"Studying the aggregates (khandha) is about breaking down self-view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi). People don't realize this is actual practice. This is real work! During the Buddha's discourses, didn't people attain Stream-entry, Once-returner, Non-returner, and Arahantship? They attained Stream-entry while listening to the Dhamma. How evident this is!
That's why the Mogok Sayadaw taught: 'Practice in the morning, realize in the evening; practice in the evening, realize in the morning.' For those with very weak wisdom, it takes seven days.
Now, some can't achieve it even after a month or a year. This is because of weak faith (saddhā). They don't have faith, don't believe in kamma, and don't turn towards wisdom. Without turning towards wisdom, how can they see the aggregates? What truly exists are the five aggregates, but people perceive differently. Isn't this worth contemplating?
So we need to think carefully. The eyes given by parents are one thing, the eye of wisdom is another. Looking with physical eyes, these are five fingers. With ordinary eyes, you can only see fingers - you can't see it any other way. You see a head, limbs, a person - that's seeing with parents' given eyes. You can't change this perception. Isn't this worth contemplating? We need to look with the eye of wisdom.
Let's give an example. Among these five fingers, do they share the same name? Thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, pinky - that's what we see with ordinary eyes. Just fingers.
But put on the glasses of wisdom given by the Buddha. Before, you saw fingers, saw people - now remove those green-tinted glasses of delusion. Isn't this worth contemplating? When you put on the clear glasses of wisdom given by the Buddha...
Do you see a thumb or do you see form (rūpa)? It's form. Though we call it an index finger, when looking through wisdom glasses, is it a finger or just form-element? Middle finger or form-element? Ring finger or form-element? Pinky or form-element? You only find form.
This is looking from the perspective of the eye, wearing the glasses of wisdom. With ordinary eyes, you see thumb, index, middle, ring, pinky. That kind of view won't lead beyond the 31 planes of existence. Can it? Isn't this worth investigating? Study this well."
"This is worth reconsidering. Shouldn't we examine again with the hand of wisdom given by the Buddha? With parents' given eyes, we see a thumb, don't we? Don't we take it as existing? Now feel with the hand of wisdom given by the Buddha.
Do you find a thumb or do you find hardness? Do you find an index finger or hardness? Do you find a middle finger or hardness? Do you find a ring finger or hardness? Do you find a pinky or hardness? You only find one thing - the characteristic of hardness, the element of hardness, the ultimate reality of hardness.
When examining with the hand of wisdom, do you still find hands and feet? Why don't you find them? If you can't find hands and feet, can you find a person? If there's no person, can there be devas? Can there be brahmas? Can there be 31 planes of existence? It's emptiness (suññata)! Isn't this taught as the emptiness of mind and matter? You only find mind (nāma) and matter (rūpa).
When you see matter, do you find beings? When you see mind, do you find humans, devas, or brahmas? Why don't you find them? Isn't this worth examining? With parents' given eyes, we see people, we see 31 planes of existence. Doesn't it come like this? But with the eye of wisdom, the 31 planes are empty. You'll only find form.
Don't we get form (rūpa) from visible objects? Don't we get mind (nāma) from eye-consciousness that sees and knows form? Just mind and matter - two things. You only find mind and matter. Isn't this worth examining? This is known through practice. This needs to be examined carefully. These are the two things: mind and matter..."
Do you find a thumb or do you find hardness? Do you find an index finger or hardness? Do you find a middle finger or hardness? Do you find a ring finger or hardness? Do you find a pinky or hardness? You only find one thing - the characteristic of hardness, the element of hardness, the ultimate reality of hardness.
When examining with the hand of wisdom, do you still find hands and feet? Why don't you find them? If you can't find hands and feet, can you find a person? If there's no person, can there be devas? Can there be brahmas? Can there be 31 planes of existence? It's emptiness (suññata)! Isn't this taught as the emptiness of mind and matter? You only find mind (nāma) and matter (rūpa).
When you see matter, do you find beings? When you see mind, do you find humans, devas, or brahmas? Why don't you find them? Isn't this worth examining? With parents' given eyes, we see people, we see 31 planes of existence. Doesn't it come like this? But with the eye of wisdom, the 31 planes are empty. You'll only find form.
Don't we get form (rūpa) from visible objects? Don't we get mind (nāma) from eye-consciousness that sees and knows form? Just mind and matter - two things. You only find mind and matter. Isn't this worth examining? This is known through practice. This needs to be examined carefully. These are the two things: mind and matter..."
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