Nibbāna is Always Exists

revised on 2019-07-02

Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 25th December 1960 & 22nd June 1962

[Sayadaw formulated a Dependent Origination Chart from the Buddha’s Teachings to explain many of his talks very successfully. It is helpful to understand the Dhamma in a very profound and clear way. It needs to use this chart to understand some of its talks and for contemplation. This chart is very well known to most Buddhists in Burma. You may find this chart on the internet in English version, e.g., site A or site B ]

[Interesting talks on the nature of saṁsāra and Nibbāna. Khandhas do not always exist and it’s dukkha. It’s also saṁsāra. Nibbāna is the opposite way. It always exists and no dukkha. It’s nirodha the cessation of dukkha, the real happiness and peace. Saṁsāra is no beginning and has ending for someone follows the Noble Eightfold Path. Nibbāna has beginning and no ending for someone practices the Noble Eightfold Path; whereas no beginning for someone who does not practice the Path.

The Buddha stayed at Sāvatthi, Jetavana Monastery and talked to the monks. Whoever seeing vedanā anicca had right view. The body is vedanākkhandha and you can find vedanā at anytime if paying attention to the body. Sayadaw gave a simile—anyone pointed a finger to any direction where the sky did always exist. In contemplation of feeling, you will see anicca at first. With the continuous practice will become disenchantment to vedanā (Nibbidā Ñāṇa).

This is another right view which is more mature than the first one (Yathābhūta Ñāṇa). Nibbidā Ñāṇa is understanding dukkha. Sayadaw gave a simile between the two different Ñāṇas. Yathābhūta Ñāṇa is like a razor shaving the hairs and not very clean enough, whereas Nibbidā Ñāṇa as a sharper razor which clean cuts the hairs but the hairs of the roots still inside the skin. ]

The five khandhas—the mind and body, do not always exist but have dukkha. They do not always exist but it’s only suffering when they exist. Look at it in whatever way it is never good. People who don’t have the knowledge are praying to get for it. (By doing wholesome merits with prayers). They are praying for the impermanence and dukkha. So you have to stay with only happiness. It’s the truth of the cessation of dukkha-Nirodha Sacca. Saṁsāra doesn’t have beginning but has ending for someone who knows the truth. Nibbāna has the beginning and no ending.

You can take it as the happiness without ending. If you discern the impermanence of feeling becomes right view, the view leads to Nibbāna. In the khandha there is always existing one of the feelings. Without feeling is Nibbāna. The whole body exists with feelings. If you are using the noble eyes (ariya eyes) to observe will always see it. Discern the existence to non-existence is anicca.

This is seeing the absolute reality (paramattha dhamma). If you see something originally not exist is concept. Discerning impermanence is right view (the first stage). Continue for contemplation and becomes disenchantment to feeling is the second stage.

Even it becomes as you don’t want to continue the contemplation. Right view becomes more mature. The practice on the way to Nibbāna must be in this process. It is also becoming close to the truth of dukkha. After the second stage, it continues becoming free from affection to anicca; and all the attachments– rāga dhamma cease, this is the third stage. The wrong view (diṭṭhi) and all the kammas associated with wrong view are ceased together.

Not always exist and exist with dukkha are mind and body. These are its original nature. They are always like these. It’s impermanent so that it does not always exist. With the arising and passing away is dukkha. So don’t want any mind and body. Make a decision that these phenomena are not good to get and receive. These do not always exist and exist with dukkha, therefore it's the truth of dukkha. There is no dukkha for Nibbāna, whereas this Dhamma (i.e., Nibbāna or Dhamma) always exists there.

Nibbāna and mind/body are different nature. So don’t be in confusion. Your preferring the human and heavenly worlds is the liking of a leper, who is using the fire heat to alleviate his itches. Nobody can destroy Nibbāna and create it as well.

Again mind and body have no beginning and have ending. The Buddha said that you couldn’t think about the beginning of mind and body. But it has the ending for someone who knows how to go there. Nibbāna has the beginning and happiness without ending. Saṁsāra doesn’t have the beginning, whereas has the ending. But that need to be encountered a good teacher. Nibbāna has the beginning and no ending. You will instantly doubt these points.

Someone with the help of a teacher and after arriving there will have the happiness which is never end. If you meet the path factors, you will have the beginning.

(Sayadaw explained the above ideas with Dependent Arising process.) Because of the past ignorance we have the present khandhas. With these khandhas we create kammas and will receive the future khandhas. During the dying moments will become sorrow, lamentation and taints arise. Āsava samudaya avijjā samudaya—Taints arise and ignorance arises, because of the taints and ignorance comes back again.

Someone who doesn’t know the truth at near death becomes sorrow and lamentation. Taints and ignorance combine together to get the khandha again. It’s running in a circular way that there is no beginning. It’s like searching for the beginning of an egg. Also like an ant running around the edge of a circular plate. It is possible for the end of a saṁsāra for someone only when a Buddha was arising into this world. (except a Paccekabuddha). Also must teach the truth of Dhamma to them.

From ignorance to become knowledge and kammic formation becomes non-kammic formation (asaṅkhāra), and then saṁsāra will come to an end. You have to practice to become vi-saṅkhāra. Vi—means free from something. I use asaṅkhāra to make you understand it.

revised on 2019-07-02; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4036&p=35649#p35649 (posted on 2018-12-27)

Content of Part 4 on "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

Content of "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

Content of Publications of Ven. Uttamo

According to the translator— Ven. Uttamo's words, this is strictly for free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma—Dhamma Dāna. You may re-format, reprint, translate, and redistribute this work in any medium.

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。