Extinguish The Hell Fire

revised on 2024-06-09

Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 14th and 15th August 1961

[Based on the The Dog-Duty Ascetic discourse in Majjhima Nikāya, Sutta No.57]

Tape 1

Listening to Dhamma talks can lead to good destinations for humans and heavenly beings. Practicing the Dhamma frees one from the three rounds of defilement, action, and existence (i.e., three vaṭṭa). You have to watch and observe the khandhas. There are itches, pains, and aches; it will show you many phenomena. This is the khandha telling you the nature of anicca.

You continue to observe them. The khandha never tells you a good thing. It only has bad things and tells you only about that. It’s telling you about weariness, disenchantment and disgust. Continue to observe them, saying, "Tell me as much as you can." You find out the things that are not desirable. It’ll tell you all the things you don’t like. If the true knowledge of real "unwantedness" arises, khandha will disappear. Khandha is the truth of Dukkha that Dukkha disappears. At this place Dukkha disappears and only happiness will arise. Let the knowledge (ñāṇa) be fixed there, and do not go in search of impermanence (anicca). If one abandons diṭṭhi, hellfire and the furnace of hell disappear. If this did not happen and all these things (i.e., hellfire and hell cauldron) are waiting for you. (Sayadaw continued to talk about the practice in gist.)

There are four Nibbānas. In regard to the first Nibbāna, related to the five khandhas you have the two kinds of not clear about them— not knowing anything about it; although knowing the Dhamma and without the practice. Viewing one’s khandha as "Me" and family members as "Mine." None of them is right. you are looking at them with the eyes of the wrong view. These are wrong view of self (atta-diṭṭhi). With its existence, the doors to four painful existences (apāyas) are opened or not closed. "Me/I" is atta, and "Mine" referring to family members is attaniya. It’s clear that taṇhā cannot send one to apāya bhūmi; only wrong views can do it. This was made evident by the female boss Visākhā. When seeing something the three dhammas of knowing consciousness (seeing), contact and feeling arise. These lead to craving, clinging and action. Beings come to the human world for collecting kammas to apāyas. (viññāṇa + phassa + vedanā) → taṇhā → upādāna → kamma → apāya jāti. Everyone not practicing vipassanā comes here only to collect kamma (mostly unwholesome ones). If there are no teachers giving the methods or ways, then come here only collecting kammas (nearly the whole world population; only just a few Buddhists do the practice). It means prolonging the duration of apāya existences. We have or must have burnt up all these kammas with fire because they are enemies. If they are ahead of you, it becomes great trouble. Even though it ceases and disappears, its power is leaving behind (in the mind processes carrying with it in the continuing saṁsāric journey). So we must do the work or practice of cutting off kammas (Sayadaw talked about the Dog-duty Ascetic discourse).

You just observe with ñāṇa what the khandha is telling about it. It’s not tiring and is free from the two extremes (i.e., hedonism and asceticism). Because of the wrong views and wrong practices fall down to apāyas (hells). With wrong practices become dog, etc. (here referred to Seniya— the Dog-duty ascetic). Explained the four types of Kamma.

Tape 2

The ten unwholesome dhammas (akusala dhamma) are described as black or dark actions; the 10 wholesome actions are described as white dhammas black and white mixed actions (with the king of Hell — Yama, being in this group), and the action to cut off either black, white, or mixed actions, is NIBBĀNA. Developing the path factors is easy if you discern the signs of anicca.

At the end of the signs of anicca (anicca lakkhaṇa), Nibbāna exists. Sāsana Dhamma (i.e., Buddhadhamma), is very rare and difficult to encounter. (He mentioned some men during the time of the Buddha, such as— his two jhāna teachers, father in law, Pasenadi, King of Kosala; they met the great being but not enlightened). So don’t waste your time. Try hard! Incline your own knowledge (ñāṇa) towards the objects of anicca. Don’t waste your time with talking. (Here Sayadaw admonished his disciples to come to the Dhamma Sālā for practice only not for worldly affairs). You have to stay with it as dhamma objects (dhamma— ārammaṇas). Everyone has three types of debt (i.e., black, white and mixed kammas). He showed them how to stop kammas with the dependent arising of the khandha. For example,

Seeing consciousness → feeling → craving (taṇhā) → clinging → action. You can enter the vipassanā knowledge at any of the above five factors. If you can contemplate to discern anicca, then kamma can’t lead to birth (jāti). If you miss anicca at seeing consciousness, then contemplate feeling, if you miss it then craving, then clinging and then kamma (here not refer to verbal and physical actions but the mental factor of volition–cetanā). This process is detailed in the Satipaṭṭhāna. If it becomes verbal, physical action will lead to jāti.

[Before the Sayadaw’s talks I never knew someone who talked about this point. Mostly talk about cut off D.A. at between vedanā and taṇhā. Sayadaw U Candima’s teachings of bhavaṅga meditation mentioned between taṇhā and kamma. See my translation of Right Samādhi and Insight.]

Tape 2

The ten unwholesome dhammas (akusala dhamma) are black or dark actions; the 10 wholesome actions are white dhammas; black and white mixed actions (King of the Hell— Yama is in this group) and the action cut off either black or white and mixed actions is NIBBĀNA. Developing the path factors is easy if you discern the signs of anicca.

At the end of anicca lakkhaṇa Nibbāna exists. Sāsana Dhamma (i.e., Buddhadhamma, is very rare and difficult to encounter. (He mentioned some men during the time of the Buddha, such as— his two jhāna teachers, father in law, Pasenadi, King of Kosala; they met the great being but not enlightened). So don’t waste your time. Try hard! With your own knowledge (ñāṇa) incline towards the objects of anicca. Don’t waste your time with talking. (Here Sayadaw admonished his disciples to come to the Dhamma Sālā for practice only not for worldly affairs). You have to stay with it as dhamma objects (dhamma— ārammaṇas). Everyone has three types of Debt (i.e., black, white and mixed kammas). He showed them how to stop kammas with the dependent arising of the khandha. For example,

Seeing consciousness → feeling → taṇhā → clinging → action. You can enter the vipassanā knowledge at any of the above five factors. If you can contemplate to discern anicca, then kamma can’t lead to birth (jāti). If you miss anicca at seeing consciousness, then contemplate feeling, if you miss it then craving, then clinging and then kamma (here not refer to verbal and physical actions but the mental factor of volition–cetanā). It was in the satipaṭṭhāna. If it becomes verbal, physical action will lead to jāti.

revised on 2024-06-09

Content of Part 14 on "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

Content of "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

Content of Publications of Ven. Uttamo

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.

據英譯者—鄔達摩比丘交待，此譯文僅能免費與大眾結緣，作為法的禮物（Dhamma Dāna）。你可以在任何媒體上重新編製、重印、翻譯和重新發布這部作品。