The End of the World (B)


revised on 2019-12-02


Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 28th October 1961

(Told the story of Rohitassa Devata who had searched the end of the world in his past life as a hermit). The end of the world means Nibbāna. Someone will arrive there only by going with knowledge (ñāṇa); anyone can’t go there by other ways. The world (loka) is saṅkhāra loka – the conditioned world – the five khandhas.

Saṅkhāra loka is the khandhas arise by conditioning. Arising and vanishing moment to moment is loka. You’ll not arrive to Nibbāna with good kamma but with good knowledge. So it’s clear that Nibbāna is ñāṇa path. Kam path is to the 31 realms of existence.

There are three paths: kam path jhan path and ñāṇa path (Some short Burmese words came from the Pali language – kam=kamma, jhan=jhāna, ñāṇa=ñāṇa, etc). Kam path is the far cause. Jhan path is the near cause. Ñāṇa path is the direct path, the cause of sending there. (Kamma and jhāna are supporting cause and ñāṇa is producing cause to Nibbāna).

Human life span is short (now human life span is around 75 years. It will be degenerated to 10yrs in the far future; see the Cakkavatti Sīhanāda Sutta of Digha Nikāya, DN.26 Cakkavattisuttaṃ). You have to follow the ñāṇa path if you want to be quicker.

Within this two armed length body observe with maggan ñāṇa. Follow with any one of the four satipaṭṭhāna in according to your preference. Practice with vedanā if vedanā is distinct for your knowledge; if mind then with the mind, etc. Follow with ñāṇa whatever the arising. It is vipassanā to follow the impermanent saṅkhāra loka with ñāṇa.

The Buddha taught that the four truths exist in the khandha. Except lobha, mind and form are dukkha sacca. If taṇhā not exists is nirodha sacca. Sometimes I am asking you; “Do the khandhas disappear?” is loka nirodha sacca. The ariya sāvaka eye is magga sacca.

(Here we can see Sayadaw’s skill in using dhamma language. Loka nirodho is the cessation of mind and body. The ariya sāvaka eye is contemplative knowledge). With the observation, loka will tell you as I am dukkha sacca.

This khandha will tell you, anicca, dukkha and nirodha. (Here nirodha is the cessation of the khandha). Khandha is the teller and ñāṇa is the observer. Whatever has to say and it’ll tell you. If, it has nothing left to say and will not tell you anymore.

Then the observer will see the ending of it. The ending of the khandhas is Nibbāna. Birth and death are loka. Arising and vanishing are loka. Arising dukkha and vanishing dukkha are loka. You have to make a decision that there is no happiness in the 31 realms of existence.

If you ask: “How long has it to be contemplated?” It’s right to say as it’s difficult and also easy to say. It takes longer time if you have thick kilesa. If your kilesa is thin; practicing in the morning, you even can realize it in the evening. Don’t take it on the pāramitā. What is happening to me, it's my pāramī? Don’t think about it. You only need to invigorate your faith – saddhā and effort – viriya.

Take it as seeing the truth if you discerning impermanence. After listening to the sacca dhamma, observe to see it. With more analyzing about it, take more time for the practice (And then talked about vedanā in practice).

There is no time without vedanā. During the pregnancy is dukkha. After birth is also dukkha. Dying is dukkha. Nothing exists except dukkha arising and dukkha ceasing. You’ll surely find out as only dukkha. Dukkha also disappears if the khandha disappears. It disappears under the contemplative mind.

Nibbāna exists at the end of the khandha. Just following it and will arrive to the end. Contemplation with bhāvetabba and will see Nibbāna. By waiting with good kamma and it will never arise. Only waiting with ñāṇa and it’ll arise. The end of loka means your own loka (one’s khandhas) with the knowledge of not wanting arise and it will end.


revised on 2019-12-02; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4362&p=36284#p36284 (posted on 2019-04-12)


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