It is ariya sacca dhamma, very true, absolutely true

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[Sarah] Ann's having quite a difficult time, but if you would like to say anything that may be helpful for her then I'm sure she would be glad.

[A. Sujin] All are dhammas, see. As long as there is no understanding of the truth there are conditions for different dhammas to arise without understanding. And this is life, it keeps on, rolling on unknowingly all the time, endlessly. And we think that this moment's so true. But what is the absolute truth of it? No one there at all. Otherwise nothing could cure what is there as sufferings and so on because, actually, when there is the understanding of the truth of no one and no world because what it's meant: [there] is world only when it's there, conditioned to arise, to be something, but actually it's not there anymore. To consider whether this is true or not, this is the only way to understand whatever is there, in any situation. Just right now seeing sees, so, how can [what] is seen last or be someone or something because completely gone completely, absolutely, never to return at all. And when this is so true, the understanding courageous, the development of understanding about what is there, little by little. The truth is that no one has made it arise at all, it's there already no matter what, right now, through eyes ears nose tongue and body. Without all these doorways, how could anything appear? But even so, the mind is much more subtle than that. Even there is nothing appearing now, but there are conditions, which condition moment of experiencing because the arising of the reality which experiences is there. No one can make it arise, by conditions, all by conditions.

So today what is there it's conditioned, tomorrow the same, yesterday the same, any time, the same at all. So, only the understanding which begins to understand the absolute truth: no one at all. So, what is there? Beginning to attend [to] the truth of that which appears, usually to ignorance, not understanding it, but it appears, at moment of seeing is there, at moment of hearing is there, at the moment thinking is there, from moment to moment only that. And then where are they gone? Not to any place at all, but completely, absolutely no more at all. And the understanding of this begins to understand the truth that actually what is there is unavoidable. It is there already, to understand its truth as whether it's something, whether is there permanently or is there just when it's there. That's why just listen to understand the truth of whatever is, no matter here and now or where, to understand: no matter what it is, it is, a reality which can experience, and the other one is that which cannot experience, only that. Beginning to understand what is meant by nothing, from nothing then there is something, by conditions and then nothing again, never to be found at all as it has gone completely.

So just a moment is conditioned to be just that very moment and then gone, unexpectedly, depending on what is there, whether it is the attachment or ignorance or worry or what is there, it's gone. Because no one has made it to arise and no one can make it gone at all. That's why this is the way, whatever is now appearing and being so true, that it cannot be changed, but it depends on understanding, how much understanding of just each word which represents each reality that the Buddha has enlightened. For example, at the moment of hardness no world of sight, no world of smell, no world of thinking. It's only that, only that is the truth, so true. Hardness cannot be anything at all, but it's there, without any understanding because no words to condition the understanding of its nature as: how can it be anything? Whatever is there is as it is. Even just one word: as it is, no one no thing. It's hard, so it's just hard or hardness only, and it's gone. And who makes it arise to be the object? Impossible, it's there, but without that which are now experiencing, moment to moment, what is there? As they appear as something together, but the truth, the absolute truth is: no one there at all. And everything has to arise by conditions, sickness, wealth, poverty, or whatever that would be, by conditions, but no one there, just when it arises and falls away.

So, what about it? Gone! What is most precious in life, is to understand the truth of what is there because it's covered up, at moment of seeing hearing smelling tasting touching, being born and dying, all covered up. What about the truth of what is there now? Nothing at all because from nothing it's there, and then nothing again. That's why the word suññata goes together with anatta. In Tipitaka, always anatta and suññata, anatta and suññata, no one. Otherwise how could there be the letting go of the idea: it's so permanent, it's now permanent, it's there, always there, but actually no one can make it arise. So, it's there and the other moment is not the previous moment at all, different one, but they look like the same, all the time. That's why the reality which experiences and marks that which is seen, takes it for something so permanent, as shape and form, as being.

So, it depends on understanding the truth only, that there can be less and less dukkha, or worry or whatever is there, depending on how much understanding of the truth. As long as it is so pleasant, no one thinks about what is not permanent at all, not permanent at all, it's there, but when it's so pleasant no thought about it. That's why just listen because no one there, only right understanding studying, considering carefully about the absolute truth, that it can show up to pañña only, even right now it's arising and falling away. Otherwise the ariya sacca dhamma cannot be ariya sacca dhamma, but it is ariya: very, very true, absolutely. Sacca: the truth of what it is, as it is, like dukkha, that which arises and falls away, no matter what. So many things, it seems like we are still here, actually all are realities arising and falling away, until only this moment can be known. Otherwise it passes on without any understanding, as usual in samsara.

That's why seeing the subtlety of realities there can be the moment of not being careless to study each word and keep on the meaning of it that it cannot be changed, it, it is. The characteristic of that which is hard is there: hard, nobody can change it, nobody can make it to be different and it cannot be taken for anything because it's completely gone, unknowingly. And this is what is meant by right understanding of the truth of what is there now. It's real only when it's there, and then gone, no more at all, no matter there is still thought about wanting it to arise again, impossible, and what is meant by impossible? Each word is so true, that's why to be true to the truth, to be true to what is heard as it is, to develop the understanding that whatever is now is there as it is, but it's not known yet, that's all. So, any moment, gone without understanding. And there can be moment of beginning to study, to understand that what we are hearing now is just about what is there in split second, just one very very short and then gone.

So, how can it be known? Until pañña is there, enough, little by little, to understand what we are talking about, about the truth of what is there. And even just the word "it is seen" it's not clear yet because it's only the word, while the reality arises and falls away. No idea, no understanding, until hearing about the truth and then beginning to just understand the truth, no one. Not trying to change it, not trying to have it more, not trying to... these are all wrong because that is done by ignorance, still taking it for "I can do" or something like that.

So, it's just still very very subtle and it's a very very long way because it has to be right understanding of the truth, as now: no one, but that seeing arises and sees, that seen arises and is seen. Otherwise how could there be what we take for the world, the life and everything? Just all gone, the breaking world, each moment. That is the way to understand the truth, little by little, until it is so very firm, implanted as no one. This is the main Teachings of the truth: no one at all, only that which is so very short, right now, everything. It doesn't matter at all, because it's no one who is listening, it's right understanding, which develops, to see the truth that actually what is there now cannot be taken for anything because in the absolute sense it's gone completely, never to return at all. Each moment, so natural, as normal, as it's conditioned, otherwise there cannot be the understanding of what is there as accumulated, eons and eons ago, ready to arise, to appear, and then gone, again and again. This is the only way to get familiar with the nature of that which is now appearing, little little, by conditions. And there can be a little more understanding, until then [when] that has been accumulated, strong enough, to appear to that level of pañña, which understands. It's useless for anything to appear to ignorance, even just right now, exactly the same, but when it appears to right understanding it's impossible not to understand the truth because right understanding develops little by little, until at that very moment, by conditions, anatta and then suññata, no more, little by little in life, no one there at all, just the way it is.

And this is the Teaching to understand what is there now as it is, as it is, no one. It's hard, it sees, it likes, it thinks and so on. Many things, many many things are hidden, [from] long long time ago, so how cam it appear without any understanding? For example, the reality which now is memory and marks what is there, it's there already, it's gone already, it's not understood as it is already, that it is no one and [that] there is no way just by ignorance to understanding it, it has to be understanding, just beginning to wash away, to wear away, little by little. That is the function of understanding because when it understands, how can it become ignorance of that which is understood? Impossible. For example right now, the understanding of: to understand the truth it is only the moment of hearing about what is there as it is, little by little. Otherwise the self is there, the memory and the feeling and so on, the five khandhas, are there, trying to do something. So, what is the understanding of the words of truth about it? It's there, okay is there now, what is it? Who made it arise? No one at all.

So the truth is so true all the time, the truth is the truth anytime. All depends on the hearing wisely, considering wisely, until it's so firm and more and more firm confidence of the truth of: what is there is the only thing that can be known as it is, which is not self, which is not self: as it is. So, it's so very short very quick, when it's there and then gone, but it's so different from moment like now when there is just no awareness, no attention to its nature at all, but it's there now, to be that which proves how much understanding or ignorance is there. That's why just understanding that: what is there is the only moment and [the] only truth that can be known, only when it's there, can condition moment of leading, little by little, and nearer and nearer, to understand that we are talking about that which is now appearing.

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Video image: Detail of Northern Gate pillar, Sanchi Great Stupa