Humans’ Own Properties

revised on 2024-06-10

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 17th April 1962

[The compilers of the Mogok Talks gave the title as 'the way of the Khandha'. This talk is very simple but profound. All the Buddha dhammas have these qualities. Using them in daily life with contemplation, we can find out their profundities. Unlike any other philosophies and views, these are created by people full of defilements or with defiled minds, which can never solve human problems and sufferings, instead, they increase them.]

Everyone has four kinds of own property — birth (jāti), ageing (jara), sickness (vyādhi), and death (maraṇa). We already had it before, now still have it, and will have it in the future. All of them are Dukkha Sacca. We must shun these things. Continuing to seek them reflects limitless stupidity. These are all wrong searches. The Buddha himself in the Majjhima Nikāya said, "I myself, before I became a Buddha, was with the wrong quest." Wives, children, properties, and jewels are all sought in pursuit of birth, ageing, sickness, and death. For example, affection for children is craving (taṇhā) → clinging (upādāna) → actions (kamma) → jāti, jara, etc. Another example is the affection for gemstones, which leads to craving → …… jāti, jara, etc. (This talk was delivered in Mogok, so many gem businessmen and women were in the auditorium.) Searching for money is the same. Have you identified the culprit causing the long saṁsāra? Continuing to search for these things is a wrong search (ignoble, lowly).

You already have jāti and are searching for jāti, already have jara and are searching for jara, etc. Whatever you are doing, check with the D.A process to understand these meanings. If you seek Nibbāna, you cannot engage in wrong searches. You must discern their faults and dangers. You are not like this, thinking of having all these things are good. You need to listen with ñāṇa ears, or it’s not easy to understand. You are busy every day with work, searching for these four factors of Dukkha Sacca (i.e., birth, ageing, sickness, and death). You already have a sore and haven't cured it yet; it's like looking for another one. Even doing merits without knowing how leads to searching for jāti; no need to mention other things. The dukkha you now have is what you searched for before. Now, looking for it again means having it again. What you are doing is not cutting off Dukkha but letting it continue. Ageing upon ageing, sickness upon sickness, and death upon death are all more painful than being struck by a thunderbolt. You will be freed only with the right searching. All these things happen because of having this present khandha, only by not wanting it is it possible to be fulfilled. Your knowledge must penetrate the khandha.

Whatever wrong searching is for this khandha. If you want happiness, practice vipassanā. (Sayadaw taught citta-vipassanā).

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revised on 2024-06-10

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• Content of Part 15 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.