177: Retreat Dhamma Talk 72: Knowledge of Contemplation of Being

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Retreat series Dhamma Talk number 72. People who listen to this retreat series Dhamma talk, if they are in a full retreat mode, you have been practicing for over 70 days. And also people who listen once a week and practice a couple of hours a day have been practicing for 72 weeks now. By now, if you are doing exactly what is supposed to be doing, one will be endowed with discriminative awareness of mind and matter and also the causal relationship of mind and matter. If you have been practicing seriously, I'm sure you have that. And when one is at this level all together, understanding of mind and matter, it is called yata buddha nyana. Yata buddha jnana. In English, one knows mind and matter as it really is. And then some of you might have already experienced it, some maybe not. You'll know. And when one sees the arising and passing away of mind and matter clearly, one understands the arising and passing away Dhamma. You can call arising and passing away dhamma, or the inside knowledge of arising and passing away of mind and matter. All these things, if one hasn't reached that stage, if one don't have these inside quality, you are in a highly diluted state. Highly diluted state. In other words, you are completely uncertain about the true nature of mind and matter. If you don't have these things, without proper and precise observation, one's mental state will be in a hazy with overflow of thoughts and ideas with the wrong views. Such kind of people, even if you are a Buddhist, if you are a practicing Buddhist, they can still be swayed or recruited by people with great personality or charisma or great speakers. Whatever the viewpoint they are presenting about the nature of self. In other words, they are still shaking, their mind is wavering, and they can be swayed to another points of views or ideas. But without the cultivation of the reality of mind and matter, cultivation of the knowledge of the reality of mind and matter. Again, Paliwat Yata Buddha Yana. Regardless, a person thinks how sure and how certain he knows about self. He knows about Anatta, non-self. He believes that he has the right view through his intellectual prowess, one will still remain in the state or in the domain of wrong view. And we can put the purpose of vipassana in this way is to dispel the wrong view of the nature of mind and matter. Nama Rupa. Many of us who are practicing have experiencing plenty of specific characteristics of this mind and matter, along with the causal relationship. But when you experience, there's a certain condition needed, a certain set of conditions needed to experience these things, certain mental states. And that mental state is first one is mental contact pasat. Second feeling and sensations, Vedana. The third is perception sannya. And the fourth is volition jedana. And the fifth is being cautious, being conscious of the object. These fives are needed, these fives are the condition, and if you can develop these five, you can have these knowing of object, Nama and Rupa as it really is. Mental contact, feeling, perception, volition, and conscious. Being conscious of the object. Okay. And these are called in English five Nama Dhamma. Nama is the mind. Five dhammas of the mind. Five Nama Dhamma led by mental contact. There are many things, but this one is very specific. These five are the Nama Dhamma, Dhamma of the mind, but the leader is the Pasat mental contact. And all these are very evident and distinct. Nama Dhamma, at the moment of observation. When you're observing, they are quite evident. And of course, among these five, two are the most evident. Two mental states are the most evident. That is pasap, mental contact and vidana, feeling and sensation. Five are all evident, but these two are more evident than the rest. Mental contact and feeling. So let's look it into an action so that we can understand better. Let's see seeing. Seeing or seeing phenomena. And we all know seeing when we see how it is, what it is, we don't need to describe. And also it cannot arise out of the form or the object that is seen. It doesn't arise from the eye, it doesn't arise from the form or from either from both eyes and the form together. You can't help seeing. But ever changing, ever changing, arising and fading phenomenon of mind and matter. It's totally dependent upon a group of corresponding causes. They depend on a group of corresponding causes, which are also mind and matter. And what are these corresponding causes? So that's again we are talking about seeing the corresponding causes. Number one, you need a form to see. Without a form or object, to be seen, you cannot see. And also you need the eye sensitivity. It's a retina. Okay. To receive that object. Object to be seen. Eye sensitivity to receive that object. And also light to illuminate it. In the darkness you can't see anything. You need light to illuminate it. And attention. Attention is to put in other words, channeling towards the object. Channeling and directing towards the object. In Pali it's called manasikara. Attention. You need all these things: form, eye sensitivity, light, and attention. And whenever all these four come together, come to meet at a singular moment, seeing arises. Seeing happen. All these four must be together at a singular moment. Seeing arises. Seeing happen. Seeing. It's a short word. Complete words. Seeing consciousness arises. Seeing consciousness. Okay, let's put this seeing consciousness in a different presentation. Phenomenon of knowing what is seen. A phenomenon of knowing what is seen is seeing consciousness. In short, simply seeing. Sound from a ringing bull. We all know what the ringing bull is. Sound from a ringing bull. Does it arise from the bull? Or does it does the sound arise from the wooden strick? Wooden stick? Or does it arise from striking? Where does the sound come from? It arises only when all three are met. There must be a bowl, there must be a stick, and there must be striking. And all these three met or come together at a singular moment in time, the sound arises. And of course, attention to hear. For the attention to hear is there must be a space. The sound must not be blocked. Open space to travel and hit the eardrum. These are the requirements, these are the conditions, and of course, one must be paying attention to the sound. The bull might arise, the sound might arise from the bull, there's no space, there's space, strike your ear. But regardless, if your attention is staring intensely at someone or something, you wouldn't hear attention. And when all these conditions are met, hearing arises, or hearing consciousness arises, or a phenomenon of knowing what is heard arises. So seeing, hearing. So basically, respective, required, whenever respective required conditions are met. This seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, thinking, consciousness arises. Whenever these conditions are met, no superpower in the universe can stop that respective consciousness to arise. When the conditions are met, nothing can stop that consciousness to arise. Seeing consciousness or hearing consciousness and so on. And similarly, no superpower in the universe can make these consciousness to arise if the conditions are not met. If all conditions are not there, no superbeing in the universe can make that specific consciousness to arise. So all these conditions are the absolutely necessary causes for respective consciousness to arise. The right view, samaditi, the right view is established once one understands nothing arises without the respective required causes. If you understand that, without the right conditions nothing can arise, that understanding is the right view of Nama and Rupa. Only then, only then consciousness or any type of consciousness, any type of consciousness arise or exist. Exist would be a better word in this case. These consciousness come to exist, come into being due to creation of a supreme being. So that understanding, that understanding is called knowledge of contemplation of being. Knowledge of contemplation of being. Okay, let's take the the physical world and example so that we can understand this same principle. Let's say you have a bunch of really dry leaves, and also you have a magnifying glass on a sunny day. And if you can, if you can direct the sunlight through the magnifying glass and right onto the leaves, the fire will arise. You need these conditions for fire to arise. Fire is not in the leaves, fire is not in the magnifying glass, fire is not in the sunlight. But when these three conditions are met at a singular moment, the fire arises, this indicates that the arising of the objects of Nama and Rupa, mind and matter, is based upon having the required conditions. So whenever one gives attention at a moment, at the moment of seeing or hearing or smelling or tasting, touching. That moment, that moment is called pasha. The moment you see, hear, taste, touch, so on. Experience knows the characteristics of the object under observation. Passat mental contact is needed. At that moment, you will know it's the object characteristics and also the causal relationship between mind and matter. Because that is the leader. Nama Dhamma, Pasat, mental contact, and it associates all five of them. Nama Dhamma, five Nama Dhamma, there, you will know the characteristics of the objects under observation and their causal relationship. Other than that, there's nothing else, you won't be able to find anything, you will be able to feel, see anything. Only those two. Nama and Rupat. Object and knowing. Specific group of causes produce specific kind of consciousness. We already explained about it. You need a form, light, eye, and attention to seeing consciousness. You need a sound, a space, ear for the hearing consciousness to arise, and odor and the air to carry, and the no sensitivity for smelling consciousness to arise. Specific causes and then specific consciousness or knowing arises. And their causal relationship without reflecting, without thinking, without dissecting, without analyzing, then we can say you have the knowledge of the contemplation of beings. Simple. Intention to sit is the cause, and the sitting movement is the effect. If your intention is to sit, no walking will happen, no lying down will happen, no standing will happen, only sitting movement will occur. Intention to sit is the cause, sitting movement is the effect. And this direct relationship shows the absence of other powers that are directing or creating these sitting movements. Just the intention, and also no other power can stop that sitting process. Once that intention to sit is set in motion, once that intention to sit is set in motion, no other powerful being can stop that movement of sitting. So sixth type of consciousness arises depending upon the meeting of the sixth sense objects and sixth sense basis. When sixth sense objects come in contact with the sixth sense basis, six respective type of consciousness arises. Of course, when you know, that means you have a attention, very evident. However, we can't know without the present observation of knowledge. Knowledge we gain from observation, but we can't know without, I should say, with the present knowledge of observation. How this unique qualities of each sensitivity is derived. We have the eye sensitivity, ear sensitivity, nose sensitivity. How do they come to be? How do they come to be? We cannot have that knowledge with observation technique alone. These bases or bases of sensitivity also arise from a group of causes. Actually, there are four of them. Or karma. Simply put, all the good and bad actions one has done in the past life or past lives. Karma. That's one of the causes. And another one is jitta. Jitta is the basically. Mind. Chitta is basically talking about mental strength. Look at it. If you have a fresh mind, at that moment you have the fresh body. If you have the tired mind, at that moment you have the tired body. If you have a weak mind, you have the weak body. If you have the strong mind, you have the strong body. At that moment. That is mind, creation of the mind of these matters. Of the body. And what is body? Your body consists of eyes, ears, nose, tongue. Then body sensitivity. These are the antennas that you have in your body to touch, to know, to see, to collect information from the world outside. And the third one is Utu. Utu is you can call it climate. Sir temperature. Hot and cold. In your body. When it is balanced, you have a certain type of sensitivity. When your is a high fever temperature, different kind of rupas are formed. And it is very cold. Your body condition is different. Based on this hot and cold, different kinds of materialities are arising. The level that you can hear, the level that you can see, the level that you have can smell or taste changes. See, those are the causes. Utu ahara. Ahara is simply is food. More precisely is nutrition. Nutrition too gives you different kinds of rupa body. Good food, nutritious food, you have a healthy body. Can see well, can hear well, can taste well. Bad food, junk food creates a different in your body. Artery plugs get fat, and then your sensitivities are different. 300 pound person sensitivity and 150 pound people's sensitivities are different. So there's a four gama chaitta utuhara actions, mind or consciousness, temperature, and nutrition. Those are the four causes, a group that make the sensitivities to arise. Directly is the body, but sensitivities are built in the body and they are the key component of your body. Of course, we haven't even talked about thinking. Thinking is heart-based. Okay, I think that should be sufficient how the sensitivity arises. And in this group, the relationship of the body of sensitivity with the mind and with the Utu climate and with the nutrition. These are very obvious, observable. But karma, karma you cannot observe directly. It is heard to investigate with observation technique to get a direct proof of karma. We have to go the around in direct proof. That's a different subject. We need to talk separately about karma. But if one is not observing constantly and continuously this mind and matter at the present moment, if you are not observing, what will happen is you will crave for pleasantness and you will have aversion towards the unpleasantness. It has to be a self-concept, soul concept, ego, and pleasant and unpleasant. Craving and aversion, greed and aversion will arise. Or you can put in a different way, grasping to wholesome and unwholesome actions and grasping to existence, self will arise if you are not observing the Nama and Rupa continuously and constantly at the present moments. So these processes will cause to arise. What are these processes? Wholesome and unwholesome action and grasping to self. These processes will cause to arise next life and many, many more lives in the future. But if one stops producing these causes, aforementioned causes, karma, if one stop producing karma, grasping the effect, which is the next life, is no more. But you have to stop producing a new karma. At that moment, there will be no more next life. So insight into the phenomenon, this particular phenomenon we are discussing will give you understanding that current existence is due to karma of previous existence and also certainly for future existence to come. Also, that which is applicable to me is also applicable to all others. That understanding will come. Clear understanding of the phenomenon will uproot the belief in the creation theory. Upon seeing the specific characteristics and causal relationship of mind and matter will begin, will make you to understand the three modes of time. Time concept. Time is not really relevant. Time is not real and it is not relevant. It's a conceptual product of ultimate reality of specific characteristics of mind and matter, which is obvious under the observation technique. Upon observing the arising of mind and matter at the present moment, one will come to understand beginning or becoming middle or decaying and the end or cessation, the three modes of time. Keep in mind these three modes of time, understanding of the three modes of time is dependent on the arising of objects, arising of Nama and Rupa, and precise and correct observation at the moment. None to be skillful in observing the arising of the object. Don't focus on the beginning, middle or end of an object. If you do that you are, you will understand. Or if you do that without observation, you are trying to demarcate time related to the object. If you give emphasis on this concept of time, you are not practicing vipassana because it is not vipassana. The only ultimate reality is the object, Nama and Rupa, mind and matter, arising at the moment. That's the only ultimate reality. Simply observe that object of the present and one will come to understand three modes of time naturally. One will see rising and falling, lifting and pushing and dropping and thoughts, wholesome thoughts, unwholesome thoughts. All of them with three modes of time, you will see they are rising. Time concept is relevant. Time concept is irrelevant. But the object under observation is very, very relevant. Do Satipattana Vipassana. Mindfulness inside meditation. At this point one will be experiencing arising and passing away of all objects under observation. Piece by piece, segment by segment. Clearly and sharply. That means you are understanding an each. When you see arising and passing away piece by piece, segment by segment, clearly and sharply, you are understanding the concept of impermanence, anitsa. At that stage you can call it this is anitschatnupassana. Anitschatnupassana. Contemplation on knowing the knowledge of impermanence. Now only we are in the vipassana domain. Before we are not in a vipassana domain, just the contemplation of being, knowledge of the contemplation of being. But once you see and understand anitcha impermanence, you step into the domain of vipassana. Understanding impermanence. That arise out of thorough direct experience of the characteristics of Nama and Rupa and their causality. Appearing and disappearing, moment by moment. You must understand through that channel, not from reading, not from listening, not from logic, not from analysis, not from that channel, but from the direct channel of observation. From this understanding of anica or impermanence concept, understanding of dukkha, suffering, and anatta, non-self no soul will arise. You see one side of the coin, but that coin has three sides. And when you see one side, automatically the other two sides come into the knowledge. When you see one, you see all three. That's a line it said. Could understand by watching at a coin. When you see one side, the other two sides come into your awareness. So Nama and Rupas are always arising and passing away. Whether you do or you don't, it is always automatically arising and passing away. They always arise and pass away, and Nama and Rupa produce suffering. And Nama and Rupa has no abiding core or self or a soul. And it can be known through direct observation of mind and matter arising at the present moment. Impermanence, suffering, and non-self are through vipassana insight. The first two insight, discriminated or discernment of Nama and Rupa, and their causality or causal relationship. You can call it they are the supportive insight for vipassana jnana. They support to see the vipassana insight. And these vipassana insights are acquired through direct experience of specific or individual characteristics of mind and matter. And they are walking relationship through cause and effect. This gives you a clarity. Do you have vipassana insight? What must one do? Observe the object that really exists at the moment, mind and matter, precisely and correctly, and you will attain the vipassana insight. Anicha dukkha natta and permanence, suffering and non-self. May all of you be able to practice this satipattana vipassana meditation and may you be able to attain liberation as soon as possible. Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu. With this one, we conclude this retreat series Dhamma Talk. And we will present a different version of Dhamma talk in future. Thank you very much.