台灣原始佛教協會

內在探究
原題：Inward Exploration
開示日期： 1960 年 11 月 28 日、12 月 1 日至 2 日；1962 年 9 月 25 日

〔英譯者按：這四次開示以《相應部》SN 12.66〈探究經〉為主要依據。經中佛陀問比丘是否正在作內在探究；一位比丘以觀察三十二身分回答，佛陀並未否定這種修法，但進一步教導他們從老死與種種苦，逆向追查其生起條件。〕


第一講

五蘊的本性是無常。若一生都不知道這點，便像生來失明，至死仍未睜眼。不要只以凡夫的迷惑走到生命終點；應努力成為有學，乃至完成修學的無學，使苦得到終結。因此，探究自己極為重要。

佛陀要比丘探究的，是身心中正在顯現的真諦。身體與心法都不斷走向衰老、變異與滅去。依本講採用的阿毗達磨分類，色法有二十八種，心與心所合說為五十三種；無論如何分類，都找不到不老、不變、不滅的核心。眼前所見只是苦諦；如實觀察它的智慧，則履行道諦的功能。

再向後追問：老死從哪裡來？老死依有五蘊的生命而有。老死是苦，承載老死的五蘊則是它的近因。人若祈求未來再得某種五蘊，同時也等於祈求與五蘊相隨的老、病、死；所以真正應努力的，不是替下一次生命換一副較好的重擔，而是走向後有五蘊不再生起。

五蘊又從哪裡來？依逆觀緣起，它與渴愛、取、有相連。渴望「成為」與「再有」，會推動新的業有與生。即使正在行善，也不應把善業只用來祈求輪迴中的享受；善行應成為戒、定、慧與解脫的資糧。

渴愛又從哪裡來？它從對身心與六處經驗的親愛、喜悅與誤認而來。人把眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意所生的經驗看成可愛、可依靠、是「我」或「我的」，受之後便容易接上愛。本講把緣起的「識至受」稱為第二段；若不知道這一段是因緣生滅的苦，就會由受接到愛、取、有。若如實見它只是無常的名色現象，後段便不必照舊發展。

修行時可選擇觀心。六根門所生的心一出現，就觀它生起後滅去。過去我們親愛這些心，才讓第二段接上第三段；現在要用正見修正這個錯認。知道它是苦諦，愛、取、有便失去落腳處。


第二講

本講以火界說明身體的成熟、衰老與死亡：身體的溫度、代謝與變化，使色身逐步成熟、敗壞；臨終時，生命機能失調，身體終於不能維持。禪師用「活著時被燒熟是老，燒至崩解是死」的強烈譬喻，提醒我們老死就在身內，不在遙遠的未來。

老死是苦諦；五蘊是老死所依。若沒有再生的五蘊，就沒有未來的老死，這顯示滅諦的方向；知道苦、集、滅及其實踐道路，則是道諦。如此從一個當下現象，也能把四聖諦連貫起來。

渴愛依什麼而起？依六內處、六外處、觸與受而起。眼至身屬色法，意處則涉及心與心所；歸納起來，仍是名色與五蘊。凡夫以不如理作意，把這些看成常、樂、我、健康與安全，於是產生親愛與渴愛。以如理作意觀察它們的無常、苦、無我、危險與如病，便不再把有毒的飲料當成解渴之物。

輪迴中的旅人總覺得飢渴，臨終仍抓住這個、那個。是否繼續飲用「有毒飲料」，取決於是否修習內觀。每次渴愛出現，都如實知道；每次身心現象出現，都觀察其生滅。這樣，渴愛逐步失去滋養，老死之因也隨之削弱。


第三講

老、病、死就在五蘊中。知道恐懼仍不夠，還要逆向找出根源，把根拔除。老師的責任是說明方法；聽懂之後實際觀察，則是行者自己的責任。

身體受火界等條件影響而老化、患病、死亡。禪師以冷熱失衡、血液衰退等當時常用的身體觀念作說明，重點不是建立醫學病因論，而是指出：只要取得五蘊，就不能把老病死排除在外。眾生不知道這是苦，反而以布施持戒祈求下一世再得同類五蘊；這就像害怕死亡，卻仍在尋找死亡所依之身。

渴愛使人希望換一種生命，以為換了便會輕鬆；禪師說，這只是把一百公斤的重擔換成另一個一百公斤的重擔。若引導者只教人追求輪迴中的好處，卻不教苦及苦滅，便可能把人帶向深淵。

渴愛來自對可愛事物的黏著：愛自己的五蘊，也愛家人與所屬之物；歸根究柢，都透過六內處而形成。若不看見它們是緣生、無常與不能滿足，人便在每個剎那的生滅中繞行，直到死亡仍未填滿飢渴。觀無常則使厭離與離貪有可能生起。


第四講

我勸你們努力辨明真諦。不知真諦，輪迴就顯得無盡；為享受「有」而工作，是尚未了解真諦，為斷除造成後有之因而修行，才是朝向知諦。

佛陀曾以每天三個時段、每次受一百支矛刺的譬喻，說明即使承受百年劇苦，若最後能現觀四聖諦，仍值得接受。這不是鼓勵自我傷害，而是說輪迴與苦趣之苦遠超譬喻；有機會理解四聖諦，不應輕忽。

死亡之王就在五蘊中。只要五蘊存在，老、病、死便隨之存在。老病死是苦；導向再生五蘊的渴愛與業有是集；不再生起這一組苦是滅；如實知道並修習的道路是道。不要把五蘊本身簡單等同集諦；更準確地說，五取蘊是苦諦，渴愛是集諦，而五蘊是老死所依的條件。

修觀時，任何受、心或身體現象出現，都看見其變易、敗壞與不能維持。彎手是變，伸手也是變；坐禪時可以先以出入息安定心，也可以直接守候身心所顯示的現象。無論出現跳動、熱、癢、痛或心念，都不急著命名為「我」，而是觀察它生起、改變、消失。

禪師以老虎守候獵物作譬喻：守候是定，捕捉實相是慧。定與慧配合，便能在現象出現時看清無常。持續觀察，先如實知，繼而厭離，最後徹知苦；當執取五蘊的原因完全滅除，道的八支圓滿，便證知苦滅。


中文譯校說明

1. 本講主要依據《相應部》SN 12.66 〈Sammasasutta〉。經文從世間由老死領首的種種苦，逆向探究其條件；英譯所說佛陀不滿三十二身分觀，只能理解為本經另有更切題的探究方法，不能推成佛陀否定身隨觀。

2. "twenty-eight rūpas" 與 "fifty-three minds" 是南傳阿毗達磨的分類語言；後者實指一個 "citta" 加五十二個 "cetasika"。它不是《相應部》SN 12.66 原經的列舉。

3. 原稿多次把五蘊稱為 "samudaya sacca"。依四聖諦的標準定義，"pañcupādānakkhandhā" 是苦諦，"taṇhā" 是集諦；五蘊可作老死之所依，卻不宜一概直接等同集諦，正文已依此校正。

4. "tejo-dhātu" 可用來觀察色身的熱能、成熟與變化，但老化、疾病與死亡有多重生理原因；「火界使人老病死」是禪觀與譬喻語言，不能取代醫學說明。

5. 每日三次、每次一百支矛的譬喻出自《相應部》SN 56.35 Sattisatasutta；原英譯寫成每日九百支，是把三個時段各三百支誤加，正文已依經文改為每天共三百支。

6. "yuganaddha" 是止與觀、定與慧相互配合的說法；老虎守候與捕捉只是本講的修行譬喻，不是唯一的內觀技術。



[01] Inward Exploration
25th September 1962, 28th November 1960
1st to 2nd December 1960

[ Sayadaw gave these talks (here 4 talks) based on the Sammasana Sutta of Nidānavagga Samyutta. The Buddha asked the monks was did they engage in inward exploration. One of the monks answered as he explored the 32-parts of the body. But the way he explained did not satisfy the Buddha. So he taught the monks how to engage in inward exploration.]

T1
The khandhas are impermanent nature. By not knowing it we were born as blind, and will die as blind people. Don’t die as worldlings but as sekha and asekha (sekha=trainee, 3 lower grades of noble disciples. Asekha = one beyond training, i.e an arahant), and will be ended dukkha.

It’s important to explore oneself. This was taught by the Buddha in Kurus (present day New Delhi Area). One of the monks explored the 32 parts of the body but the dhamma standard was low. The Buddha wanted them to explore the truth (i.e sacca).

There are a lot of ageing & death in the body. 28 material phenomena (physical body) and 53 minds [ These 53 are according to the Abhidhamma. 52 mental factors (cetasikas) + with one consciousness (citta)] dhammas are due to old and die. It becomes apparent that there is nothing, only the truth of dukkha exists. Ageing & death are truth of dukkha (dukkha sacca), and the contemplation is truth of the path (magga sacca).

Contemplate in this way the dhamma to Nibbāna appears. Continue to contemplate as where the ageing and death of the truth of dukkha comes from? Ageing & death dhamma come from the khandhas. Ageing and death is dukkha sacca, and the khandhas is samudaya sacca (Khandha is the cause of ageing and death).

The knowing of it is magga sacca. People are praying for the khandha is the same as making the prayers to get dukkha sacca. Because the khandha is carrying ageing and death with it. You must pray for the ending of khandha, and I urge you for the practice. Continue to contemplate where is the khandha come from? In this way the dhamma for the practice is becoming apparent.

The Buddha was using the way of patiloma (The reverse order of Dependent Arising) to find the cause. It comes from the desire of becoming. Tanhā-craving is the source of dhamma. Khandha is dukkha sacca and tanhā is sumudaya sacca.

Therefore, I have to warn you. Whatever wholesome merits you are doing don’t pray for the becoming. You will get the khandha and follow by ageing and death. Again contemplate where is tanhā coming from? It comes from the affection to the khandhas. We regard to the 5 khandhas as pleasant & desirable things.


That becomes craving for it. Not understanding the second section of the Dependent Arising that becomes affection. (Divide the 12 links of D.A will get the four sections. Avijja -> sankhara ->/ viññānaṁ->nāmarūpaṁ->salayatanaṁ->phassa->vedana->/tanhā->upādāna->kammabhava->/jati->jara, marana). (Here the 2nd section is from viññānaṁ to vedana).

Therefore if you understand them & no affection to it. If you don’t understand them as truth of dukkha will attache to it. You have to correct the 2nd section. You all take it as truth of happiness. Because of that in the whole of saṁsāara it made us for crying.

We’ll contemplate the mind base (manayatana) in the second section. (Here Sayadaw taught cittānupassanā) We are affectionate to all the minds which are arising from the 6-sense doors that the 2nd section connects with the 3rd section (vedana ->tanhā).

We must correct the wrong view regarding to the 2nd section. If you understand it as truth of dukkha, then 3rd & 4th Sections will not come. Contemplate all the minds arising as impermanence.

T2
Ageing (jara) is heat element (tejo). Death (marana) is also heat element. The body becomes mature & die are heat element. The Buddha asked the monks to explore on ageing & death. These are truth of dukkha. In the body only had the truth of dukkha which he wanted them to investigate.

Knowing it is magga sacca & it becomes 2 truths (dukkha & magga saccas) Burning alive is ageing (jara) & burning to die is death (marana). If you want to think at home just think about these things. Think about the reality with knowing.

Where are they come from? Come from the khandha. So khandha is the cause & ageing & death is the result. Without khandha is without ageing & death. If you know this, again including the other 2 truths of samudaya & nirodha (The origin & cessation). You complete the 4 truths. Where is tanhā comes from? It comes from the eye (cakkhu), ear (sota), etc…, the 6 ayatanas (sense bases).

It comes from the affectionate things of mind & body phenomena. (The 6-sense bases are mind & body) So tanhā is coming from the mind & body. Therefore ayatana is the cause (samudaya) & tanhā becomes the result (dukkha).


If the cause ceases & the result also. It’s the cessation (nirodha) & the knowing is knowledge (magga). (Therefore in every moment whatever is arising & contemplating we know the 4 truths). Again we know the 4 truths. If we don’t think about these things & don’t know the 4 truths, then we are living in the darkness & dying in the darkness. These are investigating for oneself. Thinking in the direct order is connecting the cause & result (i.e samudaya & dukkha). Knowing their cessations are nirodha & magga.

Affection comes from unwise attention (ayonisomanasikara). Tanhā comes because of taking them as permanence, happiness, self, health, safety (i.e nicca, sukha, atta, arogyan, khema). Because of craving we get the khandhas. Because of the khandhas we get ageing, sickness & death. Unwise attention is not vipassanā practice. Wise attention is vipassanā practice.

The Buddha said that he was arising into this world to teach people & these things were like beverages mixed with poisons. If you drink it will get sick & die. So the Buddha warned us not to drink it. Samsāric travelers are hungry people. They always die with never fulfill their thirst & hunger. Near to death they cling to this & that & die with it.

The six-internal bases (ayatana); from eye (cakkhu) to body (kaya) are physical phenomena. Mind base is consciousness with mental factors. Condense all of them you get back the 5 khandhas. So contemplate the 5 khandhas as impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), not-self (anatta) & fearful (bhaya).

In this way tanhā die, ageing & death cease (Sayadaw said this Sammasana Sutta is very good Dhamma. In his talks collection can see quite a few of them). In this sutta the Buddha taught 5 ways of insight contemplation. Contemplate the 5 khandhas as impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), not-self (anatta), fearful (bhaya) & disease (roga). Every time tanhā come in you know it, & this will lead to Nibbāna. Drinking the poison beverage or not is depending on using the insight contemplation or without it.

T3
Ageing & death exist in the khandha. It’s truth of suffering (dukkha sacca). Thinking about their root source, find out, dig up & burn it down is good for us. I’ll show you the way of thinking & cutting off it. The teacher duty is to teach you until you understand it. After understanding & to practice is the yogi’s duty.

We are afraid of ageing, sickness & death and can’t escape from it. Where is ageing, sickness & death come from? If you think about it backwardly will find the cause of origin (see the 12 links of D.A). This dhamma will end ageing, sickness & death. Ageing, sickness & death come from the 5 khandhas.

Heat element is functioning for ageing. Warmth make it getting old & mature. All the existing body, teeth & head hairs are burning with it. It makes you sick & die. Temperature is increasing & becoming sick is the heat element. After come ageing & sickness with the heat retreat, blood drops & die. The cold heat element kills the person.

So ageing, sickness & death born out from the khandha. Only foolish & stupid person desires the khandha. A place without the great 4 elements & khandha will be freed from ageing, sickness & death. Living beings don’t know that ageing, sickness & death are the truth of dukkha.

So they try to get it, and looking for death. Even they are not clever as animals. Animals are afraid of death & when they encounter dangers try to run away. But for human beings they are making merits & asking for ageing, sickness & death (These are very common in traditional Buddhists whatever their schools are praying for the happiness of human & heavenly beings).

Not knowing the truth is becoming over craziness. Where is the 5 khandhas come from? It is from the wanting tanhā. People with craving for life don’t know the truth of dukkha & want to change life. They are only exchanging dukkha but they think it will lighter.

All are the same 100kgm each. Suffering is the same as before. If the guide is not good, people will fall into abyss (Importance of teachers, & good to contemplate for all Buddhists whatever their traditions).

Where is tanhā come from? It is from the affectionate things. If you love your khandha, then it comes from it. If you love your family members, then it comes from them. In short it comes from the 6-internal bases (ayatana). Because of the affectionate things that tanhā come into being.

Moment to moment born & die in the state of suffering is called the world (loka). Rounded like a ball is loka. In whatever state you are in will become affectionate to it. And then die without ever fulfilling your hunger & thirst. People die without any satisfaction (one of the meanings of dukkha is unsatisfactoriness). Contemplation of impermanence is the way of dispassion.

T4
I ask you to work for discerning the truth. Without knowing it and samsāra is long. I will tell the differences between the one who knows and who doesn’t know. Someone is working for the enjoyment of existence doesn’t know the truth. Working for the cutting off existence is knowing the truth.


The Buddha emphasized the important of knowing the truth with an example. If someone who could teach you the truth & making a demand, you should follow it. The Buddha gave an example of the demand as using 900 spears everyday (in the morning time 300 spears, mid-day 300 spears & evening 300 spears) to spear you & then taught you the truth.

These sufferings are incomparable to the samsāric dukkha (the sufferings will be encounter in the round of existences). If you know the first truth and free from the sufferings of the 4 painful rebirths (such as hell beings, animals, petas - many different types of ghost, asura).

So you all should not take it lightly (what the Buddha had said). It was like a stick threw up into the sky & fell down randomly. (Sayadaw continued to talk the sutta)

King of the Death is in the khandha. Only by knowing the truth that you’ll not pray for it. Path knowledge is the real refuge. Only Nibbāna is free from the torturers. The 5 khandhas exist & ageing, sickness & death also exist with them.

So the 5 khandhas are the truth of the cause (samudaya sacca) & ageing, sickness & death is the truth of dukkha (dukkha sacca). Without the 5 khandhas & there will be no ageing, sickness & death. Without them is the truth of cessation (nirodha sacca) & knowing about is the truth of the path (magga sacca).

(Sayadaw continued to teach vipassanā contemplation) Whatever is arising contemplate as dukkha sacca. Viparinama lakkhanaṁ dukkha saccaṁ_ The characteristic of change is Dukkha Saccaṁ_ Truth of Dukkha. Feeling, mind & whatever come all are including in this truth which is the contemplation of the Dhamma (Dhamma nupassana).

On the impermanence, bending your hand is change (viparinama) & stretching your hand is also change. In sitting meditation, in the beginning if you want to do ānāpāna (mindfulness of breathing) you can. If you don’t & just watching the khandha. The khandha will show its nature.

When it shows up contemplate as disease (rogato). After sometimes the whole body with a blip, blip, blip & like the boiling water. These are not pain & aches. This is the way of tigers watching & catching it preys. Whatever is new arising & you catch it. Watching is Samādhi & catching is paññā.

This is the way of watching with Samādhi & catching with paññā. It’s called yugananda method. The method of sāmādhi & paññā are going together. Surely you will catch it. Insight practice is watching & catching. Practice to know means impermanence is arresting by you.

Impermanence is anicca & knowing is magga. Continue the contemplation will become disenchantment. Before you were seeing other people deaths. Now you are seeing your own death.


After that you penetrate dukkha & the 5 khandhas disappear. Dukkha disappears and Nibbāna appears. This is completed with the 8 path factors. (i.e, Noble Eight Fold Path)

以信超越邪見
原題： With Faith, Transcend Wrong View
開示日期： 1960 年 12 月 6 日

〔英譯者按：本講以《相應部》SN 10.12及《經集》Sn 1.10〈阿羅婆迦經〉為依據，主要取其中的信與不放逸來說明。對佛法起初若完全沒有信任與興趣，便不會開始聞法和修行；但佛教所重視的不是盲信，而是願意查證、實踐並親自知見的淨信。〕

佛陀對阿羅婆迦夜叉說，眾生以信渡過洪流，以不放逸渡過大海，以精進超越苦，以智慧獲得清淨。本講特別從信（saddhā）與念（sati）說明修行的開始與完成。

若要掘除一棵樹的根，需要工具，也需要能握工具的手。邪見好比樹根，根向下連著苦趣；渴愛與慢好比由根長出的枝條。智慧是掘根的工具，信則像握住工具的手。沒有初步信任，人不會願意學習、依教觀察，智慧也沒有開始工作的機會。

不過，信的作用不是要求你把尚未驗證的每件事都當成已知。是因為相信佛陀與善知識指出的方向值得一試，才實際觀察身心；觀察之後，親見心、受等現象生起即滅，信便逐漸由推動修行的起點，轉成以知見為基礎、不易動搖的淨信。

譬如老師說：「應當看見無常。」你因信而依方法練習，後來真的看見一個心念不能停留。那時還能把這段心流當成恆常的我嗎？邪見把它認作常，觀智則知道它是條件所生、隨即滅去。信引導你開始，智慧完成辨明。

阿羅婆迦經也說，以不放逸渡過洪流。修行中，念使人不錯過現前法；智慧則辨明無常。貪心生起，念先知道「貪心已生」；持續觀察，智慧知道它已滅。好比守著燭火，才能看到火焰熄滅。若在生滅之間不再接上執取，欲流便不能照舊捲走行者。

同樣地，觀身心現象的無常，便會減弱對下一種「有」的渴望，不再任由有流推動。念先認出所緣，慧再照見其性質；正精進使觀察連續，定使心不散失。這些道支共同工作，才是念處修習，不是只把「無常」當成口號。

信能使人踏上道路，念使人不離道路，慧則拔除邪見。當預流道現起，身見、疑與戒禁取被斷，對佛、法、僧的淨信也不再只是猜測。這才是超越邪見與苦趣之門的決定性階段。


中文譯校說明

1. 本講依據《相應部》SN 10.12 〈Āḷavakasutta〉，其偈頌說以 "saddhā" 渡洪流、以 "appamāda" 渡海、以 "viriya" 越苦、以 "paññā" 得清淨。原稿把後兩項多改寫為以 "sati" 超越整個上界輪迴，屬禪師的發揮，不是經文原句。

2. "saddhā" 可譯為信、淨信、信心；在佛法中可兼具信任與澄淨之意。它不是拒絕查證的 "blind faith"，但也不等於已經親證的智慧。

3. 初步信心本身不能保證關閉四惡趣之門。依經典的果位標準，決定不墮惡趣的是證得 "sotāpatti"；信是重要助緣，預流者的不壞淨信則是證果後的聖者品質。

4. 原稿說 "mindfulness is greater than faith"，不宜理解為兩項心法的固定排名。五根須依情況平衡；念的特殊作用是守護與統攝，不表示其他根可以缺少。



[02] With Faith Transcends Wrong View
6th December 1960

[Sayadaw based this talk on the Ālavaka Sutta of Samyutta Nikāya & Sutta Nipāta. It was an interesting sutta & traced it source to the previous Buddha Kassapa. He only used 2 factors from the sutta; faith (saddhā) & mindfulness (sati).

Only with faith (saddhā) people can start to practise & realize first Nibbāna & their faiths become fixed. This stage transcends wrong view & doubt & faith becomes unshakable. May be in the beginning it needs some trust & interest in the Buddha’s teaching to start for it.

A few years ago there was a book in the west called “Buddhism Without Faith”. Many scholars criticized this book. “Buddhism Without Blind Faith” is the Buddhist faith & encourage the freedom of enquiry.

Without any faith & trust, nobody will has the interest to study & practice, but you need to have an open mind. All the Buddha’s teachings could be verified by oneself because it came from the direct experiences of the Buddha and the natural phenomena & laws of nature.

Sayadaw gave a very good analogy for saddhā. A man wants to dig out the root of a tree has to use a tool. The root of the tree is like ditthi (wrong view) & it connects with the water of dugati (the 4 painful rebirths). The branches are like tanhā and māna (craving & conceit) which grow out from the root.

The tool is paññā (wisdom) & the hands are faith (saddhā). Without the hands the tool can’t dig out the root. Sayadaw also emphasized the important of sati & it was leading all the other factors. Faith can transcend the lower round of existences; i.e, the 4 painful rebirths. With sati can transcend all the upper saṁsāra; i.e from the human existence to the highest Brahma Gods.]

The Buddha taught Ālavaka in the discourse that with faith could close the doors of 4 painful rebirths. Because of wrong view beings fall into the 4 painful rebirths, with faith can cross over the flood of wrong view (ditthogha). You have to believe that it can enter the stream of the path (sotāpatti magga).

Why you want to practise the Dhamma? You have faith in the Buddha’s words & also the words of the teacher, so you are practising it. He had been said that you must discern impermanence, & if you practice accordingly will discern it. You discern it because you have faith & practice it.

After discerning impermanence do you have any idea of this is my permanent mind process? Wrong view takes it as permanence. In practice let faith is leading you. Another point the Buddha taught was appamāda-diligence with mindfulness can transcend the 4 floods (oghas).

Mindfulness is greater than faith. Whatever is arising (mind states, feelings etc.) watching with mindfulness. If you are seeing the arising dhamma & also will see the cessation of it.

Watching at the candle light & you’ll see it going out. As example, mind with greed is arising & you are watching with mindfulness & it’s passing away. At that time is there any clinging come in? Without it you are free from the flood of sensuality (kamogha).

By watching & observing the mind & body phenomena & seeing impermanence do you want any kind of becoming? Then you are free from the flood of becoming (bhavogha).

If you are let the mindfulness dhamma leading you & wisdom (paññā) will follow behind it. Mindfulness knows the arising dhamma & wisdom knows the anicca. All these knowing are leading by mindfulness. Therefore the Buddha called it Satipatthāna (the function & object of mindfulness).

耗時與不待時：Kālika 與 Akālika
原題： Time-Consuming and Timeless: Kālika and Akālika
開示日期： 1960 年 12 月 8 日

〔英譯者按：本講依據《相應部》SN 1.20〈三彌提經〉。年輕俊秀的三彌提比丘清晨沐浴後，一位女天神勸他先享受欲樂，以後再修行。三彌提回答：欲樂耗時、多苦、多惱，而且其中過患更大；佛陀所教之法則可於現前親見、不待時節、邀人來見、引導向內，應由智者親自體驗。〕

禪師以兩個詞作本講主軸："kālika" 是牽涉時間、延後才能獲得結果或使人耗盡時間之事；"akālika" 是不待時、可於現前驗證。世俗生活若被欲愛主導，便一直替家庭、財物與享受奔忙；修觀則在現前這一刻看見法，不必等到遙遠來生。

這並不表示在家責任都應放棄，而是要辨明先後。譬如口渴想喝水，先知道「想喝」的心已生，觀察它變化、消失，再適量喝水。修行不必等所有世務結束才開始；就在需要、選擇與行動之中，先讓念與慧進來，然後完成合理的事情。

女天神勸三彌提：「你還年輕，應先享受耗時的欲樂，以後再做不待時的修行。」三彌提回答：他不知道自己何時死亡，不知道因什麼病死、不知道死在何處，也不知道死後將往何處。因此不能把最重要的事推到「以後」。

女天神進一步詢問時，三彌提知道自己的解說尚不足，便請她直接去問佛陀。佛陀指出，人之所以把耗時的欲樂當成第一要務，與不能分清概念和實相有關。人只見「我、我的、男人、女人、家庭、財物」等世俗名稱，卻沒有在這些名稱所指的經驗中看見色、受、想、行、識的生滅，於是為概念奔波，並由執取而受苦。

概念在溝通與生活中有其作用；問題是把概念誤認為恆常實體。修觀時，把五蘊歸納為名與色，再在名色中看見因緣生滅；如此，無常顯現，苦諦也顯現。循著苦的止息而修，便體會佛法「不待時」的意義。

世間的工作常須等待條件成熟；正念與如實知見卻只能在當下生起。若一直說「年輕先享樂，年老再修」，實際上是把不確定的壽命當成保證。三彌提的回答不是否定一切生活，而是拒絕以未知的未來作為放逸的藉口。


中文譯校說明

1. 本講依據《相應部》SN 1.20〈Samiddhisutta〉。原題的 "Time-Comsuming" 是拼字錯誤，已校為 "Time-Consuming"。

2. "kālika" 在本經形容欲樂受時間制約、結果延後且耗費生命；"akālika" 是法的功德之一，表示不待時節、可於現前驗證，不宜簡化為所有家庭工作都錯、只有坐禪才對。

3. 原稿說女天神在聽法後證得 "sotāpatti"，可能來自註釋傳統；《相應部》SN 1.20 正文以她領悟偈義作結，未用標準證果公式明說她已證預流。

4. "concept" 與 "reality" 可分別對應世俗施設與現前名色法，但佛法不是要求人在日常生活中拒絕姓名、家庭及責任；所要破除的是把施設執成常一主體。



[03] Time_Comsuming & Timeless / Kālika & Akālika
8th December 1960

[Sayadaw based this talk from Samiddhi Sutta, Devatā samyutta. Bhikkhu Samiddhi was handsome & lovely. A femal earth-deity (bhumma devatā) saw him in the light of early dawn fell in love with him & planned to seduce him. Samiddhi insisted that he would not abandon the monk`s life for the sake of sensual enjoyment.

He explained to her, “The Blessed One has stated that sensual pleasure are time-consuming, full of sufferings, full of despair, & the danger in them is still greater, while this Dhamma is directly visible, immediate (akāliko), inviting one to come & see, applicable, to be personally experience by the wise.”

(The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed one + directly visible……experience by the wise, are the 6 attributes of the Dhamma) The deity did not understand what he said & asked for more explanation.
He could not answer & suggested her to ask the Buddha. Later the Buddha answered for her & she entered the stream at the end of the talk (became a sotāpanna). It did not mention what happened to Samiddhi.

Here one of the interesting point was unwholesome intention turned into wholesome intention & leading to enlightenment by meeting a spiritual friend. Here Sayadaw used these 2 words, kālika (time_consuming) & akālika (timeless or immediate) to give this talk]

There are 2 kāla (time); kālika (time_consuming) & akālika (immediate). Kālika is about family & wealth. Akālika is about insight practice. Another way is working for defilement & killing the defilement. People are following kālika & enjoying in it will encounter great suffering, worry & anxiety.

If you do akālika all these will end. (Sayadaw taught them how to use akālika before, & then kālika) As an example, if you want to drink water. First contemplate impermanence of the wanting mind (desire) & then drink the water, etc… This is the right way to do things.

The Buddha gave this talk to Samiddhi (including the female deity). A deity came to Samiddhi & said to him. “Now you are in your youth & should indulge yourself in kālika (i.e, sensual pleasure) & do the akālika (spiritual practice) later.”

Samidhi answered to her, “ I don’t know the time of my death, the type of illness for dying & the place where I have to leave my body. And then also I don’t know where I’ll take my rebirth after death. So I have to do the akālika before.” The deity asked him again & he couldn’t answer it.

So he suggested her to ask the Buddha. The Buddha said that people took kālika as importance was they were not clear about between concept & reality. They took the mind & body phenomena as me, mine, man & woman.

So they suffered for it. Human beings end up in concepts or relative truth that they do all sorts of worldly things (have families, bring up children etc…) If you don’t clear about concept & reality there will be no vipassanā contemplation.

Therefore find out the reality & contemplate impermanence. At the end of the teaching the deity entered the stream. If you condense the 5 khandas only have the mind & body. Condense the mind & body again only impermanence. Impermanence is the truth of suffering. If you follow to the ending of dukkha it become akālika (timelessness, i.e Nibbāna).

檢查邪見
原題： Checking for Wrong Views
開示日期： 1960 年 12 月 9 日


人若認為有一個同一不變的「我」，今生造業，來生仍由這個我前往領受，便傾向常見（sassata-diṭṭhi）。人若認為死亡就是一個真實眾生徹底斷滅，身壞以後行為沒有因果相續，便傾向斷見（uccheda-diṭṭhi）。凡夫的見解常在這兩端之間擺動，因此要回到身心經驗中檢查。

有常見的人可能相信善惡果報、願意行善，也可能因貪著未來的「有」而不喜歡聽生命相續止息的法。他想慢慢證涅槃，實際上是不願放下下一次存在。有斷見的人可能厭倦生命，喜歡聽「一切結束」，卻把涅槃誤解為一個人被消滅；若因此否定業果，也更容易不顧善惡。兩者都不是中道。

斷見者聽內觀法，可能只抓住「生命終止」；常見者聽經，則只挑選人天福樂。前者不懂苦的止息，後者不願放下對有的渴愛。修行不是選擇比較討喜的一端，而是看清：只有依條件生起、依條件滅去的五蘊，找不到恆常主體，也不是某個實體忽然被消滅成無。

中道的知見是：這裡有五蘊，有無常、苦、無我、不淨與苦諦。以智慧分析並實際觀察，會看見現象生起，也看見現象滅去。見到生起，不落入「毫無因果、突然斷無」；見到滅去，不落入「某物永遠不變」。緣起的因果相續並不需要一個常住我，而現象的滅也不是實體自我的毀滅。

可以用指甲輕劃手臂，觀察感受生起又改變。被觀的受無常，知道受的心也無常。先見無常，是如實知見；持續觀察，對生滅現象產生厭離，是厭離智。若沒有看見生滅，便會對五蘊生喜；見其不能停留，才可能不再貪著。

對五蘊厭離，也就是對任何界趣中的同類五蘊厭離。只要取得五蘊，就有老、病、死與埋葬之處。厭離不是憎恨自己或他人，而是停止把無常之法當成永久歸宿。

當觀智成熟，道支圓滿，五取蘊之苦不再續生，苦滅被證知。這裡所滅的是苦與苦因，不是一個眾生被消滅，所以不屬斷見。從初見無常起，可以知道方向已朝向涅槃；但不能因此自滿，仍須繼續觀察，直到貪、瞋、癡與錯見依相應道果次第斷除。

中道不是折衷地相信「我有一半永恆、一半斷滅」，而是以緣起理解生滅：此有故彼有，此生故彼生；此無故彼無，此滅故彼滅。如此檢查自己的見解，才能離開兩邊。


中文譯校說明

1. "sassata-diṭṭhi" 是常見，主張自我或眾生以某種方式常住；"uccheda-diṭṭhi" 是斷見，主張一個真實自我於死亡時被消滅。兩者的完整類型可參考《長部》DN 1〈Brahmajālasutta〉，不能只用喜歡來生或厭惡今生判定一個人。

2. 阿羅漢死後不再生起後有，並不是 "uccheda-diṭṭhi"。因為阿羅漢已不執取一個應被消滅的自我；其身口意也可稱 "kiriya-matta"，但這與否定業果的斷見不同。

3. 本講以見生起破斷見、見滅去破常見，是實修上的簡要口訣。更完整的中道見出自《相應部》SN 12.15 〈Kaccānagottasutta〉：如實見世間集起，不取「無」；如實見世間滅去，不取「有」。

4. "yathābhūta-ñāṇa" 是如實知見，"nibbidā-ñāṇa" 是厭離智。厭離不是厭世、自我憎惡或希望死亡，而是對有為法不再迷戀。



[04] Checking for Wrong Views
9th December 1960

After this life & want enjoyment in next life is the view of eternalism (sassata ditthi). If you have done it & will receive it. This person will go there & enjoy the result is eternalism (sassata). After you have done & nothing is happening again. It’s just only functional (kiriya matta).

It’s the view of annihilationism (uccheda ditthi). Viewing it as there is no any connection. (But for fully enlightened beings such as Buddha, Pacceka-buddha & arahat it’s only functional).

Everybody has one of these views. With sassata view can’t realize Nibbāna, but can arrive to good destination (sugati). Uccheda view even can’t arrive to sugati but to the planes of misery (apāya bhūmi). These dhammas are for inner investigation.

If you don’t give up these wrong view & even do the practice can’t realize Nibbāna. They forbid the Path & Fruit knowledges. (Magga & Phala). If you teach Nibbāna dhamma to sassata person he doesn’t like it. He is hiding himself in the round of existence. Don’t want to listen about the cessation of life.

They like to realize Nibbāna slowly. Some people are very poor & have a lot of suffering & sorrow in lives that death is the only solution to them. Their philosophy is only born once & only die once & prefer the cessation of life. So they are uccheda people.

They want to listen about the cessation of life. Both of these people are wrong. Because of the craving for becoming (bhavatanhā) sassata people don’t like Nibbāna. Wrong view is preventing them to realize it.

They love to listen the enjoyment of life in the sutta discourses. For uccheda people when they listen vipassanā dhamma & prefer the cessation of life without understanding the cessation of dukkha. Both of them are not in the middle way, but inclining towards each polarity (i.e, eternalism & annihilationism).

I will talk about their nature. Sassata people believe in this life & after life. Doing wholesome actions & abstain from unwholesome action. If the Buddha & disciples taught them sacca dhamma & difficult to transcend dukkha. Because they take enjoyment in the becoming.


Uccheda people believe in this life & next life (My understanding of uccheda view is not believe in after life. May be here Sayadaw referred to some Buddhists who had uccheda view) & prefer the cessation of life. They are not doing wholesome actions. Dare to do unwholesome actions. But if they had the chances & listened to the teachings of the Buddha & disciples quickly renounced their wrong views. Worked hard to realize Nibbāna quickly.


The one in the middle way has these knowledges. He has only 5 khandhas & these are impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), notself (anatta) & foulness (asubha) dhamma & truth of dukkha. By analyzing the khandhas with knowledge & practice will see their passing away with blips.

By seeing the arising dhamma is free from the annihilationism (uccheda) & seeing the passing away dhamma is free from eternalism (sassata). The person in the middle way free from both wrong views.

He is not accepting the views of permanence & extinction. In the world (loka) there are the only existence of the arising dhammas & the passing away dhamma. There are no eternal & annihilated phenomena. Before people had sassata view because they didn’t see the passing away dhammas & had uccheda view because they didn’t see the arising phenomena.

Before they didn’t have these insight. Therefore only by discerning impermanence that will be in the middle way. As an example you can use your finger nail scratches on your arm.

You will find the feeling arising & disappearing. The object of contemplation is impermanent & the knowledge which know the object is also impermanent (here feeling & the knowing mind). This is the main reason why I myself had taught you for many years about these things. Only by discerning impermanence before that will follow by disenchantment after.

If you don’t discern it & will be followed with pleasure. After the disenchantment do you have any desire for it? Seeing impermanence is the knowledge of as it really is (yathābhūtam nyan, the knowledge which drives away sassata & uccheda). Continue to contemplate & become disenchantment towards the phenomena is Nibbida Nyan (disenchantment of the arising dhamma & the passing away dhammas).


that sassata & uccheda cannot close near to the mind. This knowledge is beneficial to the Path Knowledge. By disenchanting to the khandhas is also to all the khandhas of 31 realms of existence. It is also the knowledge of disenchantment to the cemetery. If you have the khandha you have to look for a cemetery to bury it.

When arriving to this knowledge even you are disenchanting to someone you want to associate or live with this person. Then the 8 path factors arise, & the khandha disappears. Dukkha sacca disappears & nirodha sacca arises. This is the Deathless Nibbāna.

If you know only dukkha ceases (not a being) & free from uccheda ditthi. You should have sustained attention on the khandhas. From the time of discerning impermanence & can make a decision that you are at the entrance door of Nibbāna.

But don’t be satisfied with it & continue for contemplation. Becoming disenchantment you are closer to Nibbāna city. Continue to contemplate until penetrate the arising dukkha & the passing away dukkha, then the 5 khandhas cease. Dukkha ceases is Nibbāna. From the time you are discovering anicca & making the decision that you will realize Nibbāna.

邪見與性格
原題： Wrong Views and Characters
開示日期： 1961 年 12 月 9 日


邪見從顛倒而來。傾向常見的人喜愛生命相續，對下一種「有」抱持期待，因此離涅槃較遠；傾向斷見的人則希望死後什麼都不再發生，把涅槃誤認成虛無。兩邊都必須親自修觀，使所知與實相相合，不能只靠性格偏好選擇一種說法。

無論觀察身體的哪一部分，都只會遇到無常、苦、無我與苦諦。當身體的真實情形與能知之心相合，才是有眼者的看見。人若一生未見無常，就像生於黑暗、死於黑暗；身心明明是生滅現象，卻認成常住的我，這就是見顛倒。

我們又把施設名稱認作內在實體，執著「我的兒子、我的妻子、我的所有」。兒子、妻子等世俗關係確實存在，也有相應責任；錯誤不在使用名稱，而在以為其中有一個不變、可完全支配的我與我所。禪師以盲人摸象為譬喻：每個人只抓住外在的一小部分，便以為掌握全部，卻不知道內在五蘊正不斷變化。

即使依註釋分類被說成「二因結生者」，行者也不必以此猜測自己的上限。應做的是正確練習、檢查錯誤並修正。若今生未完成，觀無常與善法仍可成為未來資糧；若完全不修，下一生仍可能在黑暗中來去。輪迴漫長，凡夫曾經歷各種高下身份，除了證悟涅槃，沒有哪種世間地位能永久保護自己。

不在中道上的人，會任意走向兩個極端，仍逃不過老病死。禪師以蚯蚓向前爬、卻不知道前方有雞等待吞食作譬喻；眾生也在無明中走向死亡。真正能安心的時刻，不是以顛倒心暫時歡笑，而是看見無常、對行法厭離，並證知其止息。

邪見顛倒使人看不見：這具五蘊一天之中已生滅無數次。預流者被稱為法眼生起、光明生起，因為道智的種子已現前。行者初見無常，生起隨順真諦的智慧；智慧成熟，便徹知苦。世人多喜歡往生善趣之道，不喜歡聽厭離五蘊，正顯示顛倒仍有力量。

身體由四大維持，也受四大失衡所逼迫；禪師以「四條蛇」比喻四大。即使不被外人殺害，色身也終會因自身條件敗壞而死。因此，佛陀勸人對五取蘊厭離，不再把它當作安穩住處。

本講用性格對比常見與斷見。常見者往往相信善惡果報，也願意行善，表面溫和；但他們可能深愛人天欲樂，不肯走向離貪。錯誤看似較輕，執著卻細密難除，好比嬰兒細髮難剃。斷見者若否定業果，可能敢造重惡；但若遇正法、真正信受，也可能因性格果決而迅速改變。這只是教學上的傾向，不是所有人的固定命運。

英譯者舉緬甸禪師德因古西亞多（Thae Inn Gu Sayadaw，又名 Ashin Okkatta，1913–1973）為例：他早年曾做強盜，一次行劫受傷後生起強烈悚懼，閱讀孫倫禪師傳記，受九戒後閉關精進。傳記說他在第六天有初次證悟經驗，後來出家並繼續修行。這則故事要表達的是：過去性格粗猛或曾造惡，不表示永遠不能轉向；但傳記中的證果說法仍屬其傳承記載。

禪師甚至說，在兩種人中，斷見型有時反而較接近涅槃；這不是讚許斷見，而是指某些厭離生命者較願意聽「苦滅」。若沒有正見，厭生只會走向虛無與不善，並不接近解脫。無論哪一型，只要親見五蘊生起與滅去，兩種邪見都會失去依據。

巴利經常說「生起與滅去」，因為這正能對治兩邊。受在這裡生起，隨即不在；心在這裡生起，隨即不在。不必一次看盡所有現象，只要現前所緣清楚顯示生滅，法眼便開始開啟。

本講又把常見型配為貪行者，斷見型配為瞋行者：前者柔和而黏著，後者尖銳而決絕。這可作老師觀察教學方式的方便，不能用來替每個人貼標籤。佛陀的教法公開完整，沒有祕密道路；理解緣起，就是理解無常現象的因果，因而站在中道上。

五蘊如流水：上游的水流入，下游的水流走，沒有同一滴水停住。行者要照顧的，是令這條依無明與渴愛延續的流走向止息。當生滅相續與取著完全止息，便是涅槃，而不是某個常住我獲得永生，也不是某個我被消滅。


中文譯校說明

1. 原稿把 "sassata" 型固定配為 "rāga-carita"，把 "uccheda" 型固定配為 "dosa-carita"。這是本講的性格化教學，不是早期經典對所有常見者、斷見者的普遍心理定律。

2. 原稿說 "uccheda person is closer to Nibbāna"，若按字面接受會嚴重誤導。斷見是邪見；厭惡生命、希望自己消失也不是 "nibbidā"。本講只能理解為某些斷見型人物較容易接受「止息」語言，仍必須先轉成緣起正見。

3. "dvihetuka-puggala" 是南傳阿毗達磨與註釋的結生分類。能否自行判定自己是二因或三因者，經典沒有提供可靠的日常測驗；行者不應用它預先宣判今生不能證悟。

4. 把兒子、妻子等稱為 "concept"，不是否定世俗關係、倫理責任或人格尊嚴；所破的是把關係中的五蘊執為恆常的 "atta" 與完全可控制的「我所」。

5. 德因古西亞多的事蹟與證悟日期屬近代傳記資料，不是巴利三藏記載；本譯保留其勸勉作用，不據此替歷史人物判定果位。



[05] Wrong Views & Characters
9th December 1961

Wrong views come from inversions (vipallāsa). Someone with the sassata nature is taking enjoyment in the life of existence. So it’s far from Nibbāna. Someone with uccheda nature appreciates Nibbāna. With sassata does not like Nibbāna. Uccheda prefers to be nothing is happening again.

They believe in born only once & die only once in lifetime. It doesn’t make any difference to them. I urge people who have these wrong views must practice for themselves to see the reality.

The reality & the knowing have to be fit together. The body whenever you observe, it exists only anicca, dukkha, anatta & dukkha sacca. If the reality of the body & the knowing mind are fitting together, it becomes cakkhu maṁtosa passanti_the person with eyes can see it.


If not you were born with blindness & died with blindness. This was said by the Buddha in the Udāna Pali. Most Buddhists die without seeing impermanence, but they know only born once & die once in one lifetime. These people born in the darkness & die in the darkness. They can’t revolt the inversions (vipallāsa) that they are crazy & blind. This body exists as impermanent phenomena and not seeing this is blind.

But we take the not existing things as my son, my wife, etc. is crazy. So don’t want to become a crazy & blind corpse. If you want, then the king doesn’t go to the heaven & the monk doesn’t fly up to the heaven. (These usages in Burmese language are respectful ways of saying about the king & the monk are passing away).

Both of them suffer in woeful plane (apāyabhūmi; because of wrong views) and dive into the earth (i.e, hell). (And then Sayadaw told the story of a group of blind brahmins and an elephant). All of them didn’t know the whole elephant. In the same way human beings only know the outer forms as son, wife, etc. But they don’t know what happen inside & then die.

They die as crazy & blind people. Even you are a 2 rooted person, if you can practice & discern impermanence, then you will finish your goal in next life. (Regarding 2 rooted person in some of Sayadaw’s talks, can’t discern anicca. May be it referred to the highest levels of anicca, or some of his listeners were already discerned anicca. So he encouraged them to continue their practice.

Anyhow yogis should not concern about the Dhamma duty or procedure. He should concern only practice rightly & checking his mistakes & correcting them). If you don’t work for practice & next life also will born in the darkness & die in the darkness again. You are not only living in the darkness but also crazy.

Without cure your blindness & craziness even a Brahma god can become a pig & an Universal Monarch a dog (anything can happen to a worldling). Everything was happening before to a living being but except Nibbāna. (Because saṁsāra or the beginningless round of rebirths is very long to all beings)


A person not in the middle way is going randomly and in the extreme. The 2 extremes are not free from ageing, sickness & death. And also can’t find the way of freedom. Without cure the blindness & craziness will be never in the middle way. Beings are moving like an earth worm. A chicken is waiting in front of it. It doesn’t know about this & going towards the chicken.

Therefore it becomes the food for the chick. In the same way living beings are eaten by the king of the Death. You can smile only when you are in the middle way. You can smile after seeing impermanence, disenchantment & the ending of the conditioned phenomena. Without these is only the smiling of a blind & crazy person.

Inversion of wrong view (ditthi vipallāsa) over power us that we are always going towards the path of death. If you are looking at it with knowledge and this khandha is dying for many times within a day. So if someone became a sotāpanna and the Buddha referred to him as āloko udapādi_ attained the knowledge of light.

It will only become bright by getting the seed of Path Knowledge. After discern anicca and yiu get the knowledge in accordance with the truth (saccanulomika nyan).

This knowledge becomes mature will see the real dukkha. It’s difficult to talk people to appreciate these things. What they prefer is the path to good rebirths, because they have inversions with them. If your eyes can see, then you are in the middle way.

You discern impermanence and it becomes the seed of a noble being (ariya). Most of us took rebirths as animals in our past lives because human existences were difficult to obtain (Some yogis could discern their past lives also supported this point).

Therefore the Buddha said that we should be disgusted & loathed to this khandha. If you have the khandha, & even will not kill by others, must bite to death by the 4 snakes within it (And them Sayadaw mentioned how the 4 great elements changed in the body & led to deaths).

The Buddha explained the characters of blind & crazy people. People held the view of permanence (sassata ditthi) believe in next life & the result of good & evil. Prefer to do good & afraid of evil.


May be you all think him as a moral person. Even if he meets a good teacher and stays away from practice to realize Nibbāna (There was a close disciple named U Mya, a wealthy business man. If he had the chance to meet Sayadaw would never stay longer, but only a few days for his talks. Sayadaw always asked him to stay longer for practice but he neglected & died unexpectedly).

These people (sassata) even if they met the Buddha would not do it & not giving up their views. Their faults are small but very difficult to transcend dukkha (Most later Buddhists are this type. They have bhava tanhā & also encourage others to do the same).

They are very reluctant to cut off the khandha process. They can’t give up their sensual pleasure. They are gentle nature. Pretend to be moral people & don’t want to come out from the round of existence (vatta).

Therefore it’s difficult to help them for liberation. It’s refine & difficult wrong view. Like the head hairs of a small baby difficult to shave. The faults of uccheda people are heavy, but they are easily to give up their views. They believe in life & kamma but don’t want to cultivate wholesome actions.

They can do unwholesome things. If they listen to talks & have faith in it easy to transcend dukkha. The difficult things is most of you are sassata people. If you have the eye sight both of these views will fall away.

Uccheda people even at the utmost can make a vow to become a bodhisatta. Between the two views, uccheda person is more closer to Nibbāna. If you discern the impermanence of any khandha both wrong views are gone. By seeing the arising is uccheda view, with the passing away is sassata view & both will fall away.

So discerning of impermanence is very beneficial. Go & study the Pali Suttas, most of them were talking about the rise & fall (udaya & vaya), i.e, impermanence. Why is that? Because it can revolt wrong views. Now, you have encountered the Buddha’s Teachings and must do this task.


If not you will incline towards one side. Therefore I am asking you very often that do you discern impermanence? The same as do you have the eye-sight yet? It doesn’t mean to see all of them. Here feeling arises & then not here. Mind arises & then not here. To know the overview of it.

These are important so that I have to tell you. Even in the past lives before, you might be met one of the Buddhas, but one of these wrong views prevented you from liberation. Distinguish by characters sassata person is lust temperament (rāga caritta). Uccheda person is hatred temperament (dosa caritta).


If he doesn’t want to do something whatever reason he will not do it. They are blunt people (If they have faith in the Dhamma can give up their lives for the practice). They are sharp & sassata people are soft. The Buddha taught a lot of things in details, & nothing was left behind (The Buddha never had a secret teaching or left somethings behind for others to discover).

Even in the end he allowed the monks to adopt some of the minor rules for the practice. All of you are understanding the Dependent Arising very well (Sayadaw taught many years to them by using D.A). So don’t doubt about yourself as in the middle way or not? Dependent Arising teaches you the cause & effect of the impermanent phenomena. So you are in the middle way.

Only you need to take care of it ending. The khandha like the flowing water always in the impermanent states. It tells you only these. It’s like as you are watching at one of the place of flowing river. The upper part of the water flowing in & the lower part of the water flowing away? The cessation of rise & fall (udaya & vaya) is Nibbāna.

智者與愚者
原題： The Wise and the Fool
開示日期： 1960 年 12 月 11 日


本講以《吉祥經》第一首偈為依據：「不親近愚者，親近智者，供養應受供養者，這是最上的吉祥。」

所謂愚者（bāla），不只是智力較差的人；所謂智者（paṇḍita），也不只是學問較多的人。要看當下心中由什麼法作主。心被無明（avijjā）支配，便在那一刻成為愚；心有明與智慧（vijjā、paññā），便在那一刻成為智。判斷重點是心中現行之法，不是對人的永久標籤。

親近善法，心便朝向智慧；親近不善法，心便朝向愚癡。不知道五蘊的真相是無明；由無明推動造作，便令輪迴延續。把五蘊執成真實不變的男人、女人與眾生，是愚癡；觀察五蘊無常，則是智慧。

若一生抓住五蘊為「我」直到死亡，便是以愚癡結束此生。若在生命中親近無常的真相，於每次身心現象生起時都如實觀察，便是在親近智者之法。智慧成熟，可證無比的涅槃。

「供養應受供養者」也可從內在理解：真正值得尊敬的，是戒、定、慧、解脫及依法修行。能以觀智面對死亡，不被我見與渴愛拖走，這樣的人與法才是值得供養。最好的供養，不只是禮拜，而是讓自己的心由無明轉成明。


中文譯校說明

1. 本講引用 "Khp 5" 與 "Snp 2.4 Maṅgalasutta" 的首偈。"bāla" 與 "paṇḍita" 在經中也可指愚人與智者；禪師把它們內化為當下的愚法、智法，是修行上的發揮，不能因此否定善知識與惡友作為人的實際影響。

2. "avijjā" 緣 "saṅkhāra" 是緣起支；但不能把每一個不知道世俗資訊的時刻都直接等同造成再生的根本無明。此處特指不知四聖諦與五蘊實相。

「以觀無常而死便值得供養」是勸勉語。是否成為聖者或應供，仍須依煩惱實際斷除與道果標準判定。



[06] The Wise and the Fool
11th December 1960

(In this talk Sayadaw was using the first verse of the 38 highest blessings_ Mangala Sutta for the teaching. “Not to associate with fools; to associate with the wise; to honour those worthy of honour”) A fool (bālā) doesn’t mean a person is foolish but for the dhamma latent in the mind.

In the same way the wise (panditā) also not a person but the dhamma. The mind has ignorance (avijjā) & becomes the fool. The mind has knowledge (vijjā) & becomes the wise. We have to decide by the dhamma latents in the mind. Association with what is good becomes wise & bad becomes a fool. Not knowing is ignorance (avijjā) & foolishness is sankhara (kammic formation).

Take the 5 khandhas as man & woman who are not exist is foolishness. Contemplation of the impermanence of the khandha is wise. By dying in this way is worthy of honour (pūjā ca pūjanīyānaṁ). Someone dies by clinging to the khandha as a living being is the corpse of a fool. If you associate with impermanence will realize the incomparable Nibbāna.

輪迴與五蓋
原題： Saṁsāra and the Hindrances
開示日期： 1960 年 12 月 13 日、17 日至 21 日


第一講

我們怎樣在輪迴中生活？依世俗說法，是不斷換頭換身，從人變成狗、豬或其他眾生；依緣起說法，則是生、老、死反覆運轉，像一部苦的機器。眾生不知道怎樣移開遮蔽物，所以這部機器長久不停。

遮蔽法與智慧的，是欲貪、瞋恚、昏沉睡眠、掉舉惡作與疑五蓋。它們障礙定與慧，也障礙道果。即使遇到佛、法、僧，若不處理五蓋，仍會隨無明與渴愛繼續造作。

禪師沿用南傳阿毗達磨的心所依處說，心於心所依處活動；又以血液混濁、澄清比喻心被蓋覆或恢復清明。佛陀以水作五蓋譬喻：欲貪像混入各種顏色的水，使人照不見自己的臉。當心離蓋清淨，才容易照見五蘊的無常、苦、無我與不淨。

癢生起又滅，聽覺生起又滅，香、念頭也都生起又滅。若看不見，是心與蓋混合，智慧沒有機會工作。依念處方法，貪心來時先觀貪心無常；貪滅後，再回到原先所觀的身、受或心。若不知如何處理貪，它便接上取與有；若如實觀察，它反而成為內觀所緣。

有人遇到五蓋便責怪波羅蜜不足。問題往往不是未知的過去，而是不知道現在生起的是什麼、該如何觀察。先準確認出五蓋，再以相應方法處理，才是實際道路。


第二講

世間有外道之法，也有佛陀指向解脫之法；內觀是佛陀教法的重要特色，但仍需正確教導。遇善知識好比黎明，道支生起好比太陽升起；缺少這兩項，眾生便在無明與渴愛的黑暗中生、住、死。

佛陀對阿闍世王說，尚未捨斷五蓋的人，會把它們看成債務、疾病、監獄、奴役與荒野險路。欲貪像欠債：心總被所欲之物催迫，沒有自由。本講以成家、養家與追求財物作尖銳譬喻，說人像不停向債主還債。要點不是否定家庭責任，而是觀察：責任是否被無盡貪欲擴大，使人一生只替欲望工作。

我們最愛自己的五蘊，因為尚未看見它的過患。若要在「受緣愛」處截斷，便觀三受。樂受、苦受、不苦不樂受一現起，就知道它依觸而生、隨條件而滅。受滅時，不讓渴愛接續，奴役的名冊便少一筆。


第三講

治療內在貪欲，需要使它吐出的藥；禪師把道支比作藥。每次貪生起，觀它無常；貪滅後，再觀它所依的五蘊。貪在心中停留越久，奴役越久。正見是佛陀提供的藥。

瞋恚像疾病，應在初起時處理，不要等它發展成熟。慈心可以對治瞋；若瞋已強烈到慈心不易生起，就先以正念知道瞋，再觀它的生滅。瞋恚現前時，今生已受苦；若由它造作，又會成為未來苦因。

昏沉睡眠像監獄。貪者可能知道自己貪，怒者也可能知道自己怒；昏沉則令心失去辨識力，連外界與內在發生什麼都不清楚，因此特別難處理。需要振作身心、明確所緣、如理作意，必要時改變姿勢、經行或休息，不能只在昏沉中硬坐。


第四講

經常修習的人，臨終時較可能由慣行業支持而憶念善法，甚至安詳面對死亡。日常生活中，我見與渴愛常與五蘊同行，使人看不見身心變化；依佛陀與老師所教守候觀察，智慧便能與五蘊現象同行。

看見五蘊不能維持，心逐漸不再喜愛、黏著，繼而厭離與離貪。觀智成熟，道智現起；之後可繼續修習較高道果。所謂臨終微笑，是勸人平日培養正見，不是保證每位禪修者的表情或果位。

掉舉與惡作像奴役。心掉舉時，不依自己的意向停留，反而要跟著散亂跑。先觀掉舉無常；它平息後，再回原所緣。惡作包括追悔已造不善，也包括焦慮尚未完成的善事；兩者都可能在坐禪或臨終出現。能補救之事應補救，不能改變的過去則以懺悔、守戒與當下善行處理，不再反覆自我折磨。


第五講

原編輯註明：1960 年 12 月 20 日這一講，已在 第二部 第 21 篇〈追悔、憂慮與死亡〉中譯出，因此此處不再重複。


第六講

若有人問：「你從哪裡來？」一般回答是從母胎來。佛陀則提醒「生是苦」；從諦的角度，可說我們從苦諦而來。若問現在住在哪裡，世俗上可答曼德勒或阿摩羅補羅；從實相看，我們一直住在老、病、死的苦諦之中。

我們以為自己健康，實際上身體仍處於會病、會死的條件下。從生而來，與老病同行，最後以死亡結束；五蘊的功能不離這些變化。五蓋遮蔽真相，使人看不見出離之路。

疑從哪裡來？《一切漏經》指出，不如理作意於不應注意之事、忽略應注意之事，會生起未生之漏並增長已生之漏。對「我過去是什麼、現在是什麼、未來會是什麼」作錯誤追索，便滋養身見與疑。培養如理作意，需要親近智者、聽聞正法並觀察因果。

邪見與疑比一次性的武器更危險，是因它們能使輪迴反覆延續。無明與行結果成五蘊之樹；樹又結出能長成下一棵樹的種子。要處理的是現在這棵樹，不再讓它以愛、取、有結出後有。

聽法不能只求功德，還要記住、理解並實踐。疑生起時，不是用一句口號壓住它，而是回到因果與生滅：現前五蘊依條件而起，依條件而滅。無明轉成明，造作後有的行便失去支持。


第七講

修行有疑，好比旅人對道路與目的地都不確定。依阿毗達磨說有八種疑；本講特別處理對過去、現在、未來與緣起的疑。簡要說，無明與行緣五蘊；凡夫又在五蘊上生無明、造行，於是「無明與行—五蘊—無明與行—五蘊」循環不已。輪迴起點不可得，但其條件可以知道。

把緣起濃縮來看，是集諦與苦諦在流轉。五蓋使道與滅不能現前。趁尚未被老病逼迫，應培育善的因——道支；善的結果是苦滅。等到重病與死亡之間才第一次尋路，往往已太遲。

禪師以阿努羅陀尊者為例：他因見解與疑未清，無法回答外道問題；佛陀引導他不把如來等同五蘊，也不在五蘊之外尋如來。觀察只是苦生、苦滅，邪見與疑便可鬆開。徹知苦，才會生起不欲再取苦的道智；苦不再生，是涅槃。


中文譯校說明

1. 五蓋及債務、疾病、監獄、奴役、荒野險路的完整配對出自《長部》DN 2〈Sāmaññaphalasutta〉："kāmacchanda" 如債，"byāpāda" 如病，"thīnamiddha" 如監獄，"uddhaccakukkucca" 如奴役，"vicikicchā" 如荒野險路。

2. 原稿以心臟血液清濁解釋心的清濁，結合了前現代生理觀與阿毗達磨的 "hadaya-vatthu"。這不是現代神經科學或心臟醫學結論；正文只保留其譬喻功能。

3. 原稿說瞋恨性格會使人提早老病，是倫理勸誡與註釋說法；長期壓力可能影響健康，但個別疾病不能簡單歸咎患者的 "dosa"。

4. "āciṇṇa-kamma" 是慣行業。平日禪修可增加臨終憶念善法的可能，卻不能保證必定微笑、證果或排除譫妄、疼痛等醫療因素。

5. 《中部》MN 2〈Sabbāsavasutta〉確實談到不如理作意於過去、現在、未來之我而生起見漏；原稿所說「八疑」主要屬阿毗達磨分類，不是該經在此逐項列出的名稱。

6. 原稿把五蘊樹直接稱作死亡的結果，把無明與行稱作死亡之因，是本講的濃縮緣起圖；標準十二支仍須保留中間的識、名色、六處、觸、受、愛、取、有、生等條件。



[07] Saṁsāra and the Hindrances
13th, 17th to 21st December 1960

T1
How we were living in the round of existences? (Saṁsāra). Talking with the relative truth of person & living being; we were wandering-on by changing heads, such as from human head to dog head, pig head etc. In accordance with the Dependent Arising we are revolving around by birth, ageing & death (jati, jara & marana).

This is dukkha machine running on. We don’t know how to remove away the covering up phenomena. So saṁsāra is very long for us. There are the 5 hindrances cover up the Dhamma & wisdom can’t penetrate.

These are the dhammas hinder the Path & Fruit knowledges. Even meet the Buddha, Dhamma, & Sangha, if we can’t remove them the dukkha machine is running on. The mind process appears at the heart base. If the blood of the heart becomes muddle then the mind is also. If the blood becomes clear & the mind is also. And then the knowledge becomes clear.

The Buddha used some similes to explain the hindrances. For greed (lobha) a bowl of colour water. Originally water is clear. In the same way bhavanga citta (life-continuum) is clear. The heart blood is also clear. There are 8 types of greedy mind, as an example with wrong view & without wrong view etc.

If the mind is clear like the pure water can discern impermanence in the khandha (i.e, far from the hindrances). An itch arises & passes away, hearing arises & passes away, smell arises & passes away, thought arises & passes away. All are passing away.

If you don’t discern it then mixed with hindrances. Therefore nyan (knowledge) doesn’t has the chance to come in. The same as you can’t see your own face in the water. Anicca, dukkha, anatta, & asubha phenomena can’t appear. In accordance with the way of mindfulness (satipatthāna), if lobha mind comes in, first contemplate its impermanence. After that you’ll see the impermanence in the khandha.

Therefore the Buddha said that forgot what one had learnt (with hindrances) & remembered what one had forgotten (without hindrances). If the lobha mind arises & don’t know how to remove it, will connect to clinging (upādāna) & revolve in saṁsāra. If you know how to deal with it then becomes vipassanā.

And then continue to discern the impermanence of whatever one is contemplating. Some blame their paramis when the hindrances come in. It’s nothing to do with the paramis but don’t know how to deal with the hindrances. These are arising now, but they don’t know & say what they think about it.


T2
There are 2 types of dhamma. Dhamma of the outsiders & Dhamma of the Buddha. Vipassanā is the teaching of the Buddha. Can be practised it, you need a good teacher. If you meet a good teacher the path factors will be developed. Meeting a good teacher is like dawn arising. Developing path factors is like the sun arising. Without these 2 factors all beings are under the darkness. Therefore they are born, live & die in the darkness.

This is under the influence of ignorance & craving. According to the Dependent Arising process, beings arrive to the 4 woeful planes. I will talk about the hindrances the Buddha taught to King Ajātasattu. If greed (lobha) arises in the khandha it’s like someone in debts. There is no free time & the mind becomes unhappy. We can contemplate to find out, it’s like a person in debt or not.

We establish a family, wife & children increase. They are like money lenders, you have to work for them. It’s like repay the debts. This debt has to be paid until your death. Even you are dying & want to continue to pay the debt. The Buddha taught you to give up greed.

But you all are keeping it with you. So you all are not Buddhists. How to free oneself from slavery? We love ourselves most because don’t know the faults of the khandha. We love the khandha most.

So practice insight on the khandha. Divide the khandha you get 5 of them. Wanting to kill tanhā (craving) contemplate feeling (vedana). Why? Because vedana conditions tanhā (vedana paccaya tanhā). When feeling ceases, craving also ceases- vedana nirodha tanhā nirodho. Then you are free from the list of the slave. The time you are not practicing is a slave mind. Contemplate the 3 feelings (pleasant, unpleasant & neutral feelings).


T3
(Sayadaw continued to talk on greed) To vomit out greed inside the khandha must feed the medicine for vomiting. This medicine is insight path factors. Every time greed arises contemplate its impermanence. After that continue to contemplate the khandha where lobha is hiding. If lobha is staying in the heart longer and the slave life is longer.

Right view is the medicine of vipassanā for vomiting lobha. (after that Sayadaw talked about men working for their wives in a very humourous way. Compared them as oxen). There is no disease bigger than greed. No medicine can cure it, only with the medicine of the Buddha.


Hatred (dosa) is like a person who has disease. It starts from the beginning to mature stage. Therefore it has to be contemplated in its beginning stage. The commentary mentioned that people who were hatred nature they became old, sick & distress earlier than before the time came.

This comes from wrong view & has to contemplate impermanence (Sayadaw told the story of Theri Padācāra) Without overcomes dosa can’t contemplate other things. After extinguish it contemplate the khandha which dosa relies on. In the Majjima Nikāya dosa is like a frog. If you poke it body with a stick it becomes bigger.

According to Dependent Arising, dosa starts at the end; i.e, dosa, soka, parideva etc. Without knowing dosa arises is including ignorance with it. Because of ignorance starts Dependent Arising in the beginning. Therefore dosa arises people suffer at the present & in the future. This disease can be cure with metta (loving kindness) & if you can’t then use vipassanā. At that time not easy for metta to come in. Contemplate impermance is the best way.

Sloth & torpor (thīna & middha) is like a person in the prison. This person doesn’t know what happening outside the prison. These dhamma are more terrible than others. In the place of not knowing it is number one. Angry person knows his anger.

In the same way greedy person knows his greed, even though he can’t overcome it. For both of them you can contemplate lobha & dosa. But for sloth & torpor you can’t do it. Therefore it’s like in a saṁsāric prison.


T4
People who do regular meditation practices & have the habitual actions (ācinna kamma) near death & die with smile on their faces. In daily life whatever actions & movements we are doing, wrong view & craving (ditthi & tanhā) are always going together with the khandha.

At that time we can’t never see the changes within them. By using the methods of the Buddha & teachers giving us to watch & observe will see the changes in the khandha. At that time khandha & wisdom are going together.

By seeing the ugliness of the khandha it becomes undesirable, disgusting & disenchanting. Continue to contemplate becomes disassociation with it. In this way Path Knowledge will arise. After that you can smile near death or can continue for the higher level of Path Knowledges.


Restlessness & worry/remorse (uddhaca & kukkucca) are like a slave. When the mind is restless it never follows our wishes & desires. We have to follow behind the restlessness. It’s the same as a slave.

A slave follows behind his master. Also like the bees, make hive on a dog’s tail (This is quite a strange example & funny indeed). Contemplate the impermanence of the restlessness. After overcome it, restart with the original object (e.g vedana, mind etc.).

Kukkucca has 2 mind states. Remorse with unwholesome actions one had done before. Worry with wholesome actions one has not done yet. These mind states come in during meditation & dying moments (Sayadaw told the interesting story of Tambadantika the executioner in the Dhammapada Text)


T5
Already translated before as “Remorse/Worry & Dying” (20th December 1960)


T6
If someone asks, “Where you came from?” Every one will say that from my mother’s womb. But the Buddha said that birth was the truth of suffering (Jāti pi dukkha sacca). So the right answer was came form dukkha sacca. And then asks, “Where are you living now?”

The answer will be in Mandalay, Taung Myo (Taung Myo is a small city south of Mandalay, also known as Amarapura where Mogok Sayadaw’s monastery is situated). Ageing is the truth of dukkha (jara pi dukkha saccaṁ), so we are always living with the truth of dukkha.

If we don’t have the truth of the eye thinking all these as good coming & good living. Vyādhi pi dukkha saccaṁ-sickness is the truth of dukkha. We think we are healthy but always living with illness. Again we know death is the truth of dukkha - Maranaṁ pi dukkha saccaṁ.

Therefore we came from dukkha, live with dukkha, and will die with dukkha. The functions of the khandha are only these things. In the whole round of existence we are wandering-on with the truth of dukkha. Never had with happiness between them.

All these happen because of the covering up by hinderances (nīvarana) that can’t see the way of freedom. So turn on the dukkha machine is nīvarana dhamma. We can’t meet the Buddha & Dhamma is also by them.


Where is doubt (vicikicchā) coming from? Let us find the cause. In the Majjhima Nikāya, Mulapannsa the Buddha said that it came from not paying attention to what should be paid attention & paying attention to what should not be paid attention. Come from unwise attention (ayonisomanasikāra).

Wrong view is delusion dhamma(moha). It’s including in the 12 unwholesome minds. Only can destroy wrong view & doubt will realize Nibbāna. After they have gone can realize the other higher Path Knowledges. Then, the seed to woeful planes is destroyed.


For the development of wise attention it needs to associate with the wise & listening Dhamma talks. There are 3 kinds of doubt concerning for oneself. Where are we coming from? What happen to us now? After death where are we going?

Every day what you all are doing is like a sky walker walking on a tight rope which is nearly falling apart (A very good simile to warn Buddhists & other faiths who have the fortunate chances to come to this human world & doing foolish & stupid things).

If your wrong views are not destroyed I have to always warn you of its importance. If you can’t dispel doubt then wrong view can’t fall away. Without it falling away can’t free from the wandering on in the painful planes (apāya-bhūmi).

Therefore they are (ditthi & vici-kicchā) more dangerous than the atomic bombs fell on the Hiroshima & Nagasaki cities. These atomic bombs make you die only once. But they make you die for many times (Sayadaw was using the Dependent Arising to explain the 3 doubts mentioned above). From the fruits of ignorance & kammic formation (avijjā & sankhara) the 5 khandhas tree grows out.

From the tree bears fruits. And then from the fruits a tree grows out again on & on without end. Therefore we have to deal with the present tree the khandha & make it not to bear fruits again. Don’t listen to this talk just for merit, but to remember for knowledge & practice.

If doubt comes contemplate impermanence. With contemplation ignorance becomes knowledge (avijjā becomes vijjā) & kammic formation & rebirth consciousness not arise. Without the seed no tree grows out (Here the seed is rebirth consciousness & the tree is the 5 khandhas). After that contemplate the 5 khandhas.


T7
If you are having doubt in the practice and like a person going on a journey. And having doubt on the teaching of Dependent Arising such as concerning oneself of the past, the present & the future. According to the Abhidhamma there are 8 doubts. To day I have to end my talk on the hindrances & will talk on the Dependent Arising in the wider sense.

Having doubt on the khandha develops ignorance & kammic formation (avijjā & sankhara) is wandering – on like a circle. Ignorance & kammic formation -> khandha -> ignorance & k-formation -> khandha…etc… on & on (This is the condensed form). Therefore the Budhha said you can’t find the beginning of a being or saṁsāra. If you ask the cause of it then can be answered.


Ignorance & kammic formation are the main point. These are the causes for the khandha. Because of samudaya sacca (avijjā & sarkhara) dukkha sacca arises (i.e, the khandha). Therefore only samudaya sacca & dukkha sacca are wandering-on ( Sayadaw gave the simile of the seed & the tree).

Because of the hindrances nirodha sacca & magga sacca cannot come in. In saṁsāra only the bad cause & the bad result were wandering-on. Never had the good cause & the good result. Condense the Dependent Arising only that much.

The causes for death are (avijjā & sankhara) & the result of death is (khandha). You have to look for the good cause (the Path Factors) & the good result (Nibbāna) before arriving to ageing and sickness. If you look for it between sickness & death will never succeed. (Sayadaw told the story of ven. Anuradha for dispelling doubt)


He had been closed to the Buddha & practised before. But it was evident that he has not been overcome his doubt. He had doubt & couldn’t answer the questions posed by the outsiders. You have to contemplate to discern the arising & passing away of the phenomena.

Anuradha himself was by penetration of dukkha arising & dukkha passing away that became a stream enterer (sotāpanna) & then an arahant. (This was after the Buddha helping him dispelled his wrong view & doubt).

Only by penetration of dukkha that the Path Knowledge of not wanting dukkha will arise. Dukkha ceases means no khandha exists. The Path Knowledge is not seeing the Khandha. Path Knowledge is the cause of sukha & the result of sukha is Nibbāna.

家中的緣起
原題： Dependent Origination at Home
開示日期： 1960 年 12 月 16 日；1961 年 9 月 29 日至 10 月 1 日


第一講

聽法時，耳朵聽老師的話，心同時轉向自己的五蘊。這樣聽，心才會鋒利；法義與身心經驗相合，便可能由聽聞進入觀察，進而成就道果。阿難尊者曾說緣起看來容易，佛陀立刻提醒他：緣起甚深，不可輕視。理論上的十二支不難背，真正困難的是在自己家中、工作中、感受中看見它正在運作。

你們每天尋求財富，究竟為誰？表面是為自己與家人，深入追問，是為了照顧五蘊；再問是哪一蘊，多半是想獲得樂受、避免苦受，希望生活舒適健康。每日為錢奔忙，便顯示人一直受感受催迫。

「家中的緣起」是說，不必離開家門，受緣愛、愛緣求取的過程已經發生；若由貪瞋癡推動，甚至可在家中一步步走向苦趣。經本上的緣起若不能和五蘊經驗相合，便還沒有成為能用的智慧。

依《長部》〈大因緣經〉所列的另一條因果鏈：由渴愛而有尋求，由尋求而有獲得，由獲得而有判斷，由判斷而有欲貪，由欲貪而有黏著，由黏著而有占有，由占有而有慳吝，由慳吝而有防衛；為了保護財產，又可能發生執杖、執刀、爭論、妄語等不善法。

一般人只把這些視為普通生活程序，卻未看見渴愛在各環節連接。若不觀樂、苦、不苦不樂三受，貪、瞋、癡便不會因智慧而止息，涅槃也無從證得。


第二講

住在家中若缺乏念與慧，煩惱就像竊賊入屋，擾亂全家。人賺錢原可為合理生活、照顧親屬與行善；但若只受樂受命令，便會把所有手段都用來追逐愉悅。

六種觸所生的受像主人，凡夫像唯一的奴僕。多數人只在疼痛時才說「有受」，其實健康、舒適與不明顯的中性感受也在指揮行動。沒有知道受生起，便不知道自己正受它催迫；最難處理的，往往正是不知道。

樂受與苦受，哪個更危險？苦受會直接逼迫，樂受則以幸福之名使人願意做任何事。許多家庭終日忙碌，就是想獲得樂受；有人甚至以非法手段求財，為此墮入苦境。苦受又命令人尋醫求藥；不苦不樂受若被無明覆蓋，也會接上習慣性的愛。

人為天界樂受修福，生天後仍有無常、老與死。只要取得五蘊，就仍在受的範圍內。樂受會欺騙，苦受會逼迫，不苦不樂受則容易使人不覺察；三者都無法永久保有，因此屬苦諦。

每次受生起，觀察它依觸而生、正在變易、終必消失；這是法隨觀。若徹知受之苦，渴愛便不能照舊跟隨，取、有與後有之業失去條件。若不觀受，它就命令人做這做那，直至死亡，並把流程推向下一生。


第三講

貪可粗分為尋求之貪與享用之貪。此刻能來聽法，表示身心尚可承受；若正被劇烈苦受逼迫，可能連前來的能力都沒有。所謂「受蘊在聽法」，是用以破除「有一個固定我在聽」的邪見。

觀受不是只知道「我很舒服」「我很痛」。凡夫以貪知道樂受，以瞋知道苦受，以癡知道不苦不樂受，這種知道仍令緣起延續。內觀則在受生起時知道受，並知道它滅去，不再把它認作我與我所。

樂受緣愛，愛又命令人尋求；苦受緣愛，會命令人尋找治療；不苦不樂受若未被正知照亮，也可緣無明與愛。眾生不是完全不知道疼痛，而是以「我一定要立刻擺脫」的渴愛知道它。能如實觀受，才是以智慧知道。

世間多教人如何增加感受享受，很少教人如何不再被受奴役。佛陀與舍利弗仍托缽、仍有有餘依的感受，卻不再由受生愛取；他們的「尋求」只是維持生命的正命活動，不是渴愛追逐。真正的解脫，是受雖生而心不黏著，並於般涅槃後不再有後有諸受。

只要循受至其止息，後續流程便可止住。不要忘記受隨觀；一放逸，受便把人推向深淵。人本來只需適量飲食，渴愛卻命令多吃、多求，於是求得越多，苦也可能越多。


第四講

渴愛非常狡猾，能使尋求無止境，因為我們尚未生起如實知見：不知道色只是色、名只是名、無常只是無常。佛陀反覆勸人尋找能教真諦的善知識，正因錯想支持邪見，黏著支持渴愛；兩者欺騙眾生走向苦趣。

如實知見使人不再被騙，也是關閉苦趣之門、走向涅槃的重要智慧。老師常問「是否已見無常？」意思是：是否開始生起如實知見。未聽聞正法的凡夫，缺乏辨明身心的工具，容易把布施、持戒也全用來祈求更好的後有；渴愛甚至說：「我會一路跟你到梵天界。」

為什麼沒有如實知見？因為沒有聽聞與學習。為什麼沒有正法學習？因為未遇善知識。為什麼錯過善知識？因為缺少審察能力，不能分辨真正、錯誤與假冒的老師。為什麼沒有審察？因為不如理作意。不如理作意又受無明支持；無明則與諸漏相互滋養。

本講把這條逆向追索，再順向排列為：漏—無明—不如理作意—缺少審察—未遇善知識—未聞真諦—沒有如實知見—被渴愛欺騙—走向苦處。這不是用來取代十二緣起支，而是分析人在生活中怎樣一步步偏離正法。

如何令諸漏止息？觀一切現前行法為無常、苦、無我、不淨與苦諦，不再由見與愛取著。布施時可發願令善行成為漏盡的資糧，但願文不能代替戒、定、慧。真正破除欺騙，仍要在身心中修觀。


中文譯校說明

1. 愛、尋求、獲得、判斷、欲貪、黏著、占有、慳吝、防衛及其後衝突的因果鏈出自《長部》DN 15〈Mahānidānasutta〉；它是與十二支緣起相通的另一組條件關係，不是另外九個固定緣起支。

2. 正當工作、照顧家人、治療疾病與管理財物本身不等於 "taṇhā"。是否成為不善流程，要看動機、手段、執取與是否傷害；正文已避免把所有求財、求醫一概判成走向惡趣。

3. 原稿說眼見、耳聞、嗅、嘗本身都是 "upekkhā-vedanā"，過度簡化。六觸所生受可依不同分類呈現樂、苦、不苦不樂；禪修時應觀實際受，不先用固定答案取代經驗。

4. 「沒有受的地方就是涅槃」須分層理解。依 "Iti 44"，在世阿羅漢五根尚存，仍感受苦樂而不再貪著；般涅槃後才是不再有後有諸受。受滅盡定也不能直接與涅槃畫等號。

5. 原稿說佛陀、舍利弗托缽時「一切受早已滅」，不合 "Iti 44" 的有餘依涅槃說；較準確的是貪瞋癡已滅，受不再緣取著，正文已校正。

6. "yathābhūta-ñāṇa" 是如實知見，但初見無常不等於已成為「預流的一部分」。預流是完整道果，須以三結永斷等標準判定。

7. "Āsavakkhayaṁ ahaṁ homi" 類願文可表明把福德導向漏盡的意向；只誦願文或只作布施，不能自動完成 "āsavakkhaya"。



[08] Dependent Origination at Home
16th the December 1960, 29th to 30th September &1st October 1961

T1
[Sayadaw taught about how to listen Dhamma). The ears are listening to the Dhamma & the mind is observing the khandha. In this way the mind is becoming sharp. By delivering the truth of the Dhamma & in the end realized the Path & Fruit knowledges. Ven. Ananda told the Buddha that Dependent Origination was easy. The Buddha responded as not easy. (Sayadaw also said it was not easy. ]

But if you can cut off the process will realize Nibbāna. Today I will talk about Dependent Arising at home. You all are making wealth but for whom? We can say for the sake of the khandha. By clinging to the khandha that craving arises for the search.

If ask again for the sake of which of the khandhas you are seeking for wealth? For the sake of happiness & health, so it’s for the aggregate of feeling (vedanakkhandha).

We are seeking wealth for a better life.Torture by feeling that every day we are seeking for money. Dependent Arising at home means from our home we are going towards the planes of misery (apāyabhūmi). Feeling conditions craving _ vedana paccaya tanhā. It is unwholesome.

By theory, Dependent Arising seems to be easy. In the real khandha process it is not really easy. Even people don’t know that it’s happening. (Sayadaw mentioned some of the processes in daily life with humorous examples).

The record in the text and the khandha experiences become the same only it’s valuable. Because of craving the business of seeking or search (pariyesanā) arises. By depending on craving the business of craving arises. From seeking comes acquisition (lābho). It becomes the gain of craving. Therefore craving connects with craving. From acquisition comes ascertainment (vinisayam).

Making decision on how to use the money. It becomes the ascertainment of craving. For common people they think these things as ordinary processes. From ascertainment comes desire & passion. From desire & passion comes attachment. From attachment comes possessiveness.

After that comes stinginess. By the torturing of feeling all these dhamma arise. After stinginess comes defensiveness. For the safety of wealth, becomes defensiveness. The Buddha said that without the contemplation of pleasant, unpleasant & neutral feelings greed, hatred & delusion would not die & not realize Nibbāna.


T2
Staying at home without mindfulness & wisdom still, can go to the 4 planes of misery. Therefore the Buddha taught Dependent Arising at home. It’s like a thief comes into a house & steals the properties will make the family members suffer. In the same way thief of defilement comes into a house will make a big trouble.

People making money for the sake of eating good & living good. Just for the pleasant feeling & wanting to be happy. (Sayadaw explained about how people seeking for the pleasant feeling of each of the six sense doors).

The masters are the 6 types of feeling & the slave is only one. We are under the control of feeling. You all know only one type of unpleasant feeling. Don’t take feeling as insignificant. It’s the master of craving; when you are in healthy situations under the control of pleasant feeling. If you don’t know feeling arises & will also don’t know under its torture.

Not knowing is the most difficult thing to deal with. Of the 2 feelings of pleasant & unpleasant which feeling is the more fearful one? Which one is more terrible? For happiness people want to do anything. Most of them were killed by pleasant feeling. Dependent Arising at home is starting from pleasant feeling.


This house & that house are busy because they want happiness. Pleasant feeling is giving order to people for business that they don’t dare to revolt. If they revolt all will be in Nibbāna now. It doesn’t give happiness to old folks either. People seeking wealth with unlawful means are falling into the planes of misery is the cause of pleasant feeling. I am old now, but if I want still can do it. You are a real slave indeed. Because of pleasant feeling that people become slaves.

Feeling can over power on everything. Unpleasant feeling also asks for seeking medicines. This life is so many sufferings (human life). Therefore try to reach heaven in next life. Reaching in heavens also find this dukkha. Torture living beings without any pity is feeling.

Just seeing, hearing, smelling & tasting are neutral feelings (Sayadaw gave examples to each of them). The pleasant feelings in the heavens (just mentioned) are better than in human realm.

So people are making merits for that. After arriving there also encounter ageing, sickness & death. Pleasant feeling ask you to do things that you have no free time (for enjoying sensual pleasure). (Sayadaw gave the simile of a fish by the Buddha to explain the 3 feelings). You have to go somewhere there is no feeling at all. If you have the khandha even die still never free.


Therefore the Buddha urged you to disgust this body, for disenchantment & not took pleasure in it. But most of you think about these words as just ordinary & insignificant. We all are killed by these 3 feelings. Pleasant feeling is deceitful & unpleasant feeling torture & kill you. After that it sends you to the grave yard. These 3 feelings have the nature of torturing. So it’s the truth of dukkha.

Every time feeling arises contemplate as the torturing nature of dukkha sacca & it becomes the contemplation of Dhamma. If you thoroughly penetrate dukkha, craving can’t follow behind feeling. Kamma can’t send to next life. This is arriving to Nibbāna. If you don’t contemplate feeling it will give order to do this & to do that, & later kill you. It conditions to all these things & continue to the process of nine causes & effects (see the 12 links).


T3
There are 2 types of greed (lobha); greed for seeking & enjoyment. There is cause for the samudaya lobha to arise. You all listen to the talk are the feelers of vedana. You are healthy that can come here. If you are a feeler of dukkha vedana and can’t do it to here (In Burmese every day language it refers to a sick person). Feeling aggregates are listening to this talk.


This is dispelling wrong view. Insight meditation is every time feeling arises by knowing it, & also know its passing away. If you don’t know & then an ignorant person. Because you don’t know what’s happening. But even you know, know the pleasant feeling with greed & unpleasant feeling with anger. And knowing neutral feeling with delusion.

All these knowing develop the Dependent Arising process. It’s ugly knowing. Why are you seeking for wealth? Because you are tortured by feelings. Pleasant, unpleasant & neutral feelings are leading to greed, hatred & delusion. It’s quite terrible.

If craving arises will ask you for seeking. From pleasant feeling craving arises. From craving seeking arises. People who understand feeling are very rare. Most of them die without knowing it. I don’t want to die yet, & still very good in seeking wealth. Still good to be a slave of desire! If you can contemplate feeling no craving arises. Without its arising & there is no seeking.

That’s in Nibbāna where no seeking & no searching. If you don’t know about feeling should not be in at ease. The Buddha was never seeing the good side of it that taught contemplation of feeling in an extraordinary way.

What is the most important thing he wants when someone is in painful feeling? Wanting to be cured. Painful feeling conditions craving_dukkha vedana paccaya tanhā. In this case you have to look for the medicines. If not by yourself will have to ask someone to do it for you.

You do know painful feeling but not by knowledge. Instead you are knowing about it with craving. In the 31 realms of existence all living being are tortured by the ignorance of feeling. In the world, human beings only know how to teach people on developing feeling.

But don’t know how to teach for the cessation of feeling (These points are very important for deep contemplation. Because human beings are nearly destroying the beautiful Earth by getting lost in feelings from the politicians, business people to all walks of life).


Neutral feeling conditions craving- uppekkha vedana paccaya tanhā. There are a lot of craving going on with the seeing, hearing, smelling & tasting. The Buddha taught us to know feeling every time it arises because of the suffering of seeking.

Do you see the Buddha & Ven. Sāriputta are going for alms-round? All their feeling were ceased a long time ago. They were in Nibbāna which was no seeking & searching. Ending of feeling is a real happiness indeed.


If you can follow the ending of feeling then everything is finished. So don’t forget about the contemplation of feeling. If you are in negligence it will push you down (to the abyss of suffering). If you want to eat little and suffer a little. Want to eat a lot, and then suffer a lot. All these unwholesome developments come from not overcoming of feeling.


T4
Craving is very cunning, because of it there are a lot of seeking & searching going on. Why we are deceiving by the tanhā? Because we don’t get the knowledge of the way as it really is (yathābhūta nyan). We don’t know form (rūpa) as form, mind (nāma) as mind & impermanence as impermanence. So the Buddha reminded us to look for a teacher who could teach the truth of Dhamma for 32 times (in the suttas).

Wrong perception is wrong view, & attachment is craving. If you are deceiving by them will go to the planes of misery. Only by getting the Yathābhūta Nyan and not deceive by them. This is an important knowledge. The knowledge closes the doors to the planes of misery & lead to Nibbāna.

Everyday don’t be lazy to listen Dhamma. You have to practice to get this knowledge. I am asking you as do you discern impermanence means, do you get Yathābhūta Nyan. If you are not getting it, not free from the deception of ditthi & tanhā, & will have unfortunate death.

Why don’t you get the Yathābhūta Nyan? No learning (study or listening Dhamma), a worldling without any Dhamma learning is called asutava puthujjana.

By getting the Yathābhūta Nyan is becoming a part of the stream-enterer. You are practicing sīla for long life. And making dāna practices for good rebirths; after with all these good rebirths, & in the end realize Nibbāna etc…. (With tanhā saṁsāra will never come to an end).

All these are (wishy-washy) and just in deceptions. Most Buddhists are making dāna under the deception of craving. I (i.e, tanhā) will follow you up to the Brahma Worlds.

This is the power of tanhā. Without or little learning is leading to the planes of misery (Nowadays human societies have a lot of social problems & sufferings are due to lack of moral educations. Don’t know how to behave like a human). Why we have no learning? Not listen to the Sacca Dhamma, and not seeking for a good teacher or a spiritual friend (Kalyna-mitta).


Ven. Ananda answered to the Buddha that because of a good teacher received half of the benefit. But the Buddha responded that without a teacher couldn’t realized Nibbāna. With a teacher a task is completed. Why don’t we get a good teacher? Without the knowledge of examination (vicārana).

Without it we can encounter pseudo-teacher, wrong teacher, counterfeit teacher. We are tracing the source of the cunning tanhā, & find a lot of them.

Why don’t we have the knowledge of examination? Without wise attention (yonisoma-nasikara) or unwise attention. In this case we pay a visit to the human world & return to the planes of misery.

(According to the Buddha most living beings came to the human plane for temporary like a visit & after that returned to the planes of misery which were liked their permanent homes)

Why unwise attention comes to be? It is the cause of ignorance. And then ignorance comes from the taints (āsava). Therefore when you are making offering (dāna) I teach you to follow me to recite the Pali words; “Āsavakkhayaṁ ahaṁ homi – Because of this merit all the taints are destroyed.” So āsava dhamma is the main source.

By arranging it in the direct order (anuloma): Taint (āsava)-> ignorance (avijjā)-> unwise attention (ayonisomanasikara)- no knowledge of examination (nivicārana)-> do not have a good teacher ->not listening to the truth of dhamma -> do not get the knowledge of the way as things really are -> deceive by craving -> to the plane of misery.

In this way in the whole of saṁsāra beings are deceived by craving. Without the destruction of the taints will not free from the deception. How to destroy the taints? It’s easy. By discerning impermanence it will be destroyed. To contemplate everything existing in the world as impermanence, dukkha, not-self, loathsomeness (asubha) & truth of dukkha, & no taints will arise.

For the destruction of the taints must practice vispassanā. We are travelling in the very long of saṁsāra is under the deception. Who is deceiving us? They are craving and wrong view (tanhā and ditthi).

涅槃恆常存在
原題： Nibbāna Always Exists
開示日期： 1960 年 12 月 25 日；1962 年 6 月 22 日

〔英譯者按：莫哥禪師把佛陀的緣起教法整理成緣起輪圖，用來解說許多開示與實修。理解本講時，若配合緣起輪圖，會更清楚他所說輪迴、五蘊與涅槃的對比。〕


第一講

五蘊不是恆常存在；一旦生起，就帶著無常與苦。輪迴正是五蘊依無明、渴愛與業反覆生起的相續。涅槃則相反：它不是有為法，不由條件造作，不隨生滅變化；它是苦的止息、真正的寂靜與安穩。

對未修聖道的人而言，輪迴起點不可知，還會繼續；對修八正道、徹知四聖諦的人而言，輪迴可以終止。所謂「涅槃有開始而沒有結束」，不是說涅槃在某天被製造出來，而是說行者證悟涅槃有初次發生；被證知的涅槃本身並不因那次證悟才生起。

佛陀在舍衛城祇園教導比丘：如實見受無常，便有正見。只要有五蘊生命，觸所生受便可在身心中被觀察。禪師以天空作譬喻：手指向任何方向，都可見天空；同樣地，若留意身心，總有受可觀。

最初觀受，先見它由有變無，這是如實知見。繼續觀察，心對反覆生滅的受產生厭離，便是較成熟的厭離智。禪師用剃刀比喻：初階智慧像刀刃尚不夠利，能剃去表面毛髮；厭離智像更鋒利的刀，剃得更乾淨，但煩惱根尚未由道智完全拔除。

五蘊既不常住，存在時又受生滅逼迫，從哪個角度看都不值得執取。沒有智慧的人行善後只祈求再得五蘊，等於祈求無常與苦。善業應導向戒、定、慧與苦滅，而不只是輪迴中的新住處。

觀受由存在轉為不存在，便是看見無常的究竟現象。第一階段如實見生滅；第二階段對生滅厭離；第三階段離貪，不再對無常現象產生愛著。邪見以及與邪見相應、能導向惡趣的業，在相應道智現起時被斷。


第二講

名色不是恆常，且生起時即受苦。這是它的本性：因無常，所以不能一直存在；因生滅逼迫，所以是苦。行者應反覆審察，不再把任何一組名色當成值得重新取得的永久幸福。

涅槃與名色的性質不同。名色是有為、生滅、苦；涅槃是無為、苦滅。喜愛人天欲樂，好比患癩者靠火烘烤暫時減輕搔癢，把灼熱誤認為舒適；未見更高安穩以前，眾生便以短暫刺激為樂。

任何人都不能創造或破壞涅槃。輪迴沒有可發現的第一起點，但可由智慧令它終止；行者在善知識指導下修習道支，第一次證知涅槃，從那時起聖道方向已建立。然而，這是證知的開始，不是涅槃的出生。

依緣起輪圖，過去無明與行支持今生五蘊；凡夫又依今生五蘊造業，支持未來五蘊。臨終若以愛取面對，憂悲與諸漏增長，無明再度取得條件，流程如圓環運轉。尋找輪迴的第一點，像在圓形盤緣找螞蟻奔跑的起點，也像爭論先有雞還是先有蛋；起點不可得，條件卻可在當下斷除。

當無明轉成明，造作後有的行不再發生，輪迴便走向終止。禪師以「非行」「離行」來說不再形成業有，不是說阿羅漢完全沒有任何身口意活動，而是其活動已無貪取，不再積聚導向後有的業。

涅槃不是感覺的空白，也不是一個恆常自我居住的地方。在世阿羅漢五根仍在，仍有苦、樂與不苦不樂受，但貪瞋癡已滅；般涅槃時，後有五蘊不再生起，所有未來感受也不再續生。以這個分層理解，才不會把「無受」誤作昏迷、無想定或死亡本身。


中文譯校說明

1. 原題 "Nibbāna is Always Exists" 英文文法有誤，校為 "Nibbāna Always Exists"。中文保留禪師題旨，但「存在」容易把涅槃實體化；較嚴謹的表述是涅槃為 "asaṅkhata"、"ajāta"、"abhūta"、"akata"，不屬時間中生滅的有為法。

2. 原稿說 "Nibbāna has a beginning and no ending"，只能解作行者的證悟有第一次，不能解作涅槃在道智現起時才被創造。"Ud 8.3" 明說涅槃是不生、未成、未作、無為。

3. 原稿說「身體就是 "vedanākkhandha"」過度簡化。色身屬 "rūpakkhandha"；身觸可緣身受，感受本身才屬受蘊。

4. 原稿說「沒有受就是涅槃」須依 "Iti 44" 分辨。有餘依涅槃的阿羅漢五根尚存，仍感受苦樂；無餘依涅槃才是不再有未來諸受。"nirodha-samāpatti" 中想受暫停，也不因此等同涅槃本身。

5. "bhavaṅga-citta"、道心與果心屬南傳阿毗達磨架構。依此架構，道果心是有為、剎那生滅，涅槃是其所緣；不能把能知的心與被證知的涅槃混成一個恆常心體。

6. "asaṅkhāra" 在正文依語境譯作不再造作後有之業；它不是說解脫者失去意志、不能說話或不能完成日常動作。



[09] Nibbāna is Always Exists
25th December 1960 & 22nd June 1962

[Sayadaw formulated a Dependent Origination Chart from the Buddha’s Teachings to explain many of his talks very successfully. It is helping to understand the Dhamma in a very profound & clear.

It needs to use this chart to understand some of its talks & for contemplation. This chart is very well known to most Buddhists in Burma. Can find this chart in internet in English version]


T1
[ interesting talks on the nature of saṁsāra & Nibbāna. Khandhas are not always exist & it’s dukkha. It’s also saṁsāra . Nibbāna is the opposite way. It always exists & no dukkha. It’s nirodha the cessation of dukkha, the real happiness & peace.

Saṁsāra is no beginning & has ending for someone follows the Noble Eightfold Path. Nibbāna has beginning & no ending for someone practices the Noble Eightfold Path. But no beginning for someone not practice the Path.

The Buddha stayed at Sāvatthi, Jetavana Monestary & talked to the monks. Whoever seeing vedana anicca had right view. The body is vedanakkhandha & you can find vedana at anytime if paying attention to the body.

Sayadaw gave a simile-anyone pointed a finger to any direction where the sky was always exist. In contemplation of feeling, at first will see anicca. Continue practice will become disenchantment to vedana (Nibbidā Nyan).

Another right view which is more mature than the first one (Yathābhūta Nyan). Nibbidā Nyan is understanding dukkha. Sayadaw gave a simile between the 2 different Nyans.

Yathābhūta Nyan is like a razor shaving the hairs & not very clean enough. Nibbidā Nyan as a more sharper razor which cut clean the hairs but the hairs of the roots still inside the skin.]


The 5 khandhas_ the mind& body are not always exist & have dukkha. They are not always exist but when exist it’s suffering. Look at it in whatever way it is never good. People don’t have the knowledge are praying to get for it. (By doing wholesome merits with prayers). They are praying for the impermanence & dukkha.

So you have to stay with only happiness. It’s the truth of the cessation of dukkha-Nirodha Sacca. Saṁsāra doesn’t has beginning but has ending for someone who knows the truth. Nibbāna has the beginning & no ending.

You can take it as the happiness without ending. If you discern the impermanence of feeling becomes right view, the view leads to Nibbāna. In the khandha there is always existing one of the feelings. Without feeling is Nibbāna. The whole body exists with feelings. If you are using the noble eyes (ariya eyes) to observe will always see it. Discern the existence to non-existence is anicca.

This is seeing the absolute reality (paramattha dhamma). If you see something originally not exist is concept. Discerning impermanence is right view (the first stage). Continue for contemplation and becomes disenchantment to feeling is the 2nd stage.


Even it becomes as you don’t want to continue the contemplation. Right view becomes more mature. The practice on the way to Nibbāna must be in this process. It is also becoming close to the truth of dukkha. After the 2nd stage & continue become free from affection to anicca & all the attachments -rāga dhamma cease is the 3rd stage. With wrong view (ditthi) & all the kammas associate with wrong view are ceased together.


T2
Not always exist & exist with dukkha are mind & body. These are its original nature. They are always like these. It’s impermanent that not always exist. With the arising & passing away is dukkha. So don’t want any mind & body. Making a decision that these phenomena are not good to get & receive. Not always exist & exist with dukkha, therefore the truth of dukkha. Nibbāna has no dukkha & always exists dhamma.

Nibbāna & mind/body are different nature. So don’t be in confusion. You prefer the human & heavenly world’s are the liking of a leper, who is using the fire heat to alleviate his itches. Nobody can destroy Nibbāna & create it.

Again mind & body have no beginning & have ending. The Buddha said that you couldn’t think about the beginning of mind & body. But it has the ending for someone who knows how to go there. Nibbāna has the beginning & a happiness without ending.

Samsāra doesn’t has the beginning & has the ending. But that need to be encountered a good teacher. Nibbāna has the beginning & no ending. You will instantly doubt these points.

Someone with the help of a teacher & after arriving there will has the happiness which is never end. If you meet the path factors will has the beginning.

(Sayadaw explained the above ideas with Dependent Arising process.) Because of the past ignorance we have the present khandhas. With these khandhas we create kammas & will receive the future khandhas. During the dying moments will become sorrow, lamentation & taints arise. Āsava samudaya avijjā samudaya – Taints arise & ignorance arises, because of the taints & ignorance comes back again.

Someone who doesn’t know the truth at near death becomes sorrow & lamentation. Taints & ignorance combine together to get the khandha again. It’s running in a circular way that there is no beginning. It’s like searching for the beginning of an egg.

Also like an ant running around the edge of a circular plate. The end of a saṁsāra for everyone is only possible when a Buddha was arising into this world. (except a Paccekabuddha). Also must teach the truth of Dhamma to them.


From ignorance to become knowledge & kammic formation becomes non-kammic formation (asankhara), & then saṁsāra will come to an end. You have to practice to become vi-sankhara. Vi- means free from something. I use asankhara to make you understand it.