Dhamma with Ajahn Sujin

[Little Hang] In vipassana if citta has concept as object then pañña can understand that it's not a reality, but samatha cannot distinguish between concept and reality... [A. Sujin] So at the moment of vipassana how strong pañña is there that it can understand what is there as it is. Even from the very beginning to the end, clearer and clearer and clearer, understanding the reality right now as it is, right now or anytime when it's strong enough, developed enough to realize the truth of what is there as no one. Otherwise it cannot be vipassana, the degree of understanding at level of vipassana, when there is still I or not understanding the truth as no one there at all. So, vipassana is not just being aware and beginning to develop the understanding of that as it is, but it is moment of unexpectedly realizing the nature which is not self, so clearly, beyond expectation, that's why it is vi-passana, clear comprehension or clearness of pañña, which understands the...

[Jotika] So Ajahn, there is the feeling of the heart beating... [A. Sujin] Execuse me, what [is that] you take for heart beating? Is there something that you take for heart beating? [Jotika] The movement in the body... [A. Sujin] There must be a rupa, right? It cannot experience, but it's soft or hard. So, when it moves, at that moment, is it real that which moves? So, what is the beating, again? Because when you talk about that which moves there must be a reality, right? If it's not there how can there be the idea that it moves? So, there must be a reality and that['s what] moves, no one and no thing at all, no heart because it's only the moving, that which moves. And that which moves cannot experience anything, it moves when it appears and when there's no moving the moving does not appear, the other reality appears, when you touch it is hard, but when it moves, without that which impinges on the body base, can it appear as something moving? Or, where ...

[Chanti] They say the Buddha said if you have faith and confidence in my Teachings you should go to the places where I was born, where I was enlightened, etc, and was interpreted as the Buddha really said you should go, and if you go and do the pilgrimage then you'll be reborn in heaven. [A. Sujin] To go anywhere is not a must at all, all depends on conditions, so, each has one's own motivation to do this and that or to visit the holy places on, but for me, I think that when I went there I thought about the place [where] the Buddha once sat and whatever he taught, from this place to another place, all over the the places there. That's why it can be the reminder of his great compassion, his great virtue, and at that very moment I think that I'm paying respect to the place where he was born and enlightened and taught the Teachings and passed away, to pay respect to such quality that were once there in that place. So, it doesn't matter at all, for someone, e...

[A. Sujin] So now, are we talking about svakhato? Without the Teachings of the Buddha could anyone understand what is there now? So, the Teachings of the Buddha are svakhato. From his enlightenment, he taught about the absolute of what is there, from moment to moment, by different means, conditions and function and so on, all are svakhato. The Teachings of the Enlightened One about understanding the truth of what is there, no matter when. The Buddha taught about this moment, what is there, svakhato, this is the Buddha's Teachings about the truth that can be known, more or less, depending on conditions, but without the Teachings of the truth as the Buddha taught who could understand the truth of what is there now? Impossible. So svakhato means the Teachings of the Enlightened One, to understand the truth of what he has enlightened, to share with the others, for the others to understand the truth too, not just for himself alone. So, about the Dhamma, is it svakhato? The Te...

[A. Sujin] So, can there be clear understanding of the words without any understanding of the truth of what is there? For example, nama or citta or cetasikas, only words. What about the understanding of those words? Clear enough? Or not clear when there's no understanding of the reality which is there, appearing. The word is not forgotten but what about the truth when it's there? Like now, seeing, it's a reality, but what is that which is a reality, which arises and experiences an object now? So the understanding of the word has to go together with understanding what is there too, otherwise it's just only the word, remembered. That's why there can be anyone who just read the Tipitaka but has wrong understanding, like bhavana - meditation. That's why no expectation at all, just hear again, consider again, have more confidence, a little more, again and again and again, and right understanding develops, so subtly that no one knows until it conditions the r...

[A. Sujin] Shall we clarify just one point or one question at a time until it's clearly understood? What is just one or the first question about? What shall we begin [with]? [Marc] Maybe the question is why does an arahant help another person, if he sees that it's not a person? [ A. Sujin] Because of understanding of the truth, it conditions compassion and kindness because of understanding what is the unwholesome situation and [its] truth and what is that which understands the truth. So the point is that you'd like to help people not to have suffering, right? Can you do that? Because you see that can you live until the moment you can help the others not to have suffering at all? [Marc] I'm sorry, can you repeat the question? [A. Sujin] Do you think that you can help everyone in the world, not to have suffering? [Marc] No, I can't, no. [A. Sujin] So, it's impossible to help the others not to have such suffering or situation because there must b...