The priority of Dhamma knowledge and liberation

"Isn't it taught that #knowing_Dhamma_is_number_one, and livelihood is number two? Isn't livelihood secondary to Dhamma knowledge? Similarly, knowing Dhamma is first, giving (dāna) is second.

#Donations_made_after_knowing_Dhamma_lead_to_magga_and_nirodha. Donations made without knowledge lead to samudaya and dukkha - they're puññābhisaṅkhāra, āneñjābhisaṅkhāra, and apuññābhisaṅkhāra, aren't they?

Even if one gains brahma existence, does it free one from aging, sickness, and death? For devas? For humans? How frightening this is!

When giving after knowing the Truth, one wants freedom from the aggregates. #Giving_to_be_free_from_suffering.

What should we know? The present moment of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, knowing - that's the second frame. Isn't this taught as consciousness, mind-matter, six sense bases, contact, feeling?

#Are_these_beings_or_five_aggregates? When analyzed, they're five aggregates. Can any being with aggregates escape aging, sickness, and death? What truth is this? (It's the Truth of Suffering, Lord).

When truly knowing dukkha sacca, isn't it called vijjā? Or sammā diṭṭhi? Doesn't micchā diṭṭhi cease? When vijjā arises, doesn't avijjā cease?

When avijjā ceases, does taṇhā still come? Without taṇhā, can upādāna arise? #Doesn't_the_cycle_of_defilements_cease?

See, practicing Dhamma is for ceasing the cycle of defilements. Is there anything else besides this? Think about it. Isn't this worth investigating? The main point is ceasing the cycle of defilements..."

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

Sao Dhammasami Siridantamahāpālaka 

Ph.D(Candidate),M.A,B.A(Pali) Master Trainer (The European International University ) 

The International Buddhist Studies College ,MCU

Definition of Samsara in Buddhist Philosophy

Samsara, in Buddhist philosophy, refers to the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. This cycle is driven by our strong attachments and desires for worldly things. It's rooted in the idea of impermanence, where Samsara represents the fundamental nature of life, filled with suffering and fleetingness. According to Buddhist teachings, the cycle of Samsara is perpetuated by the "three poisons" – ignorance, craving, and aversion. These poisons lead to karmic actions and subsequent rebirths. To escape Samsara, one must develop wisdom, ethical conduct, and mindfulness through practices like meditation and following the Noble Eightfold Path. By recognizing the ego's illusions and letting go of worldly desires, individuals can break free from Samsara and attain enlightenment.The concept of Samsara is a complex and multifaceted one, encompassing not only the physical process of birth and death but also the deeper, psychological aspects of our existence. It's a constant interplay between our actions, motivations, and the karmic consequences that shape our experiences. Samsara is not simply a mechanical cycle but a dynamic system influenced by our choices and perceptions. Within this cycle, we encounter a vast spectrum of experiences, from joy and pleasure to suffering and sorrow. While the Buddhist teachings recognize the inherent impermanence of all things, they also acknowledge the potential for meaningful experiences and positive growth within Samsara. The ultimate goal, however, remains liberation from this cycle – a state of enlightenment known as Nirvana.

The Buddhist path to liberation from samsara, the cycle of suffering and rebirth.

The Buddhist path to liberation from **samsara**, the cycle of suffering and rebirth. 1. The Goal: Nibbanic Bliss Buddhism aims to achieve **Nibbana**, a state of ultimate peace and liberation from suffering. This is attained through understanding and practicing the teachings. 2. Key Doctrines: Five Aggregates: These are the five components of our experience (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness). Understanding them helps us see the impermanent and illusory nature of our experience. Twelve Ayatanas: These are the twelve "sense spheres" that connect us to the world (six senses, six objects). By recognizing their interconnectedness, we can break free from clinging to them. Eighteen Dhatus: This doctrine expands on the Twelve Ayatanas by adding six types of consciousness (visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, and mental). It helps us understand how our senses and consciousness interact to create our experience. Four Noble Truths (Saccas): These are the core truths about suffering (Dukkha), its cause (Tanha - craving), its cessation (Nirvana), and the path to its cessation (the Eightfold Path).

Law of Dependent Origination: This principle explains the interconnectedness of all phenomena and how suffering arises from a chain of causes and conditions. By understanding this law, we can identify and break the cycle of suffering. 3. The Eightfold Path: The Eightfold Path is the practical guide to liberation. It includes: 1. Right Understanding: Understanding the true nature of reality and suffering. 2. Right Thought: Cultivating positive and wholesome thoughts. 3. Right Speech: Speaking truthfully and kindly. 4. Right Action: Acting with compassion and non-violence. 5. Right Livelihood: Choosing a way of life that aligns with ethical principles. 6. Right Effort: Working diligently to overcome negative tendencies. 7. Right Mindfulness: Being aware of the present moment without judgment. 8. Right Concentration: Developing focus and mental stability. 4. The Importance of Meditation: Practices like **Vipassana meditation** help us see the interconnectedness of things and understand the cycle of suffering (dependent origination), ultimately leading to liberation.

5. The Cycle of Suffering: Samsara is a cycle driven by craving, attachment, and ignorance. Through practicing the Eightfold Path and understanding the underlying principles, we can break free from this cycle and achieve true liberation. In essence: Buddhism offers a structured path to escape the endless cycle of suffering through self-awareness, ethical conduct, and mental discipline. This path leads to liberation, freeing us from the grip of samsara and reaching a state of lasting peace and enlightenment. Sao Dhammasami Ph.D (Candidate) ,M.A,B.A(Pali),Master Trainer (EIU) The International Buddhist Studies College,MCU

Direct knowledge of the five aggregates

"When we say we're listening to, practicing, or studying Dhamma, it must match with the Dhamma present in our own aggregates and wisdom. The existing Dhamma means the five aggregates that appear when sense objects meet sense doors.

When an object (like visible form) meets its door (eye-sensitivity), doesn't consciousness arise? Eye-consciousness arises, but can it function alone? Don't feeling, perception, and volition arise together?

Is it beings who experience form, or feeling? Is it self that perceives, or perception? Is it beings who prompt experiencing and perceiving, or volition? When feeling, perception, and volition combine with consciousness, don't we have four mental aggregates? Are_these_beings_or_four_mental_aggregates?

Is eye-sensitivity a being? Is visible form a being? When analyzed, don't we get physical aggregate? Combined with four mental aggregates, (We get five aggregates, Lord).

At the moment of seeing, are there beings or five aggregates? At the moment of hearing, are there cities and countries or five aggregates? When the five aggregates are truly known, don't wrong views about beings disappear?

When truth is known, falsehood vanishes. #When_falsehood_vanishes_identity_view_breaks. These aggregates - don't they cease after seeing, after hearing? Knowing their impermanence, can we hold them as permanent (sassata view)? Knowing their continuity, can we hold them as annihilated (uccheda view)?

When the five aggregates are truly known, identity view breaks. When these three wrong views break, one becomes a Stream-enterer. #Becoming_Stream_enterer_brings_true_happiness.

Could all the wealth in Burma buy one path-knowledge? Can wealth prevent aging, sickness, death? Can_it_guarantee_freedom_from_lower_realms? But path-knowledge guarantees freedom from lower realms.

That's why the venerable Mogok Sayadaw taught: "Understanding Dhamma is priority one, livelihood is priority two." How crucial is understanding Dhamma!

One who understands Dhamma, gaining path-knowledge, closes the door to lower realms. With continued effort, like Dhammadinna, can't they achieve higher paths up to Arahantship? Understanding_Dhamma_is_crucial..."

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

The grave consequences of not understanding Dhamma

"Let's examine how harmful it is to not understand Dhamma. Isn't it taught that for each grain of sand in the Ganges River, there was a Buddha, and each Buddha led 24 asankheyyas and 80 kotis, plus 100,000 followers to liberation?

Have we ever encountered these countless Buddhas and their audiences? Where were we? In hell realms. #Hell_realms_have_extremely_long_lifespans. Once in hell, we can miss many Buddhas. Isn't it clear how we've missed these opportunities?

Even when attaining human birth, is being born outside the Buddha's dispensation the same as being born within it? The difference is significant. Within the dispensation, the teachings of Truth, Aggregates, and Dependent Origination are available.

When one understands the aggregates, sense bases, elements, and truths, identity-view breaks. With continued effort and mature insight knowledge, path knowledge arises. #When_path_knowledge_arises_Nibbana_is_realized.

If in this human life we fail to understand this Dhamma, we become like rice-exhausted land - falling to lower realms. Isn't this frightening? #If_we_don't_understand_this_Dhamma_we_must_strive_diligently.

We need to understand:
- The aggregates
- The Noble Truths
- The causality of Dependent Origination..."

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

Anatta and the Five Aggregates

Introduction:

Exploring Anatta, the non-self concept, and its complex relationship with the Five Aggregates in Dependent Origination domains presents a deep, intricate exploration into Buddhist philosophy. Built on Buddha's primary teachings, this study aims to unravel the essence of existence and consciousness through the lens of impermanence and interconnectedness. Delving into Anatta's interaction with the Five Aggregates, a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of reality and self emerges. Through meditation and analysis of these key doctrines, individuals can embark on a transformative journey towards self-realization and the goal of enlightenment. Reflecting on the implications of Anatta and the Five Aggregates, it becomes clear that the conventional notion of an eternal, independent self is challenged and dismantled. The Five Aggregates, being form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, act as the building blocks of existence, revealing the fleeting and interconnected essence of all phenomena. From the perspective of Dependent Origination, the tangled web of causes and conditions that give rise to suffering and liberation is laid bare, offering profound recognition of the interconnectedness of all beings. Within this context of Anatta and the Five Aggregates within the framework of Dependent Origination, a complex tapestry of Buddhist thought and practice unfolds. Detailing these core ideas opens doors to profound self-reflection and understanding of the transient and interdependent nature of all phenomena. Peeling back layers of conditioning and self-identification, practitioners can embark on a transformative inner journey towards liberation from suffering and the ultimate understanding of truth. Sao Dhammasami Ph.D(Candidate)Peace Studies,M.A,B.A(Pali) Founder The Hswagata Buddha Tooth Relics Preservation Museum,Myanmar

The Direct Investigation of Mind and Matter (Nāma-rūpa Paccakkha Ñāṇa)

"Let's hear something unprecedented. Here's a simile to understand how to break self-view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi). Imagine a skilled basket weaver who neatly arranges reed strips and sprinkles them with water. About 4-5 people are watching them work.

When the reeds are sprinkled with water, can't you see the reed strips? At this moment, do you see a basket? No. Then they weave, placing three strips over two, two over three. After half an hour, a basket is completed. Now do you see reed strips or a basket? You don't see the reed strips anymore. Earlier you saw reed strips, right?

Now what do you see - reed strips or a basket? Is this something others need to tell you, or is it your direct experience? If you unravel the basket from where it was started, what do you find? Ah, you find reed strips! Where did the basket go? Isn't this worth contemplating? The basket cannot be found.

When those same reed strips are arranged differently and woven again for half an hour, another basket appears. Can you still see the reed strips? No. What do you see now - reed strips or basket? In reality, neither the reed strips nor the basket truly exists. Isn't it just your mind perceiving it as such?

When it's woven into a basket, do you see reed strips or a basket? You only see a basket, right? But when you take it apart again, what do you find - basket or reed strips? This is how people are deluded, unable to escape the 31 planes of existence. This is why we need to understand the aggregates.

Isn't it taught 'Idaṃ me puññaṃ āsavakkhayaṃ vahaṃ hotu' (May this merit of mine lead to the destruction of the taints)? The āsavas (taints) will only end when we understand the disadvantages of the aggregates. Isn't this worth examining?"

This simile beautifully illustrates how our conventional reality (the basket) is made up of ultimate realities (reed strips), and how our perception shifts between these two levels, leading to confusion about the true nature of phenomena.

"Let's hear something unprecedented. Imagine having 8 small containers, each holding about a handful of high-quality paint. There are paint powders, right? When we ask the audience if they see the powder, don't they say 'yes'?

When we put the powder in the containers and mix it with water, doesn't it become paint? Is this something others need to tell you, or is it your direct experience? You see the powder being added, and you see it being stirred with brushes, right?

With these 8 containers full of paint, when we ask the audience what they see, how do they answer? They see paint, right? There's a white canvas in front. When seeing just the blank canvas, does greed arise? Does anger arise? No.

Then, with skillful hands, we paint a portrait of a famous actress on the canvas. We color it beautifully. And there, we paint a famous actor too. Now, do you see the paint or do you see the actress? Do you see the paint or do you see the actor?

When women see the actor, doesn't desire arise? Doesn't craving and attachment develop? When men see the actress, doesn't desire arise? Doesn't craving develop? That's because they're seeing the actress and actor, not the paint. That's why desire arises.

When we put the paint back into their respective containers, what do you see now - the actress or the paint? The actor or the paint? Think about it. This is how people are deluded. Isn't this worth contemplating?

When you see the paint, do you still see the actress? Do you still see the actor? Why not? What was really there - the actress or the paint? The actor or the paint?"

"When we look through the spectacles of wisdom given by the Buddha, we see just the form-element (rūpa-dhātu). Isn't this what's taught as form aggregate (rūpakkhandha)?

Isn't this form aggregate taught to be like a bubble of water? When you see and understand it as a bubble, do you still find anything to love or hate? No, you don't. Isn't this worth studying? When truth is known, doesn't falsehood disappear? Yes, falsehood disappears. These are the essential points.

Let's examine again through direct experience (sandiṭṭhika). Isn't it taught that when Dhamma is lost, we should look within ourselves? When we look within, we find the Dhamma. Think about this. Now, put on these wisdom spectacles given by the Buddha. When looking through these spectacles, do you see paint or do you see the form-element? Think carefully.

Don't we usually perceive things as people, as women and men? But when we look through the Buddha's wisdom spectacles, do we see people or do we see just form? Do we see women and men or do we see just form? We see just form, right? Is this something others need to tell you, or is it your direct experience?

When seeing just form in this way, does lust still arise? Does anger still arise? Does delusion still arise?"

This teaching illustrates how the wisdom of the Buddha helps us see through conventional reality (concepts of people, men, women) to ultimate reality (just form-element), and how this correct perception leads to the cessation of defilements (kilesas) like lust, anger, and delusion.

The "wisdom spectacles" (vijjā) represent right view (sammā-diṭṭhi), which allows us to see things as they truly are (yathābhūta-ñāṇadassana).

"👂 EAR
When you think it's a person and tap it, do you find a person or sound? If sound were a person, wouldn't all sounds be people? That's not the case. You only hear sound.

👃 NOSE
When you think it's a person and smell it, do you find a person or odor? When you think it's a woman or man and smell, do you find a woman/man or just odor? Is this something others need to tell you, or your direct experience?

👅 TONGUE
When you think it's a man or woman and taste, do you find a woman or saltiness? Do you find a man or saltiness? This is the taste-element.

💫 BODY
From head to toe, when you think it's a person and touch it, don't you find hardness and softness? Hardness is earth-element, softness is earth-element. Isn't this worth investigating? You only find hardness and softness, do you find a person?

Isn't hardness and softness taught as earth-element (pathavī)? Is it a self that knows hardness and softness, or body-consciousness? Does it occur with just one consciousness alone? Don't feeling, perception, and volition arise together? Think about this. Is it a person, deity or brahma that experiences hardness/softness, or is it feeling (vedanā)?

Is it a self that perceives hardness/softness, or perception (saññā)? Is it a self that motivates the experiencing and perceiving, or volition (cetanā)? When these three combine, don't we have four mental aggregates? Only when these four are complete does touching-consciousness arise. Are these four mental aggregates people, deities, or brahmas? Are they cities or countries?

Is the body-sensitivity a person, deity or brahma? Is the earth-element a person, deity or brahma? When we analyze the aggregates, don't we find the form aggregate? Combined with the four mental aggregates, (We have five aggregates, Lord). So is it an actress or five aggregates? An actor or five aggregates? People, deities, brahmas or five aggregates? We imagine people, deities, and brahmas, but what we find are the five aggregates.

Like thinking there's a basket but finding reed strips, isn't this worth examining? When you touch what you think is reed strips, do you find reed strips or hardness? When you touch what you think is a basket, do you find a basket or hardness? Whether eyes closed or open, you only find hardness. Is it that reed strips aren't found because they don't exist? Is it that the basket isn't found because it doesn't exist? If they don't exist, is there any reason to cling to them?

Similarly now, when we touch what we think is a person, we only find aggregates. Isn't this worth investigating? When we analyze the aggregates this way, doesn't the wrong view of self fall away? When wrong view falls away, will you still believe in creation by Great Brahmas, eternal God, or Vishnu? Doesn't doubt cease? The taints of wrong view and ignorance are eliminated. Isn't this worth examining?"

"The form aggregate also needs to be investigated, all five aggregates need to be examined. Didn't the Mogok Sayadaw teach that these five aggregates are like murderous men? They are murderers! What we have right now, are they beings, deities, and brahmas, or are they five aggregates?

Did the Buddha teach these as permanent dwellings or as aggregates (khandha)? If they're aggregates, they must be endured. Can we escape aging, sickness, and death? No, we cannot! Isn't this worth investigating? Is something that cannot escape aging, sickness, and death happiness or suffering? We live daily with suffering. Isn't this worth contemplating?

It's like ignorance (avijjā) and craving (taṇhā) are overlaid - seeing a basket here, seeing reed strips there. But what really exists - is it reed strips or just hardness? Is it a basket or just hardness? Isn't it taught 'dependent on ignorance, formations arise'? It's due to wrong attention (ayoniso manasikāra) that we see baskets and reed strips. Isn't this worth considering? This is how we see beings, deities, and brahmas.

When we examine with the wisdom given by the Buddha, we only find hardness and softness, right? Hardness and softness are earth-element. The consciousness that touches is mental phenomena (nāma). Hardness and softness are material phenomena (rūpa). Just these two - mind and matter. Are they beings, deities, and brahmas, or just mind and matter?

We only find mind and matter, right? This is knowing the truth. When truth is known, will you still believe in creation by the Four Great Brahmas, eternal God, or Vishnu? Doesn't doubt cease? The taints of wrong view and ignorance are eliminated..."

Five Aggregates as they truly are, rather than through conceptual ideas about beings or self.

"When examining the six sense doors, do we find different types of beings or just the Five Aggregates? Are beings not found because they don't exist? If they don't exist, is there any basis for clinging to ideas of humans, devas, or brahmas? What we actually find is not beings but the Five Aggregates. Let's examine how these Five Aggregates exist: 1. Rūpakkhandha (Form aggregate) - what's its nature? (The nature of changing and destroying). Do we find it or its absence? If absent, how can we cling to it? 2. Vedanākkhandha (Feeling aggregate) - what's its nature? (The nature of experiencing). Do we find it or its absence? 3. Saññākkhandha (Perception aggregate) - what's its nature? (The nature of recognizing). Do we find it or its absence? 4. Saṅkhārakkhandha (Formations aggregate) - what's its nature? (The nature of volition). Do we find it or its absence? 5. Viññāṇakkhandha (Consciousness aggregate) - what's its nature? (The nature of knowing). Do we find it or its absence? Aren't these Five Aggregates taught as arising and passing away? We need to study these aggregates carefully. 'Beings' are just conventional designations. Did beings exist from the beginning? If not, how can we cling to them? What we find are not beings but the Five Aggregates. These aggregates arise and pass away. Can they be a basis for clinging? When examined this way, doesn't identity-view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi) fall away? When identity-view falls away, will one still commit unwholesome actions through body, speech, or mind? If not, one becomes a Stream-enterer, free from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and wrong views. This is why we practice to understand the aggregates. Practice is given to understand the aggregates. Without understanding aggregates, though one practices, can it be fruitful? There are different kinds of work - kamma work, jhāna work, but do these lead beyond the 31 planes of existence? Only vipassanā knowledge and path knowledge lead beyond the 31 planes. Though all called 'work', is kamma the same as jhāna? Is jhāna the same as wisdom? Like Uggasena, who while performing on a sixty-foot bamboo pole, received the Buddha's teaching. When he turned his wisdom to the aggregates, didn't he become a Stream-enterer? A Once-returner? A Non-returner? An Arahant? This is wisdom work. We need to understand the aggregates, the Noble Truths, and Dependent Origination. Only through understanding can we abandon [defilements]. Without understanding, can we abandon them? Strive to understand..."

how direct understanding of the Four Noble Truths leads to the cessation of ignorance and the entire cycle of suffering.

"One becomes a Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna) only by understanding the Four Noble Truths. Without understanding them, can one become a Stream-enterer? So we need to understand: - The Four Noble Truths - The Five Aggregates - Dependent Origination Not knowing the Four Noble Truths is (ignorance) Not knowing the Five Aggregates is (ignorance) Misconceiving the Five Aggregates as beings, humans, devas, or brahmas is (ignorance) With wrong perception, who desires? (craving) Clinging to 'must have it' is (attachment) These three - ignorance, craving, attachment - which truth is this? (Truth of Origin) Is the Truth of Origin a person? A deva? A brahma? Sons and daughters? The Truth of Path knows the Truth of Origin correctly, not a self. The Path Truth is what knows. Where there is Origin as cause, don't the resultant aggregates arise? Are they beings or Five Aggregates? We only find aggregates. Can any being with aggregates escape aging, sickness, and death? Which truth is this? (Truth of Suffering) Isn't it taught that suffering comes from Origin? Look at the wheel of Dependent Origination: (1) is Origin (2) is Suffering (3) is Origin (4) is Suffering This is the path we've all traveled - with Origin and Suffering, these two truths. We only heard of the Four Noble Truths when the Buddha appeared. Path and Cessation were only heard after the Buddha's enlightenment. We came with Origin and Suffering. Like an ox going in circles, isn't Dependent Origination spinning? The Five Aggregates in section (2) - are they cause or effect? Is the effect to be abandoned or understood? It's to be understood! Examining the material aggregate during meditation - stiffness, pain, aching, burning, cold, pressure, dizziness, itching - aren't these all experienced? Are these happiness or suffering? We practice to understand the aggregates. Not one pleasant thing is found. In truth, isn't it all just impermanence? Beyond the nature of change and the nature of knowing, what else is there? Is change and destruction happiness or suffering? Is knowing and passing away happiness or suffering? Therefore, arising and passing is which truth? (Truth of Suffering) True knowledge is like light appearing. Ignorance is darkness. In darkness, can you see even a village? Think about it. When truly knowing suffering, does the ignorance that misconceives worldly happiness as true happiness persist? Ignorance ceases! When ignorance ceases, does craving still come? Does attachment come? Does kamma come? Don't the three types of Dependent Origination break? Doesn't the cycle of aggregates end? Isn't this called the Truth of Cessation?"

Dhamma Talk

"Let me tell you an unprecedented story. In ancient times, there was Sakka (the king of devas), who was formerly known as Magha. When we say Sakka, this was his previous life, you see. This Magha had four wives: Sudhammā, Sunandā, Sucittā, and Sujātā. Among these four, the youngest, Sujātā, was both his niece and wife. The three elder wives and Magha would work together in villages and towns, making roads smooth and even for five hundred companions and many people to travel easily. Didn't they clean temples and pagodas? Didn't they maintain the cleanliness of monasteries? Was this unwholesome or wholesome? These were wholesome deeds, you see. The youngest, Sujātā, however, only focused on adorning herself for sensual pleasures. Isn't this worth contemplating? Then one day, they all passed away. When they died, Sudhammā, Sunandā, and Sucittā were reborn as devis (female devas) in Tāvatiṃsa heaven. Magha became a deva too. But Sujātā was reborn as a lone crane in a rocky ravine. Then Sakka (formerly Magha) searched throughout the six deva realms but couldn't find her. He looked in the human realm but couldn't find her either. When he searched in the animal realm, he found her alone in a rocky ravine. So didn't Sakka disguise himself as a crane and approach her? Didn't he ask, 'Do you recognize who I really am?' She said no. 'I am your former husband Magha,' he said. 'Yes, that's right,' she replied." "Didn't he ask, 'Do you know where your sisters are?' She said no. 'Would you like to see your sisters?' She said yes. Didn't she ask where they were? 'In the six heavenly realms, in Tāvatiṃsa heaven,' he said. 'But I'm an animal now, how can I go there?' 'If you really want to meet them, I'll help. Come, perch on my hand,' and he took her to the heavenly realm. In heaven, there was Sudhammā's great pavilion, Sunandā's lake, and Sucittā's gardens. He left her near there. He asked Sudhammā, Sunandā, and Sucittā, 'Would you like to see your younger sister Sujātā?' They said yes. 'Where is she?' 'I left her by the lake.' Didn't he ask them to go greet her? So the three sisters went to greet her. They were devis, while Sujātā was just a crane. When they looked closely, they started mocking: 'Oh, look at her head! Look at her legs! Look at her body!' They laughed in various ways and then disappeared. After some time, Sakka came back. 'Magha, did you meet your sisters?' 'Yes,' she said. When he asked what happened, didn't she tell him they just laughed and left? 'Well, well, I'll take you back to your place,' and he returned her to the rocky ravine. 'Would you like to be like them?' 'Yes,' she replied. 'Why didn't you perform meritorious deeds when you were human?' 'Your three sisters performed service (veyyāvacca) at temples and monasteries, they cleaned sacred places, they leveled and smoothed the roads in villages and towns. Why didn't you do such things back then?' Didn't he ask? She replied, 'I never thought it would turn out like this.'" "Consider this - she only focused on beautifying herself. She didn't kill beings, didn't steal, yet she fell into a lower realm. Isn't this worth contemplating? She didn't kill, didn't steal, didn't commit adultery, didn't lie, didn't drink alcohol - wasn't it her delusion (moha) that caused her consciousness to cease in that state? Did she understand about dana (generosity)? Did she understand sila (morality)? Did she understand the truth of the Dhamma and the aggregates? Not knowing is avijjā (ignorance). Due to that deluded mind, her consciousness ceased and she became an animal. Isn't this frightening? This needs to be carefully examined. Then he asked, 'Do you want to be like them?' She said yes. Didn't he tell her she needed to make merit? 'How can I make merit as an animal?' she asked. He said if she truly wanted to make merit, he would tell her how. 'If you kill frogs, fish, or other animals, you'll fall into hell. Then I, Sakka, won't be able to help you. If you're truly willing to make merit, I'll tell you how.' 'Please tell me, I'm very afraid now,' she said. 'From today onwards, don't catch, kill, or eat frogs, fish, or other animals. Only eat what's already dead,' didn't he say? She agreed to this. Magha (Sakka), not fully trusting her, tested her by appearing as a dead fish floating by. She picked it up with her beak, but when it moved, showing it was alive, she released it. Again, he tested her with a fish on the sandbank - when it moved in her beak, she released it. Eventually, without food, didn't she die from starvation? When she died from starvation, she was reborn as a potter's daughter in the kingdom of Varanasi. You see, when the crane had someone to guide her, she endured hunger and thirst, not eating other beings. Didn't this become sila (moral virtue)? That's why she was reborn as a human, as a potter's daughter in Varanasi. Sakka searched for her in the heavenly realms but couldn't find her. Looking in the human realm, he found her as the potter's daughter. Thinking 'I must help her,' Sakka went to give her gold in the form of golden cucumbers. When he reached the city entrance, there were forty or fifty drunkards. 'Buy golden cucumbers! Golden cucumbers!' he called. 'What's the price?' they asked. 'The price is sila,' he said. 'What is sila? Is it green or blue?' they asked. 'No, not like that.' 'Is it short or long?' 'No, not like that. It means not killing other beings, not stealing, not committing sexual misconduct, not lying, and not taking five types of intoxicants.' Well, none of them qualified, these drunkards." "Didn't they direct him to the potter's daughter? When he reached there, he called out 'Golden cucumbers! Golden cucumbers!' She came down to buy them. Didn't she ask the price? 'The price is sila,' he said. 'I'll buy them,' she said. Didn't he ask if she recognized him? She didn't. 'I am your former husband Magha, who saved you when you were a crane. Use this gold, but don't break your sila.' Then he left after giving her the gold. When she died from that life, she was reborn as the daughter of the Asura king. When she came of age, they held a marriage ceremony. Didn't they ask how to arrange it? They would hold a garland-throwing ceremony. When the ceremony was held, Magha (Sakka) disguised himself as an old Asura man and joined the ceremony. Though there were many young devas invited, she didn't throw the garland to any of them. Instead, she threw it to the old man. Isn't this worth contemplating? The young devas left laughing, wondering why she chose an old man when there were so many young ones. Isn't this worth pondering? You see, while humans didn't know, the elements (dhatu) knew. They had been husband and wife in a past life, he had saved her in her crane life, and helped her as the potter's daughter. You see, these wholesome kammic elements don't disappear. Humans might not know, but the elements know. The moment she saw him, loving-kindness (metta) arose. 'Do you recognize me?' he asked. 'No,' she said. 'I am your former husband Magha.' 'Yes, that's right.' As they looked at each other, he transformed into an eighteen-year-old form. When she realized he was Sakka, there was a battle with the Asuras. Due to their different levels of merit and kamma, Sakka won. He took her to the heavenly realm where she reunited with her sisters - all four sisters together again. When the Buddha appeared, didn't they descend to the human realm to listen to the Dhamma? Didn't he teach about the aggregates (khandha), sense bases (ayatana), elements (dhatu), and the Noble Truths?" "When teaching this, aren't the rūpakkhandha (material aggregates) included in the khandhas? There's pathavī-dhātu (earth), āpo-dhātu (water), tejo-dhātu (fire), and vāyo-dhātu (air). Pathavī has the characteristics of hardness and softness. Āpo has the characteristics of cohesion and flowing. Tejo has the characteristics of heat and cold. Vāyo has the characteristics of supporting and movement. Are these four great elements human, deva, or brahma? They're just four primary elements. Where there are four primary elements, aren't there four secondary elements? There's vaṇṇa (color), gandha (smell), rasa (taste), and ojā (nutritive essence). Isn't this worth contemplating? Color element through the eyes, smell element through the nose, six tastes through the tongue (sweet, sour, spicy, salty, bitter, astringent), and the nutritive essence that makes the body grow - aren't these taught? Four secondary elements and four primary elements - combined, don't we get eight elements? Are these eight elements human, deva, or brahma? When these eight elements interact, doesn't sound arise? These are the nine types of matter (navakkalāpa). When we analyze the aggregates, don't we find rūpakkhandha? Whenever two material forms contact each other, don't the four mental aggregates (nāmakkhandha) arise? Are these four mental aggregates human, deva, or brahma? Isn't this worth examining? So now we understand the four mental aggregates. When we combine the four mental aggregates with rūpakkhandha, we get the five aggregates. Are these five aggregates human, deva, or brahma? When we see the aggregates, do we still see beings as humans, devas, or brahmas? Why not? When they don't exist, doesn't the wrong view of permanent self as human or deva fall away? Isn't this worth examining? Moreover, doesn't rūpakkhandha arise and pass away? Don't feelings arise and pass away? Doesn't perception arise and pass away? Don't volitional formations arise and pass away? Doesn't consciousness arise and pass away? Do you see the five aggregates? Do you see their arising and passing away? What truth is this? (It's the Truth of Suffering, Dukkha Sacca). Isn't it necessary to truly understand dukkha sacca? When dukkha sacca is truly understood, does craving still come? Does clinging still come? Don't the āsavas of sensual desire (kāmāsava) and becoming (bhavāsava) cease? When the aggregates are understood, don't the āsavas of wrong view (diṭṭhāsava) and ignorance (avijjāsava) cease? Don't all four āsavas end? When they end, doesn't the Truth of the Origin of Suffering (samudaya sacca) die? Doesn't the cycle of aggregates end? Isn't this taught as the Truth of Cessation (nirodha sacca)?" "Then didn't the Buddha tell Magha to look through the glasses he gave? When looking through these glasses of wisdom (vijjā), did he see Sudhammā or did he see just form (rūpa)? Through conceptual thinking, didn't he imagine it was Sudhammā? But what was actually seen - was it Sudhammā or just visual form? Was it Sunandā or just form? Was it Sucittā or just form? Was it Sujātā or just form? Only form was seen. Thinking it was Sudhammā, when touching to make sound - was Sudhammā found or just sound? When thinking of Sunandā, Sucittā, or Sujātā - was anything found besides sound? This is rūpakkhandha of sound. When smelling what was thought to be Sudhammā - was Sudhammā found or just odor? When smelling thinking it was Sunandā, Sucittā, or Sujātā - was anything found besides odor? When tasting what was thought to be Sudhammā - wasn't just salty taste-element found? Was it Sudhammā or taste-element? Sunandā or taste-element? Sucittā or taste-element? Sujātā or taste-element? Only taste-element was found. When touching from head to toe, forward and backward - thinking it was Sudhammā, Sunandā, Sucittā, or Sujātā - was any of them found or just heat and cold? The heat element (uṇha-tejo) and cold element (sīta-tejo) were found. Is it a self that knows hot and cold, or is it body-consciousness (kāya-viññāṇa)? Isn't kāya-viññāṇa a mental phenomenon (nāma)? Aren't hot and cold physical phenomena (rūpa)? These are just mind and matter (nāma-rūpa). Is it Sudhammā or just mind-and-matter? Sunandā or just mind-and-matter? Sucittā or just mind-and-matter? Sujātā or just mind-and-matter? Isn't this taught as knowledge by full understanding (ñāta-pariññā)? This is distinguishing between what appears to be and what actually is. Only mind-and-matter is found. This knowing of mind-and-matter - is it known by a self or by the Path Truth (magga-sacca)? Which path knows it? (The path of Right Concentration, Sammā-samādhi). When one has concentration (samādhi), even if someone speaks harsh words, will there still be anger? Is there anything left to be angry about? That's because of having samādhi. Now, when faces age and become distorted, is it because of having samādhi or lacking it? Isn't this worth examining? Didn't the Mogok Sayadaw teach to 'build a Buddha in your abdomen'? This means developing wisdom. Didn't he teach to work toward gaining wisdom? This is what's essential. Isn't this worth studying thoroughly?" "Don't mind and matter arise and pass away? Are they permanent or impermanent (anicca)? Is impermanence pleasant or suffering? Is suffering (dukkha) to be called happiness (sukha)? Does this suffering have an owner? Does it follow beings' wishes? Does it conform to preferences? Isn't it taught as non-self (anatta)? When seeing impermanence, do you still see mind-and-matter? When seeing suffering, do you still see mind-and-matter? When seeing non-self, do you still see mind-and-matter? Isn't it necessary to distinguish between impermanence and mind-and-matter? Between suffering and mind-and-matter? Between non-self and mind-and-matter? This is full understanding by investigation (tīraṇa-pariññā). When seeing mind-and-matter, do you see Sudhammā? Sunandā? Sucittā? Sujātā? This is full understanding by direct knowledge (ñāta-pariññā). When impermanence, suffering, and non-self are combined, isn't it taught as arising and passing away? Which truth is this? (The Truth of Suffering). Knowing things as they truly are is yathābhūta-ñāṇa. Looking further a second time, do you see anything but arising and passing away? Which truth? (The Truth of Suffering). As wisdom matures in the second stage, doesn't the desire to be free from the aggregates arise? One becomes weary of the world. Isn't this taught as knowledge of disenchantment (nibbindā-ñāṇa)? Looking further a third time, do you see anything but arising and passing away? Which truth? (The Truth of Suffering). Search from head to toe throughout the body - can you find even a needle-point's worth of happiness? If not even a needle-point's worth of happiness is found, isn't it because it doesn't exist? If it doesn't exist, isn't it determined as complete suffering? At that moment of determination, don't the three moral factors of the Path enter - Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood? Combined with the five insight knowledges, don't they complete the eight? When the eight are complete, do you still see the five aggregates? Do you still see arising and passing away? Isn't this taught as supramundane (lokuttara)? Stream-entry path and fruition (sotāpatti-magga and phala) - isn't it worth examining what they eliminate? Aren't the latent defilements (anusaya-kilesa) of wrong view and doubt eliminated? When latent defilements are eliminated, do manifested mental defilements (pariyuṭṭhāna) still arise? If mental defilements don't arise, do physical and verbal misconduct (vītikkama) still occur? If they don't occur, aren't the kammas leading to lower realms exhausted? Doesn't the cycle of aggregates in lower realms end? Isn't this taught as full understanding by abandoning (pahāna-pariññā)?" "When one attains these three kinds of understanding (pariññā) - knowledge of the known (ñāta), investigation (tīraṇa), and abandoning (pahāna) - can all the infinite unwholesome kamma and karmic debts accumulated since beginningless samsara still give results? Haven't they all become ineffective (ahosi-kamma)? Strive to reach this stage! Only with these three insights will true happiness be found. Now: - The present aggregates are arising and passing away What truth is this? (The Truth of Suffering) - The knowing is (The Truth of the Path) - What's abandoned is (The Truth of Origin) - No more becoming is (The Truth of Cessation) How many sections are in Dependent Origination? (Four sections) How many factors in each section? (Five factors) Five times four equals (Twenty) These eight points (should be memorized easily as the way to liberation from samsara) Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!"