The Dhamma Water (Part 2)

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.

(Ajahn Maha Boowa “Forest Desanas”)