On Defilements (With an Open Mind)

On Defilements (Talk 4, Burma)

(The following talk is based on the well-known sutta The Simile of the Great Log, Sutta No. 241 (4), Saḷāyatana Saṃyutta.)

The majority of human beings overindulge in pleasure and gain. Only a few people—namely noble, wise, and virtuous individuals—are able to sacrifice and relinquish these attachments.

[The first group may possess merit, but lacks wisdom and the capacity to abandon defilements. The second group possesses both vijjā (knowledge) and caraṇa (conduct).

The first group includes some world leaders, politicians, and wealthy individuals. They know only how to indulge in sensual pleasures, thereby wasting their precious opportunity to benefit the world.]

Therefore, in the present world there are many problems and much suffering. Two qualities are especially important for spiritual growth: compassion and wisdom. Compassion gives rise to the willingness to sacrifice for the benefit of others. Wisdom enables one to act effectively and appropriately.

Practitioners should understand the nature of the mind. Seeing-consciousness, hearing-consciousness, and other sense-consciousnesses are all forms of consciousness belonging to the cognitive process—vithi-citta, the knowing mind. The surrounding societies of not-knowing moha strongly influence people who have three wholesome roots (tihetuka); for example, just as the child of a fisherman often becomes a fisherman (though other factors may also play a role). In essence, the mind is frequently dominated by sensual desire and defilements, which overwhelm it.

As a result, yogis often give various reasons for being unable to practise. Repeated improper attention gradually becomes habit—that is, character. When there is a strong habit of indulging in sensual pleasure, this habit matures into character and clinging. Whether character becomes wholesome or unwholesome depends on attention. Character and clinging eventually become latent dispositions; when these dispositions are strong, powerful defilements (kilesa) arise.

Latent defilements do not have the characteristics of arising, presence, and passing away (that is, the three sub-moments). I explain these matters because yogis may otherwise take defilements too lightly or approach them in a careless manner. Living beings take rebirth beginning with greed and craving. Latent dispositions do not exist as material entities, but as strengths of force or energy—similar to electrical or magnetic power. They continuously overwhelm the ordinary mind.

For this reason, all defiled minds are called unknowing minds. They are unable to properly take the object, and instead overwhelm the knowing mind, which otherwise would be capable of apprehending the object clearly.

For example, when one sees a physical form, eye-consciousness arises. However, the defiled unknowing mind overwhelms seeing-consciousness, preventing discernment of the arising and passing away of mind and matter. Instead, one perceives “a man,” “a woman,” “a person,” “someone beautiful,” or “someone attractive,” thereby missing reality.

Insight meditation works to reduce the energy of defilements—that is, to battle and weaken the kilesas.

Therefore, I ask you to contemplate by focusing properly, not by allowing defilements to enter. When samādhi becomes well established, seeing is just seeing, hearing is just hearing, and so forth, arriving at the level of equanimity (upekkhā). At that point, wanting, clinging, and action do not arise. This is the cessation of kilesa, specifically ignorance (avijjā) and craving (taṇhā), which otherwise overwhelm the unknowing mind.

Thus, defilements cannot be penetrated by practising lightly or casually. Views such as “when tired one must change posture” or “when itching one must scratch” are incorrect.

[Referring to a meditation system taught by a lay teacher who expound a version of the Middle Way.]

(Continue to explain the ten insight corruptions.)

Faith (saddhā): the yogi wishes to offer one’s life to the Buddha.

Effort (viriya): with strong effort, the yogi does not wish to sleep and is able to continue contemplation. Mindfulness (sati): with strong sati, the yogi is unaware of time passing and may even continue contemplation within dreams, resuming contemplation immediately upon waking.

The simile of a log sinking in the middle of a river means that even though the yogi does not cling to self or others, one may still cling to one’s practice of Dhamma itself.

When samādhi and ñāṇa develop, experiences such as light, rapture, and tranquillity may arise. Yogis may not contemplate it and take it as realisation. Body Light: Body light can appear and yogi takes it as realisationof path and fruit. Sometime yogi can fall into sleep, and mistakenly think this is the cessation of dukkha. (See the explanations of wrong cessations in Sayadaw U Ñāṇobhāsa’s talks.)

Rapture (pīti): gooseflesh may arise. Tranquillity (passaddhi): the yogi can sit longer because body and mind become calm. Happiness (sukha): body and mind feel pleasant. Knowledge (ñāṇa): when knowledge becomes sharp using it for critical or judgmental analysis, it misses the phenomena and becomes entangled in excessive reflection.

The simile of the great log being lifted onto higher ground refers to conceit (māna). Because of one’s experiences, one may look down on others and become conceited.

Reflection: Some Reflections on Abhidhamma

I have found that knowledge of Abhidhamma teachings, together with the study of the suttas, brings great benefit. Abhidhamma provides the supportive conditions for understanding the suttas more penetratively and profoundly. However, there are some scholars and Buddhists who believe that Abhidhamma was not taught by the Buddha and therefore should be neglected, and they even encourage others to adopt the same view.

Sometimes it is quite astonishing to see that some people lack basic common sense. What kind of human beings—philosophers, scientists, politicians, economists, or religious leaders—could independently discover and expound Abhidhamma? According to the records, only the Buddha was capable of doing so. The Buddha expounded Abhidhamma in the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods (Tāvatiṃsa) and later related it to Sāriputta, who passed away before the Buddha. Therefore, during the First Council, no one was able to recite it. This may be one reason why Abhidhamma was not formally recorded at that council.

This does not mean that we should accept everything blindly from the texts. Ledi Sayadaw himself was a very good example of critical inquiry. I have read some of his Dhamma talks and found that he adopted a critical approach toward the commentaries, always examining them from a practical perspective, such as in his treatment of paramattha-dīpanī topics. Consequently, his views sometimes differed from those of certain commentators.

I have also read a Dhamma book by Mahāgandhāyon Sayadaw (Ashin Janakabhivamsa). This work consists of a long series of Dhamma discourses on Paṭṭhāna (Conditional Relations). In several places, Sayadaw explained Abhidhamma through the framework of the suttas, and at other times explained the suttas through Abhidhamma. In this way, it greatly enhanced our understanding of the Dhamma.

For the realisation of Dhamma, the teachings of the suttas alone are sufficient. However, I have never encountered anyone who studied Abhidhamma and became stupid or deluded. On the contrary, such people tend to develop bright and sharp minds, as seen in figures such as Ledi Sayadaw and Mogok Sayadaw.

The opposite result can also occur. People who possess a great deal of worldly knowledge—much of which is unnecessary, such as that from modern media—are often led into confusion, polluting the mind and increasing defilements (kilesas). People become lost in worldly knowledge and never progress in the Dhamma; instead, they engage in excessive proliferation and thinking. We can see the consequences of this clearly in today’s world, even at the international level.

A simile or analogy arose in my mind. It is like comparing the Himalayan mountain and an egg. Worldly knowledge is like an egg, whereas Abhidhamma knowledge is like Mount Himalaya. If an egg were to strike Mount Himalaya, what would happen? Only the egg would break into pieces. Anyone who uses worldly knowledge to measure the Dhamma will inevitably fail.

---

• Content of With an Open Mind-- Dhamma Talks by Sayadaw Jhaneyya
• Content of Publications of Bhikkhu Uttamo

---

• MP3 and Youtube

---

According to the translator—Bhikkhu Uttamo's words, this is strictly for free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma—Dhamma Dāna. You may re-format, reprint, translate, and redistribute this work in any medium.