Becoming and Not Becoming

revised on 2019-12-02

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; no date noted

Becoming again is dukkha. It’s dukkha sacca. Not becoming again is sukha – happiness. It’s nirodha sacca (Sayadaw mentioned many kinds of dukkha. because of the body). Not becoming again is Nibbāna. It’s all kinds of dukkha not arising. You have to practice with the mentality of not becoming again.

This is practice for the dying of bhava taṇhā – craving for becoming. So you have to practice it very quickly. You’ll be suffered if becoming again. It needs to be watched and observed your khandha (Sayadaw was using Ven. Sāriputta’s gāthā on the practice as an instruction.)

You have to reflect and contemplate this khandha again and again with knowledge. For example, you watch and observe when vedanā arises and will see its arising and passing away again and again. It was including with the becoming again and again. All these are dukkha.

You will discern more if the knowledge becomes sharper. You will see the becoming again and again. Don’t be let it out of sight. I am teaching you the way of to know the becoming again. I want you to know the becoming dukkha. At first, it’s dukkha. After a while the knowledge becomes sharper and penetrates it as real dukkha.

In reality it’s the truth (sacca). Seeing dukkha and real dukkha are quite difference. If you ask me; “When’ll the Path Knowledge arise?” The answer is seeing only dukkha and not arising yet. But seeing the real dukkha and it’ll be arisen. The day when the truth arises will enter the stream.

You will know the real dukkha by observing the becoming dukkha again and again. It becomes vijjā udapādi – knowledge arises with the right knowing. Knowledge arises in the heart base (i.e., the hadaya vatthu). During the time of knowing the becoming dukkha again and again, our dying and suffering are never ending.

We are dying with the ageing and death dukkha carrying with them. Then we know kicca ñāṇa – the knowledge of its functioning (i.e., the oppressive nature). We are burning with the fire of ageing and death carrying with them. With the function of burning and it disappears.

You will suffer again in this way if you are becoming again. And then kicca ñāṇa is becoming clear. Knowing its vanishing is sacca ñāṇa. By seeing kicca ñāṇa very well and latent disposition ceases (i.e., anusaya).

It means contemplation very well with kicca ñāṇa and will enter the stream. This is kata ñāṇa – knowledge of seeing the ending of dukkha and arising by itself. You'll know it after the practice.. Knowing the arising dukkha and the vanishing dukkha are sacca ñāṇa. Knowing the vanishing by oppressing is kicca ñāṇa. With the knowledge becoming sharper and sharper, you don’t want it anymore.

If you are fear and disgusting of becoming again and it ceases. If you contemplate the vedanā and the vedanā ceases, if the mind and the mind ceases. Knowing dukkha not exists is kata ñāṇa. Dukkha not becoming again is Nibbāna. You can’t attain the Path Knowledge in this life if you don’t discern becoming again.

You do not need to worry about it if you are discerning it. If you don’t see it, then it resists as a bodily concept and does not discern dukkha. This is a padaparama person or double rooted person (duhetuka). He only develops pāramī in this life if he is doing the practice (but he will have the potentiality for the realization in next life).

Anyone has the potentiality of attainment if he discerns becoming again. He is including among the people of ending dukkha. Now you know how much important of discerning impermanence. Udayabbaya ñāṇa, bhaṅga ñāṇa all are discerning of becoming again (i.e., knowledge of rise and fall, knowledge of dissolution.

Except the Path Knowledge, all insight knowledges are discerning the becoming again). The reason of not becoming again is the ending of saṅkhāra dukkha. It is the unconditioned Nibbāna. The happiness (sukha) of not becoming arises, which is Nibbāna. At the ending of becoming again is the existence of Nibbāna.

Not arising of becoming again is Nibbāna. Dukkhassa antaṁ karissati – at the ending of dukkha is seeing Nibbāna. Every time seeing the impermanence, diṭṭhi and taṇhā which lead to woeful planes are still hidden underneath. Therefore the knowledge of seeing the becoming again is still like a hidden disease and not a cured one.

It’ll pull you down to the woeful plane if you do not continue to do the practice. So kilesas are hiding there and waiting for the chances. People are not doing vipassanā and kilesa diseases are always in stimulated states. Therefore you have to practice until seeing the becoming not rises again.

Only then the hidden disease disappears and the waiting kilesas are gone. Becoming again is dukkha and not becoming again is sukha. In the saṁsāra it’s only in this way. With the contemplation it’s also in this way.

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revised on 2019-12-02; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4362&p=36294#p36294 (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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