Human Characters
revised on 2019-12-02
Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; no date noted
Satipaṭṭhāna is making the five khandhas into four groups. The reason behind is for many life times people have lobha – greedy characters contemplate feelings – vedanānupassanā. If have wrong view – diṭṭhi characters contemplate minds – cittānupassanā. With weak intelligence contemplate forms – kāyānupassanā. With sharp intelligence contemplate dhammas – dhammānupassanā.
Forms have the body and easy to discern (or coarser phenomena). People have different characters that have four types of contemplation. With the wrong arrangement of the process in practice and can give the wrong meditation. (It’s not wrong with the system but with the character)
For example, only after killing diṭṭhi and comes for lobha. And after dispelling diṭṭhi with the teaching and should do vipassanā. If not it is only wasting time and will end up with tiredness. It’s like a monkey gets a coconut fruit. Someone prefers sour taste is a dosa person. Prefers sweet taste is lobha person. Prefers bitter taste is a moha person.
Whatever they prefer and eat accordingly to their characters. Dosa person is closer to ñāṇa. So give him dhammānupassanā. He is a blunt person. Someone has a lot of thinking and planning; it is thought (vitakka) character and the teacher gives him the ānāpānasati.
You have to contemplate whatever preference according to your character. Faith – saddhā character was excessive faith and no wisdom. And paññā character penetrates things. There are six types of character. Vedanā nirodha taṇhā nirodho – with the cessation of feeling and craving also ceases.
Therefore give vedanā to a lobha character. It is easy to success with the meditation on truth if someone has sharp knowledge. In the end the arising dhamma has the nature of cessation. So if you discern impermanence is all right. At last all of them converge at impermanence.
It’ll spend a lot of time if the practice is not a suitable one given by teacher or taken by oneself. This is not easy to become a meditation teacher. The lobha person is walking slowly. His sleeping place is always clean and tidy. A dosa person’s place is in a mess. He wants to be quick and pressing his front feet in walking.
Therefore there are deep impressions if you check his sandals at the toes’ places. A moha person doesn’t have the straight foot steps. (For the importance of a teacher, Sayadaw gave the example of Ven. Sāriputta and Ven. Anurādha).
A person having wisdom becomes conceited then let him contemplate the impermanence of māna (conceit). A person with sharp wisdom and conceit, give him dhammānupassanā. The first thing is taking the meditation method according to one’s character.
After that, he must dispel wrong view, and then contemplate the impermanence. I am not just giving for a talk but for the way of practice. There are three stages to strip off diṭṭhi: knowing, developing and abandoning (theory, practice and result). (continued on the Anurādha’s story).
Form or matter (rūpa) is changing and perishing. Changing means disbanding one’s nature. Perishing is also the same. Disbanding one’s nature is anicca. Form disbands form’s nature and vedanā disbands vedanā’s nature. Other khandhas also know in this way (i.e., perception, kammic formation and consciousness). This is form, this is vedanā, etc.; these are stripping off diṭṭhi with knowing.
Knowing the disbanding of one’s nature with contemplation is vipassanā. Knowing by falling away diṭṭhi is with perception (saññā). It’s learning from a teacher. It’s not with wisdom yet. Paññā also has two kinds; lokiya and lokuttara paññā – mundane and supramundane wisdom.
Let’s do the practice. First, must strip off wrong view with mundane wisdom. For example, form is disbanding its own nature. Does it still have form there? Know the other khandhas also in the same way. If you can discern the disbanding of its own nature is mundane wisdom. It is not tīraṇa pariññā yet if you are still seeing form as form (understanding with developing).
Only seeing the anicca lakkhaṇa – the characteristic of impermanence, D.A. process will be cut off. We’re talking as cittānupassanā – contemplation of mind. It’s necessary that we have to use it. It’s not only contemplating as mind. But also have to discern the impermanent characteristic of the mind.
If you’re still seeing it as mind is a nutty person. For example, a mosquito bites you. From the not itching vedanā and it becomes itching vedanā. This is changing and disbanding its nature. You will realize Dhamma in the evening if you’re discerning in this way, practicing in the morning.
This was taught by the Buddha. You are not right yet if you’re still not discerning anicca lakkhaṇa. Dhamma is inviting you, ehi passiko (inviting one to come and see) – calling you to observe the nature of its cessation. Or the cessation of the dhamma is calling at the magga dhamma.
When the maggan arrives here; does it still exist? The not existing lakkhaṇa is anicca lakkhaṇa. Not really existing dhamma is only a concept. Knowing from the existing to not existing dhamma is lakkhaṇa. The inviting dhamma and the contemplative mind have to be in accordance with each other.
The object of contemplation is inviting you and also not existing after that, because rise and fall are very fast. At the time of the contemplative mind observing it and seeing the not existing of it. You must see the lakkhaṇa.
In our speech is talking about the contemplation of impermanence. If talking rightly, you have to contemplate the anicca lakkhaṇa. Seeing only the not existing is its lakkhaṇa. For you to note; seeing from its existing to its not existing is anicca lakkhaṇa.
Follow ehi passiko with sandiṭṭhiko is seeing the lakkhaṇa (i.e., inviting dhamma and seeing dhamma). Still seeing vedanā is nāmapariccheda ñāṇa – knowledge of discerning the mind (here vedanā). The mind is inviting you and also disappearing. If you can follow with every calling and seeing its lakkhaṇa (i.e., seeing its not existing).
You must know the calling and also have to contemplate it, and then will know its lakkhaṇa. It is wrong if you are still seeing its entity. And seeing lakkhaṇa is right. During the time of inviting you it’s there. When you contemplate of it and it’s not there. Whatever dhamma you’re contemplating and it must be this way.
The arising dhamma inviting you and its vanishing shows the lakkhaṇa. Hutava abhavuttena aniccaṁ – At the time of contemplation with the inviting and seeing its not existing is impermanent. If your contemplation is right and D.A. process will be cut off. If not right and it’ll not be cut off. Not existing is anicca and ñāṇa is lakkhaṇa.
The object is anicca and ñāṇa is lakkhaṇa. The ways of stripping off diṭṭhi are not the same. The time you discern form, vedanā, etc. are with perception. With discerning impermanence is paññā. Diṭṭhi falling away with perception still has the body concept. With paññā is without the body.
The differences are here. There is no existence of stability, me and mine. Mundane wisdom is good. We have to develop this wisdom. You have to catch up with its lakkhaṇa while dhamma arising every time. With a lot of contemplation, development is even not seeing its perishing lakkhaṇa. Not seeing means ñāṇa is becoming mature.
By killing diṭṭhi and it become thinner. It’s staying there as anusaya – latent disposition. With anusaya vanishes and not seeing anicca (or the khandha). Instead you are seeing the nicca lakkhaṇa – permanent characteristic. It’s Nibbāna. If you’re discerning anicca lakkhaṇa, it’s vipassanā ñāṇa. Without it (i.e., anicca or the khandha), and then it changes from the conditioned to the unconditioned (from saṅkhata to asaṅkhata).
revised on 2019-12-02; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4362&p=36297#p36297 (posted on 2019-04-12)
- Content of Part 11 on "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"
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