The way to listen to a desanã is to focus your attention in the present. Don’t send the mind outward but keep it fixed within. This is for the purpose of truly experiencing the taste of Dhamma right in your heart. It has been expounded that one may gain five benefits while listening to a desanã. The benefits that will bear fruits in the future are additional side benefits. For this reason, there were many Buddhist followers who became enlightened while listening to the Lord Buddha’s Dhamma discourse. It was because they had all established their minds correctly. They were not concerned with the past or the future, but were only aware of the present—being solely receptive and ready to experience the taste of Dhamma that the Lord was expounding at that time.
When the Lord Buddha first went forth into homelessness, he did so with an extremely great interest in Dhamma. Even prior to that, he had been fascinated and concerned from the moment he successively caught sight of the four deva-dutas (signs, i.e. an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a holy man) to the day of his renunciation. He then strove with diligent effort in his austere practices and paid attention to his task and undertaking from the first day of his going forth to the day of his Enlightenment. He never abandoned his pursuit or relented in his exertion. Laziness, discouragement and weakness could not prevail over his heart as they do over the hearts of other sentient beings. It was likewise with all the Sãvakas who went forth following the example of the Lord with interest and the aspiration to be free from dukkha.
When they listened to the words of the Lord’s Dhamma, they did so with attentiveness, and took them up and practiced them with devotion. They lived, came or went with mindfulness. Every facet of exertion was truly attended with reflection and application of the truth principle. The results and the rewards of their interest and devotion seem to differ from those of our time. This is due to the immense difference in the appreciation of Dhamma and the intensity of practice. If such is the case, how can the results be the same? The Lord Buddha never relented nor relaxed in the pursuit of his quest from the first day of his endeavor to the day of his Enlightenment when he had finally attained to his goal and became the Sãsadã (Great Teacher) of the world. He then brought the Dhamma out to the Buddhist faithful by teaching and exhorting them following the path of Dhamma by which he already had experienced the results.
Those who had received the Dhamma transmitted by the Lord were all joyful and delighted in the essence of Dhamma. Having taken it up and applied it to their practice, they had all in due course of time gained to the various Dhamma attainments and acquired the ‘Dhamma Eye’, like the Lord had before them. From the beginning the Lord Buddha was the example and ideal of the Buddhist faithful. This can be seen from the way he practiced. He always spent his time living in the forest. When he renounced the home life, he went forth into the forest. Never did he take an interest in others, not even the kingdom which he had left behind and all the people whom he had ruled over and given peace and security. He was no longer concerned about his princely status but courageously and unflinchingly stood up to the ordeal of his exertion in Dhamma.
In this respect, no one can surpass the Lord. Every mode of practice that he carried out always transcended the world. His renunciation and going forth into homelessness differed from the way of the world, so when the results bore fruit, they also differed. They were then of two different worlds, as his heart had been transformed into the purified heart of a Buddha. The results of his attainment must therefore stand in contrast to the rest of the world. This was also true in the case of the Sãvakas, who had gone forth following the Lord Buddha. When they heard the fundamental instruction given by the Lord, they were highly elated, jubilant and satisfied. The Lord had exhorted them thus: “Rukkhamýla senãsanaÿ nissãya pabbajjã tatthavo yãvajïvam ussãhokaranïyo”.
This in our own words would mean: “Look yonder! There’s a mountain! A deep forest! Over there are the mountainsides and canyons! There are the creeks and streams, cliffs, hilltops and mountain slopes! There are water fronts and rivers by the hillsides! These are places of ease and quietude, free from all forms of entanglement. You should all seek this kind of location and strive in these environments”. The Tathãgata attained Buddhahood within these settings and surroundings. He did not become enlightened through mingling and socializing. Nor did he become enlightened through indulgence in mirth and gaiety following the flow of taçhã, self-seeking ambitions and obsessions, which influence and drag one away through the power of the kilesas. The Tathãgata, on the contrary, attained to his Enlightenment in secluded and solitary places. Those were the locations where he strove in his strenuous exertion.
He escaped from every class of people, from his palace and city so he could remain in such surroundings. The dukkha that the Tathãgata went through was the dukkha derived from his exertion in those secluded and remote places. The Tathãgata did not become enlightened amidst the grandeur and magnificence of palaces, at crossroads or market places or in the midst of the crowds and multitudes. The Tathãgata attained to his Enlightenment in solitude and seclusion, totally retired from the world. He accomplished his objective and arrived at the state of purity of a Buddha in those out-of-the-way places. For this reason, may all of you turn to those places that the Tathãgata has described to you. They are in the mountains, hillsides and caves, under shady trees, in deep forests, in open spaces where the air is light and clear. These places are deserted and quiet, free from confusion and trouble.
These places are not wanted by people. So, you should seek for such locations and live there, for they are where the Tathãgata attained Buddhahood. If you aspire for the state free from dukkha following the example of the Tathãgata, you must go to the places that the Tathãgata has pointed out. Then you will definitely one day follow the Tathãgata in being rid of lives and existences—the repeated births and deaths that are like a pit of glowing coals. What is explained above was the Buddha’s second fundamental instruction. The first instruction stated: Paçsakula civaraÿ…, etc.—“All of you who have gone forth should seek for discarded materials left in the cemeteries or along the road sides, and stitch them together to make your lower robe, upper robe and outer robe, so they may be used to protect your body and maintain your holy life from day to day. This will accord with your asceticism and spartan existence in following the way of Dhamma by subsisting frugally on the four basic requisites of a monk’s life (food, shelter, clothing and medicine).
You will be content with little and satisfied with whatever requisites are available, and not indulge in using them in an excessive or extravagant manner. You may, however, simply accept a gift of robes presented by lay devotees as it is the way of simplicity and moderation—being easily fed and taken care of—and poses no problems and concerns to the faithful supporters. The third instruction was: Pindiyãlopabhojanaÿ...etc.—Having gone forth in the Sãsana (Way of Buddhism), you must not be lazy. You should go on pidapãta (almsround), feeding yourself by your own effort using your own two feet, with a pure and honest heart. All the faithful supporters and lay devotees happily and willingly offer the gift of food following the samaõa (holy man or recluse) tradition, without involving the usual transaction of money in the way that people generally do. The practice and observance of going on piõðapãta as the means of feeding yourself is the pure and impeccable livelihood for one who has gone forth.
You should try to maintain this practice for the rest of your life. You should consider any abundance and excess which might occasionally occur as an exceptional circumstance when you have to oblige the laity. But, reflecting your honor and dignity, you must never become heedless and complacent by taking the shower of gifts, because they will then turn into—sakkãro purisaÿ hanti : gifts and offerings that kill the unworthy (as the bait kills the fish). The fourth instruction: Gilãnabhesajja—this refers to medicine for the remedy of illness, which afflict both bhikkhus and lay people alike when the conditions arise. You must know and exercise moderation in requesting assistance from relatives or those supporters who volunteer their service. You must keep your requests well within the bounds of propriety. ‘Knowing moderation’ is the necessary Dhamma which one who has gone forth should always bear in mind.
You will then become a Sanghasobhanã—a graceful recluse who adorns the Sãsana with elegance and beauty, and is one who is well received by fellow Buddhists and the public at large. The important point which a bhikkhu must take into consideration is to be cautious and wary of excessiveness and immoderation in dealing with every form of solicitation (with the exception of going on piõðapãta which is the daily observance practiced by bhikkhus and novices). You should never make a habit of visiting and soliciting co-operation from the lay people, and always exercise moderation when dealing with any necessary situation. After having heard the instruction on these fundamental dhammas from the Lord Buddha, the Sãvakas gladly took them up and practiced them with zealous devotion by going into the seclusion and solitude of the forests and mountains unimpeded by concern for their lives and well-being.
Though they might have come from varying family backgrounds—some were kings and princes—they would not insist upon maintaining their past status or position. That would merely give rise to conceit, snobbery and contempt for those requisites of living—food and lodging—that the lay supporters provided according to their means and resources. The Sãvakas welcomed every kind of food—with the exception of those prohibited by the Vinaya (Monastic Code of Discipline)—for the sake of maintaining their life process and supporting a consistent effort in their practice. They were mindful of their exertion, as well as their practical duties and observances. They were attracted to quiet and secluded surroundings away from the noise, confusion the world’s disturbing influences. Their efforts in meditation steadily continued both day and night and in all postures—standing, walking, sitting and lying down.
To them nothing was more worthwhile and rewarding than the practice that would rid them of dukkha. The Sãvakas considered freedom from dukkha to be an invaluable Dhamma more beneficial than the repeated births and deaths resulting from the deception of avijjã (ignorance)—the source that causes all sentient beings to ceaselessly suffer dukkha. As the Sãvakas were totally determined and dedicated to liberation, neither pride of royal blood and family wealth, nor pride of being a scholar or a learned person, could creep into their hearts. For them there was only the devotion to the practice of meditation—the means to lift the citta out of dukkha. For this reason all of them, from the first to the last Arahant Sãvaka, were able to gain Enlightenment following the Lord Buddha.
Therefore, may all of you practitioners turn your attention to the stories of the Lord Buddha and the Arahant Sãvakas and contemplate how they practiced in order to arrive at satisfactory results; how they became famous and were revered and venerated by all living beings—devatã (deities) from every realm and people from all walks of life. No one can surpass the Lord Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha in wisdom, discernment and accomplishment, for in all of these they were supreme. All of us should reflect upon this. Being easily discouraged and weakened, or being obsessed with food and sleep, are not the way to true nobility and freedom from dukkha. They are incapable of making the supreme Dhamma appear within the field of our awareness, which is the heart.
In every movement and posture—standing, walking, sitting and lying down –you should always give heed to reason and constantly be observant of your actions. You should make sure that those actions don’t delay your progress or blemish your body, speech and heart. You should delight in seclusion and solitary existence and totally commit your effort, both in body and in heart, solely to the work of meditation. You should have dogged determination as your guide, with every thought and movement pointing toward the goal: freedom from dukkha. Then the outcome will undoubtedly be the same as that of the Lord Buddha and the Sãvaka since it follows the same path. The Lord Buddha did not expound the Dhamma teachings—for example, sammã diååhi (Right View) and sammã sankappo (Right Thought)—for just anybody, but specifically for all of us who practice the way of sïla, samãdhi and paññã (morality, calm and stability of heart, and wisdom).
Once we have trod the path pointed out to us by the Lord and lived and practiced following the fundamental instruction discussed in the foregoing paragraphs—for example, rukkhamýla senãsanaÿ: living at the foot of trees—the result can only be freedom from dukkha and the attainment to the natural eminence of a Buddha Sãvaka (the Buddha’s Noble Disciple), which is the state of purity within one’s heart. You must always be mindful, whether you are standing, walking, sitting or lying down, excepting only when you are asleep and it is beyond your means. Be always inclined to the application of satipaññã (mindfulness and wisdom) and strenuous effort. The reality of deliverance will then appear within your heart.
During the Lord Buddha’s time, people listened to Dhamma with sincere interest, fixing the Dhamma they heard within their minds. They did not allow the Dhamma to disperse and slip away. Neither did they listen for courtesy’s sake, doing it merely as a ritual. Everything that people today do, which includes all the bhikkhus here, becomes mere ritual. If you are not really dedicated and firmly determined for freedom from dukkha, everything you do will unconsciously turn into ritual. For instance, it would be a mere ritual if we walk caçkama (walking meditation) just to keep up with the schedule we have set.
Whether the citta and sati are in tune with our exertion is a matter of debate, so consequently the forthcoming results will be different from what we expected. And for what reason? Even though we may be walking caçkama, the citta is focusing on everything except the Dhamma principle. What is the principle of Dhamma? The Dhamma principle is constant mindfulness while striving in your practice. When we are focusing our attention to investigate any particular theme or condition of Dhamma, if instead of being concentrated in those objects the citta and sati are allowed to drift and wander to other places and ãramnaõa, drawn by their alluring and seductive powers—an indication that the flow of the heart has already gone astray—then the ensuing results must be contrary to Dhamma. This is what happens when we don’t strive to observe our minds, but merely do the practice for its own sake. We might then think wrongly and criticize the Sãsana, decrying the Dhamma Teaching of the Lord Buddha as not being the Niyyãnika Dhamma that is truly capable of leading the practitioners of Dhamma away from dukkha.
We might blame it for not being equal to the claim that it is the Svãkkhãta Dhamma, the well-taught Dhamma. In truth, the flow of our heart is constantly pulling toward the world both day and night. So please bear in mind that the world, both internal and external, is different from the Dhamma aspired to by the Lord Buddha. The endeavor of the Lord Buddha and all the Sãvakas aimed for the Dhamma principle as the deliverance from dukkha. Consequently, all of their efforts were directed toward eradicating defilements until they were totally removed. Then they attained the state of Buddho (Illumination), which the whole world paid homage to. They had attained the consummation of Dhamma because their practices completely accorded with Dhamma.
Such is the outcome when the means and ends fall together in complete harmony. But with us, though we may really be walking caçkama or sitting in samãdhi meditation, our samãdhi is merely a stump-like samãdhi. This is when we actually fall asleep right in samãdhi practice. We tend to do this often, and some people may do it regularly, though I cannot confirm it. But it is probably the case, since the results always turn out so differently from the Lord Buddha. If the causes accord with Dhamma, the results cannot be otherwise. Both the means and end result must correspond. So if we don’t get the right results, it must be because we don’t practice following the principle of Dhamma. Instead of walking caçkama or sitting in samãdhi with sati in tune with the Dhamma theme or the sabhãva dhamma (process) under investigation, the citta turns to something else by sending the flow of the heart out chasing after forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile objects. Furthermore, the dhammãramaõa (mental objects) conceived right in the heart are also about forms, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile objects, either those of the past or of the future.
The citta never stays in the present for even a single moment. If this is the case, the results must always be mundane, since the flow of the citta is constantly involved with worldly affairs. The citta, on the other hand, will also be mundane being Samudaya, the origin of dukkha that afflicts our hearts with trouble and hardship. As a consequence we find fault with the result: “Why is there anxiety and worry? Why am I miserable today?” We never take into consideration or realize that we perpetually instigate those unpleasant experiences by running at cross-purposes with Dhamma. That’s why the outcome has to be like it is.
For this reason all of us who practice must constantly fix within our minds the resolution to be free from dukkha. We must never allow our actions done through body, speech, and heart to deviate from the teaching of the Lord Buddha who taught us to seek seclusion and solitude in the deep that are so conducive to our efforts. Never did he exhort anyone to live and practice in the market or at the cross-roads or in crowded places packed with people as if such places would instantly enable us to arrive at a safe haven free from dukkha. We must contemplate on what rukkhamýla senãsanaÿ (living under trees) really means. Every facet of the Dhamma Teaching expounded by all the Buddhas is backed up by sound and justifiable reasons.
It is the basis of truth that will always impart benefits to those who observe and practice it. Therefore, the story of the Lord Buddha and the Sãvakas is a story of wonder and marvel in respect to how they cultivated the Way and attained the ultimate achievement, becoming great teachers for the whole world. Whether he is a Great Teacher of the world or an ordinary one, he can only teach us on some occasions. It is of paramount importance for us to take the Dhamma—the principle of truth and reason which is the real essence of the Great Teacher—as the teacher who will constantly teach us. Then every action will always be made known to our teacher, which is our own heart. We must always bear this in mind and not be careless or absent-minded. Otherwise, we will never be able to keep to our course and survive but instead will waste our time uselessly.
Don’t ever entertain the thought that day and night, either of the past, present or future, are something exceptional or unusual, for they are all the self same day and night. The kilesas and ãsavas that are involved with the heart and all its related conditions are not dependent on time. This is the most significant fact. Please investigate it. Wherever you go you should always have the Great Teacher guiding you. Whether you are sitting or lying down, standing or walking, you should always be mindful of your deportment. Without the basis of sati and paññã, calm of heart and circumspection cannot arise. This is because satipaññã and your diligent effort form a protective fence to safeguard them. All that is required is for you to keep within the bounds of sïla, samãdhi and paññã, as you tread the path with your strenuous exertion.
You will then experience the realm free from dukkha right within your own heart without having to ask anyone else about it. Regardless of time, if the Svãkkhãta Dhamma is still extant in the world, and the one who listens takes it up for study and practices following its instruction with dedication, the result can only be the attainment of freedom from dukkha. This you will clearly perceive in your heart. Please keep this in mind, and correct the problem in your heart, or else your practice will steadily degenerate and you will never be able to accomplish anything. When you are always mindful and constantly probe with paññã into the sabhãva dhammas—the body, for example—you will constantly come across unusual and extraordinary knowledge. On the other hand, if your efforts are spasmodic, then the forthcoming result will be correspondingly limited.
So you should try to cultivate and develop sati and paññã to be constantly mindful and circumspect. This will definitely contribute to samãdhi—firmness and stability of heart— and genuine wisdom in the way of paññã which arises due to the investigation of the body, vedanã, citta and dhamma, or the investigation of the four Ariya Sacca (Noble Truths) of Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha and Magga. Please also understand that the Satipaååhãna and the Ariya Sacca are the dhammas of the present, which are constantly exhibiting themselves right within your body and heart. In the Majjhimã Paåipadã (the Middle Way of Practice, i.e. the Noble Eightfold Path), the Lord expounded sammã diååhi—Right View. This means right views of things in general, of specific things, or of the subtle aspect of Dhamma.
The right views of the average Buddhist deals specifically with the belief in vice and virtue: that those who practice virtue reap the fruits of virtue, and those who practice evil reap the fruits of evil, and so on. They have the conviction that these things truly exist. This is one level of sammã diååhi. The specific understanding of the practitioner who investigates the four Satipaååhãna, or the four Ariya Sacca, with paññã is another level of sammã diååhi. Here you contemplate the body, vedanã, citta and dhamma to see them as the tilakkhaõa (three characteristics of existence), that they are all intrinsically anicca, dukkha and anattã (impermanent, suffering and not-self). You build up your faith and firm conviction in the Sacca dhamma by investigating the ti-lakkhaõa and by taking the ti-lakkhaõa inherent within the sabhãva dhammas as the path for paññã to follow.
Moreover, you investigate the Ariya Sacca to perceive and realize that dukkha—which arises from the body and heart of oneself and all other beings—is something that one cannot remain heedless and complacent about. You also see the harm of Samudaya, the source that generates the dukkha that all creatures must suffer endlessly. Consequently, you are ready to dismantle and eradicate Samudaya with paññã so that you may arrive at Nirodha, the realm of the total cessation of dukkha. Sammã diååhi, as Right View of the subtle aspects of Dhamma, deals with the correct understanding of dukkha as one form of truth, of Samudaya as another, of Nirodha as another, and of Magga—sïla, samãdhi and paññã—as another form of truth. This is the correct view that neither voices opinion nor passes judgment on the Ariya Sacca and all the sabhãva dhammas everywhere. This is another level of sammã diååhi.
Since there are practitioners with various Dhamma attainments, there are many levels of sammã diååhi. If there was only one level of sammã diååhi, paññã could not be of many grades. Since there are several degrees of kilesas—producers of sadness and gloom—paññã must correspondingly be of many grades. For this reason, sammã diååhi is also of many levels.
The second path factor is sammã sankappo—Right Thought It is of three categories: the thought of non-oppression, the thought of friendliness free from illwill and the thought that frees one of entanglement and bonds. The thought of non-oppression refers to regard for the welfare of our fellow beings, both people and animals alike. We must also pay attention to our own well-being by not taxing and over-burdening ourselves. We do not meditate on how to intentionally inflict troubles and hardships on others. Nor do we contemplate ways we can bring degeneracy and moral turpitude upon ourselves by, for instance, indulging in alcohol and narcotic drugs like opium and heroin. The thought of friendship means to refrain from feeling animosity or aversion for people and animals.
We do not contemplate tyrannizing and trampling on others. Nor do we maliciously wish others to suffer illness or fall dead; nor do we contemplate suicide by the various methods that are regularly reported in the newspapers. Those thoughts arise due to wrong reflection. Where previously a person’s life was his most valuable possession, due to wrong understanding, it now becomes his enemy. This kind of story happens all the time. You should understand that this is the outcome of wrong thoughts and faulty reasoning. Someone who truly safeguards and looks after himself will immediately curb and restrain any wrong thoughts—as soon as the citta begins to conceive them within the heart—by relinquishing and abandoning them. How could he allow those wrong reflections to get out of hand to the point of committing suicide? Is this an example of loving oneself? One kind of thought renunciation is to think in a way that releases us from entanglements in the mundane manner that people usually consider.
For instance, thinking of delivering ourselves from the bonds of poverty, want and hunger in order to achieve wealth and abundance. Another form of renunciation is the practice of dãna, sïla and bhãvanã (generosity, morality and mind development). Here we think about contributing to the construction of roads, wells and cetiyas (pagodas); maintaining and refurbishing old, dilapidated sacred shrines and relics; or building kutis and vihãras (bhikkhu’s dwelling), sãlã (assembly pavilion) and other kinds of structures for the sake of merit and virtue so that we can lift ourselves from the mass of dukkha. Another kind of renunciation is to contemplate and see the peril in birth old age, sickness and death that are inherent within every form of sentient existence without exception, and to discern that the life of one who has gone forth is conducive to the development of the way of sïla, samãdhi and paññã—the way that fulfills our aspirations—and to make up our mind to take the ‘going forth’ to become a nun, a bhikkhu or a novice.
A practitioner contemplates and investigates his subject of meditation to release the citta from all mental hindrances. He utilizes all the various methods, developed by perpetual analysis and reflection, to eradicate the kilesas. He steadily removes the kilesas through the various stages right up to the automatic level of sammã sankappo. By constantly probing and examining, he finally eliminates all the kilesas. This is the last category of sammã sankappo and the end of the elaboration of this second path factor. The Lord taught us the third path factor: sammã vãcã—Right Speech. This includes speaking about things in general, but more specifically about a dialogue on Dhamma. Speaking words of wisdom that are not detrimental to those who listen, speaking with reason that is impressive and eloquent, speaking politely, modestly and unassumingly and speaking in gratitude and appreciation of all people who have been kind and benevolent, are all one level of sammã vãcã.
The most appropriate form of speech is talk about Dhamma. This means speaking only about the sallekha (purifying) dhammas, the means of removing the kilesas. This includes talk of wanting little in terms of a bhikkhu’s basic requisites; talk of being contented with whatever requisites are made available in accordance with Dhamma; talk of not socializing and mingling with others; talk of seclusion and quietude of body and heart; talk of strenuous exertion and diligent effort; talk of maintaining the purity of sïla (moral precepts); talk of the development of samãdhi; talk of the cultivation of paññã to sharpen the power of discernment; talk of vimutti—the state of deliverance—and of vimutti ñãõadassana—the clear, penetrative realization of deliverance.
These are the subtle aspects of sammã vãcã. They are not vain talk or gossip, but serious talk full of interest, appreciation and devotion to the effort needed to apply these purifying dhammas. The Lord taught us the fourth path factor: sammã kammanto—Right Action or Pursuit. There are right actions that deal with general mundane work and those that deal with the work of Dhamma. Occupations that are not against the law—for example, farming and trading—fall within the bounds of right pursuit. The building of temples and monasteries or the practices of dãna and sïla, and the development of mettã bhãvanã (loving kindness), are another kind of right pursuit. The practices of walking caçkama and sitting in samãdhi are also another variety of right undertaking. Every movement of body, speech and mind is kamma—action. Therefore, actions done by body, speech and heart are called kamma. Correct and proper bodily actions, speech and thoughts are called sammã kammanta. Right Pursuit carries a wide and extensive meaning, so it’s up to each individual to interpret and apply it for himself.
The world and Dhamma have always been paired together like the left and right arms of the same person. It is not possible to separate the world and Dhamma. The world has its work and Dhamma has its. Since the conditions and the make-up of people vary from case to case, their undertakings cannot be identical. For this reason, a lay person must pursue the work that befits his position, while someone who follows the way of Dhamma must pursue the work of one who has gone forth. Each must take up the work that accords with his status. In either case, don’t allow your pursuits in life to conflict with what is right. Each one will then have his own sammã kammanta—right undertaking. Both the world and Dhamma will steadily flourish with each passing day because everyone is contributing and helping.
The Lord taught us the fifth path factor: sammã ãjïvo - Right Livelihood. This includes the feeding ourselves, which is the common form of livelihood among people and animals. Nourishing the citta with wholesome ãrammaõas (mental objects) is another kind of livelihood. Nurturing the citta with the higher levels of Dhamma is another. A legitimate way of living in accordance with Dhamma (not unlawful ones like theft and corruption) is one form of sammã ãjïvo. We live off of what we can obtain to support our lives from day to day. If we are able to acquire things in abundance in a way that accords with Dhamma, that is also an aspect of sammã ãjïvo. The nourishment of the heart with ãrammaõas (mental objects) that arise due to its contact with external objects—like forms of men and women, their sounds, their smells, their tastes, and male and female body contacts—is another variety of sammã ãjïvo.
This includes anything that suits our liking and keeps us happy and cheerful, free from sadness and melancholy. We are constantly absorbed in pleasure and delight, which serves as the elixir of life. But should we pursue them in the wrong way, they could turn into poisons destroying the heart. This type of sammã ãjïvo is suitable to those in the world who knows the right measure of things, as well as propriety, bounds and limits in behavior. Preventing the poisons of the world from affecting the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and heart is the way of nurturing the heart with Dhamma. Every contact made with forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile objects and mental objects should always be contemplated in the light of Dhamma. We should not allow any affection or aversion to arise, for it will be a discomfort for the heart.
The investigation that accords with Dhamma will provide and sustain the heart with the essence of Dhamma. The heart will experience bliss, contentment and serenity. It will be permeated with wisdom and discernment, so we won’t seek any ãrammaõa that is poisonous and destructive to the heart, but only those that constantly provide and nourish the heart with Dhamma. We must always investigate in the light of Dhamma every contact between the internal ãyatanas (sense organs), like the eyes and ears, and the external ãyatanas (sense objects), like sights and sounds, for true understanding and liberation. We must never contemplate in the worldly-minded way, as it is the way of taking in fire to burn ourselves. This will only cause anxiety and restlessness inside the heart.
We must constantly feed the heart with the ãrammaõas of Dhamma. The essence of Dhamma is the nourishment of the heart. It will steadily sustain and protect the heart, keeping it secure. The Lord taught us the sixth path factor: sammã vãyãmo—Right Effort. There are four kinds of effort: the effort to prevent the accumulation of unwholesome qualities within our character; the effort to get rid of anything unwholesome that has arisen; the effort to develop wholesome qualities within us; and the effort to maintain the wholesome qualities that have already arisen. We must make them Opanayiko (drawing inward) by applying them to our own level of attainment in Dhamma, where they will be drawn into the basic principles of samãdhi and paññã. We must devote ourselves to taking care of the citta that is obsessed and infatuated with the flow of taçhã (craving) due to the power of ignorance dragging it away. We must try to curb the restlessness and disquiet of the citta with the disciplinary power of sati and paññã.
The way of sïla, samãdhi and paññã is the Dhamma that can rectify every kind of kilesa, so we must strive to develop them within our hearts. If we aspire for Nibbãna and the total extinction of the fire of anxiety, we must carefully cultivate sïla, samãdhi and paññã. Once the levels of sïla, samãdhi and paññã have appeared within us, we must not let them slip away through negligence. One must nourish and develop them to full maturity where they will be transformed into the Maggañãõa (supramundane knowledge of the Path) that can obliterate all traces of the kilesas. The realm of Vimutti (Freedom) and Nibbãna—that was previously perceived as something beyond our means and abilities—will be the Dhamma realized within our hearts the instant all the kilesas have been eliminated.
The Lord taught us the seventh path factor: sammã sati—Right Mindfulness. This is the setting up of mindfulness in our meditation practice. Whatever Dhamma we use as the heart’s ãrammaõa—for example, the recollection of “Buddho” or ãnãpãnasati (mindfulness of breathing)—we should have sati concentrating on that object. Or if we should focus our attention on the four objects of satipaååhãna : body, vedanã, citta and dhamma—whether for the development of samãdhi or in the investigation for the development of paññã—we must constantly have sati attending to every moment of our meditation. This is one category of sammã sati (Right Mindfulness). The Lord taught us the eighth path factor: sammã samãdhi—(Right Calm and Concentration). This refers to the samãdhi that is imbued with paññã, and not the stump-like samãdhi. It is also not the type of samãdhi that is constantly addictive, where we have no inclination to investigate in the way of paññã because we think that this type of samãdhi is in itself an adequately exalted Dhamma. Instead, we criticize paññã as being unworthy.
This kind of samãdhi is called miccha (incorrect) samãdhi, and it is not the samãdhi that can truly deliver us from dukkha. To practice the samãdhi that will free us from dukkha, we must focus our attention on any particular Dhamma principle or theme that we prefer, having sati directing and guarding until the citta manages to converge into samãdhi. It doesn’t matter what class of samãdhi this may be. It is right or samãdhi as long as we feel that the citta has become calm and ceased thinking, remaining in singularity and isolation from all surrounding conditions for a time before withdrawing from that state.
This is different from the samãdhi in which the citta converges and you immediately lose track of day and night and become totally ignorant of whether you’re still alive or not. It’s as though you’re dead. Only after the citta has withdrawn do you realize that it entered into calm or wandered away into the blue. This is the stump-like samãdhi because it resembles a tree stump without any consciousness. Try to avoid this type of samãdhi If you have already grown used to it, you must immediately change and remedy it. This sort of samãdhi is found in the circle of those who practice. The way to cure it is to avoid allowing the citta to converge as it usually does. If you allow it to, it will always stick to that habit.
Instead, you must force the citta it to take a tour of the body with sati firmly in control, going up and down, over and over again until paññã, magga and phala (wisdom, path and fruit) are realized. The kind of samãdhi that is sammã samãdhi is the one that has sati attending to the state of calm once the citta has converged into samãdhi. After the citta has come out of samãdhi, you should investigate, in the way of paññã, the various sabhãva dhammas that are found within the body and citta. You should investigate when it is opportune and appropriate to do so.
Samãdhi and paññã are the dhammas that are always interrelated. You shouldn’t let your samãdhi drift away because of not paying careful attention to it. In short, these three dhammas—sati, samãdhi and paññã—are interrelated and inseparable. Samãdhi and paññã take turns doing the work while sati watches over them. The above eight path factors have been discussed partly from principles of Dhamma and partly from practical experience. Please note that the dhammas from sammã diååhi (Right View) through to sammã samãdhi, are dhammas comprised of many levels. It’s up to each individual to take them and apply them in his practice in accordance with his Dhamma attainment and ability. Regardless of whether you are a lay person or a bhikkhu, if you are interested, you can practice for the full development of these eight path factors.
The fruits of vimutti (freedom) and vimutti ñãõadassana (knowledge and insight of freedom) will then be your most valuable possessions. This is because sïla, samãdhi and paññã are all found within that Magga (Path). They are like the keys that will open and clearly reveal these two vimuttis to the heart. Moreover, all of you who practice should not understand that vimutti and vimutti ñãõadassana are separate from each other, or that they perform two different functions. Truly, that’s not the case. When a man chops wood with an axe, as soon as the wood is cut up, he both sees it with his eyes and at the same instant realizes it in his heart. In the same way, vimutti and vimutti ñãõadassana will make you both perceive and experience simultaneously the detachment of the kilesas from the heart, which is accomplished by way of sïla, samãdhi and paññã.
Thereafter, there can be no more fussing with problems, because all the bothersome issues arise from the conflict between the heart and the kilesas. This is the greatest of all issues in the three realms of existence. Once the heart, which is the primary problem, is let go, the kilesas which reside in and live off the heart will naturally fall away. Furthermore, sïla, samãdhi, paññã, vimutti and vimutti ñãõadassana all remain as they truly are. They are all real, so consequently all the contentious issues come to an end. Today I have presented a talk on Dhamma to you who practice by highlighting the example of the Lord Buddha and the Sãvakas so that it may serve as a guide pointing out the correct way to you. Now you can set your compass—your mode of practice—and relentlessly strive to follow the path of the Lord Buddha. Once you have fully developed the dhammas of sïla, samãdhi and paññã, then vimutti and vimutti ñãõadassana—the essence of Nibbãna—will undoubtedly be your possession.
For this reason, may all of you set up the understanding that all the aforementioned dhammas are found right within your body and your heart. Please draw them inward to be your own possessions. Then, both the cultivation of the means of practice and its fruits of vimutti and Nibbãna that I have illustrated will all belong to you, either today or sometime in the future. Evam. Such is the way.
By Ajahn Maha Boowa Nanasampanno Translated by Ajahn Suchard Abhijato