Nimitta, the shape and form of that which arises and falls away

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[Roti] I have a question, does nimitta arise and fall?

[A. Sujin] What is nimitta, again? Without the reality which is conditioned to arise, nobody can stop the arising of that particular one because it has arisen by conditions, but since there's no understanding of conditions and [of] the reality which is conditioned to arise and then falls away, without that could there be nimitta? And if there was no reality which can experience could there be nimitta? So nimitta is not real, but it's the shape and form of that which arises and falls away so very rapidly, so it appears as something, like now: seeing is there, appears as seeing, what is seen is there, appears as what is seen, but in truth the seeing which is seeing now it's not just only a single moment, one single moment is impossible. So it sees, no one knows the moments, the processes of seeing and [of] the mind door and the bhavangas in between, until it appears as: it sees something, not only that which is seen.

Some people use the word color, it doesn't matter at all what word is used, but that can be seen and when it's just a single moment of seeing it cannot appear, what is seen cannot appear as things with shape and form at all. That's why without that which experiences it as shape and form what we say for shape and form is nimitta of seeing, of hearing, of that which is seen. Because for the seeing itself, even it performs the function of seeing, but there are many different conditions for that very single moment of seeing, for the old aged, for the young one, for the baby and so on. That's why only by conditions appears as: I cannot see as clear as before, see. But seeing performs the function of seeing, but the nimitta of that, which is different from when one was young and so on, that's why nimitta is the idea, taking that which appears as something. Even the enlightened one, a sotapanna, sakadagami... or even an arahatta cannot change the way it is, the way nimitta is, to be seen, to be heard and so on, but no doubts, no suspicion about what is there at all because right understanding begins and develops on and on until the truth reveals [itself], appears well to the highly developed pañña, so we can understand that even pañña has many different degrees. And it is pañña at moment of being aware of what is there with understanding, otherwise someone might [just] repeat, remember, memorize the words, but no understanding of what is there.

[Roti] So that means that nimitta is a concept, right?

[A. Sujin] Because it is experienced by a reality, citta and cetasikas, which sees and then after that the idea is there to the citta and cetasika, after seeing.

[Roti] So is it a concept, nimitta? Yes, because it's not a reality, right?

[A. Sujin] That's why we understand each word like: there must be realities and the arising and falling away of the realities is so very rapid. That's why what appears is the nimitta of a reality or the idea of it. For example, what appears is different, right now. And then the idea which marks and remembers it, making known of something there as leaves or flower or stem... That is the concept, made known as something, it makes known as it is something, that is paññatti. That's why there must be reality and then nimitta and then paññatti. Does a snake, a bird, have nimitta and paññatti?

[Roti] No, no nimitta and paññatti.

[A. Sujin] [If] so he couldn't live, he wouldn't know what is what: the worm or the food would not [be] known. But there are two kinds of paññatti, attha paññatti: even there's no word, but it's known from experiencing shape and form and remembering it as something, making it known as a worm or something, that is paññatti, it is attha, the meaning of that nimitta. Another paññatti is sadda and sadda is the sound of the voice. That's why we understand by the sound of the voice. When we talk about "citta", it is sadda paññatti. In Pali it is sadda paññatti, but in the other languages it depends on what word is there [to] represent that reality. That's why no matter we talk about whether it's the nimitta of the reality or just what we take for something, it doesn't matter. But the fact is that there are two kinds, mainly, one is the attha paññatti, no word: the bird cannot talk, he cannot teach his babies :) to understand what it's what, but by way of nimitta, he knows, made known by that appearance as maybe talking or learning to understand what is there as it is. Like babies, the same, see, newly born baby: there is seeing and there is nimitta, there is no word, but little by little it takes the meaning from that, to be parents, mother or father or whatever is there.

So, concept is that which citta... at moment when citta knows what is there as something: shape and form and things, concept of that reality, from the nimitta of the succession of the arising and falling away of a reality. And then we have to use words too. Birds have their own, I don't know like persons or not, but it has his own voice of sound, snakes too, when one is there we can hear the sound from him, no words, but there can be paññatti and nimitta of that sound, so that one can be frightened hearing that sound. That's why there are two kinds, main kinds, the attha, understanding what it means, [the] concept about it. And sound, even there's no seeing, as soon as one hears some words, there can be the understanding of the meaning of those words, sadda paññatti. So reality and its rapid arising and falling away conditions nimitta, and the paññatti takes that nimitta for something [to be] known as bird or cat, food or shoes.

That's why the Tathagata has come to realize the truth of what is there now, from moment to moment, as it is: as no thing, no one because everything which has arisen has gone completely, never to arise again in samsara, not just only in this life or today. Otherwise, without the clear comprehension of the truth, it's impossible to let go of ignorance and attachment to whatever is there now appearing. So the path is the path of pañña, with khanti, sacca, viriya, adhitthana, confidence, and nekkhama, letting go of ignorance stage by stage. And it does not disturb in the daily life at all, if one has a very pleasant moment, it's true, but [with] pañña, if no understanding it's avijja, but even [if] it's there, right understanding develops to understand the truth, someone will say: I would like not to have desire or attachment at all, just liking that way, see. Attachment is there already, unknown.

That's why only pañña, a reality, new life, new accumulation, different ones from lives in the past in eons ago and even from now to the future too. How long? Who knows, all depends on conditions. To understand: what is best in this life or any life is the understanding of the truth because no matter one would like to live this way of that way, it has to come to its end, not by one's will but by conditions, kamma, which conditions how long this life will last. And there are so many different conditions too, for everything. And who can count what is there in a day? It's only the arising falling away of dhammas, uncountable. Only that, only that. To understand the truth is the best thing because it doesn't hurt at all, but it conditions moments of less and less dukkha, unpleasant feeling or whatever is there, even one is so rich, but there can be understanding that it's only in this life and it's not now because there is only seeing for everyone, no matter who that person is, rich or poor, the same. That can condition more metta, to be friendly to all living [beings].

That's why the Teachings of the Buddha can be studied at any time, of any reality, which is now, to understand better and better, clearer and clearer as no one there. To condition moment of direct understanding of what is there just right now, very natural, by conditions, unexpectedly all the time.