In a scorching and burning world, we cannot survive without the Dhamma teaching, which is similar to water that puts out fire. Without the sāsana or Buddhism, the world would be similar to that of a village or a forest that is being consumed by fire with no water to put it out. There can only be destruction. In a place where there is enough water to put out the fire, that place will be safe and secure. In a place where there is not enough water, that place will be left in a total state of devastation. This is similar to the hearts of the people living in this world which need the teaching, the Dhamma water, to quench the fires of rāga, dosa, and moha, lust, hate, and delusion. If we cannot use the Dhamma to totally extinguish this fire, at least we should try to diminish it.
This is like an illness which needs the proper medicine to cure it. In sickness, some may die and some may be cured and live. It depends on the ability of the doctor whether the disease can be cured or not. If he cannot do it, then the patient will die. If he can, then the patient will survive. It is the same way with our hearts. If we have the Dhamma water, we can then extinguish the fire inside our hearts.
If our hearts are cruel and malicious, and we pay no attention to good and bad, right and wrong, heaven and hell, but only the things that we desire, then our hearts will be on fire. No matter how much we can acquire with our desires, if the heart is constantly burning and the Dhamma water cannot reach it, then the heart will always be ablaze. There will be more greed if we allow ourselves to pursue our greed, our rāga-taṇhā, our lust. We cannot curb our greed by constant - ly pursuing it through delusion, not paying any attention to right and wrong, but allowing ourselves to be led astray by the influence of the kilesas, taṇhās and āsavas.
Our hearts will then be on fire. Wherever we live, be it in a palace or a mansion, our hearts will always be con - sumed by fire because there is no water to put it out. This water is the Dhamma. So for this reason, the Dhamma is absolutely essential for all sentient beings, similar to water that is essential for putting out fire. As soon as the sāsana or Buddhism disappears from the world, then the world will be set ablaze. All sentient beings that live in the world will all be scorched by fire. There will not be any happiness. That is why all the sages like the Lord Buddha have to teach the Dhamma to enlighten people’s hearts. Therefore, the importance of the Dhamma is foremost, and nothing can surpass it. Our body and speech are the servants, while our hearts are the master. They obey the commands of the heart. Therefore, the heart is paramount. According to the Dhammapada, the Buddha’s path of wisdom: Mano pubbaṁ gamā dhamma, mano seṭṭhā, mano mayā, meaning that all phenomena are preceded by the heart.
The heart is the most suitable vessel for the Dhamma. When the heart has the Dhamma, then whatever we do, through body or speech, it will always be auspi - cious. But if the heart is corrupt, then whatever we do, we will always be consumed by dukkha. This dukkha is like the wheel of the cart that follows the track of the ox that pulls it. Dukkha will always follow those who do bad or evil deeds, while happiness will always follow those who do good deeds. One who has virtue in his heart is one who always carries with them the medicine to cure their illnesses.
Wherever he goes, there is always some form of cure for him that will alleviate his affliction. Therefore, Dhamma is not something insignificant, something that we can disregard. We should not think that the sāsana is something merely inscribed on palm leaves or found just in the monasteries, that the sāsana only belongs to the bhikkhus and sāmaṇeras, that it only belongs to the Lord Buddha and the arahant disciples, that it only belongs to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. All of this is just misunderstanding. Because the Dhamma, in truth, is common property for anyone to use as they please. We can use it to quench the fire inside our hearts. Dhamma is the natural and common property of the world. One who seeks virtue, righteousness, gracefulness, and coolness, will not be off the mark if they take the Dhamma as their compass and guide.
Nothing can surpass the Dhamma in wisdom. Where does paññā come from if not from the magga, the noble eightfold path? Sati is mindfulness, or constant awareness of the actions of our body, speech, and heart. This is the path, the magga. This is sammāsati, right mindfulness. Our actions of speech and body that are right and proper are called sammāvacā and sammākammanta. They are the factors of the path, the Dhamma teaching of the Lord Buddha which is perfect and flawless. We aren’t good or bad simply because we’re born human. Whatever class of people we belong to cannot be considered either good or bad. Truly, it depends on our conduct of body, speech, and heart, and whether these are conducted in the right or wrong way, the good or bad way. We can only be judged by our actions. Simply being born as a human being doesn’t mean that we are good.
The only thing good about it is that it is the result of our past actions, and that is a good result. But as far as the good of the future and present is concerned, this depends on our conduct, and the training of ourselves following the right and proper way of the Dhamma teaching of the Lord Buddha that can make us grow in a good way gradually until reaching the highest virtue. The Dhamma cannot be blamed for not making us good. For it is us who have to develop ourselves to be good. We aren’t good and virtuous because we don’t develop ourselves with the Lord Buddha’s sublime Dhamma. How many sentient beings did the Lord Buddha lead out of the stream of saṁsāra and transform them into supreme human beings, like the arahants, the anāgāmīs, the sakadāgāmīs, and the sotāpannas, who have all purified themselves with the Dhamma of the Lord Buddha to the utmost of their ability.
This is the way that people can be good through the way of Dhamma. Without the Dhamma teaching, we cannot be good. Concerning those who have gone forth, these are the practitioners who have taken up the yellow robe and been ordained into the sāsana following the tradition established by the Lord Buddha and the arahant disciples. This yellow robe is dyed with the dye taken from the heartwood of the jackfruit tree, similar to how it was done in the past. This color is not desired by the world, but it is appropriate and suitable for the life of a bhikkhu. We have to realize that we have now taken up the yellow robe and been ordained in the sāsana, but the kilesas themselves have not taken up the yellow robe with us. The kilesas are inside our hearts. How can we make ourselves good if we do not get rid of the kilesas? The kilesas are the evil ones and the enemies of the Dhamma. Every kind of kilesas, from the coarsest to the most subtle, is antagonistic to the Dhamma.
In order to remove them, we have to always fight them. Sometimes we have to put our lives at stake. If the kilesas do not die, then we will. And if we do not die, then the kilesas must die. First, we should at least subdue the kilesas, then in the end conquer them and totally annihilate them. This is for the purpose of making ourselves respectable. From the first day of our going forth, it is only ourselves that have gone forth. The kilesas do not ordain with us. To go forth or to be ordained means to abstain from the things that we should abstain from, and to develop the things that we should develop. We are the ones who have gone forth, and we must take up the Dhamma-vinaya as our guiding principle. This is especially true with the Vinaya, the monastic discipline, the tool to curb and suppress the coarser kinds of kilesa which can be clearly seen by all. The Vinaya will keep the kilesas within the disciplinary bounds.
It will restrain and suppress the kilesas that manifest themselves through the actions of body and speech that are initiated by the heart. And the Dhamma is used to correct the kilesas inside the heart. Combating the kilesas, it is similar to the way the world wages war. For instance, in a boxing ring, the boxers put their lives at stake when they get into the ring. They put their whole effort into the fight, and while they are fighting they are not concerned with winning or losing, but only with exerting themselves to their fullest. If they have to lose their life, they are ready to give it up. This is an example for us practitioners to emulate. We must always consider every kind of kilesa as our enemy. There are many aspects of Dhamma. Dhamma is a tool or instrument. It also supports and lifts us. Satipaññā is the tool to combat the kilesas. It will search and destroy kilesas wherever they may be hidden. Saddhā, which is faith or conviction, serves as a source of encouragement or support. This is the belief that the kilesas can be conquered, that we can defeat them. Viriya is another form of support, making us strive with the most diligent of efforts.
This is the way to develop ourselves to be good and virtuous. This is the way to make the bhikkhus and sāmaṇeras good bhikkhus and good sāmaṇeras according to the Vinaya and the Dhamma. With the Vinaya, they are graceful to behold in what they do and say. With the Dhamma, they are cool, peaceful, calm and graceful, having satipaññā to take care of their hearts. Every form of kilesa is harmful to us and must be eliminated. They must be removed or suppressed during every moment of our exertions. The results of our struggling with the kilesas in the manner of a follower of the Lord Buddha will be attained first at the morality level. Then we will move up to the ariya or enlightenment level, beginning with the sotāpanna, to the sakadāgāmī, to the anāgāmī, and finally to the arahant level. These will be the fruits of our exertions in suppressing and removing the kilesas, stage by stage, according to our ability. These four levels of enlightenment, five including the morality level, are not beyond our ability and efforts, if we use the Vinaya and the Dhamma as our weapons to suppress and eradicate all of the kilesas inside our hearts. No time and place is as important as the place where the ariyasacca, the Four Noble Truths, are found.
These four truths are dukkha, samudaya, nirodha, and magga. And where is dukkha found? It is found in the body and the heart. And where is samudaya found? It is found in the heart. The cause of bodily illness is not considered samudaya because it is not induced by the kilesas. There are things that will cause the body to become sick, but they are not as dangerous as the kilesas or samudaya, the heart’s greatest adversary. That is why the Lord Buddha has to expose the nature of samudaya, so we can see it clearly for what it is. It is kāma-taṇhā, bhava-taṇhā, and vibhava-taṇhā. The Lord Buddhasaid this in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the First Discourse. Kāma-taṇhā is craving for sensuality. It is a form of kilesa. As far as bhava-taṇhā, craving for becoming, and vibhava-taṇhā, craving for not-becoming, are concerned, we already know what they are so I shall not discuss them in detail. I will instead discuss with you the root of the Four Noble Truths. Where are these Four Noble Truths? Where can they be found? Dukkha is in the heart. This is the most important fact.
This dukkha is caused by samudaya— samudaya is its source. Nirodha, the cessation of dukkha—where will this happen? Wherever dukkha arises, that is where nirodha, the cessation of dukkha will appear. What gives rise to nirodha? What gives rise to the cessation of dukkha? It is magga, the path, the majjhimā paṭipadā, the middle way of practice. There are eight factors in this path, beginning with sammādiṭṭhi and sammāsaṅkappo, right view and right thought. These are the two factors of paññā or wisdom. In doing any task, we usually choose a person who is wise like our leader. If we have an ignorant person as leader, then they will usually lead our undertaking to failure. Nobody will trust such a person. Both sammādiṭṭhi and sammāsaṅkappo, right view and right thought, highlight the wisdom of the magga, the path. And where can this magga be found? This magga is one form of cetasika dhamma, mental concomitant, and similarly with samudaya, the cause of dukkha.
This samudaya arises from saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇa. Where else can samudaya come from? When they cause the kilesas to arise, this is called samudaya, and when they cause the suppression and removal of the dukkha and kilesas, this is called the magga. Thinking in the way of truth and insight—this is called paññā. Constant awareness is called sati or mindfulness. Sati is magga, and it arises from the heart. It is the same way with the kilesas which also arise from the heart. But the kilesas oppress the heart and wear it down. They control and subjugate the heart, and subject it to a lot of affliction and hardship. They constantly place pressure on the heart. Magga is the cleansing agent that is used to clean all of these kilesas so that the heart can elevate itself to the highest level, the state of freedom. Nirodha, the cessation of dukkha, will steadily come about following the strength of the magga. When the time comes for the heart to achieve the final and total cessation of dukkha due to the strength and ability of the fully developed magga, then this will happen in a single instant. This is when the arahattamagga, or the path of arahantship, instantly extinguishes all the kilesas, taṇhā, and āsava that converge and hide behind avijjā. Nirodha, the cessation of dukkha, will be the outcome.
When the magga has totally extinguished the kilesas, then nirodha will come to fruition. When nirodha, which is the result of magga, emerges, then the task of extinguishing dukkha also comes to an end, right within that instant. That is why the Lord Buddha said that dukkha should be observed, so that we can see it clearly, although we already know it within ourselves, since we are not dead. How can we not know it? But the reason why the Lord Buddha told us to study dukkha is that although we all have dukkha, we never look at it and analyze its nature so that we can know how to overcome and get rid of it.
For this reason the Lord Buddha taught his followers a systematic way of investigating dukkha. The Lord Buddha said that we should study dukkha and relinquish samudaya, its cause. And how are we going to let go of samudaya? Here the Lord Buddha said it very briefly, but the meaning itself is extensive. In order to let go of samudaya, we have to make diligent efforts, with satipaññā leading the investigation. No matter how hard this may be, we have to commit ourselves to the task. This is the way of relinquishing samudaya. This is the way of getting rid of all the samudaya or kilesas from the heart, by the application of the magga, the majjhimā paṭipadā, the middle way of practice. Nirodha, the cessation of dukkha, will appear as a consequence. That is to say dukkha will disappear. These four noble truths do not happen separately. The way they are being discussed, it seems that they happen one by one. But really they all happen together. When dukkha arises within the heart, the awareness that it has done so also arises at that same instant.
The investigation into the cause of dukkha, that afflicts and disturbs the heart, also arises at the same time. Speaking of the disturbances of the heart, these are the ārammaṇa or mental objects or emotions that the heart has become attached to. For instance, when someone speaks badly of us, if we don’t think about it, nothing will happen to our hearts. But when we think about it, we will become angry. This anger is called samudaya. When there is anger, how can there not be dukkha? It is this anger and ill-will that cause dukkha because we take the criticisms seriously. This is samudaya that causes dukkha to appear. How can one extinguish this dukkha? When we ask this question we are implementing the magga. This is when satipaññā begins to investigate the deception of saṅkhāra. Before, when nobody tells us of other people’s criticisms of us, we are not aroused by anger.
But when somebody tells us of this criticism that may have been made some time ago, we become angry and afflicted with dukkha. This is one form of samudaya. We are speaking of just one form of samudaya—anger. But there is also another side of samudaya—affection, like kāma-taṇhā or craving for sensuality, for instance. They are samudaya or kilesas, and similarly with dissatisfaction, they cause ill-will, and anger. Now we are investigating saṅkhāra, which creates all the deceptions. Saṅkhāra is the deceiver, and so is saññā, with which we assume and presume. Satipaññā or mindfulness and wisdom, must round up all the deceptions, bring them inside, subdue them, and finally eliminate them. Satipaññā must prise saṅkhāra and saññā away from thinking about these anger and affection, and calm them down. This is the way of curbing and eliminating the kilesas.
Once these kilesas have been curbed and eliminated—for instance, when thinking about the criticism of us has been restrained, then the dukkha will disappear. This is because both saññā and saṅkhāra are mesmerized by these deceptions. When satipaññā realizes this, then they will stop, and dukkha will then vanish. When saññā and saṅkhāra, which are kilesas, have been subdued by satipaññā, then dukkha will disappear, and nirodha will appear simultaneously. Don’t waste your time speculating about the world and the universe. It is a heavy load to shoulder and doesn’t do you any good, such as when you imagine about the magga, phala, and Nibbāna. This is just a waste of time. You should instead investigate, identify and remove the kilesas from your hearts. Otherwise, the kilesas will always remain inside your hearts to endlessly consume and afflict you all the time. All the dukkha arises in the heart. Samudaya is like an endlessly long string and the source of dukkha. If you don’t cut this string with your satipaññā, you’ll never find any moral excellence and happiness from your going forth.
As I have said earlier when we take up the robe, the kilesas do not take up the robe with us. We have to fight the kilesas, but most of the time we surrender. There are not many practitioners who are capable of conquering the kilesas and attaining the highest fruit of arahantship. We have to face this fact and consider it many, many times. There is a great difference between the time of the Lord Buddha and our time as far as going forth or ordination is concerned. Nowadays people ordain more as a ritual, which is in great contrast to the days of the Lord Buddha, when people went forth for the Dhamma. They went forth with a perception of the harm of the things that they had experienced as laymen. They had experienced so much that they reached the point where they became sick and tired of it. So when they took up the robe, they took it up with saddhā, firm conviction, and the desire to be free from dukkha and all the oppressive influences.
Therefore, there is a great contrast between the arahant disciples during the time of the Lord Buddha—the way they exerted themselves and the way the bhikkhus exert themselves nowadays. During that time, the teacher who taught the Dhamma was the Lord Buddha himself. Listening to the Dhamma of the Lord Buddha is like receiving 100% pure gold. What the Lord Buddha taught was the real and genuine truth. The Dhamma that the Lord Buddha attained was experienced by himself and it was in accordance with the truth. He realized and experienced everything before teaching the sāvakas. It was not necessary for the listeners to decide which was right and which was wrong. All they had to do was just to absorb the teachings. After they had listened to the Dhamma instruction, they then went away to exert themselves to their utmost ability with diligence and conviction in their practice what they have learnt. In every mode of exertion, their hearts were filled with chanda, viriya, citta and vimaṁsā—satisfaction, diligent effort, concentration and reflection. These four dhammas blended into one. How then could the result that followed not have emerged? And so it happened that some of them attained enlightenment on that mountain, in that forest, on that walking path, in that sitting position, standing up, or lying down.
They attained enlightenment because they had earnestly committed themselves to their practice. Both the Dhamma teaching and the teacher, the Lord Buddha himself, were both real and not dubious. Those who listened to the Dhamma had perceived the danger of living in the world of saṁsāra, so their hearts were ready vessels for the Dhamma. So when the Lord Buddha taught the Dhamma to them, they were able to fully absorb it and they applied it in their practice until they attained the highest goal. They then became the Sangha refuge. Sanghaṁ saraṇaṁ gacchāmi. This was the way that people took up the robe in the time of the Lord Buddha. You must not think that the Dhamma of this time and that time are different, or the kilesas of this time and that time are two different kinds of kilesas. Truly, the kilesas of that time and the kilesas of this time are one and the same thing, and it is the same with the Dhamma. The Dhamma of the past and the Dhamma of the present are the same Dhamma. The differences are only in the teaching techniques and the ability of the teachers. The important thing is to find a teacher who truly knows the Dhamma, faithfully teaches the Dhamma, and has attained the highest level of enlightenment like the arahant disciples of the past. You should study with that teacher. They will give you the full benefit of the Dhamma teaching.
You will not have to doubt their teaching because what they teach will be the true and genuine Dhamma. Where then can the Paths and Fruits be when you are ready for them? So as far as seeking a teacher is concerned, you should look for the best teacher, one who has attained the highest state of purity—the state of Buddho or enlightenment. So when you practice to the utmost of your ability and with unshakable faith in the Dhamma, then the result cannot be different from the sāvakas. They must be the same. People nowadays take up robes as a ritual, but those who took up robes in the past really had the purpose of getting rid of their sensual lust, their kāma-rāga. Some of them had grown weary of this lust even before they took up the robe, whilst others grew weary of it afterwards.
Some of them even took up the robe without intending to remain so, but due to their underlying tendencies—their upanissaya, they eventually came to appreciate the Dhamma, took up the practice, and finally attained the magga, phala, and Nibbāna. In short, they took up the robe to give up their sensual lust or out of weariness of it, and they really practiced to attain freedom. Nowadays, most people take up the robe as a mere ritual, just to accumulate the kilesas and sensual lust. For instance, the lust for wealth and status can stir up the sensual lust within our hearts. Some are driven to insanity by their cravings. If a bhikkhu takes up the robe for these reasons, can you say that he takes up the robe to get rid of dukkha rather than just accumulating kilesas and causing disgust amongst the laity?
People can easily get tired of this kind of bhikkhu because they take up the robe just to accumulate more lust. What is the use of doing this? It is useless. Think about it! I am not exaggerating, for this is the truth. We can all see it. But if you take up the robe following the example of the Lord Buddha and the sāvakas, then can the highest goal really escape from your practice? Your practice is really vital. So please take it to heart. Every kind of lust is the product of the kilesas. You must always look at them as harmful to the heart, and always fight them. The word phra in Thai means bhikkhu, it also means noble. Don’t be noble just in name, like a person with a noble name but who finds himself in jail. Let us be noble in quality. As a practitioner, you must not be heedless or complacent. In your conversations, don’t get carried away, for this is a way of being heedless and negligent, and is contrary to the tradition of the bhikkhu and practitioner. You must always be mindful and cautious. Be very mindful in your conversations when you come together to work or have your refreshment. Watch your heart. As far as having refreshment is concerned, this is merely to keep your body going.
But as far as the conflict between the kilesas and the Dhamma is concerned, you must always keep on fighting. If you ever want to acquire the most supreme and valuable treasure, it’s essential that you must always watch out for saṅkhāra and saññā. As a practitioner, you must beware the chicanery of these two most significant khandhas. As far as the eyes and visible form, the ears and sound etc., are concerned, they are not as incessant as the saññā and saṅkhāra that are always mesmerized by the thoughts that arise from the kilesas, taṇhā, and āsava that in turn entangle your heart. They continually exhibit themselves. Even when you are doing walking meditation, they draw up images of the kilesas right in front of you. Saññā recalls the past. It remembers past experiences of visible objects, sounds, tastes, smells, and tactile objects and the accompanying emotions that disturb the heart.
It is saññā and saṅkhāra that create the various feelings and emotions inside the heart. Even while you are doing walking meditation, you can be creating the kilesas right there and then. This is because you are continually being deceived by saññā and saṅkhāra, both day and night. As soon as you wake up, they begin to create the images of the kilesas. But you don’t know this. Whatever topics saññā recalls, and saṅkhāra thinks of, restlessness, agitation, or dissatisfaction will follow, because they will only recall and think of issues that poison the heart. So how can the heart not be upset? If you are observant, you will know this. As a practitioner, how can you not know this? You will get to see very clearly how important saññā and saṅkhāra are. They are constantly creating feelings and emotions to disturb you. As a practitioner, you must be earnest and serious in your practice.
Totally commit yourself! I would really like to listen to my students telling me about the results that arise from their practices, my students who have come to live with me and received my instructions that I have given them to the utmost of my ability. I have not hidden anything or kept anything secret from you concerning the various aspects and levels of the Dhamma. In every aspect of the Dhamma, be it the practice itself or the results from it, I have completely revealed it to you without hiding anything. What happened to this Dhamma that I have taught you? Has it become void, without any result? Is this the reason why you cannot practice and attain the result that I have explained to you? This is really something worth thinking about. The heart of the practitioner must be strong, and resolute. Don’t be weak and wavering. This is not good, because it is contrary to the Dhamma principles. Weakness is not good for you. When you defy the Dhamma principles, you do it vigorously, but when you follow the Dhamma principles, you do it feebly.
As far as samādhi and paññā are concerned, you must not wait for them. Whenever it is appropriate to use paññā you must use it. Paññā kills the kilesas. Samādhi subdues them. They work together in subduing and destroying the kilesas. Paññā is terribly important. When you are investigating with paññā, and it suddenly strays into speculative thoughts and away from the truth, then you must first get back into samādhi to subdue the restless kilesas. You should use a meditation object that suits you to calm your heart. If you use the in-and-out breath as your meditation object, then you should be solely mindful of your in-and-out breath, and ignore everything else. Don’t let anything distract you from your concentration. The heart likes to think a lot.
The chief culprits here are the kilesas that push saṅkhāra to think, and saññā to speculate. They are a lot more restless than monkeys, making the heart behave like a monkey. For example, when you investigate the body with paññā, but you can’t see the asubha or loathsomeness of the body, or aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, and anattā of the body, then it’s because the kilesas have taken over. The heart is now hungry for other thoughts. So you must immediately curb it by using samādhi. Be earnest, really commit yourselves! After the heart has gained calm, then you should investigate again. You must astutely direct your investigation if you want it to be fruitful. Then you are really investigating with paññā. This is only possible when the heart is calm. You must always observe your investigation. When you practice mental development, you cannot avoid observing—you have to observe.
You cannot rely solely on the techniques taught by your teacher. You have to also devise your own techniques. Otherwise you will not gain any wisdom. Any time when it is suitable to investigate, then you must investigate. You can investigate the aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, and anattā of the body, or you can investigate the loathsomeness of the body, or any other way you like that accords with the truth and causes dispassion of the body to arise. They are the truth, but when the heart’s view goes contrary to the Dhamma, then it is not willing to accept this truth.
What is your body like? Where does it come from? You must dig into it and differentiate it to see its true nature. You say that it is ‘I’ or ‘You’ or ‘They’ or ‘Them’, or that it is people, or an animal. Where does this body get its form? You must dig into its origins, which are the four elements of earth, water, air and fire. The body is mostly composed with the earth element, namely the hair of the head, the hair of the body, the nails, the teeth, the skin, the sinews, and the bones, and so forth. You can see them clearly with your own eyes. They are the earth element. Saliva, for instance, is the water element. The air element is the air that we breathe in. The fire element is the heat that digests your food. These are the four elements. But when the heart takes possession of this body, it then erroneously perceives it to be ‘I’ or ‘They’, or people or animals. This body is ‘I’ and it is ‘mine’.
The eyes, the arms, the legs and all the other body parts are all mine. Your heart generates these perceptions automatically. The same with animals. They don’t have to be told because it’s nature’s way. The kilesas are one aspect of nature. They do not need to be taught. These four elements combine to become the body and then become possessed by the heart. How long will they remain combined? From the time of conception, maybe ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty years or more. From time immemorial you have been deceived by the kilesas to think that the body is I, is a human being, is an animal, is you, or is me, although it is just the formation of the four elements of earth, water, air, and fire. But the kilesas deceive you to think otherwise. When the body dies, where does it go? Do you still call it a human being or an animal? The earth element will return to earth, the water element will return to water, the air element will return to air, and the fire element will return to fire.
They all return to their respective element. Can you still call this body a human being or an animal? Of course not! They are just elements, and truly so. But when they combine to form the body, why do you then give them a different name, although they are still the elements? You must investigate the truth with paññā. It is only the heart that can make this body move around. This body is just the elements. When it dies, it just returns to the elements. But you keep calling it I or mine from the day of your birth to the present. You have been deceived by the kilesas! Do you still want to be deceived by them? You will be deceived by them until you die if you don’t see its true nature. If your paññā cannot catch up with the kilesas, then you will always think in terms of I and mine, and of animals and human beings.
Even after the body has gone back to its respective elements, the upādāna or attachment to this view will always remain embedded within your heart. When it takes up a new body it will consider the body to be I and mine again. This will go on forever without ever coming to an end. This is the way to investigate with paññā. In order to clearly see the truth, you must investigate again and again until it is permanently impressed within your heart. Your attachment will disappear naturally when you have really seen the truth. You can’t force the attachment to disappear. Only paññā can do this. When paññā has seen the truth, then the attachment will disappear. Whichever part of the truth you’ve seen, then that part will be free. That is why you are taught to investigate, because once you have investigated and come to understand the truth, then you will let go of them, because they are all fake they are not the truth.
You are defying the truth, and are constantly living with false truth in all of your postures, standing, sitting, walking, and lying down, both day and night. You don’t know this, so you must investigate. Speaking about paṭikkūla, or the filthiness of the body, it is full of excrement. This excrement comes out through the hair of the head, the nails, the teeth, or the pores of the body. They are all over the body. There is nothing there that you can call pretty or beautiful. This body is merely wrapped with a very thin skin membrane. Is it really impossible for sati and paññā to penetrate this thin membrane if you really want to? What is the purpose of satipaññā? It is for digging out the truth, especially that of the five khandhas or aggregates.
You cannot eat paññā. It’s only used for the investigation of the various parts of the body that the master of deception has taken hold of. When you have seen it clearly, then the upādāna or attachment will vanish. This upādāna is much heavier than a solid mountain. When you have seen clearly, you will let go of your attachment, and the heart will become loftier. It will continue to elevate until it finally arrives at the state of freedom or purity. Be earnest. Really commit your - selves to your practice. You have to have standards and goals. Don’t be lackadaisical. Don’t see other places as more important than the place where you’ll find the truth. This should be your main criteria. Wherever you are, you should think of this criteria. It’s your battle - ground.
It’s where the kilesas are found. The Lord Buddha taught the Dhamma clearly. His teaching was well taught in every respect, capable of leading the practitioner grad - ually away from dukkha, eventually achieving the complete freedom from dukkha, without any doubts. So how can you have any doubts? The kilesas do not have a teacher, so how is it that they can become your teacher? The Lord Buddha tirelessly taught us the Dhamma. How then can the Dhamma not prevail over the kilesas? Your practice can conquer the kilesas. The kilesas have no teacher, but you have a teacher who has taught you very well. Why can’t you then beat the kilesas, which have not been to school at all? You have always been on the losing side. This is no good. Normally, in the beginning you have to struggle very hard. This is because the kilesas have always been very powerful. They have always dominated your heart. So when you subdue them, you must use maximum effort, sometimes even put - ting your life at stake. When it is time to give up your life for the noble truth, then you must do it.
Make the results appear and the light shine forth in your heart! When you see the truth that really impresses your heart, then you cannot help but utter “Fantastic! Now I know the truth of dukkha, the truth of samudaya, and the truth of at - tachment!” They cannot escape from paññā.
Be serious and earnest. Teachers that can really teach the Dhamma are very hard to find nowadays. There are many practicing bhikkhus, but very few of them have discovered or come across the noble truth from their practical experience. And what is the reason? It is degenerate. Although a banknote is merely a piece of paper, it is enough to burn a bhikkhu’s heart. We all know that it is just a piece of paper. If you use it to roll a cigarette, it doesn’t even taste good. But you are deluded by it. The heart will readily grab the fake things because it itself is full of fake things. So when two phony things come together, it is very easy for them to combine, because there is no truth in the heart.
But when you have developed your heart through your practice and have, stage by stage, established the noble truth inside your heart, you’ll then discard the fake things and the heart will change from being phony to being genuine. In the beginning, the practice is very hard, but you have to endure it. You have endured dukkha for eons in the past. In this life the dukkha is also pervasive. When the heart constantly builds up worries and anxieties, how can you avoid dukkha? These khandhas are the tool of the kilesas that enable the kilesas to constantly exhibit themselves. As soon as kilesas appear, dukkha also simultaneously appears. So how can you not experience dukkha? If you can’t see the danger of the kilesas, you’ll never see the Dhamma. I have instructed you to the utmost of my ability and really want you to practice. I don’t want to see zero results. When doing walking or sitting meditation, there is just sleepiness. How then can there be any result? So what are you going to do? Today it is like this.
Tomorrow you’ll do the same thing and get the same result. No new result to surprise the heart. You’ll then become discouraged. The teaching that your teacher has given you will be meaningless because the kilesas win. They make no exception for any class of people. They dominate and influence your heart and make you suffer. You have taken up the robe for the purpose of eliminating the kilesas through your own diligent efforts and strenuous exertions. Why can’t you do it? When you have eliminated some of the kilesas, you’ll see the benefits of your efforts. When the heart has calmed down from the restlessness and agitation from your meditation practice, you’ll see how valuable your practice is. You’ll then move forward. If you keep using satipaññā, it will mature. When you investigate the body and the other khandhas, the truth will gradually appear. Paññā will arise from your investigation. When you have seen the benefits of paññā, you’ll want to investigate more and more until paññā becomes automatic.
As the kilesas steadily diminish, your diligent effort will steadily increase until reaching full capacity. Then you’ll always want to go into battle. To fight the kilesas will be your main preoccupation. Your laziness will disappear because it is the product of the kilesas. The more the kilesas diminish, the more intense will be your conviction and efforts. The more the kilesas disappear, the more the Dhamma will appear. When all the kilesas are totally eliminated, you’ll then see that all the dukkha that used to consume your heart have all disappeared. The heart then becomes totally empty. Nothing can disturb or afflict it anymore, because you have totally relinquished your attachment with paññā. When paññā has investigated to the point of clearly seeing the noble truth, it will let go of everything. Then the heart becomes empty, devoid of the kilesas, taṇhā and āsava that used to poison the heart in the past. This emptiness is the absolute Dhamma. All that is left behind are the khandhas that still remain functional, just like the lizard’s tail that still wriggles and wriggles after it has been cut off the creature’s body. These khandhas will remain functional until death when they finally cease. They are insignificant and don’t know that they are so. For instance, the body doesn’t know that it is a body.
Neither do vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra or viññāṇa. They appear and then disappear. Saññā recollects then disappears. Viññāṇa becomes aware of the sensual objects and then disappears, because avijjā, the main culprit, is no longer there to direct them. The khandhas then become the instrument of the Dhamma. Before, they were the instrument of the kilesas. But after the emptiness or absolute Dhamma has appeared in the heart, then the khandhas are used to benefit the world, like the Lord Buddha and the sāvakas who used the five khandhas to teach the Dhamma to the world. When all the kilesas have been eliminated, then all the khandhas will become the instrument of the Dhamma until death following the law of aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ and anattā. They are sammati or conventional reality, and must follow the law of sammati. The khandhas are sammati, so are aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ and anattā. They must go their natural way. The one who has attained purity doesn’t have any problems.
He is free from worry. Nibbānaṁ paramaṁ sukhaṁ —Nibbāna is the supreme bliss. Where do you find it? When the kilesas have all disappeared from the heart, that’s where you’ll find it. What else are you going to seek? You have always been afflicted with dukkha because of the kilesas. But after the kilesas have all disappeared, where are you going to find any dukkha? And where are you going to look for Nibbāna? If you’re still deluded, you will still seek it. But after you have become enlightened, you won’t look for it any more. Nibbānaṁ paramaṁ sukhaṁ is eternal. The Lord Buddha said that Nibbāna is permanent. When the heart has attained absolute contentment, and has let go of all sammati, it won’t be upset by any problems, because it is totally devoid of them. What problems can there be? Living or dying poses no problem because they are part of nature. This heart has transcended all the problems of the world.