Conditioned and Unconditioned

revised on 2019-12-02

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 22nd February 1962

There are two ultimate realities: conditioned and unconditioned dhammas. The impermanence of mind and body process, and the cessation of mind and body process; it is Nibbāna. It's at the entrance of Nibbāna if you can find out the conditioned ultimate real phenomena (saṅkhata paramattha dhamma).

At the ending of saṅkhata paramattha dhamma is the real existence of Nibbāna which is no conditions at all. You get the knowledge of things as really are (yathābhūta ñāṇa) if you discover the saṅkhata paramattha dhamma. First, strip away the concepts will discover the saṅkhata paramattha dhamma.

Combine the impermanence of the conditioned objects (i.e., the five khandhas) with the knowledges are called the processes of the knowledge. It can’t arrange by oneself. These arrangements are by the objects (i.e., natural processes). We are following with knowledge in accordance with its functions.

The province of saṅkhata paramattha dhamma ending is not because it wants to be ended. Its province of the boundary coming to the end or expire. The knowledges discover asaṅkhata paramattha dhamma are the Path, the Fruition and the Reviewing Knowledges respectively.

It’s not so difficult and not much about it. First, strip off the worldly concepts and combine the saṅkhata paramattha dhamma with knowledge. And then following to its ending and will discover the asaṅkhata paramattha dhamma. Therefore you see the ultimate realities in twice.

If seeing the asaṅkhata paramattha dhamma, wrong views and doubt all fall away and greed leading to the planes of misery are gone. And will never be born into the six bad places (4 planes of misery, born into a family with wrong views and a place the Buddha’s Teachings never reach). As soon as seeing the asaṅkhata dhamma and become a stream enterer.

It’s important how to look at these khandhas. (Told the story of Ven. Ānanda became a sotāpanna by Ven. Puṇṇa’s teaching, SN.22.83 Ānandasuttaṃ, S.iii.105f). With clinging and craving, conceit and wrong views arise. Without clinging and craving, conceit and wrong views are falling away.

The reason is they arise by clinging to one’s own and others’ khandhas. Smile and grimace come from clinging. Three of the craving, conceit and wrong views are arising in turn. Like the simile of a mirror, looking at the khandha mirror me and him shadows are coming out from it.

Ven. Puṇṇa asked them; “Form is permanent or impermanent?” If it’s impermanent taṇhā, māna and diṭṭhi not arise. Looking at with the ordinary worldling’s eye and taṇhā, māna and diṭṭhi arise. Looking with the eye of the disciple of a noble one it doesn’t arise. In Ven. Puṇṇa’s simile; khandha was like the mirror. Someone himself and others were like the shadows in the mirror. At first, you should have the intellectual knowledge and then do the practice. You have no progress without them.

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revised on 2019-12-02; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4091&p=35860#p35860 (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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