Time and Timelessness

revised on 2019-06-14

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 19th April 1960

Time is referring to saṁsāra (round of existence), and timelessness to Nibbāna. Sayadaw gave an example of timeless dhamma with the Anāthapiṇḍikovāda Sutta (Instruction to Anāthapiṇḍika by Sāriputta near his death) of Majjhima Nikāya (MN.143 Anāthapiṇḍikovādasuttaṃ). The source of time is the sun and the moon, and without them is timelessness. With time we are eating by it, so that our life-span becoming shorter and shorter. Instead if we are eating time then we transcend it. Accordance to Dependent Arising, the direct order (anuloma) is eating by time and the reverse order (paṭiloma) time is eating by us. So Nibbāna is timelessness and Noble Eightfold Path is timeless dhamma.

Sayadaw explained the 12-links of Paṭicca-samuppāda and took the 8-factors; i.e., from viññāṇa to kammabhava as present khandhas process. Without practicing we develop these 8-factors all the times. With practice only 5-factors, i.e., from viññāṇa to feelings arise and then cut off the continuation of the process.

After the morning time and follow by night time is nothing to be happy about, because the body is eating by time and the good things are gone and bad things are leaving behind. In reality these are no profit for us only loss. We are living under the sun and the moon, and time appears. Human good kammas and intelligence are always eating by them. In the end we are becoming helpless. So we have to liberate ourselves under the influence of time. In Nibbāna there are no sun and moon, therefore no day and night time. Time was eaten by the Buddha and arahants. Even only become a sotāpanna, a lot of time has been eaten by him. Time can only eat him again not more than 7-lives time. These time and timelessness came from the Buddha who taught the 500 monks who were brahmins before. They had connection with the Bodhisatta in their past lives. After death take rebirth again is like a stick fallen on the wound. Because after dukkha, then dukkha again. Don't take the 5-khandhas as this is mine, this I am, and this is myself. Contemplate them as impermanence, suffering and not-self. The Noble Eightfold Path is timeless dhamma.

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revised on 2019-06-14; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4031&p=35603#p35603 (posted on 2018-12-15)

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• Content of Part 3 on "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

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• Content of "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

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• Content of Publications of Ven. Uttamo

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