As there was that which conditioned today, so today conditions next day

(Suitable for beginners) - A. Sujin: Couldn't we talk with her about her life and what is the best thing she would like to have in this world. And what conditions her thinking of getting away from this world. What is the best thing she would like, and we could discuss about that. If you don't know what she liked and didn't get, so that she just wants to get away from life, to stop, to end this life.

Jotika: She was misused in her early childhood and sometimes she could not bear it, and then she became ill, she went to the hospital and then she was taken in and then after a while she was out for a while and then she couldn't bear it and she went in again and so she made her decision and she got all the allowances from the psychiatrist and so on, so that legally in the conventional way she got the formal right to commit suicide, she could not bear the pain.

Su. But what about if she leaves this world and pain can arise [again], because it's not under anyone's control. How can she know that it will not arise again?

Jotika: I don't know that, I know that she could end her life but not her kamma, that's what I've learned from the monk, you can end your life but you cannot end your kamma.

Su. But she has no understanding about that yet, so I think just to talk about that, to let her think what about leaving this world, no pain anymore, but what about: can it arise again? As yesterday pain is gone and it can arise again today, but not the same. Who can prevent the arising of painful feeling? No one likes it but it's by conditions. If she can think about it little by little, maybe she will change her mind, because who knows what there will be the next moment? No pain now but what about next moment, after death? As no one can stop the arising of whatever is now arising, it's just the same, no matter when and where.

Jotika: But she does not understand it, I think she thinks that she is in peace now.

Su. But if we don't talk in terms of dhammas, just talk about in words that she could think about, like seeing now, painful feeling now, it's not yesterday's at all. So yesterday's gone and what about today? Even if she ends up her life, what about next moment, can it arise again, like it did yesterday? As there was that which conditioned today, so today conditions next day, who can stop the seeing? It's there already. Hearing? Is there. No thought about it, no one has control over the conditions for its arising at all.

Jotika: I do not quite understand, Ajahn, sorry.

Su. We're talking about life, there is painful feeling and she doesn't like it at all, she would like to get away from that, but what about yesterday painful feeling? It's gone and there are no conditions for pain to arise again today, so there's no pain today, but what about tomorrow, can pain arise? After she commits suicide or ends up her present life, what would be next? Like yesterday and today, past life is like yesterday, and next life is today, and if she didn't stop the painful feeling yesterday, can there be conditions for stopping painful feeling today? Because no one can make it arise, it's the way it is. So life keeps on, it's not ended by death, like yesterday and today. Can she think about it in these terms, little by little, that's the best thing in life. She just doesn't want painful feeling, but how does it arise? There must be conditions for whatever she doesn't like, but it's there by conditions. So for us who have some understanding of the truth of reality, the cause is attachment and ignorance, and it can condition different speech and deeds in life because of ignorance and attachment, not understanding that no one can make the painful feeling arise. Even we try so hard, calling the doctor and so on, but there must be conditions for its arising, as there were for yesterday and [there are for] today.

Jotika: So there are conditions that it is arising, so there are conditions and so there will be conditions for her that it is arising.

Su. Even thinking right now, no matter about whom, we take it for someone but actually it's only conditioned realities. Thinking about the story, it's conditioned, not only for her but for us.

Nina: But I think the trouble is that the woman doesn't believe that life goes on, even she dies, another life and another life, and maybe she thinks it's all over then, when this life is finished, and maybe then she cannot accept about yesterday and today and tomorrow, she thinks it's all over.

Su. But what about yesterday, maybe she thought that there wouldn't be tomorrow, but what is the truth? There must be. So there is today and some might think that there won't be next life, next day, next reality, tomorrow, but there will be as it is conditioned. The truth can just be this moment, or yesterday, or last year. Life goes on by conditions, as long as there are conditions, no matter this life ends up, there must be condition for next life, like yesterday seeing, then today seeing and tomorrow seeing. Is it not true?

Jotika: It again comes to me that we cannot change the conditions for another person or for ourselves.

Su. That is right understanding of no I, realities just arise by conditions, that's all. So what will next life be if she does not believe in next life, but what about this moment? Can there be next moment after seeing and hearing right now? The truth is the truth that can be considered. No one can escape the way it is, conditions for each different ones. When she was newly born, no idea about today at all, but there are conditions for what is there to arise.

Jon: The conditions which apply now to this moment do not stop being conditions just because the end of this lifespan is reached, because they are conditions they keep applying.

Jotika: But if at the moment there are conditions that I can listen and then I try to understand, but the speaking or the hearing now is changing in me, is changing my conditions.

Jon: You're saying that when there is information heard for example, it changes, it accumulates, so the tendencies we have that that have been accumulated do keep accumulating, memory keeps accumulating.

Jotika: But there's also a change in me by hearing, at the moment, listening, and is that not a kind of change?

Su. If there's no hearing, no considering, no understanding, can there be the moment of understanding? So hearing and considering are also conditions for next moment as well, there are so many conditions, in a moment, for the arising of citta and cetasikas, different from one to another, all the time.

Video image: Detail of Southern Gate, Sanchi Great Stupa