Dhamma with Ajahn Sujin

(Suitable for beginners) - Vincent: A friend asked a question about Anattalakkhana sutta, where the Buddha says: this is not me, not mine, this is not my atta, and she says that maybe there's still "I" somewhere, it's just the khandhas that are not me, not my atta. A. Sujin: Because we're used to remember the words, but what about the characteristic or the truth? For example "this" is not me, "this" is not mine, what is "this"? We just go across "this", thinking that we understand what "this" is, but actually we have to consider what does "this" mean, what is that "this", what is "this" that we've heard it's not me, what is that? There must be "this", which is not me, which is not mine. So, what is that "this"? Otherwise it's not [considering] carefully enough, to condition right understanding, which needs to be so very sharp and very deep to unde...

(50m) Tadao: I'd like to know what respect is, if it is a cetasika or not. A. Sujin: Is it real? T. I feel it's real. Su. Ok, wholesome or unwholesome? If one respects something wrong like a tree or a fish, is it wholesome? No. That's why realities have to be so true, that they cannot be changed. At that moment when one has wrong understanding and pays respect to that which is wrong, that is not respect, because wrong understanding is not wholesome, there are no wholesome cetasikas arising at that very moment at all, so it's not respect. But respecting the truth, right or wrong? Not [respecting] the wrong but the right, respect for right view, respect for right conditions or realities, "no one there at all, this is so true", right or wrong? So, it's not just saying about anyone, or any moment, at moment of paying respect, it depends on citta and that very moment, and if someone says that it's right to pay respect to the trees, like in Thail...

(21m) A. Sujin: So what would you like to talk about now? T. Tam: Sacca parami and khanti parami. Su. Okay, sacca is the truth of realities, so only right understanding can study and learn to understand the truth of whatever is now appearing. The first ariya sacca is that whatever is there it's conditioned to arise and falls away, but no one knows that until the enlightenment of the Buddha, and from his words we begin to study, to know what is there. No one conditions it to arise at all, but there must be proper conditions for different realities to show up, to appear as they are, as different realities. The truth of what is now appearing is that it has arisen by conditions, to be a different one, arising and falling away in succession, so very rapidly that there cannot be the understanding of just one at a time, to see the difference between the two of them, or the three, now. It can be thought about, like: now, what is seen? does it appear as it is or not yet? and what ...

(71m) Lukas: We're grateful to the Buddha because he discovered that it's from sutamayapañña to cintamayapañña that takes to bhavanamayapañña, so this is the Buddha's because there is no other way, I think. A. Sujin: And this is the only way to know him, to respect him, to be savaka Buddha. And for those who understand him, they can understand how great wisdom he attained. L. And this is called faith. Su. I think that the understanding is the most important thing because the Buddha's greatest virtue is wisdom, right understanding, and great compassion, to anyone, no matter in which world, in every world, even for beings in deva and brahma world. L. But I don't understand, to have compassion, great compassion, for the world. Su. Without compassion, would you like anyone to understand the truth? L. Yes, but for me compassion is if you cannot help somebody else, then I feel compassion. Su. Even you help them in many ways, everywhere, but they won...

(Suitable for beginners) - A. Sujin: Would you like to be kind? Would't everyone like to be kind? It's your own accumulation, your own understanding and your own liking, would you like to be kind? David: Yes, I'd like to be useful to people. Su. Would you like to understand what kindness is? D. Yes, certainly. Su. I think that to be kind without understanding and to be kind with understanding is different, so what's the best thing in life? Because anyone can be kind but what about understanding, can anyone understand what is there now or any moment in life? All depends on ignorance or understanding and let us consider when there is ignorance, that brings about so many many unwholesome deeds and speech and even the mind, the mental factors are hurting that person who has such akusala, unwholesome realities, so it has to be right understanding of the truth which is not easy at all to understand the absolute truth of whatever is now, and when it's right un...

(Suitable for beginners) - Nina: About pain, last time Ajahn asked where is it? And I remember Ajahn asking before where are you? And then she explained no-where, no place, and it is the same for painful feeling. But it's really difficult because painful feeling can be so acute, and we think immediately "oh my arm is so painful", and it hurts, but it's only thinking and like Ajahn said, it is nowhere and in that connection she said in another talk that there is no Vietnam and no Thailand. Harji: Nina just told that if there's "pain in my arm" then there is the story, thinking about my arm being hurt, but what satipatthana? Kayaanupassana-satipatthana? I'm not sure about that. A. Sujin: At the moment of thinking of my arms' pain there is no understanding of pain, because there is the idea of my arm. Why do we listen to the teachings of the Buddha? To understand all realities, no matter when and where, in any situation. The truth of it, th...