Understanding can save one from all kinds of dukkha
(Excerpt from the Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin in Binh Chau (VN) 03/03/2024 pm.)
[Q.] Can you say more about the second meaning of dukkha (viparinama-dukkha)?
[A. Sujin] Is there any time of crying? Why? What condition crying? [Q. Attachment to self]
What happened? Now there is attachment to self, is there crying now? [No.] So what condition crying? At moment of crying, no understanding of anything, see? There is crying. But in order to understand what is there and what condition it, to be different from the first dukkha. The first dukkha is the unpleasant feeling, no matter through the mind or body, it's so unpleasant! That's why it's not difficult to understand, it's there, everyone understanding moment of dukkha.
But at moment of crying, why cry? Or who do not cry at all? Everyone cries, no understanding at all. When there is no understanding of crying, can there be less crying because of understanding that crying is useless. All depends on right understanding to be not as dukkha as before, at any moment, when it's there, understanding the truth of life.
So at moment of crying, no understanding what conditions it. At moment when the body is so very painful, does one cry? Crying out, not just crying, see. Different conditions, different dukkhas. If there is no dukkha, there is no crying. But the first dukkha is different from the second dukkha. And usually one cries, but one cannot understand the difference, the moment of crying, what conditions it. So think about moment of crying and find out the reason why one cries, to understand the difference between the first dukkha and the second dukkha.
We live in the world of dukkha. No one knows or feels dukkha. That's why we have to understand the subtle dukkha, degree by degree, the one which can be known easily, like dukkha-dukkha, it's not difficult. But the second one... I think that everyone cries because of the second dukkha, but not understanding what condition that. When one loses parents, children, see? One is attached so much to that. No thought about the death, departure because if we live apart, we can come and see. But when it's death, never come back to be seen at all. So the moment of losing the dear one, whatever you like, not just the people you like, or the beloved one, but anything you like so much, is that moment pleasant? And that is the second dukkha. Is it not dukkha? Something you like gets lost, see? Still thinking about it. It's not there anymore. Why think about it?
That's why the understanding can save one from all kinds of dukkha.
But it has to be very firm and strong confidence of the truth that this is only intellectual understanding. What about stronger level, directly understand the truth? And the last one, no doubt about what Buddha realized, because it is realized. Now, beginning to understand the second dukkha. So at the moment of crying, there can be a moment of stop crying when there's right understanding. Useless. The son, the daughter, the dear friend cannot come back at all. Absolutely, the end of that person. Never be that person again. So to be this person in this life, who knows how short or how long it will be? The best thing is understanding the truth. Otherwise, there can never be any understanding of the truth in any life, if it's not begun to understand now.
And the third dukkha, three kinds of dukkha, so very subtle, whatever arises, falls away, never to return. Does anyone understand that meaning of dukkha? Every time now, it looks so beautiful because it's still there. But in truth, the moment of realizing the arising and falling away of just one reality, now, it's covered up. But at that moment, it's the moment of realizing the nature of one reality which arises and falls away, by way of nimitta. But it's so clear as the third round of the ariya sacca: the realization of one reality appearing, no one at all. And the way it is, no matter what, not in anyone's control at all, by conditions, instantly. At that moment, no doubt about what is there, no name. You don't need to say it's seeing or it's thinking or what at all because it's there, arising and falling away, all realities appearing one by one at that very moment through different doorways. The world is breaking, the whole world. Is that right? Is that true that it's now?
But the succession of the next one covers up the truth. So the third dukkha has to be realized at the moment of vipassana, the word that you use. But what about the truth, the understanding of that level of understanding? Not now, see? So this moment is not vipassana. No matter how much one tries and tries to make it to be vipassana, it's impossible because vipassana is the development of panna enough to realize the truth of whatever is there now, not to go anywhere because no matter where, no matter what's appearing, it arises and falls away instantly. But what can be realized has to be by way of nimitta because just one moment of one reality cannot be known, cannot be realized. But the sign of seeing now, many moments of seeing, right? So begin to understand what is there as it is.
The first round about dhamma, no doubt about what is meant by dhamma, no doubt about all dhammas are anatta, no one and no thing, because in truth it's there just when it arises and then gone, not there anymore. The third dukkha (sankhara dukkha), the first ariya-sacca, dukkha ariya-sacca, is it now? Dhamma is now, sacca is so true, sacca-dhamma is now, but it's not the understanding at level of ariya-sacca-dhamma, no doubt about the moment when it's there, arising and falling away. Otherwise, how can the accumulation of the idea of self be let go of stage by stage until it never arises again from that moment, no matter at the moment of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, thinking in daily life. No more idea of self, permanent self, atta.
That's why it has to be developed in daily life. Otherwise, how can it be realized even right now, whether what level of understanding is right now? It's only intellectual understanding about what is heard, about the truth, the reality which is conditioned to arise to experience the object, no matter what. The chief one which experiences the characteristics of the object clearly is that for which we use the word, or the Buddha used the term, citta. And the other reality which arises together, does not perform the function of experiencing the object clearly as that which is the chief, but it has its characteristics and its function.
So, what is calm? A reality, right? Is it real? Does it arise? Does it fall away? Can anyone make it arise? See, beginning to understand the truth, at the moment of understanding, no one knows that calm is there too, but not the understanding.
That's why the teachings of the Buddha for 45 years just talk about all realities which can be realized. His great understanding is much more than what he taught, but he taught the truth that everyone can learn little by little until realizing the truth not as a Buddha, just as the follower of the Buddha. So, if there's not enough understanding of Dhamma, the respect to the Enlightened One is as little as only being sure or just thinking that he's the Enlightened One, but as long as there's not enough understanding of what he taught, the respect is only that much. The more the understanding, the Teachings, the Truth, the Dhamma is the Buddha's body. No one can see him, only understand what he taught, that that's the Buddha. Who understands dhamma sees me. Without understanding, it's just: who's the Buddha? The Enlightened One, only that.
That's why for how long did the Buddha develop right understanding to the degree to be moment of enlightenment by conditions only? So now, we're talking about seeing arises and falls away, but it does not appear as it is yet, because right understanding is not enough.
So, this moment of whatever arises and falls away does not appear as it is yet. The truth, the understanding of the truth, is that not enough understanding. Nothing to be done, only a little more understanding, conditioned from moment to moment, the (factor of the) path sammaditthi, with other paths (factors), arises, from the first round (sacca-ñana, i.e. intellectual understanding) understanding what is the right path, only understanding, because what now appears is so true, before seeing, there's no hearing, or at the moment of hearing, there's no seeing, firm enough, little by little, to listen again, consider again, and understand what are there which is not citta, the chief, because understanding is not citta.
Every reality is different, cannot be the same, but when there's no understanding, who knows what is calm and what is calm and what is sati? You see, we just heard the word, but it's not just the word, each reality is real, but without listening carefully, there can never be the understanding of sati. Even there is sati now, at the moment of understanding,
but the characteristic of sati doesn't appear, only at the second stage, the second round (kicca ñana, i.e. direct understanding), patipatti (satipatthana), pati is particularly, and patti is to reach the truth of that particular object, only one at a time.
So at this moment we're talking about hardness, is there any understanding of hardness as dhamma? Not my arm, not the rose, not anything, just hardness, it cannot be changed at all, but at the moment of touching and it appears, with right understanding, sati is there, directly, differently, that's why even the characteristic of sati is known, at the moment, when time comes, by understanding, not just intellectual understanding. So right now, there is touching, hardness appears, it's not sati, but when there is understanding, what hardness is, it appears only at the moment of touching, because if we think that the glass is hard, but hardness does not appear at the moment of seeing, it can appear only at the moment of touching, so direct understanding of the moment of what is there appears, different from just it's hard, the glass is hard, but at the moment of touching, without understanding, it's still not sati, no understanding of the truth, but when there is more understanding, understanding the moment with sati or without sati, right understanding knows instantly what level of understanding at the moment of touching, from now on, it's not yet sati, but direct awareness with understanding, because only understanding understands that moment.
Is this the teaching of the Enlightened One, about the truth of what is there appearing, from birth, being born, to hear, to see, to think, and so on? No one. Understanding a little more of the nature of reality, which is not anyone or anything at all, letting go, what's the use of that which just arises and falls away, non-stop, all the time, endlessly, beginning to understand dukkha of the First Noble Truth. But if it does not appear as that, it doesn't matter, the rose is still here. Everyone seems just to be the same, but actually never the same, from moment to moment.
And we think that we have to do this or that to understand the Teachings, to have more confidence. It's wrong, because it's one's own wishing, wanting, finding the way, with ignorance. That's why we respect the One who enlightened the truth, the highest. In Thai language, we use the Buddhajao, jao is the greatest of all. That's why we begin to understand the virtues of the Buddha at the moment of understanding the truth, seeing for sure, before seeing there's no seeing.
So at the moment of seeing, it's conditioned, by conditions it arise and falls away. And seeing is not thinking. But at the moment of thinking, there is seeing all the time. How come? The rapidity of that which arises and falls away covers up the truth. Until right understanding begins to be aware of just one reality, so that it can be learned, understanding clearer and clearer of one object, not at will, but by conditions. So no expectation what will be, moment of direct understanding with understanding of what object at all. It hasn't come yet. Even that stage of understanding, and the reality which is the object of understanding, right then, not now yet. It hasn't come yet.
Is this the Teaching of the Buddha? So no matter who talks about this or that, who says about this and that, it doesn't matter. Just consider it or have discussion about it, whether it's true or not. The truth can be known. There can be many questions to understand what is the answer, the right one for such and such question. That's why without questioning, can we know how much understanding people listen and hear the words of the Buddha? But in order to know how much understanding, it's the one way or only way, question and listen to the answer. If it's not direct answer to that very question, is it right understanding?
2024-03-03-pm_3-kinds-of-dukkha.mp3
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