The Oppressor of Beings

revised on 2024-03-27

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 23rd to 25th February 1962

[These talks are based on the Mahāpuṇṇama Sutta, No. 109, Majjhima Nikāya]

Tape 1

(Sayadaw told the story of the Mahāpuṇṇama Sutta) The reason behind the senior monk asked the Buddha of the Q which he had already known was wanting to get the confirmation for the other monks. In what are these five clinging-aggregates rooted? It comes from craving and desire (taṇhā and chanda). In past lives we clung to the khandhas with desire that now we get it and not arise by themselves (not by God, no such Being exists). Explain the clinging khandha (upādānakkhandha) and non-clinging khandha (anupādānakkhandha). If you clinging to it and become clinging-khandha and with non-clinging become non-clinging khandha. I am going to explain it in general. For example, when feeling (vedanā) and attachment (upādānam) are mixed, it becomes the feeling aggregate (vedanupādānakkhandha) affected by attachment. It’s not good to mix them up. This is mixing with taṇhā. Upādānam is neither the same as the khandha nor is upādānam something apart from the khandha. There are two khandhas— with clinging is clinging khandha and with non-clinging is non-clinging khandha. If you don’t have a good teacher and do not know it. With clinging become taṇhā, upādānam and kamma. With no clinging and taṇhā, upādānam and kamma cease. These are happening due to different people. If there is clinging, it becomes the clinging khandha; if there is no clinging, it becomes the non-clinging khandha. It was like an ox and the rope. There are two clinging khandhas related to happiness and unhappiness. For example, the difference is that if one is healthy, it becomes the aggregate of attachment to happiness (happy clinging khandhas); if it is unhealthy, it becomes the unhappy clinging khandhas. People pray for heavens having the desire for the clinging khandhas. If it’s like this, not attain Nibbāna. Becoming of non-clinging khandha only attains Nibbāna.

Clinging of khandha is forbidding of Nibbāna and non-clinging of khandha supports Nibbāna.

(Note: It’s here good for contemplation on clinging khandha and conceptual khandha, non-clinging khandha and non-conceptual (paramatā) khandha. Do they have any relationship between them or among them? According to Sayadaw U Candima’s experiences to penetrate the ultimate (paramatā) khandha the mind has to be purified first (with samādhi practice). Only arriving at the 4th jhāna samādhi power can discern the mind.)

You have to be aware of that point. Clinging dhamma is oppressing the world. Āyūhanāṭṭha (Āyūhana-aṭṭha)-Taṇhā— Craving create dukkha things and matters. A person with the clinging khandha is able to live only with Dukkha (This we can see directly why today's world is becoming so chaotic around the world with a lot of conflicts in many sectors with destruction and disasters). With only Dukkha they have satisfaction, if they separate from Dukkha, they can’t live on and become dissatisfied. Only busy with things and matters they have satisfaction (Sayadaw’s many talks contribute a lot of Dhamma insights into human minds and their nature).

The senior monk continued to ask the Buddha. How many kinds of khandha are there? It has different kinds of them, e.g., many kinds of animals. These are from the external forms. And then he asked about Sakkāya-diṭṭhi. You have to separate Sakkāya-diṭṭhi as before. Some have sakkāya only and no Diṭṭhi, and some have both of them. The differences are coming from sutavā and asutavā (with learning and no learning from the wise-especially Dhamma from the Buddha). The most important point is the differences between ariya and puthujjhana (noble being and worlding; wise and fool).

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Tape 2

At the time of contemplation of vedanā the process should be with one feeling and following with one knowledge, etc. Taṇhā, māna and diṭṭhi will cease by contemplating with one of the three characteristics of anicca, dukkha and anatta. One of the monks among the listeners is thinking as all becoming anatta and there is nothing to rely on it. If all the five khandha become anatta what has to be made it as mine. Kamma is following the beings all the time, so he takes kamma as atta. You have to be careful about this point. Many Buddhists take kamma as Atta; such as kam mother and kam father (kam is short form of kamma in Burmese, rely on kam as like a mother and father) and kam is my property, etc. Kamma is mental formation (saṅkhāra) or volition (cetanā) The Buddha taught as— sabbe-dhamma anatta— all phenomena are non-self. Even though people make kamma as atta. This is self-view (atta-diṭṭhi) in Buddhism (on kamma). Kamma is following behind means it has the nature of stability. This is taken the method of suttanta and not the method of Abhidhamma. It becomes the nature of the preceding phenomenon not to cease nor the following one. This is teaching with examples and not directly. If the monks are not teaching them separately all lay people will take it wrongly (I myself had misunderstood them before, until I did know the Mogok teachings.) Kamma becomes sakkāya-diṭṭhi and sassata-diṭṭhi (identity and permanent views). Teaching with examples and it’s easy to know them but taking it directly becomes wrong. People take the examples and similes as real. This teaching is for the knowledge of kamma sakkata ñāṇa. With this ñāṇa can’t arrive at Nibbāna. (Here we know the importance of Abhidhamma teachings to understand clearer about the suttanta teachings. I have never seen anyone who knows Abhidhamma becoming stupid only the opposite is possible) After the kamma and nāma-rūpa here are ceased and next nāma-rūpa are arising there (i.e., after death and rebirth process). The NĀMA-RŪPA here can’t follow there!

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Tape 3

The senior monk asked the Buddha, “How to contemplate that sakkāya-diṭṭhi falls away?” You have to contemplate the five khandhas as— anicca, dukkha and anatta. Among the monks, there is a man who seeks pleasure and something to rely on in the "places of becoming" (bhūmi-bhāva, Burmese - bhum-bhāva). So he took cetanā-kam as a refuge. He is taking pleasure in the realms of kamma that rely on kammas.

He took on kamma as permanent sassata-diṭṭhi, because of not knowing (avijjā) and craving (taṇhā) that relying on kamma. At near death living beings cling to anything. At that time they rely on the wholesome merits which had done before and it sends them to good destinations (sugati) [these things are also not very safe because at near death it is difficult to say what kind of mind state arises] It doesn’t arrive at Nibbāna. For those who do not know the truth (saccas), one must rely on merit to teach them. For the practitioners they have to contemplate their khandhas and die with knowledge. Therefore, the Buddha instructed bhikkhu Phagguna (See Aṅguttara N, AN 6:56) in this way. At near death could become sotāpanna to arahant (Phagguna became anāgāmī). And not connect to becoming (bhāva).

Yesterday I didn’t end the talk. Today I want to talk about it. It’s very important. At near death the best dying is discerning impermanence or the ending of it (i.e., anicca). If you have sassata-diṭṭhi and sakkāya-diṭṭhi never falls away. The Buddha wanted to strip off the monk’s wrong view and ask the monks in the way of questions and answers for insight practice, such as; “form (rūpa) is permanent (nicca) or impermanent (anicca)?”, etc. At last all the monks benefited from the instruction. The Buddha was teaching on the three characteristics again for this one monk. Actually at the time when the Buddha taught about for taṇhā, māna and diṭṭhi to fall away but because of this one monk the Buddha had to restart it again.

I have told you very often that the ending of the khandha is Nibbāna. Only you can uncover the two coverings which cover up the khandha, you will find Nibbāna. First, avijjā and taṇhā cover up the khandha. If you uncover it anicca saṅkhāra dukkha covers it again. After you follow to the end of anicca and not wanting the dukkha and Nibbāna arises. Nibbāna is near and becoming far away because don’t know how to uncover things. Firstly, you have to strip off ignorance and find out the khandha, and then you must contemplate it until becoming not wanting and disenchanting the khandha. At the time of not wanting it, then Nibbāna arises. It’s true Nibbāna exists at the End of the Khandha.

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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.