Saddha, the reality which is clean and purifies that which arises with it

Excerpt from the English Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sat Feb 8th 2025. Edited and transcribed by Alberto

Mp3 audio file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d8TYX2eR6lmreQt0qgdSiEz3LoKoiD3w

Citta is dirty at any moment of ignorance or attachment or aversion

[As Buddhists, we use that word, saddha, I would like Ajahn to explain more about saddha, what it means. Thank you.]
[A. Sujin] Usually, even if we didn't hear the Teaching about the truth of what is there at all, we would still use the term that we use for saddha. See, and if you never heard about the Teachings at all, would you have heard the word saddha? See, no such word at all, if we hadn't studied the Teachings, about the truth. So, saddha is a reality, but so many wholesome realities or cetasikas are there, different ones. So very subtle differences between each one. That's why at the moment of kusala arising, there are so many mental factors or cetasikas arising. Each performing its function.

So what is saddha? See, as is said, it purifies the citta and the cetasikas which arise together. What does it mean? It means that without saddha, without any wholesome cetasikas, citta is so dirty. It's not clean at all. Who knows that when there is no wholesome moment, there are usually unwholesome moments, if we don't talk about the other kinds of citta. See, the dirtiness of citta is at any moment of ignorance and attachment and aversion. And as much as we can see or use the term, the word for it, but the reality is so very subtle. What is sati and what is saddha and what is pañña and what is manasikara and what is cetana and so on. That's why hearing the word saddha and when someone who listens to the Teachings of the Buddha uses the word saddha, is there any understanding of the nature of that reality which is not another reality, not another mental factor at all?

So saddha, at that moment when it's there, it cleans because it is pure. That's why whenever it's there, no dirtiness or akusala can arise at all. And not just only saddha, it needs other cetasikas as well, to be clean, to be wholesome. Not any unwholesome reality can arise together at all. That's why beginning to understand any moment of wholesome citta: there must be many wholesome cetasikas. And one is what we call saddha, the word in Pali. The reality which is clean and purifies that which is there together with it because of its cleanliness. As much as we can understand the nature of saddha, it's there cleaning, it's there purifying. So when it's there, all cetasikas cannot be dirty or cannot be akusala.

Is that enough to understand it? Until it appears as the object of understanding. No doubt about it because it has its own characteristic and its own function. But even with non-lobha, non-dosa, at moment of kusala, nothing appears as it is. Only one citta which experiences an object, all of them have to be wholesome because they experience that object with wholesomeness. That's all as much as we can understand because it does not appear yet as it is.

Saddha is clean, to know the object which should be respected

Right now, at moment of kusala, saddha does not appear. But it's there, purifiyng the cetasikas and citta, not to have akusala realities arising at that moment. That's all. Until it's there known, experience directly with understanding. So what is saddha in truth? What moment, in daily life? Paying respect to the idol or something. Someone pays respect to the fish when it's different from any other fish. Just paying respect to that. Or paying respect to the tree. See, anything can be object of respect without saddha when it's unwholesome. No understanding of what makes it that such deeds.

But it's the goodness of wholesome realities which should be respected, isn't that right? And saddha is there at that moment, it's clean, to know the object which should be respected anytime in life. So, without saddha, understanding the wholesomeness of the kusala cetasikas cannot be there. We pay respect to anyone because of customs or being trained from childhood to pay respect to such and such, but is that saddha? Or no understanding at all of what is there? And paying respect can be at moment of understanding the goodness of wholesome reality. Even we don't need to pay respect by different manners, but the mind at that moment, the kusala moment, understands the truth of the nature of goodness. Wholesomeness is there to be respected.

So at moment of respecting the truth, understanding the truth, is there saddha? The citta is clean, pure. Akusala cannot arise at moment of understanding what is respectable: goodness or wholesomeness only. So, at moment of paying respect to the Buddha in the mind or by any manners, at that moment it's clean, it's pure, away from dirtiness or akusala.

That is saddha. And there must be other wholesome cetasikas as well. Not just only saddha. At moment of helping the other, see, is the citta pure away from greediness or clinging to that which is given? So the pure moment and the impure moment must be different. Kusala and akusala. And if any cetasika does not show up, how can it be known? But learning about it, it's condition to recognize it when it's there, appearing.

Understanding the truth that it cannot be anything or anyone at all. It has its own characteristics, its own function. Purifying what is there because it's so pure, it's clean. So, one can understand that which is not clean, the clean cloth or the dirty cloth. See, when there is cleanliness, when it's clean, it means that it's not dirty by any dirtiness at all.

So, it's that which can be talked about, to learn about it, to attend to it little by little, to understand the truth that actually each moment is no one and no thing at all. Only different realities arising by conditions. Isn't that pure? Isn't that clean? No attachment, no aversion at that very moment. That's why we don't just follow the word and the meaning, but the nature of that represented by such words.

[Than Ajahn, it seems that the citta is pure by virtue of saddha, but understanding makes it even more pure.]
[A. Sujin] Is that true? Different levels of understanding too. Different levels of saddha too. Saddha without paññā, see, but it's pure, away from dirtiness or akusala, at the moment of giving things away. It's not shopping, not thinking about its result, but giving is giving. Just giving away for the other's benefit. With right understanding or without understanding, but there must be cetasikas, enough to condition citta to be away from akusala, because usually akusala is there. So very quickly, asavas, for sure, and others too, with the are conditions for nivaranas and so on. Usually, one thinks about giving, as at that moment, for the receiver it's a pleasant moment, and for the giver, it depends on whether it's pleasant or just indifferent feelings, but citta is there. It's good enough, clean enough to give, to donate or someone to have it, for their welfare and so on. Different moment, different realities. At moment of giving for the other's benefit, the citta can be so pleasant. It's time to be able to help the others away from sufferings or ignorance. Citta is clean and clear, pure at that moment by a cetasika, saddha cetasika, arising, performing its function to clean or to clear, to purify the realities which arise together, because it's clean, it's clear, it's pure. Nothing can arise together to make it unclean.

Confidence in the truth of Dhamma taught by the Enlightened One

Is saddha Buddhist? [No.] See, it's a reality. Is saddha sati?
[If I think about people who think that saddha is just sharing good deeds because saddha, I don't think it is sati, because just doing deeds doesn't mean understanding the reality.]
[A. Sujin] That's why dhamma is so very subtle. We learn about each different reality. Saddha is saddha only, right? [Yes.] That's why we learn little by little to understand the difference between each reality, which are so very subtle, like saddha. See, we're just talking about saddha at moment of giving, but giving with what kind of citta? With attachment: my parent, my son, my sister, my daughter, and so on, is that giving with saddha? So, just the outer appearance cannot be the truth.

For example, saddha has to be moments of wholesome cittas only. But it does not appear to be known, because so many cetasikas are there together, and without learning about each different one, how can there be the understanding of the difference between saddha and other wholesome cetasikas? Saddha can arise without pañña, but pañña has to arise with saddha. Citta has to be pure, so the reality which is pure must be there. So everything arising with it is pure, because of its function, purifying what is there, together. When it's there, whatever is there is pure.

And who knows about different cetasikas without the realization of the Buddha? So, who's the Buddhist? We are used to talk about Buddhism or Buddhist. "I'm Buddhist." But what does it mean? No understanding of the truth at all. Not even of the moment of giving, for example. Is that Buddhist? Having wrong understanding, trying to have understanding by going somewhere, sitting still, concentrating on one object. But is that Buddhist? So, Buddhist is not the word or the name for anyone. It's the one who has confidence of the truth of reality taught by the Enlightened One. It's not just "in the Buddhist sense". It's not that. It's the truth, no matter who.

Even a little child, boy or girl, about five years old, she or he can give. And it's not she or he, the boy or the girl, but the moment, the pure moment, wholesome moment, conditioning such deed. It's for everyone. Who knows whether the fish can have kusala moments, helping the other fish in some way, without the clinging and with a clear and pure citta, without akusala. Can it be done?

Even just when there is attachment, it's not kusala, it's not pure, it's not clean, it's not clear at all. Because lobha is there. That's why we learn about the reality, it doesn't belong to Buddhism or Christianity or whatever sect. It's just the truth of everything that can be learned to have understanding of the truth of it. Otherwise, there can never be the understanding of the truth of whatever is now appearing at all.

Buddha means the pañña which can realize the truth

Each word can be studied. What is there now? It's real. Nobody makes it arise at all. While we are talking, there is seeing all the time. Whenever we do anything, seeing is there. It seems like it doesn't fall away at all. But who knows, just one moment, what is there? Seeing cannot be moment of hearing. They cannot arise together because it's the moment for a different object to appear to be known.

Sound or smell, different doorways, different moments, different realities. And usually, is the citta clean, clear and pure at that moment? Working with attachment, cooking with clinging and so on. That's why learn to understand that all kinds of cetasika, the wholesome factors, mental factors, are different. But at the moment when it's there, it's either the cause or the result, it's either the kusala or the akusala... there are many ways to understand it more and more, little by little, to have confidence and then citta is purer and purer and purer without any doubt or any wrong understanding, any ignorance or clinging at moments when saddha is there.

But pañña does not arise. But when pañña is there, saddha must be there. That's why there are different moments, different citta, different cetasikas at different level all the time. Just arise and gone. So learn about the truth of that which is there so very briefly, gone. But it can be known. The next one, which is the same reality, same characteristic, recognizable right now.

Hardness, it's a reality, arising and falling away. When there's no understanding, is it pure or clean or clear moment, kusala, wholesome? Impossible. It doesn't mind at all who's there, girl or boys or whatever nationality and so on. Dhamma does not belong to anyone. That's why when we talk about the Buddha, Buddhism, what does it mean, Buddha? Pañña which can realize the truth.

#Dhammahome source video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdSABKF6eI8