Dhamma with Ajahn Sujin

(Suitable for beginners) - Marc: I've read in a post that Alberto sent me that all those moments which are real are so fleeting, so rapidly coming and going and I thought perhaps that's also what zen mean, not so much that coming and going of all those short moments are a dream, but that the reality of things is so very short that you really get stuck in the dream very easily. Ajahn Sujin: Is this moment just like a dream? Why this moment is just like a dream? M. It is like a dream. Su. Yes, what is the difference between the moment of dreaming and this moment, which is just like a dream? M. Can you repeat the question for me? Su. Is this moment just like a dream or it is a dream? And, when [this moment] it's not a dream, what is the difference between this moment and a moment of dreaming? M. No differences, I think. Su. But we call that a dream and this is not a dream, right? Is this moment a dream? M. This moment is not a dream. Su. Really? What i...

Nina: I have another question, Ajahn, some time ago you explained that there is a difference between seeing and I see and we can repeat the words that I see is taking things for self but it takes really pañña to understand this, developed pañña. So maybe it helps if you would explain a little more about seeing and I see. A. Sujin: Is there understanding of seeing as it is? When there's no understanding of seeing as it is, what is there which has no understanding? Ignorance is there, taking it instantly for āsava, I, bhāvāsava is there. That's why when we talk about the difference between āsava and upādāna at moment... in a day, no matter when, when the attachment does not appear to [be] something, eating food, different dishes, but before that, is there no attachment? Before realizing, knowing that there is wanting something there, before that there must be citta and cetasikas experiencing an object, and knowing what object it is, but what about: is there attachment?...

Sarah: We've discussed a lot about āsavas, Ajahn, and I checked in the Abhidhamma, it showed that all 29 kāmāvacara javana citta arise in a sense door process, so any kind of akusala can arise immediately in the sense-door process. I'm wondering if you have any comments because we were just discussing why the āsavas, just the lobha, ignorance and wrong view are emphasized and someone asked what about dosa so... A. Sujin: When dosa arises it's not āsava, it can arise, but it's not āsava because the way it appears it's not just like those āsavas at all. Sa. So it arises but it's not classified as āsava... Su. ...after they've arisen, whether they are dosa or other realities, but they're not just like the āsava at all: unknown. But when dosa is there: it's known. Jonothan: So can we say the significance of the āsavas is that although they are arising they're not apparent? Su. It means that even one thinks that one doesn't have...

(Suitable for beginners) - Jotika: What is reality? A. Sujin: Is there any truth now? So, what is it, to be truthful to the truth? When there is a truth, a truth now, what is that truth? This is the development of understanding, from hearing and considering and then right understanding can answer, rightly, not wrongly because it's true. What is the truth of this moment? Is there any truth now? J. There's feeling. Su. Okay, is that abhidhamma? J. Yes, it belongs to Abhidhamma I think. Su. When there's no understanding of what abhidhamma means, how can there be the understanding that now even such moment it's so real, it's conditioned, no one's forced it or controlled it or made it arise at all, it's there already. That's why no need to think about what will be future moment because now what is there should be known, that it's just like now, no matter future or past or present. What is there is conditioned, uncontrollable and then g...

Lukas: I was thinking about conduct. A. Sujin: Yes, but is it a dhamma? L: Yes, but I'm asking about something like conduct in the conceptual sense, like good behavior. Su. Yes, but without citta, can there be behavior? L. No, cannot be, without citta and cetasikas it cannot be. Su. And the absolute truth is that actually what is there is not anyone at all, and it doesn't belong to anyone either because it's just there, but ignorance is there, thinking about many many things, not understanding what is there from moment to moment. Is this the point, just to listen to the story about it? Or to understand the truth, the actual truth of this very moment. Because if it is not understood in this life, how can there be more understanding, after this life? That's why it has to be started, beginning to understand the truth from moment to moment because without that there cannot be what we call behavior or situation or any happening at all. So the point is und...