Talk Ten: On Insight Knowledges (Step by Step)
(Sayadaw explains the verse composed by Mogok Sayadawgyi.)
This verse appears in a sutta that explains the five factors for realization:
strong faith, good health, practice with a straight-forward mind, diligent practice, and discernment of anicca.
One must have confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha, and also confidence in kamma and its results. One should avoid unskillful actions (unwholesome and harmful deeds) and cultivate skillful actions—such as dāna, sīla, and cāga—which greatly support samādhi.
I would like to mention how Sayadawgyi himself practiced at his place. During periods of practice, whoever came to see him, he would not receive them. He followed a very disciplined routine.
(Some disciples mentioned that Sayadawgyi never used a clock, yet whatever he did according to his timetable was always very accurate.)
Do not try to make arising and dissolution happen by yourself. If samādhi has strength, the inclination of the mind can shape experience according to desire—for example, wanting rapture to arise. This should not be done.
[Here, I would like to present U Sun Lwin’s experience when he was practicing at U Ba Khin Meditation Centre. Practicing ānāpānasati, on the third day he reached upacāra samādhi; the five jhānic factors arose, and all his bodily pains disappeared. It was August, during a season of heavy rain. He did not bring an umbrella.
The yogi’s dwelling (Dhammasālā) and the eating place were about 100 yards apart. He decided to make an experiment. At that time, he was in a strong samādhi state and made an assertion of truth (sacca-kiriya): “I did not bring an umbrella. May this truth cause the rain to stop for a while.” Instantly, the rain stopped. He ran to his cell, and after arriving, the rain began again.
At first, he thought it might be coincidence, but for ten days, it happened repeatedly—each time he made the assertion of truth.]
You must contemplate these experiences as a stranger, without identification. In the initial stage, the yogi discerns both arising and dissolution. (With the development of ñāṇa, insight knowledge deepens progressively.)
There is no attention to arising; instead, attention rests only on dissolution, seeing it clearly. This is the knowledge of dissolution (bhaṅga ñāṇa). Pain and ache exist only as sabhāva phenomena, known merely as momentary events, like brief flashes.
At first, bodily form is still perceived; later, only the nature of dissolution remains. The mind no longer goes out toward objects of form. As dissolutions become more frequent, fear may arise, and phenomena are perceived as dangerous—this is the knowledge of fearfulness (bhaya ñāṇa). Seeing dissolution clearly is knowing the essenceless nature of things.
Later, one becomes weary of the dissolutions. Some people mistakenly take this weariness to be toward external objects or family members. In reality, it is weariness toward phenomena arising from the six sense doors. If the weariness is directed toward external objects, that indicates sticking and wrong view (diṭṭhi). One must be weary only of paramattha objects; otherwise, one remains trapped in concepts.
The yogi sees dissolutions in all situations—whether getting up from sitting, changing posture, or opening the eyes. Why does this happen? Because the arising process becomes shorter, and dissolution is seen more clearly. If one clings to arising or becomes frightened by it, the process appears longer.
When kilesas are fewer, the mind becomes drier and non-clinging, seeing dissolution within a short period. Upon reaching the stage where the arising process narrows, this becomes the knowledge of disenchantment (nibbidā ñāṇa), with variegated objects of contemplation.
This leads to nibbidā ñāṇa. If paññā declines, this knowledge can fall back. It is therefore referred to as contemplation of variegated objects arising from the six sense doors. If the objects are incomplete or not clearly variegated, happiness may lead to lobha, pain to dosa, and insight knowledge declines.
Thus, one must fear arising and passing away (anicca)—not pain itself. This is the proper use of variegated contemplative objects in insight practice.
Some people misunderstand the knowledge of rise and fall (udayabbaya ñāṇa) as merely seeing the short gaps between arising and dissolution. In truth, this knowledge knows dissolution in an inclusive way. It is like raindrops falling continuously.
In the knowledge of dissolution, discernment appears section by section, very clearly. At the beginning, phenomena may be seen as being in a confused or crumbling state, because knowledge is not yet sharp enough and cannot follow the rapidity of dissolutions. This is not yet the stage of narrowing down anicca. With weak knowledge, dissolution is seen only in a vague or chaotic manner.
When weariness toward conditioned mind and body arises, knowledge matures and the yogi begins to see dissolution distinctly (as described above). These two points are important, because some yogis mistakenly take this immature knowledge to be mature realization. When knowledge develops further, dissolutions are seen clearly, section by section, without doubt.
At that point, observing only dissolution becomes nibbidā ñāṇa (knowledge of disenchantment) together with muñcitukamyatā ñāṇa (knowledge of desire for deliverance).
What is the significance of this? Even when the yogi’s eyes are open, anicca is seen at any time and in any posture—except during sleep. In the yogi’s mind, it is like a person whose body is encircled by fire. Therefore, a strong desire for deliverance of the mind arises.
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據英譯者—鄔達摩比丘交待，此譯文僅能免費與大眾結緣，作為法的禮物（Dhamma Dāna）。你可以在任何媒體上重新編製、重印、翻譯和重新發布這部作品。