It - Not I or anyone or anything - Only a reality different by conditions

(Excerpt from the EN-VN Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sun May 12th 2024.)

[Q] So, at this moment I am hearing the Dhamma, there is hearing and there is sound which is heard.

[A. Sujin] Who makes the hearing arise? [No one.] That's why there must be conditions for its arising, because before hearing there is no hearing. How come to be hearing? Without kamma as condition it cannot arise at all, but it needs other conditions as well, because kamma conditions birth moment, no hearing yet. That's why there must be other conditions, to condition its arising, is that right? Otherwise who makes it arise? [Yes.] And who can condition birth moment to arise? Seeing, hearing, smelling, any moment, who makes it arise? Why seeing is not hearing? What conditions it to be different, or who makes it to be different? [Kamma.] Okay, it's easy to say It's Kamma, but what is kamma? Without kamma, can there be birth consciousness and seeing and hearing? [No.]

So, we understand little by little about what conditions what to arise. Is that right? Like birth consciousness, it must have kamma, wholesome kamma or unwholesome kamma, as condition for wholesome vipaka or unwholesome vipaka to perform the function of causing the first moment of life to arise, the birth consciousness. Aren't they all dhammas? [Yes.] Can they arise at will or by themselves, each one? [No.] So now we are learning about realities, all dhammas are anatta. They cannot be taken for anything or anyone because they are conditioned to arise just to fall away, never to return, never to arise again, is that true?

Just learn to understand the truth of each moment in life, to understand that it is dhamma, the reality which is there by conditions arising and falling away from the first moment to the last moment and the next moment again, on and on until the last moment of next life, again. Nothing can arise without conditions, the proper conditions for whatever arise. The eye cannot condition hearing. Sound cannot condition seeing, all by conditions, a little more understanding of this moment and the other moment, to let go the idea of I see, I hear, I like, all I-s in one's life. In truth, just the way dhamma is conditioned, arising and falling away, one moment to another moment on and on, nonstop, as long as there are conditions for whatever arises, it arises... right now!

No one can stop the seeing, the hearing, the thinking to arise at all, all by conditions. Each one is different by conditions, even seeing pleasant things, by conditions. Different moment from seeing unpleasant things, also by conditions. No one can stop living, life goes on and on and on, when there are conditions for whatever is arising, it arises, it, not I or anyone or anything at all, only a reality different by conditions, now arising and falling away, different moments, different ones.

Hearing is not seeing, by conditions, thinking is not moment when there's sleeping. Is it true? [Yes, Ajahn.] So now, beginning to have more confidence of the truth, dhamma is dhamma, no one there, they are all anatta, just appear and then disappear, not as it is, illusion, no rose at all, but it looks like a rose, how come? Illusion! Not separating moment of seeing from other moment, unknown on and on and on, many things are there, at moment of seeing, different things, in truth, just one moment of seeing and what is seen cannot be taken for anything at all. Is it true?

Learn to be truthful to the truth, to realize the truth, not to forget it, there can be more confidence of whatever is there, learn to understand the nature of that, which usually is taken for something, but in truth, the visible object cannot be anything at all, it appears and disappears and it's seen only at moment of seeing, which can see it. So now it seems like there is seeing all the time, but in truth, not all the time at all, illusion again. Isn't it better to understand the truth,  to begin to let go of the idea which takes what is there as  something. In truth it's gone, forever, suññata, never come back, never to return, never to arise again. 

And then the moment of death is there. Forgetting everything in this life, just like yesterday is forgotten now. Do you remember yesterday happenings, experiences? To understand what moment is there, which is usually taken for I-was-there-or-somewhere-yesterday, but in truth, it's only moment of thinking about that which has been experienced by conditions, why not thinking about other things?

Each moment can be learned, that no one can make anything arise at all, no matter seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, smiling, thinking, talking, touching, each moment in life. Ignorance is there, attachment at moment of whatever appears, unknown as the truth of it is that it's not there anymore, even right now.

That's why the Buddha taught about what he had enlightened after such a long period, eons and eons of developing right understanding, to realize the nature of what is there as it is right now or anytime. Dhamma is dhamma, seeing just arises by conditions to see, only to see and then gone. The other moment it's not seeing, but it's conditioned by seeing, experiencing the same object as seeing, but it does not see. And how can it experience the same object as seeing without seeing? By conditions.

Vitakka is there, arising together with that moment next to seeing, to touch the object, experiences it and then gone, just receiving or experiencing that object, which is not seeing but can be object of moment of touching (vitakka) and other cetasikas. Who knows, but begin to understand by the one who had realized the truth, so that there can be moment of listening, carefully considering... The realization of the truth is so far from now because it has to be learned to gradually understand the nature of each one, as not permanent, not the same one at all.

So what are there in life, taken from something or people and things, its nature has to be known as no one at all in a day, otherwise when there's no understanding, it's taken already for someone and something, like now, Khun Sarah, Khun Tam, Khun Hang, see, someone there, but after understanding the moment of seeing, different from moment of experiencing the object by way of nimitta, illusion, taking it for something permanent, like now, what is true and what is not true?

Learn to understand the deep and very, very subtle reality of just what is there being experienced as usual, to learn about the truth of each different ones. What we take for flower and bed and curtain, without that which appear to seeing can there be the shape and form and the idea of something, some event? What happens in life by seeing, thinking, so many different realities are known in a moment and that can be known to condition confidence of the truth: it's there as it is, not anyone.

Seeing, we use the word seeing, so seeing is conditioned to arise and then gone, is that true? Yesterday seeing, just a moment seeing, and even right now, it's not seeing at previous moment, is that true? Now what arises falls away on and on to be yesterday when tomorrow comes, all gone, unknown when it's there, but when it's gone, like yesterday, it's known that no yesterday now, but what about when yesterday was today, it seemed real, it seemed permanent, but in truth, when today comes, where is yesterday? The citta, yesterday, just like now, but not the same, different ones, different conditions, but the conditions for whatever arises to see has to be the same, but not the same as they were yesterday, not today, all gone, yesterday, what is left now from yesterday? So what is left now from that, just a moment ago, what is left? In truth.

So what appears now without understanding does not appear well at all, because it appears as something permanent, seeing now does not appear that is gone, and the next moment, who knows, before seeing can arise again, but it seems that there is seeing all the time, what about the citta before seeing and after seeing?

So we learn to understand what are there in life, today, one day, and on and on, tomorrow, on and on... Illusion or understanding? Can two moments arise together? There can be a little more confidence, one moment, it's not two moments together at all, seeing cannot arise to hear too, impossible. Seeing is seeing, hearing is hearing, at moment of hearing, there must be no seeing, different conditions for seeing and hearing.

So, nothing can arise just by the idea I-can-do. So, can you open your eyes? can you stretch your hand? can you think? can you like? can you dislike? Beginning to understand more and more about dhamma and anatta, all dhammas come into being as they are, no one, nothing, only dhammas, realities, all dhammas are anatta, can the truth be realized? Because now there is seeing, can it be realized, its nature, as what it really is, the reality, which has no shape, form, sound or anything at all, but it's there, experiencing, even the object is unknown. And then the object is known, because there is that which impinges on the base, whether it's the eye base or ear base. As it is the reality which experiences the object, it experiences that which impinges on the base as eye base, seeing is there instantly, but after that, when that which impinges on the eye base falls away, how can it see, impossible, but there are conditions for its arising, the kamma is there.

That's why we learn to understand the truth of what is there, little by little, what is what, what is what, to understand what is kamma and what is intention or what is attention or what is interest and so on, all are there in one's life. Without the words of the Enlightened One, how can there be even thinking about it, as it is, because it appears as something all the time.

The truth is covered up by ignorance and attachment, but it can be realized when pañña is there, gradually understanding the truth, little by little. Until it's more in a day, not thinking about what is usually thought about, but sometimes about that which is heard about the truth of this moment, no matter it is attachment or seeing or feeling or memory, they are all there unknown. But when there is hearing about the truth, there can be moment of developing understanding of each reality, as it is, different ones by conditions, not permanent at all. Even that which arises falls away, as long as there are conditions for whatever is arising, there is the moment of that which arises after that moment, on and on and on. Experiencing different objects, with different moments in daily life, as sometimes we like this food, we look for it, we read the newspaper, watch tv and so on, all by conditions, all are dhammas. And this is the only way, the only path, leading, developing to realize what is there now, not other moment.

Are we talking about dhamma? Are we talking about daily life? Are we talking about this moment to be understood gradually? So, right considering, careful considering, wise considering, can condition more confidence of the truth. Otherwise, how come to be the understanding of the truth of this moment, and what is there in life? This life would be gone without any understanding of the truth, more ignorance and clinging to whatever is there, on and on and on, by conditions.

That's why it's the meaning of sankhara dhamma, the dhamma which is conditioned to arise, falls away instantly. sankhara dhamma. All sankhara dhamma are dukkha, anicca, dukkha and anatta, beginning to understand the meaning of the word of reality, dhamma, sankhara dhamma, anatta, anicca, dukkha, no one at all, until the reality appears well to pañña, developing on and on to realize the truth: it's there at moment of arising, and no more when it's gone, and the next one is there, different from the previous one which passed. Is that true?

And understanding can condition more and more wholesome moments, understanding that life is so short, life is not permanent, death and birth, next life can be at any time by conditions, no one can stop it, when conditions are ready it's there, whatever is now is that which it's ready, conditioned. Can that be the answer to your question?

Excerpt from the EN-VN Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sun May 12th 2024. Audio file: 2024-05-12-VN_conditions.mp3

#DhammahomeTv source video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Aiksii9gHQ