174: Retreat Dhamma Talk 69: Characteristics of Mind and Matter

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Retreat series, Dhamma talk number sixty-nine. In the last Dhamma talk we discuss about eight types of madness or illness, mental illness. And these mental illness, we are living with it for many, many countless past lives. As if they are with us. And now too they are with us. We don't even know we have it. Just like alcoholics who never admit that they have it, they believe they don't have it. Just like that. But this mindfulness inside meditation, Satipathana Vipassana, can cure all these ills. Many people have used in the past, reap the results, and they have endorsed it. But one thing is one need to follow exactly as instructed. All actions, behaviors, manners, movements, intentions, thoughts, all mental activities arising at the present moment must be closely and correctly observed, noted, and known. And of course all pleasant and unpleasant sensations, all processes and phenomena that are arising, they do must be noted. And here the key word is correctly. Always trust the words observe correctly, observe correctly. What correctly means is there must be a precise aim unto the object of arising and must firmly hold the object at that moment. The object at that moment. And if you do that, it means you are correctly observing or meditating. Satipatthana Vipassana. So this Satipathana Vipassana is applied or used to prevent and to uproot all the mental illness. In one word, it's called killesa, mental defilements, mental illness, mental defilements. It is the easiest, quickest, and most effective method to eradicate mental defilements, this mindfulness insight. And along with the treatment, treatments, you're treating your illness with Satipatthana Vipassana. One needs to understand the three characteristics of mind and matter. Nama Rupa. Three characteristics of mind and matter. What are they? The first one in Pali is called Sabawa Lakana. Sabhawat. Sabhawat means specific unique or natural. Lakana means characteristics. So you can call it specific characteristics, unique characteristics, nature producing characteristics. So the specific characteristics of mind and matter. And mind and matter is actually a ultimate reality, which means mind and matter truly exist. So all the characteristics of mind, specific characteristics of mind and matter. They are called sabhawa lakhana. Or you can call it as a natural characteristics or flavor of mentality and materiality. That's sabhawalakana. Let's see all the food or fruits that we eat. Everything has its own flavor. Salty, spicy, sweet, sour, bitter. These are the very specific flavor or characteristics of the food or the fruits. Lemon, sour. That is the specific characteristics or flavor of the food and fruit. They are unique to its own specific each food. And so is the matter. Matter, or you can call it form or you can call it body, but matter is the base. The matter has its own flavor or characteristics. In the scripture it is written as earth element, wind element, fire element, water elements. That's the way it is written. But don't take literally this is earth, wind, fire and water. Whenever we say earth, it means the qualities of the earth, qualities of a rock, a pebble, a wood. But how do you know that quality, that rought nature, the hard, hardness, roughness of that material, toughness of the material or softness of that material or object. And of course, whenever there is an object, there's some weight. Because there's a mass and there's a gravity, there's weight. Mean heaviness. Those are the qualities of earth. That is what we are talking about, not the actual earth itself. And wind element, wind element is think about wind. The winds, how do you know when it moves, when it blows? So when we say wind element, it means the movements. And also stiffness, tension, pressure. Just imagine you blow air into a balloon. What does it do? There's a pressure, there's a tension. That little balloon becomes a little stiffer. And also the wind support so that the balloon will not fall back down. Supporting nature. Those are the wind elements, the qualities of wind elements. Movement, vibration, stiffness, tension, pressure, supporting nature. And also lightness. When there's a wind, if a material falls down, it doesn't fall down quite fast because of the supporting nature. That supporting nature creates some quality of lightness. And then the fire element. Fire element is temperature basically. Hot, warm, cold. And again, lightness. How come lightness is a fire element? Just think about it in a room. You have a air, warm air. And suddenly from the outside, the cold will come in. The cold air will stay at the bottom. The warm air goes up. That is the fire element. Create the lightness floating. Those are fire element. And water element. In one word is cohesion. Sticks together. States of cohesion. Fluidity. Flowing, dripping, oozing, wetness, stickiness, moistness. Those are water elements. Those are the quality of water elements. And heaviness. How's it heaviness? Think there's a water body evaporated. And then go up. Evaporated means there's a heat. Because of the heat it goes up. Up and up and up. The heat lightness, it goes up. And then at a certain elevation, these moisture become to condense, become to collect, become cohesive. When it becomes cohesive, they come become little droplets of water. And then it falls down because they become heavy. Water, character of cohesion, create heaviness. That's why heaviness is also the quality of water element. So those are the specific characteristics of matter, rupa, or body or form. So when you are meditating, of course, you are not saying element, water element, and so on. Specifically, whatever you are experiencing at that moment: hot, cold, hot, soft, moving, vibrating, and so on. And if you are correctly observing, and if you can observe it continuously one after the other, these characteristics you will be experiencing. We are talking only about matter. There's mind. Mind is called consciousness. Consciousness as in is mental factors associate. What is consciousness? In Pali we call vainana, not consciousness. So this consciousness is simply put, it's a process of being conscious. When you're conscious of something, that's consciousness. To elaborate it, it's a phenomenon. It's a process that can detect and know an object. Detect and know an object. Or you can say bear awareness of the presence of an object. Simply bear awareness of an existence of an object. That phenomenon or that process is called Vijnana consciousness. Nothing more, nothing less. Simply bear awareness. And another mental factor that one needs to know is we know there's a matter or external object. Now we know there's a mental mentality or consciousness. Those things collide or strike. And when those two things come in contact, okay, not physical contact, mental contact. That contact is called pasa. Mental contact in English, pasa in pali, that's also a mental factor. That's always happening because you are always in contact with objects after objects after objects. That little condition is called pasa. The reason we talk about pasa is as soon as you come into contact like that, you have a feeling about it. Feel good, feel bad. Social feeling. That's always happen. Good, bad, or neutral, feeling, widana. That's also a mental factor. It has its own characteristics. Feeling is a characteristic by itself of the mind and the mad spinkly vidana or feeling is the mind. And its characteristic is feeling, experiencing the object. So these are the specific characteristics of obvious specific characteristics of mind. And the distinct characteristics of matter. And these characteristics are called sabhawa lakhna. You can call it specific characteristics or general sorry, specific characteristics or unique characteristics or natural characteristics. And naturally it goes along with each object. So that's one characteristic of mind and matter. Another characteristic is called Shinkata Lakana. Lakana is characteristic. Shinkata is the three modes of time. So Sinkata Lakana means characteristics of three modes of time. Okay? And in all specific characteristics, there are three modes of time. And all specific characteristics has three modes of time. Translated words in English would be becoming. Maturation and dissolution. Becoming, mature, and dissolution. And Palik, it's easy to remember. It's called UT Bin. U is becoming. So this becoming you will also see different words using in the books, in the text. Becoming, beginning, arising, or birth for that matter. They are all one and the same, but different words are used. Becoming, beginning, arising, decay, arising, birth. And second word, maturation. Maturation is it's the state inclining towards cessation. Inclining towards cessation. That is maturation. Or a word that we are quite common to is called aging. Aging is maturation. Decay is maturation. All these different words. But no in a sense. In this time mode, it is always inclined towards maturation, the solution. Or cessation. And the last word is called the solution. The solution can be also known as ending or cessation. The end or cessation. Or passing away or death. They are all the same. Dissolution, ending, cessation, passing away, death. So these are three modes of time. These are periods or duration. In other words, it is the time. Period or duration of time that you will see in a lifespan of a materiality or mentality. In a lifespan of a Nama and Rupa, mind and matter. The mind has its own lifespan. And matter has its own lifespan. And each life span you will see these three modes of time. And these mind and matter exist dependent upon a certain set of conditions. When a certain set of condition is there, a matter arises, a mind arises. Another set of conditions is there, another kind of matter arises, another kind of mind arises. But regardless, they have three modes of time. Regardless they have the specific characteristics. So this thing or this state is called characteristics of three modes of time in an ever-changing mind and matter. In Pali, Sinkata Lakana. So that is the second characteristics. And the third characteristics called samanya lakana. Samanya is translated as universal. Lakana is characteristic. So you can call it general characteristics or common characteristics or universal characteristics. So this general characteristics belongs to all mind and matter. Every mind and matter has it. Specific one, they are unique to its own. This one is to everything. As it is, this characteristic is common to all of them, to all mind and matter. That's why it is also called common characteristics. It is pervasive to all these mind and matter, materiality and mentality in every aspect, pervasive throughout. Both consciousness and matter arises and passed away. Or you can call it come into existence and ceased. All mind and matter, they come into existence and they ceased. That's the general or common characteristics. To go it a little farther more, to elaborate it. Or becoming, maturation, or dissolution. In other words, beginning, middle, and end. We say it, we talk about it in that sense. But the time duration, the time period of a span, or the lifespan of a mind and matter is so short you can't even comprehend. If you look into the scriptural lifespans of a matter or materiality is shorter than one billionth of a second. The mind is shorter than one seventeenth billionth of a second. That fast. Moving, we can't even comprehend accurately that time, that lifespan of a mind and matter. It is disappearing and dissolving, disappearing, dissolving at a dizzying speed. Within a second, there are billions and billions of minds and matter has arises and passed away. They arises and disasses away, disappear, dissolve. So it is the constant and continuous dissolution is taking place. At this moment. And that dissing speed of dissolution of mind and matter. That process is called anicha. That process is called anicha. In English translated as impermanence. Now we are elaborating the common characteristic. One of the common characteristic is anicchak. Constant disappearance, or you can call it breaking down of existence, is pervasive to all mind and matter. Not do this or not do that, or there's exception. There's no exception. Constant disappearance or you breaking down of mind and matter is common, pervasive, universal. No one, no person, no beings can help to save it, to keep it, to hold on to it. Nobody can of this mind and matter. You can't make a mind and matter and keep. In a safety deposit box so that it won't disappear, it won't die. Nothing can do. So everything is breaking down, and anything that is breaking down or broken, anything that is breaking down or broken. Do we keep value on it? You have a collectible bone china plate. Oh, you put it in your cabinet, dust it, watch it. One day it fell down and broke. Do you still keep it or throw it into the garbage? You throw it in the garbage because it is broken and it has no more value. So anything that is breaking down or broken has no value. So this system, this Nama and Rupa, mind and matter, this system is inherently not good. Inherently not good. Because it is constantly breaking down. In fact, you can put it this way, the nature, nature has genetically coded this way, rise and passed away. From the moment it is born, it's going to die. It's genetically coded to be rising and passing away. And all that is going to constantly fade away. Everything that fades away. What does it produce in a person? If everything is fading away, it produced stress. That's what it really produced. That something that is constantly fading away. And that constant fading away is what we call dukkha, suffering. Some people don't know what suffering means. You have pain in your elbow or joints that is suffering. That's an obvious suffering. But this one is so subtle we don't even know. Constantly breaking down. But that constant breaking down, very subtle form of suffering. It's called dukkat. Of course, the obvious ones are also dukkat. But this is the one that we need meditation to understand. We need mindfulness, insight to understand. Suffering or unsatisfactoriness. In our body, there's always something is happening. Some things are arising and something are passing away. In our body, something is always arising and something is always constantly passing away. Whatever arises passed away all the time. That's why we call this mind and body. That's why we call this consciousness and body suffering. Nama and Rupa is suffering. Mind and body is suffering. Mind and matter is suffering. That's the reason we label that word suffering dukkha to the mind and body. And all phenomena, when we say all phenomena, there are only two phenomena in the universe. One is the material phenomenon, and one is the mental phenomenon. I just use a different word for mind and matter. All phenomena are oppressed by this constant solution. But so far we don't even say arising and passing away anymore. Everything is just keep dissolving, disappearing, dissolving, disappearing. There's no means or methods or a power or controlling power or a being, a powerful being, to stop this passing away of mind and matter, or to make it permanent. Nobody can make it permanent. But majority of us believe that there's something permanent, and we call it atta, a soul or a spirit. That soul or spirit is permanent. Most humans believe that way because it is consoling. You can call it atta, a soul, or a self or a spirit. Basically, it's a sense of permanency we create it in our mind to console us. But from the Buddhist point of view, Buddhist perspective, there is no such thing as permanent atta, permanent soul. All there is is this mind and matter, Nama and Rupa, arises and passes away constantly and continuously. That's why we call it anatta, non-self, no soul, no core, no permanency, no sense of permanency. Natta. So what most people call athat, actually, in reality it's a series of consciousness arising and passing away at such a great speed, it looks or it seems permanent. Because we don't know, we can't comprehend that speed. So to us it looks permanent and to us it has a sense of permanency or just one non-destructive one. So this atta is a series of consciousness rising and passing away in a supreme speed which make us perceived as one or permanent. So there are three in this general or common characteristics, there are three qualities. One is nitcha, impermanence, one is dukkha, suffering, and one is natta. And all those three are called samanyalakana, common characteristics. Samanya Lakana. So proper understanding of these three characteristics. Number one is sabhava, specific characteristic. Number two is sinkata, three modes of time, and the third one is samanya, common characteristics. Proper understanding, to have that proper understanding is important. So in these three characteristics, the first one, the first one is the specific or unique characteristic. It's the most important. It's the most important because it is ultimate reality. Ultimate reality or absolute reality. Whenever we say ultimate reality or absolute reality, that can be directly and distinctly identify. If it is ultimate reality, you can directly and distinctly identify or experience and know by oneself. These are something that you can detect yourself, you can directly investigate, detect, identify yourself. That is paramatta. Or in other words, these are investigatable natural phenomena. This specific characteristic are investigatable natural phenomena. As you can directly investigate and identify and experience and know, that's why it is most important characteristics for a meditator. Because they are evident, quite evident, they are distinct. In some cases even tangible. But Sinkata Lakana, okay, Sinkata, three modes of time. Actually, it's a time concept. It's a time concept. This time concept depends on the absolute reality. Without that absolute reality, you cannot have these three modes of time. It depends on the absolute reality. And this time concept basically it expresses this specific characteristics or absolute reality in terms of time. What is the time? Basically, beginning, decaying and ending, birth, decay, and death, periods of mind and matter. That is how it represents the absolute reality. But they themselves are not absolute reality, they themselves are concept, specifically time concept. Time is a tool that we use for communicating among us for events, situations, objects. We communicate about these events and situations and objects in terms of three modes of time beginning, middle, and end. So know that this characteristic is a concept. So this anicta dukkha anatta, impermanence, suffering and non-self. It's also a concept, it's not absolute reality. Basically, this anica dukkha anatta, impermanent suffering and no core. They expresses the states or the qualities of Nama and Rupad. Nama and Rupad truly exist, but anitsha dukkha anatta depends on the absolute reality. Without that absolute reality, they don't exist. So this second and third characteristics, three modes of time, and common characteristics. You don't have to observe, oh, this is an eachha, this is dukkha, this is a nata. No. It's not required to purposely observe. Because these are not absolute reality. Only absolute reality you can directly experience. Concept you cannot. So these are not something you can directly experience and know. They depend on the absolute reality, in other words, specific characteristics of Nama and Rupa. Dependent upon them, they arise. But after an endless observation, repeated conversation and repeated direct experience of the specific characteristics of Nama and Rupa, specific characteristics of mind and matter, repeated. Automatically and unavoidably, these two concepts, you will come to know them. This three modes of time and this common characteristic, you will automatically and unavoidably come to know them as a byproduct of the observation of specific characteristics. That's why you don't have to purposely observe them. They will unfold by themselves. So out of the three characteristics, specific characteristics is critically important, most important to observe. Only by observing this mind and matter. And what is this what we call true nature, true nature? True nature is the specific characteristics of all actions, movements, behaviors, thoughts, emotions that is happening at the present moment. Which are which can be directly observed and detected. That's a natural law. We are trying to uncover the natural law. Okay. To put in an analogy so that we can understand somewhat, to have a little clear in-depth. Okay, a painter. A painter is painting. So when a painter is painting, there are many colors. Okay, there's a brush. What he is putting on the canvas is a lot of dots and strokes and dots and strokes of different colors. They are there. And all that you see is there are many dots and many strokes going on and on and on and on. But eventually, when it matures, when it's completed, these little dots and strokes and scratches become a picture, a mountain, sky, water. Oh, that's a beautiful painting, a mountain or tree. You see that. But that mountain or tree actually is a concept. What it really is, there is the lot of little dots and scratches and strokes. That is what really it is. But when you put then enough skillfully and when it is completed and mature, it comes out a picture of a mountain. That picture of a mountain is a concept. Those little dots and scratches are what is real. Combination of those dots and scratches of paints created that picture of mountain. That picture of mountain is a concept. It arises out of the reality of dots and scratches and strokes. That's how you can see specific characteristics and common characteristics. So if and when you become mature and very skillful with the specific characteristics of Nama and Rupat. You observe and observe and observe, you reach maturity, you become skillful of the direct experience or knowing of the specific characteristics of Nama and Rupa. That sinkata lakhna, three modes of time, and sabha lakhna, impermanent suffering and non-self, will automatically unfold to you. You don't have to think, you don't have to dissect, you don't have to reflect, you don't have to rationalize or suggest ahead. It will automatically unfold. You need to be skillful in observation and experience. At maturity, you will come to know this anicha dukana, impermanence, suffering, and non-self. Once you got that, it's just like a painting. You see the painting, you know what it is. And you have this anitchadukanata. Whatever you see, you see the reality. Your attitudes towards whatever you see you feel you touch. You are seeing, feeling, touching with anitchadukanatta. Because of that, you have no attachment to it, you see its true nature. Even though you have no attachment to do to it, you still know what to do, how to do, how to improve. That surrounding, that environment, the people you are in contact for their benefit without attachment, you will still be doing it. That is the result of enlightenment. So may all of you be able to understand the true nature of mind and matter, and may you be able to experience freedom and liberation from craving and attachment as soon as possible. Thank you very much.