Humans Looking for Unreliable

revised on 2024-03-27

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 27th February 1962

Living beings in the whole of saṁsāra were looking for unreliable things and encountered a lot of sufferings (Mostly beings are relying on unwholesome dhammas and creating a lot of unwholesome kammas. Therefore, their permanent places and rebirths are the four apāyas.) Therefore, the Buddha delivered this discourse without anyone's request (for having the reliability). He warned us as –“except the Dhamma don’t rely on other things.”

If you don’t rely on Dhamma, then dependent origination will turn around again at the end (see-the 12 links on D.A). Then it’ll come back to the beginning (i.e., ignorance). From sorrow, lamentation, pain and grief, etc. to ignorance. All the other things are unreliable that you received back these things. (Sayadaw explained how beings rely on the five khandhas with each one of them.) Why are you looking for something reliable? I want to cry! There are two types of reliable things— the wrong one and the right one. Sentient beings have been brought to tears countless times by unreliability. Even the Buddha mentioned it as-beings shedding their tears in the round of existence is more than the water in the four great oceans. You are looking for the khandha, so you have to cry. If you don’t look for the next khandha then you don’t have to cry.

All these things come from wrong view (diṭṭhi). The paramatā dhammas talk about their paramatā nature and you’re crying for it. Actually it should be arrived to knowledge (ñāṇa) when dhamma is showing its true nature and you cry for it (e.g., someone dies in the family members). This comes from unreliable things which are the khandhas. With the right or true reliability, Nibbāna arises. This is relying on the path factors. The beginning of Tears is from Diṭṭhi. With the insight knowledge sorrow could be extinguished for some time (tadaṅga). With the right reliable you get mundane and supra-mundane path factors (lokiya and lokuttara maggas). Supermundane path factors extinguished Sorrow forever.

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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.