Dhamma with Ajahn Sujin

[Azita] I don't quite understand how nimitta (sign, image) of sañña (memory) works, could you explain, please? [A. Sujin] And what about nimitta of visible object? Nimitta of seeing? Is nimitta different? Or nimitta has to be nimitta. And so what is meant by nimitta? One knows from hearing that citta arises and falls away in split second, what does it mean? It arises to experience an object. That's why there are so many things when citta experiences it one by one so very rapidly that it seems that everything is there, right? Thinking just about it. So just one moment of experiencing an object, can it appear as it is, no thing no one? [A] No, it's too fast. [Su] That's why beginning to understand what is meant by nimitta. Can just one single moment of seeing be known? [A] No [Su] But now, no counting, it's there! But what have we learned from the enlightenment of the Buddha? Whatever is there is not permanent at all. It seems like it's there for ...

(Transcript and video by Alan available here - Suitable for beginners) Sundara: You just mentioned then, Acharn, the fire on the head, can you elaborate a little bit on that, please? A. Sujin: Because now it's there, who knows? It's called fire, but when it's dosa (aversion) it's hot fire. Fire means that if there is no fire, no disturb(ance), but when it's there, one is so disturbed. When there's no attachment, no wish, no clinging, no craving for anything, it's better than just wanting and trying so hard to have it, That's why when it's completely absolutely eradicated, so cool, in the sense that it doesn't hurt like fire on the head. Is[n't] lobha (attachment), dosa (aversion), moha (ignorance) comparable to the danger of fire? It destroys, doesn't bring anything wholesome. Because of ignorance, there is attachment and when there is ignorance and attachment it can condition dosa (aversion), the three roots. Otherwise one will ...

(Suitable for beginners) - Vincent: Yaya still insists on the question about, for example, it should be different if we sit on a chair or we sit on the water. A. Sujin: Does seeing sit on the chair? Y. No. Su. So, what sits on the chair? Y. The kaya, the body. Su. Okay, does it arise? Y. I think yes, the body arises. Su. Does it sit? Y. I think so, the body sits. Su. As long as there is the idea of something there must be the story of such shape and form, legs and arms, sitting and walking and so on, but actually, can there be anything we take for what we call a chair or someone sitting on the chair. So what is the actual reality of what we call body? Y. The body is composed of different rupas. Su. What is a rupa? Y. It's basically the four principal elements. Su. One by one, please, just only one at a time, a characteristic. Y. Right, the body, the rupa, different rupas, she picked the eye sense. Su. So, the eye sense is the body? Does the bod...

(Suitable for beginners) - Nina: Ajahn, we were talking about nimitta, is it a reality or is it the dream world and not a reality, so we can never hear enough about nimitta. I understand this is the nimitta of each of the five khandhas, so that means it's not imagination, it means it's about reality. A. Sujin: Yes, but when we understand the arising of a reality, for example, that which now experiences, there is seeing right now, but what about [the] moment before seeing? It's not seeing, but there must be that which experiences, for sure, as soon as there's birth there must be moment of experiencing an object, from moment to moment, just one moment at a time, right? So how can anyone directly experience just one moment as it's arising and falling away? Even right now, it seems like there is seeing, many many moments, uncountable, it doesn't seem that it has gone at all, even just one, so what appears is the nimitta, the rapidity of the succession of a...

Giao: Ajahn, my question is, should we begin with the seeing hearing smelling or we can begin with other realities like citta and cetasikas? Thank you. A. Sujin: No rules at all, right? Because each moment is conditioned. Before there can be thinking about it, for this and that to arise, it's already there. So, no rule for anything to condition its arising. Can anyone set any rule to bring it about right now? To think this way or that way, because it hasn't arisen yet. Listen to the truth of that which is now appearing just to understand that, to be true to that reality, [there] is no understanding of the truth of it at all. So, just listen to understand a little bit more, to understand it better and better, little by little, about its truth. For example, what is there? Just one reality at a time, please, it can be anything, as example. So, can we talk just about one reality now at a time, which is now appearing. Anything. G. Yes, Ajahn, please begin with the seeing ...

(Suitable for beginners) - Vincent: Khun Neelapa is sharing that although I have been studing the Dhamma for a while but still when the pain arises I still think about 'me', 'my' painful feeling and I am annoyed by that dukkha vedana. A. Sujin: Yes, but where is the pain now at moment of seeing? Is there pain? V. At the moment of seeing the dukkha vedana is still there. Su. No seeing at all? V. Because the citta changes so fast, so even at the moment of seeing and then right after that the painful feeling just takes over. Su. That's why it's time to begin to understand the difference between the seeing and the pain. Otherwise there must be just only pain, but actually there is not only pain. That's why no matter what is there, pain or no pain, right understanding can begin to develop. Otherwise there must be only the thought of pain is so painful and it's my pain. At moment of hearing, even pain is still there, it seems, but actually th...