The Extension of Saṁsāra

revised on 2019-10-02

Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 15th May 1962

[Taṇhā, māna and diṭṭhi are the dhammas which extend the saṁsāra (round of existence). The Noble Eightfold Path is the dhamma cutting off saṁsāra. The Q&A between, Ven. Mahākoṭṭhita and Ven. Sāriputta were about these dhammas. Mahākoṭṭhita asked questions and Sāriputta answered them.

Sayadaw said, these were concerning about the nāma / rūpa process. He used cittānupassanā to explain them. After the mind ceases and Nibbāna appears; therefore, it is Nibbāna after six āyatanas cease. Mahākoṭṭhita was asking as something happened means as a being or papañca (i.e., taṇhā, māna and diṭṭhi). After papañca ceased ni-papañca arises (without papañca is Nibbāna).

Sayadaw gave a very simple vipassanā instruction. Whatever mind arises observe its anicca. Observe ① with ②; ① is the arising dhamma and ② is the observing mind. And you will see impermanence. Two minds can’t arise together. Of the six āyatanas, mind base (manāyatana) is where papañca dhammas arise.]

In the khandha there are two kinds of dhamma. Dhammas extend dukkha and not extend dukkha. A person knows this khandha as dukkha will not extend dukkha. Dukkha with dukkha connecting and continuing is papañca dhamma. Death connects with birth, both of them are dukkha (cuti → jāti). Dhamma not extend dukkha are ni-papanea dhamma (without papañca).

If you want to end dukkha have to practice and stop papañca dhamma to arise. All of you have a lot of extension of dhamma. To abandon them you need the help of a teacher. And you must also practice hard. The extensions of dhamma are taṇhā, māna and diṭṭhi.

The non-extensions of dhamma are the path factors. Both of them arise from the heart. Dhamma abandoning them only exist in the Buddha Teachings. The extension of dhamma exists all the time. (All other systems and knowledges exist outside the teachings). What extend them and have to be abandoned? This question arises. (Sayadaw told the Q&A between Ven. Mahākoṭṭhita and Ven. Sāriputta)

If the āyatanas are ceased; are there still other kilesas arise? The answer will be not in this way. Cakkhāyatana (eye-base) to kayāyatana (bodily-base) are the five form bases (eye, ear, nose, tongue and body). Manāyatana (mind-base) is only one. Adding them become 6-sense-bases.

After they are ceased, does other kilesa still arise? Or is there anything existing? Don’t ask in this way. At the place of cessation Nibbāna must appear. With these six āyatanas dhamma can arrive to Nibbāna. Ven. Sāriputta talked about the contemplation of impermanence of the six āyatanas. It included both body contemplation and mind.

So, all the minds cease nothing arise and only Nibbāna appears. This is neither a person nor a being. So, you didn’t need to ask; isn’t something arising? There is no papañca and it’s the same asking as; is there any papañca? If papañca ceases and Nibbāna appears. Don’t have any doubt about it. Someone still not ending yet has to follow to the end.

All the four Qs were asking with wrong views. Both arahants were making the decision for us. It’s Nibbāna if papañca ceases whereas khandha will arise if not ceases. Wanting to end dukkha, you have to kill the cause of papañca. It’s the mind or the mind-base. (Sayadaw continued to teach cittānupassanā).

Mind is viññāṇakkhandha. Contemplate ① with ②. Every time ① arises and contemplate with ②. You know it as not there. ① arises and follow with ②, and papañca will cease. For example, the mind of wanting to eat something arises and you contemplate after and it’s there or not?

Two minds can’t arise in parallel. After the preceding mind ceases and the following mind can arise. The arising mind is ①. And the not existing of the mind is ②. Follows ① with ② is enough. (Only the arising mind disappears and the observing mind can take its place. So, the observing mind see it as not there. This is seeing emptiness.)

Contemplate the preceding mind with the following knowledge mind (i.e., the path factor mind or contemplative mind). The preceding mind arises and follows with the following mind. Then papañca disappears without arising. Give an example, in the snake area you keep a mongoose and snakes disappear without coming.

Therefore, it abandons papañca is clear. (Sayadaw continued to explain the insight process of seeing impermanence, its disenchantment and its ending). Don’t be afraid of birth (jāti), but to the papañca dhamma. Because birth is the result and papañca is the cause of it. Dukkha disappears and sukha arises. Light appears and darkness disappears.

revised on 2019-10-02; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4192&p=35943#p35943 (posted on 2019-02-14)

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