毘舍佉與法施比丘尼的問答
原題：Questions and Answers by Visākha and Dhammadinnā
開示日期： 1961 年 12 月 11 日至 17 日，共六講
英譯者按：以下將禪師所說的毘舍佉與法施比丘尼故事加以節略。
這系列開示以《中部》第 44 經〈小廣解經〉為基礎。
第一講
瓶沙王（Bimbisāra）曾邀請佛陀入宮，佛陀在那裡說法。王舍城的商人毘舍佉（Visākha）先後三次聽聞這些開示，每次都有所證悟，最後成為不還者（anāgāmin）。後來，他的妻子法施（Dhammadinnā）徵得他的同意，出家加入比丘尼僧團。她到僻靜處修行七日，證得阿羅漢果。出關回來之後，毘舍佉前去拜訪她，向她請問佛法。[1]
你們將有機會聽到毘舍佉與法施比丘尼之間的問答，內容從有身見（sakkāya-diṭṭhi）一直談到涅槃。由此可知，道智（magga-ñāṇa）確實具有摧破煩惱（kilesa）的力量。
什麼是「有身」（sakkāya）？就這裡的開示而言，它是現前的五蘊，是實際存在的名色身心。五蘊各自依其勝義性質存在，這便稱為「有身」。各位往往把「有身」與「有身見」混成一件事，其實必須分開來理解。[2]
有人說某個人「有很多有身」，這種用法並不正確。有身本身不是過失；把有身錯認為「我」，才是邪見。色（rūpa）是有身的一部分；若把色當成「我」或「我的自體」，便成為邪見。人們不知道色是苦諦，反而認為它是我，這種見解就可能導向惡趣。
「我很冷」「我很熱」，是把「我」摻入色法之中；若只知道色法就是色法，便是知見。「我吃了一頓好飯」，是把「我」摻入受；「我認得它」，是把「我」摻入想；「不要誤解我的意圖」，則可能把「我」摻入行。
不過要記得：日常言語中使用「我」，本身並沒有過失；問題在於把這個方便稱呼當成實有不變的自我。世俗諦中仍須使用「我」「你」等語言來溝通，佛陀自己也如此說話。明白的人知道，言語上的稱呼與實際發生的身心法並不相同。
若無人解說，人們會讓這種「我想」在心中反覆奔流無數次。例如說：「不要試探我的心。」這可能是把識當成我；別人若真來試探，雙方便可能爭吵。人們之所以互相爭論、鬥爭，往往正與執著自己的見解有關。
邪見介入任何一蘊，也可能轉成斷見（uccheda-diṭṭhi）。例如：「身體死了，我便完全斷滅」「我的心一停止，我也就徹底沒有了」「我會和這個受一起死去。」這些想法同時含有有身見與斷見。
一旦有邪見，見取（diṭṭhupādāna）便會跟著生起。活得順遂時，人容易落入常見（sassata-diṭṭhi）；臨近死亡或重病時，又容易落入斷見。生意興隆時，以為「我會一直如此」；病苦逼迫時，又以為「我將一切斷滅」。一生都不了解這些事，便是糊塗地虛度生命。
邪見是地獄之種。為什麼？因為邪見之後會生見取：「我絕不放棄自己的看法。」接著又依自己的見解行動，造成業（kamma）。究竟是業，還是邪見使眾生投生惡趣？你們也許認為只是由於不善業；但在許多情形中，是邪見先作出「安排」，業行隨後照著執行。就像愛（taṇhā）推動後續過程一樣，禪師在此把邪見比作「大愛」，把一般的貪（lobha）比作「小愛」。
「我勝不過這個受。」這句話正是把「我性」摻入受中。其實，受依自己的條件生起，又依自己的條件滅去。應當像看陌生人一樣觀察它：苦受來了又去，樂受來了又去，不苦不樂受也是如此；觀察它的心同樣生起又滅去。
這就是驅除邪見的方法。受在身上生起，觀察受的心也依條件生起；不要把二者和「我」混在一起。若不混合，邪見便無從介入。把受看作客人、看作他者，就能了知它非我。
如此，無我之智便會生起。你必須在五蘊中觀察：它像客人一樣出現，也像客人一樣離去。經中有一組觀察五取蘊的方法，其中一項是 parato，意即「觀作他者」或「觀作異物」。現在我要教你們的，就是這種非我觀。[3]
佛陀的身體也會有苦受，但不會再有由煩惱引生的心苦，這與凡夫不同。佛陀只有身體的痛，不再承受第二支箭般的心理痛苦。為什麼？因為他能把所生之受如客人般觀察。五蘊以及其中一切生起的法，都像來去的客人；若把客人當作主人，自己就要受苦。[4]
例如有人想：「我的兒子若死了，我一定會非常痛苦。」實際上，兒子的名色是依自己的條件而來，並不受你主宰。不是你想叫他來，他便來；也不是你想叫他走，他便走。他像客人一樣暫時到來。
流淚，是因為已把客人和「我」混合。許多女人之所以哭泣，是因為把客人當成主人。說「我的女兒」時，「母親的我」與「女兒的我」交纏在一起；其實女兒的名色與母親的名色各依自己的條件運作。
人之所以流淚，不只因為外在的不幸，也因為母親的邪見與女兒的有身連接起來；當女兒的名色顯示無常、非我時，母親便感到「它傷害了我」。母親的邪見像一條繩索，伸向女兒的五蘊，接著生起見取。若不以邪見把自己與他人的有身綁在一起，便不會由這種執取而流淚。
「無論世間如何變動，我的心都不被牽著走。」這是邪見不再支配心的情形。聖者遭逢利、衰、毀、譽、稱、譏、苦、樂八種世間法時，不再由有身見的繩索把自己捆縛其中。[5]
這裡有人，孩子遠在英國，相隔六千英里；孩子一出事，自己便焦慮不已。邪見的繩子竟能伸得這麼長。你流淚，可能是別人傷害了你，也可能是你主動以執取把自己與對方綁在一起。
譬如以繩子把兩頭牛綁在一起，其中一頭跌下懸崖，另一頭也被拖下去。若沒有邪見的繩索，母親身上發生的事，不會把女兒的名色變成「我所」；女兒身上發生的事，也不會把母親拖著墜落。這樣便不會由此招致痛苦的後有，現世也不必承受由執取增添的苦。
不要把自己的五蘊和邪見混在一起。佛陀說，沒有比邪見更嚴重的過失。它甚至可能推動人造作五無間業；例如在邪見支配下殺害父親。邪見能使人造作極重的不善業，因此在各種不善法中，尤其可怕。
有人想：「我死時，受也與我一同死去。」這就像火滅時，光也隨之熄滅。火與光相依出現，卻不是同一事物：火具有熱性，光具有明亮性。同樣，各種受次第生起，顯示的只是它們不穩定的性質。
所以要觀察生起與滅去。生起之中沒有我，滅去之中也沒有我。把這些法都視為陌生之物、視為他者。眾生墮入苦趣，不是受本身把他們推下去，而是對受生起邪見。禪師因此說：「以受為緣而有邪見」（vedanā-paccayā diṭṭhi）。[6]
第二講
《小廣解經》是一部以佛法問答構成的經。（禪師在此再次簡述故事。）毘舍佉證得不還果後，諸根顯得寧靜安詳；他的法之成就，已不再適合以欲樂為核心的世俗生活。
觀察無常時，煩惱逐漸減薄；到達厭離智時，又更為薄弱；最後才被徹底斷除。所以，修行絕不會白費。只有這帖藥，能使人脫離老、病、死的危險；這才是你真正可以依靠的皈依處。有集——也就是有愛——苦便跟著生起。即使尚只是觀見無常的觀智（vipassanā-ñāṇa），也已很有力量。
1. 什麼是有身？
這裡問的是「有身」（sakkāya），尚未問到「有身見」。法施比丘尼回答：佛陀所說的有身，就是色、受、想、行、識五取蘊（pañcupādānakkhandhā）。這是當下現前的五取蘊，不是抽象的理論。[2]
毘舍佉聽後雖然歡喜讚同，卻還要繼續發問，以確認這並不只是從書本背誦而來的答案。各位務必要明白：眼前這一組被執取的身心現象，正是經中所說的有身。
2. 有身以什麼為集起？
有身的集起來自愛（taṇhā）：欲愛（kāma-taṇhā）、有愛（bhava-taṇhā）與無有愛（vibhava-taṇhā）。名色身心的後續形成以愛為主要來源；從緣起的展開來說，五蘊的後有與愛、取及業相關。[7]
愛若未滅，有身的諸蘊便會繼續生起；有了蘊，老、病、死等危險便尾隨而來。由有愛而起的生命，被各式各樣的苦包圍。
魚有腥味，蒼蠅便飛來；同樣，由於有五蘊，各種危險便接踵而至。風吹來，身體受風的逼迫；天氣炎熱，身體受熱的逼迫。能產生苦患的因，只會帶來相應的苦患。若能看見有身無常，便能超越它的統治範圍。有身就是苦諦。
看見苦諦時，作為集諦的愛必然逐漸減薄；愛愈薄，苦也愈少。對人事愈多愛著，所遭遇的苦與自我傷害便愈多。有身一變化，與它相連的愛也受衝擊，於是憂、悲、哀、苦便進入心中。
3. 什麼是有身的止息？
愛若止息，有身也隨之止息。簡單地說，集滅則苦滅。
Taṇhā-nirodho Nibbānaṁ.
愛的止息即是涅槃。
佛陀即使正在說法，也能在一呼一吸之間，轉入以涅槃為所緣的果定。他同樣從觀察無常——生起與滅去——開始，隨即把心轉向涅槃。[8]
4. 什麼是導向有身止息的修行？
就是八支聖道。尚未證入任何聖道的人，在觀禪中以五種能作道支（kāraka-maggaṅga）工作：正念、正精進、正定、正見與正思惟；初道以及後續三道的出世間道，則以相應方式具足八支。
為什麼這五項稱為道支？因為它們在觀照時暫時截斷煩惱，並導向涅槃。只是觀見無常而不隨煩惱繼續造作，當下便有一分暫時的寂滅。這並不是已證得出世間涅槃，而是煩惱一時不能接續的「彼分止息」。[9]
布施（dāna）、持戒（sīla）與止禪（samatha）是道支的助緣，可作親依止緣（upanissaya-paccaya）；直接工作的道支則可作道緣（magga-paccaya）。八支聖道可歸納為戒、定、慧三蘊，其中以慧為前導。
5. 什麼是五取蘊？
色、受、想、行、識五蘊，是執取所緣的五類身心法；當欲貪與執取在這五蘊上活動時，便稱為五取蘊。
6. 取與五取蘊是相同，還是彼此分開？
兩者既不是同一件事，也不是完全互不相關。五蘊各依條件存在，例如兒子、妻子各有自己的五蘊。當愛從這一邊伸向那一邊的五蘊，二者連接起來，所緣的五蘊便成為被執取的五蘊。
五蘊在一邊，愛在另一邊；二者相接，便形成執取五蘊的關係。五蘊與愛的性質不同，所以不能說完全相同；但對已經把愛繫在五蘊上的人而言，也不能說兩者毫無關係。經文更精確地說：對五取蘊所有的欲與貪，就是其中的取。[10]
我們甚至忍受不了一隻蚊子叮咬，正因愛已與自己的蘊相連。心愛的五蘊一受損，便覺得無法忍受。諸蘊是執取安住之處；有人把愛摻入其中，有人則不再如此。聖者已不再以有身見連接五蘊，但較低階聖者仍有尚未斷盡的其他愛著。當凡夫高興或不高興時，往往立即把自己和所緣連接起來。
7. 什麼是有身見？
未曾聽聞聖者之法、缺乏正確理解的人，把五蘊認作我，便形成有身見。具有正確知見時，五蘊只是有身，不會變成邪見；五蘊是五蘊，邪見則是後來摻入其中的錯認。
不聽聞正法，很難驅除邪見。因此，導向預流的四項條件是：
1. 親近善士；
2. 聽聞正法；
3. 如理作意（yoniso-manasikāra）；
4. 法隨法行（dhammānudhamma-paṭipatti）。
最初的正確理解從何而來？從聽聞正法而來。圓滿這四項預流支，便能證悟法。
我每天都說，有身見是地獄之種。它比一般的貪、瞋、癡、嫉妒與慳吝更危險。證得預流、斷除有身見時，會同時斷除與它相應的煩惱；禪師在此以「貪瞋癡減去四分之一」來形容其重大轉變。[11] 若不願墮入惡趣，首先便要處理有身見。
即使你不害怕其他煩惱，也必須警覺有身見。布施、持戒與止禪能帶來善趣果報；可是若邪見仍未斷除，它將來仍可能成為墮向惡趣的因。這並不是善業把人拉下去，而是未除的邪見另行造作不善因。
邪見之所以可怕，是因為它可能推動人殺害父母、造作五無間業。預流者已不可能造作這五種重業。邪見還能帶領其他不善法，使眾生走向傳統所說的八大地獄及其眷屬小地獄。[12]
如實看見有身，邪見便被驅除。為什麼？因為正見生起時，與它相反的邪見不能同時存在。疾病要用相應的藥來治，邪見必須以正見對治；單靠布施、持戒或止禪，不能從根本上拔除它。
因此，先培養正見，再造作善業，會更為穩固。佛陀讚歎與智慧相應的布施、持戒和修定。英譯稿提到《增支部》所說八種布施，並稱以觀智攝持者最勝，但沒有注明確切經號。[13]
先明白這些差別，再去行善。譬如毒箭只擦入鳥的皮膚，毒尚未遍及全身時，鳥還能暫時飛翔；等毒力遍布，便會墜落。同樣，帶著邪見所修的福業可能暫時帶來上升果報，但若後來再由邪見造作重業，仍可能墮落。
第三講
8. 有身見為什麼生起？
佛陀在世時已有許多聖者；但有人不親近他們、不聽聞他們的教導，所以仍有有身見。現今的人同樣因為缺少聽聞正法的機會，而不能驅除這種見。與有身見有關的問題極為重要。
五蘊生起時，若不知道它們只是依條件生起的法，便會形成有身見。例如身體僵硬時，把風界的變化說成「我僵硬了」。明白的人只知道：這是風界的變化，不把「我」摻進去。風界只是風界。
感到冷熱時，又說「我很冷」「我很熱」，其實只是火界的變化。腹瀉時說：「我不知道自己怎麼了。」這可能是把水界的變化認作我。人便如此把四大種認作我。
「我的身體在癢」，若不知道那只是受蘊生起又滅去，便成為有身見。「我忘記了」，是把「我」放進想的失落；「我想睡」，是把「我」放進昏沉睡眠等屬於行蘊的心所；「不要試探我的心」，則可能把識認作我。
每逢五蘊中的勝義法生起，若都錯認為我，一天之內會有多少次邪見？多得無法計數。
9. 有身見如何不生起？
對每一個生起的法，依下列方式觀察：
這不是我的；我不是這個；這不是我的自我。
觀察受、心及各種心所的生起，皆是無常、苦、非我，便能驅除有身見。徹底斷除有身見的人，不再投生地獄、畜生、餓鬼與阿修羅等四惡趣。
10. 什麼法能斷除有身見？
修習八支聖道能夠斷除它。八支聖道依功能歸入戒、定、慧三蘊。
戒蘊包括正語、正業、正命三支。定蘊包括正精進、正念、正定三支。為什麼定蘊要有三項？因為它們各有作用，不能只靠一項完成觀禪：精進與念支持定，使心穩定地朝向所緣。
註釋書以摘取高處的花作譬喻。一個人彎下腰，讓第二個人踩在背上；第三個人站在旁邊，伸出肩膀讓第二個人扶穩，第二個人才能摘到高處的花。
在觀禪中，彎腰承托的人像精進；站在旁邊扶持的人像念；爬上去摘花的人像定。念與精進共同支持定。沒有精進與念，心便不能直接而穩定地朝向所緣。
想培養定，就不要放掉念，也不要減弱精進；如此，定才能牢牢對準無常的所緣。若不能辨識無常，便應檢查這些因素是否有所欠缺。知道缺少哪一項並加以調整，定便能朝向無常。
不過，定本身不負責辨識無常，只負責使心不散亂地抵達所緣；真正看見無常的是慧。念也不是判斷無常的智慧，它使心不忘失所緣。精進、念與定三者配合，把心導向目標；慧才辨別：這是有為法，這是無常。
慧蘊的兩支是正見與正思惟。為什麼要二者配合？眼睛雖然完好，若只看到物體的一面，就要有人把它翻轉，才能看見另一面。正思惟把所緣導向慧，使正見得以完整觀察生與滅。
生起是一面，滅去是另一面。若只見生而不見滅，或只見滅而不能正確理解其條件，正思惟的導向作用便不足。saṅkappa 在這裡具有把心導向所緣的意思；禪師又以眼鏡譬喻它：正見如眼睛，正思惟如幫助視力的眼鏡，使整個過程看得清楚。這裡也涉及「尋」（vitakka）把心投入所緣的功能。
為什麼戒蘊有三種不同的道支？正語、正業、正命各自負責不同的離惡行為。在世間心中，三種離心所不一定同時生起：離妄語時，不必同時正在離殺生或離邪命。所以它們同屬戒，作用卻不同。
禪修者觀照時，能作道支通常是五支，有時可有六支；定與慧的諸支可以共同運作，三種戒支卻不一定同時現前。到出世間道心生起時，八支聖道才以相應方式同時具足。平時禪修仍須守護戒，但這不表示每一個觀智心中三種離心所都同時活動。[14]
邪見強盛的人，戒行也較容易動搖。英譯稿提到兩則傳統故事：有持戒的比丘未能驅除邪見，後來分別投生為龍與蝨；一則被說成發生於迦葉佛時代，另一則發生於喬達摩佛時代，但原稿沒有注明文獻出處。
從四惡趣真正獲得保障，要靠斷除有身見。這就是我每天所說的「地獄之種」，現在應當更清楚了。
若斷除有身見，依它而起的常見與斷見也隨之失去根基。邪見在初道時被斷除。
Diṭṭhi-nirodho Nibbānaṁ.
邪見的止息即是涅槃。
邪見一旦斷除，便不再有法能使這位聖弟子退回凡夫；法會繼續引導他向上，自己也會願意繼續前進。佛陀特別教示四項預流支，因為一旦初次見法，邪見與疑便被斷除，通往更高道果的方向已經確立。預流者至多在七有之內究竟解脫。
禪師說，驅除有身見的方法並不隱密，就在當下：每次見到五蘊中的有為法，都觀察「這不是我的；我不是這個；這不是我的自我」，並觀其無常。
邪見藏在哪裡？它以隨眠（anusaya）的方式潛伏於對五蘊的執著中。若如實看見任何一蘊的無常，邪見便不能在那個觀照心中介入。
例如苦受持續很久時，你覺得「我一直在痛」，是因為沒有看穿無常，也沒有切斷相續（santati）的表象；於是把一連串迅速生滅的受，看成同一個持續不變的東西。若能細密地觀察其中一個個生滅，邪見便會逐漸鬆脫。
看見法此刻生起、此刻滅去，邪見便無從介入。看見無間斷的無常很重要，否則相續的表象會給邪見可乘之機。所以我常問你們：「看見的無常是否愈來愈多？」我擔心的，就是邪見又插進來。
若全身的生滅密集到連針尖都插不進去，邪見便無法立足。如此觀察，邪見轉弱，正見轉強。
身心的本性充滿生滅，沒有空隙。英譯稿記錄禪師說：心每秒生滅約 10¹³ 次，色法每秒約 5 × 10¹¹ 次。若邪見強，所見的無常便像斷斷續續；若正見強，生滅便顯得愈來愈迅速。不要只想：「我今天究竟怎麼了？」那可能仍受邪見影響。[15]
邪見太強時，甚至完全看不見無常；正見有力時，剛坐下不久便能辨識。你也許會問：「一定要辨識到上述速度，才能證悟涅槃嗎？」不需要。是否證悟，取決於自己的如實辨識能力，不要求修行者以數學速度逐一計數。那些極細密的說法，是用來形容已圓滿者的知見，不是要求仍在修行的人照樣看見。
凡夫與聖者的知見不可能完全相同，因為凡夫的認知過程之間夾有許多有分心（bhavaṅga-citta），煩惱也常插入其間。英譯稿又記錄：佛陀的辨識之間只有兩個有分心，舍利弗尊者有十六個，凡夫則更多。[16]
有分心本身不是煩惱心，不是主要障礙；真正的問題，是煩惱心插入觀照。禪師因此引用《增支部》的意思說：若煩惱不在中間介入，早晨修行，晚上便可能證悟。經文的重點不在計算有分心。
有分心是心流的自然過程；其數量差異，依心所具備的根（hetu）等條件而有不同。
第四講
八支聖道是中道。在漫長的生死輪迴中，我們從未真正走上這條中道；如果早已走到究竟，就不會再回到輪迴。修道時，定十分重要。
11. 什麼是定？
定是心一境性（cittass'ekaggatā），也就是心統一於一個所緣。所謂一個所緣，是觀受時專注於受，觀心時專注於心，不把許多不同所緣混成一團。心穩定地指向一處，便稱為一境性。定能使煩惱暫時被壓伏。
12. 定以什麼為所緣與基礎？
依《小廣解經》，四念住是定的所緣範圍，四正勤是定的資具；反覆修習、開展這些法，就是定的修習。[17]
定隨著念朝向所緣。觀受時，心直接落在受上，由此了知受；觀心時，念落在心上。心一境性必須與身、受、心、法四念住的所緣相應運作。
禪師所說定的「徵相」，是身體整體的概念退到背景，只清楚知道受、心等所緣。觀受時，心落在受；觀心時，心落在心。若辨識到無常，無常相也在心中顯現：常住的表象消退，無常相顯現；「男人」「女人」的整體形狀與名稱不再主導心。[18]
因此，看見無常相，可說是四念住修習成熟的徵相之一。但只有定還不能導向證悟，還須有精進。向所緣努力時，常住的表象消退，念與慧得以看見無常；這項看見受到精進的支持。
就實際功能說，精進推動，定使心不散，念不忘所緣，慧辨識無常。傳統三蘊的正式分類仍是：正精進、正念、正定屬定蘊；正見、正思惟屬慧蘊。[14]
辨識無常時，各項道支共同運作。這樣能否證悟涅槃？還必須反覆修習（bhāvetabba）。煩惱垢就像銅缽上的鏽垢，須一再擦拭才會發亮。從無始輪迴以來，我們帶著層層污垢；若不修四念住、不安住於修行、不投入精進，心只會像久未擦洗的銅器，愈來愈暗。
要完成這項工作，必須遇到老師，也要有一雙願意聽法的耳朵。自出生起，我們彷彿由「愛母」與「無明父」養大；它們不願我們證得道果、脫離掌握。無明遮蔽四聖諦，愛則教我們黏著父母、兒女與財物，於是我們一直照著它們的命令行事。
每天都在增加污垢。增加多久了？整個輪迴中，幾乎從未徹底擦拭。旁邊還有邪見作護衛，不斷命令：「這是你的父親，這是你的母親，這是你的一切。」我們平常不去洗淨它，無明、愛與邪見便愈積愈厚；這就是難以證悟涅槃的原因，所以必須多次觀照。
久置的銅缽，經反覆擦拭才逐漸發亮。持續觀照，無明、愛與邪見便逐漸減薄。需要反覆生起的是觀智；每一個聖道的道心本身只生起一次。道智一次取涅槃為所緣，便完成相應的任務。
這就像船夫把重物放上船，划向彼岸。一艘船同時完成四件事：離開此岸、到達彼岸、載運重物、渡過河水。道智也在同一剎那完成四聖諦的四項作用：遍知苦、斷除集、證悟滅、修習道。它離開有身見的此岸，渡過煩惱之流，到達涅槃彼岸，卸下五取蘊的重擔。[19]
由觀察諸蘊無常，心轉而證見不受生滅支配的涅槃。切斷煩惱是道的作用；渡向不再生起苦蘊的涅槃，也是道的作用。
修行時，心一境性、四念住的所緣以及精進的扶助都很重要；只發生一次還不夠，必須反覆觀照。佛陀以母雞孵蛋的譬喻強調這一點。母雞必須覆護、溫暖、孵育雞蛋；禪師把這三項工作配合無常、苦、非我的觀察來說明。
若不持續修習，蛋會壞掉，智慧也會鈍化。反覆觀照時，無明的蛋殼漸薄，愛的液體漸乾，像小雞利爪般的智慧愈來愈銳利。禪修者要像母雞覆在蛋上一樣，一再以身心貼近無常的所緣；如此，小雞才能從內啄破蛋殼，見到光明。
見到光明，比喻證悟涅槃。煩惱的液體乾涸、無明的蛋殼變薄、智慧之爪變利，才有破殼而出的可能。佛陀說，持續修習的人能滅盡諸漏。這段母雞、斧柄磨損等譬喻可見於《相應部》SN 22.101。[20]
煩惱在場時，心不能穿透所緣。煩惱本身雖也無常，卻能透過重複緣（āsevana-paccaya）養成勢力，使心一再沿著舊路運轉。
回家觀身時，不要只把它看成一整塊色身。觀察受、觀察心；若知道如何觀，手、腳、頭髮等三十二身分及整體形狀的概念會退去，實際生滅的法成為主要所緣。英譯稿所說「色身消失」，不是身體真的不見了，而是整體形相不再主導觀照。[18]
法施比丘尼談到覺支。擇法覺支（dhammavicaya-sambojjhaṅga）具有慧的辨析作用，與正見在這項觀照功能上相應。之所以稱為菩提分法，是因為它導向覺悟；bodhi 具有覺知、覺悟之義。覺支同樣必須「修習、多修」（bhāvita-bahulīkata）。
只有一次看見還不夠，正見也須反覆培養。有人也許以為道支不用多修，所以我要在這裡同時談覺支。二者都包含智慧作用；從道支說，著重切斷煩惱、導向解脫；從覺支說，著重使覺悟因素增長成熟。
反覆觀照而尚未見涅槃，不要以為時間白費。佛陀又以木匠的斧柄譬喻：斧頭每使用一次，斧柄便磨損一點；不斷使用，指痕逐漸顯現。解脫不能單靠祈願發生。
輪迴累積的煩惱如此厚重，若不持續觀照，怎會減薄？觀禪的每一次如實知見，都在削弱煩惱。不要失望，也不要放棄。每一次看見無常，煩惱便薄一分；看得愈多，便愈薄。觀照也使緣起的煩惱支不能接續。
起初煩惱只是減薄，後來才徹底熄滅。精進也必須增長。你也許會問：這裡為何沒有提到喜（pīti）？喜可與善的定相應，作為隨從因素，而不是這裡所說的主要道支。若修行毫無喜悅與興趣，懈怠便容易跟上來，所以應以法喜與興趣觀察從未如實看見的事物。
梵天的天眼即使能看見極遠處的人間細針，也未必看見無常。英譯稿以「相隔四千億由旬」及「石板從梵天落到人間需一個半月」形容其遙遠；這些數字屬傳統宇宙論譬喻，原稿沒有注明經典出處。[21]
梵天所見仍是世間的天眼，是由定所得的眼；觀察身心生滅所用的，則是慧眼、擇法之眼、正見之眼。這種慧非常難得：這裡癢感生起，那裡癢感滅去；受出現，又消失。這才是觀智所見。
未證聖道的天神與梵天仍不能由天眼直接證悟涅槃；壽盡後仍依業再生。傳統說，在世界劫末以前，人們因畏懼災變而修四梵住，許多人投生梵天；但若只以有愛修止禪，定的果報盡後仍須再入輪迴，過去的不善業也未因此消失。
英譯稿又說，有些天界眾生後來甚至可能投生為豬，並提及須梵天子（Subrahmā）的故事；這不是說色界梵天死亡後必定直接成為豬，而是提醒：尚未解脫者仍依各自業力流轉。[21]
你們過去無數次成為梵天或天神，卻仍未脫離老、病、死，也未曾因此獲得觀見無常的慧眼。沒有什麼比這雙眼更有價值。天界欲樂雖然殊勝，連忉利天主帝釋（Sakka）也要來人間聽法修行。
帝釋有業報所得的天眼，未必具備觀智之眼。能如實辨識無常，比天界地位更可貴。見無常後，厭離智（nibbidā-ñāṇa）隨修行成熟；當生滅諸行止息，才證悟涅槃。
你們必須努力獲得這雙慧眼。未來不一定再遇到善知識，也不一定再遇到如此住世的佛法。放眼世間，具有這種慧眼的人很少，所以要一再觀察，使所見愈來愈多、愈來愈清楚。
不要拿這項智慧去交換天神或梵天的地位。你是黃金，他們的地位只是鹽；應當知道自己所具機會的價值。天神與梵天反而要發願投生人間，才有適合修觀、證法的機會。
第五講
毘舍佉曾向法施比丘尼詢問滅盡定（nirodha-samāpatti）。那部分與各位目前的修行沒有直接關係，暫時略過；現在接著談另一個問題：受有幾種？[22]
就三分法說，有樂受、苦受、不苦不樂受三種；其中一種現前時，另外兩種不在同一心中現前。修行時，必須及時覺察當下是哪一種受。
若依阿毗達磨常用的五分法，則有身樂、身苦、心喜、心憂與捨受。色身可以出現樂與苦的觸受；眼識、耳識、鼻識、舌識本身則與不苦不樂受相應。看見時先只是看見，聽見時先只是聽見，聞到氣味時先只是聞到，嚐到味道時先只是嚐到。
若看見之後生起不滿，心已進入速行（javana）階段，成為帶瞋的心；最初的眼識本身仍是捨受。進食時，最初嚐味也只是舌識的捨受；接著反應為「我喜歡」或「我不喜歡」，才是後續速行心的貪或瞋。
身體上則有癢、痠、痛等感受，各在其處生起。身體受寒時生苦受，以火取暖而舒適時，可能轉為樂受。
今天我們要把受用在修行上。心中滿意，是喜受（somanassa-vedanā）；不滿意，是憂受（domanassa-vedanā）；對所發生的事不喜不憂，則是捨受。佛陀之所以稱它為「受蘊」，正因感受在身心經驗中不斷依緣生起。
還需要特別尋找受嗎？問題不是沒有受，而是不知道它正在生起。除了頭髮、指甲、趾甲等沒有身淨色之處，身體其餘具有身淨色的地方，都可能生起身樂或身苦；心中則可能生起喜、憂或捨。
受是有為法。例如眼、色與眼識和合而有眼觸，以眼觸為緣生起受；眼根若失去作用，相應的眼識、眼觸與眼觸所生受便不能照常生起。受依其他條件而生，所以屬於諸行，也必定落入無常。
Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā.
一切諸行無常。
能觀見受的無常，便是受念住。若不觀察，看見可愛所緣之後生起欲求，便接續為愛、取與業；看見不可愛所緣而排斥，則接續瞋的緣起；看見而全然不知其生滅，便接續無明的緣起。莫哥禪師經常以貪、瞋、癡三條路徑說明六根門前緣起如何延續輪迴。[23]
人們不了解這些，便以為看一看並無妨。禪師借用佛陀的強烈譬喻說：若每次看見都因執取相與隨形好而走向惡趣，那麼寧可讓熾熱鐵針損壞眼根，因為那只造成一生的傷害；放任煩惱則使人反覆生死。看見時應迅速知道：這是有為法，必定無常；如此便截斷貪、瞋、癡三種不善路徑。[24]
法施比丘尼回答經中的問題，我則進一步教你們如何把答案用於實修。知道受的生起與滅去，能逐步走向漏盡。看見之後若生愛，欲漏便活動；完全不知生滅，則是無明漏活動。
口頭說來容易，實際觀照時，心往往慢了一步。你能停在「只是看見」嗎？若不能，就要迅速觀察後續心與受的無常。
佛陀曾教導，臨終時若能觀察受的無常，也可能證得漏盡。舍利弗尊者在聽佛陀向長爪梵志（Dīghanakha）說法時，觀察受的無常而證得阿羅漢果；長爪則在同一場合得法眼。依禪師採用的註釋性說法，舍利弗的初道由觀身而得，後三道則在這次說法中由觀受完成。[25]
單是耳朵聽講，並不會自動帶來證悟；聽聞的同時，心還要如實觀察諸蘊。聽法與觀照配合，才可能由預流逐步到阿羅漢。因此我常說：耳朵聽法，心觀察身心。只聽而不修，心不會因此變得敏銳，不能見諦、削弱煩惱或證見涅槃。不要只為累積福德而聽，還要實際用功。
聽聲時同樣如此：聲、耳識、耳觸及所生受都是有為法。若不知道有為，便不能知無常。身心中一切生起的法都依條件而生，終必以滅去顯示無常。生起如同「有」，滅去如同「死」；能如此觀察，便是 pajānāti——如實知。
長爪一面聽法，一面觀無常，因而成為預流者。舌與味也是如此，身根與外在觸境也是如此。法生起時，要「以慧觀見」（yadā paññāya passati）。
身淨色（kāya-pasāda）由業所生；生命尚在持續時，維持這一期生命的業生色仍繼續發生作用。感到「太冷了」後若立刻排斥，瞋便生起；所以知道冷受時，要立即以慧觀其無常。知道有為法生起，便也知道它必有生（samudaya）與滅（vaya）。實際所見，是苦諦。
能如實觀見的道支，屬於道諦。若對苦完全遍知，便轉為道智；尚未完全遍知，則仍是觀智。
毘舍佉與法施比丘尼為什麼談受？因為觀受是迅速通向阿羅漢果的重要門徑。佛陀把受觀列入四念住，因為以受為主要所緣，也能完成修行；觀受時，其他蘊的生滅同樣包含在經驗之中。
不知道受的生起，也就不能如實知道它的滅去，苦諦因此被遮蔽。看不見諸行，便無法觀無常。毘舍佉與法施的問答只簡要說明受的類型，因為二人已熟知細節；我則把它展開為修行方法。
任何受生起，都觀察它的無常。受一直在生起，我所擔心的，是你不知道它已經生起。不知道就是無明；凡依緣生起而受壞滅逼迫者，皆屬苦諦。
Dukkhe añāṇaṁ.
對苦無知，就是無明。
無明不會只是安靜地停著，它會依自己的力量推動後續造作，身行、語行、意行便跟著發生。無明現前時，慚與愧衰弱。《相應部》SN 45.1〈無明經〉說，無明是不善法的前導，無慚與無愧隨之而來；邪見、邪思惟乃至邪定也依次生起。[26]
六根門前有法生起，卻不知道那是苦諦，便每天繼續造作業，其中大多與不善相應。
簡單地說，觀禪就是如實觀察苦諦。念頭與意門相觸，生起喜、憂或捨受，這些都是有為法。若成為 dukkhe ñāṇaṁ——對苦的知見——便是明。
Avijjā-nirodhā saṅkhāra-nirodho.
無明滅，則行滅。
Saṅkhāra-nirodhā viññāṇa-nirodho.
行滅，則識滅。
如此，導向後有的識與生止息；不再有生（ajāti），就是涅槃。由此可見，觀照確有切斷苦的利益。履行遍知苦的工作時，愛——也就是集——不能接續，苦滅得以證悟；每一次如實知苦，道支都在運作，並同時朝四聖諦的任務前進。
由觀無常，也能逐步通達其他諦。（禪師接著談心的捨受。）每一剎那正確觀照、煩惱不能續起時，都有「剎那的寂滅」；值得為此精進。五種受都可以作為觀察所緣。愛真正止息後，道智生起。觀照是在排除自己的危險；貪、瞋、癡才是內在的敵人。若只替不修行找許多理由，便是在追隨愛欲煩惱的辯詞，最後只是讓自己繼續受苦。[9]
第六講
毘舍佉問：「若不觀察樂受、苦受與不苦不樂受，會發生什麼？」
法施比丘尼簡要回答：對樂受不如實知，貪隨眠可能隨之活動。你們還要知道，若貪進一步發展，愛、取、業與有會依次接續，生也跟著發生。禪師以強烈的業果語言提醒：若在這條由樂受轉成貪取的路徑中死亡，可能導向餓鬼趣。從漏來說，欲漏與有漏會隨貪活動。[27]
不觀苦受，瞋可能跟著生起；由無明支持的瞋，可能成為畜生趣之因，並與無明漏相應。無明漏的範圍極廣，從欲界一直到最高的無色梵天；在修觀的心流中，也要到出世間道智才被根除，種姓智（gotrabhū-ñāṇa）本身尚未斷盡無明。
受生起時，應努力觀察；若不觀，貪瞋癡便可能開出通往惡趣的道路。不觀捨受，無明隨眠便可能活動。捨受非常微細，有智慧的人才容易察覺；對它全然無知，也可能成為愚癡與畜生業的助因。
即使行善，若沒有正見與觀智攝持，無明仍可能尾隨，給愛留下機會。人帶著無明祈願，祈求未來享受欲樂與生命，欲漏、有漏、無明漏便跟著活動。所以許多造福行為更傾向延續後有，而不是導向出離。
這不是說福業本身帶來惡果；問題在於行善者不了解四聖諦，又以愛執取福德，依自己的願望要求後有。能如實教導佛陀本意的老師，確實難遇。
毘舍佉又問：「這三種隨眠是否每逢相應的受生起，就一定跟著出現？」法施回答：「不一定。」修觀者若及時觀無常，貪、瞋、無明隨眠便不會在那個心中支配他。這是一種教誡方式。[28]
我還要從另一面提醒你們：佛陀也說，正確修習的善法能帶來禪那、道與果；錯誤的知見，才使造福者以福德作為反覆投生的資糧。
施捨（cāga）的本義是放下，所以能對治愛；放下「我的東西」，也能對治「我所」的邪見。因此，布施是削弱愛與邪見的法。若不知道如何正確布施，心裡想的卻是「我擁有，所以我施捨」，「我布施了，將來應享受果報」，那麼邪見與愛又會趁機介入。日常生活中，正確知見與智慧非常重要。[29]
這也有賴善知識指導。必須懂得選擇教法，並常常檢查：這項教導是否真正進入內心？是否與四聖諦相連？能導向諦的法，才真正珍貴。佛陀也曾說，在尚未覺悟四聖諦以前，自己長久流轉生死。
一位持戒者接著應做什麼？舍利弗尊者答覆大拘絺羅尊者（Mahākoṭṭhita）：應如理觀察五取蘊為無常、苦、病、腫瘤、箭刺、災禍、病患、他者、敗壞、空、非我。持戒而修觀者，可以證得道果。這十一種觀法出自《相應部》SN 22.122〈具戒經〉。[3]
法施比丘尼說明受的性質：樂受住時為樂，變易時成苦；苦受住時為苦，變易時反而令人覺得樂；不苦不樂受與明俱行時為樂，與無明俱行時則成苦。禪師把它運用於修行：樂受生起時知道樂受，苦受生起時知道苦受，捨受生起時知道捨受，並將三者都觀為無常與苦諦。[30]
當其中一種受生起，另外的受便不在同一心中。捨受生起時，不要以為「什麼都沒有」；總有一種受與心相應。若說找不到可觀的受，就像說找不到無常一樣。當一切受及其生起止息時，才是涅槃。
所以要繼續觀察，直到所有導向後有的受取過程止息。觀察心若不能逐一穿透三種受，便會跟不上諸蘊迅速的生滅；煩惱於是插入兩者之間，使證悟延後。
修行中，有時樂受、苦受或捨受看似連續發生。理想的觀法，是一個受生起，隨即有一個知見跟上；每個受都有相應觀照，煩惱便沒有空隙介入。
若疼痛一再生起，心不能辨識其中每一個生滅，瞋便插入；若樂受持續而心不能穿透，貪便插入；若捨受持續而心不能辨識，無明便插入。這一點對禪修者很重要：貪跟在樂受後面，瞋跟在苦受後面，無明跟在捨受後面。
口頭說明並不難，實修時卻要親自檢查：煩惱究竟有沒有插入？觀察心能否及時跟上每一個無常？若不能，便要增強精進。不能證悟，是因煩惱仍有機會介入觀照。
觀智（vipassanā-ñāṇa）是前導，必須先培養；觀智的正見成熟後，取涅槃為所緣的道智正見才會生起。觀智正見愈銳利，涅槃便愈接近。若不懈怠地修行，便有證悟的可能。沒有觀智正見作前導，道智正見不能突然生起。禪師並引用 SN 1.46〈天女經〉所說通往無畏目的地的「直道」來勉勵修行者。
隨順智（anuloma-ñāṇa）仍以諸行無常等為所緣；接著生起種姓智（gotrabhū-ñāṇa），以涅槃為所緣，並以無間緣（anantara-paccaya）銜接後續道智。這項說明呈現的是無人、無眾生在其中操控的自然心路：條件具足，諸智便依法則次第生起。[31]
因此，若沒有前面的觀智，道智不能生起；觀智與初道智之間，還有種姓智。不要讓失望與疑惑進來：「我也許只是二因者（dvihetuka），是不是曾對誰做錯了事，所以今生不可能證悟？」不要任由這些心態妨礙修行。[32]
佛陀保證，只要聽聞真實之法並如實辨識無常，修行便不會徒勞。若煩惱不介入無常所緣與觀察心之間，便能繼續向證悟前進。不要被自己的猜測拖走；有些人的疑與追悔（kukkucca）成為障礙，甚至推動不善趣。
在觀智之後生起種姓智，再生道智；這是心路（vīthi-citta）的次第。憂慮與追悔是修道的危險，禪修者不要以它們傷害自己。所有真誠修行都不會毫無結果，佛陀也一再給予鼓勵。
英譯稿記錄禪師說：臨終時仍精進觀照的禪修者，可能在死前證得預流乃至不還；若未在當下證得，帶著成熟觀智投生天界後，也可能很快證入預流。原稿只概括說此說出自《增支部》，沒有注明經號，因此正文保留為禪師的勉勵，不把它改成對所有臨終禪修者的必然保證。[33]
追悔若生起，就觀察追悔的無常，然後回到原來的主要所緣，例如受或心。對修受念住的人，追悔是憂受；對修心念住的人，追悔是有瞋心。不要另行尋找所緣；它既已生起，本身就是可以如實觀察的法。這一點十分重要。
毘舍佉問：「不苦不樂受的相對面是什麼？」法施回答：「無明。」每當捨受生起而全然不知，無明便在場。無明的相對面是明（vijjā）；明在場時，無明不在。你所修的觀照，就是明生起之道：
Vijjā udapādi.
明生起。
Ñāṇaṁ udapādi.
智生起。
明的相對面是解脫（vimutti）。禪師在這裡把解脫具體解作果心（phala-citta），也就是已從相應煩惱解脫的心。解脫的相對面是涅槃：果心須依道等條件才能生起，所以仍是有為法（saṅkhata-dhamma）；涅槃則是無為法，不依生起之因而成，所以二者性質不同。[34]
依阿毗達磨的分析，果心仍應觀為無常，因為它是有為法，生起後便滅去。對涅槃則不是像觀有為法一樣觀其生滅，而是把心傾向、安住於生滅止息的寂靜。
所以我說：對無常者觀無常；對不屬生滅有為的涅槃，則以省察智（paccavekkhaṇa-ñāṇa）省察：「正是此寂靜。」道心與果心都是無常的有為法；涅槃是無為，不應被當成另一個可觀察其生滅的行法。
最後總結：要證悟涅槃，必須從有為法開始。以有為法為所緣、觀其無常的智慧，仍是觀智，不是道智。觀智成熟告一段落時，心轉向無為，證見涅槃；取涅槃為所緣的，是道智與果智。
觀禪的工作，在對有為法的觀察達到成熟時完成；接著，智慧才轉向無為。不能在有為法的範圍內找到一個生滅的「涅槃」。若把吃得舒服、喝得愉快等短暫享受稱作「片刻涅槃」，那只是把欲樂錯認為涅槃，可說是「邪見涅槃」。若要證悟真正的涅槃，必須超出有為生滅的領域。
若不知道什麼是有為法，便找不到出口。生起顯示它依條件而成，滅去顯示它無常；看不見這一點，就無法走向超越。
起初，要由盲凡夫（andha-puthujjana）轉成具正見的善凡夫（kalyāṇa-puthujjana）；進一步生起聖道正見，證見無為，才成為聖者。盲凡夫看不見諸行的真相，善凡夫能觀見有為法；聖者則以道智證見無為。修行必須如此逐步發展。
在遇到善知識以前，人人都像盲者。舍利弗與大目犍連最初跟隨刪闍耶（Sañjaya）時，仍是盲凡夫；遇見佛陀最初五弟子之一的阿說示尊者（Assaji）後，聽聞緣起偈，成為具正見的善凡夫，隨後證入聖者之列。
不要因猜測自己是三因者（tihetuka）或二因者（dvihetuka）而喪失信心。禪師在這裡所強調的「盲」，主要是尚未遇到善知識、尚未聽見能導向正見之法；在遇佛聞法以前，人們都處於這種盲目之中。所以，不要任由疑惑阻礙修行。
譯校說明
1. 毘舍佉與法施比丘尼原為夫妻、毘舍佉是不還者等背景，來自《小廣解經》的註釋傳統；MN 44 經文本身直接從毘舍佉拜訪法施比丘尼開始。佛陀在經末讚歎法施具大慧，並說若毘舍佉向自己提出同樣問題，自己也會作相同回答。
2. "sakkāya" 本身譯作「有身」，"sakkāya-diṭṭhi" 譯作「有身見」。MN 44 對「何謂有身」的原答是「五取蘊」（pañcupādānakkhandhā），不是籠統的五蘊；英譯開示多處簡稱五蘊，正文在直接引述經義時已補足「取」。
3. 第一講英譯作 "prato" 並稱經中有十種觀法，應是 "parato"（觀作他者、異物）之誤。《相應部》SN 22.122 實際列出十一種：無常、苦、病、腫瘤、箭刺、災禍、病患、他者、敗壞、空、非我。第六講的英譯把 "sallato" 誤成 dirt，正文依巴利語改為「箭刺」。
4. 「佛陀只有身苦，沒有心苦」可參照《相應部》SN 36.6〈箭經〉：凡夫受苦受時又憂悲惱亂，如中兩箭；善學聖弟子仍可能感受身苦，卻不再承受由抗拒、執取所加上的第二箭。這不是說阿羅漢沒有任何心受。
5. 開示把「聖者遇八風心不動」作概括性表達。嚴格說來，預流、一來、不還仍有程度不同的貪、瞋等未斷煩惱；完全不為八風所動，是以阿羅漢的解脫為圓滿標準。
6. "vedanā-paccayā diṭṭhi"（以受為緣有邪見）是莫哥禪師用來說明實修的延伸公式，不是十二支緣起固定次第中的一支。標準次第是「受緣愛」，但受若未被如實知，也確實可能成為有身見、常見或斷見活動的條件。
7. 修訂版仍把欲愛誤寫成 "kamma-taṇhā"，正文依 MN 44 改為 "kāma-taṇhā"。同段的 "upadhā" 語意不明；依上下文與緣起結構，應是 "upādāna"（取），故譯作「愛、取與業」。
8. 英譯的 "Nibbānic state" 從「佛陀可在說法間一呼一吸轉入」的語境看，應指果定（phala-samāpatti），也就是果心以涅槃為所緣；並非佛陀一再重新證得涅槃。
9. 「暫時的涅槃」「剎那的涅槃」是莫哥禪師系統常用的教學語，指觀智現前時以彼分斷（tadaṅga-pahāna）暫時截斷煩惱與緣起支，亦稱彼分止息（tadaṅga-nirodha）。它不同於道智所證、以煩惱不再復生為特徵的出世間涅槃。
10. MN 44 的精確回答是：取既不等同五取蘊，也不是完全外在於五取蘊；對五取蘊所有的欲與貪，就是其中的取。正文保留禪師以「繩索連接兩邊」所作的實修解釋。
11. 「斷有身見便斷除四分之一的貪瞋癡」是英譯所記錄的比例說法，原稿沒有注明經論依據。經典較確定的說法是：預流者斷除有身見、疑、戒禁取，不墮惡趣，至多七有究竟苦邊；不能把剩餘煩惱精確量化為「已斷四分之一」。
12. 八大地獄及一百二十小地獄屬後期宇宙論的細分，不是 MN 44 的內容。五無間業則通常指殺父、殺母、殺阿羅漢、出佛身血、破和合僧；邪見可成為造重業的重要助因，但不能把五項一概簡化為只由邪見造成。
13. 英譯聲稱「八種布施中，以觀智攝持者最勝」，只籠統標作出自《增支部》，未提供經號；正文因此保留為原開示內容，不把它當成已核定的逐字經文。
14. MN 44 的標準三蘊分類是：正語、正業、正命屬戒蘊；正精進、正念、正定屬定蘊；正見、正思惟屬慧蘊。開示所說世間觀智心常有五種能作道支、三種離心所不必同時現前，以及出世間道時諸道支具足，屬上座部阿毗達磨與緬甸觀禪傳統的分析。
15. 數學上 10¹³ 是每秒十兆次，5 × 10¹¹ 是每秒五千億次；英譯括號中的英文數字名稱與算式並不完全相符。這類絕對速度不是巴利經藏或標準《阿毗達磨概要》的共同定量；傳統較常說色法可延續十七個心識剎那。正文保留算式，只把它視為強調生滅極迅速的傳統說法，不要求修行者實際逐次計數。
16. 「佛陀的辨識間有兩個有分心、舍利弗有十六個」的說法，英譯未注明經論來源。有分心與心路分析本身屬上座部阿毗達磨及註釋系統，不是 MN 44 的原經內容。
17. MN 44 原文說：心一境性是定，四念住是定的所緣，四正勤是定的資具，反覆修習這些法是定的發展。英譯開示把這一段轉為具體觀禪指導。
18. 「身體消失」「男女形相消失」指手腳、男女、整體身形等概念施設不再主導心，觀察者主要辨識受、心或生滅法；不是物質身體真的消失，也不是失去一般感官功能。
19. 上座部論書通常說，每一聖道心只生起一剎那，並同時完成四諦的四項作用：遍知苦、斷集、證滅、修道。正文用這項架構整理英譯中「船完成四件事」的譬喻。
20. 母雞孵蛋、斧柄逐漸磨損的譬喻見《相應部》SN 22.101。經文的重點是：持續修習四念住、四正勤、四神足、五根、五力、七覺支、八支聖道，解脫才會成熟；不是只靠願望使小雞破殼。
21. 梵天眼力距離、石板墜落時間、劫末十萬年及天神後來投生為豬等說法，英譯均未給出可核對的直接出處。正文保留其勸修意義，但不把數字或投生敘述提升為早期經典的定論。
22. 修訂英譯寫成 "This is nothing to do with you all and useful"，句法顯然漏了否定或轉折。依上下文，禪師是說滅盡定與聽眾目前修行無直接關係，因此略過，不是說它「既無關又有用」。MN 44 原經實際詳談了想受滅定的入定、出定及諸行止息次第。
23. 莫哥禪師所說貪、瞋、癡「三條緣起路徑」，是把六根門前的反應分成三類：對可愛所緣生貪、對不可愛所緣生瞋、對所緣不如實知而生癡。這是教學用的分析，不是另有三套不同的十二支緣起公式。
24. 熱鐵刺眼的譬喻出自《相應部》SN 35.235。原經更精確的語境是：寧可讓熾熱鐵針損壞眼根，也不要執取色相與隨形好，使貪瞋等結縛滋長並導向惡趣；英譯把它概括成「不知緣起」，正文已按原經語境加以限定。
25. 舍利弗與長爪的故事見《中部》MN 74〈長爪經〉。經文說舍利弗站在佛陀身後搧風，思惟佛陀所說之法而漏盡解脫；長爪生起法眼。舍利弗「初道由觀身、後三道由觀受」是開示採用的註釋性說明，不是 MN 74 經文的逐字敘述。
26. 《相應部》SN 45.1 的原意是：無明為不善法的前導，無慚、無愧隨之而來，並引出邪見乃至邪定；明則為善法的前導，慚、愧隨之而來，並引出正見乃至正定。
27. 樂受、苦受或捨受本身不會機械地決定餓鬼或畜生投生；投生依臨終與累積業等多重條件。開示的完整脈絡其實包括「受未被觀照，進而生愛、取、業、有、生」，正文已把特定惡趣理解為對這條煩惱業果路徑的警告，而非單一受的必然結果。
28. MN 44 對「隨眠是否必定隨每一種受而起」的回答確實是否定。經中舉出的例外是：以初禪之樂斷貪隨眠；由渴望無上解脫而生的心苦可用來斷瞋隨眠；以第四禪的不苦不樂受斷無明隨眠。開示則把這項原則轉成及時觀無常的指導。
29. 布施能對治、削弱愛與「我所」執取，但只有相應聖道才能根除相應煩惱。英文使用 killing，正文依義譯為「對治」「削弱」，避免誤解為一次布施即可永斷愛與邪見。
30. MN 44 的經文是：樂受住時樂、變易時苦；苦受住時苦、變易時樂；不苦不樂受與明俱行時樂、與無明俱行時苦。各巴利版本在後續 "paṭibhāga"（相對面、對應者）問答的前兩項有異讀：部分版本以貪對樂、瞋對苦，PTS 版則以苦與樂互為相對；本開示兩種說法都留下痕跡。
31. 隨順智、種姓智、道智的次第，以及種姓智取涅槃為所緣，屬《清淨道論》與後期上座部阿毗達磨的觀智次第。嚴格說來，「種姓智」主要用於初道之前；更高三道之前的相應成熟心，有些論書稱為清淨智（vodāna）。
32. 二因者、三因者是阿毗達磨依結生心是否具有無貪、無瞋、無癡三善根所作的分類。禪師在此反對禪修者因猜測自己的結生類型而自我否定，並強調善知識、聞法與正見的實際作用。
33. 臨終觀照而證道，或帶成熟觀智生天後迅速證入預流的說法，英譯僅稱出自《增支部》，沒有提供足以核定的經號，故不作更強的經典歸屬判定。
34. MN 44 原問答是：無明的相對面是明，明的相對面是解脫（vimutti），解脫的相對面是涅槃。英譯卻先寫「明的相對面是果」，再以「解脫心」解釋果心。正文保留禪師把解脫具體解作果心的論書式說明，同時恢復經文的「明—解脫—涅槃」次第。果心是有為心，所緣則是無為涅槃；二者不可混同。
[03] Questions and Answers by Visākha and Dhammadinna
(Talk one to six, 11th to 17th December 1961)
( I condense the story of Visākha and Dhammadinna told by Sayadaw. It was based on Cula-Vedalla Sutta, Sutta No.44 of Majjhima Nikāya.)
T1
(King Bimbisara invited the Buddha to his place and he gave talks there. Visākha , the merchant of Rajagaha listened these talks 3 times separately. And each time he realized the Dhamma and the last time become a non-returner (anagamin).
Later his wife Dhammadinna, asked permission for entering the bhikkuni sangha. She went to a quiet place for 7 days and practiced and became an arahant. After she came back from the retreat, Visākha went to see her and asked questions on dhamma.)
You'll have the chance to hear the questions and answers between Visākha and Dhammadinna from about identity-view (sakkāya ditthi) to Nibbāna. (Then Sayadaw told the story of them above.) Therefore the Path Knowledge (magga nyan) surely has the power of energy to destroy defilement (kilesas).
What is sakkāya? It's the 5-aggregates (khandhas). The real existence of mind-body is sakkāya. People here (the audience) understand sakkāya ditthi as a combination. It's the natural qualities of the aggregates (paramatha dhamma of the 5 khandhas) and are really existed, and you can call it sakkāya. (It's important to understand that the Buddha's Teaching is for practical purpose to end dukkha. Not for the philosophical thought games like later tradition.)
Some people say that you have a lot of sakkāya. This way of using it is wrong. Sakkāya is not a fault. It means mind-body, only wrong view is wrong. Form(rupa) is sakkāya. If you take it as “ I or me”, become wrong view. People don't know that form is truth of dukkha and think it as I or me . Then it can lead to the woeful planes. I am cold, I am hot etc.
In this way I is interfering with sakkāya. Knowning form as form, even it becomes knowledge. " I have a good meal", this is “the I” interfere with feeling. So, viewing sakkāya in the wrong way becomes wrong view. " I perceive it", interfere with perception. " Don't misunderstand my intention", interfere with volition.
At here, one has to remember that “I in speech” is not a fault only take it as the real me. People already clear about this point and by using only in speech is not in fault with it. It's a relative truth and we need to use it for communication.
The Buddha himself used it. People have wrong view not in this way, and they think it as real. If nobody explain for it , these thoughts are over run through in countless times. For the one who knows this point, they know that their speech and the reality are different things. " Don't test my mind", it becomes wrong view in consciousness.
If someone comes in and tests him what will happen. Then they become a quarrel. The cause of wrong view is sure enough in this case. Regarding with wrong views, people are quarreling and fighting among them. If interfering with wrong view in anyone of the aggregates can become annihilationism (uccheda ditthi).
As example," If I die, I also die". "When my mind comes to an end, I also end". These are the ideas of totally cut off. " I'll die with this Vedanā". This include both identify-view & annihilationism.
If you have wrong view and clinging to view will follow. Still alive we have view of permanence and near dying view of annihilation. When business are going well sasata ditthi, and during illness ucchedha ditthi, not knowing about these things is living a bad long life.
Wrong view is the seed of hell. Why? With it follows by clinging to view. I will never give up my view (become clinging) and do what I think (become action). Is it action (kamma) or wrong view (ditthi) leading one to the woeful planes for rebirth? You may think beings fall into these planes are because of unwholesome actions. It is not so.
Wrong views making the programming and action has to follow it. (The same as craving-tanha, the Buddha mentioned wrong view as great tanha and greed-loba as small tanha). "I can't overcome this vedanā", this is the I-ness go and mixed-up with vedanā. Vedanā is arising and passing away by itself. Have to observe it like a stranger. Painful feelings come & go.
Good feeling also come & go. Neutral feeling is also in the same way. The observing mind also the same. This is dispelling wrong view. Feeling arising in the body and the observing mind is happening inside. So, don't mixed-up. If you don't mixed-up these things, then wrong view can't come in. Take it as a stranger. Then you know it as not-self.
The knowledge of not-self come into being. You must observe in the khandha , it appears as a guest and die as a guest. It's equal to Prato (stranger) (There were 10 contemplations in the suttas mentioned by the Buddha and Sariputta.
How to contemplate in 10 different ways on khandha? Prato was one of them). I teach you the contemplation of not-self. The Buddha also had dukkha Vedanā in the body but no mental feeling in the mind. This was different from the common beings. Only had bodily pain and no mental pain. Why is that?
That is because he had the ability to observe or see as a guest. All the 5-khandhas and whatever arising are guests. (Liked guests come and go). Take it as the host , you will suffer. As an example, "If my son dies, it will hurt me". In reality it's nothing to do with you, he is only a guest. He came to you, not you wanted him.
If you want him to leave, he will not. If you are in tears, you already mixed up the guest with “the I". Most women are in tears, because they making the quests as hosts. In the words, "my daughter", “the mother's I” and “the daughter's I” are intermingling.
The daughter's mind-body is nothing to do with the mother's mind-body. We are in tears not because of misfortune, the cause of intermingling. The mother's wrong view and the daughter's identity (sakkāya) become mix-up. When it shows its not-self nature and it hurts me. The mother's string of wrong view goes and connects with the daughter's aggregates, and then clinging to view to arise (ditthupādāna).
There will be no tears to fall without mixed-up wrong view with sakkāya. "Whatever changing in the world, my mind is not moving", this is someone does not has wrong view. Ariyas' mind is not moving when they encounter with the eight worldly winds. No connection with the string of wrong view.
Someone here will be in stressful when something happen to one's own child in England. This is 6000 miles away. Too long is the string of wrong view. You are in tears because someone had tortured you or you went to mix thing up. Bind two oxen together with a rope. If one of them is falling into the cliff and the other is also.
Without wrong view whatever happen to the mother, the daughter is all right. In the same way to the daughter, the mother is all right. In this way not painful rebirths come to be and in this life also no suffering. Don't mixed-up one's own khandhas with one's wrong view.
The Buddha said that there is no fault greater than wrong view. It can lead to commit the 5 heavy kammas. Killing one's own father is ditthi; there is nothing it can't do. In the unwholesome dhammas, wrong view is the most fearful one.
If I die, vedanā also die, when the fire go out, the light also die out. So take the fire and light together. Fire and light are different things. Fire is heat and light is brighten. Different types of feeling arise in turn, that mean reveal it unstableness. So try to see the arising & passing away. In this way, no "I-ness" mixed up with the process.
There is no I in the arising and in the passing away also no I-ness. Take all these as stranger. Living beings fall into painful rebirths are not by feeling but wrong view. Vedanā conditioned Ditthi.
T2 Cula-Vedalla Sutta is the answers to the questions of Dhamma. (Here Sayadaw told the story in brief) After became an anagamin (Visākha), his faculties were calm and serene. His Dhamma attainment was not suitable to this sensual world. By contemplating impermanence, the defilement become thinner. Arriving at the knowledge of disenchantment, it becomes thinner.
At the end it's eradicated. Practice is never wasting. Only this medicine can free someone from the danger of old age, sickness and death. This is the only refuge can rely on. If you have samudaya (tanha-craving) dukkha will follow. Even knowledge of impermanence (vipassanā nyan) is quite effective.
(1) What is sakkāya? Only asked sakkāya not including wrong view yet. It's the clinging of the 5-khandhas. What are the 5-khandhas? Form aggregates, feeling aggregates, perception aggregates, fabrication aggregates and the consciousness aggregates. She answered as the present 5-khandhas. Still he did not believe it, because can be answered by book knowledge. It's important for you all to understand that. This present 5- khandhas is sakkāya.
(2) What is the cause of sakkāya (khandhas)? It comes from craving (tanha), craving for sensual pleasure (kama tanha), craving for becoming (bhava tanha) and craving for non-becoming (vibhava tanha).The cause of mind-body is come from craving. Khandhas arise from tanha, updāna and kamma.
The main source is craving. Until craving is not dying out will have sakkāya khandha and with old age, sickness and death follow behind. It comes from the craving for attachment to life. Surrounded by many kinds of dukkha. Because of the fish smell flies are coming.
In the same way because of sakkāya (the 5-khandhas) dangers are coming. By wind blow suffer from the danger of wind. Because of heat suffer from the danger of heat. The cause from wicked dhamma only brings wicked things. Only these are arising. If you can see the impermanence of sakkāya, you will transcend its empire.
Sakkāya is the truth of dukkha. Seeing dukkha sacca and tanha samudaya must thinning out. After thinning out tanha, dukkha become less and less. Someone with affection will encounter dukkha and hurt himself, with more affection more harmfulness. When sakkāya changes and samudaya also changes; then sorrow, grief and lamentation come in.
(3) Tell me the ending of sakkāya. If craving ends, it will end also. In short , samudaya end and dukkha end also. Tanha nirodho Nibbānam appear~ the ceasing of craving is Nibbāna. The Buddha could enter into the Nibbanic state during the Dhamma talk, within the period of in-breath and out-breath. He also started from impermanence (arising and passing away) and instantly turned towards Nibbāna.
(4) Tell me the practice to the ending of sakkāya. It's the noble Eight Fold Path. If not entered the Path yet has to contemplate with the 5 factors (i.e. sammā -sati,
sammā-vāyāma, sammā-samādhi, sammā-ditthi, sammā-saṅkappa).
After the Path, practice with 8 factors (from sakādagamin to arahantship). Why these factors called magganga? That is because it cuts off defilement temporary. If it can cut off defilement, and then the dhamma become to Nibbāna. Just contemplate impermanence and doing nothing, and then you are temporary in Nibbāna.
Dāna, sīla and samatha are supportive factors for the magganga. They are decisive support condition (upanisaya paccayo) and magganga is path condition (magga paccayo). (i.e the far and near causes) The Noble Eight Fold Path is sīla, samādhi and pa&&a. Pa&&a is the leading factor.
(5) Tell me the clinging aggregate (upādānakkhandhā). The 5-khandhas are the object of clinging.
(6) Clinging and khandhas are the same or different? It's not the same nor different. How to understand it? For your clear understanding I have to come in. Khandhas exist by itself, as examples the khandhas of son and wife. If it's only sakkāya, and then it only become the sense objects. Not the sense objects of clinging.
The clinging from here go to connect the other side khandhas and then become the clinging khandhas. The other side is 5-khandhas and this side is craving, and these two connect together become clinging khandhas. Without connection it is not. It's only contact with the sense object and the sense organ (arom & arammanika).
The khandhas and tanha are not the same. People have craving become clinging khandhas. We can't bear even mosquito bite. Therefore it's connected. It's unbearable when it hurt our beloved khandhas. khandhas are the place of clinging. Some people mix-up with it, some are not.
Noble persons (ariyas) are not in it. When we are happy we connect it, if not happy also. They are connected as cause & effect relationship. They are different nature that not the same (khandha & tanha). For someone who connects these nor different. (means the same)
(7) Tell me sakkāya ditthi. No intellectual knowledge and not listening to ariya's dhamma and then take the khandhas as me. With knowledge only sakkāya and not become wrong view. The khandha is sakkāya and wrong view is interfering with it, without listening dhamma difficult to dispel wrong view. Therefore the causes for becoming a Sotāpanna; are:
1. Association with the wise
2. Listening the dhamma
3. Wise reflection on it (yonisomanasikarā)
4. Practise according to the dhamma (dhammānu dhammapatipatti)
Where is intellectual knowledge come from? From listening the dhamma, fulfilling these 4 factors will realize the Dhamma. Every day in talk I had mentioned sakkāya ditthi as the seed of hell. It's more dangerous than greed, anger, delusion, envy and avarice.
If sakkāya ditthi is eradicated; 1/4 of greed, anger and delusion is destroyed, including envy, avarice and whatever combined with it. If you don't want to fall into painful rebirths have to destroy it first. Even you don't fear other kilesas must fear this one. Dāna, sīla, samatha can lead someone to good rebirths, but later pull one downwards to painful rebirths by wrong views. If you are not destroyed it only temporary rising upwards.
Nothing is more fearful than wrong view, because of this someone can kill one's own mother and father. The 5-heavy kammas come from it. In sotāpan these kammas are never happened. People said they fear unwholesome dhammas. Don't be fear! If you destroy wrong view, no need to fear any unwholesome dhammas.
It's leading other unwholesome dhammas and sending beings to the 8-great hells and 120-small hells. If you see sakkāya it dispels wrong view. Why? It becomes right view and the wrong view has to go away. Wrong view must exterminate by right view. Any illness has to be cured by it's own medicine.
Dāna, sīla and samatha can't overcome it. It's better to do wholesome kammas after dispel wrong view, if not will fall downwards again. The Buddha preferred the kinds of dāna, sīla and samatha enrich with vipassanā. There are 8-kinds of dāna and the best one is enriched with vipassanā. (Mentioned in the Anguttara) Sakkāya ditthi arises because of not knowing the reality.
Therefore knowing the differences clearly and then do the merits. As an example, you shoot a bird with a poison arrow and hit the skin only. It continues to fly as long as the poison not spread enough to the whole body, and then spread enough it will fall down. In the same way any merits done with wrong view going upward temporary and later pull downward by wrong view.
T3
(8)Why sakkāya ditthi arises? At the time of the Buddha there were noble beings. People had identity-view because they didn't approach them and listened to their talks. Now a day people have this view because they don't have chance for hearing the Dhamma. Not hearing the Dhamma will never dispel this view.
Nothing is more important than sakkāya ditthi. When the 5-khandhas arise and don't know become sakkāya ditthi. As example, there is stiffness in the body. Take the air, wind element as I am in stiffness. Someone who knows it's just the alteration of wind element. Don't mixed-up with the I-ness.
Wind element is just only wind element. Heat and cold also become, “I am in cold”,”I am in hot”. It's just heat elements. Someone has diarrhea, “I don't know what happen to me.” Take water element as me. Take the 4-great elements as me.
“My body is itchy.” Not knowing the aggregates of feeling arising and passing away become identity-view. “I forget”, making the I-ness to the lost memory. “I want to sleep”, making the I-ness to sloth and torpor, the aggregate of formation (sankhārakkhandha). “Don't test my mind”, take consciousness as me.
Everytime the phenomena of ultimate reality (paramatha dhamma) are arising become wrong view. How many times a day? Uncountable!
(9) Why there is no sakkāya ditthi? Whatever arising contemplates, as this is not mine, not I am, not me, then dispel sakkāya ditthi. Contemplate the arising of feeling, mind and mental states as impermanent, suffering, not-self. Someone who had dispelled sakkāya ditthi will not fall into the 4-painful rebirths.
(10) What kind of dhamma can destroy sakkāya ditthi? Developing the Noble Eight Fold Path will overcome it. Is there any differences among them? Yes, they have. The differences are sīla, samādhi and pannā. (Explained the 3 sīlas) These are sīla maggnga(path factors).
Why there are 3 differences? They can't do the job separately. With the help of mindfulness (sati) and effort (viriya) samādhi develop. The commentary gave this example. How do you take (pluck) a flower, which you can't reach out?
One person (1st) has to bend his waist gives his back to another person (2nd). This 2nd person has to climb on his (1st) back. A 3rd person standing beside the 1st person and gives his shoulder for the 2nd person to hold on it.
In the same way in vipassanā the 1st person bends his waist and back is liked viriya. The 3rd person standing beside is similar to sati. Samādhi is liked the 2nd person who plucks the flower. Sati and viriya support samādhi. In vipassanā, not putting effort (viriya) and no mindfulness (sati) are impossible.
Only then samādhi can go straight towards the object. Wanting to develop samādhi don't let go of mindfulness and don't reduce effort. Only then samādhi can catch hold of impermanence. If you can't discern impermanence, one of them is lacking for the mind going straight away towards the object.
These 3-factors are important. Viriya is pushing from behind and sati is helping it to pluck there. It happens only by combining 3 together. If one of them is lacking, you must know the situation. If you can know and correct it, your samādhi will go towards the object of impermanence. Samādhi can't see impermanence, only leading towards it. Can plunge the mind towards where one's need is samādhi.
Only wisdom (nyan) is seeing impermanence. It is also not seen by sati, only pointing towards it. Three of them combining together and pointing towards a sense-object. They can't see impermanence. Must know this point. It's important for the yogis.
Samādhi only reaches to the flower. Can't choose good or bad. Why is that? It's only pointing to an object. This one is impermanent (anicca) and conditioned phenomena (saṅkhārā). These are not concern with samādhi only helping the wisdom factors.
Tell me wisdom factors. It's Right View and Right Thought. Why these are together? The eyes are in good shape. But to choose a thing for good or bad, there need to be something to turn around the object to be observed.
As example, you look at an object and see only this side. Can't see the other side. For seeing the other side, you need to turn over the object. This side is liked this and the other side is liked that. Right Thought providing the view, the view of impermanence.
Wisdom is observing the object. Arising is something and passing away is another thing. Someone has to provide this for the seeing. Seeing only the arising and not the passing, and only the passing and not the arising, and then right thought is poor.
Sammā is right and saṅkappa is thinking (turning around) or providing the view. The example I want to give is: using the power glasses for the poor eye sight. In this way will see like a young boy, will see clearly with the help of the glasses. Without the glasses you can see but not clear.
Here the eyes are sammā-ditthi and the glasses are right thought. In this way can see the whole process. If you can't see clear, then helping with right thought. It means vitakka, and it gives strength for the contemplation. Therefore samādhi and pannā factors need helps.
Then why sīla factors have 3-diffenent nature. If one of them exists, other two are not included. Right speech and right action each do its own different jobs. Therefore one can't help the other during it's performance. They have different actions (kamma). Because of their abstaining, they have the same name as sīla but different in jobs. F
or the yogi who is practicing, sometimes with 5-factors and sometimes with 6-factors. Samādhi and pa&&a can be come in together. But sīla can't come in together, and can't help each other. During vipassanā contemplation they can't include. If one is included the other are not.
When are they coming together? It is at the time of inclining towards Nibbāna element. If not never coming together. During meditation keeping the sīla only. Unstable sīla is one of the reasons that cannot come together. Not become right view that sīla is unstable.
Right view develops vipassanā. Someone has wrong view can't rely on sīla and easy to break it. Monks who had sīlas but they couldn't dispel wrong view that born as naga (a type of magical snake) and louse (the 1st one was from the Kassapa Buddha's time and the 2nd one was during Gotama Buddha). Freedom from the 4-painful rebirths is by destroying wrong view. It's the seed of hell which I mention to you everyday is become clear.
If you can get rid of sakkāya ditthi, sasata and uccheda ditthis also gone. Both of them originate from this one. Only ditthi die out that you realize the First Path (magga). Ditthi nirodho Nibbānam~Cessation of wrong view is Nibbāna. After it had gone there are no dhammas can prevent or hinder for the higher Paths.
The Dhamma will lead onwards. One also wants to continue. After destroyed wrong view no need to teach him for the higher Paths. The Buddha only taught the 4-causes for stream entering (sotāpanna) and not for the higher Paths. After ditthi is gone and doubt also.
Therefore basically preventing all the Paths is ditthi. After destroyed ditthi no one continue for more then 7-life times. It's easy to dispel ditthi. Everytime seeing paramattha dhamma (conditioned phemomena), contemplate as this is not mine, not I am and not myself. Contemplate as impermanence nature.
Where is wrong view stuck in? It pierced inside of each 5-khandhas as latent defilement (anusaya kilesa). If you see the impermanence of any khandha and it can't come in. It is an example to the dukkha vedanā that I am in pain for a long time. It happens because you can't see the impermanence or cut through the continuity (santati).
You take the khandhas as permanence and it comes in. If you can observe the impermanence in details and it will nearly fall away. Seeing it as now arising and now passing away, ditthi cannot come in. Seeing the impermanence without a gap is very important.
If not, ditthi will come in. Therefore I am asking you that do you see impermanence more and more. What do you think why I am asking at you? I am worry that ditthi will come in. If you discern anicca as you can't put the tip of a needle inside the whole body. Then ditthi cannot come in. If you see this way, it becomes weak and becomes right view.
By its nature the body is packing into with impermanence and without gaps. In a second, the mind is arising and passing away at the speed of 1013 times. So it's without a gap. Form is at the speed of 5x1011 times. If wrong view has strength impermanence becomes intermittently. If right view has strength impermanence becomes more accelerated.
They are combating each other. Don't think what's happening to me today. It was influenced by ditthi. If ditthi is too strong even can't see it. If right view is too strong even in the beginning of sitting can see it.
May be you want to ask that only to discern the speed of impermanence in 1013 and 5x1011 times/ sec. can be realized Nibbāna? You can realize Nibbāna without this kind of rate. It's depended on your own power of discernment. Why? These were the view of someone who had finished the path.
They talked about it by their own discernment. It's not for the one who is still in practice. Discernment comes by one's own right view. These were the discernment of arahants. With one's own discernment will realize the path. If you ask can other discern in billion times.
Again, the answer is it's the view of completion. How can it be the same, the views of worldlings and the noble ones? Why? We have a lot of defilement come in, therefore a lot of life continuum (bhavanga cittas) between the processes.
The Buddha's discernment had only 2-bhavanga cittas between. Sariputta's discernment had only 16-bhavanga cittas between. Our discernment have many bhavanga cittas between for each seeing. Bhavanga cittas are not the problem, because not kilesa-cittas. If kilesa comes in, it will become problem.
Therefore in the Anguttara Nikāya, the Buddha said that if kilesa not comes in between, practicing in the morning and realization in the evening. Not mentioned about the bhavanga citta. Bhavanga cittas are normal and the law of dhamma. The numbers of bhavanga cittas are depending on the root of the mind(hetu dhamma).
T4
The Noble Eight Fold Path is the middle way. We had never been on the middle way in the whole round of rebirths (Samsāra). If we had been, would never return. On the path samādhi is important.
(11) What is samādhi? It's called one-pointedness of the mind (ekaggata citta). It can take one object. What is one object? If feeling and only feeling, the mind and only the mind and not together. Pointing towards on an object and it's called the mind is in one-pointedness. Concentrating on an object is ekaggata. If you can concentrate in an object defilement can be overcome.
(12) What is the sign of samādhi? It's the 4-Satipatthanā, contemplation on the body, feeling, mind and dhamma. Samādhi follows sati towards an object. If it's feeling, it will fall on feeling straight away. In this way know about feeling. If one-pointedness is on the mind and sati fall on it.
One-pointedness must work with the Satipatthānā objects. The sign of samādhi is the body disappeared and knowing the feeling or mind etc. Contemplation of feeling it just falls on feeling, and mind just on mind. Then it becomes the sign of Satipatthanā. If discern impermanence, it's also the sign (namitta).
Sati fall on the object and its permanent sign disappeared and impermanent sign appeared in the mind also the sign of Satipatthanā. By seeing the impermanent sign appeared, the form and shape of man or woman is disappeared. Therefore by seeing the sign of impermanence is the sign of Satipatthanā.
Can itself alone leads to realization? Must include the member of Satipatthanā. It's effort (viriya). By putting effort forwards and sati-pannā seeing the sign of impermanence. This seeing is helping by effort. Viriya and samādhi are the factors of samādhi. Sati and pa&&a are the factors of discernment (wisdom). Its qualities we are talking in different ways and in discerning anicca all factors are there.
Can it be realized Nibbāna in this way? It needs to be contemplating for many times (bhāvetabba)Why? Kilesa impurities are liked a copper bowl. It can shine only by polishing. From births we had impurities with us liked the copper bowl.
By not doing Satipatthānā practice, one-pointedness practice and not putting effort for practice, then the mind becomes more and more dirtier liked the bowl. To do this kind of work, has to meet a teacher and has the kind of ear to listen dhamma. From the day of births we are grown up with craving mother and ignorance father.
We are grown up on their hands and care. They are very worry that we realize the Path and Fruit and liberate from their hands. Ignorance cover up the Four Noble Truth and craving teach us for affection to mother, sons and properties. We are doing things what they want us to do.
So everyday impurities pile up. How long it had been? Not polishing it for the whole round of rebirths. Between them we also have body guards of wrong view. Ditthi always control us and tell us this is your dad and this is your mom. Normally we leave it and never wash and polish it that is piles up with impurities. This is the reason we can't realize Nibbāna. The volume of ignorance, craving and ditthi are increasing.
Therefore it needs to contemplate for many times. By polishing again and again the copper bowl which we left for a long time is becoming shining. Must contemplate for many times and put continuous effort. Contemplate continuously decrease ignorance, craving and ditthi. For insight knowledge contemplate again and again is needed and not for Path Knowledge.
Nibbāna Path Knowledge sees Nibbāna once only. Even though Path Knowledg arises only once; it's similar to cross a river by a boat. The boat-man puts the loads in a boat and rows it to the other shore. The boat is doing 4-jobs.
1. Leaving this shore
2. Arriving to the other shore
3.Carrying the loads
4.Crossing the water.
In the same way, the boat liked the Path is crossing the water of defilement only once. Leaving this shore of sakkāya ditthi and arriving at the other shore of Nibbāna is also the boat or the Path. The boat is also carrying the loads of khandhas. Path Knowledge happen once and finish 4-jobs.
From seeing the impermanence of wrong view to without impermanence of Nibbāna, cutting through defilement is the Path and crossing towards Nibbāna, which is without dukkha khandhas is also the Path.
During the practice, one-pointedness is important and also the sign of Satipatthanā. The helping of effort is also important. All these things happen one time is not enough. Need to contemplate many times. The Buddha emphasized this point by giving the simile of the mother hen and the eggs. The hen has 3 duties to do.
You also have the 3 duties of working with anicca, dukkha and anatta. Without these duties, all the eggs become spoiled as your knowledge become blunted. With continuous contemplation the shells of ignorance become thinner. Liquid of craving become dry-up. The knowledge of spiked claws (the chicks inside the eggs) becomes shape.
You must spread your body of contemplation on the eggs of impermanence. Only kilesa liquid dry-up the shells of ignorance become thinner. The spiked claws become sharp, the chicks can kick the shells from inside and hatch out. Liked the hen, you have to sit on the eggs very often.
If not it's impossible. Light appears means realize Nibbāna. Kilesa liquid dry-up and the shells of ignorance thin out will see the light. The spiked claws which similar to knowledge become sharp.
The Buddha said that the one who contemplates destroy the taints (āsavas). With kilesa the mind can't penetrate. Even kilesa itself is inconstant. It has the power of repetition condition (āsevana-paccaya). Therefore the mind can't penetrate.
When you go back home observe the body, don't see it as a lump of form. Contemplate feeling, the mind, and if you know how to do it, the form is disappear. If you can't, the form of hand, feet, hair..etc, the 32-parts of the body can be appeared. Only the form disappear you are reaching the point.
She talked about the factors of awakening (Dammadinna). Analysis of qualities as a factor of awakening (dhammavijaya sambojjhanga) is the path factors of right view (sammā-ditthi). She used the factors of awakening there. The way to Nibbāna so used it as bodhi (awakening). Bodhi means knowing. In the factors of awakening also include contemplation for many times (bhavita bahulikata).
Therefore right view and analysis of qualities are the same things. Right view is also not enough for seeing only but need to contemplate for many times as factors of awakening show it. People may think path factors are no need to contemplate for many times.
So, I talk about them here. Both of them are wisdom factors. If you do the path factors again and again including awakening factors. Why talk about two things? Path factors talk about cutting off defilement and awakening factors about increasing the factors. By contemplating again and again and not seeing Nibbāna yet, but don't take it as wasting time.
The Buddha gave this simile ~ the handle of a carpenter's adze. Using it for one time the handle was eroded once. If you're continuously using it continuously eroded. It can't come to be by prayers (as later traditions). At first the handle becomes smooth out, and then slowly the fingers' print appear on the handle.
The thickness of kilesa developed from the round of rebirths is so thick that without continuous contemplation can it be thin out? Therefore insight meditation has the outcome of reducing kilesa. Don't be disappointed and giving up. If kilesa thin out, the practice is developing. Every time seeing impermanence every time it's thin out. Seeing more and more it becomes thinner and thinner.
Contemplation is stopping the process of dependent arising to continue. The first kilesa thin out and the later one extinction. Effort also has to develop. May be you might think it's not including rapture (piti). Already it's inside the samādhi. I am talking about only the leading factor. It's included as association with samādhi.
Every good feeling of contemplation includes piti. Not as the leader of the path factors but as follower. Contemplation without piti, laziness will follow. Therefore the Buddha asked to contemplate with joy and interest. Seeing something as never seen before, so contemplate with gladness.
I will explain the matter of seeing something never seen before. With the eyes of the Brahma gods can see a needle in the human world. They can see the needle from 4x109 miles far away (may be yojana, 1yojana=10KM). But they can't see the anicca.
They saw it with the worldly eyes (lokiya). Here we see with the supermundane eyes. So your discernment of anicca is better than the views of the Brahma gods. A rock tablet falls from the Brahma world to the earth take one and a half months (1-1/2 months).
Theirs are divine eyes. The eyes belong to the time outside the Buddha's teaching. It's samādhi eyes. Here are the knowledge eyes (nyan eyes). Not easy to have this knowledge. Here it's itching and here it's passing away. Feeling appears and disappears. So it's nyan eyes.
Dhammavijaya eyes or you can call it the eyes of right view, wisdom eyes. The worldling gods and Brahma gods don't realize Nibbāna, because they are lacking of this eyes. Therefore after they are passing away return to the human world and to the animal realm.
105years before the Doomsday, human beings become fear the day to come. Many developing the Divine-abiding (Brahmavihara Dhamma) and most of them become Brahma gods. All these are by samatha practice and when the time come will fall back again.
Even though this eyes can see the small needle from far away can't discern the nature of the 3-characteristics. They practiced samatha for the craving of becoming (bhava-tanha). They also had unwholesome kammas with them. After falling from the Brahma realms even some of them become pigs(not directly from there but devatas can. See Subrahma Deva's story).
You all had become Brahma before and as devatas uncountable times. But never had been free from old age, sickness and death. Never had the eyes of insight before. Nothing is more valuable than this eye. The pleasures of heavenly gods are good but Sakka(king of the Tavatimsa Heaven) himself came down to the earth for practice. He had the kammic eyes not the nyanic eyes.
Discerning impermanence is nobler than Sakka and the great Brahma gods. After seeing anicca, then the Knowledge of Disenchantment (nibbida nyan) and the ending of anicca are surely realizing Nibbāna. You must work hard to get this eyes. In the future can't find a good teacher like this. Comparing with the whole world very few people have these eyes.
Therefore you have to contemplate in order to see more and more and clearer. Don't exchange with them (the status of heavenly gods and Brahma gods). You are gold and they are salt. You must know one's own value. They have to be make wishes for becoming human beings to get this knowledge.
T5.Visākha asked Dhammadinna on attainment of cessation (nirodha sammāpatti). This is nothing to do with you all and useful. So let us continue to another question. How many feelings are there? There are 3-feelings in the body: pleasant, unpleasant and neutral feelings. If one of them exist the other not, always one of them is there.
Everytime it needs to catch on with one of them. For our practice, let us extend the knowledge about them. At the physical body pleasant or unpleasant feelings or sensation can appear. From the eye, ear, nose and tongue are neutral feelings. Why?
In the seeing just seeing only, because it is neutral feeling. After seeing it's better not to continue. In hearing just hearing and then not becoming pleasant or unpleasant about it. In smelling just smelling and also neutral. If you react to it as disappointed then the mind arrived to the active phase of cognitive process (i.e javana citta). It becomes the mind with aversion.
In the beginning state it was neutral. In eating just eating is also neutral. Reacting as I like it or I don't like it and then it becomes a javana citta. There are itches, aches, pains etc. These are happening at their own places. When the body is cold, unpleasant feeling, by using heater become comfortable, then pleasant feeling.
Today, using feeling on practice, if you have satisfaction in the heart, it's pleasant mental feeling (somanasa Vedanā). Unsatisfying is unpleasant mental feeling (domanasa). Whatever happening, it is neither good nor bad and that is neutral feelings. All the feelings which I had just mentioned; if one of them is there then the other are excluded.
Why the Buddha called them the feelings aggregate? Because feelings are happening all the times, do you need to look for feeling or don't know their arising? On the body pleasant and unpleasant (sukha and dukkha), and in the heart somanasa and domanasa, exclude the tips of the hairs, tips of the fingers, toes nails, and everywhere feeling can arise.
Feeling is conditioned phenomena, e-g feeling arise in the eyes is by the contact of the eyes and form. If the eyes are blind can't arise. Only saṅkhārā and fall into anicca. Sabbe saṅkhārā anicca~ all conditioned phenomena are impermanent. Its arising is conditioned by others. If you can contemplate anicca, it becomes mindfulness of feeling.
If you don't, after seeing it becomes wanting, then continues to craving, clinging and action (tanha, upādāna, kamma).[note: Sayadaw always using Dependent Arising in his talks. Therefore need to understand the 12-Links of Patiuasamupada] Seeing as disgusting then anger of dependent arising continue.
Seeing without mindfulness become unknowing which lead to dependent arising of ignorance. No insight meditation from the eye door create 3-ways of dependent arising for the round of rebirths. Not knowing these we think it doesn't matter.
But to the Buddha not knowing dependent arising, it's better to use the hot iron bar to poke the eyes. This makes for dying once. Everytime seeing it and not knowing leading to painful rebirths and will die for many times. While seeing contemplate quickly as conditioned phenomena and inconstant, then dependent arising is cut off the 3-unwholesome dhammas to arise (loba, dosa and moha).
Dhammadinna answered the question and I show you how to use it for practice, then it becomes clearer. Knowing the arising and passing away can be free from the taints (asava). From seeing if craving arise, it becomes the taint of sensual pleasure. Not knowing is the taint of ignorance. It's easy to talk. In the real contemplation it becomes late.
Can you stop at just seeing? If you can't stop, then contemplate impermanence quickly. The Buddha said that by contemplating impermanence of feeling near death can become arahant or destroy the taints. Sariputta realized the first Path(magga) by contemplating on the body and the later 3-Paths by feeling.
His realization came by during the time of listening to the Buddha's talk. By contemplating on the inconstancy of feeling and the mind became sharper. By following of the Buddha's Teaching and at the same time contemplating feeling. Realization can't come by just listening the talk. Listening and contemplation together can become stream-enterer to arahantship in stage by stage.
Therefore I taught you very often that the ears listening to the talk and the mind observing the khandhas. Just by listening only and without contemplation can't develop the enlightenment. The mind can't sharp, can't see the truth, can't erode defilement and can't see Nibbāna.
By listening and put effort in practice. Don't listen only just for merits. In the suttas it mentioned that by listening and also contemplating. Without this can't stop craving and wrong view.
In hearing also the same, it's conditioned phenomena. Without knowing conditioned phenomena can't know anicca. In the body whatever arising is conditioned phenomena. Their nature is ending with impermanence. Its' arising is becoming and passing away is dying. If you can contemplate in this way, it is pajanati~ means knowing. What do you know? Knowing the inconstancy of conditioned phenomena.
Dīkanakhā listened to the talk and contemplated impermanence and then became Sotāpa&&a (He was Sariputta's nephew. Both listened to the talk on Vedanā given by the Buddha.) Can contemplate in this way and three ways of dependent co-arising not arise. Tongue and taste are also in the same way. Yadā pannāya passati~ when arising observing with wisdom.
The contact of the physical body and outside objects are also in the same way. Body sensitivity (kayapasada) comes into existence by kamma. If a being is still alive, this kamma is not finished yet, then body sensitivity will continue to exist. “It is too cold”, then become aversion to it.
Therefore if you know it is cold, then instantly~Yadā pannāya passati~contemplate it as impermanence. You know the conditioned phenomena is arising, it has to be arising (samudaya) and passing away (vaya). In reality you see the truth dukkha (dukkha sacca).
Seeing is the truth of the path (magga sacca). If you discern dukkha completely become the Path knowledge. Not discern completely is only insight knowledge. Why Visākha & Dhammadinna were talking about feeling? Because it is the quickest way to arahatship. It was also mentioned by the Buddha (Sayadaw quoted the Pali verse from a sutta).
Therefore contemplation on feeling was included in Satipatthānā Sutta because it can reach the goal by itself. Sariputta & Dīkanakhā finished the practice with feeling & no other contemplation. By contemplating feeling other also include. In contemplation take it as a main contemplation. Not knowing the arising is also not knowing the passing away, and then it conceals the truth of dukkha.
The Buddha also mentioned that all phenomena arising from the body are the truth of dukkha. Not seeing saṅkhārā can't contemplate anicca. In the Q&A of Visākha & Dhammadinna, they talked about the types of insight only (Both of them already knew the details). Here I use it for describe the practice.
Contemplate impermanence of whatever feeling is arising. They are arising all the times. Only concern not knows the arising. Not knowing is become ignorance. Whatever arising is dukkha sacca. Dukkhe a&ānam ~ not knowing dukkha is ignorance.
Ignorance does not stay in this way, and will do something according to its own power. Physical action, verbal action and mental action will follow behind. I'll talk about it later. If ignorance come in become liked animals without shame and fear of consequence. These words came from the Avijjā Sutta of Maha Vagga Samyutta.
How bad it is? Not knowing of whatever arising at the 6-sense doors is not knowing the truth of dukkha. In this way everyday is creating actions (kamma), mostly unwholesome actions. In short insight meditation is contemplation of the truth of dukkha. The contact of thought and mind sensitivity (mind-door) create pleasant or unpleasant feelings.
These are conditioned phenomena. If become Dukkhe &ānam ( knowing dukkha), then it is become knowledge. Avijjā nirodha saṅkhārā nirodho ~ignorance cease, so do volitional formation (wholesome & unwholesome actions). And then saṅkhārā nirodha vi&&ana nirodho - Volitional formation cease, so do consciousness cease.
Birth is ended. It is cessation of birth. Ajati (without birth) is Nibbāna. It is clear that contemplation has the benefit of cutting through dukkha. By doing the job of knowing dukkha, craving (samudaya) is ceased, and realizes the cessation of dukkha (nirodha).
Everytime knowing dukkha is factors of the Path (magga), it done the duty of the Four Noble Truths at the same time. By contemplation of impermanence knows the other. (Sayadaw continued to talk about neutral feeling of the mind.) Every moment of contemplation realize the momentary Nibbāna.
It is worthy of doing it. You have to contemplate the 5 kinds of feeling. After craving cease and the Path Knowledge appear. By contemplation one clear up one's own dangers. Greed, anger and delusion are inner enemies. If you are giving many reasons for not doing it, you are following the reasoning of the defilement of craving. It is just for your own suffering.
T6
Visākha asked,” Not contemplate pleasant, unpleasant and neutral feeling, what will happen?” Not contemplate pleasant feeling latent defilement of craving will follow. She answered shortly. But you must know that craving, clinging & action will follow. It continues to becoming that birth will follow. This birth was come from pleasant feeling, so peta jati (The birth of hungry ghost).
From the point of taints, follow by taint of sensual pleasure (kāmāsava). It refers to greed. Follow by kāmāsava, it also follow by taint of becoming (bhavāsava). It is very rare to find someone with contemplation. People are smiling with pleasant feeling. Not contemplate unpleasant feeling anger will follow. This anger arise from ignorance will lead to animal birth. This is followed by the taint of ignorance (avijjāsava).
This taint follows up to the highest heavens (i.e Arupa Brahma Gods) and the knowledge of change of lineage (Gotrabu nyan) in insight meditation. When these feelings are arising, make effort to contemplate. If not it is the path to pets & animal realms. Not contemplate neutral feeling the taint of ignorance follow.
This feeling is subtle, only for someone who has knowledge can know about it. Mostly it leads to the animal rebirth. Is it not frightening? Even performing merits without surrounded by insight and then ignorance following with it. It gives advantage to craving. With ignorance that people performing prayers with craving.
Then follow by the taints of sensual pleasure, becoming & ignorance. Therefore there are more merit makings for the continuation of rebirth than liberation from it. These are not the results of merits. It is the cause of ignorance without knowing and continues with one's own wishes. Indeed it is rare to find a teacher who can teach people what the Buddha intended for.
Visākha asked,”Are these 3 latent defilement follow behind feelings all the time?” The answer was not always. A person who practices insight meditation not follows by them, if he contemplates impermanence. This is one way of admonishing. I have to admonish you the second way the Buddha mentioned that merits can give the results of up to jhanas, paths and fruits.
But wrong knowledge becomes the cause of repeated births. It is the cause of the merit makers. Generosity (caga) is giving up so it is killing the craving (tanha). It is giving up mine, so killing wrong view. Therefore dāna is the dhamma of killing tanha and ditthi. If you don’t know how to do it; it becomes I have so I give, then ditthi come in. I give it so I will enjoy the fruit and then craving come in.
It is depend on the guidance of a wise teacher. Must know how to choose the teaching and always think about that these teachings are reaching to the heart or not(connection with the 4 Noble Truths). If leading to the truth it is precious.
The Buddha admitted that he himself did not know the truth before had to wander for a long time in the round of rebirth. Someone has moral virtue (sīla), what should he do? Have to contemplate anicca, dukkha, anatta... etc., the 11 contemplations (disease, tumor, dirt, misery, affliction, alien, disintegrating, empty, anicca, dukkha & anatta). It was questioned by Maha Kotthita & answered by Sariputta. Someone has sīla and practice vipassanā can realize the path and fruit.
Dhammadinna described on the practice. When pleasant feeling arise it is pleasant, and passing away it is dukkha. Therefore contemplate as dukkha sacca, then it cut off the taint of sensual pleasure in the dependent co-arising. When unpleasant feeling arise it is painful , and passing away it is sukha. For neutral feeling, someone has sharp faculty discern anicca. Unpleasant feeling is the opposite of pleasant feeling.
We have to contemplate when they arise. Only one can arise. Sukha arise contemplate sukha, and dukkha arise contemplate dukkha. Contemplate both as the truth of dukkha. What is their opposite ? Neutral feeling, it means when it arise the other two are not there. Upekkhā arise must contemplate upekkhā. If not we think that nothing is there.
One of them is always arising. Don't say we can't find anything to contemplate. It is similar to say as there is no impermanence. It is like seeing Nibbāna. All the feeling cease is Nibbāna. Therefore continue to contemplate until all feelings are ended. When the mind can't penetrate these 3-feelings can be mix-up. Because the mind follow late.
The khandha arise quicker than the mind which is observing. That means defilement come in between them. This makes the realization slower. During contemplation sometime sukha or dukkha or neutral feeling continuously arising. As example for sukha Vedanā – as one sukha & one knowing (i.e nyan) ets., each feeling with each contemplation then defilement can not come in between them.
As example, if pain arise and continuously painful, then the mind can't penetrate it. Aversion come in between them. If pleasant feeling continuously pleasant the mind can't penetrate it either. Kilesa come in between them. For the yogis this point is very important. If neutral feeling continues, the mind can't penetrate it. Ignorance come in between them. Greed follow behind sukha, anger follow behind dukkha and ignorance follow behind neutral feeling respectively.
It is not easy to talk about these things. In real practice you have to know that kilesa really come in or not. Do your mind can catch on with each anicca ? You have to observe it. If you are not then increase your effort. You will realize Nibbāna. Not realizing is because of kilesa come in between the practice. Insight knowledge (vipassanā nyan) is the forefront knowledge.
The first thing have to develop. The right view of insight knowledge come before hand. Only then the right view of Path Knowledge, which is seeing Nibbāna, will follow. In these two right views; vipassanā right view become sharper and Nibbāna become closer. Never lazy in practice then you will realize it. Without vipassanā right view the leader of the Path right view can’t arise. It was mentioned in the Sagatha Vagga Samyutta.
The knowledge of conformity (anuloma nyan) which is still in the stage of anicca, is conditioned the knowledge of change of lineage which see Nibbāna with proximity condition (anantarapaccayo). Why I use it here? It describes the natural process without a being. It will arise accordingly to the natural law. Knowledge of the Path comes only after the knowledge of change of lineage and seeing Nibbāna.
Therefore without knowledge of insight and Path Knowledge can't happen, even stand between them is the knowledge of change of lineage. Don't let the mind of disappointment and doubt come in. May be I am a 2-rooted person(dvietuka). Had I done something wrong to someone? So I can't realize Nibbāna. Don't let these mental states come in.
The Buddha guaranteed that if you can listen the truth of dhamma and discern anicca, and then you will realize it (from Anguttara Nikāya). If no defilement come in between anicca and contemplation, you will realize it. Don't think about these things. In some people their doubts and remorse leading them into painful rebirths. Preventing them for realization.
After insight knowledge, then knowledge of change of lineage. After the knowledge of change of lineage, then the Path Knowledge. These are the process of the law of vithicitta (consciousness belonging to a cognitive process). They are always in this process.
Worry and remorse (kukkucca) are very bad dhamma and danger of the path. Yogi destroys himself. All practices never become fruitless. The Buddha also gave encouragement. During the dying moment the practicing yogi by putting effort in contemplation can enter the stream to non-returner. If not happen in this way by dying with the mind of insight knowledge will take rebirth in the heavenly realm. As soon as born there and enter the stream.
The Buddha mentioned this definitely (Anguttana Nikāya). If kukkucca come in, contemplate it's impermanence. After that continue one's own contemplation, e-g Vedanā, mind etc. For someone who contemplates on feeling, worry is unpleasant mental feeling (domanassa). In contemplation of mind, worry is mind with aversion. Don't look for it. It comes for contemplation. This point is very important.
Visākha asked,”What is the opposite of neutral feeling?” Dhammadinna answered,” It's ignorance.” It is true, everytime neutral feeling arise and not knowing it is ignorance. And then what is the opposite of ignorance. The answer is knowledge or knowing (vijja). If one of them there the other is not.
Therefore your contemplation is the path of knowledge. This is the work of true knowledge arising (vijja udapadi) and discernment knowledge arising (&ānam udapadi).
What is the opposite of vijja? It is fruition(phala). Vijja is &ānam (knowledge). Fruition is the free mind (vimutti citta).
What is the opposite of fruition? It is Nibbāna. Why? For the fruition mind to arise have to practice a lot. It is conditioned phenomena(sankhata dhamma). Nibbāna exist as unconditioned dhamma and without cause. So they are opposite. Visākha was very pleased with her answer. And then the Buddha asked to contemplate fruition as impermanence, because it is conditioned (from the Patthāna).
It is sankhata dhamma so ending with anicca. For Nibbāna just only incline towards it. Whatever impermanence contemplate impermanence. Which is permanent just incline towards it. It means stay with the peaceful mind. Therefor I have to mention that incline the mind to the ending of arising & passing phenomena as ending.
Don't contemplate Nibbāna. It is not a dhamma for contemplation. It is a reviewing dhamma (paccavekkhana), an investigating dhamma. What is its characteristic and quality ? Can be investigated in this way. It does not matter. The Path is impermanent and Fruition also impermanent. Contemplate conditioned as impermanence(sankhata). As for unconditioned Nibbāna, reviewing as“That it's”, “That it's”.
For ending the dhamma talk, to realize Nibbāna start from the conditioned, conditioned knowledge is not the Path Knowledge, only insight knowledge. The knowledge come out from the conditioned are Path Knowledge and Fruition Knowledge. Insight knowledge is taken the objects of conditioned. Contemplate conditioned as anicca is insight knowledge.
After the ending of the insight knowledge, you will see the unconditioned, i.e Nibbāna. Why? It is free from the conditioned. Vipassanā practice is finished when the practice of the conditioned is ended. Then the knowledge incline towards the unconditioned will happen. You can't find Nibbāna inside the province of conditioned. If it is possible, it must be Ditthi-Nibbāna (wrong view Nibbāna).
Eating is good, drinking is good, and people take these things as momentary Nibbāna. It is wrong view Nibbāna. Therefore if you want Nibbāna, have to come out from the province of conditioned. If you don't know the conditioned then can't find out the exit.
The arising is conditioned and the passing away is anicca. If you can't see this then it is impossible. First make oneself from blind worldling into right view worldling (kalyna phutujana). And then realize the Path Knowledge of noble view and you will see Nibbāna. Blind worldling does not see the conditioned but good worldling see it. If he sees the unconditioned then becomes a noble person.
As example, Sariputta and Maha-Mogallana met Sanjaya (their first teacher) , they were worldlings. After met with Asajit (one of the first 5-disciples of the Buddha) became good worldlings, later became noble persons. Don't take the blind worldling as 3-rooted or 2-rooted person (tihetuka or dvihetuka) only as without a good spiritual friend. Before not met the Buddha, all are in blindness. Therefore don't have doubt about it.