From Vulture Eye to Wisdom Eye

revised on 2019-06-14

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 26th Sep. 1960

The dukkha you all know are head ache, throat ache etc., even animals know them. This was not the kind of dukkha which known by the noble disciples of the Buddha. The first kind of knowing is ordinary knowing (by listening talks etc.) and the later by direct knowing with contemplation. Not wanting dukkha will come only by the penetration of dukkha. As an example, vultures like the putrid carcass of a dog because it's the vulture eye. Whatever existence you get, it’s only dukkha and asubha (suffering and loathsomeness). So you have to change your vulture eye to wisdom eye. King Milinda asked Ven. Nāgasena that could everyone realize Nibbāna. Not everyone, only people know dukkha and not wanting it will realize it. Knowing dukkha and penetration of dukkha can realize it. The vulture eye or worldling eye means craving and attachment is the cause of dukkha (samudaya). You all know the coarse dukkha, don't know the subtle one. In all dhamma, feelings are the most covered up phenomena to Nibbāna. The real torturer to you all is pleasant feeling disguise as happiness. The real happiness is santi sukha – the peacefulness of Nibbānic happiness. The reason for not arriving to Nibbāna is you all take the happiness of feeling as real happiness and can't throw it away. It looks like this simile. You pour some honey into a plate and leave it there. After sometimes ants come and eat it. Later they die and sticking there. They were tortured by pleasant feeling and die. Now you know that in the whole round of existence, living beings were torturing by feelings. Another simile is a fish in the water. A fisherman used bait and left it in the water. The fish sees it (neutral feeling). After seeing and wanting to eat it (pleasant feeling). Goes and swallows it and the hook pierces its mouth (unpleasant feeling). The fisherman pulls it and beats it with a stick and it dies with dukkha vedanā.

So, all feelings are enemies. Therefore, all living beings don't know dukkha and not arrive to Nibbāna. By not knowing dukkha and no insight knowledge comes. By not getting insight knowledge and transcendental knowledge never arise.

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revised on 2019-06-14; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4031&p=35605#p35605 (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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