Chanda, when thinking that it's time to have dosa
(Excerpt from the EN-VN Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom - Sun Feb 19th 2023 pm - 2nd part -)
0:00 - Chanda, when thinking that it's time to have dosa
[Tam B.] At moment of dosa the dosa dislikes the object but there is chanda, interest in that object, so maybe you can talk a little bit more about it.
[A. Sujin] Sometimes, in some situations, there can be moment of thinking that it's time to have dosa because it has to be dosa, for example, Ukraine and Russia, what do you think about that? [Maybe that] one should have that moment of dosa, otherwise such and such would happen and so on, but in truth what is there, kusala or akusala? Is this the way to stop it, to remedy the situation? That's why understanding what is there, correctly, truly, is very useful to understand the truth of it, whether it's wholesome or unwholesome.
1:10 - Always forgetting that the truth is closer than any thing
So, what is there, having dosa or understanding of the truth? And always forgetting that the truth is just very close, closer than any thing at all, but thinking about that which is far away from that which is now so close. So there must be clearer and clearer understanding of the truth right now because we're thinking about something, what about that which is there now, so close, very very close... what are they? At moment of thinking of chanda, where is chanda? Far away or where is it? To be understood. That's why the characteristic of reality cannot be known at all if there is |the idea of it, far away from where it is now|. There can be dosa right now and there can be chanda right now, whatever is conditioned is appearing, but no understanding of it, if there's not enough understanding of the truth of it.
2:29 - Opaneyyiko, as close as: no need to look for it because it's there already
So, remember the word opaneyyiko, it is getting closer and closer and closer to the moment when it's there. Otherwise [how] can there be the understanding of lobha when it's there or chanda when it's there or whatever is there. When it's closer and closer to the characteristic of a reality, that can be known as: there is no-one and no-thing at all, only the characteristic of that which appears as it is, that can be known. So now what is there that can be known? Is it far away or is it very close? As close as: no need to look for it because it's there already. So, in order to understand it, it has to be the characteristic which is there, not the other.
3:33 - Letting go of the moment of forgetting about the truth
So, we learn a lot about different realities and what reality right now can be known, but ignorance cannot understand it at all. It has to be the intellectual understanding of the characteristic of that as it is, as no one. If there's not yet the understanding of the truth or what is there appearing, it needs more intellectual understanding to let go of the moment of forgetting about the truth. But beginning to get closer to that which is now appearing, to develop the understanding of the truth which is there.
4:21 - More confidence of the truth of anattaness
So, why do we listen more and more about the truth of each reality? Just to have understanding, firmer, in order not to forget about what is there as it is to be known. Until time comes by conditions, very firm confidence of intellectual understanding about what is there now. So now we're learning about the characteristic of chanda, will it be known [some] day, sometime? Because even now it's there, but it's not known, until what is there now can be known, not at will, no selection, only by conditions. And how much understanding of the truth of it depends on conditions, anatta, [on] more confidence of the truth of anattaness.
- Original dhammahometv source video:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoLLDXQLcSk