The best moment in life - knowing what is there as it is
Excerpt from the EN-CN Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sun Apr 20th 2025.
Audio mp3:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XKWcfxthwYB_dT2eTOC6lo0lQEWxu0GJ
Begin again - can the truth of what is there now be known as it is?
[Rith: For most people a million dollars would be a lot of money, but not for a billionaire.]
Ajahn Sujin: What is the most precious moment in life, including now? [It's the moment of right understanding.] Not just thinking about the bank and the money, is that right? [Yes, Ajahn.] So, can it be known now what is there right now, which hasn't been known at all, or hasn't been heard about it at all? More realities are there now, unknown. Can it be just little by little, knowing what is there as it is - the best moment in life. No matter how much it's thought about in a day, every day, what about understanding the truth? None at all, is that right? [Yes, Ajahn.] So, what is there now, can it be known as it is? Even at moment of talking about money, when it's there right then, can it be known, the truth about it? So, begin again and again, what is there right now? If we don't discuss it, it cannot be known at all. So, shall we begin again, what is there now, anything. Or is it not interesting to know? It's so common :) So, what is so very common? Ignorance. No understanding of what is there, any time. If we don't begin again and begin again to understand it by discussion on anything about it, can it be gradually known as it is, one by one? Is it true? If we don't talk about it at all, can there be just a little more understanding of the truth of what is there right now, any time? What is there? Thinking about the bank and the money, and the statement, the account. Can it be known? Has it been known yet? Or not yet? [Not yet.] Shouldn't we talk about it, in order to have gradual understanding of the truth of any moment? [Yes, Ajahn.]
The world of atta - no understanding of that which is so very subtle
So, what reality should we talk about right now? In order to have a little more understanding of the truth of it. [There is a seeing now]. Okay, without conditions, can it arise? [Without conditions, it cannot arise.] So, what conditions it to arise? [Seeing is conditioned by its base, and by its object.] Is the object of seeing a hundred dollars or a million dollars? [It is not.] And doesn't seeing fall away instantly? [Yes, Ajahn.] And doesn't that which is seen also fall away instantly? [Yes, Ajahn.] Can it be understood that seeing is just a moment of experiencing the object which is not a hundred dollars? [Yes, Ajahn.] Shouldn't it be developed? Otherwise, it's the world of atta all the time, right? No understanding, in truth, of that which is so very subtle. Actually, there is nothing permanent at all; what is there is so very short. It's there and then gone, no matter what. If there is not yet the very firm understanding about now or any moment: it's there and gone, never to return at all, there must be the idea of self or something all the time. Is there a moment of thinking about a hundred dollars? And what is the truth at that very moment? [It's moha arising.] Can it be right understanding? When it's moha, what is there? [There is someone and something.] So, at moments of moha, it's a hundred dollars, but when it's not moha, what is there? Different moment. Is the moment of thinking about a hundred dollars real? [Yes, Ajahn. It is real.] Can it be understood? [Yes.] So, what is there at moment of thinking about a hundred dollars? What can be understood? [It could be understood that that moment of thinking about a hundred dollars is real.] It's not you, isn't that right, who thinks. [It is just a moment of thinking. It's not "I".] And isn't there "you" now thinking? [It's still "I".] It cannot be "not-I", just by thinking that "it cannot be 'I'". Isn't that still "I'm thinking"?. And in order to understand the truth of what is there in life at each moment, it's now, just talking about any reality to understand it a little more. If we just say "it's not me, it's not I, it's not anyone", it's just only thinking about that moment, but in truth, who is thinking? It's not me, it's not anyone.
In truth it's just the world of dhammas, nama and rupa
So, what is there in life from moment to moment, from birth to death, even right now? [There are countless moments of citta experiencing an object.] Only citta? Or no matter what, they are real, but they are different. [Yes, they are real.] Before there can be firm confidence in the truth that actually there is not anything at all in life, no matter what, it's just that which arises to experience the object that can be known, from the first moment in life to the last moment in life. And the reality which is seen is conditioned to arise, or that which is touched or smelled or tasted, in a day, each day, the whole life, filled with these realities: nama and rupa. Is it right? In truth, it's just the world of dhammas, nama and rupa, no matter what time, this life or another life, next life, previous life, all are dhammas. And shouldn't there be the understanding of the truth: what is taken for 'me' or 'I' right now - what is there? Is there the body now, my body? What is your body? [It's only rupa.] It's not you, it's rupa... just the word rupa, or what is rupa? [Yes, Ajahn, rupa is that which is experienced, and there are 28 rupas.] The words about it, right? [Yes.] But what rupa is there now, appearing? We are talking about the basics, the foundation of understanding the truth of what is there. When we say or use the word nama and rupa, to understand what rupa is there and what nama is there, not just - that which experiences is nama and that which cannot experience is rupa, but now, it's not just theoretical knowledge or understanding, but the beginning of understanding the truth of what is there at any time. So now, regarding the body - what rupa is that? [It could be hardness and softness.] Not 'it could be'. You take that rupa as 'my body', and there is the body now. Which characteristic of the body is appearing to be taken as body - 'my body', what is it? The ultimate truth is there at each moment, which can be studied, can be realized when time comes, to have deeper and clearer understanding of the reality which is so very subtle right now. It's not just the words, at each moment there must be nama, the reality which arises and experiences the object, no-shape no-form, no rupa at all, and the other reality which cannot experience anything at all. It is conditioned to arise to be its characteristic, each one, right now. Is there your body now? [There is not my body.] What is not your body? [It's just rupa.] Yes it is, not the word "rupa", but as what kind of rupa does it appear? It has its characteristic, not just "rupa, I'm rupa". [There is hardness, softness.] One by one, please - they cannot appear together. [There is hardness now.] Hardness - at what moment, when does it appear? [At this moment.] What moment is this moment? [I'm sorry, Ajahn, I don't know the answer.] Okay, you said that what you take for your body right now, in truth, is not a body, it's a rupa, so, what rupa is it now, which is not your body? [It's hardness.] Okay, does it appear? [Yes, Ajahn, it appears now.] What moment is "now"? [The moment of experiencing the hardness.] So now, at the moment of experiencing hardness, is anything else also appearing? So, it's not just the words, "it's not me, it's not the body", but there must be understanding of the moment when that is not my body - because it is... what kind of rupa? "It's not my body, it's not me" can be said at any moment, anytime, but the moment the truth is there - that is not me, that is not my body - is the moment of understanding the truth: what is there appearing as not the body at all. So, again, is there your body now? [There is not my body now.] What is not your body? [Hardness is not my body.] At the moment of seeing, is hardness not your body? [At the moment of seeing, there is no hardness.] So, is that which is seen you? [No, what is seen is visible object.] So, is there any understanding of visible object as not my body now? [Yes, Ajahn.] Is that which is seen soft? [No, Ajahn, it has its own characteristic.] So, that which is seen cannot be anything at all; it cannot be a cup, it cannot be a dog, it cannot be skin or anything at all - is that right? [Yes, Ajahn.] Is there any moment now in life, of understanding that which is seen as not a cat, not a dog, not my leg, not my arm, not a flower, not anything at all? [Yes, Ajahn, there could be because of hearing the Dhamma and wise consideration.] That's why it has to be little by little, the getting rid or the wearing away of the idea of something in different colors which appear at the moment of seeing.
So, is it firm now, firm confidence - in truth there is no one at all, not anything at all, only different dhammas appearing through different doorways, one at a time. Without firm confidence in the truth from the very beginning, can it be realized? Little by little, until it's the moment of realizing the nature of only one reality at a time. Is it now the study of Dhamma through the words of the Buddha, the Enlightened One? [Yes, Ajahn, it is.] So, if we talk about other things like the money in the bank and so on, could there be any understanding of what is there at that very moment as dhamma? [No, Ajahn.] But when we talk about the truth, it applies to any moment. Like when thinking about a thousand dollars, it's thinking, and the conditions for that thinking come from hearing, seeing, considering what has been talked about - as something, but in truth, no-one-there at all. So, it's not you or anyone who is eating - only dhammas: nama dhammas and rupa dhammas. Isn't it the moment of beginning to attend to the characteristics of what is there appearing, not as something or someone as usual? So, the best moment is talking about the truth of what is there right now, or right then or any time when it appears. Otherwise, each moment is gone without any understanding of the truth that has been heard.
Understanding can be the result of talking about realities right now
So now, at the moment of thinking about a thousand dollars, can there be the understanding of the truth right then? [Yes, Ajahn.] And what is the way for that moment to arise, what conditions it? What's the way to understand the truth at moment of thinking about a million dollars, how come? [From hearing the Dhamma and having wise consideration about it.] So, when there's no understanding, there cannot be that moment, such moment, at all. Is that right? [Yes, Ajahn.] That's why that moment can be the result of what we've been talking, about realities right now, to have a little more understanding of it, that which has to be there, learning about it when it's there, gradually, little by little, until it conditions the moment of direct understanding of that object. So, when we talk about other subjects, can that condition moment of understanding the truth at that very moment, no matter what subject thinking is about or hearing anything or seeing anything, without understanding right now of the truth of nama and rupa, can there be such moment, of understanding directly what is there now? [No, Ajahn. Without hearing the dhamma and without right understanding, it is not possible to realize the truth of the moment of thinking.] Can anyone stop thinking? [Cannot.] Because... why not? [Because it's anatta.] Right, but there can be a little more understanding from hearing about the truth, little by little, and that is the only way to condition moment of realizing the truth of one object, one reality at a time, clearer. Is there another way? [No, Ajahn. There is no other way.] And that will be condition to understand what is there right now a little more.
#Dhammahome source video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_CEelkthZo