Two Guardians of Hells

revised on 2019-09-12

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 23rd November 1961

Restlessness (uddhacca) means the mind is not staying with the impermanent object. It’s an intervening mind. For example, during the contemplation of the impermanent of feeling, it ceases and restlessness comes in a blip. Instead of staying with the object of contemplation, the mind was going out to the external object. Sense object of the mind comes in as a substitute in the place of impermanence.

This is only known by the yogi. If not and you don’t know it. You don’t know the mind state because it’s floating around in a delusive state. Someone contemplates of feeling and contemplate the restless mind as upekkhā (neither pleasant nor unpleasant or neutral feeling) or just as restless mind.

It’s very important because you can take it as so many disturbances which will let you give up the practice. Don’t take it as disturbances. Take it as ehi-passiko — it’s inviting the yogi to come and contemplate. Don’t forget this point. It comes as an object of contemplation.

During the sitting, you should have the mind state that I’ll contemplate whatever comes to me. Everything is good for contemplation. Restlessness is delusion (moha). It comes to tell you that, it will start the D. A. process in the beginning.

It’s ignorance which conditions to volitional formation and turns towards worldly matter. Without the satipaṭṭhāna there are no other dhamma arriving to Nibbāna. Satipaṭṭhāna is sati and sampajāna — mindfulness and clear comprehension.

Sati and paññā are going together. This becomes path factors (maggaṅga). It becomes knowledge by the contemplation of ignorance. Delusion (moha) dies then doubt (Vicikicchā) also dies. Wrong view also dies with doubt dying. Even we can contemplate on Nibbāna. Everything can be contemplated.

What is the benefit of contemplating restlessness? It can cut off the beginning of saṁsāra. (Because restlessness connects with moha or delusion) Avijjā→saṅkhāra.

Let us continue on doubt. It’s the mind of delusion. As a feeling, it’s upekkhā vedanā (neither pleasant nor unpleasant; or neutral). One doesn’t know his and others’ benefits if it comes in.

Doubt is difficult to cure. It exists and then wrong view does not fall away. Therefore the path knowledge of the stream-entry (sotāpatti magga) has to exterminate it. If, it’s existing and wrong view will not fall away. Doubt also exists if wrong view exists.

Therefore the Path Knowledge of the stream-entry has to exterminate both of them. They are more fearful than greed (lobha). There is also greed not falls into the planes of misery. These dhamma are (i.e., diṭṭhi and Vicikicchā) sending beings to the planes of misery.

These are dhamma of delusion and leading the D. A. process from the beginning. (avijjā→saṅkhāra) These are two leaders of dhamma send beings to the lower saṁsāra of existence. These are the seeds of hells and the seeds of painful rebirths.

Some Buddhists have doubts on their religion and change to other religion because they have wrong views. The wrong view arises with doubt. They are born together and associate together. I am teaching you daily on D. A. which is killing wrong view and doubt for you.

Without D. A. and the practice is becoming useless insight practice. It can’t realize the Dhamma because it is practising with wrong view and doubt. Take the example of Ven. Anurādha. He had doubt and couldn’t answer the question of the outsiders. He stayed near the Buddha and practiced and still not realized Nibbāna. It was sure as a hindrance for him (Sayadaw told the story).

You will see impermanence (anicca) if you contemplate. But you will have doubt and can’t get it if you don’t clear it up at the base, for example, as like Ven. Channa. "Where did I come from?" and "Where will I go?", all these are wrong view and doubt. The “I” does not exist. Without the existence of “I”, where does the “I” come from and where will it go?!

Living being does only exist in speech and doesn’t have any form at all. Only the five khandhas exist. Without stripping away wrong view and doubt with the intellectual knowledge (ñāta pariññā) and contemplation you can’t get it.

Only with the help of the teacher and you can clear it away. Every day you are listening on the D. A. process that wrong view and doubt are not a resistance to you. Without the resistance the disease is easy to cure.

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revised on 2019-09-12; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4091&p=35842#p35842 (posted on 2019-01-18)

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• Content of Part 7 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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