The Eyes by Mother and Teacher

revised on 2024-07-09

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 2nd October 1962

[This is a very simple, clear, and profound talk on how to eradicate lobha, dosa, and moha. There were a lot of people who came to listen to Sayadaw's talk. So with karuṇā, he gave a very useful practice.]

I ask you to look at the khandha, which means to pay attention to it. The dhamma is in the khandha; paying attention is looking at the khandha. How will the khandha tell you? Now! A lot of people are here, and the khandha tells you – it’s hot. A dosa mind will arise (i.e., domanassa mind – discontent, displeasure). On the body is dukkha vedanā. The khandha tells you it's dukkha sacca; pay attention or contemplate it as dukkha sacca arises. From the tree of Dukkha, only fruits of Dukkha are borne. So, the khandha is Dukkha Sacca, and the ñāṇa able to find this out is Magga Sacca. In this way, from behind Dukkha follows no domanassa. From behind Dukkha, the desire of wanting it goes away of lobha does not arise. Domanassa also does not arise; thus, soka-sorrow, lamentation, etc., do not arise. Avijjā – the ignorance of not knowing also ceases. (i.e., lobha, dosa, moha cease.)

This point is important. In the khandha, only Dukkha arises and ceases. Therefore, whatever arises, wherever it is, it is the arising of Dukkha and the cessation of Dukkha. The body khandha is loathsome (asubha) and only loathsome materials come out – such as sweat, phlegm, urine, excrement, etc. In the same way a mango tree only bears mango fruits. Khandha is Dukkha Sacca, and only Dukkha comes out. If you recognize it every time it arises, it becomes magga (vijjā). Without this knowledge, it becomes avijjā. Do you have to pray for magga? Or recognize it every time it arises?

So, don’t go in front of the Buddha Image for prayers. Realization occurs every time you know it arises.

With the knowing of Dukkha, you’ll get magga-ñāṇa; if you don’t know, you will not get it. Whatever mind, feeling, or form arises, contemplate them as dukkha sacca. Is there any mistake with it? Is there anything besides dukkha sacca in sec. 2? Therefore, seeing, hearing, smelling, etc., all the minds caused by it (i.e., the five khandhas in sec. 2) must be dukkha sacca. It arrives at truth and becomes dhammānupassanā satipaṭṭhāna. If you are looking for truth, you will find it in the khandha. Isn't the path the work of prayer? Or is it searching for dukkha? You only need to catch and see whatever dhamma arises. The arising dhamma is dukkha sacca; catching and seeing is magga sacca. You have to note it as someone attaining the path factors.

I’ll tell you about the benefit of it. Before, you didn’t know it, following with dosa (as an example – "It’s too hot!" with dukkha vedanā arising). Dosa can’t follow when knowing the arising dhamma. To eliminate dosa is magga. In this way, you’re inside the sāsana, and the doors to apāyas are closed (i.e., stream entry). It’s quite valuable. Closing the doors to apāya means no dosa arises. The desire for it disappears; taṇhā also does not arise because of following with maggas. Thus, taṇhā's samudaya dies. By knowing the arising phenomena, you become vijjā, and avijjā ceases. Avijjā (ignorance) is moha (delusion), and moha does not arise. Therefore, knowledge of one’s lobha, dosa, and moha dies away. Their cessation is Nibbāna. Lobha leads to peta existence, dosa to hells, and moha to the animal realm; and with their cessation, apāya doors are closed. The path knowledge closes it for you. This knowledge is – cakkhuṁ udapādī – the eye of wisdom, the path knowledge arises. You have to acquire this knowledge and don’t forget it. It’s very important; only with the appearance of a Buddha do we have this knowledge. This is the arising of the eye of knowledge (ñāṇa-eye). These are the eyes which the teacher gives to you, not by your mother. The eyes which the mother gives to you are—this is your father, mother, etc. She taught you concepts and couldn’t teach you the ultimate truth. The eyes given by the Buddha and teacher let lobha, dosa, and moha die. The eyes given by the mother let affection, fear, and fright arise.

The mother can give you the eyes of sīla. The teacher can give you the wisdom-eyes. Isn't that quite different? Only with wisdom can one go to Nibbāna, and you have to rely on it. It can exterminate the watery root of saṁsāra. In this way, it’s joyful to die, with the cessation of samudaya and the ending of dukkha. The Buddha teaches that if you want to think, then think of it as dukkha sacca (from Saccasaṁyutta). By thinking of whatever is arising, you close the doors of apāyas (i.e., follow with magga). If you lag in your thinking, the doors to apāya open (i.e., man follows thinking). Which impacts you more—opening the doors or closing the doors to apāya? You attain magga if you are capable of thinking. Being unable to think leads to dukkha; therefore, the 4 apāyas become our homes and fields. I’ll relate a short story for you. In the Buddha’s time, Vajirā Bhikkhuni, after going on alms round in Sāvatthī, later went to a cemetery for the day’s abiding. Then Māra, the Evil One, desiring to arouse fear and terror in her, wanted to disrupt her day’s abiding and approached her with questions: "By whom has this being been created? Where has the being arisen? Where does the being cease?" He asked all these useless questions. Only dukkha sacca exists and there is no living being. Māra approached her regarding living beings. Vajirā recognized him as Māra and gave the answer, "There are no living beings; why do you come and ask me?" Māra was questioning with the wrong view. Only dukkha sacca exists. (from Bhikkhunisaṁyutta).

You must remember that whatever arises in the khandha is dukkha arising. The momentary present is also dukkha, and so is vanishing. Nibbāna is near; why don’t you find it? Because you don’t know how to remove dukkha.

[Note: There are two coverings on Nibbāna—the first is hindrances, and the second is dukkha.]

If you contemplate by discerning anicca, its disenchantment, and the desire for its ending, then the cycles of arising and falling come to an end. Do not merely open your eyes and look; the khandhas (five khandhas) disappear under Knowledge. What remains with the knowledge? The contemplative mind or ñāṇa stays with the extinction of dukkha (i.e., Nibbāna). Extinction at the place of dukkha is Nibbāna. This knowing is path knowledge. It was like a movie. The images that appear on the movie screen are like the arising of dukkhas. When the movie ends and the images cease, the white screen appears. This is like Nibbāna (This is a metaphorical term and should not be taken literally because Nibbāna is a kind of Emptiness). Knowing or seeing is magga ñāṇa.

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revised on 2024-07-09

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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.