Experience of the Unconditioned (Seeing Is Believing)

With much contemplation on the rise and fall of conditioned phenomena (saṅkhata), when knowledge (ñāṇa) becomes mature, the yogi will see the unconditioned (asaṅkhata) at the ending of rise and fall. The unconditioned does not exist beforehand; it appears only with the disappearance of the conditioned.

I give this talk based on the sutta references of arahants and the experiences of some yogis. Why do I have to speak about these matters? Some people are practising Dhamma and can discern impermanence and its ending, yet they do not recognise it as unbinding—Nibbāna. Because they lack the opportunity to approach the noble beings (ariyas). For example, Mahānāma the Sakyan did not know himself to be a stream-enterer.

King Milinda asked Venerable Nāgasena about the experience of Nibbāna. At first, the knowing mind discerns the rise and fall of phenomena; later, transcending the ending of rise and fall, it abides in the Nibbāna element.

The yogi must take great care: he must know precisely every arising and vanishing phenomenon. Other mind states must not be allowed to enter the mind. As the contemplative mind becomes closer to Nibbāna, it later arrives together with the cessation of rise and fall. I will analyse the process of cessation, because it is very important. In the Buddha’s teachings, this is the highest and most profound Dhamma.

Some say the mind depends on the brain; this is not entirely correct. It exists as depending on the blood of the heart. This is not entirely correct. Consider the story of a young monk who was eaten by a tiger. When the element of consciousness (viññāṇa-dhātu) arrived at the heart area, it came to cessation. When there is trembling or fear, the heart beats faster; strong emotions have the same effect.

Roots, Light of Knowledge, and the Disappearance of the Body

Depending on the state of mind, the heart blood changes. There are six roots of consciousness, and one must understand them. When the root of greed—wanting, affection, liking, and attachment—arises, the heart blood becomes bright red. The colour depends on the state of mind.

The root of hatred is unhappiness, (??) sadness, disappointment, aversion, irritation, and related states. When this root arises, the blood of the heart becomes murky. The root of delusion is nodding, doubt, confusion, and indecisiveness; when it arises, the blood of the heart becomes reddish. These three are the unwholesome roots.

Let us now continue with the three wholesome roots. The root of non-greed is giving, generosity, and sharing; when this root is present, the blood of the heart emits a colourful brightness. The root of non-hatred is goodwill, kindness, and friendliness; then the blood emits a clear white colour.

The root of non-delusion is the knowing mind that discerns impermanence (anicca). When this root arises, the blood of the heart becomes clear, like the surface of glass. How extraordinary this is: with the cause of a purified mind, form itself becomes luminous, shining like a diamond light.

With a clear mind, the eye, ear, nose, and other sense faculties also become clear. Mind is the principal factor; therefore, the yogi must make the mind clear. The body too gains lightness and brightness. With the clarity of the ears, even distant sounds—such as birds far away—can be heard. These are yogis’ experiences. When there is no dust or pollution of unwholesomeness entering the mind, light arises when anicca and magga fit together.

When looking at the body with this light, everything in the body can be seen clearly.

[In one of Sayadaw U Candimā’s talks, he gives very detailed explanations of all the internal organs of the body and their functions—quite remarkable. This comes from his direct seeing and the light of knowledge.]

In darkness, one can see large objects but not small ones, because there is not enough light. If a small hole is made in a wall facing the sun, when sunlight enters, tiny particles floating in the air become visible. This is due to light. In the same way, when a yogi has the light element and the knowing mind observes the body, many instances of impermanence are seen. Āloko udapādi—light arises in the yogi.

With extensive discernment of impermanence, weariness develops. True weariness arises when the whole body seems to crumble and disappear. Once, while I was teaching at a certain place, a layman said to me, “Venerable sir, you speak about rise and fall—phenomena arising and vanishing in blips—but I have never experienced this.” I replied, “You are talking to others with your eyes open—how could you see it?”

After hearing my exhortation, he practised accordingly. He practised continuously for three to four days without fail—sitting, not talking, and keeping his eyes closed. He discerned impermanence and said, “Bhante, I have now seen the blips.”

If one practises persistently, seeing the body disappear, discerning impermanence with knowledge, and continuing effort with disenchantment toward impermanence, eventually it leads to cessation and final ending.

Three Types of Defilements and Their Extermination

Here it is necessary to explain the three types of defilements. These are:

Latent defilements exist within the round of existence (saṁsāra). The mind carries them along through the continuous processes of cause-and-effect connections. When the appropriate causes are present, such as greed or anger, they will arise.

Newly arising defilements are called obsession by defilements. If these obsessions grow stronger, they lead to transgression, which manifests through bodily or verbal actions.

Which defilement is eradicated by the knowledge that discerns impermanence (anicca)? It eradicates obsession by defilements (the second type).

According to the Dependent Arising (D.A.) process, discernment stops the connection between section two and section three (see the Mogok D.A. chart). Craving (taṇhā), clinging (upādāna), and action (kamma) cannot enter the mind. This is called non-arising cessation (anuppāda-nirodha)—cessation through non-occurrence.

With the five path factors—mindfulness (sati), energy (viriya), concentration (samādhi), right view, and right thought—defilements are eliminated so that obsession and transgression no longer arise. Therefore, two types of defilements are eradicated, while the latent tendency is gradually weakened.

Latent defilements have been carried through many lives, but as obsession weakens, the latent defilements also become thinner. The five path factors have a profound effect on the path leading to Nibbāna.

The result ceases because the cause is eradicated. Therefore, it is important to understand the two modes of eradication: eradication of the cause and eradication of the result, respectively.

What does eradication of the cause look like? It is like a tiger or a lion killing the enemy itself.

Eradication of the result, by contrast, is like a dog that attacks the stone thrown at it. If a stone is thrown at a tiger, it does not react to the stone; rather, it is harmed by the person who threw it. If the person is killed, no more stones are thrown, and no further problems arise. When the cause is eliminated, the result ceases to arise. A dog fears the person who throws the stone, not the stone itself.

Extermination of Cause and Result (Continuation)

It is angry, but it does not dare to bite him. This is similar to exterminating only the result. When the cause still exists, more stones will continue to be thrown. I will explain to yogis for the understanding of these two types of extermination.

For example, different mind states and feelings arise. A yogi has to know the arising when it arises, and to know its vanishing when it vanishes. If one discerns the paramattha dhammas of now born and now die, craving (taṇhā), clinging (upādāna), and kamma do not arise because their causes are not present. Therefore, discerning impermanence (anicca) in arising phenomena is the extermination of the cause.

The other way is when painful feeling arises and one merely notes it and tries to make it comfortable so that it goes away. This is conditioning feeling and is connected to the round of existence. This is an attempt to exterminate only the result, because feeling (vedanā) is vipāka-vatta, the result within the round of existence.

By exterminating only the result, the process will never end. (This point is very important, even for world leaders and politicians when dealing with international problems and suffering, such as climate change and conflicts. It seems to me that they follow the simile of the dog.) Even if changes occur, they are only temporary.

Then how should one practise? Contemplate to discern vanishing phenomena—impermanence (anicca) and the path (magga). In this way, the path factors arise, and craving cannot arise (see the D.A. chart). The mind will not follow desire. Dhamma is non-self; it follows its own nature.

The nature of pain is simply painful. When ears exist, sounds will be heard. The yogi must use wisdom (ñāṇa) to contemplate their nature. If one is able to discern them correctly, practice becomes successful.

Now yogis understand the three types of defilements and the extermination of the cause. What remains to be understood is this: after seeing many rise-and-fall processes, the process itself changes. The impermanence process increases and decreases; arising becomes faster and then slows down. It is as if the process plays itself out.

In the texts, this is referred to as vūṭṭhānagāminī. In ordinary language, it means that strength is required for the cessation of phenomena. Impermanences are already in the process of cessation.

A simile is given: crossing a large trench by jumping. A man walks toward a trench that is wide. He cannot cross it with an ordinary jump. So he must walk backward to gain momentum and strength. Even then, it may still be impossible. He must walk back further—twenty paces may not be enough; he may need to walk back thirty paces.

After that, by running forcefully toward the trench, he is able to jump over it and reach the other side.

Cessation, Coolness, and the Verification of Nibbāna

The khandhas are the result of the round of existence, moving onward within the whole cycle of existence. Therefore, near the end of their impermanence (anicca), the arising becomes faster and then slower, like the example given above. This stage requires strength and force for cessation. At last, it happens very quickly and stops.

If the yogi discerns this clearly—when the process stops—he may take it as Nibbāna. Then how does one check this? Mogok Sayadaw also said the following:

“Seeing is peaceful and staying is coolness.”

Seeing with peacefulness means that the instantaneous process of impermanence (aniccas) stops in a single blip. (See my translation of Mogok Talks, Part 10, The Four Noble Truths, section on Nirodha Sacca.)

If you ask the yogi, “Where have the impermanences gone?” he will answer: “They have not gone anywhere; they stop under knowledge.”

Seeing peace means seeing the Unborn. Staying in coolness means that the path and fruition minds arise internally. They extinguish the extremely hot fire of woeful existence—wrong view and doubt.

Human beings are continually building woeful existences from this human world. When greed is very strong, hatred is intense, and cruelty is extreme, these become their future destinations. Yet they can also destroy these from here.

In the texts, the experience of Nibbāna is described as being like pouring a thousand pots of cool water over the body. Mogok Sayadaw said that “staying in coolness” does not mean cold like ice water. It is like putting down a heavy burden—there is a sense of coolness and lightness.

The yogi continues contemplating impermanence and suffering (dukkha sacca), not only for one or two days but for many days, until their ending. Now there is nothing left to contemplate. The burden of suffering has fallen away; the heat becomes cool and peaceful.

In the following, the Sayadaw mentions certain pseudo-Dhamma experiences that yogis may encounter. There are two kinds of these:

Pseudo-Cessations and the Verification of True Cessation

1. Cessation with sloth and torpor

Because impermanence (anicca) is not truly seen, mindfulness only returns momentarily in a blip. The yogi may think that impermanence has come to cessation or an end. In fact, he is nodding. In his mind it seems peaceful, but his abiding is not cool. The defilements (kilesas) are still present and burning hot.

2. Cessation driven by effort

The yogi wants cessation to come quickly and becomes impatient. This state of mind should not be present during practice. While sitting, he must contemplate and allow anicca and magga to fit in naturally. Do not let desire arise—wanting cessation and wanting to see Nibbāna. This takes time. Without patience, the contemplation becomes incorrect and impermanence cannot be discerned. This is cessation driven by effort. It is important to recognise this as a pseudo-Dhamma.

3. Cessation accompanied by rapture (pīti)

When impermanence becomes strong, light and rapture arise, and the body feels light. The yogi’s mind sinks into these pseudo-Dhammas and does not truly discern impermanence.

4. Cessation accompanied by tranquillity (passaddhi)

Mind and body become tranquil. Seeing is not yet peaceful, but abiding feels cool. The yogi still discerns impermanence. Only by overcoming this stage will he see Nibbāna. The yogi can check whether this is real cessation or not.

He sits in front of a Buddha image and makes a resolution to know the cessation. If it is a real cessation—namely, Path Knowledge—then Fruition Mind will arise and he can enter the fruition state. By making a further resolution, “Blessed One, may I experience again the cessation that occurred before,” he may experience it again.

When he makes a one-hour resolution for sitting, the process begins again from impermanence. It is not like before the cessation, where impermanence increased and decreased. Instead, the yogi sees impermanence for a period, and then it comes to a stop in a natural way. Path Knowledge cuts off the defilements (kilesas, samuccheda). Fruition Knowledge extinguishes the remaining heat that still lingers.

It is like a piece of burning charcoal. When water is poured on it, the red glow turns black. Yet the black charcoal still contains heat inside. If you pour more water on it, it cools down completely. This is like the function of Fruition Knowledge.

Path Knowledge eradicates the coarser defilements; Fruition Knowledge addresses the more refined ones.

After putting down the heavy burden of the khandhas, it becomes cool and still, like a statue. The yogi should not be satisfied with this and stop. He should test it by increasing the duration—one hour, two hours, three hours, four hours, and so on. He may even test it by sitting for an entire day without food.

If it is a true cessation of dukkha, the yogi can maintain it. If it is a false cessation, he cannot—and his condition may even worsen.

Further Verification of Fruition and the Intrinsic Nature of Emptiness

With further testing, the experience becomes more significant, confirming whether it is genuine.

Sayadaw once related an incident involving a female yogi who was a schoolteacher attending a retreat. She reported her success to him. He did not say whether it was right or wrong, but simply told her to check it for herself. After some time, pain arose and she began moving around again. In this way, the experience revealed itself.

If someone is able to enter the Fruition state, his or her pupils do not move when the eyes are open. When someone is merely discerning impermanence, the pupils continue to move. In the Fruition state, the in-breath and out-breath are cool, and this coolness pervades the entire body.

Mosquitoes may bite people in ordinary states, but not someone abiding in the Fruition state.

[I have heard a related story concerning the Guang Qing Old Monk (1891–1986): people around him noticed that mosquitoes bit them frequently, but did not bite the old monk.]

This is related to the absence of defilements (kilesas), which otherwise emit smells that attract mosquitoes.

(Ancient texts also mention two kinds of bodily scent in women: a virtuous and noble woman is said to have a lotus-like fragrance, whereas a lustful woman is said to have a fishy smell.)

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• Content of Seeing Is Believing-- Dhamma Talks by Sayadaw U Nyanabhasa
• Content of Publications of Bhikkhu Uttamo

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