The Importance of Knowing the Truth

revised on 2020-06-15

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 8th July 1962

The chart of D. A. process is not for worship (Sayadaw’s well known the circular chart of D. A. process). Dukkha and Samudaya (suffering and the cause) are not for a worship. But take this process as saṁvega (sense of urgency). You should have to make companions with saddhā and paññā. Instead you make friends with taṇhā.

So you can’t realize Nibbāna. The knowledge of not wanting will arise only by seeing one’s own death. Seeing one’s own death is insight practice. The Buddha taught of human existence was difficult to get. But you all are wasting the difficulty to come by with the jobs of taṇhā. Saṁsāra is long means that the dangers of old age, sickness, and death will never end.

The place is where samudaya ceases and the moment of abandonment of the human fetters (saṁyojana) is Nibbāna. Vipassanā is not choosing a place for practice. Only in samatha practice needs to choose forest and mountain places. Vipassanā has to observe the rise (udaya) and fall (vaya) of phenomena. Udaya is arising and vaya does not exist.

The system (method) is already there. Asking for a method is seemed difficult to be. (It was his first and last time in Rangoon (Yan-gon). It seemed people requested from him the way of insight practice). Observing your own mind is cittānupassanā. Even during the writing and eating, people can realize Nibbāna.

Every time mind arises and observe it as it exists or not exists. Not existing is what the Buddha taught as anicca. Knowing is the path factors (magga). Do you get it by prayers? (some Buddhists are making prayers and vows for the outside powers.) or Do you get it by knowing it as not exist?

You will know your own death if you observe. You are always in dying. The arising is your birth. The passing away is your death. Therefore it is important of knowing your own birth and death. Arising and passing away is dukkha sacca (truth of dukkha). Knowing it is magga sacca (truth of the path).

The knowledge of the Buddha, seeing the impermanence of form (rūpa) was 5000 billion times a moment and for the mind was 100,000 billion times. This discernment was after he became a Buddha. This was not before he became a Buddha. You also see it nearly as the Buddha if you become an arahant.

These were from the text record. You have to take the khandha process. The text could have mistakes (i.e., commentary). Don’t observe all the khandha. If you observe one of them all are included. For example, you observe feeling or mind. One khandha arises and all the khandhas are with it. (Sayadaw referred it to Saṃyutta Nikāya).

Don’t say that after finish my jobs and will do the practice. It will make oneself to become misfortune. You will die at anytime if next mind does not arise. You can’t say kamma will give you the chance all the times. Impermanence is arising dukkha and vanishing dukkha.

So it’s dukkha sacca. Do you have to search for it or by knowing with observing one’s mind? Knowing is magga sacca, the abandonment of taṇhā is samudaya sacca; next khandha not arising is nirodha sacca. These are leading to the truths. Penetrate the four truths and at the same time is realizing Nibbāna. Fire dispels darkness, gives light, showing the things and drying up the oil. In the same way with the contemplation of impermanence and the four truths arise. By developing the path factors (maggan) and the four truths arise.

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revised on 2020-06-15; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4192&p=35961#p35961 (posted on 2019-02-16)

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• Content of Part 8 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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