The Noble Dhamma of the Buddha (With an Open Mind)

The Noble Dhamma of the Buddha (T 3, Burma)

A Christian missionary school in the U.S. invited Sitagu Sayadawgyi to give a talk. The preacher who invited the Sayadaw always carried the Dhammapada and used it to give talks based on the essence of the Dhamma contained therein.

(The Dhammapada text is one of the most popular and favourite books in the world. Its effectiveness has had a great impact on Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. The Dhamma contains universal truths; it never becomes wrong or outdated. It was taught by the most noble being and the wisest person on Earth. If we follow it, we can solve human problems and sufferings for ourselves and others.)

If defilements arise and you are able to contemplate them, simply contemplate them. If you cannot overcome them, then reflect on or recollect the Dhamma. The benefits of Dhamma practice are:

(Here, he is encouraging people to learn everything that supports the practice and to choose any meditation system that suits one’s character.)

Yogis should often listen to teachings on ways of contemplation that lead to correct practice. Noting relates to perception (saññā) and mindfulness (sati), while observing relates to discernment (paññā). (When both are developed together, they support right understanding and progress in practice.)

In the beginning, the practice progresses through sati and paññā, with much noting and knowing of the nature of phenomena, which leads to discernment.

We have to live our lives in order to gain merits (kusala-dhammas), general knowledge of the Dhamma, and insight knowledge. For success in any task, the following are necessary:

If we rely on kamma as “parents” (the Burmese expressions kam-mother and kam-father), there is no safety in saṃsāra.

(Note: this reflects the view commonly held by many Buddhists. It is very sad that most people know kamma only superficially, although it is profound and complex. Therefore, their faith in kamma is weaker than their faith in outside powers, such as deities or bodhisattvas. As a result, they believe in and rely on wrong practices and superstitions.)

One important point in insight practice is noting and observing. Noting develops sati and samādhi, while observing develops discernment (paññā).

Noting and focusing on the object develops insight. With only noting, samādhi is developed but discernment is not yet fully included. When samādhi develops further, the yogi begins to know the sabhāva-lakkhaṇa (the intrinsic characteristics of mind and matter), and later discerns anicca.

Asking yogis to practise noting and centring on the object is to help them know the nature of paramattha-dhammas.

In both noting and observing, noting is often more tedious. For example, try to note the entire process of eating food.

[Most people eat with moha all the time, deceived by defilements such as lobha. Thus, they only know gratification (assāda, sukha) and not its danger (ādīnava, dukkha).

Ledi Sayadawgyi taught that every worldly pleasure (sukha) is oppressive, surrounded by two kinds of dukkha—before and after. One can find this out for oneself through daily life experience. Every Dhamma teaching can be directly verified in this way.]

Noting is knowing the arising nature of phenomena. At first, noting knows the nature of phenomena, and later discerns anicca.

Noting and observing are the seeds of the path factors and should not be looked down upon. (He mentioned stories of some children who practised the Mahāsi system and could describe their direct experiences in simple ways, despite having no knowledge of books—similar to Soon Loon Sayadaw. When monks tested them, they were able to enter fruition states.)

[According to Ledi Sayadawgyi, in the time of the Buddha there were more lay people who became ariyas than monks through satipaṭṭhāna meditation, that is, sukkha-vipassanā. In samatha-vipassanā, there were more monks than lay people. There were also more divine beings who became ariyans than humans.]

The discernment of anicca in feeling is seeing pain as arising and vanishing. When this process continues, gaps appear between experiences; therefore, yogis can bear pain. For example, pain arises, it is noted and observed, and then it vanishes.

In samatha practice (for jhānas), when the body becomes tired or painful, yogis may change posture. However, in insight practice, yogis practise patience and endurance. Only through this can one truly know the nature of the khandhas.

At Taw-ku Meditation Centre, yogis are required to sit for at least three hours.

[This well-known vipassanā centre is located in Taw-ku village, Mudon Township, Mon State. Taw-ku Sayadawgyi was similar to Soon Loon Sayadaw; he had been a village man before and had a family. His teacher was not Mahāsi Sayadaw, but, like Mahāsi Sayadaw, both had the same teacher: Thathom Mingoon Jetavan Sayadaw. He was also known as Moulmein Sayadaw because his monastery was located there.

Two Sri Lankan monks, Soma and Kheminda Theras, practised vipassanā under his guidance before World War II in Moulmein City. They were two of the three translators of The Path of Freedom. They were influenced by a monk and later changed their views on the satipaṭṭhāna system.]

Some elderly women were even able to sit for five to six hours. If yogis are patient, their practice can overcome painful feelings. (This is not an exaggeration.

In Thai forest monasteries during wan-phra uposatha days, village grandmothers often sit for many hours, sometimes spending the whole night practising but not the laymen, whereas even some monks may rest for short periods. There are often more women than men listening to Dhamma talks and participating in meditation retreats. Women generally have more opportunities to accumulate merit than men—as daughters, wives, mothers, and grandmothers. Every morning, those who prepare and offer food to monks are mostly women; some are even young girls. As human beings, women often accumulate more merit than men. This may be one of the main reasons why there are more female devatas than male devatas in heaven.

Overcoming painful feelings does not mean that vedanā no longer exists. Rather, painful feeling may change into pleasant feeling or into neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling. When one understands the nature of feeling, one no longer fears pain. By overcoming feelings in this way, yogis are able to sit for longer periods.

Thae-inn Gu Sayadaw said that insight contemplation is training for death. An experienced yogi will not fear death when it approaches.

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