Cira-kala-bhavana, developing understanding on and on, not just in one life

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(Excerpt from the Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sat Sep 24th 2022)

[Sundara] Tan Ajahn, when you talk about attending to the characteristic how is that different from thinking about it, can you elaborate a little bit about that?

[A. Sujin] At first we have to know what attention (manasikara cetasika) is, is it real, is it a reality? And who knows that it arises each moment, together with the arising of citta, no matter what kind of citta, it's there performing its function, at moment of seeing attention is there, attending to the object for [sañña to] mark, to remember it, right? attention arises with each citta, this is the difference, but seeing is not thinking.

So, attention is there together with seeing when seeing sees, a reality attends to the object for sañña to mark and remember it. So it (seeing) isn't the moment of thinking, that's why there has to be the right understanding of the difference between seeing and thinking because thinking follows seeing so very soon.

Even right now, mind door process follows the sense door process so quickly, unknown, and at the moment of thinking there must be attention to the object too, at moment of remembering the object of thinking there must be attention to that object too, at moment of thinking about it. And who knows this? Impossible because even right now reality does not appear as it is.

Even seeing sees, so clear like we know, it sees, who doesn't know that it sees? But the object does not appear well, what does it mean? Not just a moment, but many many moments as nimitta of seeing. This word explains how rapidly the arising and falling away of reality has to be, in that way. No one can stop the arising and falling away in split seconds, of split second, but understanding can begin to understand: since that arises and falls away instantly and [is] followed by the others, more and more, as many moments of seeing in a moment of seeing because as soon as it sees there are many different things appearing, it seems like that. So in order to understand the way it is: citta arises, only one citta at a time, but what is seen now? Many things together as a doll, a cat, a table, a chair. How come? Is that the truth? As soon as one closes one's eyes, all's gone, how come? By conditions, it shows the rapidity of the arising and falling away, at moment of opening one's eyes is there already and as soon as one closes one's eyes no objects is seen. Is it not like this? Just to understand what's there in life as it is, in order to let go of ignorance, not understanding it, taking it for permanent, table, permanent things.

But, when there's more understanding, what is there is [there] only when it appears and even when it appears it arises and falls away unknowingly, in a split second too, like now: at moment of seeing many things at once, but in truth it's not like that. And this is why the truth is hidden from eons and eons and on and on until there can be moment of understanding the truth of what is there as it is, little by little, until it can condition moments of direct awareness with understanding. In the beginning of having awareness it's not as sharp [as] to let go, but it begins to see the different characteristics as different ones which haven't been known before at all, when there's never been direct awareness.

That's why [it's] cira-kala-bhavana: the development of understanding has to go on little by little, the path is there at moment of understanding naturally, as natural as now because no one can change the way it is. Seeing is so natural, understanding has to be as natural as seeing, when it's there. Cira-kala-bhavana, please explain the meaning of cira and kala and bhavana.

[Sundara] As I understand it means commitment or long-term commitment to the understanding of the reality that appears.

[A. Sujin] Bhavana is the development of understanding, not at all in the beginning and just one word is heard and understood, not enough, on and on and on, about all kinds of truths in daily life. Bhavana, beginning to develop the understanding, cira-kala-bhavana: just only once or one or two it's not enough, much more than that, not just one life.

Because this moment is not known as it is, so what about next moment? not knowing its truth and adding more akusala and the other moments no understanding, no understanding, no understanding... And so how can there be the eradication or the elimination of wrong understanding and ignorance, if there's no hearing about the truth and considering carefully, truthfully.

That is parami, to develop more and more understanding of the truth, until it can be aware of one reality, by conditions, no selection, not at will: who knows what will be the next moment, impossible. But pañña, right understanding, can understand the characteristic of that as not self, little by little, at moment of understanding what is that which experiences, we use the word nama, and that which cannot experience, no matter it is hardness or smell or visible object or sound, whatever, the same reality, category, kind, cannot experience any object, no matter when it arises, now or in the future, never changes its characteristic, hardness is hardness, and not the same hardness at all from moment to moment.

At moment of cutting one's nails there can be the moment of attending to hardness, by conditions, and when there's more understanding it begins to understand the characteristic of that which is just only that at the very moment, no matter it's hard or soft. And that is the only way to let go of the attachment, the very subtle attachment.

So it's not enough [just] saying nama because citta is nama, cetasikas are nama, what is the difference? What is the difference between citta and each cetasika? Because there is not just one cetasika.

So, studying Dhamma means studying that which is there now which hasn't been known before as no one and no thing, or not permanent at all: it's there only when it appears. And this is intellectual understanding, as long as it's not the awareness with understanding of only one reality, right then, at a time. By conditions, firm confidence of anatta, no preparation, no thought about it, like seeing now: no thought about it, hearing now: no thought about it it. No idea to condition its arising: it's already there!

[The] gradual development of confidence in the truth, that it cannot be taken for self or thing at all because it's gone instantly, never to be found, never to return, never to arise again, in samsara, not just in this life. And these words of the truth condition a little letting go of wrong understanding and ignorance when it's there, understanding the meaning of what is there as it is: just that which appears by conditions.