Nimitta, because it does not appear as it is

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Updated: 2021-12-26

[Sarah] Tadao was just bringing up the topic of nimitta, Ajahn...

[A. Sujin] In order to understand what's meant by nimitta we have to talk about the truth of this very moment. If nothing arises at all, could there be any nimitta? In order to understand what is meant by nimitta, nimitta of what? Of that which is now appearing. Why is it nimitta? Because it does not appear as it is, because it arises and falls away in split second. How could that be now appearing as it is? So very rapidly, from one moment to another moment, different functions. And even right now, as much as we can understand, it's the nimitta of that which experiences an object.

It's different from the nimitta of that which is there but cannot experience anything at all. Just learn to understand the difference between the two kinds of nimitta: the nimitta of that which experiences: seeing sees, many many moments arising and falling away, unknown, so it is the nimitta of seeing. When we talk about that which experiences visible object which is now appearing there must be the reality which experience that, not only one single moment, so many many moments now. So it covers up the truth that it's now just arising and falling away instantly, never to arise again. What appears is only the succession of the many experiencing, different kinds of citta, but what appears is only seeing, the citta which arises before seeing does not appear, the citta which follows seeing does not appear. Many cittas, many different realities which experience the object by different functions, different characteristic, unknown because they do not appear.

What is now appearing is only nimitta of seeing, but not one single moment of seeing. That's why the truth is that whatever is conditioned to arise falls away instantly. That's why the Buddha has come, from eons and eons of accumulation of ignorance, to realize the truth of this very moment, that the truth is that seeing is one single moment and there are many moments of that which can experience an object which we call it citta. But they do not appear at all in life, what appears is only seeing hearing smelling tasting touching. So this is nimitta of that which can experience an object. So we begin to understand what is meant by nimitta: it's that which is not there, but the succession of the arising and falling away is so rapid. So what appears seems like there is seeing all the time, [even] right now. But in truth no single moment of seeing at all, only the nimitta of the succession of seeing is now appearing, as [if] there is seeing [all the time], but actually there are many moments of seeing.

This is the nimitta of one characteristic of a reality which arises to experience visible object. At any time it is only the nimitta of that which arises to experience visible object, so we call it 'I see' or seeing, the nimitta of nama (that which experiences). But there is not just one kind of the reality which experiences an object, there are so many kinds of that which experiences object. One single moment is different from any other moment in the past or in the future: only once in samsara. So now, no one at all, only the nimitta of seeing which arises to see what is seen, that's all. And what is seen? So many moments of the reality which arises and falls away as nimitta of that which is seen as something, not only one single dot of that which impinges on the eye-base.

So, actually, there's no one and no thing because what is there is not there anymore, so very rapid, unknown because right understanding is not enough to understand that seeing is not 'I see', but the truth is that: it is real, it's a reality, it is conditioned to arise to see, that's all, to experience an object. So in life, no matter what life, no one at all. And the word no one, what does it mean? No one can imagine. No one, what does it mean? Not anything appearing together, only one reality appears, so it appears clearly because the other reality does not arise and appear like now, together with seeing or [with] that which is seen.

So one lives in the world of nimitta, not understanding the truth of a very very subtle reality conditioned to arise and fall away secretly, unknowingly all the time. That's why the Buddha has come to understand, to realize the truth of this moment as no one and no thing, only the nimitta of rupa, nimitta of vedana, nimitta of sañña, nimitta of sankhara, nimitta of viññana khandha. All appear as nimitta of one reality, like seeing now is the nimitta of seeing and the rupa which is seen is the nimitta of that, not just one dot, many many dots, so it appears as that which is seen before it is taken for things, people.

So, in reality, do you see Khun Nina now? or what is seen? Or is there Khun Nina? In truth. Otherwise there must be something or someone, but when we hear about: there is no one and no thing, what does it mean? It's the absolute truth because it's not there anymore, what is seen is gone and the seeing is gone, each moment, nothing's left. So actually can there be anyone or anything? What appears is only the nimitta of the succession of what arises and falls away so very rapidly, that's all. Even right now, seeing now is not seeing of a moment ago, that which is [being] seen is not the one which you've seen a moment ago.

From moment to moment in samsara, in life, past, present and future, exactly the same, in darkness. Whatever is there arising and falling away is not known, so it's not in light, but in darkness of ignorance, until the Tathāgata has come to realize the truth. So each word of him is the true word about reality, never change. We can prove what is there now, even while there's seeing there is thinking in between and there can be hearing in between, but seeing doesn't appear as it's gone at moment of hearing and thinking because of the nimitta of seeing. Is that not true?

[Tadao] I cannot see the difference between seeing and the nimitta of seeing, how do they differ from each other?

[A. Sujin] Seeing is a moment of performing the function of seeing the object clearly, while the other realities, cetasikas, which arise with seeing do not experience the object as clearly as citta, as the seeing itself. That's why it is seeing, it's not the citta which arises before seeing. The citta which arises before seeing does not perform the function of seeing, but it does not appear, it's only the nimitta of the experiencing and when it is moment of seeing right now, the cittas before seeing and after seeing arise and fall away in split second, the same as seeing, but they do not appear.

So it's the nimitta of the reality which experiences the object, but no matter when and where seeing arises just to see, never changes its function. And the other cittas arising before or after it never change their function either. Each moment, each reality is conditioned just to arise as different characteristics and different function and then's gone, never to return. But what appears is only nimitta and when we talk about the reality which experiences an object: now seeing sees, it experiences visible object, that can be known now. But there cannot be just one single moment of seeing, there must be other moments to condition seeing to arise: without the pañcadvārāvajjana, the adverting consciousness to the rupa which impinges on the eye base, seeing cannot arise, but it's not the moment which adverts into the object: it sees after the adverting consciousness has fallen away. It conditions the next moment to experience by seeing, only one moment and then the other moment does not see, it is conditioned to arise after seeing, it experiences the same object as seeing, but it does not perform the function of seeing, it performs the function of receiving [sampaticchana] the object which is experienced by seeing because the object which impinges on the eye-base hasn't fallen away yet.

So, how can the other object be the object while that is impinging on the eye base and hasn't fallen away? But the function, the reality which arises after seeing does not appear at all. That's why the nimitta of the experiencing of visible object is now appearing, only the nimitta of the reality which experiences an object, the same object. And there can be thinking, by then, there can be the understanding that thinking is not moment of seeing, it thinks about other objects. But before it can arise the process of seeing has to end up, otherwise there could not be other moment of experiencing another object. And there must be bhavanga in between, life continuum, it's not the moment of death yet. So now nothing appears in a day, only seeing hearing smelling tasting touching thinking, that's all.

So, these are many many moments of process experiencing different objects, so what appears is only the nimitta of that which arises and falls away, experiencing an object through different doorways, not only one single moment of citta or [of] experiencing an object. So the point is that after hearing the considering of what was heard and considering whether it's right or wrong, true or not, to be truthful to the truth, sacca parami is needed, otherwise it's not truthful to the truth, so it goes astray by thinking and considering by one's own thought. But it cannot change the truth at all, nothing can change the truth, no matter who knows it or not.

The moment of thinking is not the moment of seeing, but since they arise in succession, so very rapidly, it does not show up as: this is not seeing it's only thinking. Because it's the nimitta of that which can experience an object. So the object is different, but the characteristic which can experience the object is the same, but with different characteristic of citta, it experiences the object by way of seeing, it experiences the object by way of hearing and so on, in a day that's all. So what are the nimittas of what are there in a day? I and seeing all the time, right or wrong? True or not? If there's no understanding of the truth one just lives in ignorance and nimitta, taking that which appears as permanent, until the changing, happenings, different ways of life in a day, or accidents and different things. But who knows that it changes each moment, by conditions? The conditions condition the arising, as soon as it has arisen it falls away, the end of conditions. [It's] just conditioned to arise, that's all, and then it has to fall away.

[Tadao] Yes, thank you very much, very clear.

[A. Sujin] Without thinking, can it be something or it's just that which is seen? [And] for the baby? The newly born baby sees but does not know what is seen at all, hears [but] no understanding of the meaning of the sound, [of] the voice which is heard, |no| not enough conditions yet. That's why very few moments of experiencing any object, without understanding one takes it for something permanent. So, in order to let go wrong understanding and ignorance, it has to be the right understanding of what is there as it is, otherwise I and things must be there as usual, but when there is the understanding of each different ones, each one cannot be taken for anything at all.

Seeing is seeing, no matter who or when or where or what, seeing is conditioned to arise, it needs the eye-base and the visible object and the other conditions to condition moments of: seeing has to arise and then fall away right now. And this is what is meant by Tathāgata, the Buddha, the One who has come to realize the truth of what is there as it is, which was not known at all before. But after hearing the truth it's time to understand whether it's true or not. Where am I, is there I? Seeing sees and then falls away instantly and hearing just arises after hearing sound and then falls away instantly. So how can that be I or something? Only the succession of the reality, so very rapidly. It's just like the magician playing tricks, to be seen [as] something which is not as it is. [At] moment of seeing that, is not what it is at all, it's only the shadow or the nimitta of that which arises and falls away.

Video image: Detail of the Northern gate pillar, Sanchi