Ending of Dukkha; Need Only One

revised on 2024-03-27

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 19th to 20th December 1961

Tape 1

In the Rādha Sutta (SN 23:1), he asked the Buddha as— What is called the King of Death (Māra)? Form (rūpa) dhamma will kill you. You have to die because form exists. If you can contemplate the anicca of form (rūpa) as king of death is good; if you can’t it’ll kill you for many lives to come. If you can contemplate and lose interest in the king of death and its end, you have conquered the evil of 'khandha mara' - the evil of 'khandha'. Feeling (vedanā) is also the king of death. The others— perception, mental formation and consciousness are also king of death (i.e., the others nāma— khandhas of saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇam).

The five khandhas will kill someone who received it by prayers. Death with bodily stiffness is kill by earth element (paṭhavī).

Overflowing with urine and blood is killed by water element (āpo dhātu), with over heat is heat element. Someone dies with the body bloated and swollen and is killed by air element (vāya) Die while eating something which is not good to eat as thinking of good to eat (i.e., saññā). (Sayadaw continued it with each of the other khandhas). You’ll not see the five khandhas as free from dangers. The killer is not far away from you, it’s inside of you. The five khandhas always oppress (pīḷanaṭṭha) beings without any pity. When you're alive, it asks you to do things for it, and you overwork yourself, and it ends up killing you.

(This point is very good for contemplation by using the four meanings of dukkha and four meanings if its cause. Because all beings are living with dukkha and Samudaya all the time in their whole lives.) discerning anicca is seeing the dhamma which kills you. In only that you’ll shun away from it. You’re freeing from death only by discerning the dukkha sacca. You have to truly look for liberation from Death, but most people are looking for Deaths. They are looking for the killers or murderers to kill them (i.e., to get khandhas— quite stupid indeed). Not only they don’t see the khandhas as enemies but also look after them (quite foolish).

For the insight practitioner— I am breaking you down into pieces! In Samatha practice they are still looking for the killers to kill them. So they don’t attain Nibbāna. We cannot transcend the dukkha sacca that does not see Nibbāna. It can only be successful by understanding dukkha sacca thoroughly. To be freed from Death you have to kill the khandhas, but for the whole of saṁsāra you have been killed by them.

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Tape 2

Whatever prayers of becoming (bhāva) is inviting the King of Death (even nearly all Buddhists not only the later Buddhists). You’re living together with the five khandhas of the five Kings of Death. The form (rūpa) khandha oppresses you before Death (the worst is at dying). When contemplating form (rūpa), it can be used as a template for the dying dhamma and oppressive dhamma. People are asking the causes of death such as— what kind of feeling (vedanā), eating something which is not right (saññā), etc. There are people who die while traveling (i.e., saṅkhārakhandha), unable to control the mind (viññāṇam) because of suicide. People are praying for the khandhas (by making merits) with kamāsava, bhavāsava and avijjāsava (i.e., taints of lust, becoming and ignorance). Don’t desire for the khandha and inviting the king of death. Near death they are crying and calling for help— Oh! Help me.

You don’t need to afraid of killing you but to bhāvataṇhā— craving for becoming. You have to accept dukkha sacca by doing samudaya sacca. Pushing you from behind is āsava and the killers are five khandhas. Do you want to become a corpse inside someone’s mouth (as an animal) or want to become a corpse in the ground? Whatever way we talk about it, it comes to anicca (there are 40 ways to talk about the three characteristics). If you can discern anicca, you will get the knowledge of the way as it’s (yathābhūta ñāṇa). Continue toward the knowledge of disenchantment (nibbidā ñāṇa). Continue to meditate with the contemplation until you no longer want it, and in this way the five aggregates disappear.

Then you find the undying place, Ñāṇa crossing into the side of undying. Try to find it out. (encouragement and guarantee).

I am giving you the method. From the dying element it is crossing into the undying element (Nibbāna). The place of undying arises and let ñāṇa staying at there. Don’t look for the place of cessation. The cessation of dukkha is only this much, because it’s still not yet. Conquer the khandha— māra (i.e., the evilness of the khandha). Examine it with the reviewing knowledge— paccavekkhana ñāṇa. If you attain it with a lot of examination and it is staying with the cessation of dukkha (Nirodha).

Seeing the inconstant is insight knowledge, and seeing Nibbāna is path, fruit and reviewing knowledge respectively. With the First Path Knowledge Diṭṭhi Kilesa and Diṭṭhi Khandha vanish. (Sayadaw uses of Dhamma words or phrases are very precise and good for contemplation of them.) Reducing a quarter (1/4) of kammāsava, bhavāsava and avijjāsava respectively. The axle of Ditthāsava is totally or wholly breaking down and can’t revolve anymore (totally stop). Therefore, a stream enterer will never fall into apāya forever.

With the second and third path knowledge the axle of kamāsava totally broken down and with the fourth path knowledge bhavāsava and avijjāsava broken down. Now, you all are completing with upanissayapaccayo— decisive support condition (having the three wholesome roots of non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion, i.e., Tihetuka Person, having the potential for enlightenment). For the liberation from the three rounds of existence— three vaṭṭa try to do the Path Condition (maggapaccayo). You have enough 23 conditions and only left with the Maggapaccayo. This point is very, very important!

To give an example - analogy - all food (23 conditions) is ready, you only need salt (Maggapaccayo)! (So don’t become a foolish Buddhist.)

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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.