Sukkha Nibbāna

revised on 2020-12-30

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; (In 1954)

[Sayadaw returned to Amarapura from Mogok in November 1952. This talk was delivered in 1954 that an early talk there. It seems that not many of those who came to listen to the discourse in the early days were very close to Sayadaw. Therefore, Sayadaw sometimes even called out the names of some female disciples in Q and A style to get their response. After two or three years never mentioned their names again and only to two or three laymen sitting in front of him. The early talks were also a little more than an hour and later changed to only an hour.]

You attain the path knowledge if seeing the cessation of dukkha. The hot element and the death element all are ceased, including all the seeds to hells.

It has the meaning of you will never encounter with all kinds of suffering.

I am encouraging you with the practice to get the knowledge (i.e., path knowledge) of the cessation of dukkha. At getting old and at dying will be difficult for you, all these come to you if not get this knowledge. You don’t get it by praying and must do it yourself. In you there are except the perishing minds and nothing exists.

These are arising and vanishing, arising and vanishing—in this way. Following the arising mind and contemplate them with ñāṇa. Check them always as: not exist and has vanished, not exist and has vanished, etc.; only all these will come to you. This is the dukkha of existing. Because of not existing that it becomes dukkha. Is still your own mind? It’s not your mind, the dukkha of arising and vanishing.

Do you become disenchanted and wearisome by seeing a lot of them?

Does it not arise in your mind ñāṇa all becoming dukkha? The not wanting mind (ñāṇa) arises. However, you look for it (these dukkha) and not arising any more, instead the path knowledge arises. The not wanting mind is path knowledge. The black dukkha disappears you’ll find the white sukha. Seeing all the black is seeing dukkha. With a lot of looking at them, you’ll see the white.

The cessation of dukkha means you can’t find it. You’ll see sukha if not seeing dukkha. Dukkha nirodha ñāṇa—this is the knowledge of seeing the cessation of dukkha. Only the black dhamma does not exist, but something is there. Even though nothing is there, a knowing exists—ñāṇa exists. Today Dhamma is not easy. I am talking on the real Nibbāna. Someone has not seen dukkha, then the cessation of dukkha does not come out from him. This sukha is Nibbāna and the seeing of it is magga ñāṇa. Sukka and ñana are on a line one ahead and one behind.

(i.e., the same as the mind experiences sukha Nibbāna. Here Sayadaw’s skill in using language).

It’ll be clear with example to express the refined Dhamma. Daw Shwe had a boil on her hand that kept hurting. The wound would heal when all the pus came out. If I ask her; “How are you Daw Shwe?” She will answer me as it's gone.

(Daw Shwe seemed older than Sayadaw and one of the regular listeners of his talks with her husband.).

Disappearing and paining are at the same place. It means dukkha does not exist anymore. At the time of paining this arm and this dukkha, after disappearance this arm and this sukha. At the time of seeing impermanence is this body khandha, after that not seeing dukkha and only see the happiness. This is Nibbāna with the khandha. It can’t be changed and has to go in this way. The differences are the growing of the boil and the disappearing of it. At the contemplating place have to see dukkha and sukha. Is Nibbāna far away? If you still haven't seen the dukkha, then don't expect to see the sukha. Only by seeing dukkha sacca, you’ll see nirodha sacca.

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revised on 2020-12-30

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• Content of Part 13 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.