A Life with Avijjā and Saṅkhāra / Living with Small and Big Dukkhas

revised on 2024-06-10

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 16th July 1962

[After coming back from Rangoon, Sayadaw never took rest and continued his teaching until his last day. He only had three months left. So, he was very busy teaching people. Some Rangoon disciples came with him to his place for the practice. Sayadaw also sometimes went to Mandalay for teaching. At his last moment of dying, he was still giving a short instruction (ovāda) to people surrounding his death bed. In this talk, he urged his disciples not to waste their time with worldly affairs but to practice for the preparation of Death. He is a true son of the Buddha.]

You're so consumed by other people's matters that your own situation becomes dire (This is referring to one’s own death. Sayadaw mentioned this at the dying moment and the dangers of falling into apāyas). You only have to take refuge and reliance on insight knowledge and the path knowledge, which can cut off your D.A process. In the morning, you’re busy with avijjā and saṅkhāra (ignorance and action) and wasting your time on them. (i.e., busy and wasting time with samudaya sacca, all humans are like this.) A long life with samudaya sacca is a bad long life (So no practice with a long life is the worst long life because of collecting many pieces of garbage – defilements for Dukkha).

Starting from waking up in the morning, whatever you do, contemplate it as dukkha sacca. Put aside anicca for the moment. Khandha shows you that apart from dukkha sacca, there is nothing for it. Begin the day with this kind of reflection. This kind of reflection or thinking is even quite rare among people (people start their mornings with defiled thinking and thoughts). With these kinds of thinking and thoughts (i.e., defilements) with actions leading to crying at near deaths. Their eyes are inclined toward Hells upon waking. They also sleep with avijjā paccaya Saṅkhāra: ignorance conditions Saṅkhāra – actions (i.e., with worldly thoughts). I’ll sleep with my eyes inclined toward hell! Everyday you do it with ignorance and delusion. (Sayadaw’s serious warning and exhortation are humorous and profound). Your worst situation becomes clear by listening with ñāṇa ears. (mostly humans listen to defiled things and matters with moha ears, so defilements increase).

This khandha body is always talking about its dukkha sacca. If I am talking about the worst of you, it will never end. Your whole life is wasted with avijjāpaccaya and wake-up saṅkhāra. The khandha body only talks about dukkha. Therefore, you have to sleep and wake up by reflection of dukkha sacca. In the morning, you have to treat the body by going to the toilet for urination and excretion, feeding the body, etc. Is it dukkha or sukha? Everyday, we use our time by changing dukkha sacca (e.g., always changing postures because of discomfort). When will it become happiness by changing big dukkha to small dukkha?

Form, feeling, mind—all of them start as small dukkhas and end as big dukkha (i.e., birth and death). This is their existence. Whatever arises, whether it's form or mind, is dukkha sacca, and with this knowing, path factors arise. If you observe the changes from big dukkha to small dukkha, kamma actions are cut off (Section two does not connect to section 3, see D.A chart). Nibbāna is not far away. If you know Sacca, you will arrive there; with the knowing, path factors are formed. If you don’t know your own dukkha, the magga does not arise. Saṁsāra will be cut off by using your time to know the truth (sacca). The task of contemplating dukkha sacca leads to Nibbāna. Making prayers and vows makes people laugh upon hearing it!

(Some Buddhists do these things like other faiths).

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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.