"The desire to walk is nāma (mind), the walking itself is rūpa (matter). These two, nāma-rūpa, work together while walking. Walking is neither self nor other - it's just nāma and rūpa. Is it humans, devas, or brahmas? No, it's just nāma and rūpa.
What we think are humans, devas, and brahmas - what we actually find are just nāma and rūpa. Isn't this what's taught as ñāta pariññā (knowledge of the known)? Nāma-rūpa is ultimate reality (paramattha), while humans, devas, and brahmas are concepts (paññatti). Whether designated or not, there are just these two: nāma and rūpa.
How do they exist? Isn't it worth investigating? They exist as impermanent, suffering, and non-self. Walking is impermanent, walking is suffering, there is no self in walking - this is vipassanā.
The desire to stand is nāma, standing is rūpa. These two work together while standing. Standing is neither self nor other - it's just nāma and rūpa. Standing is impermanent, standing is suffering, there is no self in standing - this is vipassanā.
The desire to lie down is nāma, lying down is rūpa. These two work together while lying down. Lying down is neither self nor other - it's just nāma and rūpa. Lying down is impermanent, lying down is suffering, there is no self in lying down - this is vipassanā.
The desire to sit is nāma, sitting is rūpa. These two work together while sitting. Sitting is neither self nor other - it's just nāma and rūpa.
What we think are humans, devas, and brahmas - what we find is just nāma and rūpa. Shouldn't we take what we actually find as truth? Do we find humans, devas, and brahmas? If they're not found, do they exist? If they don't exist, is there any reason to cling to them? What we find are just nāma and rūpa.
How do they exist? As impermanent (anicca), as suffering (dukkha), as non-self (anatta). Sitting is impermanent, sitting is suffering, there is no self in sitting - this is vipassanā.
Therefore, when we see anicca, dukkha, anatta, do we still see nāma-rūpa? This is called tīraṇa pariññā (knowledge of investigation). When we see nāma-rūpa, do we see humans, devas, and brahmas? This is ñāta pariññā.
These two, nāma and rūpa, cease after being known. Matter changes and ceases. Mind knows and ceases. Is it permanent or impermanent?
Is impermanence pleasant or suffering? Is suffering happiness or dukkha? Does this dukkha have an owner? Does it follow beings' wishes? Isn't it taught as anatta?
When we see impermanence, do we still see nāma-rūpa? When we see suffering, do we still see nāma-rūpa? When we see non-self, do we still see nāma-rūpa?
Don't we need to distinguish between impermanence and nāma-rūpa? Between suffering and nāma-rūpa? Between non-self and nāma-rūpa? Isn't this called tīraṇa pariññā? When we combine anicca, dukkha, and anatta, isn't it taught as arising and passing away?
Arising and passing away - which Noble Truth is this? (The Noble Truth of Suffering, Venerable Sir). Is it pleasant or suffering? Should suffering be called happiness or dukkha? Knowing this as it truly is - this is yathābhūta ñāṇa.
When we know the truth, doesn't the wrong view disappear? What disappears? Isn't it worth examining? Haven't we wrongly conceived of human happiness, deva happiness, brahma happiness? What we find - is it human happiness or the Truth of Suffering? Deva happiness or the Truth of Suffering? Brahma happiness or the Truth of Suffering? When we know the truth, doesn't the wrong view disappear? This is yathābhūta ñāṇa."
"In the second stage of practice, don't you only find arising and passing away? Which Noble Truth is this? (The Noble Truth of Suffering, Venerable Sir). In the second stage, as wisdom matures, doesn't the mind want to be free from the aggregates? Isn't this called nibbidā ñāṇa (knowledge of disenchantment)?
When one gains this wisdom, are they the same as before? Don't their speech and behavior change? This nibbidā ñāṇa is very subtle.
The mind wants to be liberated from the aggregates, wants to be free. One becomes weary and disenchanted with the world. Is this the same as before? This is nibbidā ñāṇa.
In the third stage of practice, don't you only find arising and passing away? Which Noble Truth is this? (The Noble Truth of Suffering, Venerable Sir). Search from head to toe - can you find even a needle-point of happiness? If you can't find even a needle-point of happiness, is it because it exists or doesn't exist?
If it doesn't exist, don't we determine it as complete suffering? When we make this determination, don't the three moral factors of the Path enter - Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood? Combined with the five kinds of insight knowledge, don't they complete the Eight? When the Eight are complete, do we still see the five aggregates? Do we still see arising and passing away? Isn't this called lokuttara (supramundane)?
Isn't it worth examining what Stream-entry Path and Fruition eliminate? Aren't the latent defilements of wrong view and doubt eliminated? When these are eliminated, do mental actions still arise? If mental actions don't arise, do physical and verbal actions still occur? If they don't occur, aren't the kammas leading to lower realms exhausted? Doesn't this end the cycle of lower realm births? Isn't this called pahāna pariññā?
For one who has gained these three kinds of knowledge - ñāta pariññā, tīraṇa pariññā, and pahāna pariññā - the infinite unwholesome kammas from the beginning of time: killing for livelihood, stealing for livelihood, sexual misconduct for livelihood, lying for livelihood, taking intoxicants for livelihood...
Do these infinite old unwholesome kammas still have the chance to give results? Don't they become ahosi kamma (ineffective kamma)? Strive to reach this stage. These are the essential points, aren't they? Isn't this worth examining? One must strive to reach this stage.
Therefore, when practicing Dhamma, whether at home, in forests or mountains, or when visiting temples, one must pay respects to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, parents, and teachers.
After paying respects, may all unwholesome kammas from beginningless samsara be eliminated. Don't we have wholesome kammas too? We have wholesome kammas of giving, morality, and concentration. Shouldn't we share merits with all beings - humans, devas, brahmas?
Shouldn't we send loving-kindness? We should send metta wishing for their physical and mental well-being. Offer your body to the Buddha, without time limitation. After such offering, practice noting the in-breath and out-breath with mindfulness. Don't forget this."
When one gains this wisdom, are they the same as before? Don't their speech and behavior change? This nibbidā ñāṇa is very subtle.
The mind wants to be liberated from the aggregates, wants to be free. One becomes weary and disenchanted with the world. Is this the same as before? This is nibbidā ñāṇa.
In the third stage of practice, don't you only find arising and passing away? Which Noble Truth is this? (The Noble Truth of Suffering, Venerable Sir). Search from head to toe - can you find even a needle-point of happiness? If you can't find even a needle-point of happiness, is it because it exists or doesn't exist?
If it doesn't exist, don't we determine it as complete suffering? When we make this determination, don't the three moral factors of the Path enter - Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood? Combined with the five kinds of insight knowledge, don't they complete the Eight? When the Eight are complete, do we still see the five aggregates? Do we still see arising and passing away? Isn't this called lokuttara (supramundane)?
Isn't it worth examining what Stream-entry Path and Fruition eliminate? Aren't the latent defilements of wrong view and doubt eliminated? When these are eliminated, do mental actions still arise? If mental actions don't arise, do physical and verbal actions still occur? If they don't occur, aren't the kammas leading to lower realms exhausted? Doesn't this end the cycle of lower realm births? Isn't this called pahāna pariññā?
For one who has gained these three kinds of knowledge - ñāta pariññā, tīraṇa pariññā, and pahāna pariññā - the infinite unwholesome kammas from the beginning of time: killing for livelihood, stealing for livelihood, sexual misconduct for livelihood, lying for livelihood, taking intoxicants for livelihood...
Do these infinite old unwholesome kammas still have the chance to give results? Don't they become ahosi kamma (ineffective kamma)? Strive to reach this stage. These are the essential points, aren't they? Isn't this worth examining? One must strive to reach this stage.
Therefore, when practicing Dhamma, whether at home, in forests or mountains, or when visiting temples, one must pay respects to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, parents, and teachers.
After paying respects, may all unwholesome kammas from beginningless samsara be eliminated. Don't we have wholesome kammas too? We have wholesome kammas of giving, morality, and concentration. Shouldn't we share merits with all beings - humans, devas, brahmas?
Shouldn't we send loving-kindness? We should send metta wishing for their physical and mental well-being. Offer your body to the Buddha, without time limitation. After such offering, practice noting the in-breath and out-breath with mindfulness. Don't forget this."
Test on Nāma and Rūpa: Understanding Ultimate Reality
Learning Objectives
- Understand the concepts of nāma (mind) and rūpa (matter) as they relate to Buddhist philosophy.
- Analyze the relationship between desire, actions (walking, standing, lying down, sitting), and their impermanence, suffering, and non-self.
- Differentiate between ultimate reality (paramattha) and conceptual reality (paññatti).
- Apply insights gained from understanding nāma-rūpa to daily life and personal experiences.
Test Structure
Section 1: Multiple Choice (5 Questions)
What do nāma and rūpa represent in Buddhist philosophy?
- A) Eternal and unchanging concepts
- B) Mind and matter
- C) Human and divine beings
- D) Knowledge and ignorance
According to the text, how do nāma and rūpa exist?
- A) As permanent entities
- B) As separate from each other
- C) As impermanent, suffering, and non-self
- D) As absolute truths
Which Noble Truth is associated with the concept of suffering (dukkha)?
- A) The Noble Truth of the Cause of Suffering
- B) The Noble Truth of the End of Suffering
- C) The Noble Truth of Suffering
- D) The Noble Truth of the Path Leading to the End of Suffering
What is the term for the knowledge of investigation?
- A) Ñāta pariññā
- B) Tīraṇa pariññā
- C) Pahāna pariññā
- D) Yathābhūta ñāṇa
What is the term for knowledge of disenchantment?
- A) Ñāta pariññā
- B) Tīraṇa pariññā
- C) Nibbidā ñāṇa
- D) Yathābhūta ñāṇa
Section 2: True/False (5 Questions)
True or False: According to the text, humans, devas, and brahmas are ultimately real and exist independently of nāma and rūpa.
True or False: The desire to walk is an example of rūpa.
True or False: Understanding that all phenomena are impermanent is an essential aspect of vipassanā.
True or False: The knowledge of investigation (tīraṇa pariññā) involves distinguishing between nāma-rūpa and concepts like humans and devas.
True or False: Once one understands the truth, the wrong views about happiness disappear.
Section 3: Fill-in-the-Blank (5 Questions)
The desire to lie down is _, while lying down itself is _.
The concept of __ refers to the understanding of the nature of suffering.
According to the text, when we see __, we should still recognize nāma-rūpa.
The ultimate reality consists of only two elements: _ and _.
The realization of non-self is referred to as __.
Section 4: Matching (5 Questions)
Match the terms to their definitions:
| A) Anatta | 1) The truth of suffering |
|---|---|
| B) Anicca | 2) The concept of non-self |
| C) Dukkha | 3) The nature of impermanence |
| D) Tīraṇa pariññā | 4) Investigative knowledge |
| E) Yathābhūta ñāṇa | 5) Knowledge of reality |
Section 5: Short Answer (2 Questions)
Explain the relationship between nāma and rūpa in the context of one of the actions discussed (walking, standing, lying down, or sitting).
Discuss how the concepts of impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anatta) contribute to the understanding of one’s experiences in daily life.
Section 6: Essay (1 Question)
- In a well-organized essay, analyze how the understanding of nāma and rūpa can lead to a transformation in one’s perception of happiness and suffering. Use examples to illustrate your points, and discuss the implications for personal growth and spiritual practice.
Evaluation Criteria
- Multiple Choice, True/False, Fill-in-the-Blank: Each question is worth 1 point.
- Matching: Each correct match is worth 1 point.
- Short Answer: Each response should be 3-5 sentences and will be graded on clarity, depth of understanding, and relevance (5 points each).
- Essay: The essay will be evaluated based on structure, argument coherence, use of examples, and connection to key concepts (20 points).
Feedback
- Test results will be discussed in class to provide insights into areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.
- Students are encouraged to reflect on their understanding of nāma and rūpa in their practices outside the classroom.
End of Test
