Meditation instruction

"When meditating, establishing samādhi, start at the nostril entrance. Isn't it taught to know both in-breath and out-breath? Touch-knowing is mindfulness. The breath touches first, then enters. When exiting too, doesn't it touch first?

The mere touch - #is_it_self_or_air_element?
The knowing - #is_it_self_or_body_consciousness?
Doesn't body-consciousness give nāma (mind)?
Doesn't air element give rūpa (matter)?
These are the two - nāma-rūpa.

#Only_mind_and_matter_is_found. Do you still find legs and arms? Nose? Belly? Cheeks? Consider this.

Therefore it's taught:
'When air element settles,
Rising and falling appears,
As it falls and hollows, see the air element,
With wisdom and mindfulness observe:
Falling is impermanent, falling is suffering,
In falling there is no self.'

#Know_it_as_air_element. Isn't this worth investigating?

When known as air element, #do_you_still_find_cheeks? #do_you_still_find_belly?

'When rising and swelling appears,
See the rising as air element,
With wisdom joined with mindfulness,
Rising is impermanent, rising is suffering,
In rising there is no self.'

Is rising cheeks or air element? Belly or air element? Air element is ultimate reality (paramattha), cheeks are concept (paññatti). #Concepts_are_what_don't_exist. #How_can_you_observe_what_doesn't_exist?

Wisdom is needed to distinguish between concepts and ultimate realities. Isn't this worth considering?

#You_can't_observe_cheeks because #cheeks_don't_ultimately_exist. Consider whether they exist or not.

To ordinary eyes, we say 'cheeks.' Touch and feel - do you find cheeks or softness? If everything soft were cheeks, would that make sense? Touch the belly - do you find belly or softness? That's earth element.

Don't we need to distinguish between what appears and what's really there? #Without_wisdom_to_distinguish_concepts_from_ultimate_realities_you_can't_practice_properly.

You can only abandon what you understand. Don't you need to know the aggregates? The Noble Truths? That's essential. Knowing aggregates removes identity-view. Knowing truths ends the cycles of defilements, kamma, and results..."

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

Kamma and its results

"Through conventional truth of consciousness-view, isn't it taught that we must believe in Right View of Ownership of Kamma (kammassakatā sammādiṭṭhi) - the two aspects of wholesome and unwholesome kamma?

From killing to taking intoxicants, from killing to wrong view - when committing these, is it wholesome or unwholesome? Don't the results of unwholesome kamma lead to hell, animal realm, hungry ghosts, and demons after death? Is this happiness or suffering? #This_is_due_to_unwholesome_kamma. Isn't it frightening?

When avoiding these actions, is it unwholesome or wholesome? Aren't the results of wholesome kamma rebirth in human and six deva realms? Is this suffering or happiness?

#We_must_believe_in_kamma
#We_must_rely_on_wisdom

Isn't it taught that one must first hear to understand, and understanding leads to Dhamma? Without learning and understanding, one is like a blind elephant in the forest. Don't unwholesome tendencies increase then? #At_death_can_one_escape_lower_realms?

A person with learning knows suffering comes from unwholesome actions. Don't they avoid it through consciousness-view? #Avoiding_leads_to_wholesome #Breaking_leads_to_unwholesome

When people speak harshly to us, does it happen without cause or due to causes and conditions? If we did it in past lives, can we escape it?

In this world, don't people experience theft and deception? Does it happen without cause or due to causes and conditions? If we stole or deceived in past lives, can we escape our turn? #It's_kamma_and_its_results

With this understanding, do new unwholesome actions arise? Isn't this paying old debts rather than creating new ones?

'Patience is the highest austerity' - #One_can_only_be_patient_when_understanding_cause_and_effect. Without understanding cause and effect, can one be patient? Without patience, new debts accumulate while old ones remain unpaid.

Eventually, #this_links_aggregates_to_lower_realms. Isn't this worth studying? Through hearing comes understanding, through understanding comes Dhamma..."

Dhamma story about how kamma works according to intention (cetanā)

"Didn't the Buddha teach 'Cetanāhaṃ bhikkhave kammaṃ vadāmi' - #Results_come_according_to_one's_intention?

Let me tell you a story from long ago... There was a monk sitting in meditation, appearing to be in attainment. A king came across him and paid respects, but received no response. The king thought, 'This must be an Arahant in these remote mountains.'

But was this person really an Arahant? No, he was #an_immoral_person without virtue, hiding in the forest to fish because he feared people knowing his true nature.

When the king returned to his palace, he wanted to make offerings. He said, 'Instead of bringing offerings to me, there's an Arahant in the forest - make offerings to him.' He sent his most trusted minister - a childhood friend known for absolute truthfulness.

When the minister went to deliver the offerings, he discovered the monk fishing. He couldn't hide his fishing equipment in time. The minister reported the truth to the king, saying he found him fishing.

For speaking against what the king believed to be an Arahant, the minister was dismissed. However, after seven days, the king reconsidered, remembering his friend's lifelong honesty. Didn't his mind change then?

Meanwhile, the false monk, fearing death, thought #'Since_I_must_die_anyway,_I'll_die_practicing_Dhamma.' Through fearful but earnest practice, he actually attained Arahantship!

When this happened, all the mountains of gold and silver that had appeared in the palace due to the king's wholesome intention disappeared. Why? The results came from the king's intention of offering to an Arahant, not from the actual worthiness of the recipient.

Was it the recipient who determined the karmic result, or was it the king's intention? See, #it_was_one's_own_intention! The person the king revered wasn't an Arahant then - he was immoral. But the king's intention was toward an Arahant, so that's what brought results.

Isn't it clear how 'Cetanāhaṃ bhikkhave kammaṃ vadāmi' works - that kamma gives results according to intention? Through fearful practice, he became an Arahant, but only then did the golden mountains disappear. Isn't this worth contemplating? How satisfying this teaching is!

After careful consideration, the king reinstated the minister. This clearly shows how offerings bring results according to one's intention..."

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

Strive to reach this state...

"One becomes a Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna), Once-returner (Sakadāgāmi), Non-returner (Anāgāmi), and Arahant only through understanding the Four Noble Truths. Without understanding them, can one become a Stream-enterer? Without becoming a Stream-enterer, can one become an Arahant? #One_must_start_with_Stream-entry.

Not knowing the Four Noble Truths is (Ignorance, Venerable Sir)
Not knowing the Five Aggregates is (Ignorance, Venerable Sir)
Wrongly perceiving the Five Aggregates as beings is (Ignorance, Venerable Sir)
What wants when there's wrong perception? (Craving, Venerable Sir)
What clings saying 'must have it'? (Clinging, Venerable Sir)

These three - ignorance, craving, and clinging - what Truth do they form? (The Truth of Origin, Venerable Sir)

#Is_Origin_Truth a person? A deva? A brahma? Children? Isn't this worth investigating?

When Origin Truth is known, is it self that knows or the Path Truth? The Path Truth knows.

#Where_there_is_Origin_as_cause, don't the resultant aggregates arise? Are these arising phenomena beings or Five Aggregates? Is this spontaneous or caused? The cause is Origin, isn't it? Isn't the result taught as Suffering?

Does anyone who gets aggregates escape aging, sickness, death? What Truth is this? (Suffering Truth, Venerable Sir)

When knowing them as aggregates, don't views of beings fall away? Are all five aggregates permanent or impermanent? Is impermanence happiness or suffering?

Isn't knowing suffering as suffering called Right View? Wrongly perceiving worldly happiness is Wrong View. #When_truth_is_known_doesn't_wrong_view_disappear?

Doesn't ignorance cease? Does craving come? Does clinging come? Does kamma come? Don't the three types of Dependent Origination break?

When craving-dependent origination, clinging-dependent origination, and kamma-dependent origination break, don't the aggregates end? #Isn't_this_called_Cessation_Truth?

#Wrong_is_Origin_and_Suffering
#Right_is_Path_and_Cessation

Strive to reach this state..."

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

The fruits of understanding the Five Aggregates:

"When we say we're listening to Dhamma, practicing Dhamma, studying Dhamma - it needs to align with the Dhamma present in our own aggregates and understanding. The existing Dhamma refers to the Five Aggregates that arise when sense objects meet sense doors. A sense object (ārammaṇa) - like visible form (rūpārammaṇa) for the eye, and sense door (dvāra) - like eye-sensitivity. When these two meet, doesn't consciousness arise? Isn't this called seeing-consciousness? Can seeing occur with consciousness alone? If not, aren't feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), and volition (cetanā) also present as co-arising factors? Is it beings who experience form, or the Five Aggregates? Is it beings who perceive form, or perception? Is it a self that motivates experiencing and perceiving, or volition? When feeling, perception, and volition combine, don't they complete the four mental aggregates (nāmakkhandha)? Seeing-consciousness occurs only when these four are complete. Are these four mental aggregates beings? Is eye-sensitivity a being? Is visible form a being? When we analyze the aggregates, don't we find material form (rūpakkhandha)? Combined with the four mental aggregates, we have (the Five Aggregates, Venerable Sir). These Five Aggregates arise when two material forms meet. Just as aggregates arise at the eye-door, can't they arise at other sense doors too? At the moment of seeing, is it beings or Five Aggregates? At the moment of hearing, is it cities and countries or Five Aggregates? When we truly understand these as Five Aggregates, don't the misconceptions, misunderstandings, and wrong views about beings, devas, and brahmas disappear? When right understanding arises, wrong understanding vanishes." "When wrong understanding disappears, doesn't personality-view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi) fall away? Don't these Five Aggregates cease after seeing? After hearing? When one understands impermanence, will they still hold the view of permanence? When impermanence is understood, doesn't eternalism (sassata-diṭṭhi) fall away? Understanding the replacement of aggregates, will one hold the view of annihilation? When replacement is understood, doesn't annihilationism (uccheda-diṭṭhi) fall away? When the Five Aggregates are truly understood as Five Aggregates, personality-view falls away. When eternalism, annihilationism, and personality-view fall away, isn't this called Stream-entry? #When_one_becomes_a_Stream-entrer_true_happiness_is_found. Isn't it worth examining how profound this happiness is? Could all the gold, silver, gems, rice, and wealth in the whole country of Burma be exchanged for the wisdom of one Path and Fruition moment? Can all the country's wealth prevent aging? Prevent sickness? Prevent death? #One_cannot_escape_aging_sickness_and_death. But doesn't attaining one Path and Fruition guarantee freedom from lower realms? If one continues to strive, like Dhammadinnā, can't one achieve Stream-entry, Once-returning, Non-returning, and Arahantship? That's why the greatly respected Mogok Sayadaw, holder of the Aggamahāpaṇḍita title, taught: "Understanding Dhamma is number 1, earning livelihood is number 2." See how important understanding Dhamma is? #When_Dhamma_is_understood_true_happiness_is_found. Looking at the entire Three Baskets (Tipiṭaka), aren't they teaching about the Five Aggregates? Aren't these Five Aggregates called sakkāya? When these Five Aggregates are understood clearly, precisely, and thoroughly, personality-view falls away. When we examine the Five Aggregates collectively, aren't they consciousness, mental factors, and matter? When we further consolidate consciousness and mental factors with matter, aren't they taught as nāma-rūpa (mind and matter)? This needs to be understood clearly and precisely..." Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

The four lower realms (apāya) and how clinging (upādāna) relates to them:

"The four lower realms are hell (niraya), animal realm (tiracchāna), hungry ghosts (peta), and demons (asura). Have you heard of these? Can one escape them through lying? #If_lying_could_help_escape_them_the_four_lower_realms_would_not_exist.

Think about it - you can't escape through deception. The unwholesome kamma of lying would only add another cause. Everything is recorded and accounted for.

Who did what on which side? How were wholesome deeds done? How were unwholesome deeds done? Isn't it all there? Isn't it taught 'Upādāna paccayā kammabhavo' (Dependent on clinging, becoming arises)?

These wholesome and unwholesome kammas are #maintained_by_clinging. Isn't this worth contemplating? Study this. As long as clinging isn't ended, will these unwholesome kammas disappear?

#Only_when_view-clinging_(diṭṭhupādāna)_ceases_does_the_door_to_lower_realms_close. Study this. Isn't this worth investigating? Consider this carefully..."

This teaching emphasizes that one cannot escape the consequences of unwholesome actions through deception, as the karmic process is maintained by clinging (upādāna). Only by eliminating wrong view and its associated clinging can one close the door to rebirth in lower realms. This is a fundamental aspect of sotāpatti (stream-entry).

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.

Understanding the five aggregates (khandhas) and dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda):

"As never heard before - don't we need to understand the aggregates, Four Noble Truths, and dependent origination?

At the six sense doors, as the Mogok Sayadaw taught, #as_full_understanding (ñātapariññā), observe the arising and passing of the five aggregates when sense objects meet sense doors.

Sense objects are: visible forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, mental objects.
Sense doors are: eye-sensitivity, ear-sensitivity, nose-sensitivity, tongue-sensitivity, body-sensitivity, mind-sensitivity.

When these two meet, doesn't relevant consciousness arise? Can consciousness arise alone? Don't feeling, perception, and volition arise together?

Is it beings who experience form, or feeling?
Is it beings who perceive, or perception?
Is it beings who intend, or volition?

When feeling, perception, and volition combine, don't we have four mental aggregates? Only when these four are complete does seeing-consciousness arise.

These four mental aggregates - do they arise by themselves or through causes? Looking for causes, we find sense objects and sense doors - #two_material_forms.

In the five types of Right View taught by Mogok Sayadaw, number three states: To attain Path knowledge, practice vipassanā. To practice vipassanā, first remove identity-view. To remove identity-view, understand the aggregates and dependent origination.

#Khandhas_and_Paṭiccasamuppāda means: consciousness aggregate and all causes are dependent origination, all results are dependently arisen phenomena.

Are these four mental aggregates created by four Great Brahmas, or caused by two material forms?
Created by Eternal God, or caused by two material forms?
Created by Vishnu, or caused by two material forms?

When you clearly understand they're caused by two material forms, will you still believe in creation by Brahmas, God, or Vishnu? #Doubt_is_eliminated.

When you know the resultant four mental aggregates, #isn't_wrong_view_eliminated?
When you know the cause, isn't doubt eliminated?
#This_is_most_fundamental. Isn't this worth investigating? Study this. Understanding these aggregates is essential..."

Sadhu! Together let us keep the Dharma wheel rolling.