No matter what it is, it's dhamma for sure




(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 there is also sound and other realities too. So at any moment it can be moment of understanding. And it saves time from thinking just about pain, to understand that actually pain is a reality while the other is also a reality different from pain. Is it not the best moment to understand what is there, anytime anywhere? Otherwise pain must always be object of attachment as 'my pain' or 'I feel pain'. Without the right words from the Buddha, who can have such moment of understanding the truth, that very moment, as just a reality, conditioned. No choice to have such understanding at such and such time, all depends on conditions, so it can be this moment too.

That's why when we learn about the truth of no self and it's so very well implanted in the mind, at any time it can be condition of understanding instead of just crying or disliking. The best moment in life is understanding what is there as it is, but there are conditions to forget about the truth, all the time, by conditions, that's why just hearing more considering more, no matter now, it can be condition for understanding, little by little, and at the moment of understanding there's no pain, it saves from having pain all the time or more. Is there any understanding now? That moment is not painful at all. And by conditions this can happen any time when conditions are ready to understand whatever is there.

So this is moment of developing understanding, little by little too. From the unexpected reality, there can be pain or there can be no pain anymore, who knows? And this is the absolute truth, it is the four noble truths too, because it can condition less attachment, less ignorance and more understanding, until ignorance is completely eradicated, never to arise again. So, any time can be moment of understanding what is there, when there's enough understanding of the truth.

Su. How are you khun Neelapa now?

V. Khun Nina is happy now. :)

Su. It's the best medicine, understanding the truth. Does one have some pain? What about that which is not feeling pain, but it's so very dangerous? Is there any pain at all now? Even there is no pain, is there anything worse than pain? More dangerous... unkown danger.

V. Akusala is worst.

Su. Yes, and what is the worst... of akusala?

V. Moha. [ignorance]

Su. Yes... not understanding what is there, even it can be known or directly experienced, its truth. And it's the core of all trouble of the world. Even right now, the āsava, attachment to what is seen, sensuous object, and the idea of self, clinging to being too, unknown, is it not dangerous? Because it conditions life to go on and on and on, non-stop, to be moment of pain right now too. I thought that Khun Neelapa asked as Khun Sarah just said, it means that at that moment there's some understanding, no pain right then. So it's the pleasant moment with understanding, understanding what is there as it is, little by little, as not self or anything, and it's gone completely. If one has no understanding of the danger of life which keeps on non-stop, from moment to moment, is it dangerous or not dangerous at all? Just to arise, and falls away. The danger of being attached to that, just clinging to it, wanting it, not enough, from moment to moment, no more, and that is samsara.

This life is not so difficult for someone and for the other's different. That's why no one can have choice to live in such and such way at all, all by conditions. For someone the difficulty of life hasn't come yet, but who knows when it will come? How great it will be? Unbearable? So the best thing is to prepare the medicine for it, no matter what kind of disease it will be. It seems like all of us are not sick yet, but actually, is it true? Lobha dosa moha and all other akusala. Is it pleasant? Someone will say that lobha is so very pleasant, but where is it now? So very short and then gone, and what is left is just clinging to that object, any object which is experienced from time to time, more and more. And understanding the truth doesn't hurt anyone at all, so just listen and try to consider the truth, and have conditions for understanding, that's all in one's life, and understanding works its way.

So we can talk about anything to have more understanding of the nature of it as no one and no thing at all, to condition more understanding, and understanding will work its way. It doesn't mean to force oneself to have more understanding, but to understand the preciousness of understanding, that it's the best thing in life, but it's not there as much yet, but it can develop little by little, accumulated. So the truth is that no matter what is there, very temporary, just aniccam dukkham and anattam, even right now. That's why the more we talk about what is there, it can bring about or condition understanding of the truth, little by little not me who understands, no I who understand, it's the reality which can understand what is there, taught by the Buddha. Just to learn about the truth, to understand and have more confidence of the truth, that's all. And that is the very very subtle path leading to understanding, to let go no matter what is there now.

So we can talk more about what is there now, little by little, to understand it, that's all. Is there any wish or hope [for] more than this? Right understanding has to understand it, what is that? Attachment to the self. That's why the path leads to detachment, to let go the idea of self which is so very subtle, because when there is wrong understanding, one might think that one has to do many many things, trying so hard, but that is wrong, that is motivated by the idea of self, very strong idea. And the other way cannot be as subtle as the way to understand what is there now, which will lead to enlightening the truth of it, no one, it's not "I'm understanding what is there now" anymore. And that is the beginning to understand how much difference [there is] between the wrong path and the right path. The right path is understanding the truth, only that, and the wrong path that I try to do so many things to get it. That's why we can talk about reality, any word, because each word of the Buddha taught to understand the truth of what is there now. So now, would anyone like to do, or have anything to talk about? Anything, because no matter what it is, it's dhamma for sure.

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