Paccakkha-ñāṇa Avijjā Padālana

"Let's reconsider the matter of wisdom (ñāṇa). Look at Dependent Origination - isn't it taught 'With ignorance as condition, formations arise'? Isn't it taught that it begins with ignorance and ends with aging-and-death? As long as ignorance isn't eliminated, can these aggregates escape aging, sickness, and death? No, they cannot. So ignorance needs to be eliminated. Have you heard of the three rounds (vaṭṭa) - defilements, kamma, and results? What do we call freedom from these three rounds? Nibbāna.

We need to break free from these rounds. Consider this: Don't the masters teach that 'Stream-enterers are noted for being free from wrong view and ignorance'? So wrong view needs to be eliminated, ignorance needs to be ceased. This needs precise investigation.

From the conventional perspective of consciousness-seeing: Looking with ordinary eyes, we see Dhamma listeners - more women, fewer men. Consider this. Looking at monks - how few there are! Don't think becoming a monk is easy! There aren't many who will do it. That's how rare it is. This deserves respect. This is speaking from the consciousness-seeing perspective.

From the wisdom-seeing ultimate truth perspective: Looking through the wisdom spectacles given by the Buddha - isn't it taught as just visible form? We only get form. When categorized into aggregates, it's the form aggregate. Isn't it taught to be like foam in a stream or river?

If seen like foam, aren't we free from love and hate? There's no essence to it. No matter how big the foam is, when touched, can it resist your finger? This shows its lack of essence. If the form aggregate has no essence, can feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness that depend on it have any essence? None have essence. Isn't this worth investigating? Isn't it taught that when the Dhamma is lost, search within yourself and you'll find it? Isn't it taught that when truth is known, falsehood disappears?

Let's examine practically: From head to toe, carefully examine with the wisdom-hand given by the Buddha. When you think it's a person and touch, do you find a person or hardness? Another way, do you find a person or softness?

Neither hardness nor softness is a person. It's the earth element. That hardness-nature, hardness-element, hardness-ultimate reality - it's called 'element' because it maintains its own nature. It's called 'ultimate reality' because it's unchanging. We need to breakthrough to this hardness. Isn't it taught that when hardness is breakthrough, the self disappears? Now, the self hasn't disappeared because hardness hasn't been breakthrough.

Is this something to ask others about, or direct experience? Is it from books or shown by the aggregates? There's nothing truer than this. When truth is known, isn't falsehood eliminated? Is it a person or hardness-nature? Is it a self that knows hardness, or body-consciousness? Isn't body-consciousness mental phenomena? Isn't hardness material phenomena? Just these two - mind and matter.

Just mind and matter - notice it doesn't include anything good! The name itself is unpleasant - it doesn't include birth or anything pleasant. Is 'mind' good? Is 'matter' good? It's worthless and non-self - the name itself isn't good. Isn't this worth investigating? This is what's true. These are the essential points..."