Just Intrinsic Nature

revised on 2019-12-02

Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; no date noted

Among the phenomena for the round of existence, wrong view is the worst one. Only with the wrong view falls away first and other kilesas will fall off. As long as wrong view not falls off and don’t take it as you’re safety. Wrong view is sticking in the Khandha.

Why is that? Because of not seeing anicca nature of the khandha. We’re clinging to the five khandhas as me, he, man and woman. Diṭṭhummattaka (diṭṭhi-ummattaka) means craziness with wrong view. Are you on the right path or with craziness and blindness? Someone has wrong view whatever life he is in, and just for dying.

(Sayadaw gave the example of insects playing around the candle light foolishly and they kill themselves and harm themselves).

It’s important to have appreciation on not a being (ni-satta), not a soul (ni-jīva) and only the intrinsic nature (sabhāva) of phenomena. For example, there are itchy sensation (unpleasant feeling), good feeling and neutral feeling. Are these living being? Are these man or woman? It’s not a being (ni-satta).

Is it also a soul? It’s just feeling. It is arising at ① and vanishing at ②. It arises by the contact of object and sense door (arom and dvāra). Can you say it as a soul? It is just only feeling. Therefore, every time feeling arises is not a soul. The Buddha said that it was an intrinsic nature (sabhāva).

(The existence of a soul is the very deep rooted problem or wrong view in all human history. Only a Buddha declared it as wrong view. Even most Buddhists not knowing the Pali suttas still believe in the existence of a soul.)

Therefore, in the five khandhas whatever arises take it as sabhāva dhamma. You only have the intrinsic nature in your whole body. You can’t say the arising dhamma is round or flat.

Also you can’t say white or red, just the intrinsic nature. In this way wrong view not arises. Can you hold it? Nothing exists also not right. Exist as its intrinsic nature arises and intrinsic nature passes away. Vedanā arises and vedanā ceases, mind arises and mind ceases, etc.

If you know it as is surely free from wrong view. And then it becomes right view. So knowing it as the intrinsic nature and free from wrong view. Feeling and mind are only in name. In reality it’s sabhāva dhamma. Sabhāva dhamma arises and sabhāva dhamma vanishes, etc. Just observing the khandha, you will only find them.

Sometimes you say don’t make me angry. This is dosa sabhāva. You take dosa as me and it becomes wrong view. Can you held on this dosa? Can you make it your own? It’s clear that not knowing it as sabhāva and wrong view arises. With wrong view, you have to go apāya (painful existence).

It happens because you don’t appreciate ni-satta, ni-jīva and sabhāva. Sabhāva arises, and sabhāva ceases; how it can include satta and jīva (a being and a soul). This is the way of dispelling wrong view quickly. It came from the Dhammasaṅgaṇi (the first book of Abhidhamma). I am telling you very often that it’s not like the light appears and then disappears (i.e., not change into something).

It is arising here and not existing here. This is the knowledge of a stream enterer. At the time of not practicing will say man and woman. At the time of sitting you can’t find a person or being. Only find the sabhāva. A person wants to enter the stream, after this knowledge will become a sotāpanna.

If sabhāva dhamma is not arising and sabhāva khandha disappears. You can’t find anything of form, feeling…..and mind. At last even you can’t find sabhāva dhamma. The five khandhas cease. Dukkha sacca ceases, because the five khandhas are dukkha sacca. With the cessation of dukkha and you can’t find them. It arises and vanishes without any break.

Is there any dukkha greater than this one? In a blip the sabhāva khandha not exists. You’re separating from dukkha nature and staying with peaceful nature. This is inclining towards Nibbāna. Seeing it is the Path Knowledge. Dukkha nirodho Nibbānaṁ _ the cessation of dukkha is Nibbāna. The coarser wrong view falls away by discerning Nibbāna. Wrong view totally falls off if you can’t find the sabhāva anymore.

(Here I have a lot to comment on the profundity of Buddha Dhamma. We should read Sayadaw’s talks again and again with reflections which will increase or develop our wisdom faculty.)

Therefore, I am asking you of do your khandha disappear? With diṭṭhi falls away you get light. Āloko udapādi – light of knowledge arises. Some yogis are saying as it seems like sand grains are collapsing (talking their experience of anicca). Ultimate reality (Paramattha dhamma) is without the body. You can’t talk with a body. The body is a concept.

If you still have the body and this is not the dhamma to Nibbāna. Abandoning of not a being (ni-satta), not a soul (ni-jīva) and seeing intrinsic nature will become ultimate reality. Diṭṭhi falls off and free from dukkha are at the same time.

The past kammas with you to painful planes; and the present kammas to woeful births were done with foolishness. As soon as diṭṭhi falls away and the future kammas which will arise are gone. Diṭṭhi not falls away is because you see the body. Diṭṭhi kilesa is keeping the kammas to woeful births with it.

(Sayadaw continued to talk about the importance of abandoning wrong view with the similes of the head hairs on fire and by torturing with spears). If vedanā arises even not using as vedanā instead contemplate as sabhāva arises and sabhāva passes away.

revised on 2019-12-02; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4371&p=36315#p36315 (posted on 2019-04-13)

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