Sīla, absorbing the understanding to clean up the accumulation of akusala

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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 understanding, this is the most important, otherwise we just think about many many things with the idea of something and I all the time, not only in this life but on and on and on, as we have studied or haven't heard before at all, the same, no matter we've heard about the eye-sense, the seeing and so on, but no understanding of the truth of it. So what's the use? Just talking about that which is now here and there which can be directly understood as it is, as it is not as what we take for something all the time, even good behavior.

L. Somehow I think I'm not ready yet to understand paramattha dhammas and I was thinking maybe I'm supposed to be good guy, be more good person like in conventional sense.

Su. What about being a good guy but no understanding of the truth, from life to life?

L. But actually at least you don't make bad kamma, to maybe reborn in a better place.

Su. That's why we still think of something, not the truth of that which is now appearing, and when can there be the moment of understanding the absolute truth which is now appearing? This is the point, because life is just only in a moment, only. If there isn't this moment, can there be any life? But from moment to moment is there, by conditions, and ignorance and wrong understanding, from life to life. That's why isn't it time now to begin to see the value of understanding the truth, which is so very very deeply rooted, very very subtle, the attachment and ignorance about it. Even there is a reality appearing right now and we are talking about it, but still what is subtle is the characteristic which is there as we hadn't heard before, as no-thing in it, no one in it. What is there it's just a moment, which is so very short and then gone. Is this true? And it has to be like this, never change, nobody can change it, but there can be the understanding of the truth, to have less ignorance and less clinging, even to be a good guy. One could be as one thinks the best in life, but no understanding of the truth, and it has to be like this for eons and eons, on and on and on, and who can change the conditions for any moment to arise: unwholesome, bad behavior or good, by conditions. But if there is the understanding of conditions, there can be more conditions to be good guy, not just trying to be, without understanding, impossible. Because not understanding conditions such realities.

So one thinks that one can do, and one does try, but actually what is there? More ignorance, more attachment and more akusala in different manners, as [what] we call a bad guy, by conditions. So only understanding can condition moments of changing, from ignorance and unwholesome moment into more understanding, little by little, better behavior, little by little, by understanding, not by trying so hard to do, which is impossible. So the best thing in life is to understand the truth. Because understanding the truth cannot bring any sorrow or bad behavior or anything at all, but [since] understanding of the truth is not as it should be, so the behavior follows ignorance and attachment.

So the best thing in life is the moment of hearing about what is there and understanding the subtlety of what He said, as: what is there now is conditioned, no one can make seeing to arise, hearing to arise and anything to arise at all, but is there already by conditions, and ignorance and attachment take it for something, from time to time, from moment to moment in life, from eons and eons ago, and on and on, it's still there, ignorance of the truth of what is now appearing. That's why hearing just to know the deep conditions for any behavior, the accumulation of such and such, uncontrollable because it's there already. But right understanding begins to understand and to develop the understanding that only understanding can condition the moment of realization of the truth of what is there, which is so very subtle, but it can be, from moment to moment, understanding it a little better, like absorbing the understanding in order to clean up the accumulation of unwholesomeness, so much, incomparable at all, how much it is.

So even at this moment it does not show up, but when words and speech and deeds are there, it can be understood that what condition that, not me, because one tries to be good. But what conditions such unwholesome moments, unwholesome behavior, unwholesome speech and deeds? By conditions. So the point is: in order to try to have less, there must be more understanding of the truth, and that is the only way. Because pañña, right understanding, does not hurt, it brings more understanding, leading into more wholesome moments in life, until the realization of the truth, which is now, as deep as it is, will be revealed by pañña, it appears well. So even just the word well it's very subtle too. Because it seems like [that] whatever seems clear, no understanding of the truth. How can it be clear? It just passes [away] on and on, never staying at all, gone every moment, unknown, and that is the truth. So, does it appear well, as it is? So, what is meant by appears well? [it] means: pañña understands it. So it appears as it is, little by little, until the truth is there, to be realized, any time, by conditions. And this is the subtlety of the fourth noble truth, the path leading to understand what is there now, as it is. Because the first truth is the arising and falling away, the impermanence of reality, but it's not now, because it doesn't seem that everything is arising and falling away at all, it's there all the time!

So, to consider the truth and the conditions for it and understanding that ignorance cannot condition the good behavior at all, only the wholesome realities which develop little by little, from moment to moment, until pañña is there. Sotapanna does not kill, sotapanna does not do wrong deeds, because sotapanna has no doubt about what is there at all. So, how can there be killing? Because the understanding of whatever is there is conditioned by many many conditions, including kamma too. So why do we kill? That person has conditions to be such and such, wholesome or unwholesome, pleasant feeling, pleasant situation or unpleasant situation, by conditions. Just to have metta, that anyone who does wrong and has such and such behavior, by conditions. So the best is, at that very moment, not having one's own citta to be unwholesome, but to be kind, to have compassion, to help because this is the best thing in life, helping the others to understand the truth, otherwise, no matter one helps by way of many things, and it can just be satisfied for a very very short moment, and then gone. But the understanding of the truth can develop on and on, until one day it will appear as it is, that's no-I, even that moment of understanding or listening now, or seeing now, very natural.

That's why if it's not the understanding of what is there now, it's useless, no matter what word, it doesn't lead to understanding what is there, so what is the use? But from hearing and one understands the behavior, the good behavior or what is what, but the absolute truth, what is there? No one, only different realities, citta performs its function, cetasikas, each one performs its function. It arises by conditions to perform its function when it's nāma. Each nāma, that reality which can experience an object, experiences the object in different manners, by different functions.

So, no one, otherwise there must be ignorance and clinging on and on and on and on, endlessly, samsara goes on, can not get away from the world, from the way it is. The cycle of just seeing again hearing again thinking again eating again, doing anything again and again and again, and then gone. Even there's no thinking about that, even now, we don't think about the other things of just a moment ago, but we think about whatever, from now on, usually, and not understanding whatever, even thinking is conditioned to just think only of that, not [about] other subject or story at all. And this is life, so true, nobody can change the way, no one, but if they're unknown. Because of ignorance of the characteristic which appears takes it for something very permanent. I see my body, my hand, the others', the world, things around. Without seeing could there be anything like we are thinking of?

L. We're taking things out of visible object.

Su. And what is the absolute truth, shouldn't that be known, or just saying it?

L. If it is possible, by pañña only, and sati, it can know, not us.

Su. That's why pañña is not just the word, it represents a reality which understands the truth of what is there, according to conditions, very little or more, a little more, or strong enough to let go of the idea of self, not just by thinking, but by directly experiencing the truth, otherwise there cannot be the eradication of ignorance and wrong understanding. That's why from being a worldly person to be a sotapanna, not by the name but by the nature of pañña of that degree that can directly experience what is there, firstly from hearing about it, considering carefully about the truth, and that moment is no one, no disturbance because it's moment of understanding, but later on conditions were such and such realities, arising by conditions, and ignorance, still not understanding anything at all, but at moment of beginning to hear about the truth, that can be moment of considering that it's so true, even just that which is seen. If we don't think enough, we just pass on, okay, what is seen is the object of seeing and that's all, but actually it's not only that. It's there to be directly experienced, its truth too, otherwise one just believes, what about the understanding? But understanding is not believing, wrongly, but it understands the truth of it, and there are many like we say, cetasikas performing their function at that very moment, considering and so on, and vitakka and so on, and they are working now, even right now, no one at all.

So we hear it again and again and again until it absorbs, like the akusala that oozes at once, three moments after seeing, but pañña develops in a different way, it just begins to think and understand and absorbs the truth, little by little, until no one can change the pañña which understands the truth, that it should be, it has to be, and it could be directly experienced. That's why hearing more, and at that moment no one, but different cetasikas, many many realities arising and falling away by conditions, that's all. Until, even right now, it's not me. Whatever in life, from the moment of waking up until falling fast asleep, by conditions, no one at all. And understanding can understand, and when it understands this it knows that as long as there is still ignorance and attachment, one cannot be a good guy. And the best is not just being good, more than that, with right understanding. And understanding changes the way that one used to live, [not] as before, because it understands, it knows what is there, what is wrong and what is right, what is wholesome and what is unwholesome. And it's not anyone at all, or anything. Only conditioned realities arising and falling away, like the fire, just keeps on [burning] by conditions, as long as there are conditions no one can stop it, each moment. And sometimes in Tipitaka it says that akusala is just like the fire, it burns, unknown.

And so when there is the understanding of the truth, pañña, right understanding, can understand the meaning of the word of the Buddha, very very subtle, talking about now, what is there. Because if we don't pay attention to this moment, it's gone. So, it doesn't matter, that which has gone, what about now? And now, and now, and now, and now. Until it appears as: it's arising and falling away, followed by other moments, different realities, by conditions. And this is life, from life to life, depending on conditions, to be such and such, that we take for person or behavior.


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Video image: Kurunga Miga Jātaka #206, (Bharhut)