Satipatthāna, a very short rest on one's island before being flooded again by conditions

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 at this moment.

Su. Yes, because you see that there is seeing, but what is seeing while it sees, there is seeing right now and what is that which sees, it sees even now. If there's no words about it, it's impossible to know that which arises just to experience that which is there which is seen, that's all. That's all.

No one no thing at all, only a moment of seeing, because seeing can be just only seeing. And when that is always forgotten in a day, how can it be object of understanding of its truth? And in order to understand the truth of it it has to be at this very moment, when it's there. Just to understand seeing, it has to be at moment when it is there, seeing. In Tipitaka, [it's] all about seeing hearings smelling, they're all very natural, very daily, just like now, just to be reminded [that] what can be known is that which is now appearing. If we don't talk about it on and on, on and off, on and off again, how can there be a moment of attending to that which is now appearing, to understand it. Just a moment different from hearing. Who arranged that? No one at all, it's there already, that's why we understand about conditions.

For example, right now, if we don't talk about that which is now appearing, how can there be a little more understanding of the truth of it, when it's not there? And even we talk about seeing so much, or the Buddha talked about seeing a lot, asking the person who went to see him about seeing, but he still [did] not understand seeing because he [had] not yet right conditions to understand, not enough understanding of it. And the path to understand seeing is so very subtle. Hearing about understanding, that it understands that which is now appearing, even it's so very short, but it's very very difficult and very very deep. Even just thinking about wanting, trying to now, it sees, develop the understanding, that it's not the right path. Because that is intention to be aware, trying to understand it, so it cannot be that right path because the eightfold path doesn't include intention or cetana. So, only understanding it, that's all, and then hear it again and understand it a little bit, that's all, otherwise the I is there, trying, just trying, to know or to understand it, even just very little.

We have learned about sankhara khandha, cetasikas, they are now arising and performing their functions, no I who can do anything at all, but each moment of hearing, considering: "all dhammas, sankhara khandha, are performing their functions". So the result is that: just understand and let go. Even the word letting go has to be wisely considered, otherwise 'let go' means "I let go", "you let go", "do let go", but actually, only the understanding which arose at that moment performed that function already. So, how subtle each reality is, that's why there has to be very careful considering about the truth of each word, to understand what is right and what is wrong. Because understanding, letting go, includes letting go "I understand" or "I know". Letting go wrong understanding of any reality in life, no more, that's why it has to be daily life and just so very natural. Who is hearing right now? Who is thinking right now? Who is considering right now? Before there can be the understanding of "actually, it's in a moment, no one" it takes time... To be true to the truth.

That's why the understanding of no one can get away from dhamma here, it's there all the time, unknown as dhamma. Thinking that we live in the world, in different ways, streets, houses, things around, but actually it's only a moment of experiencing an object by conditions. So listen more to the truth of each reality, just in order to have more confidence of: no one no thing no I no self, that's all. Otherwise what's the use of just listening more, hearing more and clinging more to what 'I' have learned, as I.

So hearing about seeing, attachment, anger, like or dislike, is just to understand its nature as no me, no I, it's there as it is and then gone, by conditions. It's not there anymore in samsara. For example, talking about seeing right now, it's not the seeing [of] just a moment ago at all. And this understanding is letting go naturally, by itself, at moment of understanding it, little by little, that this seeing is not the seeing of just a moment ago. Right understanding works its way very very slowly because it has to go against the current of ignorance and attachment to the idea of self. That's why listening to "seeing's now, seeing's now" can condition moment of directly beginning to study the characteristic which experiences an object which is seen. And this is the truth of all realities, even right now. And pañña only can penetrate the truth which is now arising and falling away, instantly all the time. And this understanding can understand that this moment is not there anymore. Because each reality arises and falls away in split second.

When there is the understanding of the reality which experiences an object, no doubt [about] whether it is seeing, hearing, thinking, smelling, like or dislike, but different characteristics, not the same one either. And this is life, just a moment, rolling on and on and on so very rapidly, non-stop. No end when there's still the cause for its arising.

And the understanding of this very moment is not lost, it's there, accumulated, depending on how much it is, how slow it is, but it's there, waiting for the fertilizer for it to grow at moment of hearing, again and again, the beautiful words of the Teachings of the Buddha, no matter in what sutta, it includes Abhidhamma, too. And that is the way for pañña to understand the truth, just listen to the wise word, to the word of truth, carefully, wisely, until there's more understanding, which is not-me or no-me, this should be implanted in the mind, no-me.

So read anything, listen to anything with the understandings of not-me. But this is only the intellectual understanding, very skillful, little by little, to let go of what is wrong path and what is right path. Otherwise, the Buddha wouldn't have taught about the wrong path, too. Because it's easy to go wrong without any understanding and taking it for the right path. Because of ignorance. And only the right path can let go of the wrong path, ignorance can be less when there's understanding only.

So, pañña develops on to understand the true nature of that which experiences an object, not the object which appears. Especially: anytime by conditions, it means that: less being enslaved to ignorance and attachment as much as before. And reality, when it's time, can condition such, without thinking before, no expectation, so one knows this is the right path, it works its way up to that very moment.

Tam B. Can you say it again, Ajahn...

Su. At moment when [an] unexpected nature [is] appearing, because now we're talking about that which experiences, it doesn't show up, while it's now experiencing, no one no thing. So, this moment of understanding [is] developing, until there can be more confidence because of what is there when the time has come, when the conditions are ready, so unexpectedly.

So, one realizes: this is the real path, the only one path, true path, to have such understanding arising at that moment with such object, unexpectedly. That's why we can understand what is meant by island when we talk about satipatthāna.

T. what is meant by island?

Su. Not under the water anymore, or surrounded by water, but there is the island, when one is there. When you're swimming and there is no land at all, only water, but you know that there can be an island there, to get [you] away from the water, when you get there, right? The island. Just resting for a while when one is there :) very shortly, and then being flooded again and again and again, by conditions.

Video image: Railing detail, Sanchi stupa #2