Penetration of Dukkha


revised on 2021-03-26


Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 15th October 1956

The practice will be finished if you get the knowledge of knowing dukkha sacca by yourself. I’ll show you how dukkha sacca appears and the way of seeing it. Someone already has seen it and be joyous with it. If not seeing yet and will have the inspiration.

Dukkhas are in the way of one ceases and another one arises continuously like a windmill. It appears in the knowledge as dukkha is going on like a machine. If you want to contemplate form (rūpa) and just form; to contemplate the mind and just the mind; it ceases and arises one by one continuously like a machine.

At first dukkha machine is going on. And after that dukkha machine is stopping. Dukkha machine going on is seeking dukkha. After that dukkha stopping is seeing sukha. And then the doors to woeful planes are closed and enter the stream.

If you have seen this kind of cessation four times, there is no more birth to come. You can make your own decision with the practice and no need to ask others about it; also no need to find a teacher.

(Explaining with the D.A. process):

Viññāṇa → nāma/rūpa → saḷāyatana → phassa → vedanā → taṇhā → upādāna → kama. Dukkha is going on with these eight factors. All are going on with impermanence.

Whenever it arises is only impermanent dukkha arising. With the contemplation of impermanence; “Does it without these eight factors?”

(i.e., every contemplation is within these eight Factors) (Viññāṇa to vedanā are representing the five khandhas which are dukkha. Taṇhā to kamma are representing kilesas which are samudaya)

We’re contemplating the dukkha machine going on. Whatever you’re contemplating these are only the process of the dukkha machine. (i.e., kāya, vedanā, citta, dhamma.)

At last all these dukkha extinct or without them is peaceful. When this knowledge of not wanting arises and dukkha machine is stopped. People who are not contemplating and taking the running of dukkha machine as me and mine. (How foolish it is?) Everyday whatever you’re doing except running the dukkha machine and nothing exists.

Walking, talking, cooking, etc. are the continuous arising of impermanent dukkha sacca. With the worldly views these are working for the livelihoods. But the real internal process is the working of the dukkha machine. This is someone seeking for dukkha sacca. It becomes sharper with knowledge, whereas ignorance and craving become thinner.

When it becomes very sharp, kilesa and dukkha cease. It is Nibbāna without the kilesa and dukkha. Only by discerning the impermanence of the khandha and light (obhasa), joy (pīti), etc (i.e., the ten insight corruptions) will appear. You will see Nibbāna if you’re discerning impermanence and making this decision for this life. Seeing impermanence is finding out dukkha sacca.

You have to continue the practice with perseverance. For some the discerning of impermanence is quite earlier. For some it takes quite a long time (So yogis shouldn’t discourage or disappoint with their practices). Not seeing impermanence is distorted and crazy knowing? Not knowing the process of the dukkha machine that we like it.

The nature of khandha only has the rising dukkha and the falling dukkha. It is going on with these eight factors and no other thing. These are uncountable every day. Before, all of us were in this way. With no practice, in the future it will also be this way.


revised on 2021-03-26; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4371&p=36311#p36310 (posted on 2019-04-13)


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