Khandha Fuel with Kilesa Fire

revised on 2019-07-25

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 13th May 1961

A person discerning impermanence is near to Nibbāna. It doesn’t take very long if the causes are conducive. This point came from the Udana Pali. Worldlings are happy with taking pleasure in the khandhas which they desire for it. For the noble ones (ariyans), these are getting the fuels and fire. Eleven types of fire are burning all the time.

Therefore listening dhamma talks is to fix the deluded eyes with the ariyan eyes. The 31 realms of existence are big piles of fire. It is only for the fuels with prayer for asking any khandha.

It is Nibbāna while khandha fuels burnt out and kilesa fire gone out. The five khandhas are fuels. The eleven types of kilesa is fire (e.g., lobha, dosa, moha, soka, etc.). They can’t be separated.

Fuels are vipāka vaṭṭa—the result of the round of existence. Fire is kilesa vaṭṭa—the defilement of the round of existence. Two vaṭṭas are going together. You actually are taking in pleasure to burn yourself if you are happy with both of them. Vipassanā practice is battling with the kilesas latent in the khandha.

You have to extinguish the kilesa fire in the khandha. Must use the holy water of the path to extinguish it. There must also exist the extinguishing of fire if there are fuels and fire existing.

This is not a fable (i.e., just like other faiths and belief systems). This was known by the Buddha directly before and taught to the living beings. Nibbāna really exists as the fuels and fires have been extinguished.

At first, before talking about Nibbāna, I have to mention about the evil and terrible things. Those who simply want to like the good things might not know the bad things. During the time of each one of the past Buddhas, many had enlightened. Is there anyone of them coming back?

(This is an important point for Buddhists to contemplate because some people have the idea that in the cosmos there are permanent places for permanent beings. This is an eternalist view and bhava taṇhā. It’s a kind of defilements.)

Without knowing to get the khandha is getting the fuels and fire. This is ignorance. After getting and taking pleasure in it is craving/taṇhā. Now, you have caught the culprit. I’ll show you the way out of it.

We have to take the examples of people who were going out from it before. They had left from saṅkhata. The five khandhas are saṅkhata dhamma. They become disenchantment with it by seeing saṅkhata dhamma. And with the cessation of it, they will reach asaṅkhata. Saṅkhata and saṅkhāra are the same (i.e., conditioned phenomena).

Form arises due to action, mind, temperature and foods (kamma, citta, utu and āhāra). Mind arises due to ārammaṇa and dvāra (sense objects and sense doors). Therefore mind/body arises due to the conditioning of other. Sabbe saṅkhāra anicca—All conditioned phenomena were impermanent as said by the Buddha. So you'll find out the beginning of the path if you discern impermanence.

You are ready to get out from it if you become disenchantment with it. Mind/body (saṅkhāra) will disappear if you want to be free from saṅkhāra. In the practicing knowledge, fuels and fire are extinguished.

You'll reach toward Nibbāna which is nobody can make it arising or disappearing. Seeing impermanence, becoming disenchantment and not wanting of it; you will surely reach toward Nibbāna. Remember these three points.

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revised on 2019-07-25; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4049&p=35723#p35723 (posted on 2019-01-10)

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• Content of Part 5 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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