Darkness to Light

revised on 2024-03-27

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 17th November 1961

Only with effort (viriya) and no wisdom in the practice it becomes poor (no progress). Listening to the talk with effort and wisdom by observing the khandha. If you know your foolishness as foolish then you’re wise. Taking your foolishness as wise and becoming more foolish. (For these points Sayadaw told the story of two pickpockets from Dhammapada stories. One became a stream enterer after listening to the Buddha’s teaching.) The Buddha asked the monks the differences between the wise and the fool (a discourse from Saṃyutta Nikāya).

If you know your foolishness as foolish will realize path and fruit knowledge. If not you don’t realize it. Coming for listening to Dhamma talk means you know your foolishness and for becoming wise that you come here. People who didn’t come are more foolish → avijjā → saṅkhāra → viññāṇam. For viññāṇam have to take all the five khandhas. The fools are not practising vipassanā and people who practise are the wise. The duty of a teacher is sending someone coming from the darkness to light. We must put the vipassanā task in the compulsory job. From darkness returning to darkness is like an earthworm. It also looks like a snail. You can’t get light aside from practice. (many people came for the Dhamma talk and it was also very hot. Sayadaw encouraged them to be patient with the heat and crowded place and making comparison to the sufferings of hells) Also asking people to work hard with their practices) In the past it was difficult to hear this kind of talk (It’s quite true. Sayadaw was a gifted person who could deliver these kinds of talk with skills and penetration.)

(Sayadaw using the five khandhas gave the instruction. He described how the five khandhas changed differently with examples.) If the khandhas are arising and not vanishing it’ll pile up with khandhas bigger than Mt. Meru. For example, the five khandhas of wanting to sleep, five khandhas of waking up, etc. So, you have come to this human world to change death. If you are a truly happy person, you will not meet death for a moment. This is shown by the five aggregates (khandhas). It's too much. In short, it has only mind and form. If it were shorter, there would be only "impermanence" (anicca) - arising and passing away. If you truly contemplate it you can’t find mind and form and only find anicca. Making it short again only has one dukkha sacca. (Sayadaw asking them to contemplate whatever mind arises as anicca— dukkha sacca.) With the avijjā darkness exists not discern anicca. Now you discern anicca that no more avijjā there.

Āloko udapādi— attaining of light, even though coming from the darkness, now you get the light. If you continue with the contemplation seeing more deaths and becoming disenchantment, and then deaths come to end. No more deaths arise-this is Nibbāna. You’re coming from the darkness and you’ll never return to darkness again. This is the difference between the Fools and the Wise (one of the long talks-1hr 15 minutes).

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revised on 2024-03-27

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• Content of Part 14 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.