Nothing can be done: it's there already, by conditions

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(Excerpt from the EN-VN Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sun Oct 16th 2022.)

[A. Sujin] Today we've heard about the progress of understanding the path leading to the letting go of the very deep attachment and ignorance of whatever is there now and anytime. The understanding of the truth of what is there now is not lost at all, it is gradually enrooted, the firm confidence of the truth that nothing can be done. Why not? It's already there, by conditions. So, before there can be thinking of changing it, trying not to make it [to be] this way or that way... it's there already, by conditions.

Considering carefully, even it's just a little word, it can be enrooted, to develop on and on together with other understanding at any other moment. So pañña has to be with another reality like effort and patience, to develop, to understand the truth which is deeply down there arising and falling away. The most important thing is not to underestimate the very very subtle moment of the reality which is now arising and falling away very quickly all the time from moment to moment, but the understanding from hearing, considering can condition moments of just beginning to attend to the characteristic, even that moment is known as it is attending to an object.

For example, forgetting about hardness which is there, experienced, but by hearing again and again, who knows, there can be a moment of attending to hardness as: just a reality. Don't underestimate the very very subtlety of all kinds of reality, even hardness, it appears in the day, as seeing is now appearing and hearing as well, but is there any time for direct understanding, to understand its characteristic only as a reality, one reality different from the others.

Understanding more about life, in life what is there that can be known? Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and the objects of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, only that, no matter in what world, but ignorance is there, no understanding of any at all, of any reality at all. From hearing the Teachings, considering whether it's true or not, it begins to attend to the characteristic which is now appearing. When a reality which is attending to the characteristic does not appear, it doesn't matter because there are other realities appearing as well.

No intention to be aware of a reality because intention is just a reality which arises with every moment of citta. So understand what is heard little by little, for example, intention cannot be aware of the truth of what is there now because it just has the function of intending to act on what is there. There are so many realities to be known, to be studied, but [only] what appear can be the object of understanding because it has its own characteristic, to be only that reality, not another one at all. Otherwise there could not be letting go of any reality at all because it's now appearing, no understanding of it. So, how can there be letting go of ignorance and attachment to that which is now appearing?

Could the understanding of the function of intention let go of the trying to be aware, to understand what is there? Understanding the truth of a reality and of another reality, on and on and on can let go of the wrong path and ignorance and attachment, little by little. And that is the progress of understanding of the truth of each reality as it is.

When we read any kind of book or knowledge, it takes attention and considering to understand what is taught or what is there, read, the same as now, whatever is there, it takes time to be careful, to study, to understand what truth of this moment is represented by the word. There is seeing right now and we talk about seeing, many many times and without a little understanding of that which experiences an object, how can one get closer to the moment of seeing that that which sees that, that, that, that, that, only that which sees is now seeing. And having more confidence that there is a reality which arises and experiences an object all the time from moment to moment.

If there's no understanding of the nature of reality, it cannot let go of the idea of self out of that which now sees or hears or thinks, for example. And when it's not right understanding what is there now in daily life, it's impossible to let go of the clinging to that as I-see, I-hear, I-think, I-like, in life. And what is the truth of a moment in life? It's just there and then gone: suññata. So, is there suññata now? But the arising and falling away of each one, succeeding one after the other, hides the truth that what is there now is not there anymore.

Isn't it useless, very tiring? Seeing again, hearing again, thinking again, sleeping again, bhavangas again, waking up again... Only that in one's life. But when it's not clearly experienced yet, no such understanding to see the tiring moment of life. No matter what is seen, heard and thought about, all gone, where's the story about them? Only when it's there, right then, but after that no more, no matter what reality's arising, it has to fall away, never to return. And it is not I who is tired of whatever arises and falls away endlessly, but it has to be right understanding of the uselessness of the moment of experiencing an object and then gone, all in life is like that. And not just only this life or one life, any life, anytime, but it has to be right understanding to understand the moment of that useless moment of experiencing an object and then gone, even that which experiences and that which is experienced. [Is it] better to understand the boredom of the way it is or just clinging again and on and on, endlessly? To that which is suññata, and what is heard is the words about the truth and it is the food for considering what is there, which is the most precious thing in samsara. Until the progress of right understanding will lead to that point...