Insight Knowledge and Path Knowledge

revised on 2019-08-12

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 15th October 1961

After the insight knowledges and the Path Knowledge will arise. Do the practice and you will see it by yourself. Seeing the mind arises and vanishes is insight knowledge. ① is observing by ②, and you’ll find its arising and vanishing (Here ① is phenomenon arises and, ② is the observing mind). The task to be carefully done is vipassanā practice.

After the insight knowledges and the Path Knowledge will arise. Do you have to expect for it? It happens to you without delay; anantara paccayo — proximity condition. The insight knowledge ceases and the Path Knowledge arises. If you ask in practice what have to be relied on? Don’t think anything. If you have insight knowledge is enough.

If you get it and Path Knowledge arises by itself (Just continue to develop the insight knowledge). Getting the Path Knowledge is reaching to Nibbāna. The important thing to be hold on to is insight knowledge. The Path Knowledge will arise by itself if the insight knowledge becomes mature enough. During the practice don’t expect for it. Then taṇhā includes in it.

The insight knowledge does not come to an end if taṇhā comes in, and then it can’t see Nibbāna. Your duty is following the impermanence. Anicca and magga, anicca and magga, etc. … and follow like this. What is the benefit for it? Ignorance becomes thinning out and wrong view disappears. Taṇhā also dies. Ignorance, craving and wrong view are ceased.

Insight knowledge is driving away these things. It’s eroding craving. Don’t ask how many times for doing the vipassanā magga. It depends on your kilesa thickness that vipassanā practice has to make it becomes thinning out. A person with thick kilesa has to take longer for it. One has to wash away one’s kilesa thickness with knowledge (ñāṇa).

This is the answer you want. It becomes quicker if your kilesa volume is little. I have to remind you that don’t blame it on the perfection (pāramī). It takes longer because of my few pāramī. Don’t give that kind of reason for it.

The Buddha also taught that the insight knowledge ended and the Path Knowledge arose. I also taught it. Path knowledge still not arises is because of the kilesa volume not finish yet. Do not have doubt on what is happening. Kilesa not becomes thin out for the Path Knowledge to arise. Do not take it as, I have few pāramī and may be cannot get it in this life.

The pāramī is completed if you are discerning impermanence. It takes a bit longer if your kilesa volume is big. It will take quicker if it is small. You have to make decision in this way. Kilesa becomes thin and anicca becomes apparently clear. After that it abandons the process of the impermanence. You do not see it (i.e., impermanence).

At that time Path Knowledge arises in a flash. In practice, this is making a decision for you. You have to stay with impermanence if Path Knowledge is still not arising. The Path Knowledge can has the chance to arise when all defilements are cleaned up by the insight knowledges. And then you become a sotāpanna.

In Saṃyutta Nikāya, the Buddha only taught two knowledges as, after insight knowledge and Path Knowledge arose. Whatever mind arises, observe and discern it not there. You get the insight knowledge. With ñāṇa discerns impermanence once and it clears up defilement once.

It is doing the job of making kilesa becomes thin. I have to talk about anantarapaccayo — proximity condition. In human world, a human being dies. After that the birth consciousness instantly arises in the heavenly world or hell. Is there any gap between them? This is anantarapaccayo (proximity condition).

Insight knowledge ceases in a flash after kilesa becomes thin out. It substitutes with Nibbāna, and you do not see impermanence, instead you only see Nibbāna. It is our duty to get insight knowledge. I have to show the process of the practice before I am talking about Bhikkhu Sāti. You have to live one more life if you die with insight knowledge (i.e., you will become a stream winnner in next life).

The Buddha did not like it because birth is dukkha sacca. What you heard before was Nibbāna was very far away. You take it as will get it slowly. Do not believe in what people say. After insight knowledge is Path Knowledge. Believe in what the Buddha had taught. If you do it slowly by slowly and ñāṇa becomes blunt. Also kilesa will come in and take a long time.

It becomes on the right track if you know your fault because you have to clean up your kilesa. (He continued to talk about Bhikkhu Sāti’s story. See the Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhaya Sutta, Majjma Nikāya, MN.38 Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhayasuttaṃ). Tongue consciousness is just eating. Knowing the taste of sweet, sour, bitter, etc. is mind consciousness (mano-viññāṇaṁ).

Eating consciousness arises on the tongue. Knowing consciousness arises in the heart. They arise at their own places. Eating consciousness arises on the tongue and vanishes there. It is not changing the place. Even consciousness arises in the khandha and can’t change places. Consciousness or the mind changes from one life to another life is very mistaken idea or view. For example, you put sugar into your ear. Does the ear tell you it is sweet?

Therefore mind arises at its own place and vanishes at the same place. One example the Buddha gave for the insight knowledge was like this. Get up early, and look at the direction of the sun rises, and you’ll see the red sky. If you ask, why dawn arises? The answer is because the sun is nearly coming out. Here also, why you see impermanence? The answer is the Path Knowledge nearly arising.

You will see the light arising — āloko udapādi, if you see impermanence. (from Saḷāyatanavagga, Vedanā-saṃyuttaṃ, SN 36. 25, Ñāṇasuttaṃ). You had done wrongs before. Such actions are for the painful rebirths. It will be finished by correcting with insight knowledge. You don’t need to fear it. It has to take a longer time for insight knowledge to clean up kilesa.

If you don’t see it anymore and its function is finished. With the Path Knowledge arises and you see Nibbāna. You don’t see it as like the round objects of sun and moon. You know that dukkha is ceased. This is NIBBĀNA.

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revised on 2019-08-12; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4084&p=35760#p35760 (posted on 2019-01-14)

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• Content of Part 6 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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