sati, you must have right mindfulness. If you lost your sati and can’t achieve it. If you lost your sati, what’ll happen? This you’ll know it later. Right Concerntration – Sammā-samādhi, without it also you can’ get the result.
During the practice you don’t have the stable sīla. You only have the restrained sīla. Only attaining the path knowledge of the stream entrance (sotāpatti magga) that sīla is stable. All these 5 factors must include in the contemplating mind as insight knowledge. What are the objects of contemplation? These are the 5 khandhas. As satipatthāna only has 4 types.
If you contemplate the body (kāya) and it’s kāyānupassanā. If you contemplate the mind (citta) and it’s cittānupassanā. If you contemplate the feeling (vedana) and it’s vedanānupassanā. If you contemplate the volitional formations (saṅkhāra) and perceptions and it is dhammānupassanā. During the contemplation only contemplate one kind and not all together. We must select accordingly to our characters. Our time is neyya era (i.e, the yogis need a lot of practice and time).
In the time of the Buddha, Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Mahā Moggallana had very sharp knowledge (ñāṇa) and only heard a verse (a gatha) and realized Dhamma. It’s called uggatitañū. By listening to talks and at the same time contemplated their khandhas.
Nowadays we don’t have these kinds of people. Another type was people like pañcavaggi (the first 5 disciples listened to the first Discourse and the second Anattalakkhana Sutta). They were also had sharp knowledges. By listening to one or 2 talks became noble people. Nowadays also we don’t have these types of people. In this era we must have good teachers and systems. Also must listen Dhamma talks.
People who could realize Dhamma without a teacher were the Buddha and Paccekabuddha. Must approach a good teacher, listening to sacca dhamma and practicing diligently (The 4 factors for becoming a sotāpanna are;
1. Association with wise person.
2. Listening Dhamma.
3. Wise attention – yoniso.
4. Discerning impermanence).
Before I had been tested with yogis on contemplative objects. Cittānupassanā and Vedanānupassanā were easy for Mogok Sayadaw because of his great wisdom. But not easy for common people. For most people it is not easy and unable to contemplate. Can’t work with them. Therefore we use the very distinctive kāyānupassanā and contemplate form (rūpa).
Rūpakkhandha - material aggregate is not the body we see here. Let’s say, hearing consciousness arises. Are you hearing the sound or khandha arises? Knowing as khandha arises and become right view. If you’re hearing a car sound and then sticking with wrong view. In the yogi’s mind knows it as hearing khandha arises. And if you see something and then it’s ditthi. Seeing as khandha arises is the right one.
Let’s take an example, wanting to lift the foot. It’s the aggregate of mental formation (saṅ khārakkhandha). And then lifting the foot. It’s the aggregate of materiality (rūpakkhandha). And put it down; touching and knowing. Knowing is the aggregate of consciousness (viññānakkhandha). During the touching; hardness, softness, warm, cold, etc., the physical sensations are the aggregate of feeling (vedanākkhandha).
Note these things are the aggregate of perception (saññākkhandha). Within one step the 5 khandhas arise and vanish. For example, a mosquito bites you. Is it a mosquito bites or a khandha arises? You must know it as khandha arises. If not you’ll continue to make mistakes. (Such as ill will arises and kill the mosquito.) In Mogok Sayadaw’s talk, he said that whatever khandha arose and followed with knowledge. Ehi-passiko - Come and see (contemplate).
Someone hits by a thorn and it’s painful or khandha arises? it’s khandha arising and following with knowledge. When a mosquito bites you, don’t scratch with the hand, but with knowledge. We’ll contemplate rūpakkhandha. What is rūpakkhandha? Not this solid physical body. And if you contemplate it and end up with concepts, such as pretty, ugly, fat, thin, etc.
I am asking you to contemplate its intrinsic changing nature. It has 4 kinds. (Rūpakkhandha has 28 types, but contemplate the 4 great elements are enough for insight.) Pathavī – earth element, hardness, softness, solidity. If you’re handling the chair and find these nature. If you feel the warm and coolness, then contemplate heat element. If you’re lifting your feet and it’s air element. It has movement. pressure, distention, etc.
The air element on a car wheel can support many tons of weight of the body and heavy objects. The water element has the qualities of cohesion, fluidity, trickling, oozing, etc. During the practice sweat comes out. Have to contemplate the changes of the elements and not the bodily parts, such as head, hand, feet, etc. In vipassanā practice, we’re talking about contemplation of form, feeling, and mind, but actually not them.
To contemplate their arising and vanishing nature, for example, contemplating the impermanence of the changing forms. Contemplation of form, feeling and mind are to know mind and matter. For vipassanā to contemplate the impermanence of mind and matter. Therefore Mogok Sayadaw said to contemplate and see one’s own death. If not discern impermance and still not vipassanā yet. If you discern impermanence and arrive to the knowledge of rise and fall of formations (udayabhaya ñāṇaṃ).
Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccāti – yadā paññāya passati – All conditioned phenomena are impermanent, and one sees this with insight. Yogis establish their samādhi at the entrance of the nostrils and make the mind calm. If the mind stays calm at the entrance of the nostrils and move the mind on the head. Pay attention there and observe. Vipassanā is not make things happen. It’s observing. You’ll see the sensations like vibrations which are the changing of the elements.
Sometimes it seems prickling with needles or becomes tense by sticking with a wooden plank. These are not ordinary pains and aches. You see the changes of elements. Later you’ll see the whole body of them changing like even can’t put a needle between them. This body becomes old is the cause of change (viparinama). You’ll see it directly.