True Dhamma and Counterfeit Dhamma

revised on 2021-03-16

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; no date noted

[This was a dhamma talk to U Mar Din, an old business man from the delta area in lower Burma. He left his business to his children to overrun it; and resorted to Sayadaw for practice. During his practice with Sayadaw, his children were very often contacting with him for the business problems.

And later Sayadaw knew about it and at one time said to him; “If all of your rice and oil mills were burnt down with fire would be better for you”. He said to people near him with tears in the eyes; “Sayadaw is concerning for my practice, but I can’t put the matters away from me.”]

By knowing the dangers of the practice and will be successful. If you don’t know it in mundane or supramundane matters and will not succeed. During the practice you will encounter the danger. In the Kassapasaṁyutta with less monastic rules and there were more arahants. And with more monastic rules and became fewer arahants.

Why is that? With the true Dhamma existed and more attainments. With the counterfeit dhamma existed and the sāsana degenerated. (The Buddha gave the example of the real gold and the fake gold). There are two types of counterfeit dhamma: The counterfeit teaching and practice (pariyatti and patipatti).

(The corrupted teaching were the views and ideas of others which had controversies with the Buddha’s teachings in the Suttanta Piṭaka).

You’re in old age and I’ll not talk about on teachings. If you prefer on vedanā, contemplate vedanā; if prefer on mind, then contemplate the mind and their impermanence. It’ll arrive to the knowledge of rise and fall – udayabbaya ñāṇa. If you contemplate vedanā; not seeing sukha, dukkha and upekkhā vedanās, and instead seeing impermanence, it arises in the heart.

If you’re arriving to this knowledge and one of the ten insight corruptions will arise. These are not the true Path Knowledge but they arise and destroy the practice. The whole body is spreading out with light (obhasa). The yogi is taking it as attaining the magga because of the light coming out.

It’s not the Path Knowledge but the yogi takes it as true magga and stops the practice. It’s lost for one life. It’s not the true magga and only stop at vipassanā magga (insight knowledge). These insight corruptions have to be arisen. Only with the correction of a teacher and can develop to the higher level. And don’t stop there if they arise.

Light is matter (rūpa) dhamma and contemplate it as impermanence. After it ceases and go back to the primary object (i.e., vedanā, mind, etc.). And then the meditation develops to the knowledge of disenchantment (nibbidā ñāṇa), and after that arriving to the Path Knowledge.

Strong joy (pīti) can arise to some yogis. Do not see the impermanence if staying with one’s joy. Therefore, after contemplate the impermanence of joy and returning to the primary object.

Tranquility (passaddhi) also can arise and the mind / body become tranquil. Knowledge (ñāṇa) becomes sharp and taking it as the Path Knowledge and stop the practice. All these come only once and not arising again. Contemplate all of them as impermanence and return to the primary object. There are more corruptions in the teachings to obstruct it.

(Sayadaw not mentioned of them. It seemed to be referred to new doctrines, views and ideas crept into the Buddha’s teachings.)

The Buddha with his knowledge of knowing the future (anagataṁ ñāṇa) and said that these things would be more in the later periods of the teaching (sāsana). First paṭisambhidā ñāṇa (the four forms of acumen), after that the six supernormal powers (chalabhiññā), triple knowledge (tevijja); stream enterer or no ariyan and will only has contentment with sīla.

(Even with the last one, it is not so bad. If we look into the today world, even this sīla is quite rare in human beings).

If cover up with sukha, dukkha and upekkhā vedanā and impermanence become hidden. The Buddha in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta taught that, samudaya dhammanupassiva – vayadhammanupassiva – seeing the arising and the vanishing dhamma. Therefore, it’s important to discern impermanence.

To overcome vedanā and seeing impermanence become right dhamma. Then why did the Buddha teach as vedanānupassanā? Where are you going to observe if not giving a name?! The practice only in accordance with the sabbe saṅkhāra anicca (all conditioned phenomena are impermanent) is right. Only you say who dies and find out the asubha (the corpse).

For example, Maung Hla dies. You go and see it. Do you find Maung Hla or the asubha? In the contemplation of vedanā; “ Do I want you to see vedanā or see the impermanence?” I am talking that way not because I myself have the sharp knowledge. The Buddha asked to contemplate for seeing the samudaya/vaya. (i.e., arising and passing away) if you still discern vedanā, then still in the stage of nāma dhamma.

It’s nāmaparicheda ñāṇa – the knowledge of discerning of the mind. This is the lower level knowledge. Only seeing the impermanence, you arrive to the knowledge of rise and fall – udayabbaya ñāṇa. This is the main point. With the contemplation of sukha, dukkha and upekkhā must discern impermanence.

(Here disagreement can be come in depend on the different ways of practice. So the interpretation of the Buddha’s teaching is not easy).

If you don’t see impermanence, sukha vedanā connects to lobha, dukkha to dosa and upekkhā to moha respectively. It’s very important. Vedanā connects to avijjā, saṅkhāra if you don’t contemplate impermanence with upekkhā.

And it connects to the end with dukkha vedanā; with sukha vedanā, connectting in the middle. It connects to the three kinds of D.A. process for a person who does not know the practice. For someone who practices will stick with the ten counterfeit dhammas.

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revised on 2021-03-16; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4371&p=36340#p36340 (posted on 2019-04-16)

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• Content of Part 12 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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According to the translator— Ven. Uttamo's words, this is strictly for free distribution only, as a gift of Dhamma—Dhamma Dāna. You may re-format, reprint, translate, and redistribute this work in any medium.