All the Buddhas attain their enlightenment through the realization of the Dhamma that is inherent in this world. All of them attained the same knowledge and insight, and their teaching was all the same and conforms to the highest ethical and moral principles. They did not teach the Dhamma in an aberrant or corrupt manner like the Buddhist followers of today who are indecorous and ostentatious, trying to outdo the Lord Buddha. There are many of them, despite the fact that the ideal way of teaching is still extant. But they just don’t want to follow it, because they simply want to be famous and distinguished. If one follows the principles of the Dhamma teaching, then one will be free of errors, flawless and impeccable.
Whether one is a bhikkhu or a layperson, one will be possessed with sīla or morality and Dhamma. If one just practices following the principles of the Dhamma teaching that one has faith in, then how can one ever get into trouble? The cause for schism in various sects is the conduct that goes against the Dhamma-vinaya, crushing and trampling on the Dhamma-vinaya, which are the truth; thus replacing the Dhamma teaching of the Lord Buddha with the kilesas by thinking that this is the proper and correct way of doing things. If they are in accord with one’s preferences and obsessions, then they must be right. These ways then keep on growing. These are the grosser kind of kilesas. Concerning the more subtle ones that are found within the heart of everyone, including those of us practitioners who have been constantly fooled by their tricks, what are they?
They are hatred, anger, and the obsessions with our feelings and emotions that are created by our thinking and concocting, which are influenced by the kilesas, with ourselves being totally unaware of them and are totally engrossed and immersed in them. They are all found within the heart of everyone. The Lord Buddha expounded that all of them are harmful and dangerous. Love, hatred, anger, animosity, and our obsession for the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and emotions are all harmful. They are influenced and created by the kilesas that give rise to delusion and infatuation. The Dhamma has already pointed this out, but we are always enticed and hypnotised by them. If we do not fall for them or be captivated by them, how can the heart not find any calm? We have to be vigilant, take care of our thinking and concocting, and curb the confusion and chaos of the heart that the kilesas create by manipulating saññā and saṅkhāra to afflict our hearts with trouble and hardship. This is something that we haven’t yet seen the harm of. When the mind has not attained calm, then it is already obvious that it is being afflicted with harm.
This damage is the state of confusion and restlessness which prevents the mind from coming to calm. The reason why the mind cannot be calm is because of the agitating and disturbing influences that reside inside the mind. If the practitioner doesn’t reflect on their harm, then he will not be able to find anything worthwhile. The wonderful quality of the mind, which is the state of calm, will not appear. We have to constantly see them as harmful and be very careful and vigilant. If we are not, how can we expect to come across the magga, phala, and Nibbāna? If they constantly obstruct the magga, phala, and Nibbāna, how can we ever realize them when every time we think, our thoughts always go in the way of the kilesas? Whatever we concoct or turn our mind to various thoughts, it is never about the Dhamma, but always about the kilesas, taṇhā, and āsava. How then can we ever come across the magga, phala, and Nibbāna? We as practitioners must think like this.
The kilesas are always influencing saṅkhāra and saññā. As far as the sight and sound and the other sense objects are concerned, the kilesas only influence them when they come into contact with the sense organs. This happens from time to time. It is the feelings and emotions which arise from sensual contacts that disturb and agitate us that we ceaselessly think about and concoct. Whatever we concoct, it is always the work of the kilesas, not the work of Dhamma, not the work of sati and paññā. If paññā investigates and contemplates, then it is the work of Dhamma. When saṅkhāra thinks with Dhamma, analysing and differentiating the element aggregates, reflecting and contemplating with discernment; then it will go in the way of Dhamma. Our perception or saññā must follow the investigation, like following a painted line. This is what saññā has to do. Then it will be in accordance with the Dhamma. But as it is, 95% of the time it is the work of the kilesas. Even the remaining 5% hardly ever goes in the way of the Dhamma.
Thus, in the practice of Dhamma, we hardly ever come across and clearly perceive the Dhamma within our heart, the state of calm that is not really that far away from us at all. As soon as we curb and restrain our emotions with sati, the state of calm will appear. If we cannot calm our hearts and free them from these disturbing and agitating influences, how then are we going to come up with the magga, phala, and Nibbāna? I have explained this to you countless times—more frequently than the kilesas have swarmed over your heart. By now you should be able to bear it in mind and take it up for contemplation and investigation. The work of overcoming and uprooting the kilesas is a herculean task. There is nothing more tenacious than the kilesas, and I myself have already experienced this. I really had to put all of my life into