[LeThanhPhong]

(cont) MOGOK SAYADAW'S WAY TO THE VIPASSANA PRACTICE (3-3)

http://www.myanmarnet.net/nibbana/thtutmg.htm

Mogok Sayadaw: You are asked to do Samadhi not to encourage you to practise Samatha. You must let go of the mindful breathing as soon as the mind is calm and then contemplate on any sensation that develops without any breach. If you contemplate more and more on sensations you will come to a point where you can overcome them. You will no longer register them as sensations, but only as arising or dissolving phenomenon. You will realise that all sensations including pleasant ones, unpleasant ones and neutral ones dissipate and come to an end. When you contemplate on sensations Vedana will appear, but when you watch them with analytical knowledge you will come to know that they are impermanent (Aniccha). If this wisdom is developed it can be regarded as the overcoming of Vedana (sensual perception). If you couldn’t comprehend the impermanence of sensual perceptions you haven’t overcome Vedana as yet. When a Yogi has surpassed Vedana or has eliminated them the Yogi will feel light, agile and fresh even after the meditation is over. That is why one needs to try hard to overcome Vedana. Mindfulness of breathing in Samatha is just to make the mind calm, but it cannot lead to Nibbana. You must remember this very well.
            Yes my Lord.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Vipassana is to keep the mind on the wisdom path and watch and realise the phenomenon of mind and matter as they are. The physical body that we have at present is continuously forming and decaying from cradle to coffin. It must be comprehended that impermanence (Aniccha), suffering (Dukkha) and impersonal characteristics (Anatta) are the only realities that can be found.
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: When Rupa and Nama (body and mind) are comprehended as Aniccha, Dukkha and Anatta repeatedly, and the arising and dissolving phenomenon are perceived it is known to have reached the Udayabbaya nana. You remember? Do you understand?
            Yes my Lord.
        Mogok Sayadaw: You need to know these facts clearly. If they are not clarified beforehand using acquired knowledge your progress will not be substantial. So I will have to go further to remove false views (Ditthi) and doubts (Vicikccha). Maung Kyaw Thein, if you want to be a stream winner (Sotapanna) what should you remove first?
            Yes Sire, I need to remove Ditthi and Vicikiccha first.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, where do false views and doubts lie?
            I have no idea, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Ditthi and Vicikiccha are attached with the five aggregates of mind and matter.
            Yes Sire, now I know.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Now you know that they are attached to the five aggregates. If you do not know where these five aggregates come from and how they are arising and dissolving, you could not remove false views and doubts by any means.
            All right, my Lord.
        Mogok Sayadaw: You may have the book knowledge or have acquired from teachers that the five aggregates are Rupakhanda, Vedanakhanda, Sannakhanda, Sankharakhanda and Vinanakhanda, but if you do not know the causes and reasons for their becoming and disintegration false views would adhere to you despite the acquired knowledge. That is why you need to know Paticcasamupadda, the cycle of dependant arising first if you want to have insight into the five aggregates. So, I will teach you the Paticcasamupadda. Go and fetch the cycle of dependant arising chart from my room. Do you still remember anything about Paticcasamupadda?
            Yes Sire, I could remember only a few aspects.
        [ When he brought the chart]
        The Mogok Sayadaw said "Right, place it in front of you. I’ll show you. What you have learnt about dependant arising in the past was only an acquired knowledge."
            I have only the book knowledge, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: If you do not know Paticcasamupadda there is no way you can know the aggregates. If you do not know the aggregates, false views will adhere. That’s why you need to comprehend Paticcasamupadda. Book knowledge is not enough.
            Yes Sire, I will try to understand it.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Do you still remember it by heart?
            Yes I do, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: In that case I won’t elaborate on it (Please refer to Paticcasamupadda on the web site). You must remember that there are two forms of dependant arising. What you know from the book about Paticcasamupadda is one thing and there is also another Paticcasamupadda that is arising and dissolving in the body. You must understand the Paticcasamupadda of the body in order to make progress. Do you follow me?
            Yes Sire.
Pointing at the diagram of the circle of dependent arising The Mogok Mogok Sayadawcontinued "That’s why I am going to show you the causes and reasons for arising and dissolving of the five aggregates. Do you know that your volitional responses (Sankhara) of the past existence, which were carried out without wisdom (Avijja) have resulted in the body that you have it now?"
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Those were in the past and therefore they were out of your control. They were past Paticcasamupadda and did not concern you. Again the future Paticcasamuppada has not arrived yet and so it does not concern you. The most important thing is to understand the present Paticcasamupadda. Is that clear?
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Which Samupadda concerns you?
            The present one my Lord.
        Mogok Sayadaw: What about the past?
            It doesn’t concern us, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: And the future?
            No Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Where do false views and doubts attach?
            To the five aggregates, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, they are attached to the five aggregates. If I ask you whose hair is this, you will answer that it is your hair. The false view attaches to Rupakhanda, the hair. If I say that the tea is very nice, it attaches to Vedanakhanda, the feeling or taste. If I say that this sentence is written by me, I note down this line, then the false view attaches to Sannakhanda, the interpretation of a feeling. When I say that my weaving is exceptionally good, then the false view attaches to Sankharakhanda, the reaction to a feeling. And if I say "Don’t you dare try me" then the false view attaches to the Vinnakhanda, the consciousness or self esteem. These are the places of attachment, do you follow me?
            Yes sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Then you must detach the false views and doubts from the aggregates. Theoretically, if Rupa and Nama (matter and mind) can be differentiated they say that false views are detached. However, there is one more thing to understand.
        Only when you understand the cause of Paticcasamupadda and the effect of Paticcasamupadda you will detach yourself from false views and doubts. If you know the cause of aggregates you can eliminate the false views. If you don’t, the false views will stay. If you know that the effect (of anything that happens in you) is due to the causes of aggregates, then you can eliminate the false views totally.
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: If you understand that there are only causes and effects, but no persons and beings (non-personalised view) you can eliminate the false views.
            Very well, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: What you need to work is the present Paticcasamupadda. It doesn’t mean the whole day, but what you see or hear at the present moment. It is important to watch the present moment when you meditate now. Don’t recall the past and don’t look forward to the future, but watch what is happening at present. By the way, how old are you now?
            Forty, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, even if your are forty you may consider that you have the same appearance as you were in your younger age, then it is Sassata Ditthi, the unchanging perverted view.
            Yes Sire
        Mogok Sayadaw: If you consider that you can risk your life for money, that you do not care about your life as you think that there is nothing after dying (dying is better than suffering), then it is Uccheda Ditthi, the annihilation view. You must not consider like this as well. Do you understand?
            Yes, my Lord.
        Mogok Sayadaw: You must cleanse of these two false views (Sassata and Uccheda dtithi) first before you meditate.
            Yes, I’ll do it, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: If you know the disintegration phenomena of mind and matter you cleanse the Sassata ditthi, and if you know the arising phenomena you cleanse the Uccheda ditthi.
            I’ve cleansed them, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, it is only with the book knowledge. Is that clear? Don’t attach yourself to mind and matter as "You, me."
            Very well, Sire. I will no longer get attached.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Then it is enough. Go to a quiet place and start the meditation. You practise Samatha only to get a good Samadhi (concentration). Sit straight, know the incoming and outgoing breaths, the Samadhi will become good, then you must not lax the effort at that time. Let the awareness (Sati) and knowledge (Panna) go together, the physical body will start showing changes and you will notice sensations (Vedana). Try to overcome the feeling that arises, if you watch your mind focus on the thoughts. If a sound is heard while watching thoughts you must notice that it is heard.
            Very well, Sire. I will watch and register whatever comes.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, after you register it you must consider that your mind is your consciousness. Then contemplate on the incoming and outgoing breaths with your consciousness and consider that those are the two hosts of consciousness. If you hear a sound while watching it is the hearing consciousness, if you smell anything with your nose it is the smelling consciousness. Likewise you register your taste consciousness with your tongue and seeing consciousness with your eyes. If you feel a pleasant sensation on your body it is the pleasant consciousness, if it is unpleasant it is the unpleasant consciousness.
        "Dukkha sahagata kayavinana sukha sahagata kayavinana" as the literature goes, there will be an unpleasant feeling on the body sometimes and a pleasant feeling on the body. There are altogether six consciousness including these two on the body. You note it down.
            Yes sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Are these six thoughts always occurring in the mind?
            No Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: They occur occasionally, so they must be regarded as "External Visiting Consciousness."
            Right Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: When one thought occurs the other five thoughts do not arise. If a mosquito bites you while watching (your two hosts) breathing consciousness, an itching or an unpleasant consciousness may follow, then watch that itching consciousness.
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: How many external visiting thoughts are there altogether?
            Six, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, are these thoughts always there?
            No Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Next, there are five "Internal Visiting Thoughts" that associate with consciousness. They are thoughts of greediness (Loba), anger (Dosa), delusion (Moha), absence of grasping (Aloba), and absence of aversion (Adosa). Amoha is not included here as it is the consciousness that must watch other thoughts. Therefore, the five internal visitors and six external visitors, altogether eleven visiting thoughts must be watched whatever that arises in the consciousness. When one thought arises the other five do not arise. Just watch the existing thought that occurs.
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, if none of these thoughts occur go back to the consciousness of breathing in and out and watch continuously. These two are the hosts consciousness, remember?
            Yes I do, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: You must follow the example of a spider while meditating. Spiders make webs and wait in the middle to catch any insects that are caught in the web. They go after whatever insect that is caught in the web, devour them and return to the middle. As a spider waits in the middle when there is no insect, you must also do the same and watch your breath when there is no thought.
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: When you contemplate on consciousness a thought that tells you to start meditating will arise first. Watch that first thought and you will notice that it arises and falls subsequently. It will disappear as soon as you sit down to meditate.
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Try to see it with your mind. When you contemplate on it you will know that it has disappeared. This sort of knowing of actual phenomena (what’s happening) is called Yathabuta nana.
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: If there is no thought arising, you watch the incoming and outgoing breaths alternately. You need to watch this very carefully. If you can follow this quickly you will progress, but if you are less aware of it your progress will be slow. If there is a defilement (Kilesa) in-between the two breathing consciousness you won’t progress. Try to prevent the Kilesa intervention. If there is no object of meditation and you don’t watch, Avijja can come in. You must be aware of this fact. Do you understand? Now go and meditate.
            Very well, Sire.

Mogok Vipassana Centre, London