The Process of Existing and Not-Existing

revised on 2019-12-02

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 16th August 1961

Why aren't we starting from nāmarūpapariggaha ñāṇa and paccaya-pariggaha ñāṇa (knowledges of discernment of mind/matter and discernment of conditions)? Because you had already known about them. You can differentiate or analyze mind/body and relate to cause and effect.

Therefore, today we start from the insight knowledges. (continued to talk about cittānupassanā) The five path factors – maggaṅga are neither black nor white kammas (unwholesome and wholesome). Mind arises and vanishes at the same place.

It becomes the five path factors if you’re discerning the arising and vanishing. I’ll explain the meaning of discernment. Seeing (discerning) is knowing it as not-existing (in the same moment). By contemplating the mind, you're knowing that the mind is not-existing anymore. Not-existing is anicca / knowing is magga.

I am not teaching for good to hear about them, but teaching you how to practice. In the whole saṁsāra you had not found these things before. Now, you are free as a blind and crazy worldling. Why? Because, now you know which is not-existing as not-existing and know which is existing as existing. (not becoming deluded).

Before it’s existing and with the contemplating is not-existing. So you know it as existing and not-existing. You know its impermanence. How did you live your life before also become clear? You were living like a blind and crazy person.

You must ask "How does knowledge (ñāṇa) develop with the continued contemplation?". At first, you’re alive with the seeing mind; after that it dies (passes away). After that you’re passing away (die). Alive with the wanting mind and passing away with the wanting mind. So you’ll see your own death.

For example, you see your own corpse and someone’s corpse. Which one is more disenchanting for you? It’s developing into the knowledge of disenchantment. Before that it develops from the knowledge of rise and fall (udayabbaya ñāṇa) and knowledge of dissolution (bhaṅga ñāṇa).

If you see your own death, it develops into nibbidā ñāṇa (knowledge of disenchantment). Mind and body are can’t separate and arising together. How knowledge arises in the disenchanted person? I only get these deaths wherever I’ll be.

It’s maraṇaṁpi dukkha saccaṁ – death is dukkha sacca. So he knows it as dukkha sacca. It’s clear for him as all are dukkha sacca. By thoroughly knowing dukkha the contemplative mind which seeing from dukkha existing to dukkha not-existing.

This is knowledge changing, changing to amoha – non-delusion. At first, it only turns towards dukkha existing; then turning towards dukkha not-existing. Dukkha not-existing is Nibbāna. The contemplative mind becomes the Path Knowledge.

After that, Fruition and Reviewing Knowledges arise. The important point is to contemplate. Knowledge will turn towards Nibbāna by itself. And then become a sotāpanna.

With the really disenchanting; it becomes really not wanting it and the mind really turns towards Nibbāna. All three types of kammas are cut off (i.e., black, white, and mixed kammas). Therefore, firstly to see impermanence is our matter. Secondly disenchantment, and thirdly contemplate to know dukkha sacca thoroughly are our matter.

After that knowledge will turn towards no impermanence by itself. All these came from Milinda Pañha. Without the dawn period, the sun’ll not arise. Without the dawn period of knowledges of impermanence and disenchantment, and the sun of the Path Knowledge will not arise.

Without including these two knowledges (impermanence and its disenchantment) and the Path Knowledge will not arise. Today I explain with cittānupassanā and tomorrow with vedanānupassanā.

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revised on 2019-12-02; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4362&p=36283#p36283 (posted on 2019-04-12)

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• Content of Part 11 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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