The Doctrine of the Buddha

revised on 2019-09-12

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 16th December 1961

You have to note that listening to the dhamma talks knows what should have, and what should not have in the khandha. What dhamma should have is right view and should not have is wrong view. These two are very important. It’s important to develop a lot of dhamma which should be had and abandon which should not be had.

This body comes under ageing, sickness and death is the cause of the dhamma which should not be had. If you have the dhamma which should be had and ageing, sickness and death will stop. Don’t know these things and in the saṁsāra we were living with ageing, sickness and death as our companions. In the khandha only saṅkhāra and anicca exist (Conditioned phenomena are impermanent or suffering).

Sabbe dhamma anatta — All dhammas (phenomena, including Nibbāna) are not-self. In the khandha only these things exist. In short only exist as the arising and passing away of phenomena. Arising and vanishing, arising and vanishing etc., with only these things exist. People have wrong views and take impermanence and making them as this is me, this is him, this is man and this is woman.

These things arise because of the dhamma shouldn’t be had is existing. Wrong view is wrong knowing. Even without the Buddha taught about it, only anicca, dukkha and anatta exist. If he taught them also these things exist. Even without listening talks and the dhamma which should not have always exists.

Following behind with wrong views which we have is clinging to wrong view (diṭṭhupādāna). Later, follow with the action (kamma) of governing by wrong view. Kamma paccaya jāti — and then following with dukkha sacca (birth). The power of not listening talks is very bad indeed. By the way I have to remind you. Only by listening on aggregates (khandha), sense bases (āyatana), element (dhātu), truth (sacca) and wrong view will fall away.

With dāna, sīla, and samatha practices and wrong views will not fall away. For example, I do it and I get it (i.e., on dāna). The identity view (sakkāya diṭṭhi) of dhamma which should not be had comes in. Only by listening emptiness dhamma (suññatā) connection with khandha, āyatana is on the right path. Empty of person or being, it’s emptiness (suññatā).

Is it still has any person or being if talking on feeling? Therefore talking on khandha is emptiness. Talking on āyatana, dhātu, sacca and D. A. is emptiness. Only by listening to these kinds of talk that diṭṭhi will fall away. As an example, for my good fortune, I must make merits. It’s not suññatā dhamma and diṭṭhi does not fall away. By undertaking sīla, I’ll have a long life; this only diṭṭhi will arise.

If not listening on khandha, āyatana, D. A. and wrong view never fall away. And never free from the four planes of misery. So, suññatā dhamma is very important. By listening to the emptying of me and mine dhamma will arrive to suññatā. Living beings are descending from blissful to painful existences if not listening to the suññatā dhamma. In the Aṅguttara Nikāya, the Buddha said that without listening to the suññatā dhamma wrong view arose. With the suttanta method (discourses) using the person and being in the teachings are all right but not leading to emptiness. It needs to add something to them.

So, at last the Buddha ended it up with truth (sacca). This was for leading to suññatā. With wrong view never leads to Nibbāna, and can’t realize Path and Fruition Knowledges. (Here Sayadaw mentioned as in the past monks were giving talks from the sutta discourses and at the end finished their talks with reciting the Abhidhamma.

These were demolishing diṭṭhi. He continued to explain the Buddha’s way of gradual teachings). Is there any person or being including in the dukkha sacca, samudaya sacca, nirodha sacca and magga sacca? At the time when the mind was absent from kilesa and taught about suññatā dhamma and became sotāpanna, …, arahant respectively.

The Buddha taught suññatā dhamma at the end was his way of teaching. (These last points are good for contemplation. Because during the talk when the mind was absent from kilesa meant overcame the hindrances. And then the Buddha continued to talk about suññatā dhamma. At the same time the listeners contemplated their khandhas. In this way we can also help the dying person.)

(Sayadaw continued to talk about the monks from Devadaha wanted to go to the western province; from SN.22.2 Devadahasuttaṃ, the Khandha-vagga Saṁyutta). Ven. Sāriputta said to the monks; “The people in these places will ask you these two questions. What is the Buddha’s Doctorine? And what the Buddha teaches very often?” For a Buddhist it’s important to know what the Buddha’s Doctorine is.

It even happens to make the accusation to the Buddha if you don’t know and answering in uncertainty (e.g., some Buddhists talk about that the enlightened Bodhisattas, arahants still have kilesa, etc. … misinterpretting his teachings in these ways).

The Buddha’s Doctrine is removal of desire and lust (chanda-raga). He always taught the removal of greed (lobha) without regarding to any person. Look at the D. A. process chart. He taught for not followed by taṇhā, upādāna and kamma; the Doctrine of not connection from section② to section③ (i.e., from viññāṇaṁ …. . vedanā to taṇhā …. kamma).

Therefore every day I teach you to observe for not connect sec. ② and sec. ③. You do not follow the Buddha’s Doctrine if you are connecting them. You have to decide for yourself. Contemplate with insight (vipassanā) to sec. ② and do not connet with sec. ③.

In regard to: what is the removal of desire and lust: for the removal of the desire on the five khandhas, what will happen if not remove it? When the khandha is perished and follow by sorrow, lamentation, etc. to someone attaches to the five khandha. It’ll turn towards avijjā paccaya saṅkhāra — ignorance conditions volitional formation. Or D. A. process appears again from the end to the beginning (i.e., from sec. ④ to go back sec. ① again).

In the present sorrow, lamentation, etc., arise and it continues to birth again in the future. In this present life you have to cry and after death will fall into the plane of misery. You will encounter these things if you attach to your and other khandhas. It becomes affection (desire/lust) to him/her if you are seeing someone.

Is this the Doctrine of the Buddha? This is the doctrine of going to the apāya — planes of misery. Tell me the benefit of non-desire. Contemplate the impermanence of the affectionate dhamma and become non-desire of them. Then not continue from sec. ② to sec. ③. And also is not arriving to sec. ④ and instead to Nibbāna. At the end of sec. ② is Nibbāna (i.e., the ending of the khandha).

The ending of the khandha is Nibbāna. The ending of craving (taṇhā) is Nibbāna. It’s the ending of crying, birth, ageing and death. The Buddha taught to the future generations to know the faults of desire/lust (craving, greed, attachment) and the benefits of non-desire.

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revised on 2019-09-12; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4091&p=35857#p35857 (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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