Knowing the truth of anything we talk about

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(Excerpt from the Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom - Mon Jun 19th 2023)

00:00 - Life is short and the truth is deep
[Sarah] So Tom, do you have anything from that to turn into a topic or a question?
[Tom] ...if they did a brain transplant I think that would be an interesting question...

[A. Sujin] Is it more interesting to know or to understand what is there now? Because it's so very subtle and there might not be more time to... just talking about the story of it, may I say... Because now we're talking, thinking, considering about what the Buddha said about the truth, that is so very subtle to be known, but it is so true and if there is no considering about what he said, about everything in truth, absolute truth, there cannot be the understanding of what is meant by no-one, no-thing, no-self and no-I at all. That's why when we're talking about such it's "I" all the time, but what about just one word to be known exactly, not any scientists or anyone can realize that at all, no matter for how long one studies such and such object, but listening to the truth of the Buddha's words, each one, carefully, can condition a little more understanding of what is there as the absolute truth in life, each moment, no matter what is there.

That's why when we talk about brain, for example, it's the word in English, but no matter in what language, what is seen, no matter what we call it, it's seen, what is touched is that which it touched. So we take it for flower or things like that, but when it's not seen and when it's seen, can it be flower? And so on. That's why: learn about the absolute truth of this moment, what is there, in order to begin to understand the truth of what is there, unknown from eons and eons ago until now.

02:18 - No understanding of one word means no understanding of other words as well
That's why if we neglect just one word and there can be doubt, no understanding of that word, it means that there's no understanding of other words as well when there's no understanding of one word, how can there be the understanding of other words, in the absolute sense? For example, no matter we call it pen or brain or shoe, what is the absolute truth? To learn to understand each moment in life as no one and no thing, to have confidence whether it's true or not, otherwise it's useless to learn or to consider about it at all, That's why even just one word, no matter pen or brain or chair, is there any understanding of the absolute of what we take for such and such? That's why: can we just come back to talk about brain, otherwise these are the ideas of scientists or doctors and so on, which are not the words of the Buddha. So, what is brain, please? It could be other words, not just brain, what about kidneys?

[Azita] A concept.

[A. Sujin] Why it's a concept?

[Sundara] Because it is thought about.

[A. Sujin] And one is always carried away by thought or thinking, right? But what is moment of speaking out "brain", what is there? No thought about it, at all. Each moment is there as different moments, at moment of saying the word "brain", what is there? we think about brain on and on and on, but what is there at moment of speaking out "brain", no-one, but what is there? To really understand the cause, the cause of the world, to understand the truth, it has to be one's own consideration about what it there. For example, we can use the term like the heart and the brain and so on and the story of that, but what is there at that very moment? Is it known or are we beginning to attend to the meaning of the truth: there must be that which speaks out "brain", otherwise how can there be the sound which has the meaning of what we have taken before, in one's own language. It's a very subtle and if there's no understanding of it from the very beginning, there cannot be any understanding of what is there at all. For example, when we talk about the reality which cannot experience, we can consider what is there, the reality which cannot experience any object, no thought about it, that is there, in the world, all the time too, but it has to be directly experienced, otherwise it's just thinking about it.

06:05 - When thinking is known other realities can be known as well
That's why at moment of seeing we take what we see as brain, but what is seen it's always there at any moment of seeing. So, when there is the understanding of seeing and of that which is seen now, there can be understanding of thinking or seeing or what is there, and of the object which is seen or experienced. That's why the understanding of the truth has to be of that which is there. For example, when we think about brain we think a lot about the meaning of it and so on, but what is that moment? Thinking. What is it? And when there is the understanding of thinking, no matter what about, which story, it's there: thinking, it's a reality, but what is its nature? We have to begin to understand the truth of what is there which is so true, each moment, right? So, we think about brain and the story of it, but what is there, thinking? Without that reality, can there be the idea about such and such? So, what is brain?

07:24 - Understanding the truth of its characteristic first
If it's known the other realities can be known as well, isn't that right? The source of the world, the source of life, the source of every kind of subject, story, science, medical and so on, anywhere, anytime, it can be known little by little, to understand the absolute truth that actually it's just a conditioned reality. And for the question of: how comes [in]to be[ing], the reality which experiences the object and that which cannot experience the object. It's only thinking and thinking and thinking about that, but, since that is there, conditioned, differently, then it can conditions the reality which experiences the object and it conditions the reality which cannot experience the object, by conditions. Before knowing about the conditions for whatever arises it has to be understanding of the truth of that characteristic.

08:41 - Only that which impinges on the eye-base can condition seeing
For example, about the brain, what is it? The sound is heard by that which conditioned such sound and without the reality which experiences an object could there be such moment? Thinking about heart surgery and so on. But the truth of that, in a moment, it's so true and it can be realized little by little whether it's true or not. For example, seeing, no matter seeing the brain or the shoe or the flower, what is seen is seen, is that right? And it has to be only that [for] which we use the words: [it] impinges on the eye-base. No matter we use the word "impinges" or what at all, but it's just like "impacts", for example, what is there at the back, can it be seen? And why not? There must be conditions: it has to be there and impinging or in touch with the eye-base, otherwise no condition for seeing at all to arise.

And so on, just consider the truth of each moment, deeper and deeper, to begin to realize the nature of that which is there as: it is the reality which experiences the object, by different conditions, to be the chief of experiencing, or to be the will-to-do or whatever is there, or remembrance and so on. All are there, conditioned, by conditions, by conditions, it's so true, to condition different objects, different realities. So, it conditions the reality which experiences the object to arise to experience, and it conditions the reality which arises but cannot experience, the main differences, the main categories are these two: one arises to experience and the other arises by conditions, but it cannot experience. Can anyone change that which arises to experience to not experience? Impossible. And can anyone change the reality which cannot experience to be able to experience? Never at all, by conditions because no one there at all, all are conditioned by different conditions, different ideas by different conditions, too, different languages by different conditions, everything depends on conditions, so they are different by conditions.

No doubt about it because no one there at all, little by little, no matter what is there in words, it can be understood, its nature, whether it is the reality which is conditioned to arise to be such that is seen or that is heard or that is smelt or what is thought about. The understanding of the truth begins to develop on and on at any moment of understanding. The base or the basic, the foundation of the truth of life, in a moment, the reality, no matter it's thinking about brain, or thinking about the car, or thinking about the fire or whatever, it's that which arises and experience by conditions, through different doorways, is that right? And everything in life can be learned, that even at moment of being fast asleep, there must be the reality which experiences an object, from moment to moment, but the object depends on whether it's through the six doorways, or not of the six doorways, that's all.

13:16 - Knowing the truth of anything we talk about
That's why we can talk about anything, to understand the absolute truth, not just only this word or that word, it has to be confidence of the truth of the reality as: the reality which experiences the objects, so it's not "I" or anyone at all, it's conditioned to arise to be different, by characteristic and function too. So, learning more about the truth of what is there can let go of ignorance, attachment and the wrong idea of "I" or something, little by little, unexpectedly, so very subtle.

And this is the only path, the path of the Four Noble Truths, the Four Noble Truths, even that word, what does it mean? Experiencing the reality with right understanding full enough to realize the truth of what is there right now, anytime right now, anytime by conditions. So now, when there is a little understanding of what is there, it's there, beginning to be developed, so, understanding it again and again and again, it's the development of understanding of what is there, little by little. So, we can talk about whatever, to be known as its truth, since it's not as we take it for something like people and things, or life or any word, just talking with no understanding, with ignorance of what is there in life, in any life, when there is no understanding of the absolute truth, right now.