Don’t Waste Your Precious Life

revised on 2019-07-25

Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 12th to 13th March 1961

[The first talk was based on Susīma Sutta (SN.12.70 Susimasuttaṃ) and the second on Acela Kassapa Sutta (SN 12. 17, Acelakassapasuttaṃ).]

The Buddha was not acknowledged himself as a Buddha before he had still not known the truth. Only after realizing the truth, he was acknowledged as a Buddha. If you discern the impermanence of feeling, mind, etc. then you know the truth. Vipariṇāma lakkhaṇa dukkha saccaṁ—the characteristic of change is the truth of dukkha.

The changing of one’s own nature is truth of dukkha. Form changes the nature of form, feeling changes the nature of feeling, mind changes the nature of mind, etc. It is knowing in accordance with the truth—Saccanulomika Ñāṇa by discerning impermanence.

Impermanence is truth of dukkha. You will see the truth of the cessation of dukkha (i.e., Nibbāna or Nirodha Sacca) when all the impermanence of dukkha come to an end. So, try hard to discern impermanence. You get the knowledge of the truth if you discern the impermanence of any one of the five khandhas because impermanence is a truth.

For example, your back is itchy because it contacts with an object and becomes itchy. Contact is phassa and itchy is feeling. Phassa pacaya vedanā—contact conditions feeling. What is happening to the feeling? And you observe it and it’s passing away. You see it as not exists there and the knowing of it.

This is anicca. You'll be free from greed if you see anicca. Anicca is death. And death is dukkha. So, you also see dukkha if you see anicca. You'll be free from hatred (dosa) if you see dukkha. (It seems this point is very important in worldly matters for peace, harmony and happiness. Only by understanding dukkha, one can develop true wisdom, compassion and love.)

By seeing anicca D. A. is cutting off from the middle. And seeing dukkha is cutting off from the end (see the 12 links). You see it only one point. (Here the meaning is seeing impermanence only one point, but ñāṇa function in different ways). Can’t control the impermanence of feeling is not-self (anatta).

By knowing the reality is free from delusion (moha). Discerning of anatta clears away moha. Only by discerning the three universal characteristics can dispel greed, hatred and delusion.

Dukkha will continue if D. A. continues. D. A. does not continue and dukkha will cease. From the air of electric fan pleasant feeling arises. Without it unpleasant feeling arises. Feeling is non-stop arising. The magga will follow behind if you can see the cessation of feeling.

You can fulfill three functions by discerning anicca. First samudaya cease and after dukkha ceases because feeling does not connects with craving and samudaya ceases (i.e., craving). Feeling does not connects with kamma (action) and no khandha arises (i.e., dukkha ceases).

So, don’t live your life as usual. If you do it three types of D. A. will come to you. Because of greed, hatred, and delusion, you’ll receive respectively the births of peta (ghosts), hell beings and animals. It’s frightening. Let us finish Susīma’s story (continued Susīma). Insight knowledges are like collecting the rubbish together.

Path Knowledge is like burning the rubbish. Susīma became arahant was including with the lakkhaṇūpanijjhāna (concentration power which can discern the three universal characteristics, but not including the ārammaṇika jhāna which referred to absorption jhāna)

If you understand the D. A. process, the concept of a person or a being disappears and then clears away wrong view. If you don’t and running around in a circular way (like an ant moving around at the edge of a circular plate.) You will be free from the circular running if you understand. Not knowing the four Noble Truths is ignorance.

In the Satipaṭṭhāna Pali—Dukkhe añāṇaṁ: Not knowing dukkha is ignorance, etc.; not knowing the four Noble Truths is ignorance. (Sayadaw explained the twelve links of D. A. as an unending circle.) In the three periods of time: past, present and future, there are neither any person nor being included in it; only the connections of causes and effects. In each one of them becomes the cause (samudaya) and the effect (dukkha). It’s clear for you that only dukkha arises and dukkha ceases. Is there any person or being in it? In the ultimate truth (paramattha sacca) no such things exist. So, in every ending, if it is continuing become dukkha samudayo hoti—the whole mass of suffering arises.

If not continue become dukkha nirodho hoti—the whole mass of suffering cease. In the khandha whatever dhamma, arises, only dukkha arises and dukkha ceases. If you discern this becomes dukkhe ñāṇaṁ— the knowledge of knowing dukkha is arising. It’s knowledge (vijjā).

During the contemplation ignorance ceases. In loka (mind and body) there exist only the cause of dukkha and the result of dukkha. There is nothing good in it. It is only the running of dukkha machine and neither including a person nor a being.

Is dukkha done by oneself? No, it’s the continuation of cause and effect phenomena. This is clearing away the view of oneself. I am only dispelling wrong view and doubt for you. During listening this talk and if someone dies will become a cūḷa-sotāpanna. The complete cessation is by practice and only become a stream enterer.

So, listening sacca dhamma is also beneficial. In the end of the future life (the twelve links) it mentioned sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair is taints (āsavas) arising. Āsava samudaya avijjā samudayo—because of the taint it causes ignorance to arise.

So it turns back to with the past. In every life only samudaya and dukkha are going on in turn. We have to insert knowledge in the present life. In this way no future khandha arises and cutting of D. A. process. Every present khandha arises have to follow with knowledge. Khandha is a disease—rogato.

If you don’t know the disease will not treat it. Path and Fruit Knowledges are medicines and can cure the present disease. In this way no future disease arises. (Sayadaw continued the story of Acela Kassapa)

revised on 2019-07-25; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4049&p=35715#p35715 (posted on 2019-01-10)

Content of Part 5 on "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

Content of "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

Content of Publications of Ven. Uttamo

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