Iddhipada, the miracle of experiencing what is there as it is

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Transcribed excerpt from the Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Mon Oct 16th 2023.

00:00 - What seems to be now it's just everything as some-thing and some-one all the time
[A. Sujin] Is it what we are talking about, about iddhi-pada? [Yes] It's not now, but it means the understanding of the point of what is now, to be known, for example, even it's now appearing, it cannot be known, so, iddhi-pada: how can it be known? Without any understanding at all, without the intellectual understanding, how can there be a little more understanding of the subtlety of what is there now and every moment? That's why it has to understand whatever is there as it is, as not self, but what seems to be now it's just everything as something and someone, all the time.

That's why life is so short, no one can realize the truth, enlighten the truth that the Buddha had enlightened, but beginning to understand the subtlety, the very profound truth that without understanding little by little about how subtle it is, it's impossible to attain that degree of understanding for the realization of the truth as we are learning, a little bit at a time.

01:23 - The subtle meaning of the noble truth
That's why at this moment, is there any interest to understand the depth of what is there? To be know that it's quite far away, no one can imagine, one's just in the midst of blindness, even whatever now seems to be so light and bright, appearing as something all the time, but in truth, the truth of each moment is not [like] that at all. That's why we learn to understand the subtle meaning of the noble truth, it's so true but it's not as it appears at all. That's why the subtlety is that there must be interest to understand what can be moment of realization of the truth, not just hearing about it, considering about it, but to understand that is so very, very subtle. That's why without interest to understand the subtlety of what is there as it is, it's impossible for iddhi-pada because it has to be the understanding of the truth, to be interested in understanding what is so very subtle. And this is the only way to attain enlightenment, realizing the truth of what is there now, covered up by ignorance and attachment all the time.

02:46 - Interest to understand the subtlety of seeing right now
That's why interest to understand the subtlety of seeing right now: it's not that which is seen and it is conditioned to arise, even it is the moment of birth, it's condition to arise and gone. Each moment no matter moment of birth or moment of seeing or hearing or whatever. So, the greatest and best trainer or teacher is the Enlightened One, he knew everything about different accumulation, tendencies of the beings, no matter in what world, that's why he taught about the truth, to be firmly understood about the truth, that this moment is NOT anyone or anything at all, just for a very short time, this moment is not anyone or anything at all, how deep it is.

03:44 - Training oneself from being careless into being careful
That's why we listen again and again and it trains from being careless into being careful, wisely considering the very profound truth of what is there now: no one at all. How come to realize the truth, to be interested in the way to develop, to train oneself from being careless into being careful and wise considering, whatever is there heard: no one at all. So, it's not enough because someone and something is always there.

That's why hearing again consider again and this is the viriya, isn't it? Chanda and viriya, and citta is there, continues on, continues on, understanding the path or whatever is there, so very little at a time, and it is letting go of trying by thinking that there can be other ways, just intention or such much effort to be such and such, from trying this way and that way into just understanding what is there. So citta keeps on, not [non-]forgetting or not realizing the truth, but it's there as citta itself, it's there, conditioning the viriya and interest. And right now, on the way, along the way, it needs very careful considering and right understanding has to be there.

05:20 - Trying to understand whatever is not there now
Otherwise, without right understanding, one would go to some place, trying to understand whatever is not there as now at all. That's why pañña is there as vimamsa, no matter what we are doing, moving on a little bit, from this ignorance, the thick ignorance and the very sticky ignorance to understand the way, the path, not just trying by oneself to break it, but to understand it little by little, little by little, by seeing, understanding the very subtle reality right now: everything's gone. And it appears as it is, by right understanding which gradually lets go of the idea of self and ignorance and attachment to this moment or any moment.

06:12 - Iddhi, the miraculous moment that can experience what is there as it is
That's why the iddhi-pada is not ordinary daily life, just to go or to do something with viriya, but it's for enlightening the truth, iddhi-pada. Iddhi, not just going somewhere and buy something, but it's iddhi, miracle, the miraculous moment that can experience what is there as it is, as one has confidence, firmer and firmer, of the truth. So, it's not just for something to do, going somewhere shopping or anything, but it is interest of understanding, in understanding, what is there now, little by little, with viriya, and citta keeps on, continues on having such moments, and pañña is there, wisely considering whether this is the only way before all ignorance and attachment can be removed from this moment, no understanding of what is there.

So, this life is so precious, when it understands the subtlety of realities right now, and it's so true that it can be understood, gradually from moment to moment and right understanding, even it falls away, it's developed or accumulated on and on to understand the future reality which appears, not this one because it's gone already. So, there must be the sati-patthana and the iddhi-pada, before there can be the understanding gradually of what is there as it's so very subtle and this is pañña which begins to let go of the idea of trying to do something, remembering something, trying to find out the meaning of this and that, but what about: it's so subtle. That's why just hearing again and again and again, that's the only way to let go of ignorance about that which is now appearing or of that which will be next, on and on.

So life goes on as usual, normally and right understanding develops the understanding of whatever is there by conditions, until moment of enlightenment, it means it just experiences what is there now as it is, at what one has firm confidence of the truth of each one as different ones and only once in samsara. More interesting than thinking about death because temporary death is now, this moment, so the moment of sammuti-marana is just like now, exactly the same. Are you afraid of this moment as well as [of] death?

[Hang] The satipatthana is the starting point to mention about the iddhi-pada.

09:33 - Falling all the time into the pit of ignorance and attachment and darkness
[A. Sujin] And the point of iddhi-pada? To understand this moment, which is so very subtle. Forget about understanding it just right now, to the end, but beginning to see the subtlety of the truth that: how long will it take to go against the current of ignorance and attachment accumulated blindly, in darkness? Just falling all the time into the pit of ignorance and attachment and darkness, even it seems so light: everything appears as people and things, but it's so dark: no understanding of the truth. And without the Teachings of the truth from the Enlightened One, how come? From being in the darkness to understand the truth of what is there which does not appear as dark but it's so dark because at moment of no seeing all are in darkness.

But right understanding understand the truth, it has to be there, such moment, it does not appear as now at all, all day life, seeing things all the time, it seems like [there's no] no gap and nothing's gone at all, but in truth each moment is gone, even right now, the difference between darkness and light, understanding and ignorance and the truth, the absolute truth. And this is the moment of iddhi-pada developing from hearing, considering, not just having satipatthana right then.

11:37 - Learning about one reality at a time, not in the book but now
Even satipatthana has to be carefully understood, because now we are just talking about the seeing and that which is seen and so on because it's there in life, each moment, but what about the reality which is sati? We haven't been talking about it so much because we learn to understand different realities and now we talk about citta, the chief of experiencing what is there unknown because what is there appearing is not citta, it's that which is experienced by citta. Keep on learning about one reality at a time, like vitakka and so on and manasikara, not in the book but now. Beginning to understand that it's not just citta, the reality which is the chief, which is hidden. What are there together at this moment can be know little by little, to let go the idea of self or thinking that we have learned a lot and went so far, but in truth, understanding what is the difference between intellectual understanding and that which is direct understanding. No doubt that without the intellectual understanding of what is there now there cannot be moments of directly being aware and understanding the truth that we have learned.

[Hang] Thank you Ajahn, so the moment of understanding the reality now is also the development of and iddhi-pada and satipatthana...

13:24 - Be truthful to the truth and understanding the subtleties develops
[A. Sujin] From no understanding at all to understand what is there to be realized, to be object of sati. And what is that wich can condition right understanding with awareness of what is there now? Be truthful to the truth and understanding the subtleties develops, to let go the idea of self and something all day in life, since eons and eons ago and ahead. And this is the letting go, unknown. There is doubt about it, but actually moment of understanding is moment of no ignorance as before, even from hearing, it begins to understand in darkness what is there as it is, but the eyes do not open enough or are not open to understand what is there yet. That's why the development of understanding has to develop from the very beginning.

14:36 - Implanting understanding little by little from hearing
That's why the Teachings of the Buddha are so very very beautiful, from the beginning to the middle and the end. All about the truth of this moment, to be known just little by little, but it's there, implanted, to begin to understand that the world is not as it was, as we use to think about before, full of people and things all around, but in truth, in truth it's like what we have learned, one reality at a time. To implant the interest and the viriya and the citta and the pañña, little by little.

And without satipatthana how can there be the iddhi-pada? And without the intellectual understanding how can there be the moment of satipatthana, directly understanding what is there? Very gradually unknowingly, against the current of ignorance and attachment after moments and moments of seeing, hearing and so on. And this is the path, see, how subtle it is.

Understanding from hearing, it's a moment and then it's gone, but it's implanted, enrooted, engraved little by little, so very little comparinged to how much [ignorance] is accumulated, from eons, uncountable eons, not understanding what is there, beginning to consider the truth, hearing more, considering more of the truth, even just one word, for example no-one: at first moment of hearing and now it's developing very gradually.

17:01 - Living to understand the truth and sharing it with the others
And the truth is so very subtle, that's why sharing with the others: the best thing in life, the best moment in life, living to understand the truth and share the truth with the others. Because it's so precious: when all the Teachings [are] gone no one can understand what is there and what is the path leading to understand it, gradually, from moment to moment.