The Meaning of Dhamma
Nina van Gorkom
19th February 2020
The Dhamma Study group in Vietnam had organised Dhamma sessions in June,
2019, in Nha Trang and Hoi An. Acharn Sujin could not come this time since
she was recovering in hospital after a journey in India but Sarah and Jonothan
were going to lead the discussions. Much of what I am reporting from these has
been taken from their inspiring remarks.
Ann from Canada and Roti from Mexico also joined the sessions. The Vi-
etamese Dhamma Study Group is very active and Dhamma books are printed
all the time. They had just finished printing Acharn’s book on Metta, Loving
Kindness, which I had translated from Thai into English. They had designed a
beautiful cover with a hand of the Buddha.
Before leaving Bangkok for Vietnam Sarah had asked Acharn whether she
had any message for the listeners at the sessions. She said: “One word: dhamma.”
Sarah elaborated: “What is the meaning of dhamma? Dhamma is the meaning
of life at this moment. Usually there is no understanding of life. We follow our
daily routine without any understanding of life.”
Sarah explained that in whatever situation we are, there are just passing
dhammas, each arising because of their own conditions and impermanent. We
can learn to see life in a different way, for example, when we lose dear persons
through death. Wherever we traveled, there was time and again a case of some-
one who had lost a dear person. This time I met someone who was depressed
because of the loss of her husband ten years ago. She often went to the movies
to forget about her loss.
We all cling to persons, but we can learn from the Buddha that what we take
for a person are only citta, consciousness, cetasikas, mental factors accompa-
nying consciousness, and ru¯pa, physical phenomena. They arise for an instant
and then fall away immediately. What we used to find so important, the different
feelings, our experiences through the senses and our thinking, are just passing
dhammas.
The Buddha taught what life is. Before hearing the Buddha’s teachings we
had ideas about life different from his teaching. In reality, life is only one moment
of consciousness, citta, and it changes all the time; it falls away immediately.
At the moment of seeing, life is seeing, at the moment of hearing, life is hearing.
The Buddha taught what can be directly experienced one at a time, through
the sense-doors and the mind-door. He taught that each reality arises because
of its own conditions and that there is not any person who can make it arise.
Each reality arises just for a moment and then it is gone immediately, never to
return.
1
At each moment in life there is the loss of an object we hold dear, there is a
kind of death. We may experience a pleasant sound or a delicious flavour, but it
is gone immediately. We are attached to all objects appearing through the senses
and the mind, but actually we cing to nothing and are misleading ourselves with
regard to what is real. When we lose a dear person through death we feel sorrow
because of our clinging to pleasant sights, sounds and other objects experienced
through the senses. We no longer see or hear the beloved person, but we are
really thinking of ourselves, we mourn ourselves.
We always thought that life could last for some time, and that there is a
self coordinating all our experiences in life. We thought of a self who sees and
thinks about what is seen, who hears and thinks about what is heard, all at
the same time. The Buddha explained that there is no self, only momentary
realities that change all the time. None of these moments can stay and they
cannot be controlled, they cannot be caused to arise. We usually live in the
fantasy world of “I”, thinking of “I see, I hear, I touch”. They are only different
dhammas.
One of the listeners realized that he often confused thinking of stories and
concepts with realities. He realized this while he was thinking of the problems
that arose within his family. That shows how useful discussion about this subject
is. In this way understanding of the level of pariyatti can grow.
Because of the experiences through the senses and the mind-door different
feelings arise: pleasant feeling, unpleasant feeling and indifferent feeling. We find
feeling so important and take it for “my feeling”. We wish to experience only
pleasant things and when there is an unpleasant object such as a loud sound,
unpleasant feeling arises. Whatever is experienced, also feeling, are passing
dhammas that cannot be controlled. We wish to control what will happen in
our life, but we never know what the next moment will bring and during my
journey I was reminded of this fact several times.
When we have problems in life we find them very important, and we worry.
In fact, these are only moments of thinking with different cetasikas such as
aversion which falls away immediately. We believe that we can control the
events of life but in the end problems are solved in a way that is totally different
from what we expected. I was worried about my traveling I find so difficult.
Sarah gave me very good reminders about worry. She had just had an ac-
cident, an electrical shock because of touching an electric device in the hotel
room. She was flung from one side of the room to the other side. Shortly af-
terwards she spoke very helpful words to me to remind me of the truth while
I was worrying, but she could not remember what she had said since she still
had to recover from the shock. Kusala cittas conditioned her speaking. This
was beyond control but it happened because of conditions. She explained that
when one is worried one is occupied with oneself and one forgets that whatever
reality appears is beyond control. We can make useful plans, believing that we
can determine the outcome and then we are thinking of situations instead of
understanding the reality which appears now, such as seeing, hearing, attach-
ment or aversion. When we are just thinking of situations we usually do this
with an idea of self and this will not lead to the understanding of realities.
I was worried how I could manage to go around without a walker when
arriving in Thailand and Vietnam. But there were walkers when I arrived,
people had given them to me with great generosity. I could not have known this
ahead of time. Problems are solved beyond expectation.
2
Hang and I wanted to eat some noodles and we went to the restaurant of
the hotel. The owner of the hotel had offered food to monks who were visiting
from Myanmar and since there was much food left she invited us for luncheon.
At the table we were sitting together with her family members and friends. We
had not expected to enjoy a meal together with such a delightful company when
we went out for some noodles. It happened all because of conditions. During
the meal I met Jotamoi from Myanmar who had studied the Abhidhamma for
many years and given lectures on this subject. Hang and I spoke to him about
the Dhamma Study Group and invited him to join our sessions. He had no
more time since he had to accompany the group of monks from Myanmar, but
the next day he sent us a few useful questions.
One of his questions was about the difference in teaching as we find it in the
Suttanta, the Abhidhamma and the Vinaya. It seems that we read in the suttas
about things that should be done whereas in the Abhidhamma there is reference
to realities. It seems that the Vinaya mainly deals with the establishment of
rules, with s¯ıla.
The Buddha taught about the reality appearing at the present moment and
the way to develop understanding in order to eliminate ignorance. He taught
that whatever reality appears is non-self. The teachings contained in the three
parts of the Tipit.aka are actually the same. In the Suttanta he would speak
about persons and situations, but also at those moments he was referring to re-
alities arising because of conditions. He spoke time and again about all realities
of daily life as they are experienced through the six doors and he asked the lis-
teners whether these realities are permanent or impermanent and whether they
can be taken for self. He would speak about making an effort for the arising of
kusala, and the elimination of akusala, but then he was referring to the sobhana
cetasika (wholesome mental factor) right effort which is a factor of the eightfold
Path and which is always arising together with right understanding of realities.
Right effort does not belong to a person. It arises because of wholesome ac-
cumulations. Each wholesome or unwhwolesome quality that arises with the
citta falls away immediately with the citta, but it is not lost, it is accumulated
in the citta. Since each citta is succeeded by a following citta wholesome and
unwholesome qualities are carried on from one citta to the following citta, from
moment to moment, from life to life.
Not only in the Abhidhamma but also in the suttas we read about the
ultimate realities of the five aggregates khandhas), the elements (dh¯atus), the
sense-fields (¯ayatanas), about all realities which are classified in different ways
as n¯ama and ru¯pa.
As to the Vinaya, this deals among others with akusala s¯ıla. S¯ıla comprises
kusala dhamma, akusala dhamma, and for the arahat avy¯akata (indeterminate)
dhamma which is neither kusala not akusala1 People are inclined to think that
s¯ıla are just rules to be followed, but s¯ıla is the behaviour of the citta at this
moment. Kusala s¯ıla develops through right understanding of the citta at this
moment. Any reality which appears now can be investigated and considered in
order to understand its true nature. The development of understanding is the
highest kind of s¯ıla.
We read in the teachings about s¯ıla (morality), sam¯adhi, (calm) and pan˜n˜¯a
1He does not commit kamma that can bring a result in the future. For him there are no
conditions for rebirth.
3
(understanding) and people are inclined to think that there is a certain order
of developing these qualities. There is no rule that they should be developed
in a certain order. The factors of the eightfold Path can be classified in this
threefold way, but all factors develop together with right understanding of the
eightfold Path2
Kusala s¯ıla comprises all levels of s¯ıla and the highest s¯ıla is the development
of right understanding of realities. As to sam¯adhi, calm, this arises with every
sobhana (beautiful) citta. When a moment of right understanding of a reality
arises, there are s¯ıla and sam¯adhi as well.
There are several ways by which s¯ıla, sam¯adhi and pan˜n˜¯a have been classified.
They can be considered under various aspects. One way is the classificication
of the ariyans who have reached the perfection of s¯ıla, of the ariyans who have
rached the perfection of sam¯adhi and of the ariyans who have reached the per-
fection of pan˜n˜¯a. The sot¯apanna who has eradicated the wrong view of self
has no more conditions to violate the five precepts, he has perfected s¯ıla. He
has no more conditions to commit the kinds of akusala kamma that lead to an
unhappy rebirth. The non-returner (an¯ag¯am¯ı) who has realized the third stage
of enlightenment, has perfected calm, sam¯adhi. He has eradicated all attach-
ment to sense objects, he is no longer absorbed by them. The arahat who has
eradicated all ignorance and other kinds of defilements has perfected pan˜n˜¯a.
It is because of the development of right understanding of the reality ap-
pearing at the present moment that the different stages of enlightenment can be
attained and defilements are eradicated stage by stage. Not because one should
develop s¯ıla first, then calm and then pan˜n˜¯a.
Right understanding of what is reality should be developed and this is dif-
ferent from knowing conventional notions such as a table, a tree or a person.
Acharn Sujin reminded us of what dhamma is by her message to Sarah about
dhamma. Dhamma is what can be directly experienced through one of the
senses or the mind-door. Sound is a dhamma that can be directly experienced
through the earsense, without having to think about it. We believe that we
hear the sound of a barking dog, but then there is thinking of a concept, a
story. There is no barking dog in the sound.
Before coming into contact with the Buddha’s teachings we ony knew con-
ventional truth. But the Buddha taught what can be directly experienced one
at a time, through the sense-doors and the mind-door. He taught that it only
lasts for one moment and then it is gone, never to return. He taught that each
reality arises because of its own conditions and that there is not any person who
can make it arise.
We can lead our daily life as usual, thinking of our friends, of persons, of
food, of our house, but we can learn the difference between thinking of concepts
of persons and things and understanding of what can be directly experienced at
the present moment.
It is beneficial to understand the difference because in that way we can learn
how much ignorance there is of the truth of life. We do not try to change
anything that arises because of conditions, but understanding can grow. Un-
derstanding the truth of life is more precious than anything else.
2The three abstinences, right speech, right action and right livelihood, are the s¯ıla of the
eightfold Path, right mindfulness and right concentration the calm, sam¯adhi, of the eightfold
Path, right thinking and right understanding the wisdom of the eightfold Path.
4
Understanding of our life now can be developed. We usually follow our daily ac-
tivities with attachment and ignorance, but any reality that appears can be the
object of understanding. One of our friends liked playing the guitar and spent
much time on this. Time and again he was wondering whether he should spend
more time on studying Dhamma instead of playing guitar. Whatever arises in
life happens by conditions. One person likes music, another person painting
or sports. It is not useful to think of how little awareness and understanding
there is and what one will do to have more. Then one is concerned about one-
self and this will not be helpful to have more understanding of the truth of
non-self. Satipat.t.h¯ana is not “doing something” but the arising of mindfulnes
and understanding by conditions whereby direct understanding of n¯ama and
ru¯pa is developed. We were often reminded by Acharn with the words : “Let
understanding work its way”.
No one can stop attachment from arising right now. One of our friends
remarked that conditions can be created for the non-arising of attachment.
However, if one tries to make things happen in a specific way one fails to see
the truth of anatt¯a.
When people spoke about their different defilements Jonothan kept on say-
ing: “It does not matter, it does not matter.” When asked to explain what he
meant by this, he said:
“What has arisen, has arisen. It can be understood. It is of no use to analyse it,
finding out whether it is kusala or akusala. Then we are choosing a specific ob-
ject and it is not understanding the present moment. There is no understanding
of any reality that is appearing now.”
We can lead our life naturally, swimming, playing guitar, doing our job. It
is of no use to try to change our life style. Understanding can be developed
in any situation. If one just thinks of being in favorable situations there will
never be understanding of what dhamma is that just arises because of its own
conditions.
When one thinks that the development of the Path is too difficult, there is
again the idea of self, an idea of “I who cannot do it”. When one thinks about
what one shall do, thus, about the future, there is forgetfulness of the present
moment. One does not understand that there are only conditioned dhammas
which are beyond control, non-self. Thinking arises now, and then it is gone
immediately. If there is no understanding of the present moment yet, it does not
matter. When understanding has been accumulated more the present moment
can be known naturally, without any expectation.
What can be directly experienced now, without having to think about it,
is just dhamma. Usually realities such as hardness, heat or cold are directly
experienced through the bodysense but they are not known as dhammas. Right
understanding has to grow so that they can be understood as realities appearing
through the bodysense that arise for a moment and then fall away immediately.
Each reality arises and falls away very rapidly. Seeing is immediately followed
by other cittas. Then seeing arises again and again in other processes. We could
not know a single moment of seeing, only a sign, in Pali: nimitta, remains. Of
each reality that arises a nimitta is experienced. This can remind us that realities
arise and fall away extremely fast.
At the end of the Dhamma sessions, in Nha Trang, the monk who followed
5
the sessions asked Jonothan to resume in a few points the contents of the ses-
sions.
Jonothan mentioned four points: Listen carefully, consider carefully, remem-
ber this while going about one’s daily life, and have confidence. He elaborated
on these points in the following way: As to listening carefully, this means hearing
an explanation of the Buddha’s teaching and every opportunity to hear that can
be taken when understanding is being developed. One needs to hear everything
more than once, from different aspects and different parts of the teachings.
As to the second point: just hearing is not enough, there need to be some
reflection as one goes about one’s daily life. The meaning is deep and subtle.
It cannot be comprehended just on a single hearing without reading, turning it
over in one’s mind, considering how it relates to the present moment.
This has to be done while going about one’s daily life and that means that
there is no need for a special kind of place, special circumstances or environment
for this to happen. One can hear Dhamma from an unexpected source, consider
it during unlikely activities. Anything other is not the Path of the Buddha.
There should be confidence that the first and second points are sufficient if
properly understood, and that they can condition awareness to arise. It may
seem that there must be more that can be done, but there should be confidence
that those factors mentioned by the Buddha are sufficient for awareness to arise,
in time, when the conditions are there. Be patient also.
These are precious points. As to confidence, one should not be disheartened
that the development of understanding of the present reality takes a long, long
time. Jonothan also said about confidence: “Confidence in the Dhamma, con-
fidence in the development of kusala, regardless of the situation.” We may be
disappointed when things do not work out the way we expected, but we should
not forget that whatever reality presents itself is conditioned already.
At the end of the sessions in Nha Trang one of the children who listened to
the Dhamma conversations made a touching speech, showing her gratefulness
for all she had learnt those days. She spoke with great confidence. It was
inspiring to notice people’s enthusiasm. The mother of someone who regularly
attended the sessions was listening to recordings during the time she worked in
the rice field. This is heavy work in a hot climate but it did not prevent her
from listening and considering the truth of Dhamma with confidence. Different
families sponsored our lunches each day and they walked with their children
past our tables so that we had an opportunity to meet them and to express our
appreciation.
After Nha Trang we had a short flight to Hoi An where some of us stayed in
Anicca Villa. Those were happy days when we enjoyed the hospitality of Sun and
Mai. Every day a delicious Vietnamese meal was prepared and before, during
and after the meal we had Dhamma conversations. Nam and his younger brother
Nguying joined our discussions and Nam, who has a great musical talent, played
the piano for us. The two French architects who had designed this villa and
several other resorts came along and they had basic questions which were useful
for everybody. We discussed how one is inclined to wish to control whatever
occurs and if things do not work out according to one’s wish one may vex
oneself and believe that this is one’s own fault. Sarah explained that right
understanding that whatever occurs is because of the appropriate conditions is
like the removal of a heavy burden. There will be less clinging to an idea of self
one used to find very important, and no feelings of guilt.
6
Again we have to remember the true meaning of dhamma; whatever arises is
dhamma and this means that nobody can make good qualities arise, that there
is no person. It is natural to think of persons, of our friends, but in order to
understand the truth we have to consider the present reality. There is no reality
to be known that is a person, a friend. Visible object is experienced through
the eyesense and in visible object there is no person, in sound that is heard
there is no person. We tend to forget that what we take for a person is only
citta, cetasika and ru¯pa that do not last, even for a splitsecond. When someone
speaks unkindly to us we have aversion or anger and we keep on thinking of
“that terrible person”. We forget that the real problem is always the attachment,
aversion and ignorance that arise within ourselves. In reality no person is heard,
only sound is heard and there is no one who acts or speaks. It is important to
know what is real in the ultimate sense and what is only imagination. I have
heard this often but we can hear it again and again in order to be reminded of
the truth. It is not wrong view to think by way of conventional notions such
as this or that person or situation. It is necessary for leading our daily life
naturally and to communicate with others. At the same time we can develop
understanding of what is real in the ultimate sense. There is wrong view when
we believe that a person or self really exists.
If we have a problem we tend to think about it with attachment or aversion
and we take our thinking for self. Sarah explained that the aim of the study of
Dhamma is not to stop such thinking, but that this is the time for understanding
Dhamma. Whatever occurs can be understood as just passing dhammas. Sarah
said: “When confidence develops there will be less thinking of ‘how can I have
more understanding.’ There can be understanding just now of what appears.”
If we wonder about the way to have more understanding, it takes us away
from the present moment. We should not try to focus on particular realities,
because realities appear naturally, just when there are conditions for them to
arise and appear. We should not forget that life is in a moment, just in this
moment. Very gradually we can come to understand the difference between life
in conventional sense, life as different situations, and life just in a moment, such
as seeing appearing now or thinking appearing now. We think of many stories
in a day, but they are just fantasy, not reality.
When we wonder whether we should or should not do this or that, we are
inclined to control the situation we are in or we think that another situation,
not the present one, is more favorable for the development of understanding.
Some people believe that the development of samatha is necessary for the un-
derstanding of realities. One may wonder whether the Buddha taught samatha.
During the sessions people asked questions about samatha. Also before the
Buddha’s time samatha was developed. The Buddha taught about all kinds of
kusala, and these can be developed with right understanding. Samatha should
not be developed without understanding of what true calm is. Some people
believe that when they close their eyes and think of a wholesome subject such
as metta, that they develop calm. One should have right understanding of
calm. Calm is a sobhana cetasika that arises with each wholesome citta3 At the
moment of calm there are no attachment, aversion or ignorance. If one has ac-
cumulated the inclination to develop higher degrees of calm, even to the degree
of jh¯ana, one should see the danger of clinging to sense objects. If one does not
3There are actually calm of citta and calm of cetasikas.
7
see this, calm cannot be developed. Right understanding of the characteristic of
calm and of the way to develop it with an appropriate subject is indispensable.
There can be wise reflection at any time and at any place. There is no need
to wait for a favorable time or to go to a quiet place. Some people believe that
they have to be calm first before they can develop understanding of realities.
Or they think that when there are less defilements there is more opportunity for
the arising of awarenes and understanding. Akusala has been accumulated and
it will continue to arise. Only direct understanding that has reached the level of
lokuttara can eradicate stage by stage the latent tendencies of attachment and
other accumulated defilements.
We often hear that the development of understanding begins at the present
moment. We can listen more and consider the reality appearing now, be it
seeing, sound or attachment, even for a few moments. Life will never be as we
think or plan. It cannot be known what hearing hears the next moment or what
thinking thinks the next moment.
There is no self who is listening and considering the Dhamma. These are
only moments of citta arising because of conditions. Someone may hear for
the first time that there is no “I” who sees or hears. It is only the seeing that
sees, the hearing that hears. There can be a beginning of understanding the
truth. Considering the realities that appear are wholesome moments that do not
last, that fall away immediately. Each moment of citta falls away immediately
but it conditions the following moment. In this way understanding can be
accumulated from moment to moment. At a following moment there may be a
little more understanding of realities. Then we listen and consider again and
gradually understanding can grow. This helps us to see that it is not “I” who
understands.
Intellectual understanding, pariyatti, can condition direct understanding,
pat.ipatti. Pariyatti does not mean theoretical knowledge of the teachings, it is
always related to the present moment, to what appears now.
Seeing appears time and again and we can consider its nature. We can
begin to understand that it is a conditioned reality, conditioned by kamma,
by eyesense and visible object, and that it only experiences visible object, no
persons or things. Thinking about persons and things is another citta, and it
follows so closely after seeing, that it seems to arise at the same time as seeing.
But there can be only one citta at a time experiencing one object.
Before realities can be understood as non-self, it should be known what ap-
pears now. Understanding of the level of pariyatti does not experience realities
directly, it experiences concepts of realities. It should be emphasized that the
objects are concepts of reality, not concepts in the sense of stories, situations
or imagination, such as a person, a building or a table. Seeing, hearing, sound
or feeling may appear, and understanding can investigate these realities so that
they will be known as only dhammas. When understanding of the level of pariy-
atti has become very firm, it can condition direct understanding of them. There
should be no expectation when there will be direct understanding of realities,
but there can be confidence that the truth of Dhamma can be penetrated little
by little. Otherwise the Buddha would not have taught it.
8
Sati is a wholesome cetasika that is non-forgetful of what is wholesome. Sati
can be of different levels, of d¯ana, of s¯ıla, of samatha and of vipassan¯a. When
there is an opportunity to be generous in giving or assisting someone else, we
may be lazy and forgetful so that it is impossible for us to be generous or to
help. When sati arises it uses the opportunity for kusala and it is non-forgetful
of generosity and mett¯a. At such moments it guards the six doorways: whatever
object is experienced through one of the six doorways is experienced without
attachment, aversion or ignorance.
Sati is not awareness or mindfulness as we use these words in conventional
sense. It is not: knowing what one is doing, like walking, or focussing on an
object. One should know what the object of sati is: any object that appears at
the present moment by conditions. It is not a situation or a concept but a reality
like sound, hardness, attachment or thinking. There should not be any selection
of specific objects; also unpleasant objects and unwholesome objects can be
known one at a time when they appear. That is the only way to understand
that whatever appears is anatt¯a; it is not in one’s power to have any control. If
one believes that the situation is not favorable for sati or that one should create
conditions for sati one is on the wrong Path leading one further away from the
truth.
Anger or attachment can be object of mindfulness. They may arise because
these realities also arose in the past. They arose and fell away with the citta
but they are accumulated from one moment of citta to the succeeding moment
of citta, from life to life. Kusala and akusala lie dormant in each citta and when
there are conditions they can arise.
When we remember that kusala cittas and akusala cittas arise in processes
in a certain order that cannot be altered it will be clearer that they are beyond
control. Seeing arises within a process and after it has fallen away three more
moments of cittas arise before kusala cittas or akusala cittas performing the
function of javana arise. They are all gone before one can think about them.
Nobody can prevent them from arising. Who knows what seeing will see the next
moment or what thinking will think of. Whatever arises because of conditions
can be object of mindfulness.
It is important to know what is real and what is only imagination. We
believe that we can hear a dog barking. Sound is real, but a barking dog does
not exist in the ultimate sense. What we take for a dog is only citta, cetasika
and ru¯pa which do not last for a moment. Sati can only be mindful of the
present reality, not of a conventional notion. When sati is mindful of a reality
like sound there can be understanding of that reality as anatt¯a. It was explained
time and again that when there is more understanding of the level of pariyatti,
thus, intellectual understanding of this moment, it will lead to realizing that
there are only passing dhammas which are beyond control. Even when one has
heard this many times, it is beneficial to be reminded of the truth. There is
usually absorption in stories, in a fantasy world, instead of understanding the
present reality.
When one does not know the difference, misunderstandings of what the Bud-
dha taught may arise. An illustration of this fact is the way some people un-
derstand the Buddha’s teaching about kamma and the result, vip¯aka, produced
by kamma. Some people think of this truth by way of a situation. When they
9
have an unpleasant experience they say: “It is my kamma.” In reality kusala
kamma or akusala kamma produces a pleasant object or unpleasant object at
the moment of rebirth or during life through one of the senses, such as seeing
or hearing. A moment of vip¯aka is gone immediately but one may think of it
as a long lasting event. The difference should be remembered between thinking
of a whole situation, of concepts or ideas, and understanding the truth of the
reality appearing at the present moment.
During the discussions Sarah and Jon pointed out very often that when we
cling to the idea of a person, of a self and believe that a person or self really
exists, we live in a fantasy world and do not understand realities. It is natural
to think of persons and situations, but they are not real in the ultimate sense.
They are not realities that can be directly experienced one at a time as they
appear at the present moment.
Jonothan said: “The ignorance, misunderstanding, that needs to be over-
come is not the thinking of the concept of a being, a person, but the ignorance
or misunderstanding of the reality appearing at the present moment.” Thus, we
need not avoid thinking of this or that person, but at the same time understand-
ing can be developed that in reality what we take for a person are only citta,
cetasika and ru¯pa that arise and fall away, that do not stay on. In that way we
shall know the difference between the fantasy world of stories and concepts and
the real world.
People had questions about attaining nibb¯ana. Sarah and Jon pointed out
again and again: the development of awareness and understanding begins now
in daily life, that is the only Path to nibb¯ana. The reality appearing now can be
understood and thinking of attaining nibb¯ana is speculation that is not helpful.
All we find so important in life such as a pleasant place to stay, good friends,
is just a moment of thinking. Life exists only in one moment. At the moment
of seeing, life is seeing, at the moment of thinking, life is thinking. Gradually
we can learn to attach less importance to the stories we think of and which are
only fantasy. Thinking is real. It arises because of the appropriate conditions,
but the object we are thinking of is mostly a story, a concept, and thus not
real. While listening and considering more we learn that the way we used to
consider the events of life is quite different from what the Buddha taught and
what we can verify at this moment. Before we had no idea of what the present
moment is. Gradually it becomes clearer what the meaning is of “just passing
dhammas”.
Acharn asked time and again: “Why do you listen?” Is it because we want
to be a better person with less ignorance and less akusala, we want to have
more calm? Then we are thinking of a self who wants to improve his life. When
we are in a difficult situation we usually think about a self who wants to solve
problems and we cling to the idea of a change of situation. In reality there are
only seeing, hearing, visible object or hardness. On account of such experiences
we think of stories, pleasant or unpleasant. Seeing or hearing which arise now are
vip¯akacittas, results of kamma committed long ago. After the vip¯akacittas have
fallen away, kusala cittas or akusala cittas arise which react with wholesomeness
or unwholesomeness towards what is experienced.
The Buddha said: “Avoid evil, do good and purify the mind.” These words
are not a prescription to be followed without any understanding of realities.
When there is more understanding of anatt¯a, of reality arising because of con-
ditions, we can take his words in the right way. When people are told to have
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mett¯a all day there is an idea of “I” who can do something. Mett¯a is adosa
cetasika, (non-aversion) and it can only arise when there are the right condi-
tions. When one has kindness towards people one likes there may be moments of
metta, but there are also likely to be moments with attachment. Kusala cittas
and akusala cittas alternate and one may take for mett¯a what is attachment.
Without pan˜n˜¯a that knows the characteristic of the reality which arises we are
likely to confuse mett¯a and attachment.
Before we went to Vietnam we visited Acharn a few times in Teptharin Hos-
pital. One topic we discussed was the development of the perfections (paramis)4
We should not try to know whether or not there is at this moment development
of the perfections. She said: “Daily life is the proof how much the perfections
are developed.” There must be the firm understanding of non-self. Several
times Acharn emphasized that the development of understanding is much more
difficult and deeper than anyone can think about. Acharn remarked: “Under-
standing does not mind how much it develops. It is self who thinks about this.”
I said that it is very important to remember that it is more difficult than
you would think. Acharn remarked that otherwise akusala cannot be eradicated.
Ignorance and attachment continue on, from life to life, for aeons. We are just
reading and talking about realities, but there must be the understanding of
non-self at any time. “It is harder and harder” she said. She emphasized the
difficulty of eradication of ignorance to show how deeply ignorance and wrong
view are accumulated. Acharn said: “Lobha is making its way all the time and
this is so very difficult.” We do not realize it that we cling to an idea of “self
that should have understanding”. We take akusala citta with clinging for kusala
citta and that takes us further away from the truth. We may underestimate the
power of the latent tendencies that can condition the arising of wrong view at
any time.
The different levels of akusala were brought up by Sarah and Jon during the
discussions. There are three levels: the anusaya kilesa (latent tendencies), the
pariyut.t.h¯ana kilesa (arising with the akusala citta) and the v¯ıtikkama kilesa
(transgression, misconduct). The latent tendencies do not arise with the citta
but they lie dormant in each citta, they are subtle defilements that can condition
the arising of akusala citta. The medium defilements (pariyut.t.h¯ana kilesa) arise
with akusala citta but they are not of the degree of unwholesome courses of
action. The v¯ıtikkama kilesa are transgressions or misconduct.
The latent tendencies are called subtle defilements, but they are very pow-
erful and tenacious. They can only be eradicated by the magga-citta of the
different stages of enlightenment. Since they are latent and do not arise, they
cannot be known.
We talked about the intoxicants, the ¯asavas, subtle defilements that arise.
After seeing which is vip¯akacitta there are just a few more cittas and then during
the moment of cittas performing the function of javana, the ¯asavas often arise
with the akusala citta: the intoxicant of clinging to sense objects (k¯am¯asava), of
clinging to existence (bhav¯asava), of wrong view (dit.t.h¯asava) and of ignorance
(avijj¯asava). The ¯asavas arise time and again, even right now, immediately after
seeing, hearing and the other sense-cognitions, but they are unknown. Cittas
succeed one another extremely rapidly and they have already gone in a flash.
4These are the excellent qualities the Bodhisatta developed in order to attain Buddhahood:
liberality, morality, renunciation, wisdom, energy, forbearance, truthfulness, resolution, loving
kindness and equanimity.
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Seeing arises now and then the ¯asavas of ignorance and wrong view are likely
to follow. They pass very quickly but they can condition the arising of ignorance
and wrong view again and again. Acharn said: “Even when you do not say ’I
see’, the ‘I’ is there. Only pan˜n˜¯a can understand it. The way to eradicate is
so far away. Only pan˜n˜¯a can understand better and deeper, it can see what
appears now as it is. There is no need to say that it appears as not self, that is
thinking again.”
Acharn reminded us that it is very difficult not to cling to the idea of self:
“No matter when, it comes in instantly as long as one forgets it’s not self. Even
right now, whatever arises passes away never to return. This moment is the
test, any time!”
Jonothan remarked that it is wrong to wish for more understanding. Acharn
answered: “One is trapped by ignorance and cinging, having expectations about
sati.”
Acharn explained about letting go of the object that is experienced. When
pan˜n˜¯a begins to understand a characteristic of a reality, there may be the incli-
nation to hold on to that object and then there is no opportunity to investigate
other realities that follow. One does not let go of the object. At the moment of
understanding there is no thought of “I know”. If there is no letting go there
is clinging to an idea of self who thinks about realities. I remarked that it is
difficult to kow the difference between the moments with wrong view and with-
out wrong view. Sarah asked me: “Does it matter to know? Otherwise there is
clinging again. When it is time it is known naturally, and we are not trying to
work it out.”
Seeing now is not the same as seeing a moment ago. Seeing arises and then
it falls away never to return and this is life. We have heard this often but we
did not consider this enough. We still have an idea that seeing can stay, that it
is always there. There are actually six worlds, the world appearing through the
eyes, through the ears and through the other senses and the mind-door. Acharn
was speaking about the world during a session at the Foundation. She spoke
about the first stage of insight when there is clear understanding of n¯ama as
n¯ama and of ru¯pa as ru¯pa, of only one reality at a time: “Where is the world?
The world is lost. It is amazing, no one, no world; only one characteristic as
it is. Hardness is hardness, where are the arms and the legs, the whole world?
They are all gone.”
She said several times that it is so amazing that only one reality appears,
no self. We think of our whole body but this is only an idea. When the body
is touched hardness may appear and hardness is a reality that can be directly
experienced. At such a moment there is not clinging to our whole body. We
talk about n¯ama and ru¯pa but they do not appear clearly as is the case when
moments of insight-knowledge arise. There has to be firm understanding of the
level of pariyatti and it can condition later on direct understanding.
What is the first noble truth of dukkha, was a question that was raised. The
noble truth of dukkha is dukkha of all conditioned realities, san˙ kh¯ara dukkha.
It is the unsatifactoriness of conditioned realities that arise and fall away and
can, therefore, not be a refuge. When pan˜n˜¯a is of the level of pariyatti, it is
understood intellectually that n¯ama and ru¯pa are dukkha, but the arising and
falling away of realities can only be penetrated when pan˜n˜¯a is of the level of
pat.ipatti, direct understanding. After the third stage of insight knowledge it
is really understood what dukkha is. In one of the sessions at the foundation
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Acharn said about dukkha: “What is the use of what arises and falls away?
To understand this is to understand dukkha. There is nothing, and that is
dukkha. . . Whatever has arisen must have conditions for its arising and what-
ever arises falls away rapidly. It is no more, never to return in the cycle of birth
and death.” It cannot return and be something that one likes. We cling actually
to what is nothing.
The second noble truth is the cause of dukkha and that is lobha, clinging. It
hinders the understanding of the truth of dukkha, that is why it is the second
noble Truth. It is opposed to wisdom. When we cling to a reality we think that
it is there all the time, that it does not arise and fall away.
Because of lobha there is clinging to what cannot last and we go on to think
of people and things as being lasting and real. This leads to more clinging and
craving throughout many successive lives. So long as there is clinging there
are conditions for rebirth and we shall continue to be subject to the unsatis-
factoriness inherent in the impermanence of conditioned realities. The third
noble truth is the ceasing of dukkha. When there is no more clinging there will
not be rebirth. The fourth noble truth is the Path leading to the ceasing of
dukkha. This is the development of understanding of all realities appearing at
the present moment.
Acharn often repeated that one has to study each word of the teachings,
one word at a time. She said: “Study with respect, great respect to each word.
Otherwise one takes it that’s very easy, very simple; it cannot be like that at
all.” This reminds us not to underestimate the subtlety of dhamma.
We should remember Acharn’s message to the listeners of the Dhamma ses-
sion, her message of one word: dhamma. We have to consider the meaning of
dhamma as it appears now, in our daily life. It has no owner and it cannot be
controlled.
When someone asked Acharn to speak some encouraging words, she an-
swered: “All are dhammas”. One may be upset by troubles in life, by problems,
but there are only dhammas, conditioned realities.
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