Manasikara, attending to the characteristic of a dhamma or word or meaning

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Excerpt from the EN-VN Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sun Feb 4th 2024.

0:00 - The Buddha's hints or the way to understand all the subtle truths

[Tam B.] We discussed a little bit about manasikara, I think it would be helpful if we can hear more.

[A. Sujin] If the Buddha didn't say anything about the difference between what is there in a moment, citta and cetasikas, there wouldn't be any hint or any way to understand the truth that is so very subtle, all of them.
For example even just a moment of seeing, there must be phassa, otherwise there couldn't be the moment of seeing at all, but whenever there is seeing, thee other cetasika like manasikara attends to that which is seen because all cetasikas experience the same object which citta experiences.
That's why phassa is there, sañña, viriya is there, unknown, but they are there, cetana is there.
Manasikara is there, that which attends to the characteristic which appears, wisely or unwisely or just attends to the characteristic which is there, unknown that now it is attending, a reality, just like a person who performs the function of attending to that object.
So now phassa, vedana, sañña, cetana, ekaggata, jivitindriya and manasikara, all are there each performing a different function by being a different cetasika.
So it depends on whether it arises with vipaka citta or kusala citta or akusala citta, wise attention or unwise attention depending on conditions.
But it's that which attend to the characteristic of that which appears wisely with other cetasikas which are wise too, wise or unwise.
That's why there has to be the understanding of different cetasikas to understand that they are all conditioned realities, no one there.
The truth is that actually there are different realities arising, each performing different functions by each different cetasikas.

2:36 - Attending to the characteristic of a reality or the word or the meaning

So now, at moment of attending to the sound, the word, the meaning and right understanding develops because it attends wisely, understands what is there as that which experiences, not that which does not experience, each moment there is manasikara cetasika, at different degrees, by different reality which conditions whatever arises there.
Beginning to understand the truth that [there's] no I who can attend to the visible object or the sound or what is there at all, there are different realities arising together and one reality, one cetasika arising with each citta attends, it has just the function to attend to the object that's all.
It's not pañña, but it's there, attending to the characteristic wisely, carefully, so right understanding understands it and develops on and on and on when there is more and more wise attention, little by little.
That's why there is the word "attention please" because it does not appear that there is attention already, but not to that particular object that everyone would like to attend to, "now, attention please"... it's there already.
So just wake it up or just help it to understand what is meant by attention, but because it's now attending to the object, to the sound. Just learn to understand each different reality in life: it's there in life, at moment of reading, attending to the subtlety of what is there, just one word: dhamma.
Without attention of the reality which attends to what is said little by little, to the word of truth, there can never be the understanding.

4:46 - "I will attend" because hearing the words "now it's time to attend"

That's why there is wise attention to be condition for right understanding because of that particular reality is there, attending to the characteristic of a reality or the word or the meaning, each moment, otherwise "I will attend" because the word is heard "attention please, now it's time to attend", but actually it's there all the time, depending on the degree of what is there to attend to, like "attend to asava", just the word, because asava does not appear when there is seeing.
Who knows that there is ignorance as asava, it's there very slightly, mildly, very little, unknown because what is known is more distinct than the other reality right then.
So now it's there, attention or manasikara, a cetasika, a reality, at any moment of paying attention, as we [can] know is that characteristic of a reality arising performing its function.
So it's there all the time with all cittas, one at a time, depending on conditions to be we wise or unwise, who knows? Until it's thought about or there are conditions to attend to a reality which performs the function of attending, now.
Otherwise how can it be known if there's no word about it?

6:43 - Naturally no one knows whether reality appears to be known or not

But what can be the object of understanding at different levels cannot be known, all by conditions.
But from hearing considering understanding there can be moment of realizing the truth, from hearing and wise considering to understand what is there, until it's the moment of wise attention, wise [yoniso] manasikara, at moment of whatever appears to be known as: it's just a reality.
So, is it now? And naturally no one knows whether it appears to be known or not, but beginning to understand that what is there in a moment, and when it's known, unexpectedly, what is that which is object of understanding?
Without understanding from hearing how can it be known?
Even while one pays attention to something, at that moment there's no understanding of that very moment as not-I at all.
So what is there now? Citta and seven cetasikas or more, depending on different moments, appearing and disappearing without attention [being] known as it's now attending to whatever is there.
All are covered by ignorance as asava, even it's there it's not known, until the Buddha realized the truth and showed the truth in words, different levels to different people.
So, when there is hearing of the truth, what is that which knows or [is] attending to the meaning to be known [whether] it's true or not, depending on manasikara. "It's so true...", manasikara, right attention, when it's not true it's unwise manasikara.
Dhammas, that which are real, no matter at what time. Dhammas, each dhamma has its own characteristic, attention is there, wisely, to understand whether in a day is there any attention to the truth or not yet, just attend to other objects in the day.

9:26 - No more wrong understanding and ignorance arising with misunderstanding

So, is there now attention? Beginning to think about it, to know that it's there, what is there now? Attention is there, phassa is there, cetana is there, but what appears is anatta, no one can make it to become the object of attention, so that one can know it, but it's there known by that reality which attend, according to the level of citta, like asava, it's there, who knows, but beginning to understand how deep, how deeply rooted akusala like avijja and tanha, always there.
And the Teachings of the Buddha can condition moments of realizing the truth on and on and on, until there can never be that which is wrong understanding, and ignorance arising with that which is misunderstanding, never arising again at all in samasara.
So, at any moment whatever one reads in tipitaka it's there, attention, any moment in life there must be attention manasikara cetasika.