All of you who come here for instruction, please be earnest and resolute in your practice. I’ll do my best to give you the instructions. Sometimes I cover everything that I know, and sometimes I only touch on a few points. But I have never hidden anything from you. I have told you all that I know regarding my practice and how difficult it was. I revealed it to you so you can use it as an example. It’s not for showing off. When fighting the kilesas you have to be aggressive, or else you will not even scratch the surface of them. There are times when you can practice lightly, but there are also times when you have to commit your total effort. Such a time will come and it will happen within your hearts, and you will know it, if you practice with discernment and sound judgment. You’ll know when you arrive at a situation that forbids you from retreating, that you must only go forward. You’ll either lose your life or realize the truth. I myself have experienced this. I’ve never thought that I would become your teacher. Looking back at my stupidity and the restlessness of my citta, I never thought that I would be in this position. But the citta is not above training. It can be trained.
When the citta becomes very restless, you have to be forceful. You have to reduce your food consumption and intensify your exertion. You have to discipline yourself in every respect. When the body weighs heavily on the citta, you have to fast. This is the way of training yourself. Even when the body is not oppressive to the citta, but it’s still restless, then you must intensify your inves - tigation to search and destroy the kilesas. When you are forced to to - tally commit yourself, then you will come to experience the result of your wisdom and mindfulness. I have a coarse temperament. I could not practice lightly but had to practice very aggressively in order to achieve result. That is why I can attest to you that in times of suffer - ing, when you’re driven into a corner, you can surpass it, you’ll not remain stupid.
During such a time, you’ll be forced to think of a way out. When you do, then wisdom will arise. It is the same when you’re surrounded by the kilesas, you’ll be forced to figure a way of escape. You’ll have to utilize satipaññā to get you out of the mess. The kilesas will then retreat, leaving you in a state of calm. At such a time you’ll gain confidence in your wisdom and mind - fulness that is capable of destroying the kilesas. You’ll never forget the result that arises from this strenuous exertion because it will be impressed in your hearts. This is why I want you all to use paññā. You shouldn’t wait until you have established samādhi before using paññā. When you are developing calm, you have to commit your total effort. The kilesas are in the citta, and so is satipaññā. So there is no reason why satipaññā cannot get rid of the kilesas in order for you to calm down. If you are resolute, then the state of calm cannot slip from your grasp, and the citta will definitely calm down. You must not let the citta lead you astray, but rather you must use your mindfulness to direct it into calm. When you want to be calm, you have to closely watch the citta because the citta is the one that prevents itself from calming down by thinking endlessly; that in turn creates mental pic - tures to fool you.
There is not a single moment in which the citta does not conceive these mental images. To see where the citta is leading you to, you have to watch it closely. No matter how fast the citta be - comes, mindfulness will be just as fast, because the citta can’t escape from mindfulness. You will then get the citta to calm down. This is the way of calming the citta. In the beginning stages of practice, calming the citta can be quite difficult, but you should not let it obstruct your practice. When you’re about to pass away, the pain will be very severe, es - pecially if you haven’t developed any Dhamma in your heart. You won’t have any mindfulness and wisdom to protect you, and you’ll be entirely engulfed by pain. But if you have the Dhamma, you’ll be strong and firm to face up to this final moment.
The kilesas are strong, so you cannot be weak. You must be strong too. Usually it is the kilesas that are always strong, and you’re always weak. You can’t be weak but must be equally strong. When you’ve established some calm, you should investigate and develop paññā. Because the development of samādhi isn’t restricted to being mindful solely of your meditation object, you can also use paññā to calm down the citta—this is called paññā develops samādhi.. The calm that arises by paññā will make you very courageous, much more so than from concentrating on a medita - tion object. I really want you to experience this. What I have told you is from my own practical experiences and I have not added anything to it. This is exactly how it was. I am showing you the results that I’ve experienced within my own heart. It is the truth that is now within my heart, and I am telling you just this truth and nothing more.
Be really earnest, and really commit yourself to the practice. Don’t speculate about the magga, phala, and Nibbāna. Just observe and focus your attention on the one who is confused, because this is the one who obstructs the magga, phala and Nibbāna from you. It’s your thoughts, imagination, and delusion which are the thorns that are obstructing you from attaining the magga, phala and Nibbāna. You have to calm the citta. Once the citta calms down, then happiness will arise and become the magga, phala and Nibbāna’s living proof. After you have emerged from this state of calm, then you should investigate. You must investigate the body—look at it clearly. It is always with you. Why can’t you see the truth of this body? It’s merely a piece of skin wrapped around a skeleton, but you mistake it for a human being, a person, considering it beautiful and permanent. You are deceived by your own delusion, because the body is aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ and anattā. It’s a living cemetery. It’s the same with everybody who lives in this world.
You have to investigate to see this truth, and then you’ll see the Dhamma. To think that this body is permanent is really the delusion created by the kilesas. If you believe the Dhamma, then you must not believe the kilesas. You have to investigate and analyze in order to remove the delusion created by the kilesas. Then you’ll see that this body is not I or mine, not niccaṁ, not sukkhaṁ, not attā, not permanent, pleasant, not a self. It›s truly aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ and anattā—impermanent, suffering and not-self. Get to see it clearly. Investigate earnestly. You have to have calm as a practitioner, and especially so as a bhikkhu. You’ll really waste your human birth if you can’t realize from your Dhamma practice peace of mind, freedom from suffer - ing and Nibbāna. It’ll really be a shame. So don’t speculate about the magga, phala and Nibbāna because this is just the kilesa ’s diversion. You should follow the Dhamma which teaches you to look at the heart because the kilesas are in the heart, and the means of eliminating the kilesas are also in the heart. Where are the Four Noble Truths? Where is dukkha ? The dukkha of the body and the dukkha of the heart are inside yourselves.
You are their creator. Why then can’t you see the truth of dukkha ? And what is it that causes this dukkha to arise and consume your heart? What else can it be if not the kilesas which the Lord Buddha called samudaya—the cause of dukkha? It’s in your heart. Who’ll detect this samudaya if not satipaññā? You’ll see the kilesas and the cause of dukkha within your heart with satipaññā. You must not speculate, but must delve into your heart because that’s where the truth is. When it is time to use satipaññā, you must use it. You can do it, otherwise the Lord Buddha would not have taught you to do so.
Some of the sāvakas had to struggle just like you’re doing now. You can see this from the scriptures. For instance, the Venerable Culapanthaka who could not memorize some chants for four months. So his brother got very disappointed with him. When they were invit - ed to go for dāna with the Lord Buddha, his brother did not invite him, because he considered him very stupid. Because of this, the Venerable Culapanthaka became very depressed and took the opportunity to investigate the Dhamma using his satipaññā, and attained enlighten - ment right on that very day. When the Lord Buddha noted that not all the bhikkhus had come yet, he told someone to go and fetch the missing bhikkhu.
The Venerable Culapanthaka, in addition to his enlight - enment, had also attained the supernatural power of being capable of creating a thousand images of himself. So when the person to fetch him arrived at the monastery, he met many Culapanthakas, and did not know which one to invite. He returned to tell the Lord Buddha about this. The Lord Buddha told him to grab the first Culapanthaka that he saw by the robe. When he did this, all the other Culapanthakas disappeared. The Lord Buddha already knew that the Venerable Culapanthaka had attained enlightenment because his brother disciplined him by not inviting him to go for dāna with the other bhikkhus. His brother did this for a reason, and the Lord Buddha did not reprimand him for it. His brother was already an arahant. You can see how difficult it was for them, but when they strived, they could eventually attain enlightenment.
You’re human beings like them. Although you might not possess any supernatural power, you at least have the power to subdue and destroy the kilesas. You must really commit yourselves— be really resolute and earnest. The magga, phala, and Nibbāna are right here within your heart, but you just let the kilesas trample all over you. Not to be able to enjoy the taste of the Dhamma is really a shame for a practitioner. You tend to let yourselves be dragged away by the kilesas all the time. So you should be very strict with yourselves.
And what is magga ? It’s sīla, samādhi and paññā. You’re already keeping sīla, so there’s no need to talk about it other than samādhi and paññā. What prevents the heart from being calm? You know that it is because of the kilesas luring you away from your meditation practice. You must therefore apply satipaññā to calm the citta or use a mantra. But if using a mantra does not calm the citta, then you must use satipaññā to investigate what the citta is thinking about. It has been thinking from the first day of your lives up until today, but what good has this ever done you? You have been continually deceived by the delusion created by the kilesas within your minds.
Aren’t you tired of this? You get tired of many things, but why don’t you ever get tired of being fooled by the kilesas ? If you’re really desirous of enlighten - ment, then you must use satipaññā. You have to ask yourselves what you are thinking about, because this is the way of using satipaññā. At this moment, if you’re going to think, you must think of the Dhamma. You have to be really earnest in order to achieve results. Satipaññā will remove all the delusions that have blinded the citta, and gradually bring about nirodha through the development of the magga. Once the magga is fully developed, then all the kilesas, from the coarsest to the most subtle, will disappear. You can develop satipaññā to defeat the kilesas. Then the magga, phala and Nibbāna will appear in your hearts. After the kilesas have been vanquished, then there is no need to ask where Nibbāna is. The arahants themselves never ask about Nibbāna because the word Nibbāna is just a signpost pointing the way to Nibbāna.
For example, if you were to put up the name of this monastery at the entrance, it would not make any difference to you, because you already know that this is Wat Pa Baan Taad. But to those who have not come here before, it would make a difference. When they first arrived, they would ask ‘What monastery is this?’ After seeing the sign they would say ‘Oh, this is Wat Pa Baan Taad.’ Those who live in the monastery don’t need the sign. Similarly with those who already know the magga, phala and Nibbāna. They don’t have to read about them because they already know within their hearts. The important thing is to remove all the kilesas. Then there won’t be any question. What are sammati and vimutti ? What is the real truth? The term ‘Nibbāna’ is sammati.
What is it that is given the name Nibbāna, if not the purified citta? What else could it be? You have to purify your citta, and after you have done that, you will have no doubt. After you die, where will you be? If you’ve attained Nibbāna, this will not be an issue. It will only be an issue for those who still have the kilesas. Wherever they are, they will always be devoured by the kilesas. It is not Nibbāna that afflicts the world but the kilesas. As practitioners, you must be resolute and earnest. Totally commit yourselves to eradicating all the kilesas from your hearts. There has never been a single arahant so out of his mind to ask what the state of purity is or what Nibbāna is. All that’s necessary is to have your citta purified. Every question will then be answered. The question regarding the time and place of the Lord Buddha’s and all the other Buddhas’ entry into Parinibbāna will be answered in the purified citta. Looking from a purified citta you will understand because it’s the same truth. They merge perfectly together.
All questions will disap - pear the instant you attain the state of purity. Wherever you are, you will always be with the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, right within your heart. Once the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha have arisen in your hearts, they will become the Dhammapadipo—the Light of Dhamma. They all become the One Dhamma. As far as the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha are concerned, this is merely a conventional way of describing these three aspects of the One Dhamma. But after they’ve appeared in your hearts, they will become the One Dhamma. I translate majjhimā, the Middle Way, as suitability. This is the suit - able practice for the eradication of the kilesas.
If the kilesas are force - ful, then the majjhimā must also be forceful. When the kilesas become more subtle, then the majjhimā must also become more subtle. When the majjhimā overwhelms the kilesas, it will then destroy all the kilesas, and will retire from active duty, because the Majjhimā Paṭipadā or the Middle Way which is the means of eliminating the kilesas, is sammati. The kilesas are also sammati. They are the binding sammati, whilst the majjhimā is the unbinding sammati. The Four Noble Truths—dukkha, samudaya, nirodha and magga, are also sammati. Nirodha is the cessation of dukkha. Once dukkha has ceased, what else is there to do? At the final moment when dukkha completely disappears, you’ll know that it has forever ceased. Why practice anymore? You’ve already achieved your goal. The one who knows the cessation of the kilesas, is not the Noble Truths.
The cessation of the kilesas is what you’re actually after. But the one who has attained this state makes no comment at all. He doesn’t say that he takes or gives, for he has now arrived at the ab - solute suitability, the natural state of majjhimā, being in the middle of love and hate, just right, proper, and appropriate, being contented, not hungry, nothing is too much or too little. It’s not affected by prais - es or criticisms because it’s fully contented. Concerning the four maggas, the four phalas and Nibbāna, if you haven’t practiced, you’ll always be in doubt. But after you’ve prac - ticed and become enlightened you’ll not be in doubt at all. At the final moment, when the citta completely gets rid of avijjā, it happens in a single instant. At that instant, the magga merges with the phala. And immediately after that, it’s mistakenly described in the scrip - tures as the arahatta phala, the fruit of arahantship, when in fact it’s Nibbāna. Because when the magga and phala are still in action, it can’t be Nibbāna, because it’s still sammati. It’s similar to walking up the steps of the sālā or building, where you place one foot on the sālā floor whilst the other foot is still on the step.
You haven›t yet accomplished your goal. But when the other foot is lifted from the step and placed on the sālā floor, then right at that instant you›ve achieved your goal, which is similar to achieving Nibbāna although the scriptures de - scribe it as the fruit of arahantship. When you get there it won’t be an issue. The Lord Buddha had to clarify this point because had he not done so the sāvakas who had attained Nibbāna would have asked him anyway. ‘Why didn’t you mention this point?’ That was the reason why the Lord Buddha divided these attainments into nine stages: the four paths, the four fruits, and Nibbāna, in order to be precise and prevent any confusion amongst all the arahant sāvakas who must pass through these nine stages. After you’ve attained the ultimate goal, all relationships will then disappear. When the path merges with the fruit, there’s still a relationship.
That’s why the Lord Buddha emphasized that nirodha must be completely realized. Nirodha is the cessation of dukkha. In my own words, it means that you should strive for the total cessation of dukkha. But you usually interpret it to mean different from what it’s intended to. Instead of exerting for the removal of the kilesas, you become embroiled with how to achieve nirodha. As soon as you’ve got rid of the kilesas, nirodha will appear. The truth and theory are two different things, two different worlds. The truth is absolute, whilst the theory can change and mustn’t be used to measure the truth. For instance, when you hear about the heavenly abodes, or the paths, the fruits, and Nibbāna, you can’t help but speculate, because your citta hasn’t actually attained them yet.
You can only commit them to memory. Although the citta may be able to remember by heart what Nibbāna is, the citta itself hasn’t yet realized Nibbāna, for it’s still fully possessed with the kilesas. This is what is meant by memory. Please remember this well. But when the citta has passed these various stages of attainments by practice, they’ll then become real. They are the truth. Your questions and doubts will be eliminated. For example, if someone tells you about London, England, all that you can do then is to speculate and imagine in your minds. But when you yourselves actually go to London, then what you’ve imagined in your minds will totally disappear, and be replaced by what you see. What you’ve imagined is false and will be replaced by what you actually see. What’s left impressed in your minds will be the truth. It’s the same with the four paths, four fruits, and Nibbāna. You remember them, but are always doubtful. But when you’ve realized them, all your doubts will be eliminated. The truth and memory are two different things. They are worlds apart.
For this reason, no matter how many arahants there might be, even if there were a million or more, there would not be any doubts or contradictions amongst them. Similarly with those who have gone to London, there would not be any contradictions amongst them, be - cause they all have seen exactly the same thing. Before, you would have questioned: ‘What are the maggas; what are the phalas; what are the paths and fruits of the sotāpanna, or the sakadāgāmī, or the anāgāmī or the arahant?’ But as soon as you’ve practiced and passed through these stages, then you’ll know what they are. After you’ve reached Nibbāna, there’ll be no more contradictions because all the sammati have disappeared. Doubts and questions are sammati.
After you’ve seen the truth, all the doubts and questions will disappear. The Lord Buddha called this vimutti, which means Freedom. You’ve been shouldering the futile burden of memory and specu - lation for a long time. Why don’t you shoulder the truth for a change? See what it’s like, how heavy it is. Shouldering the burden of memory and speculation is a very heavy load, but you don’t realize this. You should carry the load of truth to see whether it is heavy or not, and to see the difference between them! You’ve learned many truths from the scriptures. Now you should learn the truth from your practice. If they’re not different, why would the Lord Buddha have taught you to practice? The Lord Buddha taught you to develop pariyatti, paṭipatti, and paṭivedha which means studying the scriptures, practice the teaching and then attain the results. Pariyatti is the studying of the Middle Way.
You can study from the scriptures, or from your precep - tor on the day of your ordination when he teaches you the five parts of the body—kesā, lomā, nakhā, dantā, taco, hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, and skin. You must then apply them in your practice by continually investigating these body parts to see them all the time. This is paṭipatti or practice. When you’ve achieved this, it’s paṭivedha, the gradual realization of the truth. Paṭivedha or the results from practice don’t usually appear all at once but appear gradually. When you’ve uprooted all of the kilesas, you’ll then achieve the full paṭivedha or result. All of your burdens will be shed. The problems caused by the kilesas will all come to an end and you’ll forever live in peace.
The victory of the world is different from the victory of the Dhamma. The Lord Buddha said that no matter how many people you might have killed in battle, even if it were millions, it wouldn’t bring you true peace and happiness. To destroy all the kilesas within your hearts is most supreme. To conquer yourself is the greatest vic - tory. Don’t you want this kind of victory? Therefore, all of you who come to live here, and there are many of you, must watch your kilesas. You have to be especially mindful of the kilesa that thinks very highly of itself. This is very important. You should not display your kilesas, but should instead display the Dhamma if you want to live together peacefully. You should always follow the Dhamma teaching that exhort you to always have mettā or loving-kindness for your colleagues, regardless of whether they’re good or not, accomplished or not. You should always treat them well. If they have achieved something, then you should praise them. Then you’ll all live in peace, harmony and happiness. All of you come from different places, and have different temperaments. So you have to blend together to become one body.