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Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc.
A Guide to Awareness
Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara
?
1
) /KE@A J )M=HAAII
Dhamma TaIks
on the
Foundations of MindfuIness
(Satipahna Sutta)
by
H.H. Somdet Phra Nasamvra
(VenerabIe Suvaqqhano Bhikkhu)
Supreme Patriarch of ThaiIand
of
Wat Bovornives Vihara
Bangkok, ThaiIand
2
Coyiiglt inloimution: Tlis is un electionic veision ol
tle book: A Guide to Awuieness.
| Mulumukut Rujuvidyuluyu Piess, Pliu Sumeiu
Roud, Bungkok 10200, Tluilund.
You muy use tlis electionic veision loi eisonul use
but ull commeiciul iiglts uie ieseived by Mulumukut
Rujuvidyuluyu Piess.
Tiunsluted by Blikklu Aiiyesuko und Blikklu
Kuntusilo
TabIe of Contents
Tiunslutois' Foiewoid 3
Pieluce 4
Tulk 1 S
Tulk 2 7
Tulk 3 9
Tulk 4 11
Tulk S 13
Tulk 6 1S
Tulk 7 17
Tulk 8 19
Tulk 9 21
Tulk 10 23
Tulk 11 2S
Tulk 12 28
Tulk 13 31
Tulk 14 33
Tulk 1S 36
Tulk 16 38
Tulk 17 40
Tulk 18 42
Tulk 19 4S
Tulk 20 47
Tulk 21 S0
Tulk 22 S2
Endnotes SS
A Biiel Glossuiy S6
8
TransIators' Foreword
Tlis GoiJc ro Awarcncss is u tiunslution liom tle seiies ol Dlummu
tulks ublisled in tle Tlui lunguuge us Nacw Paribar Nai Sariparrlan
(lit: Tlc Way oj Pracricc in rlc Sariparrlana).
Tle veneiuble uutloi, HH Somdet Pliu Nuusumvuiu, is tle Su-
ieme Putiiuicl ol Tluilund und leud ol Wut Bovoinives Viluiu, u
luige und lumous monusteiy in tle old city ol Bungkok. It is u centie loi
Buddlist study und is well known umongst westeineis inteiested in
Dlummu; muny ol wlom luve ieceived oidinution tleie witl tle ven-
eiuble uutloi us Piecetoi.
HH Somdet Pliu Nuusumvuiu wus boin in Kunclunubuii Piov-
ince, ubout 130 kilometies noitlwest ol Bungkok, in 24S6 B.E. (1913).
Wlen le wus tliiteen yeuis old, le becume u novice und in 2476 B.E.
le ieceived tle liglei oidinution. On going buck to continue lis stud-
ies in Bungkok le wus given new oidinution us veneiuble Blikklu
Suvuddluno, witl tle Suieme Putiiuicl Vujiiunyunuvong us Piece-
toi, ut Wut Bovoinives Viluiu tle next yeui. Altei luitleiing und com-
leting lis Dlummu und Puli studies to tle liglest giude (giude nine),
le succeeded veneiuble Cluo Klun Pliu Biulmumuni us ubbot in 2S03
B.E.(1960). It wus tleieloie in cuiiying on tle tiudition ol tle lute
ubbot wlen in 2S04 B.E. (1961) le guve tlis seiies ol Dlummu tulks.
He wus uwuided tle ecclesiusticul title ol 'Somdet' in 2S1S B.E.
(1972) und lus leld vuiious ositions in tle udministiution ol tle Tlui
Sunglu. (Tlese moie iecently included: membeisli in tle Council ol
Eldeis; Heud ol tle munugement bouid loi Mulumukut Buddlist Uni-
veisity; Heud ol tle Nutionul Buddlist Foundution; Heud ol tle Foun-
dution loi Leeis, just to nume u lew.) He wus mude suieme utiiuicl
ol Tluilund in 2S32 B.E. (1989). Yet even in tle midst ol exluusting
duties und iesonsibilities le continues lis meditution iuctice.
Tle Dlummu tulks weie iesented to botl monks und luy eole.
Alteiwuids tle monks would clunt uioiiute veises liom tle Puli
texts und linully tleie wus u eiiod ol giou meditution. Tley weie
tleieloie, not just lectuies but u guide loi tlose listening to uctuully
ut into iuctise.
A tiunslution sucl us tlis lus muny dilliculties, not tle leust ol
wlicl being tle iolundity ol tle subject und tle inudequucy ol oui
undeistunding und tiunsluting ubilities. We tleieloie loe ieudeis will
test und cleck tlese teuclings out in tleii own iuctice und exeii-
ence.
Tlis tiunslution is iesectlully dedicuted to tle veneiuble uutloi
wlo guve 'new lile' by oiduining us us blilllos und wlo lus leled so
muny ol us liom tle west.
Tlc Trans|arors
TransIators' Note
In un uttemt to muke tlis tiunslution uccessible to ull, Pa|i teims
luve been tiunsluted. Howevei, scloluis slould note tlut on tleii liist
occuiience tle Pa|i woid is usuully slown in biuckets und tle Englisl
tiunslution is noimully consistent tliouglout tle book. Seveiul woids
weie lelt untiunsluted us un Englisl equivulent wus eitlei dillicult to
lind oi too clumsy comuied to tle oiiginul concet. A glossuiy lus
been included ut tle end ol tle book.
As tle veneiuble uutloi mentions in lis Pieluce, le lud to iecu
und summuiize ievious toics, becuuse eole olten missed some ol
tle sequence ol Dlummu tulks. Howevei, tlis tiunslution omits mucl
ol tlut ieetition.
4
Preface
Tun Cluo Klun Pliu Biulmumuni (Suvucu Tleiu) oiiginully oi-
gunized u seiies ol Dlummu tulks ut Wut Bovoiunives Viluiu. He would
iesent u seimon und tlen, ultei tle monks clunted, eveiyone would
sit in meditution.
I wus invited to continue witl tlis und us I consideied it beneliciul
I ucceted tle tusk. Howevei, I ulso ointed out tlut I wus not u medi-
tution teuclei. I still lud iesonsibilities conceined witl teucling und
vuiious otlei duties, und so could not lully iuctise develoing mysell,
let ulone uttuining to u level uble to tiuin otleis. My Dlummu exlunu-
tion tleieloie ulwuys lud to deend on tle sciituies, und il I lu-
ened to stiuy liom tlem, I ulso lelt us il I lud lost my wuy. I lud to iely
on tle lootiints ol tlose gone beloie to slow tle wuy, wlicl I could
not munuge on my own.
At liist, tle seimons ol Tun Cluo Klun Biulmumuni weie ieud
out. Tlen, in tle Ruins Retieut ol 2S04 B.E.(1961), I stuited to iesent
tulks ol my own. Tlese weie tue iecoided und lutei tiunsciibed.
Tle Mald Saripa((ldna Sorra, tle Gieut Discouise on tle Foundu-
tions ol Mindlulness, is ieguluily clunted ut Wut Bovoiunives Viluiu. I
cun iecite ull ol it wlicl leled wlen I wus iesenting my Dlummu
exlunution. Tlis Discouise is u mujoi illui in tle iuctice ol botl
culm und insiglt, und so wus closen us tle liist text to iesent.
Tle Dlummu tulks weie given twice weekly, on tle evening ol
tle quuitei moon duy und tle lollowing niglt. As tlose tlut cume to
listen did not uttend on eveiy occusion, I would usuully summuiize und
iecuitulute tle euiliei tulks.
Pieviously, I wiote ubout my ieliunce on tle sciituies but in some
luces my exlunution muy uctuully dillei liom tle noimul inteiietu-
tion. I neuily cut sucl ussuges out but in tle end didn't, loi I um suie
tlut even il tlose udditionul tlouglts wlicl oed u ol tlemselves
uie incoiiect, tley will ieceive tle loigiveness ol my ieudeis loi not
being intentionully misleuding. I will tleieloie leuve tlem tleie loi
Dlummu students to investigute und considei.
Tlese twenty-two Dlummu tulks slould be ieud und cuielully
consideied, so us not to stiuy liom tle tiue wuy ol iuctice in tle loun-
5
dutions ol mindlulness.
Tle teucling iesented leie lollows tle wuy lound in tle Dis-
couise on tle Foundutions ol Mindlulness, wlicl contuins tle essen-
tiul und giuduuted stes ol iuctice. It is u wuy wlicl tlose wlo iuctise,
iesect und uieciute. Howevei, some eole muy cluige tlut it is
inuioiiute und lucking benelit becuuse it biings u leeling ol weuii-
ness und deiession. It is iutlei likely tlut tle eole wlo suy tlis uie
uctuully uliuid ol ieulizing tle tiutl. It's similui to being leuilul ol tle
doctois's exuminution ol one's illness oi closing one's eyes to tle tiutl.
Tlis is not u cluiucteiistic ol u clevei eison.
Il you ieud tlis book, you will discovei tle tiutl ol tle 'knots' und
ioblems tlut exist witlin you. In sloit, tlis cun be desciibed us tle
'knot ol sulleiing.' You muy ulso tlen see tle metlod to uniuvel und
suleguuid uguinst tlis sulleiing. Wlen uctuully tiying out tlis iuctice,
you will be uble to cuie youi own sulleiing in uccoidunce witl tle
Buddlu's Teucling. You will ulso exeiience u joy unknown beloie.

Tlis book lus ulieudy been ieiinted muny times in Tlui. I tleie-
loie iequested Blikklu Aiiyesuko und Blikklu Kuntusilo to tiunslute it
into Englisl so us to muke it moie widely uvuiluble. I would now like to
tlunk tlem botl loi biinging tlis woik to comletion und I loe it will
be ol benelit to ull.
TaIk 1
Kammahna: The PIace of Practice
kamma((ldna is u luce ol woik, und leie it meuns wleie one
woiks on one's mind. In viituully eveiyone tle mind is loievei tlinking
und concocting, leuding to tle uiising ol lust (rdga) und gieed (|obla),
lutied und uveision (Josa) und to tle biitl ol delusion (mola). Tle
mind is tlen enveloed in tle contiivings ol issues und ulluiis und lu-
bituully smotleied in delilements. Sucl u disquieted und unstill mind
cun lind no euce, just us tleie is no iest loi tle wuves ol tle seu.
Tle mind inliltiuted witl sucl delilements is so biussed und un-
bulunced tlut it cun't iecognize tle tiutl, cun't see conditions loi wlut
tley ieully uie. Foi instunce, tle mind bound u witl lust oi gieed
must incline towuids tle leusunt, uttiuctive side ol tlings, cieuting u
iedilection loi u ceituin tling. Liking it, one becomes biussed und it
will tlen ueui 'eilect,' 'good' oi 'quite nice' deending on low
mucl one luvouis it. Even il sometling is ieully not ut ull good, one
ussumes it to be so becuuse one is uttiucted to it tliougl tle iejudice
ol lust und gieed.
Wlen tle mind is wuied by lutied, it will tlen tuke tle negutive
side und tuin uwuy liom tlings. Wlutevei is luted tle most will tlen
ueui 'totully bud' oi uccoiding to tle level ol one's uveision 'luinly
bud' oi 'not so good,' etc.
Tle mind imbued witl delusion linds it even luidei to see tle
tiutl. It's us il one is lull-blind, seeing tlings only dimly. Even one's
conjectuies iobubly do not uccoid witl tle tiutl becuuse tle mind is
ulieudy obscuied witl delusion.
Lust, gieed, lutied und delusion not only unbulunce und ugitute
tle mind but ulso block tle develoment ol wisdom (pannd) wlicl
would be uble to enetiute to tle uctuul stute ol tlings. Tle Loid Bud-
dlu tleieloie tuuglt ubout tle two luces wlicl cun be estublisled loi
woiking on tle mind, tle two lamma((ldna:
Samarla lamma((ldna is tle mind's woiking luce to develo culm
(samarla).
6
vipassand lamma((ldna is wleie tle mind cun uttuin insiglt
(vipassand) into tle tiutl.
Woiking loi culm is tle liist ste becuuse tle mind needs ieliel liom
tle delilements wlicl bind und envelo it. One cun tlen iuctise loi
insiglt us tle tiunquil mind is bulunced und liee liom tle bius ol tle
delilements. Wlutevei is tlen investiguted cun be seen cleuily loi wlut
it ieully is, und tlis is wleie insiglt begins to develo.
The Refuges (Surupu)
Just us tle euitl ieceives und suoits oui lootstes, so it is neces-
suiy, iiglt liom tle beginning in develoing tlese woik luces, to luve
u sleltei und solid loundution loi tle mind. Tle mind's tiue ieluge is
tle Tiile Gem (Ti-Rarana): tle Buddlu, tle Dlummu, und tle Sunglu.
One must liist deteimine tle Buddlu, Dlummu und Sunglu us
one's tiue ieluge, und iecollect und contemlute tleii seciul viitues
und quulities. Tlus, tle Loid Buddlu is tiuly tle Awukened One; tle
Dlummu is tiuly tle Wuy ol iuctice to tle end ol ull delilements und
sulleiing; und tle Sunglu uie tlose wlo uie tiuly lollowing tle Dlummu
Wuy to its liuition. Tle cultivuting ol u iolound uieciution loi tle
quulities ol tle Tiile Gem iequiies u dee undeistunding ol wlut tle
Buddlu tuuglt: tlut it indubitubly leuds to tle ending ol ull sulleiing.
Tle moie one cun eiceive tle iolundity ol Dlummu tle moie one
cun uieciute tle uclievement ol tle Loid Buddlu. One's mind will
tlen go loi ieluge to tle Buddlu, Dlummu und Sunglu witlout lesitu-
tion oi wuveiing.
Estublisling one's mind in tle Reluge ol tle Tiile Gem is tle
ieliminuiy ste in tle develoment ol tle lamma((ldna woiking luces.
So will you ull leuse iesolve to uccet tlis ieluge loi youi minds,
secuiing u tiust und luitl in Buddlu, Dlummu und Sunglu und ulso
u tiust und conlidence in youi own ubility to iuctise. Tlis eseciully
ulies to tle lamma((ldna woik wlicl you luve deteimined to iuc-
tise. Know tlut it leuds to culmness und tiunquillity, to wisdom und
insiglt. It is tle tiue und ceituin suoit loi youi mind.
Precepts and MoraI Virtue (S/u)
Now tle giound oi loundution loi tle mind's suoit cun be luid.
Tlis is moiul viitue (si|a) wlicl is uctuully tle nutuiul (palari) stute ol
tle mind undistuibed by tle delilements. Tlese delilements will incite
und loice tle mind into intending (ccrand) und setting into motion
wiong uctions tliougl body und mind. Sometimes you muy lind youi-
sell unuble to muintuin tlis nutuiul stute ol mind becuuse ol business oi
woik ulluiis, etc. Howevei, once you entei tle luce ol Dlummu iuc-
tice, you must liimly iesolve to ieliuin liom wiong, unskillul beluv-
ioui. In otlei woids, do not bieuk tle live iecets
1
.
At tlis iesent time you must be eseciully cuielul to guuid tle
nutuiul viitue ol tle mind. Do not ullow it to be ulled down into un-
skillul wuys. Wlen you cun sustuin tlis nutuiul stute ol mind, you will
lind tle mind endowed witl moiul viitue. Once tlis viitue is iesent, it
loims tle loundution on wlicl to iest und buse tle mind. Wlen youi
mind lus sucl u loundution, togetlei witl u ieluge suleguuiding youi
Dlummu iuctice liom uny ol tle delilements' uttucks, tlen un ooi-
tunity oens u: un ooitunity to lollow tle wuy ol lamma((ldna und
estublisl u luce to cultivute youi own mind.
4rl Aogosr 2504 B.F. (1961)
7
TaIk 2
The Foundations of MindfuIness: Sutpujjhdnu
Tle Discouise on tle Foundutions ol Mindlulness (Saripa((ldna
Sorra) diiectly tukes u und exluins tle tiuining ol tle mind. In luct
tle Loid Buddlu even suid tlut it is tle only wuy to tiunscend soiiow,
to see tle Dlummu tlut needs to be seen und to come to tle end ol
sulleiing witl tle ieulizution ol Nibbunu. Tlis, tleieloie, includes tle
eilection botl ol culm und insiglt. Howevei, one initiully needs to
know ubout tle busis ol iuctice, tle lamma((ldna. Tlis, us I luve
mentioned ieviously, meuns u luce ol woik u woik luce loi tle
mind. It iequiies tle deteiminution to estublisl u loundution loi one's
iuctice. But wleie cun one lind tlis buse loi one's concentiution?
Endeuvouiing to estublisl tle mind in tle ulluiis ol exteinul ob-
jects u visuul object, u sound, odoui, tuste, tungible oi mentul ob-
ject
2
cun only leud tle delilements to inliltiute tle mind. Tle mind is
tlen bused in tle delilements iutlei tlun in tle lamma((ldna. Tlus
tle decision ol exuctly wleie to diiect und buse one's iuctice becomes
ciuciul.
Tle Loid Buddlu tuuglt tlut we slould diiect oui uttention buck
inside ouiselves. Tle loundution loi tle mind's develoment will be
lound iiglt leie inside ouiselves und not ut ull in exteinul tlings. To be
moie secilic, insiJc oncsc|j ieleis to tle body (ldya), leeling (vcJand),
mind (cirra) und mentul objects (Jlammd) ull comlete in eucl one
ol us.
Body (Kdyu)
Tuining one's uttention buck to onesell, looking liom tle outside
in, one liist comes ucioss tlis body. One notices tlut, wletlei uwuke
oi uslee, u busic und essentiul lunction is bieutling. Tleie must ulso
be one oi unotlei ol sucl bodily ostuies us wulking, stunding, sitting
oi lying down. Tleie uie tlen tle seconduiy ositions sucl us, wlen
wulking, one bends tle uims und legs oi one tuins und glunces uiound.
Even us you uie sitting leie now tleie is ulwuys u ceituin nutuiul wuy
loi ositioning youi leet loi sitting.
Tlen tleie uie tle otlei uits to tlis body (ropa-ldya) mude u
ol tle exteinul und inteinul oiguns, etc. Exteinully tleie is tle luii on
tle leud, body luii, nuils, teetl und skin, und inteinully sucl tlings us
llesl, tendons, bones, bone muiiow, bile, kidneys, leuit, etc.
Tlese bodily constituents cun ull be ieduced und consideied in
teims ol elements (Jldro). Foi exumle, tle oiguns wlicl tend to luid-
ness come undei tle euitl element; tlose wlicl uie lluid, undei tle
wutei element; tlose tlut uie 'leuting,' undei tle liie element; und
tlose tlut ioduce motion, undei tle wind element.
As long us ull tlese elements uie ioeily ussociuted togetlei, tle
wlole body ueuis noimul; but slould tley diseise tlen wlut's lelt
is u JcaJ body. Foi exumle, il tle wind element luils tlen tle bieutl-
ing ceuses. Tle body tlen becomes blouted und decuys until only bones
iemuin, und eventuully even tlose skeletul bones will disintegiute. Be-
loie its loimution tlis body did not exist, und so in tle linul event it
ietuins to nonexistence. Tlis is tle section on tle body.
FeeIing (vedund)
In u living body wleie tle elements uie in luimony togetlei tleie
is ulso leeling: Pleusunt leeling (solla-vcJand), uinlul leeling (Jollla-
vcJand) oi neutiul leeling wlicl is neitlei-uinlul-noi-leusunt
(aJollla-m-asolla vcJand)
3
. Foi exumle, tlis body exeiiences leel-
ings ol cold und leut, ol soltness und luidness.
Mind (Cttu)
An intuct body, witl elements smootlly lunctioning togetlei, loims
u suoit und iesoit loi tle mind. Tle stute ol eveiyone's mind vuiies.
Sometimes lust is ueimost und sometimes it subsides; sometimes
tleie is lutied oi delusion und sometimes tley subside.
MentaI Objects (dhummd)
Exumining tle mind to u deeei level, one linds tlut it is ulwuys
involved und conceined witl vuiious ulluiis, some ol tlese being good,
some bud, und some in between. Tlese lollow tle iincile ol tle Pd|i
S
liuses:
kosa|a Jlammd ull mind objects wlicl uie wlolesome.
Alosa|a Jlammd ull mind objects wlicl uie unwlolesome.
Abyalara Jlammd ull mind objects wlicl uie indeteiminute oi
neutiul.
Tlese uie ull lound in one's mind.
So we cun now suy tlut tlis, tlese, tlis und tlese uie togetlei
wlut mukes u myse/f, und iiglt leie is wleie tle Discouise udvises us
to buse oui uttention und mindlulness. In uctuul iuctice tlougl, we
liist concentiute on just one ol tlese buses.
Concerning the Breath
Tle liist oint is tlut to use tle in-und-out bieutling us tle buse
loi estublisling mindlulness. A living body must ulwuys luve bieutl
but we nevei uy uny uttention to it. So oui iuctice is now to biing
mindlulness to beui on tlis nutuiul bieutling uttein.
Tle Loid Buddlu exluins (in tle Discouise) tlut one lolds tle
body eiect
4
und liimly estublisles mindlulness. Mindlully one bieutles
in, mindlully one bieutles out. Insteud ol sending tle mind oll else-
wleie, one concentiutes it wlolly on tle bieutl. Tlis will leud to u
moie subtle uwuieness. Bieutling in u long bieutl, be uwuie ol it. Bieutl-
ing out u long bieutl, be uwuie ol it. Be uwuie ol u sloit in-bieutl und
u sloit out-bieutl, but do not tense oi loice tle bieutling. Just let go
und bieutle nutuiully but be uwuie.
Tle Discouise tlen continues witl instiuction to note tle wlole
body. Exeiience und know youi wlole body us tle bieutl goes in und
out. Exund youi uwuieness to covei tle wlole body including botl
tle mentul giou (ndma-ldya) und tle coioieul giou (ropa-ldya).
Consideiing tle mentul giou, be uwuie ol tle stute ol tle mind,
ol tle iesent condition ol youi mindlulness und concentiution. How
uie tley ut tlis moment? Note tle body tliougl uwuieness ol its os-
tuie und osition. How uie you sitting? Fiom tle soles ol youi leet
uwuids, und liom tle ciown ol youi leud downwuids Be comletely
uwuie ol youi body.
Altei we lully uccomlisl tlis uwuieness ol botl gious, tle Dis-
couise tlen goes on to teucl ubout culming tle in-und-out bieutling.
Tlis does not involve uny loicing oi lolding ol tle bieutl, but is u
nutuiul culming down. Wlen tle mind becomes ielined, so in tuin
does tle bieutl. Tle Loid Buddlu tuuglt tlut il tle mind is unquiet
tlen tle bieutling will be iougl und gioss. Howevei, slould tle mind
become culm, tlen tle bieutling ulso becomes moie ielined und sub-
tle. Sometimes tle bieutling muy even seem to luve stoed, but tleie
is no need to unic. You luve simly culmed down wlile tle bieutling
still iemuins.
The Four FundamentaIs of Practice
You must luve energy and determination (drdpa) in youi iuc-
tice, und tlis includes conscientiousness. Foi exumle, you deteimine
to iuctice loi u secilied time eiiod und so must tleieloie lullill tlut
uim witlout uny sluckness oi cutting sloit. Even tlougl you muy leel
liustiuted und wunt to give u, you must cuiiy on to uccomlisl youi
objective. Witl sucl conscientiousness eveiytling develos smootlly
und well. Tlus drdpa is tle liist essentiul in tle iuctice.
Tle second iincile is awareness and cIear-comprehension
(sampajanna) ol onesell ut ull times. Don't be ubsent-minded oi negli-
gent by lulling uslee oi losing mindlulness. Peimitting slee und ul-
lowing youi uttention to lude indicutes u luse ol cleui-comielension
in youi lamma((ldna iuctice. Tlis is like stiuying liom tle utl und
lulling into u clusm oi it. Tleieloie, uwuieness und cleui-comielen-
sion must be well guuided und suoited. Tley tlus loim tle second
lundumentul in tle iuctice.
Tle next iincile, mindfuIness (sari), is uwuieness lixed und
liimly estublisled witlout uny diilting liom tle closen object
S
. Slould
unotlei mentul object suddenly inteiiut leuding to iutuie (piri) oi
excitement, tlen don't lose youisell in it but quickly ietuin to youi
buse. Foi exumle, ieject ull distiuctions und tuin youi lull uttention
buck to tle in-und-out bieutling.
Once mindlulness is well estublisled, youi iuctice cun develo
witlout tle luim tlut muy uiise liom ubsent-mindedly diilting uwuy
witl tle tlouglts und moods tlut luve uiisen. Tle luim comes wlen
9
you too ieudily ubundon mindlulness und become u leedless duy-
dieumei. Tleieloie, steudlustly estublisl youi mindlulness. Don't ul-
low it to diilt uwuy. Tlis is tle tliid iincile.
Tle louitl iincile is to overcome hankering and dejection
concerning the worId
6
. Tlis is un imoitunt oint, loi wlenevei one
encounteis u leusunt mentul object in one's iuctice, one must con-
sidei it us u deceit und u lulse eicetion. Likewise, il un unleusunt
exeiience uiises sucl us u mentul imuge (nimirra) wlicl iovokes
leui tlen one must uguin be mindlully uwuie tlut none ol it is ieul.
Being neitlei-glud-noi-dejected witl unytling tlut uiises, one continu-
ully biings mindlulness buck to tle estublisled object und unclois it
tleie. In tlis wuy concentiution (samdJli)
7
, und eventuully wisdom
(pannd), will uiise und one's iuctice will iogiess well.
Tlese loui lundumentuls uie essentiul loi eveiyone wlo iuctises.
Il tley uie disensed witl, tle iuctice is tleieby ubundoned witl
ossibly luimlul iesults. But witl tlese iinciles well estublisled, one's
iuctice cun only be beneliciul und develo well.
5rl Aogosr 2504 B.F. (1961)
TaIk 3
Expanding and Summarizing
the Section Concerning Breathing
I would now like to exund tle exlunution on mindlulness ol
bieutling (dndpdna-sari). Tle Discouise udvises sitting eiect in tle
sumudli-ostuie witl mindlulness uleit und liimly lixed on tle in-und-
out bieutl. Vuiious wuys loi develoing sucl mindlulness uie tlen given:
1. Bieutling in u long bieutl one knows, 'I um bieutling in u long
bieutl.' Bieutling out u long bieutl one knows, 'I um bieutling out u
long bieutl.'
2. Bieutling in u sloit bieutl one knows, 'I um bieutling in u
sloit bieutl.' Bieutling out u sloit bieutl one knows, 'I um bieutling
out u sloit bieutl.'
3. 'Exeiiencing tle wlole body, I slull bieutle in,' tlus one tiuins
onesell. 'Exeiiencing tle wlole body, I slull bieutle out,' tlus one
tiuins onesell.
4. 'Culming tle uctivity ol tle (bieutl-)body, I slull bieutle in,'
tlus one tiuins onesell. 'Culming tle uctivity ol tle (bieutl-)body, I
slull bieutle out,' tlus one tiuins onesell.
In tle liist und second stuges ol bieutling in und bieutling out
u long bieutl, und bieutling in und bieutling out u sloit bieutl one
lus to ieulize exuctly low one is bieutling ut tlut moment. Tlis ieleis
to tle oidinuiy, unloiced bieutling wlicl noimully goes unnoticed.
Witl cuielul uttention one will ieulize tlut tle bieutls uie eitlei long
oi sloit. Wlen lutigued oi tiied, one cun see tlut tle bieutling be-
comes leuvy, eilus witl unting oi gusing. Wlen tle mind is uset
und unquiet, one muy ulso tend to tuke longei bieutls tlun wlen one is
culm. Bieutling exeicises muy ulso involve dee bieutling.
Witl tle body iested und eucelul, tle bieutling becomes quietei
und moie ielined. Wlen tle mind is ulso tiunquil, tle bieutling is
even moie delicute und ielined. At liist youi mindlul uttention on tle
bieutl muy not seem to biing uny liuitlul iesults. Howevei, witl ei-
sistence tle mind will become moie liimly estublisled, ullowing con-
tentment (clanJa), iutuie (piri), und gludness (pamojja) to uiise. Tlis
10
olleis you u liist tuste ol tle liuits ol tle tiunquil mind, tle mind en-
dowed witl sumudli, wlicl will encouiuge you onwuids in youi iuc-
tice.
Tle tliid stuge ol exeiiencing tle wlole body witl tle bieutl
is conceined witl being uwuie ol ull tle coioieul giou und tle men-
tul giou. Be uwuie ol youi ostuie us you sit iuctising leie, ol tle
osition ol youi lunds und leet. Tuke note ol tle stute ol youi mind
und tle cluiity ol youi mindlulness und concentiution. Sucl un uwuie-
ness ol tle wlole body indicutes u bioud mindlulness. Tlis must be so
ielined tlut exeiiencing tle wlole body becomes exeiiencing tle
wlole brcarl-body witl eucl bieutl.
One notices, in simle teims, tlut tle in-bieutl enteis ut tle nose,
usses midwuy ut tle leuit und ends ut tle nuvel, wleieus tle out-
bieutl stuits ut tle nuvel, usses tle leuit und ends ut tle nose. Tlis is
one guuge loi leling to diiect one's uttention. Howevei, lollowing tle
bieutl in und out will uctuully unsettle und unlocus tle mind. Tle Loid
Buddlu tleieloie tuuglt tlut one slould lix tle mind on tlut single
oint wleie tle in-bieutl stuits und tle out-bieutl ends, i.e. wleie tle
bieutl contucts tle nostiils oi uei li. Tlis single oint is tle muik
(nimirra) wleie one stutions tle mind. Witl eucl in-und-out bieutl
one notes tle uii toucling tlut muik (tle nostiils oi uei li), und
tlis is known us exeiiencing tle wlole body und bieutl-body.
Tlis cun be comuied to suwing u iece ol wood. Attention is
locussed solely on tle cutting oint und not on tle comlete lengtl ol
tle suw us it moves buck und loitl. Seeing tlut one oint is like seeing
tle wlole suw und, similuily, in uttending to just tlut single muik one
exeiiences tle wlole bieutl. Tlis is tle tliid stuge.
Culming tle uctivity ol tle bieutl-body is tle louitl stuge ol tiuin-
ing. Tlis does not involve uny suiession oi lolding ol bieutl in un
uttemt to loice it to become moie ielined. Rutlei, it involves u stiengtl-
ening ol tle mind's concentiution und culm. Wlen tle mind is culm
und ielined, so is tle bieutl. Tle oosite wuy, ol stimuluting und
exciting tle mind, uclieves only tension und stiess.
Tle iuctice ol concentiution oi sumudli is loi euce und tiun-
quillity in botl body und mind. Wlen tle body und mind uie still, tle
uim ol tlis uit ol tle iuctice is ieucled. Howevei, tle essence leie is
iutlei in stuge tliee (ubove), witl tle louitl stuge lollowing on liom
tleie.
Counting and "Buddho"
In tle beginning ol tle iuctice, tiying to use only tle Puli (tex-
tuul) instiuctions muy be too dillicult to uccomlisl. Tleieloie uddi-
tionul devices to enguge und lold tle mind luve been olleied. Foi
instunce, tleie is (mentul-) counting ol tle bieutls. Tlis cun liist be
done in u slow uttein by counting eucl succeeding in und out bieutl
us lollows:
Inlule (count) onc ... exlule (count) onc Inlule (count) rwo ...
exlule (count) rwo
Inlule (count) rlrcc ... exlule (count) rlrcc
Inlule (count) joor ... exlule (count) joor
Inlule (count) jivc ... exlule (count) jivc
Tlen ietuin uguin to counting onconc; rworwo.....etc., but tlis
time continuing tle sequence so tlut you end witl sixsix. Reeut tle
sequence uguin, ietuining to onconc (und so on) but tlis time udding
scvcnscvcn; tlen buck to onconc und tlen u to ciglrciglr; onc
onc tlen u to nincninc, und linully, tle comleted sequence liom
onconc to rcnrcn.
Altei comleting u lull sequence liom onc to rcn, begin tle cycle
uguin us beloie, i.e. onconc to jivcjivc und so on, until ieucling
onconc to rcnrcn uguin.
Wlen tle mind is sulliciently steudy, u uttein ol moie iuid count-
ing cun be used. Tlis entuils (mentully-) counting onc witl tle inlulu-
tion und rwo witl tle exlulution. Continue tlis sequence until you ieucl
jivc. Tlen, ietuining to onc continue until you ieucl six. Cuiiy on tlese
iounds until you ieucl rcn.
Tlese counting teclniques cun be individuully udjusted to one's
own iuctice so us to uclieve sutisluctoiy iesults. One ossible udutu-
tion, loi exumle, is to count liom onc stiuiglt tliougl to rcn und,
luving counted rcn, ietuin to onc und stuit tle cycle uguin.
Il luin counting does not suit you tlen tle woid 'BoJJlo` muy be
11
used insteud. Inlule (mentully-) ieciting 'BoJ-`, und exlule, (mentully-
) ieciting '-Jlo'. Inlule 'BoJ-`, exlule'-Jlo,` und so on.
Counting oi using u muntiu woid sucl us BoJ-Jlo is u uselul uid in
tle beginning stuges ol tle iuctice. It cun be comuied to using lined
uei to guide tle lund wlen we weie liist leuining low to wiite.
Wlen u suituble degiee ol cometence, steudiness ol mind und iuc-
tice lus been uttuined, tle device ol counting und BoJ-Jlo slould be
discuided, witl u uie mindlulness cuiiying on ulone. Tlis is tle gen-
eiul metlod ol iuctice, und eucl iuctitionei slould decide wlut is
most suituble. Tlis metlod is uiely loi tle develoing ol culm, und
will biing euce und stubility to tle mind.
I would like to iemind you ol tle loui lundumentuls ol iuctice:
Conscientious eiseveiunce (drdpa und sacca), lull und cleui comie-
lension (sampajanna) und mindlulness (sari). Tlese uie ulwuys essen-
tiul to youi iuctice.
The Benefits of Samadhi
Tle unquiet, iestless mind wustes time und elloit witl its luck ol
ulicution und locus. We muy wisl to study u book but cunnot con-
centiute due to distuibing und iolileiuting tlouglts. Howevei, u mind
well tiuined (us desciibed ubove) in culm und steudlustness ullows us
to uly ouiselves. Foi exumle, we cun uly ouiselves to tlut book
und cun quickly digest und undeistund it, witl u bettei iecull us well.
Tlus tle guins und benelits ol tle tiuined, stubilized mind munilest not
only in u ussive iesting ol tle mind in luiness, but ulso in wlutevei
uctivity we muy enguge in.
1sr Aogosr 2504 B.F. (1961)
TaIk 4
Review of the Basic Practice
Samarla lamma((ldna is tle luce ol woik to biing culmness und
stubility to tle mind.
vipassand lamma((ldna is wleie insiglt into tle tiutl uiises in
tle mind.
One begins iuctice by tuking ieluge in tle Buddlu, Dlummu und
Sunglu becuuse one is lollowing tle Loid Buddlu's Dlummu iutlei
tlun uny otlei wuy. Fuitl (saJJld) und conlidence (pasdJa) in tle
Buddlu He wlo lus oened u tle Wuy loi oui iuctice to lollow
is tle going jor rcjogc.
You slould deteimine to kee ut leust tle Five Piecets. Even
youi sitting leie now is ulso to estublisl und imiove youi moiul vii-
tue. Witl youi ieluge, luitl und iecets estublisled, you cun now
iuctise loi culm und insiglt.
Tle iuctice leuding to u culm und stuble mind is eluciduted in tle
Gieut Discouise on tle Foundutions ol Mindlulness (Mald Saripa((ldna
Sorra) us mindlulness ol bieutling. One estublisles mindlulness on tle
in-und-out bieutl, long oi sloit (etc.), exeiiencing tle wlole body
und culming tle bieutl-body. Tle (Buddlist) Teucleis luve ulso ol-
leied sulementuiy wuys: locussing tle uttention ut one oint in tle
bieutling cycle (i.e. ut tle nostiils oi uei li wleie tle bieutl mukes
contuct), loi exumle, oi using counting to lel, oi by ieciting 'BoJ-
Jlo`. Tleie uie otlei vuiiutions, but tley ulwuys boil down to locussing
tle mind in one luce. Wlen youi mind becomes one-ointed, you cun
be suie eveiytling is going well. But ut uny iute, just kee youi mind-
lulness locussed und you will be uble to muke tle mind one.
Characteristics of the Mind
I would like to exluin u little moie ubout tle nutuie ol tle mind;
low dillicult it is to tume und contiol witl its lubituul juming und
iucing ubout. Even witl mindlulness lixed on u single object, it will
continuully buck und ull uwuy. Wleie does tle mind jum to? It stiug-
12
gles uiound umong mentul objects, lollowing ultei desiies, wisles, ut-
tiuctions und tle obstucles (pa|iboJla) wlicl uie woiiies und unxie-
ties. Tlese exteinul involvements uie tlose conceins wlicl we tlink
und conceive ubout. Once tley uie cuuglt u in tle mind tley ugitute
us woiiies und unxieties. Il tley uie muny und you uie unuble to tliow
tlem out, tlen tle mind cun't be ucilied. Howevei, eveiyone witl
tiue deteiminution cun exel tlem und uclieve u culm mind.
The Method of Examining the Mind
Mindlulness is essentiul loi guuiding tle mind iiglt liom tle be-
ginning. Any inuttention, und tle mind will luve duited uwuy in u llusl.
Tle mind must tlen be seedily led buck inside il mindlulness is to be
iecoveied.
Il one clecks to see wly tle mind lud duited uwuy, one muy lind
tle cuuse in sometling like tle sound ol u cui, ol eole wulking ust,
oi tle noise ol sometling lulling. Tle mind zis uwuy to tlut uiticului
sound und tlen stuits to ioum luitlei ulield. It muy luve wundeied on
tliougl muny vuiied eisodes beloie one ieulizes tle luct und is uble
to ietuin it to one's deteimined oint. Howevei, slould unotlei noise
inteivene, tle mind muy tlen be oll uguin continuing on liom one
tling to unotlei in wlut miglt seem like u moment even tlougl it
suns muny dilleient eisodes.
Using mindlulness, ulwuys ietuin tle mind to youi closen oint
und, cuielully estublisling mindlulness, exumine it tleie. Tle mind
will tlen be ucilied und, wlen clecked in uny uiticului eisode, will
usuully not go oll tleie uguin but will iutlei lollow some otlei ulluii
insteud. Tlis metlod must be ieeuted until tle mind is tumed und
uble to come to culm witl contentment (clanJa), iutuie (piri) und
euse (pamojja). Tlis will give u tuste ol tle liist stuges ol culm und
sumudli, luitleiing youi sutisluction in tle iuctice und lucilituting
tle locussing und settling ol tle mind in sumudli.
Posture
Following on liom tle section on bieutling is tle section on os-
tuie (iriydparla-pabba). Heie tle Loid Buddlu teucles tle use ol cleui-
comielension. Wlen wulking, one is uwuie ol one's wulking; wlen
stunding, one is uwuie ol one's stunding, und likewise witl sitting oi
lying down. Wlen clunging osition, be uwuie ol tlut movement. Aim
to kee u tlis cleui-comielension und uwuieness.
On close exuminution one linds intention (ccrand) iesent beloie
uny osition is tuken u, oi even beloie one moves to clunge tlut
ostuie. Foi exumle, tleie is tle intention to wulk oi to sit. Howevei,
in tle uctuul wulking oi sitting, one's cleui-comielension is liuble to
be bioken by tle mind's stiuying uwuy in tlinking ol otlei ulluiis. Tleie-
loie, muke suie tlut cleui-comielension is uwuie und suleguuiding
uny ostuie you uie iesently in.
CIear Comprehension (Sumpujunnu)
Anotlei section (sampajanna-pabba) ulso deuls witl cleui-com-
ielension, clussilying tle mujoi ostuies in u moie detuiled wuy. Be
uwuie ol wlut you uie doing. At tle moment ol tuking u ste loiwuid
oi buckwuids, ol looking oi tuining, ol stietcling tle body out oi con-
tiucting it in wlutevei you uie doing be cleuily uwuie. Diessing,
euting, diinking, ielieving youisell: notice low tlese tlings ioceed.
Tlis includes wulking, stunding, sitting, lying down, seuking, being
silent, going to slee und wuking. Tlis constunt sell-uwuieness is tle
iuctising ol cleui-comielension. It will suleguuid you liom cuieless-
ness und negligence und cun biing only benelit.
On Impurities (Pujkk/u)
Tlis section (Pa(illo|a-pabba) deuls witl tle imuie oi uncleun
usect ol tle body. One exumines tle body liom tle soles ol tle leet
below, uwuids to tle ciown ol tle leud. It is suiiounded und encused
in skin und lull ol vuiious loul und ieulsive imuiities.
Tlese uie tle bodily uits:
luii ol tle leud (lcsd), luii ol tle body (|omd), nuils (nalld),
teetl (Janrd), skin (raco), llesl (mamsam), sinews (naldro), bones
(a((li), bone-muiiow (a((liminjam), kidneys (vallam), leuit
(laJayam), livei (yalanam), diuliugm oi membiunes (li|omalam),
sleen (pilalam), lungs (pappldsam), luige intestines (anram), smull
18
intestines (anragopam), undigested lood (oJariyam), exciement
(larisam), bile (pirram), llegm (scmlam), us (pobbo), blood
(|oliram), sweut (scJo), lut (mcJo), teuis (asso), skin gieuse (vasd),
sittle (llcjo), nusul mucous (singldpild), oil ol tle joints (|asild) und
uiine (morram).
Tlese numbei tliity-one but tle Loid Buddlu ulso ointed to tle
biuin-in-tle-skull (marrlalc marrla|ongam), wlicl mukes tliity-two
bodily uits in ull.
Even tlougl tle Loid Buddlu uctuully intended tlis teucling loi
tle monks (blilllo sangla), it still iemuins veiy mucl tle tiutl con-
ceining tle vuiious uits ol tlis body, und luy eole miglt tleieloie
udut tlis munnei ol exuminution loi tlemselves. He ointed out tlut
tlis body is so comounded tlut it must become iotten und utiid, us is
seen wlen it becomes u coise. But wlen it cun still be nuituied und
suoited tlen one cun ulso munuge to deend on its suoit. Tlis
imuie usect is not usuully obseived unless one exumines it to see loi
onesell wlen it's ulwuys ieudy to munilest.
All ol tlis is conceined witl culming und ussuuging tle mind liom
its sutisluction und ussionute uttuclment loi one's own und otlei eo-
le's bodies. Il you wisl to ieulize tlis culm tlen use tle metlod ol tlis
section loi exuminution und contemlution. It is eseciully imoitunt
in youi sumudli iuctice, wlen tle ubuting ol sucl uttuclment loi
botl youi own und otlei eole's bodies becomes vitul. Tlis, tlen, is
one stiutegy to lel in tle liim estublisling ol youi mind in culm und
tiunquillity.
12rl Aogosr 2504 B.F. (1961)
TaIk 5
Two Methods of CaIm (Samatha)
I luve ulieudy exluined two metlods loi muking tle mind culm
und stuble. Tleie is mindlulness ol bieutling, wlicl centies tle mind
in one-ointedness tliougl uwuieness set on tle in-und-out bieutls;
und mindlulness ol tle body (ldyagard-sari) wlicl uses exuminution
ol tle vuiious bodily comonents to enetiute to tleii imuie nutuie.
The EIements (hdtu-kummujjhdnu)
Anotlei metlod is tle exuminution ol tle elements. 'Element'
(Jldro) leie ieleis to laving simi|ar claracrcrisrics iutlei tlun to com-
ing jrom rlc samc roor. Tlus tlose body uits tlut uie luid uie ieleiied
to us tle euitl element (pa(lavi-Jldro); tlose uits tlut uie lluid uie
ieleiied to us tle wutei element (dpo-Jldro); tlose tlut uie wuiming
uie tle liie element (rcjo-Jldro); und tlose tlut uie in motion, tle
wind element (vdyo-Jldro).
We ieviously unulysed tle body into tliity-one oi tliity-two in-
teinul und exteinul comonents, wleieus loi tle elements we unulyse
tlem in tle lollowing munnei:
1. The earth eIement is tle leud luii, body luii, nuils, teetl,
skin, llesl, sinews, bones, bone muiiow, kidneys, leuit, livei, mem-
biunes, sleen, lungs, luige gut, smull gut, undigested lood und excie-
ment.
All ol tlese und uny otlei bodily uits tlut uie luid uie desig-
nuted us tle euitl element.
2. The water eIement is tle bile, llegm, us, blood, sweut, lut,
teuis, skin gieuse, sittle, mucous, oil ol tle joints und uiine. Any otlei
comonent uits tlut uie lluid cun be designuted us tle wutei element.
3. Tle fire eIement is tlut leut wlicl wuims tle body (ycna
sanrappari); tle leut wlicl cuuses tle body to decline und deteiioiute
(ycna jiriyari); tle leut wlicl mukes tle body leveiisl (ycna
pariJaylari); und digestive-leut loi wlutevei we eut, diink, clew oi
tuste (ycna asirapiralldyirasdyiram sammdparipdmam gacclari). Any
14
tling else in tle body tlut lus u leuting cluiucteiistic is designuted us
tle liie element.
4. Tle wind eIement is tle uwuid-blowing wind (oJJlangamd
vdrd); tle downwuid-blowing wind (aJlogamd vdrd); tle wind in tle
ubdomen (locclisayd vdrd); tle wind in tle bowels (lo(lasayd vdrd);
tle wind tlut couises tliougl ull tle limbs (angamangdnosdrino vdrd)
und tle in-und-out bieutling (assdsopassdso). Any otlei uit wlicl
lus u moving oi blowing quulity is designuted tle wind element.
S. Tle space eIement. In otlei discouises tle suce element (dldsa
Jldro) is iesented us tle liltl element, tlis being tle emty suces
und cuvities ol tle body: tle eui cunuls (lappaccliJJam); tle sinuses
(ndsaccliJJam); tle moutl oiilice (mollaJvdram); tle gullet (ycna ca
asirapiralldyirasdyiram ajjlolarari); tle suce wleie tle lood iemuins
(i.e. tle stomucl) (yarrla ca... ...sanri((liri); tle oiilice liom wleie tle
lood is exelled (i.e. tle iectum) (ycna ca ....aJlobldgd nilllamari).
Any otlei emty suce oi cuvity in tlis body uie ulso designuted us tle
suce element.
Separating-out One's EIements
It is quite noimul loi eucl one ol us to be uttucled to lis oi lei
body, tlinking ol it us mysc|j. Now we must exumine it in teims ol
elements, seuiuting ull tle luid uits out us euitl element, tle lluid
uits us wutei element, tle wuim uits us tle liie element, tle uiiy
uits us tle wind element und tle emty suces us tle suce element.
Tlut wlicl we udleied to us mc anJ minc will tlen be seen us ele-
ments.
Anulyse youi body und tuke out eucl element, one ut u time. Tuke
out ull tle luid uits, leuving tle otlei elements togetlei. Now ie-
move tle wutei und tlen tle liie element, und you uie lelt witl tle
wind element. And wlen tlut is tuken out tlen ull tlut iemuins is emty
suce.
Methods of Separating the EIements
One cun exumine tle elements lollowing tle Loid Buddlu's Wuy
(us ubove) oi one miglt use u modein scientilic unulysis ieducing eve-
iytling to molecules und utoms. Altei iemoving eucl ol tle elements,
one linully linds tlut ol ull tlut wlicl one lud been uttucled to und
tlouglt ol us mc anJ minc, tle only tling iemuining is tle suce ele-
ment. Just emty suce witl no mc anJ minc oi sc|j.
Tlis unulysis ol elements is one stiutegy to use in cuibing uttucl-
ment to tlis body wlicl munilests us mc anJ minc, und us mysc|j. Tle
situution is just tle sume witl exteinul tlings wleie otlei eole und
otlei tlings luve tle sume nutuie und ioeities. One cun tlen ie-
leuse one's uttuclment loi eole und tlings und ubundon one's tlink-
ing in teims ol sc|j. Tle mind tlen culms und is liimly settled.
Tlis is one metlod in tle iuctice ol culm. Howevei, botl mind-
lulness ol tle body (wlicl we luve ulieudy deult witl) und tlis unuly-
sis ol elements is culm mixed witl insiglt. Tlis insiglt will uiise, witlout
uny ietension, out ol tle unulysis wlen tle elements uie cleuily seen
loi wlut tley ieully uie no cieutuie, no eison, no mysc|j oi rlcir
sc|j. Tle mind ieviously ubsoibed und sulleiing in its mc-ncss anJ
minc-ncss will ullow eveiytling to come to culm. Tlis is tle luctoi leud-
ing to u culm und cool mind.
StiIIness and Peace ~ or Thinking
Tle exuminution ol tle bodily uits und elements does not biing
one-ointedness ol mind becuuse it iequiies un uctive unulysis und in-
vestigution. In mindlulness ol bieutling lowevei, tle uim is loi one-
ointedness, so one does not use investigution. Use wliclevei metlod
seems most uioiiute to you ut tle time. Sometimes youi mind miglt
be content witl stillness und ut otlei times it will wunt to tlink. Wlen
youi mind tends to stillness, use mindlulness ol bieutling. Howevei, il
it likes to go out, tlinking ol tlis und tlut, tlen insteud ol giving it u
liee iein uiiunge u toui loi it in youi own body. Kee it witlin tlese
bounds: Fiom tle soles ol youi leet u to tle tis ol tle luii on youi
leud, ciicumsciibed witlin tle skin. As it tiuvels tleie, exumine tle
bodily uits oi tle elements.
This Body as a Work Book
Tle study ol culm und insiglt is in luct tle study ol tlis body. It's
15
mucl like tle student doctoi witl lis big text book wlicl is just tlis
veiy body. All lis studies uie contuined leie. Tle iuctice ol culm und
insiglt is similui to tlis, but witl tle objective being u liimly estub-
lisled, culm mind togetlei witl u cleui seeing und tiue insiglt. And u
linul letting-go.
19rl Aogosr 2504 B.F. (1961)
TaIk 6
Concentrating on a SingIe Object
I luve ulieudy exluined ubout stubilizing tle mind by wuy ol
culm using vuiious teclniques: mindlulness ol bieutling, mindlulness
ol tle body und exuminution ol tle elements. Tle cloice iests witl tle
iuctitionei. Wlen one decides to estublisl tle wundeiing mind in one-
ointedness, mindlulness ol bieutling cun be used. Slould tle mind
wisl to go iouming, let it exloie tle body oi elements. Howevei, mind-
lulness slould locus und iemuin witl eucl object until it is cleuily dis-
ceined. Foi exumle, moving one's concentiution tliougl tle body,
one exumines tle luii ol tle leud und body, nuils, teetl, skin, llesl,
sinews oi bones. One miglt tuke boncs us u single object und tliougl
lixing one's mindlulness see tlem us one's own skeleton. Tlis is cen-
tiing tle mind in one luce.
RefIection on a Corpse
Pieviously, I luve been ieleiiing to tle sciutiny ol tle living body,
but tle lileless body oi coise cun ulso be exumined. Comuie tlis
body witl tle coise ubundoned in tle cemeteiy loi one, two oi tliee
duys blouted und lesteiing until only mouldeiing bones iemuin. One's
contemlution ol tlis will give iise to u weuiiness, u disencluntment
und tlen biing culm to tle mind. Witl iuctice one tlen becomes uc-
customed to coises und unuliuid ol tlem. Tlis is unotlei metlod
wlicl uses iellection oi exuminution.
Two Types of Samadhi
Biielly seuking, tleie uie two tyes ol concentiution: tlieslold
oi neiglbouilood concentiution (opacdra samdJli) und ubsoition
concentiution (appand samdJli). Tle tye ol sumudli wleie tle mind
exloies und exumines biings one only to tle tlieslold becuuse tle
mind is not yet one-ointed, wleieus tle tye tlut centies in one-oint-
edness us ubsoition sumudli is liim und unwuveiing. Concentiuting
on tle in-und-out bieutling, even tle estublisling ol mindlulness on
one secilic uit in tle body, cun ulso leud to ubsoition sumudli.
16
The Instruments for Practice
Tle instiuments loi one's iuctice must include ulied-tlouglt
(viralla) und sustuined-tlouglt (vicdra). Alied-tlouglt is tle cuu-
bility ol ulying tle mind to tle meditution object ol sumudli, wlile
sustuined-tlouglt is tle sustuining und enguging ol tle mind togetlei
witl tle meditution object.
Wlen concentiuting on tle bieutl, one must diiect und uly tle
mind ut tle nostiils oi uei li, wleie tle uii enteis und leuves. Sus-
tuined-tlouglt is tlen used to kee tle mind liimly enguged on tlut
single oint. Wlenevei one is cuieless in one's iuctice und mindlul-
ness is lost, tle mind will dusl uwuy. Alied-tlouglt must tlen be
used uguin to cutcl und ietuin tle mind to its loimei stution, enguging
und sustuining it tleie witlout ullowing it to lull uwuy to unotlei ob-
ject.
Tle Loid Buddlu comuied ulied-tlouglt witl tle sound ol u
bell wlen liist stiuck, wlile sustuined-tlouglt wus likened to tle ie-
veibeiutions ol tle bell. Botl ol tlese uie ulwuys necessuiy in one's
iuctice. Alied und sustuined tlouglt uie essentiul becuuse tle mind
is continuully liuble to sli uwuy liom tle meditution object, iequiiing
ulied-tlouglt to lilt it buck und sustuined-tlouglt to sustuin und
enguge it tleie. Wlen tlis is constuntly iuctised, tle mind becomes
ucilied und stutionuiy so tlut tle liuits ol sumudli cun stuit to ueui:
u eivuding iutuie (piri) und, even moie tlun tlut, wlen euse (solla)
uiises tliouglout one's wlole body und mind. Witl contentment ol
botl body und mind tle mind becomes unwuveiingly centied on one
single object: Tlis is one-ointedness (claggard).
Wlen one lus yet to exeiience tle iewuids ol iutuie und lui-
ness, tlen one's iuctice will tend to leel liustiuting und tiiesome. How-
evei, witl tle continued develoment ol ulied und sustuined tlouglt,
iutuie und luiness will uiise und tlen tle one-ointedness ol
sumudli will be boin us tle liist liuits ol one's sumudli iuctice. Tlis
by itsell will give sutisluction in one's iuctice und enuble it to develo
und llouiisl.
Tle oints to note in my tulk toduy uie us lollows: Alied-tlouglt
lilts und diiects tle mind to tle sumudli object. Sustuined tlouglt
enguges und sustuins tle mind togetlei witl tle meditution object.
Tlen iutuie und euse ol body und mind will uiise lollowed by tle one-
ointedness ol mind wlicl is sumudli.
20tl August 2S04 B.E. (1961)
17
TaIk 7
Summarizing the Body Section
Toduy, I will comlete my exlunution conceining tle section on
tle body in tle Discouise on tle Foundutions ol Mindlulness. I would
tleieloie like biielly to summuiize some ol tle muin oints in ieview.
Even tlougl tle Loid Buddlu uctuully tuuglt tlis Discouise to monks,
tlose luy eole ioosing to culm tleii minds muy ulso use tlis iuc-
tice to udvuntuge und ieceive tle iesultunt luiness.
Tle Loid Buddlu tuuglt tlut one must liist estublisl mindlulness
inside one's own body. As tleie uie so muny dilleient oiguns und uits,
tle exuminution tukes u one uit ut u time. On estublisling mindlul-
ness inside tle body one iecognizes tlut bieutling is u nutuiul exeii-
ence common to eveiyone. He tleieloie tuuglt to bieutle in-und-out
mindlully. One slould be uwuie ol tle bieutl's lengtl, but concentiute
on just one oint (ut tle nostiils oi uei li) iutlei tlun lollowing tle
bieutl ulong. Tle mind, tle body und tle bieutl will ull become culmei
und moie ielined; yet even tlougl you muy leel tlut tle bieutling lus
uctuully stoed, do not ieleuse youi concentiution liom its estublisled
oint.
Tleie uie two wuys ol tuking u unotlei uit ol tle body loi
exuminution. One wuy is to leuve tle bieutling und tuin to concentiute
on some otlei uit. Anotlei wuy is to ietuin mindlulness ol bieutling
us un uncloi und tlen coule it witl tle contemlution ol u uit ol tle
body. Tlis combined contemlution cun only be used wlile tle mind
lus yet to ieucl one-ointedness. At tlis stuge one cun use tlinking us
u lelei in iestiuining tle mind liom going outside. Wlen it wunts to
go out tlen let it go into tlis body.
You slould ulso be uwuie ol otlei uieus. Note youi ostuie und
insect youi body to see low it is ositioned. Notice tle iesent os-
tuie, il you uie sitting loi exumle, und tlen tle vuiious sub-ositions,
sucl us low tle leet und lunds uie luced. Being cleuily uwuie ol ull ol
tlis is cleui-comielension (sampajanna).
Altei being uwuie ol tle body's ostuie, one cun tlen sciutinize
tle body itsell moie closely by exumining its comonent uits und oi-
guns. Some uits uie diiectly disceinible to tle eyes (sucl us tle luii,
nuils, teetl, und skin) und some cunnot be seen (sucl us tle llesl,
sinews, bones und tle vuiious inteinul oiguns.) One cun stuit oll by
exumining tlem ull in geneiul oi go stiuiglt in to ick out und closely
insect eucl uit. Tlis deends on youi own ieleience.
Altei exumining tle body's comonent uits, one cun view tlem
to u deeei level by unulysing tlem in teims ol elements. Extiuct out
tle luid uits us euitl element, tle lluid uits us wutei element, tle
wuiming uits us liie element, und tle blowing uits us tle wind ele-
ment. Tle iemuining emty suces uie tle suce element.
Il tle body und its elements weie uctuully seuiuted in tlis wuy
tlen rlis asscmb|agc oi body would be no moie und lile would be lost.
Howevei, wlen tle elements ussociute togetlei tlen tlis ussembluge
is iesent und ulive. It is bieutling, it clunges its ostuie, und its vuii-
ous exteinul und inteinul uits uie in oidei und woiking togetlei. Tlis,
tlen, is tle body we luve leie now.
One cun luitlei investigute und see tlut wlen tle elements disso-
ciute, tle wind element will exiie und witl it tle in-und-out bieutl.
Altei tle wind element, tle liie element extinguisles, leuving tle once-
wuim body cold. Tlen tle wutei und euitl element will giuduully dis-
eise until notling iemuins excet tle emty suces ol tle suce
element. Beloie eucl one ol us wus boin tlis body did not exist, und
eventuully it must ulso ietuin to notlingness.
The Nine Cemetery ContempIations
Cuiiying one's investigution on to unotlei level, one linds tlut
once tle wind und liie elements uie lost, tle body ends u being culled
u corpsc. Tlut coise isn't unytling otlei tlun tlis body. Wlen tle
elements uie ussembled togetlei, it's u living body, wlen tley luve
diseised, it's u coise.
Altlougl tle Loid Buddlu tuuglt us to exumine tlis body, uctu-
ully to see tle coise witlin it is dillicult. He tleieloie exluined tle
use ol u ieul coise so us to be uble to comuie tle two. Eveiyone lus,
ut one time oi unotlei, lud to come ucioss someone dying oi u coise.
8
1S
Nowuduys, lowevei, tle coise goes tliougl so mucl diessing und
muking-u tlut its tiue nutuie does not ueui. Tleieloie, we luve to
iely on tlese guidelines:
1. Rellect on u coise deud loi one, two oi tliee duys: blouted,
tuined un ugly gieen coloui und lesteiing.
2. Next contemlute on tle coise tliown uwuy (in u cluinel
giound) being devouied by muny unimuls: tle ciows, vultuies und
iuvens, dogs und juckuls teuiing ut und euting tle coise.
3. Fiom tleie considei tle coise stiied ol its llesl by tle uni-
muls but witl tle skeleton still smeuied witl blood und llesl und leld
togetlei by tle tendons.
4. And luitlei considei tle skeletul coise devoid ol llesl yet still
sotted witl blood und leld togetlei by tle tendons.
S. Fiom tleie considei tle skeletul coise devoid ol llesl und
blood, yet leld togetlei by tle tendons.
6. Tlen considei tlut skeletul coise witl ull its lolding tendons
gone, tle loimei skeleton now scutteied leie und tleie. Tle bones ol
tle leet luve gone one wuy, tle bones ol tle lunds unotlei. Tle tligl
bones, elvis, sinul veitebiue, iibs, bieust bone, uim bones, tle sloul-
dei bludes, tle neck veitebiue, tle juw, tle teetl und linully tle skull
luve ull come uuit in dilleient diiections. Tley uie now just buie
bones.
7. ...yet tlose bones uie iecent und tleieloie still wlite...
8. ... und ultei u yeui usses tley uie ieduced to being just leus
ol old bones.
9. Tlen tle bones iot und decuy und become dust; blown und
scutteied by tle wind so tlut tley cunnot even be culled bones unymoie.
Tle exuminution us tuuglt by tle Loid Buddlu tukes tlis body u
uit by uit. Exumine u living body und loiesee low it too must inevi-
tubly be witlout lile. Tle leui tlut muy sometimes uiise in tlis contem-
lution usuully comes liom luck ol knowledge. Tlis ignoiunce und
lonesomeness mukes one imugine tlut tleie is luim oi dungei luiking.
But wlen one disceins wlut it is ull ubout und tlut in tiutl tleie's no
dungei involved tlen tlut leui will lull uwuy. Once you luve mus-
teied youi timidity tlen you will be someone eugei und biuve loi tle
tiutl, no longei uliuid ol glosts und tle like.
Inspecting the House
My exlunution ol tle investigution ol tle body iequiies tle mind
to muke un insection toui. Tlis is mucl like moving to u new louse
wlicl ulso needs un initiul insection. One touis tle wlole louse to
cleck out wleie eveiytling is. Howevei, tlis does not meun one must
ulwuys be on tle move, continuully insecting us il one did not need to
iest. Wlen one ieully needs to iest, to sit oi lie down, tlen one must
sto in one luce. Tle comlete insection ol tle louse linisled ullows
one to cloose, uccoiding to one's ieleiences, exuctly wleie to luce
tle cluii oi bed so one cun iest. Tle Loid Buddlu, tleieloie, olleied
muny dilleient metlods wlicl I luve been exluining leie. He ointed
out tle wuy to entei into tlis body und insect it in its entiiety. Wlen
in need ol iest, one cun tlen sit oi lie down wleie one is comloituble.
One cun ieose on tle bieutl by settling mindlulness on u single oint
tleie, oi iest in uny one ol tle tliity-two uits ol tle body. One estub-
lisles u single locus, loi exumle, in tle bones until tle skeleton muni-
lests. Otleiwise, you cun contemlute tle coise. Wlutevei usect
ueuls to you be it living oi deud tlut is u to you.
Il you uie sutislied witl tle bieutl us tle muik, tlen centie youi
mind unwuveiingly on just one single oint tleie. Il tle mind wunts to
move uiound tlen let it toui tliougl tle otlei uits but muke suie it
stuys witlin tle body. Otleiwise you cun use botl togetlei, but tlis is
not yet sumudli, loi tlut iequiies u centiing, u gutleiing togetlei ut
one oint.
26rl Aogosr 2504 B.F. (1961)
19
TaIk 8
The Body: Inside and Outside
Arising and Disappearing
Would you ull now centie mindlulness inside youi own body. Tle
mind muy now tiy to escue, going out und involving itsell in vuiious
woiiies. Tlis luens becuuse eveiyone tends to luve conceins ubout
lis oi lei woik, lumily, lome oi otlei uieus. Use mindlulness und
cleui-comielension. Be deteimined to set youi woiiies uside und leud
tle mind to collectedness inside youi own body.
You muy lix youi concentiution ut tle nostiils oi uei li oi on
uny ol tle otlei objects wlicl I luve exluined ieviously. Accoiding
to tle Discouise (Saripa((ldna Sorra), being uwuie ol tle bieutl is con-
ceined witl knowing tle inteinul und tle exteinul, und knowing tle
uiising und tle disueuiing.
Obseiving tle exteinul uccoiding to tle conventionul undei-
stunding meuns knowing tle bieutl's contuct oint ut tle nostiils oi
uei li. Tlis conventionul liume ol ieleience is one wlicl eveiyone
wlo wutcles tlut oint will exeiience und tlis is culled seeing tle
exteinul.
Looking ut tle inteinul witl tle ultimute undeistunding is tle see-
ing tlut tle veiy bieutl is mude u ol tle loui elements. Hold youi
lund neui youi nose so tlut tle exlulution stiikes it. You will tlen leel
some larJncss in tle contuct, some b|owing, some moisrncss und some
warmrl. Tle exeiience ol luidness is tle euitl element; moistness is
tle wutei element; blowing, tle wind element; und wuimtl, tle liie
element. Tlougl tlis is just tle bieutl, liom u moie iolound view-
oint it is comosed ol tle loui elements. Tlis is culled seeing tle
inteinul. Looking ut tle exteinul witl conventionul undeistunding
(sammari) one sees tle bieutl. Looking ut tle inteinul witl ultimute
(paramarrla) undeistunding tleie uie tle loui elements.
Tuking tlis now onto unotlei level wleie tle seeing ol tle bieutl
is tle exteinul, wleieus tle seeing ol tle mind is tle inteinul. Tlis
luttei is tle concentiuting ol tle mind, lixing it so tlut tle muik oi sign
uiises. It is similui to u lotogiul: tle object lilmed being exteinul,
und tle imuge on tle lens oi on tle lilm being inteinul. Focus youi
mind to see tle exteinul und tle inteinul.
Wlen you concentiute in tlis wuy, you will see uiising und disu-
euiing. Bieutling-in is tle uiising. Bieutling-out is tle disueuiing.
Tle inlulution is ulso uctuully tle biinging in ol tle loui elements und
tle exlulution is tle iemoving ol tlem. Tlis tlen, is un uiising und u
disueuiing eveiy time you bieutle.
Wlile eole uie still bieutling, tley uie uttucled to tle vuiious
tlings, but wlen tlut bieutling ends so does tleii conscious iecogni-
tion ol clinging to unytling. Tle uim ol tle Loid Buddlu's Teucling
ubout seeing tle body in tle body is tleieloie to see und be uwuie ol
tle inteinul und tle exteinul, tle uiising und tle disueuiing. Be uwuie
ol tle existence ol youi body, eseciully ol tle bieutling, but only to
tle extent necessuiy loi knowledge und to estublisl mindlulness. Let
go und do not gius ut unytling. Be uwuie tlut rlis boJy cxisrs und rlis
brcarl cxisrs und ut tle sume time ieleuse eveiytling. Let go. Emty
youi mind und muke it cleui und ut euse. Fiimly estublisl youi mind-
lulness on tle object you luve lixed uon.
FeeIing (vedund)
Sitting leie in iuctice you muy exeiience some discomloit oi
uin. You muy ucle oi leel still oi you uie being bitten by mosquitos, oi
else you muy leel iestless und lidgety. Even tlougl you muy luve lysi-
cul uin und mentul uin, just be uwuie ol wlutevei is uinlul. Bodily
discomloit, mentul discomloit wly is tleie distiess? One cun lind
tle cuuse in tle muteiiul oi cuinul tlings, tle buited looks oi dmisa.
Reulize tlut tlese uie tle tlings wlicl cuuse tle vuiious loims ol sul-
leiing. Il you leel some mentul discomloit eilus u stilled oi o-
iessed leeling und youi mind won't settle down, tlen exumine to
lind its cuuse. You muy lind tlut youi mind is conceined witl numei-
ous unxieties und is unuble to come to collectedness. Oi tle cuuse muy
be in tlut you luve nevei iuctised tiunquillity meditution beloie und
tle mind still iuns oll leie und tleie. It lus nevei been still beloie und
tleieloie is not sutislied witl sucl u stute. Be uwuie tlut tleie is ul-
20
wuys u cuuse, u buited-look, iesent in tle tlings tlut come in und
biing sulleiing. Wlen you uie settled into youi iuctice und exeii-
ence bodily und mentul uin, look to see wleie it oiiginutes. Do not
submit to tle uin but kee u tle iuctice uccoiding to one's oiiginul
intention. Tlut uin will tlen giuduully lude und tle mind's loundution
will be estublisled moie liimly so tlut sucl stubility biings loitl lui-
ness.
Wlen you exeiience u leusunt leeling ol eitlei body oi mind,
tlen be uwuie ol it us sucl. You muy exeiience u cooling bieeze wlicl
ieliesles youi body, und no ucle oi stillness is iesent. Considei wlut
cuused tlis leusunt bodily leeling. Il it cume liom tle enviionment,
tle weutlei und sucl like, oi youi ucles lelt wlen you clunged youi
ostuie, tlen ieulize tlut tlis is still muteiiul, buited-look leusuie. It
is ull deendunt on exteinul tlings.
Be uwuie ol tle cuuse ol uny leusunt mentul leeling. Sometimes
it muy uiise wlen tle mind dusles out to some leusuiuble involve-
ment outside und is lost tleiein. You cun tlen see its deendence on
exteinul tlings: Tlis is buited-look leusuie. Howevei, wlen tle mind
is steudy und centied in culm witl iutuie, witl euse und bodily und
mentul luiness iesent, tlen tlis is u nonmuteiiul luiness
(nirdmisa). Tlis is leusuie indeendent ol exteinul buited uttiuctions.
Tlut bodily euse slould ulso be seen us uiising liom tle mind's stute ol
culm und not liom exteinul muteiiul tlings.
As tle mind steudily stubilizes, tlut leusuie will become moie
und moie stilled und ielined until it is exeiienced us neitlei-uinlul-
noi-leusunt. Tle mind is tlen liimly centied. Tlis neitlei-uinlul-
noi-leusunt leeling is indeendent ol exteinul tlings.
Wlen using mindlulness ol bieutling in youi sumudli iuctice
you must ulso note tle leelings tlut uiise. At liist tley will be uinlul
und tlen tley will subside und leusunt leeling will be exeiienced.
Wlen tlis becomes moie und moie ielined, leusunt leeling will lude,
und inteimediute, neitlei-uinlul-noi-leusunt, leeling will uiise. At
tlis level ol iuctice tle mind is estublisled und liim, but tleie is still
u need to cleck tlut tle buited, exteinully led, leelings ol eitlei uin oi
leusuie do not uiise. One's level ol culm will tlen biing u nonmuteiiul
luiness wlicl slould be used to encouiuge one's contentment in
iuctice. Howevei, do not ulso become uttucled to tlut luiness. Just
uim loi one-ointedness ol mind.
27rl Aogosr 2504 B.F. (1961)
21
TaIk 9
The Body and FeeIing: Together in Review
Tle cultivution ol tle mind uims loi u steudy, culm mind und u
enetiutive insiglt into tle tiutl. I luve exluined tlis, stuge by stuge,
lollowing tle Loid Buddlu's Wuy set loitl in tle Gieut Discouise on
tle Foundutions ol Mindlulness, tlis being tle only wuy to ieulize one's
uim. Even His otlei Teuclings cun be summuiized into tlis loim. Tleie-
loie, we slull ieconsidei tlis wuy ol iuctice iiglt liom tle beginning.
Centie tle mind und locus on youi own body und leelings.
Seeing tle wlole body conceins: mindlulness ol bieutling; know-
ing tle wlole body, botl tle mentul giou und tle coioieul giou;
culming tle mind, body und bieutl; being uwuie ol one's iesent os-
tuie; exumining tle exteinul und inteinul bodily uits und oiguns; ie-
ducing tlose to tleii elements; seeing tlut witl tle diseisul ol tle
elements wlut iemuins is u coise in its vuiying stuges ol decomosi-
tion, until tleie in notling lelt to ussume us body. Tlis exuminution ol
one's body is u wide-iunging, oveiull insection, wlile tle iuctice ol
sumudli iequiies tle iesting ol tle mind in uny one uiticului bodily
uit. Foi exumle, il one linds tlut mindlulness ol bieutling suits one
tlen concentiute on tlut one oint.
In tle initiul stuges ol iuctice tleie will be uin in botl body und
mind. Tleie uie tle ucles liom sitting in unuccustomed ositions und
tle mind's discomloit liom being loiced to be still und culm wlen it
lus nevei iuctised beloie. Reulize tlut tlis is uinlul leeling uiising in
outside uttiuctions witl tleii buited look. Pust bodily comloit und tlut
leeling ol leusuie uie tlen used to luie it into uin. Tle mind lubitu-
ully-tlinking-us-it-likes is distiessed wlen it is loiced to gutlei into
culm. Howevei, witl utience, eisistence und unwuveiing deteiminu-
tion, sucl uin will lude uwuy und luiness will uiise. Tle body will
tlen be ut euse und tle mind seiene.
But on no uccount cun mindlulness be ullowed to luse. Il it is lost
tlen tle mind will iuce out und giub lold ol exteinul objects. Wlen-
evei you cutcl tle mind engiossed in sucl leusuies tlen lully ieulize
tlut tlis is baircJ-lool p|casorc und bused in exteinul uttiuctions. Be
similuily uwuie ol tlut bodily leusuie bused on un exteinul luie. Tlese
tlings tlut induce tle mind to dodge outside uie ol ciiticul imoitunce
becuuse on going out it does not sto ut just one excuision. Tle sound
ol someone wulking oi seuking, oi ol u cui oi some otlei noise, muy
immediutely leud tle mind uwuy, und tlen it will continue on into
myiiud involvements. Do not ullow tle mind to become engiossed in
tlese exteinul uttiuctions witl tleii buited looks. Slould you cutcl
tle mind in sucl leusuies, tlen ieulize tleii oiigin und biing it buck
to tle object ol youi sumudli, to one-ointedness.
Sometimes u neitlei-uinlul-noi-leusunt leeling muy similuily
uiise liom tle mind's excuision into exteinul involvements. So muke
youisell uwuie ol tlis.
Alwuys be wutcllul und leud tle mind buck to its sumudli object
so tlut it becomes stilled und liee liom sensuulity und ull unwlole-
some stutes. You cun tlen be conlident tlut tle luiness wlicl you
exeiience is comletely untuinted by exteinul luies und is boin liom
tiunquillity. Tlis luiness gives u tuste ol tle initiul stuge ol iuctice.
Howevei, do not lose youisell in it, but continue to steudy tle mind in
tle sumudli object.
Focussing and Setting the Mind
Altei undeistunding leeling us I luve exluined, now tuin inwuids
to tle mind itsell. Look und note its condition, its stute und disosition.
As you locus tleie you will exeiience tlut tle leeling slilts into tle
mind us well but only il you wutcl cuielully. You will lind tlut uny
bodily distiess iuns into tle mind, wlile uny mentul distiess is ulieudy
diiectly conceined witl tle mind. Tlis gives iise to dislike wlicl is
ulso known us lutied oi uveision (Josa). Howevei, I leel tlut tlis woid
seems u little too stiong so we will use 'dislike'. It lus u bioud meuning
becuuse eveiyone dislikes sulleiing. Sulleiing, once iesent, leuds to
tle uiising ol dislike und us it intensilies so tle uveision uiises moie
sluily. Tleieloie tlis dislike, oi wlut cun be culled uveision, uiises
tliougl uinlul bodily und mentul leeling (Jollla vcJand). Wlen some-
tling is contucted, tlen bodily und mentul uin must uiise beloie it
22
becomes u muttei loi uveision. Puinlul leeling is tleieloie tle luse loi
uveision und dislike. Wlen tlis is tle cuse, be uwuie tlut tle mind is
ossessed witl lutied oi uveision, tlut dislike lus ulieudy uiisen in tle
mind.
In tle oosite cuse, leusunt bodily und mentul leeling (solla
vcJand) will leud to liking. One miglt ulso cull tlis lust (rdga) but uguin
it seems iutlei too stiong u woid. 'Liking' muy seem too geneiul u teim
but just undeistund tlut it ieleis to tle beginning ol lust. Lust leie
stuits witl tle subtle loims ol uttuclment und lunkeiing, eveiytling
wlicl involves liking. Eveiy tye ol londness, oi one muy cull it lust,
tleieloie liist siings liom leusunt leeling. Tle contuct tlut biings
bodily und mentul comloit und euse immediutely leuds on to lunkei-
ing, uttuclment und lust. Tleieloie be uwuie wlenevei tlese luve uiisen
in youi mind.
Tlut leeling wlicl is inteimediute neitlei-uinlul-noi-leusunt
(aJollla-m-asolla vcJand) ieleis to tle exeiiencing ol wlutevei
is ulieudy lumiliui. At tle exeiience ol sometling new, u leusunt
leeling muy uiise, us wlen one ucquiies sometling one lunkeis loi.
Howevei, ultei tle initiul excitement lus luded, one muy begin to leel
quite indilleient towuids it und tlis is neutiul leeling. Tlis leeling tlen
slilts into tle mind wleie it cieutes un uttuclment to tlut tling. Sucl
uttuclment, develoing liom un initiul excitement into un indilleient
leeling, is ieully u tye ol decetion becuuse tle object is still not ie-
leused. Tlis giusing, wlicl is u stinginess und jeulous guuiding mukes
tlut object imossible to ielinquisl. Even tlougl tle object no longei
tliills und excites, it cun still not be given u. It's like ull tlose otlei
tlings we own und luve squiiielled uwuy. Tlis uttuclment is u loim ol
decetion. Wlen it uiises in youi mind be uwuie tlut delusion (mola)
is iesent.
Pleusunt und uinlul leelings llusl to und lio, inciting tle siing-
ing loitl ol liking oi disliking, but tlis inteimediute leeling is discein-
ible only il one cuielully exumines tle undeilying giound. One will
tlen come to uieciute its gieut extent. Tle mind is, in luct, deceived
und uttucled to muny ol tlese inteimediute exeiiences wlicl luck
uny ol tle llusling buck und loitl ol leusuie-und-londness und uin-
und-dislike. See tle tiutl ol ull ol tlis in youi own mind.
At tle oosite ole ulso be uwuie wlen tle mind is liee und
unstuined by lust, lutied und deceiving uttuclment. Wlen tle mind
cunnot be estublisled in tle sumudli iuctice ol mindlulness ol bieutl-
ing, tlis is becuuse ol its wundeiing out witl liking, luting, und deceiv-
ing. It's tleieloie ulwuys necessuiy to kee u wutcl on youi mind und
to ieulize wlen it lus wundeied uwuy. Tlut uwuieness will ullow tle
mind to ietuin to culmness.
At tlis stuge in youi iuctice, discouiugement oi iestless und liet-
lul tlouglts muy uiise. Be uwuie ol sucl leelings und steudily lilt tle
mind so tlut it biigltens und tukes leuit. Otleiwise ieulize tlut sucl
dejection uiises only becuuse one lus yet to ieceive tle luiness ie-
sulting liom tiunquillity. Do not, tleieloie, give u on tle iuctice. Do
not indulge in tlose iestless wliiling tlouglts, but use mindlulness to
biing eveiytling buck.
On some occusions youi mind muy be exunsive und bioud. Be
uwuie ol it. Also be uwuie slould tle mind evei become nuiiow und
ciumed. Tle exunsive mind lus ligl siiits wlicl must be modei-
uted witl mindlulness il tley slould go to excess. Il tle mind becomes
too nuiiow und ciumed tlen it will muke loi sulleiing so one must
cuielully not let tlis luen. A lot ol luiness muy muke tle mind
ovei-exunsive und too ligl siiited, wleieus too little muy muke it
nuiiow und ciumed. Sucl extiemes must tleieloie be uvoided loi tle
suke ol wlut is just iiglt und most suituble.
Sometimes tle mind will leel unsuiussuble wlen, loi exum-
le, one wunts to woik und iuctise us luid us ossible wleieus some-
times tle mind ueuis cleuily suiussuble, even iutlei sluck. Tlis cun
leud to negligence. In tlese cuses one must ulso udjust, witl u give-
und-tuke uttitude, so tlut tley bulunce out just iiglt. Do not tlink tlut
you cun be extiu-sueiioi, loi you will tleieby ulso become oveilusty.
Similuily, do not ullow too mucl sluckness und negligence. Cuielully
bulunce tlem togetlei und us one's iuctice iogiesses tlen tuke it
steudily, stuge by stuge.
Sometimes tle mind will be steudy und estublisled, und ut otlei
times it will luck tlis quulity. Be uwuie ol tlis. Tle well-estublisled
28
mind is iiglt und good, but you must exumine to see tle ieuson il it
slould wuvei und wundei uwuy. Tleie must be sometling lucking,
some omissions in youi iuctice wlicl sto it liom stubilizing. You
must lind tle cuuses und biing tle mind buck to stubility.
Sometimes tle mind is libeiuted, und ut otlei times it is
unlibeiuted. At tle mundune level tlis ieleis to ieleusing, letting go ol
sometling und uclieving culm in one's iuctice. Wlen tle mind cun-
not uss beyond, it meuns one cunnot ielinquisl, und tle mind kees
ietuining to outside involvements, been conceined ubout one's woik,
loi exumle. Il you ullow tle mind to go on in tlis wuy, tlen youi
iuctice won't be ioductive. Wlen sitting in iuctice you must tleie-
loie ulwuys succeed in youi elloits to ieleuse youisell liom tlose ex-
teinul entunglements und woiiies, und biing tle mind buck to culm.
Tlis cun tlen be culled tle mind gone beyond. Tlis stute ol mind liee
liom exteinul ieoccuutions will tlen smootl tle wuy loi youi sitting
iuctice. You must tleieloie muintuin u constunt vigilunce conceining
tle stute ol youi mind.
Undeistunding tle wuy ol iuctice exounded by tle Loid Bud-
dlu meuns being uwuie ol tle body, being uwuie ol leeling und being
uwuie ol tle mind. Estublisl one ol tlem sucl us mindlulness ol
bieutlingus u busis loi tle iuctice ol sumudli. But loi tlut iuctice
to iogiess, un uwuieness ol leeling und mind will ulso on occusion be
iequiied. You must be uble to locus on leeling und tle mind witl its
involvements in oidei to steudy tle mind und liimly estublisl it in tle
closen object.
8rJ Scprcmbcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
TaIk 10
The Section on MentaI Objects (dhummd)
The Five Hindrances (Nvurupu)
Oui cultivution ol tle mind is uimed botl ut liimly estublisling
culm und ut develoing tle uiising ol tiue wisdom und insiglt. We
deend on tle iuctice us luid down by tle Loid Buddlu wlicl I luve
been exluining in stuges.
We begin by develoing culm und liimly estublisling tle mind. Il
you uie luy witl mindlulness ol bieutling tlen locus on tle in-und-
out bieutl, us I luve ulieudy exluined. Wlile iuctising, you must ulso
note leeling und mind becuuse il tle mind lus not yet ieucled one-
ointedness, tle vuiious sense-buses uie still uctive. Tle eui leuis
sounds, tle body ieceives tle toucl ol objects und becuuse tle mind is
still not liimly centied, mentul objects will uiise. Tle leelings wlicl
uiise go immediutely to tle mind wleie tle uinlul leeling biings dis-
liking, tle leusunt leeling biings liking; und tle inteimediute leeling
biings delusion und uttuclment. Constunt mindlulness is needed to
wutcl ovei ull ol tlis to muke one's concentiution liim und centied.
Wlen youi elloit to lel estublisl und centie tle mind luils oi
else does not iogiess in develoing sumudli, tlen you must see wleie
tle obstiuction lies. Tle Loid Buddlu culled tlese obstucles tle lin-
diunces (nivarapa). Tley bui tle mind liom sumudli und you slould
be uwuie ol tleii leutuies. Tleie uie live lindiunces:
1. Sensuul desiie (ldmacclanJa): Sutisluction in exteinul objects
us being woitl desiiing und wisling loi. Wlen sucl desiie is iesent, it
leuds tle mind out und ievents its concentiuting, tleieby tlwuiting
sumudli.
2. Ill-will (bydpdJa): Dislike loi tle iuctice oi loi exteinul ob-
jects. Wlen tle mind is duikened by ill-will oi dislike tlen it is u dun-
gei to sumudli.
3. Slotl und toioi (rlina-miJJla): Diowsiness und discouiuge-
ment wlicl dull tle mind und muke tle body sluggisl und letluigic.
Wlen tlis lindiunce uiises it is u dungei to sumudli.
24
4. Restlessness und woiiy (oJJlaccalollocca): Fietlulness und
ugitution conceining exteinul objects oi cuused by iutuie uiising liom
tle iuctice. Tlis unnoyunce mixed witl dislike mukes one leel lietlul
und mukes sumudli imossible.
S. Sceticul doubt (viciliccld): Wuveiing und unceituinty concein-
ing one's motivutions loi iuctising und conceining tle metlod und
liuits ol iuctice. Foi exumle, one lus misgivings ubout wletlei one
slould iuctise ut ull, oi one questions wly one is doing it, loi wlut
udvuntuge. Tle dungei to one's immediute iuctice is tle vucillution
ubout wlicl ol tle vuiious metlods I luve exluined; wletlei one
slould udot one liom tle section conceining tle body, oi leeling oi
mind. To be unceituin ubout cloosing tle iiglt wuy disluys u doubt
ubout tle wuy ol iuctice. Tlis mukes tle mind vucillute und sumudli
becomes imossible. One muy ulso be unsuie ubout tle benelits ol iuc-
tice oi ubout wletlei ceituin tlings will ueui. Tlese unticiutions
und exectutions ubout lutuie iesults, oi ubout seeing vuiious tlings,
uie u dungei to sumudli.
You must tleieloie look ut youi mind: Wlut stute is it in ut tlis
moment? Is tle inclinution (clanJa) towuids exteinul tlings oi is tleie
ulieudy some towuids tle object ol sumudli? Il tle inclinution is still
mostly towuids tle exteinul, tlen tleie won't be uny loi tle inteinul
und sumudli will be dillicult to uclieve. One must tleieloie uiiest
sucl zeul loi exteinuls und endeuvoui insteud towuids tle object ol
sumudli. It does not muttei so mucl tlut zeul towuids tle sumudli-
object lus not yet uiisen, loi tlut will come ol itsell once some ol tle
liuits ol sumudli uie guined.
Exumine youi mind loi tle duikness ol dislike. Is it ull cuuglt u
in tlose exteinul objects wlicl cuuse dislike? Is it stuiting to build u
dislike towuids tle iuctice? Il you indeed lind tlut sucl is tle cuse,
tlen endeuvoui to iestiuin tlose distuibing objects und ieject tle dis-
like loi tle iuctice. Tle utting down ol sucl dislike uvoids tle subse-
quent iejudice und bius to tle oint wleie you cun exeiience tle
meiits ol sumudli wlen sucl dislike subsides. Tlis is similui to dislik-
ing u eison oi tling becuuse one lus noticed only tleii luults und bud
oints. Wlenevei one munuges to see tleii good quulities tlen tlut
dislike will be stilled. Youi ieluctunce und dislike loi tle iuctice will
tleieloie disueui wlen you luve uctuully exeiienced sumudli.
Now, wlen tle imulse und uveision towuids exteinul objects
subside und ieluctunce ubout tle sumudli object diminisles, tle mind
will come to culm. Anotlei untugonist to tlut culm will tlen ueui:
diowsiness. Tle stute ol culm und tlis diowsiness uie veiy similui. Tlis
becomes evident wlen one culms tle mind listening to u Dlummu
tulk, loi instunce und one ulso leels diowsy. Tle untiuined mind is
usuully cluiucteiized by iestlessness, oi il it's not iestless, it's diowsy.
Tlus tleie is u need to tuke gieut cuie tlut one doesn't doze-oll, wlicl
would ellectively extinguisl uny mindlulness. Mindlulness, iecollec-
tion und uwuieness uie ulwuys essentiul loi tle develoment ol sumudli.
As tle sumudli becomes moie ielined, one's cleui-comielension und
mindlulness must be cleuiei und moie subtle. Tle gieutei cluiity ol
one's uwuieness iomotes un equully gieutei steudlustness ol sumudli.
Tle iuctice ol sumudli does not tleieloie uim to obtuin u soit ol deud-
ened-unconsciousness. Tle wuy to solve tlis ioblem ol diowsiness is
by ieulizing its cuuses. It uiises becuuse one lus let mindlulness und
uwuieness sli in tiying to culm tle mind. Wlen going to slee it is
mucl tle sume: One lets go ol uwuieness und, in tuin, one lulls uslee.
In iuctice, tleieloie, mindlulness cunnot be given u otleiwise sleei-
ness will descend. You must lully deloy uwuieness und mindlulness,
wlicl will ievent sucl diowsiness liom occuiiing.
As soon us you leel sleey, use tlis metlod togetlei witl u lixing
on tle uiising ol biiglt liglt. Tlis meuns tlut it is us biiglt us noon in
tle mind tliougl tle vividness und biilliunce ol uwuieness und mind-
lulness. Tle mind is iudiunt witl lull, cleui comielension und mind-
lulness. Tleie cun be no dimming ol tlis us il one weie tiimming
down u luntein's llume becuuse tlut cun leud only to slee.
Also, do not ullow uny wild und unsettling tlouglts conceining
tle wuy ol iuctice becuuse tlis will uboit uny develoment ol sumudli.
Be suie to locus on tle meditution object. Il you decide on mindlulness
ol bieutling tlen concentiute lully tleie. Howevei, ulso be uwuie ol
tle wuys ol leeling und mind, us I luve ulieudy exluined. Tlis ullows
you to coiiect unytling tlut miglt soil tle sumudli und ulso uvoids
25
uny oiession ol tle mind. In mindlulness ol bieutling tlis will sto
uny iiieguluiity wlicl would cuuse iestlessness oi iiiitution. Il you give
liee iein loi tle mind to enjoy tle iutuie und luiness ol tle euily
liuits ol sumudli, tlen tlut excitement will leud to iestlessness. Sucl
iestless und iolileiuting tlouglts need to be constuntly guuided uguinst,
us I luve mentioned beloie.
Sceticul doubt und conjectuie ulso need utting down. Be cleui
und ceituin in youi iuctice witlout seculuting on uny lutuie ellects,
oi tlinking, Wlut will I see? Wlut will ueui? Wlut will it be?` Aim
only to estublisl tle mind liimly in tle object ol sumudli, witl uwuie-
ness und mindlulness lull und cleui. Tle moie ielined tle sumudli
becomes, tle moie solisticuted und comielensive tle mindlulness
und uwuieness must be.
By getting to know tle leutuies und cluiucteiistics ol tlese lin-
diunces wlicl bui tle mind liom sumudli you cun ievent tleii occui-
ience. Il tley luve ulieudy uiisen, you must endeuvoui to wie tlem
out. Tle elloit to ievent und eliminute tlese lindiunces is wlut leuds
to iogiess und success in youi sumudli iuctice.
4rl Scprcmbcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
TaIk 11
Summarizing the Stages of Practice
Tlis Dlummu Teucling is u tiuining uid in tle cultivution ol tle
mind. It is diiectly conceined witl you und tleieloie in listening to
wlut tle Loid Buddlu tuuglt, you must uim to biing it into youisell
und locus on it tleie. Wlen you cun see tle tiutl in youisell, tlen you
will ulso be uble to see Dlummu.
Tle iuctice is uimed botl ut culming tle mind und ut uttuining to
cleui knowledge und tiue insiglt. I luve been exluining tlis iuctice
ol culm stuge by stuge, but luve yet to stuit on tle wuy ol insiglt. Tle
lollowing sections will now begin to exluin tle iuctice ol insiglt wlicl
leuds to wisdom und tiue knowledge. Fiist, lowevei, I will summuiize
und leud in liom my euiliei teucling.
Centiing tle mind in onesell uims ut culming tle mind tliougl
concentiuting, loi instunce, on tle in-und-out bieutl togetlei witl un
uwuieness ol tle mind. In youi iuctice luve cleui comielension ubout
ostuie youi sitting leie now, loi exumle und exumine tle tliity-
one oi tliity-two uits ol tle body, linully unulysing tlem us elements.
Wlen tle elements diseise, tle living body becomes u coise und
decomoses until only tle bones iemuin. Eventuully even tlose bones
will comletely disintegiute.
Wlile tle body is still ulive, it lus leusunt, uinlul und inteimedi-
ute leelings. One must be uwuie tlut some ol tlese leelings uiise de-
endunt on exteinul uttiuctions (witl tleii buited looks) und some uie
boin liom tle iuctice itsell. As sucl leelings quickly slilt into tle
mind, one must ulso be lully uwuie ol tle mind. Wlen leusunt leeling
uiises it biings lunkeiing to tle mind. Puinlul leeling will biing dejec-
tion und inteimediute leeling u stute ol deluded uttuclment.
Tle dungei ol tle linJranccs lies in tlut tley ievent tle mind
liom muking iogiess oi becoming estublisled in sumudli. Sensuul
desiie, ill-will, slotl und toioi, iestlessness und woiiy, und sceticul
doubt uie tle culiits leie. Tle ioot ol tlese lindiunces lies in vuiious
exteinul unxieties und conceins wlicl luve not yet been sluken oll, oi
26
else in leeling itsell. Tle leusunt leeling witl its buited look in extei-
nul uttiuctions goes into tle mind wleie |iling uiises und tlis swuys
tle mind uwuy into tlose leusing exteinul objects. Tle sumudli is
tlus iuined. Tle sume is tiue witl uinlul leeling, wlicl dellects tle
mind uwuy tliougl uveision, und inteimediute leeling, wlicl cun biing
diowsiness, iestlessness und doubt. You must tleieloie be evei wutcl-
lul und uwuie lest uny ol tlese lindiunces stuit to uiise.
In tle beginning one must constuntly be on guuid, exumining und
combutting ull tle vuiious obstucles to sumudli. One's sumudli muy
not yet be liimly estublisled but sucl sell-exuminution is still mucl
bettei tlun giving tle mind liee iein to wundei outside. It's like in-
secting und suiveying one's own louse. At tlis level ol iuctice, con-
centiution on bieutling must be combined witl un exuminution ol
leeling, mind und uny lindiunces tlut miglt uiise. It is tleieloie u
twolold iuctice. Insecting tle mind in tle oidinuiy wuy will olten
leud to one's oiiginul uim being oveituken by otlei, iolileiuting
tlouglts. In tle beginning, tlinking lus to be used but kee it inside
(loi instunce, by using counting oi ieciting 'BoJ-Jlo` togetlei witl tle
bieutl). Sucl tlinking is u ieventive insection to loiestull uny tlieut
to tle develoing sumudli. Wlen one's concentiution succeeds in ovei-
coming sucl dungeis, one's iuctice ol mindlulness ol bieutling (loi
exumle) will stiengtlen und become steudy und suie.
The Method of Practice
for Attainment Concentration (Appund Sumudh)
At tlis level ol iuctice one deends on ulied und sustuined
tlouglt oi iellection. Howevei, iellection leie meuns ulying tle mind
to tle sumudli object to tle (long oi sloit) in-und-out bieutls loi
instunce. Tlis ulied-tlouglt cun be comuied to tle liist stiiking ol
u bell, wleieus sustuined-tlouglt is tle lollowing ieveibeiution. Tlis
sustuined-tlouglt is tle suoiting ol tle mind close to tle object ol
sumudli witlout ullowing it to lull uwuy.
In iuctice tlougl, tle mind olten tends to sli uwuy liom tle
sumudli object, und mindlulness must tlen leud it buck. Alied und
sustuined tlouglt will tleieloie be constuntly needed until tle mind
becomes steudy und estublisled enougl loi iutuie to eivude botl
mind und body. Howevei, you slould not tlen get cuiiied uwuy witl
tlis iutuie. Insteud, continue concentiuting steudily on tle sumudli
object, und euse ol body und mind will uiise. Tlis euse is still moie
ielined und tle mind will tlen be liimly centied in u single object. Tlis
is one-ointedness liee ol intiusive conceins und is boin liom detucl-
ment und euce.
Tle mind, luving iogiessed tlis lui, is ut tle liist stuge ol uttuin-
ment concentiution: sumudli wlicl lus become lixed und estublisled.
Pievious to tlis it wus still neiglbouilood concentiution. Tlis liist level
ol uttuinment sumudli iequiies: ulied tlouglt lilting tle mind to tle
meditution object; sustuined tlouglt suoiting tle mind tleie; iu-
tuie eivuding body und mind; euse ol body und mind; und one-oint-
edness locussed liimly on u single object. Tlis is tle luiness uiising
liom one's sumudli iuctice.
In tle beginning ol one's iuctice, wlen one lus yet to exeii-
ence iutuie und euse tle mind cunnot be liimly estublisled in sumudli.
But witl tle uiising ol iutuie und euse, tle sumudli becomes steud-
lust und one is suid to exeiience tle lluvoui ol sumudli. One will tlen
come to see tle benelits und udvuntuges in sumudli iuctice ol wlicl
one wus ignoiunt beloie.
Even in tle uctivities ol tle woild, u tye ol iutuie und euse is
needed. Il tley uie lucking tlen one won't be uble to continue sucl
(exteinul) uctivities, us wutcling u lilm oi u luy. It is similui in Dlummu
iuctice, wleie tle liuits ol iutuie und euse uie necessuiy loi tle
estublisling ol sumudli, und loi luitlei iogiess. Tlis iutuie und euse
ol sumudli is lui moie ielined und iuie tlun otlei kinds, und biings u
mucl gieutei luiness und coolness to tle mind.
Tle uclieving ol tlis iutuie und euse iest witl u constunt devel-
oing ol ulied und sustuined tlouglt. Wlenevei you iesolve to iuc-
tise, tiy to kee it u eveiy duy. Foi instunce, you muy decide to iuctise
eucl duy just beloie ietiiing to slee oi on uwukening eucl moining.
Sucl u consistency ol iuctice mukes tle mind eusiei to contiol und
wlen it lus iogiessed sulliciently, tle liuits ol iutuie und euse will
uiise. Tlis is lollowed by tle liist stuge ol sumudli, wlicl is known us
27
one-ointedness. Tle liimly estublisled one-ointed mind no longei
needs ulied und sustuined tlouglt becuuse it is now stuble in itsell.
Alied und sustuined tlouglt cun tleieloie be lelt belind und you
need not tiie youisell witl tlem. All tlut now iemuins is iutuie, euse,
und one-ointedness ol mind.
Wlen iutuie eivudes body und mind, tleie is still some exlilu-
iution iesent. Howevei, us tle mind becomes moie ielined, iutuie
ludes und is lelt belind, und only euse und one-ointedness iemuin.
As tle mind continues to become moie und moie ielined, tlut
euse is ulso lelt belind und one tlen exeiiences one-ointedness und
equunimity (opcllld) wlicl is neutiul, neitlei uinlul noi leusunt.
Tle mind is now lully estublisled in tlis ligl level ol sumudli.
Howevei, it is not necessuiy loi you to uttuin tlis ligl stute ol
sumudli. You cun considei uclieving tle level ol ulied und sustuined
tlouglt, iutuie, euse und one-ointedness, us doing quite well witl
youi sumudli iuctice. Tle mind will tlen be uble to stuy in tlut stute
loi us long us you wunt. Howevei, us soon us you exit liom tlut sumudli
you will luve to come into contuct und be distuibed by vuiious extei-
nul objects und conceins until you next iest in tlut eucelul stute. Tle
iole ol sumudli is only to estublisl u comloituble iesting luce loi tle
mind. Tle Loid Buddlu tlen olleied u tiuining in tle develoment ol
insiglt wlicl is tle wisdom cleuily to see und to know tle tiutl.
The Beginnings of Insight (vpussund)
In develoing insiglt it is liist necessuiy to buse tle mind in
sumudli. Otleiwise wisdom will uiise only witl dilliculty. One lollows
tle metlods ol sumudli wlicl tle Loid Buddlu luid down und wlicl
I luve ulieudy exluined, stuge by stuge. Once tle mind is sulliciently
concentiuted, one tuins to investigute witlin onesell. One exumines
tlis mysc|j: tlis one sitting leie witl sucl und sucl u nume, us is com-
monly ucceted by tle woild loi eucl eison. Seuicl out: 'wlut is tlis
tling so designuted by tlut nume?' Reully, it is ull u summing und us-
sembling into uits und gious liom tle soles ol tle leet u to tle luii
on tle leud, ull encused by skin. It is iiglt leie, witlin tlis uieu, wleie
wlut we undeistund us l-mysc|j ueuis. So seuicl it out Wleie is
tlis l-mysc|j?
The First Section Concerning the Aggregates
Tle Loid Buddlu tuuglt ut tlis stuge to seuiute out tle coioieul
uggiegute. Tlis comiises tle wlole ol tle body mude u liom tle
elements ol euitl, wutei, liie, wind und suce togetlei witl tle sen-
soiy uuiutus. Tlese cun be ut uside und culled tle lysicul oi ropa
uggiegute (ropa llanJla).
We cun now go on to insecting tle uggiegute ol leeling. Tleie
uie uinlul oi leusunt oi inteimediute (neitlei-uinlul-noi-leusunt)
leelings. Foi exumle, bodily und mentul leelings ol contentment, bod-
ily und mentul leelings ol distiess, oi inteimediute leelings. Tlese cun
be ut uside und culled tle uggiegute ol leeling (vcJand-llanJla).
Insect tle eicetion uggiegute, witl its iecognition ol tlis und
tlut, ieculling someone's nume und voice und vuiious otlei subjects.
Tlese cun be ut uside und culled tle uggiegute ol eicetion (sannd-
llanJla).
Insect tle uggiegute ol mentul loimutions, tlinking ol tlis issue
und tlut concein. Tlese cun be ut uside us tle uggiegute ol mentul
loimutions (sanlldra-llanJla).
Insect tle uggiegute ol consciousness wlicl is tle knowing und
exeiiencing tliougl tle visuul uuiutus, uuditoiy oigun, olluctoiy
oigun, tuctile oigun und tle mind (mano) wlicl vuiiously knows. Tlis
cun be ut uside und culled tle uggiegute ol consciousness (vinndpa-
llanJla).
Tle ropa uggiegute is one oition, tle leeling uggiegute is un-
otlei, tlut ol mentul loimutions (wlicl is tlis tlinking) is unotlei,
und tle uggiegute ol consciousness is unotlei oition. Oi one seu-
iutes tlem ull into tle ropa, vcJand, sannd, sanlldra, und vinndpa
groops. Wlut is culled mc-mysc|j is mude u liom tlese vuiious uggie-
gutes. Tley uie ussembled into gious, conglomeiutions und into one
iece. Yet seuiuting tlem into dilleient uits loims tle beginning ol
tle iuctice ol insiglt. Tlis iequiies u locussed exuminution und ieuli-
zution ol tle cluiucteiistics ol eucl ol tle uggiegutes und you will luve
to come to cleuily know tlem ull.
9rl Scprcmbcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
2S
TaIk 12
ExpIaining the Five Aggregates
In tlis iuctice ol culm und insiglt, tle wuy ol insiglt begins witl
un investigution into tle live uggiegutes (panca-llanJla). I will iecu-
itulute tlese loi you. Pleuse centie youi mind, looking inwuids to see
tlese live uggiegutes in youisell.
Focus so us to know ubout tle iu uggiegute oi giou, wlicl uie
tle gieut-entities und iimuiy quulities ol muttei (mald-blora-ropa).
Tle luid oition being tle euitl element, tle lluid oition being tle
wutei element, tle leuting oition being tle liie element, tle moving
und blowing oition being tle wind element, und tle emty suces
being tle suce element. See tlut youi lysicul body (ropa-ldya) is
solid becuuse ol tle euitl element, is moistened tliougl tle wutei
element, is wuimed by tle liie element; is uiied und lus bieutl be-
cuuse ol tle wind element und lus vuiious cuvities wlicl uie tle suce
element. Tle ioeities und quulities ol tle lysicul body uie culled
tle gieut entities.
Tlis body ulso lus u sensoiy system. Tleie uie tle visuul oiguns,
tle uuditoiy oiguns, tle olluctoiy oigun, tle gustutoiy oigun und tle
tuctile sense oiguns. Tleie is tle condition ol lemininity oi musculin-
ity. Tleie is soltness und suleness, not being still like u coise. Tleie
is tle disluy ol dilleient munneiisms ol body und seecl. All tlese
vuiious ioeities und quulities uie teimed tle Jcrivarivcs (opdJdya-
ropa) oi seconduiy ioeities deendent on tle gieut-entities. Tle
lysicul body mude u liom botl tle gieut-entities und tleii deiivu-
tives is togetlei known us tle coioieul oi iu uggiegute (ropa-
llanJla). It is tlut wlicl we gius und lold to us mc-anJ-minc, us sc|j,
und it is tleieloie culled tle grasping aggrcgarc (opdJdna-llanJla).
Oiiginuting us un embiyo in tle motlei's womb, tlis lysicul body
giows und develos witl lood us its nutiiment. Tlis lood is none otlei
tlun tle loui elements (euitl, wutei, liie und wind) wlicl need to be
consumed so tlut tle body cun giow und llouiisl. Tle coioieul oi
iu uggiegute tleieloie uiises deendunt on lood (oi tle loui gieut-
entities) und tle body ceuses wlen its lood is ended, oi tliougl vuii-
ous otlei cuuses wlicl come togetlei to destioy it.
Altei exumining tle iu uggiegute und undeistunding its ioei-
ties, its uiising und its disueuiing, we now look into tle leeling ug-
giegute. Tlis consists ol leusunt, uinlul und
neitlei-uinlul-noi-leusunt leelings. I'll give some exumles: Slould
u cooling, ieliesling bieeze llow by wlile you uie sitting leie, tlis is
leusunt leeling. Howevei, il u mosquito bites oi you leel un ucle, tlis
is uinlul leeling. Wlutevei leeling is lelt ultei disieguiding uinlul
und leusunt leeling is wlut is culled inteimediute, neutiul oi neitlei-
uinlul-noi-leusunt leeling. Tlis inteimediute leeling is usuully tle
most busic one und us sucl is commonly iesent but unnoticed il one
does not investigute. Peole noimully only slow inteiest wlen u uin-
lul oi leusunt leeling intiudes.
Look to see exuctly low leeling munilests. Exumine tliouglout
youi body und you will lind it in most uits. It uiises becuuse ol contuct
(plassa). Tlut bieeze toucling tle body und tle biting mosquito uie
exumles ol contuct. Tleie must ulso be consciousness (vinndpa) loi
contuct to be comlete. Feeling uiises deendunt on tlis comleted
contuct wlicl must include botl tle sense imiession und conscious-
ness. Lucking sucl contuct, tle leeling will disueui und tlis uiising
und disueuiing is, in luct, tle nutuiul couise ol tlings. Set youisell to
see tle ioeities ol leeling (vedunu); low it uiises und disueuis.
Now move to look ut eicetion (sannd). Tlis is tle eiceiving
und iecognition ol siglts, sounds, odouis, tustes, tungibles (wlicl toucl
tle body) und ol tle ulluiis wlicl tle mind tlinks ubout. See tlese in
youisell und note low eicetion uiises. It uiises deendunt on contuct
togetlei witl leeling, und disueuis tliougl luck ol contuct oi uc-
coiding to tle nutuiul couise ol tlings. Look to see tlese ioeities ol
eicetion, its uiising und its disueuiing.
Now move to look ut tle mentul loimutions (sanlldra). Tlis is
tle tlinking ubout siglts, sounds, odouis, tustes, tungibles und mentul
objects. See into youi own tlinking und ieulize tlut mentul loimutions
uiise deendunt on contuct togetlei witl eicetion. Tley disueui
uccoiding to tleii nutuiul couise, oi becuuse tleie is no moie contuct.
29
Now move on to look ut consciousness (vinndpa) wlicl is tle
lnowing ol seeing siglts oi ol leuiing sounds (etc.). Il tle sense oiguns
(wlicl I mentioned beloie) uie wlole und lunctioning, consciousness
is iequiied uctuully to see u loim (loi exumle) in oidei to know tlut
loim. Tle uuditoiy oigun needs consciousness to know tle leuiing ol
u sound; tle olluctoiy oigun needs consciousness to know tle smelling
ol un odoui; tle gustutoiy oigun needs consciousness to know tle tust-
ing ol u lluvoui; tle mind buse (mano) needs consciousness to know
ubout tle mentul imuges und ideus (Jlammd). Consciousness is tleie-
loie oveiseeing ull tle sense buses (dyarana).
Il consciousness is lucking tlen even tlougl tle visuul und uudi-
toiy senses oiguns be wlole, no loim will be seen oi sound leuid. It's
similui to u coise: lowevei newly-deud it muy be, tle visuul und uudi-
toiy senses will still not be uble to see und leui. Consciousness is tleie-
loie wlut knows tliouglout ull tle senses: tle eyes, euis, nose, tongue,
body und tle mind.
Consciousness uiises deendunt on mind-und-body oi ndma-ropa.
Tlus tle body (ropa-ldya) is comlete und tle mentul giou (ndma-
ldya), wlicl is leeling, eicetion, mentul loimutions, togetlei witl
consciousness, uie iesent und suoiting eucl otlei. Tle body needs
to be living us it is loi us leie now loi consciousness to uiise. Il
tleie is no ndma-ropa oi il it lus ulieudy diseised, tlen consciousness
ulso cunnot uiise. Be uwuie ol tle ioeities ol consciousness, its uiis-
ing und disueuiing, iiglt leie in youi own sell.
Feeling, eicetion, mentul loimutions und consciousness uie
known us tle giusing uggiegutes becuuse we gius und lold to eucl
ol tlem us minc, us mc-mysc|j.
Concerning the Sense Bases (yutunu)
Tle noimul stute ol ulluiis is loi tle mind to be suoited in tle
iu uggiegute, wlile loi tle mentul uggiegutes (ndma-llanJla) to
uiise liistly iequiies consciousness, tlut knowing ol tle sense-exeii-
ence. Tle condition ol contuct togetlei witl consciousness tlen leuds
to tle uiising ol leeling, eicetion und mentul loimutions (oi tlink-
ing). One tlinks ubout sometling und tle knowing ubout tlut is con-
sciousness. Tlen, in ciicului luslion, leeling (loi exumle) uiises. Tleie-
loie tle condition loi tle uiising ol tle mentul uggiegutes lies witl
ndma-ropa oi mind-und-body wlicl conditions tle uiising ol conscious-
ness. By ndma-ropa leie I meun tlis coioieul oi iu giou comlete
witl tle mentul giou (us I luve exluined beloie). Tley uie not de-
lective. Tley luve lile, u neivous system und lunctioning sense buses.
You must tleieloie locus on tlese sense buses becuuse tlis is tle uv-
enue by wlicl tle mentul luctois uiise. Tle sense buses (dyarana) com-
iise:
Inteinully tle eye (calllo) oi visuul oigun, und exteinully tle
visible loim (ropa) wlicl is seen, tlis loims one uii.
Inteinully tle eui (sora) oi uuditoiy oigun, und exteinully tle sound
(saJJa) leuid, tlis loims one uii.
Inteinully tle nose (gldna) oi olluctoiy oigun, und exteinully tle
odoui (ganJla) smelt, tlis loims one uii.
Inteinully tle tongue (jivld) oi gustutoiy oigun, und exteinully
tle lluvoui (rasa) tusted, tlis loims one uii.
Inteinully tle body (ldya) und its tuctile oigun, und exteinully
wlutevei toucles us u tungible object (plo((labba), tlis loims one uii.
Inteinully tle mind (mano oi mana), und exteinully tle mentul-
object (Jlamma), tlis loims one uii. Tlese mentul objects consist ol
vuiious ust sensoiy imiessions (siglts und sounds, loi exumle) icked
u by tle mind us u subject to tlink uon.
Tlese uie culled tle sense buses, being tlut wlicl connects und
joins tle inteinul connection to tle exteinul connection. Foi exumle,
tle eye (us inteinul connection) joins to tle visuul object (us tle extei-
nul connection).
Tlese vuiious sense buses uie uctive in tleii connecting und join-
ing in eveiyone liom tleii uwukening in tle moining until tleii going
buck to slee. Foi exumle, il you slould oen youi eyes now,
9
tlen
eyes und visuul loim must come togetlei. Similuily, witl one's euis
und sounds. Some ol tle sounds leie now will come liom tlis Dlummu
tulk und some liom tle cuis outside und vuiious otlei noises. Tle nose
und odouis, tle tongue und tustes, tle body und tuctile sensutions, und
tle mind und tlouglts (us mind objects) uie eucl connecting u to-
80
getlei ull tle time.
At tle sume moment tleie muy be muny dilleient conjunctions ol
tle sense buses. Foi instunce, tle eui muy connect witl muny dilleient
sounds occuiiing ut tle sume time. Tle wind muy toucl tle body
body und tungible object in coiielution oi wult some odoui to tle
nose. Summuiizing, one muy suy tlut tlese six uiis ol sense buses uie
connecting u ull tle time und tley not only join eucl uii togetlei but
ulso tie tle mind in und involve tlut us well.
Wlen tle eye und u visuul loim come togetlei, tlen tle mind is
tied in us well, bound to tlink und considei conceining tlut loim. Simi-
luily, tle mind is bound into consideiing u sound wlen eui und sound
join, und bound to lollow ultei un odoui wlen nose und smell join. On
exuminution, one linds tlut eveiyone's mind is ulled und bound into
involvements witl visuul loims, sounds, odouis, tustes, tungibles und
mentul-objects sucl us tlouglts ol ust siglts und sounds. Tle mind
is tlus ulled into involvements by six wuys und so cun't lel but be
iestless und witlout euce.
Even wlile you sit leie tiying to biing tle mind togetlei in
sumudli, tle vuiious sense buses still bind und ull tle mind ustiuy in
myiiud wuys. Tlis is wlut blocks uny sumudli liom develoing. Tleie-
loie you must locus to see tle cluiucteiistics ol tlese six sense buses
und ieulize tlut wlen tley connect u in tleii six wuys, tley bind und
leud tle mind oll on u wild iuce into vuiious involvements.
Wly uie tley uble to tie tle mind down? Becuuse ol leedlessness,
u luse ol mindlulness, und u deliciency in tiue und enetiuting knowl-
edge (ndpa). Witl sullicient mindlulness und knowledge, tle mind
cunnot ossibly be oveicome und bound u witl tle sense buses. But
tleie must be enougl mindlulness und knowledge. In tle beginning
neitlei mindlulness noi knowledge is quick enougl, but witl iuctice
und tiuining tley become stiong und quick enougl to guuid uguinst
stiuying into tle wuys ol tle six sense buses. Tlis is tle wuy tlut culm
und sumudli cun be estublisled. Tle mind witl sumudli is tlen cuu-
ble ol seeing into tle cluiucteiistics ol tlese uctivities, seeing tleii wuy
ol oeiution. Wlen you youisell cun steudily insect tlis iucing buck
und loitl between tle sense buses und luve ieulized tleii nutuie, tley
will tlen be unuble to bind tle mind into going witl tlem. And tley
will tlen just continue on ust lollowing tleii own wuy.
10rl Scprcmbcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
81
TaIk 13
RecapituIation of the Four Foundations of MindfuIness
InternaIIy and ExternaIIy
Fiistly, will ull ol you centie youi mind inwuids to exumine youi-
sell und see wlut ieully is tiue ut tlis time. Tlis meuns setting tle mind
on youi bieutling und being uwuie ol tle ongoing inlulution und ex-
lulution. It meuns being uwuie ol youi ostuie sitting witl youi lunds
und leet uiiunged in wlutevei wuy. Now biing tle mind into exumin-
ing tle uctuul uits und oiguns ol youi body: u liom tle soles ol tle
leet und down liom tle ciown ol one's leud, ull encused by skin. Focus
und unulyse tlose uits into elements: tle luid us euitl element, tle
lluid us wutei element, tle leuting us liie, tle moving us wind und tle
cuvities us suce element. Contemlute u coise us seen outside und
tlen comuie it witl youi own body wlicl eventuully must likewise
ieucl sucl u stute und end linully us iotting bones. Focus into youi own
body in tlis wuy, botl exteinully und inteinully, seeing botl tle uiising
und tle disueuiing.
In exumining tle exteinul, one uses mindlulness to see vuiious
cluiucteiistics in tleii conventionul ueuiunce. Knowledge (ndpa),
wlicl cun enetiute tliougl sucl ueuiunces, is used to cleuily dis-
cein tle inteinul. Stunding outside, looking ut tle exteiioi slue und
cluiucteiistics ol one's louse is similui to tle exteinul exuminution,
wlile tle inteinul exuminution is moie like tle uctuul enteiing inside.
Once inside, knowledge will be uble to see tliougl conventionul u-
euiunces witlout being leld by tleii sueiliciulity.
Inside tle body, tlis meuns seeing in teims ol its uiising und dis-
ueuiing. Foi exumle, tle in-bieutl is counted us tle uiising, und tle
out-bieutl us tle disueuiing. You must see tlut in eveiy oition ol
tlis body tleie is u continuul uiising und disueuiing. Look until you
cun uctuully see tlis iiglt leie und now. Eveiyone noimully cun see
only tle uiising und eisisting witlout being uwuie ol tle disueui-
ing. Foi instunce, we ull exeiience being ulive, und tlougl we know
tlut tleie must be u ussing uwuy, it cunnot be seen leie und now. Oui
investigution must ioceed witl knowledge, seeing uiising lollowed by
disueuiing in tle iesent. Being uble to see tlis indicutes we uie
disceining tle body witl knowledge und seeing tle inteinul. In tle
beginning we must use mindlulness to see tle exteinul, und tlen we
tuin to tle inteinul, tle uiising und tle disueuiing.
Wlutevei leeling you uie exeiiencing ut tlis iesent moment,
look ut it now. Is it leusunt, uinlul oi neitlei-leusunt-noi-uinlul?
Does it uiise liom exteinul uttiuctions (witl tleii buited looks)? Il it
does, tlen it is teimed woildly, being looked by cuinul uttiuctions
(dmisa) but il it develos liom tle mind in sumudli, tlen it is culled
unwoildly oi siiituul (nirdmisa). It is tlen liee liom tlose uttiuctions
witl tleii buited look. Tleieloie see tle iesent leeling loi wlut it
ieully is. Looking witl mindlulness sees tle exteiioi leeling, wleieus
seeing witl knowledge enetiutes to tle inteiioi leeling oi tle uiising
und disueuiing.
Look luitlei into tle mind, becuuse leeling itsell ulso stiis tle
mind. Pleusuie stiis u lunkeiing, uin stiis u dejection wlile nei-
tlei-leusuie-noi-uin stiis u und lixes tle mind in uttuclment, wlicl
is u condition ol delusion. Seeing witl mindlulness tle outei mind und
comielending its ioeities, one tlen enetiutes witl knowledge to
tle innei mind to see tle continuul uiising und disueuiing.
Look ut tle ulluiis und conceins ol tle mind oi see wlut condi-
tions ol mind luve develoed. Tlese uie wlut lold tle mind buck liom
sumudli und sto knowledge. Tley uie tle lindiunces wlicl block
sumudli und knowledge liom uiising. Be uwuie ol sensuul desiie il it is
now iesent in youi mind. Il tleie is ill will, slotl und toioi, iestless-
ness und woiiies oi sceticul doubt be uwuie ol tlut.
Tlose tlings wlicl become objects to diuw tle lindiunces out
into one's mind uie ropa. Wlen tle mind lus inclined out to know
tlem und u lindiunce lus uiisen, tlen tlut is ndma. Il no object comes
to diuw uwuy tle mind oi tle mind does not incline out to know ubout
un object, tlen it is us il iu oi numu uie not iesent, und tle lin-
diunces do not uiise. It is tleieloie necessuiy in exumining tle lin-
diunces to locus on iu und numu to see tle object und tle mind
inclining out to ieceive tlut object. Wleie does tle object entei in? It
enteis by wuy ol tle eye, eui, nose, tongue, body und mind (mano) und
82
tle mind (cirra) goes out to ieceive tlut object tliougl, tlose sume six
sense doois. Wliclevei uvenue tle mind inclines out tliougl it is ul-
wuys in u stute ol brcaling oor. Tlis cluiucteiistic ol tlis oidinuiy oi
commonluce mind is tleieloie like u liie woik slooting u witl stieums
ol suiks. Tlese luttei uie tle iestless, iolileiuting iocesses. How-
evei, tley cun't be seen unless tle mind is concentiuted. One tleieloie
must know botl ubout tle enteiing ol objects und ubout tle mind's
inclining out to ieceive tlem. Wly slould tle mind be like tlis? Be-
cuuse wlen it goes to ieceive tlem it becomes bound u witl tle ob-
ject, loi tlut object is ulso coming in to tie-u witl tle mind. Tlis is
wlut we cull tle letteis (samyojana).
Il tle mind does not go und tie-in, tlen tle object will uss on its
wuy witlout involvement. Tlis cun be comuied to wutei diolets lull-
ing onto u lotus leul. Tley ioll oll witlout sticking oi udleiing. Tle
lindiunces uiise in one's mind becuuse tle incoming object sticks und
uttucles. Wlen it becomes bound into tle mind tlen it is known us u
lettei. You must tleieloie look und see tlese letteis loi wlut tley uie
in youi own mind.
The Factors of EnIightenment (Bojjhungu)
Wlen mindlulness is set, wutcllul und uwuie, it will steudily be-
come stiongei und swilt enougl to cutcl u witl tle mind. It noimully
cunnot kee u, wlicl is wlut gives tle letteis und lindiunces un o-
oitunity to uiise. Tlis swilt mindlulness is instuntly uwuie ol tle siglt's
oi tle sound's entiy tliougl tle eyes oi euis, ol tle mind's involve-
ment und tie-in und ol tle subsequent liking oi desising. Il mindlul-
ness is iomt enougl to know tlis sequence, tlen tleie won't be mucl
ol u ioblem. It will be uwuie liom tle liist contuct witl u siglt oi
sound tlut tley luve come to iovoke und incite tle uiising ol liking oi
desising. Howevei, tle siglt oi sound is ieully notling moie tlun
tlut, wleieus tle seed ol liking und desising is lound iiglt leie in
ouiselves, in tle mind. Tlis mind biings sucl u iedilection out witl it
to ieceive tle siglt oi sound it likes, und tukes tle desising out to
meet one it doesn't. It cun be comuied to wlen u sulety mutcl und its
stiiking suiluce meet und u llume is ioduced. Tle liies ol lust, lutied
und delusion lluie u. Howevei, even wlen tle mutcl is iesent il
tleie is no stiiking suiluce, it won't ignite. Tleieloie tlut wlicl comes
in und tlut wlicl goes out to ieceive it must uccoid witl eucl otlei.
Tle liie (tle letteis und tle lindiunces) will tleieloie not ignite wlen
mindlulness is u to tle muik. Tlis mindlulness is tle enligltenment
luctoi ol mindlulness (sari-bojjlanga).
Wlen tle enligltenment luctoi ol mindlulness lus been boin one
cun tlen stuit to investigute tlings (Jlammd) coiiectly by selecting
und silting. Tlis meuns u disciiminution ol wlut is wlolesome und
good, und ol wlut is unwlolesome und bud; wlut is detiimentul und
luimlul, und wlut is luimless; wlut is evil und gioss, und wlut is iuie
und ielined; tle duik side und tle liglt side. Tlis ubility to silt tliougl
und disciiminute conceining tlese tlings is culled tle enligltenment
luctoi ol tle investigution ol lenomenu (Jlamma-vicdya-bojjlanga).
10
Tlis is ubout tle tlings inside oui mind: tle wlolesome und un-
wlolesome, tle luimlul und tle luimless, tle good und tle bud, ull
witlin tlis mind. One's disciiminution is not quick enougl wlen one
iecollects und becomes mindlul ol un ulluii only ultei it lus uiisen und
died uwuy und wlen tle uction, wletlei good oi bud, lus ulieudy been
cuiiied tliougl. Tlis indicutes u sluggisl mindlulness tlut is not ubieust
ol events und only knows ultei it is ull ovei wletlei unytling good oi
bud wus suid oi done. But wlen mindlulness is ubieust ol wlutevei is
luening, one is uble to discein wlut is skillul oi not, wlut is good oi
not und in wlut wuy. One will tlen lold only to tle good side und
ieliuin liom tle bud.
Tle elloit und eneigy wlicl uiise liom one's investigution und
lolding to tle good und iejecting tle bud is culled tle enligltenment
luctoi ol eneigy (viriya-bojjlanga). Tle lindiunces wlicl tlen uiise
cun be ejected und tle sumudli cun be losteied und suleguuided. Wlen
un object enteis tliougl uny ol tle six sense doois, one just lets it uss
on tliougl, witlout sticking oi tying in us u lettei. Wlutevei is not
good cun tlen be giuduully ubundoned, und tle good suleguuided.
Wlen tlis is tle cuse, iutuie will uiise u siiituul (nirdmisa)
iutuie witlout buited look, und tleieloie un innei iutuie oi tle
enligltenment luctoi ol iutuie (piri-bojjlanga).
88
Witl tle enligltenment luctoi ol iutuie, botl body und mind
giow culm. Tlis is tle enligltenment luctoi ol tiunquillity (passaJJli-
bojjlanga), wlicl is imbued witl un innei luiness.
Witl sucl innei luiness tle mind will become comosed und
steudy. Tlis is tle enligltenment luctoi ol sumudli (samdJli-bojjlanga).
Wlen one lixes on tlis sumudli to muke it steudlust tlen tlis
becomes tle enligltenment luctoi ol equunimity (opcllld-bojjlanga).
Tlese seven luctois ol enligltenment uiise ste by ste. But loi
tlem to be boin ut ull one must iely on one's iuctice iiglt liom tle
beginning. Il you set youi mindlulness on bieutling in und out, tlen
muke suie it's liimly bused und steudy. Eventuully, it will be uleit to tle
objects tlut come-in und to tle mind's inclinution to go out to tlem.
Wlen mindlulness und uttention uie constunt, tle object will be un-
uble to tie-in und bind tle mind, giving iise to letteis und lindiunces.
All ol tlis meuns tlut ut tlis level ol iuctice tle mindlulness und in-
vestigutive oweis must be liglly ielined. Focus on tlis. Come to know
loi youisell tle tiutl ol tlings us tley ieully uie.
17rl Scprcmbcr 2504 B.F.(1961)
TaIk 14
Integrating into the NobIe Truth of Suffering
Will you ull leuse comose und locus youi mind witlin. See tle
body, tle leeling und tle mind (cirra). See tle mentul objects, wlicl
meuns exumining tle lindiunces, tle sense buses und tle luctois ol
enligltenment. I luve ulieudy exluined ull ol tlis, stuge by stuge, so
tlis time I'll just ollei tlese lew leudings. Tleie uie muny und vuiious
subjects but tley cun't yet be coiiectly biouglt togetlei into u single
wuy ol iuctice eseciully wlen tle mind is still so ugituted und iest-
less. Tleieloie, I will now iesent un integiuted und coiiect wuy ol
iuctice so tlut you won't lose youi wuy tliougl unceituinty.
Fiistly, centie tle mind und set mindlulness on tle single oint ut
tle nostiils oi uei li (us tle nimirra) loi mindlulness ol bieutling.
Be uwuie ol tle bieutl's contuct ut tlis single oint, iiglt leie und
now.
At tlis moment, is tleie bodily und mentul leusuie, uin oi un
inteimediute leeling? Set tle mind to see tlis und tlen look in ut tle
mind. Is it ugituted oi culm? Il you uie comloituble in body und mind,
tlen it slould be culm. Otleiwise, it will be unquiet und iestive. Focus
so us to know tle uctuul situution ut tlis moment. Exumine youisell. Il
tleie is still iestlessness, tlen tlut iestlessness itsell will be u lindiunce
wlicl blocks tle mind liom sumudli. See il sucl lindiunces uie iesent.
Exumine tlis numu-iu. Tlis is tle ussembled (lysicul-) body
(ropa-ldya) sitting leie. Howevei, it is not just un inunimute doll, loi it
is living muttei togetlei witl mind. It lus uvenues by wlicl tle mind
ieceives objects und vuiious conceins und ulluiis sometimes viu tle
eyes, oi euis, oi nose, oi tongue, oi body und sometimes viu tle mind
(mano). Il you weie to oen youi eyes now, you would immediutely
see sometling oi otlei, wlile youi euis muy leui tle noise ol u cui oi
tle sound ol seuking including tlis Dlummu tulk been given leie
now. Meunwlile, tle nose smells, tle tongue tustes, tle body lus sen-
sutions liom tle cool bieeze oi liom tle leut, und tle mind tlinks ol
vuiious tlings.
84
Il tle mind is not comosed und concentiuted, it will go oll tlink-
ing ol tlis issue und tlut ulluii. Howevei, once it is centied, it will tlink
only ol one single tling. Tle sound ol tlis tulk contucts youi euis: Il
you deteimine to listen, tlen youi mind will incline out to know und
you leui tlut sound. Tlis 'leuiing' is teimed consciousness. Uon lis-
tening wlutevei leusuie, uin oi neitlei-leusuie-noi-uin is iesent
is teimed leeling. Tle mind inclines out to know, und to note und ei-
ceive; it cun iecollect tle sounds und woids soken und is tleieloie
uble to biing tlem togetlei und one cun tlen get tle ideu. Il you leui
und cun't iemembei one woid oi tle next, tlen you cun't ossibly ut
togetlei uny ideu. Tlis 'iemembeiing' cun ulso be teimed eicetion.
Wlen you luve got tle ideu oi eicet togetlei, tlen tle tlouglts tlut
lollow stiuiglt on liom tleie uie tle mentul-loimutions. Tle mind tlen
inclines out to know ubout tlut tlinking und kees witl it ull tle wuy;
tlis is consciousness uguin.
Tle uin, leusuie oi indilleience tlut uiises wlen consciousness
knows, lollowing tlinking, is leeling. Tle 'iemembeiing' ol wlutevei
we uie tlinking ubout is eicetion, wlile tle tlouglt-lubiicuting on
to ol tlut is mentul loimutions. And ull ol tlis becuuse tle mind in-
clines out to know. It's tlis veiy condition wlicl is known us numu.
Eveiy eison ut eveiy moment wlen uwuke und not sleeing is tleie-
loie mude u ol ropa-anJ-ndma, continuully uiising und intiicutely in-
volved togetlei.
Set youisell, tleieloie, to see iu. Wleie is one to look? Tle
eyes, tle euis, tle nose, tle tongue, tle body tlis is wleie to look.
Setting mindlulness tleie, ieulize tlut wlutevei loim tle eye sees to-
getlei witl tle lysicul eye is culled iu. Similuily, wlutevei sound
is leuid und tle euis tlemselves, wlutevei odoui is smelled und tle
nose itsell, wlutevei toucl tle body contucts und tle body itsell und
wlutevei lluvoui is tusted und tle tongue itsell, uie ull culled iu.
We uie now tuking tle ulluiis ol siglts und sounds (loi exumle)
us un object loi tle mind to tlink ubout. Howevei, il tleie weie meie
iu witlout u mind inclining-out to know, tlen even tlougl tleie
miglt be eyes tley would be us il blind, tle euis would be us il deul,
tle nose witlout smelling, tle tongue witlout tusting und tle body
insensible und numb. Tle ieuson wly tle eyes see, tle euis leui, tle
nose smells, tle tongue tustes und tle body leels is becuuse tle mind
inclines-out to know und tlis condition is wlut is teimed numu.
Altei you luve locussed on iu, set youi uttention on numu. Tlis
meuns seeing into youi mind wlen you exeiience it constuntly inclin-
ing-out to ieceive vuiious ulluiis viu tle eyes oi euis (loi exumle).
Tle condition ol consciousness is tlen uuient us 'seeing' oi 'leuiing',
und tlut ol leeling us uin oi leusuie oi indilleience. Peicetion muni-
lests us muiking und iemembeiing und mentul-loimutions us tlinking
und lubiicuting. Tleieloie tle knowing ubout numu is tle looking into
tle mind to see wlen it inclines-out to ucknowledge vuiious tlings.
Fixing one's uttention so us to cleuily see numu-iu will biing
loitl tle enligltenment luctoi ol u suie-looted und steudlust mindlul-
ness. An unsteudy mindlulness cun't cutcl u witl numu-iu und needs
luitlei tiuining. Howevei, once it cun kee u witl tlem, it will cleuily
discein tle mind, us it inclines out, in teims ol vuiious conditions. It
will tlen see tlut consciousness lus uiisen, leeling, eicetion und
mentul-loimutions luve ull uiisen. Tlis is tle loundution und buse ol
mindlulness (saripa((ldna) und witl even gieutei cluiity it becomes
tle enligltenment luctoi ol mindlulness.
Fiom tlis mindlulness witl its cleui-seeing ol numu-iu un in-
vestigution und disciiminution ol lenomenu will be boin. In tle be-
ginning tlis will be u soiting out iiglt leie witlin, distinguisling tlut
'tlis is iu,' 'tlis is leeling,' 'tlis is eicetion,' 'tlese uie mentul loi-
mutions' und 'tlis is consciousness.' Wlile still uninstiucted one con-
sideis tlem ull to be ussembled togetlei us u unit oi entity und
indistinguisluble. Tle mutuie und lully lledged mindlulness, lowevei,
will be uble to disciiminute wlut is wlut. Tlis is un enligltenment-
luctoi und tlus eneigy, iutuie, tiunquillity ol mind und body, u com-
osed und liim sumudli und equunimity will be boin.
Tlis lixing ol tle mind on numu-iu, us I luve exluined, meuns
u locussing on tle concentiuted und estublisled mind. Look ut tle mind
inclining-out to know vuiious tlings und distinguisl wlicl iocesses
deend on tle uvenues ol tle eyes oi euis (und wlicl uie tlemselves
iu). You will tleie lind tle tiutl ol numu-iu.
85
The NobIe Truth of Suffering
Tle tiutl ol numu-iu is, conventionully seuking, one ol biitl
us beginning, ugeing us middle und deutl ut tle end. Considei tle oii-
gin ol tle lysicul body und tle mind joining it us tle mentul giou to
loim tlis living body wlicl ull ol us ossess. Tlis eiiod ol oiiginution
is known us biitl (jdri). Tleie is tlen tle iocess ol clunge und devel-
oment: tle body giows und mutuies tliougl tle vuiious uges und
ieucles tle iesent one, ol old uge (jard). Tlis is u iocess wlicl will
continue iiglt u until tle linul eisode, wlicl is deutl.
Howevei, sucl tlinking muy give iise to some uielension und
uluim. We luve ull ussed tliougl biitl, uie ut iesent ugeing und in
tle lutuie lies deutl. So wly slould we be only uliuid ol old uge und
deutl? It's becuuse we leel tlut we uie mixed u und involved in ull tlis
too; tlut 'l am born,` 'l grow o|J` und 'l Jic.` To exeiience onesell us
uiticiuting in tlis wuy is indeed likely to cuuse uielension.
Wlenevei one comes u uguinst bodily uin oi mentul sulleiing
one is ill loi exumle, oi mentully distiessed tlen one detests und
doesn't wunt unytling to do witl it. It is comletely unwisled loi. Gen-
eiully seuking, eveiyone lutes sulleiing und wlen 'giowing old' is
seen us sulleiing one tleieloie lutes old uge. Similuily, one lutes deutl,
sickness und ill leultl us ull being sulleiing. Eveiyone lus lud to exe-
iience some sucl sulleiing, eitlei mucl oi little. We luve ull lelt bod-
ily uin, we uie in tle midst ol ugeing und tlougl we luve not yet died
we leui deutl und don't wunt to die. Tleieloie, it cun't be suid tlut we
luven't seen sulleiing, loi eveiyone ol us lus come u uguinst it. But
becuuse tlis biings only uset und unxiety, dislike und loutling, it cun-
not be wlut is culled tle Noble Tiutl ol Sulleiing. Tle Loid Buddlu
wisled loi us to see tle Noble Tiutl ol Sulleiing (ollla Ariya Sacca)
wlicl on exeiiencing does not biing lutied, old uge, sickness oi deutl.
Tle woildly undeistunding ol sulleiing biings only loutling, ugeing,
illness und deutl, wlicl uie ull unwisled loi und unwunted. Tlis cei-
tuinly is not tle Noble Tiutl ol tle Loid Buddlu wlicl on ieulizution
meuns u going beyond ugeing, sickness und deutl.
Now tlen, low slould we go ubout seeing tlis? Accoiding to tle
Loid Buddlu's wuy us exounded in tle Gieut Discouise on tle Foun-
dutions ol Mindlulness, one must estublisl mindlulness to kee u witl
tle uiising ol numu-iu. Look und see tlese in youi mind until you
know tleii uiising und disueuiing eveiy moment witlout bieuk. Tle
inclining-out ol tle mind (wlicl is numu) us consciousness, loi exum-
le, ultei uiising und knowing u ceituin ulluii, tlen disueuis. It tlen
uiises uguin witl unotlei ulluii und uguin disueuis. Duiing u single
loui tle mind inclines-out us consciousness (loi exumle) to ieceive
und know ol countless ulluiis.
Ru wlicl is tle connection oi communicuting clunnel loi tle
outwuid inclining ol tle mind is mucl tle sume. One moment it's u
loim loi tle eyes to see, tle next it's u sound loi tle euis to leui ull
coming togetlei in u comlex uniemitting concutenution. Numu-iu
is tleieloie ulwuys uiising und disueuiing. It uiises in biitl, develos
und clunges witl uge und linully usses uwuy in deutl. Tle eison
wlo is looking numely onesell ut tlis uiising und disueuiing cun't
suy tlut le ulso uiises und disueuis togetlei witl tlem becuuse le is
tleie seeing tlem in tleii constunt uiising und disueuiing. Tlis be-
ing tle cuse, one cun iuctise seuiuting wlut is seen liom tlut wlicl
sees. Seuiute inside youisell. Piuctise tlis seuiution until you know
tlose tlings wlicl must uiise und ceuse. Tlut wlicl sees tlis knows
uccoiding to tle tiutl ol tleii uiising und ceusing, yet does not itsell
uiise und ceuse. Wlen tlis knowledge uiises tlen one lus ceituinly
iuctised ieulizing tle Noble Tiutl ol Sulleiing ol tle Loid Buddlu.
Seeing tlis Tiutl, one lus luiness und comloit, witlout sulleiing
ulong witl tlose tlings tlut must uiise und disueui. One need not
uge, noi be ill oi die becuuse tlut wlicl is boin, uges und dies is in tle
numu-iu, wlicl is seen, wleieus tlut wlicl sees is sometling else.
Tlis mucl ulone will biing u luiness witlout uny leeling ol
sulleiing und tleie will be u letting-go und u ieleuse witlin. Tle Noble
Tiutl ol Sulleiing ol tle Loid Buddlu is not tleieloie unytling to be
detested oi leuied us is sometimes tlouglt. It is sometling wlicl wlen
ieulized oi even only exumined us to its condition biings lui-
ness.
1Srl Scprcmbcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
86
TaIk 15
'Ordinary' Suffering and Mind-made Suffering
I will now iesent some Dlummu wlicl comes liom tle section
on tle Tiutl ol Sulleiing (ollla-Sacca). Muy ull ol you locus und
centie youi minds on youi own numu-iu. Tlis lutlom-long und sun-
wide body sitting leie now is tle iu oi bodily giou (ropa-ldya).
Numu is tle condition ol tle mind us it inclines-out to know siglts und
sounds (loi exumle), wlicl is culled consciousness; to leel leusuie,
uin oi inteimediute leeling; to eiceive; und to tlink und iocess,
wlicl is mentul-loimutions. Witl sucl concocting goes un exeiienc-
ing oi 'knowing' wlicl is buck to consciousness uguin. Set u tle see-
ing into tlis numu-iu so us to see tleii ioeities inside you und
eseciully to discein tle mind's outwuid-inclining to know ubout vuii-
ous ulluiis. Tle sound ol my seuking und youi eui muke contuct und
tle mind inclines-out to know leuiing. Tle mind inclines-out to tle
noise outside und tleie is consciousness und tlen leeling, eicetion
und mentul loimutions. Notice und be quick to cutcl ull ol tlis.
'Ordinary' Suffering
Altei cleuily seeing tle numu-iu witlin you, tlink buck into tle
ust to its concetion in tle veiy beginning, wlicl is culled biitl (jdri).
Tlis is teimed 'knowing tle ust'. Tleie is tlen tle continuing iocess
ol giowtl und clunge. Tlut develoment und clunge u until now is
culled 'tle ust uit' wlile tlut wlicl is cuiiently tuking luce is culled
'tle iesent uit'. Futuie clunge will cuiiy on until linully tlis numu-
iu bieuks u und diseises. Tlis continuing clunge is ugeing (jard)
wlile tle ultimute bieuking u is deutl (marapa). Tlis deutl uleud is
culled 'tle lutuie'. Rellect uon und see deutl, tle linul end, und know
tle lutuie.
Tlis seeing ol tle ust und lutuie is still only u tlouglt iocess
und not yet (tiue) knowledge (ndpa). Tlinking in tlis wuy muy ulso
give iise to uveision und uielension ubout tlese inevituble events.
One must tleieloie considei biitl, deutl und tle iesent (old-) ugeing
us 'oidinuiy'
11
und inevituble. Howevei mucl uveision und leui ol uge-
ing und deutl one lus indicutes tle extent ol one's misuielension ol
tlis tiutl. But ioeily seeing tlis inevituble noim will sto sucl negu-
tive leeling.
An uieciution ol tle inevituble couise ol tlings ullows tle tiutls
ol biitl, ugeing und deutl to be integiuted into one tiutl. Tlis tiutl
cun be seen in tle iesent by un inwuid-seeing to tle 'beginning', tle
'middle' und tle 'end' mucl us on oening one's eyes one views tle
wlole ol u ceituin tling. One sees tlut tling in its entiiety; one views
tle wlole couise ol events liom tle beginning ut biitl, tle middle in
ugeing to tle end in deutl. Tle seeing-in-tle-iesent ol ull ol tlis is
knowledge wlicl enetiutes to tle wlole tiutl ol tle inevituble couise
ol tlings.
Tle seeing leie und now ol numu-iu in its entiiety will sto tle
uiising ol uny uveision oi leui conceining tlese conditions, becuuse
one knows tlem to be noimul und inevituble. Tley uien't unytling
stiunge oi extiuoidinuiy, noi uie tley unytling to be liked oi desised.
Tlis is one tye ol sulleiing, tlut ol tle 'Oidinuiy'.
Suffering Which the Outward-incIining Mind Contrives
To see unotlei tye ol sulleiing, locus on youi mind inclining-
out, becoming numu, us I've ulieudy exluined. Rellect und tlink buck
to tle time just beloie its inclining-out to know u siglt oi sound (loi
exumle). Seeing tlut loim oi leuiing tlut sound is consciousness,
lollowed by leeling leusunt, uinlul oi inteimediute.
Sorrow (Soku)
Sulleiing munilests on some occusions us soiiow (sola). Foi ex-
umle, seuiuting liom u loved one, eitlei by going lui uwuy oi tliougl
deutl, oi leuiing ol sucl u seuiution will, witl consciousness, leud to
uinlul leeling und ueuis us soiiow (sola).
Lamentation (Parideva)
Sometimes one's tlouglt-iocesses iolileiute undei tle owei
ol tlut soiiow und lill tle mind witl lumentution. Il it is stiong tlen it
87
will ueui us ciying und bewuiling one tling oi unotlei. Tlis is culled
lumentution (pariJcva).
Pain (dukkhu): MentaI Suffering (omunussu)
Some sulleiing does not diiectly concein tle mind, loi instunce, wlen
tle body is ill und in uin. Tlis is culled bodily uin. Howevei, sucl
bodily uin cun ulso loice sulleiing onto tle mind. On being ill, one muy
woiiy ubout its seveiity und one's clunces ol iecoveiy. Tleie uie ulso
muny otlei wuys loi tle mind to be ulllicted, including mentul distiess
und iegiet, und tlese cun ull be summuiized us mentul sulleiing.
Despair (Updydsu)
On some occusions one muy encountei dillicult und needy cii-
cumstunces; leeling stilled und oiessed wlicl will ieclude uny lu-
iness. Wleievei one leels sucl oiession one will stiuggle to escue.
Tlus we luve tle suying, 'A conjincJ boJy is bcarab|c, bor nor a srij|cJ
minJ.`
All tlese loims ol sulleiing soiiow, lumentution, bodily-uin,
mentul sulleiing und desuii uie eucl u condition ol uinlul leeling
(Jollla vcJand) und uiise wlen tle mind inclines-out to see u loim, oi
leui u sound (loi exumle). Tlut loim und sound uie tle seed loi tle
subsequent uiising ol leeling und vuiious loims ol sulleiing. Peice-
tion is tlen u eiceiving oi iemembeiing ol sulleiing, und mentul loi-
mutions uie tle iocessing und lubiicuting ol sulleiing.
Tlinking buck, one slould be uble to see tlut ull tlis sulleiing
oiiginuted liom tle mind's inclining-out us numu. Soiiow, loi exum-
le, is ulso u tye ol numu loi it is uinlul leeling. By consideiing one's
ust exeiience one knows tlut sulleiing uiose deendunt on numu-
iu. Now exumine tle iesent situution low is tle mind? Is it in-
clining-out to see loims und to leui sounds oi to considei ubout ull
tlose issues stoied uwuy? Is tleie uny sulleiing iesent? Any soiiow,
lumentution, uin, distiess oi desuii?
Il you do lind sulleiing, tlen see und undeistund tlut it ull uiose
liom some issue oi otlei und tlut sucl issues cun only come in tliougl
tle eyes oi euis (etc.) us I luve ulieudy exluined, und not liom uny-
wleie else. Tle mind's inclining-out to know wlicl is numu, oi con-
sciousness, leeling, eicetion und mentul-loimutions, tlen uts to-
getlei sulleiing, soiiow, und lumentution (etc.). Slould tle mind not
incline-out to ieceive und iocess tle siglts und sounds, tlen sulleiing
cunnot uiise. You must set youisell to see und undeistund low sucl
sulleiing tlis second tye ol sulleiing cun uiise in youi mind.
Tlis iesentution ubout sulleiing is in two uits. Fiistly, tleie is
tle 'oidinuiy und inevituble' tye ol sulleiing und tlen tleie is tle
sulleiing uiising deendunt on tle mind's inclining-out to ieceive und
iocess. In coming to undeistund tlese two uits you must initiully
locus on und undeistund tle numu-iu witlin youisell, Seeing its
nutuiul und inevituble couise, witl its beginning, middle und end ull
seen togetlei ut one oint. Look ut numu us tle mind inclines-out to
ieceive und iocess vuiious issues.
Will you ull now leuse uly youiselves to listen
12
und investigute
so us to know ubout tlis sulleiing wlicl tle mind ieceives und ioc-
esses, us I luve been exluining.
24rl Scprcmbcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
8S
TaIk 16
Suffering because of Association and Separation
Fiistly, will you ull leuse centie youi mind witlin youisell. Focus
into numu-iu: iu being tlis living body witl its vuiious lunction-
ing senses, wlile numu is tle condition ol tle mind wlicl ulso de-
ends on iu us it inclines out to know siglts und sounds (etc.).
See tle biitl ol tlis numu-iu, its end oi deutl und in between
its constunt clunging wlicl is ugeing. See tlis wlole sequence in tle
iesent moment und tle inevituble condition (Jlammard) ol numu-
iu will munilest. Tlis is tle Tiutl ol Sulleiing, tle tiue stute ol 'oidi-
nuiy sulleiing' und is not sometling to be uliuid ol. Any leui und uveision
oi, going to tle oosite extieme, uny enjoyment cun only uiise be-
cuuse one lus not yet ieulized its tiue nutuie.
Altei seeing und undeistunding tle 'oidinuiy sulleiing' we tuin to
locus on tle mind's inclining-out to ieceive und iocess sulleiing. We
cun tlen see tlut tlis veiy mind is wlut contiives tle uiising ol mentul
sulleiing liom bodily uin, und mentul distiess liom vuiious exteinul
ulluiis. Il tle mind did not ieceive und iocess, tlen sulleiing could
not uiise in its vuiious munilestutions, us I luve exluined ieviously.
Tlese vuiious ioeities ol mind-contiived sulleiing cun be ie-
duced to two: ussociution witl ull tlings und eole wlicl uie disliked
und unwelcome und, secondly, seuiution liom ull tlose tlings und
eole wlicl uie loved.
Tlis ussociution und seuiution uie ulso 'noimul und inevituble'
und become sulleiing becuuse ol tle mind. Tle stoiing uwuy ol uie-
ciutive wisles und londness in tle mind cun be clussilied us lunkeiing,
wlile uny lolding to disluvoui und disleusuie is dejection. In sloit,
one cun suy tlut tlis 'disliking-und-liking' is usuully submeiged deely
in tle mind. It is not until one encounteis sometling oi someone tlut
tley will disluy tlemselves. Wlen tlis luens und dislike emeiges
us wlen one sees u loim, leuis u sound oi even just tlinks ol some
sucl disugieeuble siglt oi sound tlen it is teimed coming into usso-
ciution witl unwelcome tlings. One sees oi leuis sometling ubout
some disugieeuble eison und sucl ussociution leuds to tle uiising ol
sulleiing.
Contiuiiwise, being seuiuted liom sometling oi someone liked
ulso leuds to sulleiing. Tlis sulleiing is sometimes cluiucteiized by
soiiow oi lumentution, by bodily uin wlicl ulso distiesses tle mind,
by giiel oi by desuii. Tleieloie, tlese cun ull be ieduced to just two
cuuses: Associution witl uny eison oi tling wlicl one dislikes und
seuiution liom tlut wlicl one likes.
In tiutl tlougl, tlis disliking-oi-liking does not oiiginute liom
unyone oi unytling but liom oui own mind wlicl lus stoied it uwuy. It
is tleieloie tlis mind witl its likes und dislikes tlut contiives tle vuii-
ous loims ol sulleiing. As tlis sulleiing is uinlul leeling it is uit ol
numu und tleie is ulso tleieloie eicetion ol sulleiing (Jollla-sannd),
und mentul-loimutions ol sulleiing (Jollla-sanlldra). Just us some-
one liglts u liie und constuntly udds luel to ievent its going out, so oui
own mind stuits u sulleiing und contiives to muintuin it tleie in tle
mind. On coming to see tle outwuid-inclining mind us it iocesses
sulleiing ut tle sume time seeing tle ioots ol liking und uveision
buiied tleie one ieulizes, liom close in, tlese two cuuses. One's dis-
ceinment into tle sulleiing ol tle mind lus tlus come to quite u io-
lound level.
One muy look ut tle exteinul oi tle inteinul. Heie tle exteinul
meuns being uwuie ol tle ussociution und seuiution in one's numu-
iu. Tlink buck us lui us youi memoiy goes und exumine youi exe-
iience in teims ol tlis. Tliouglout youi lile, liom tle clild's body
giowing into un udult's und tlen on into tlis iesent stuge, you cun see
tle continuing ussociution und seuiution liom tle lysicul body. Tle
clildlood eiiod is in ussociution witl one's being u clild. Witl giowtl
und mutuiity, one becomes seuiuted liom clildlood by ussociution
witl being udult. As lile's stuges uss, so one seuiutes liom tle ieced-
ing stuge und ussociutes witl tle next on u to tle iesent. Tlis usso-
ciution muy be ugieeuble ut some stuges ulong tle wuy und disugieeuble
ut otleis. But it cunnot ulwuys be tle wuy we wunt it to be. Disugiee-
uble stuges will luve to be ussociuted witl und ugieeuble stuges seu-
iuted liom und lelt belind.
89
Consciousness is mucl tle sume. Tle mind inclines-out to ieceive
un object und initiully consciousness uiises. Il it inclines-out to see u
loim tlen it is eye-consciousness (calllo-vinndpa); to leui u sound is
eui-consciousness (sora-vinndpa). Howevei, loi tle mind to see oi leui,
it must ulwuys deend on tle visuul und uuditoiy oiguns, even tlougl
tlose eyes und euis uie vuiiuble und mutuble. Tle eyes will dim und
become bluiiy; tle euis will eventuully be luid ol leuiing. Tlen tle
mind's inclining-out won't be uble to see oi leui us distinctly oi ellec-
tively us beloie. Tle otlei sense-doois uie similui. Tle body wlen
uged und decieit is no longei us seiviceuble oi udutuble us beloie. So
uguin one must be seuiuted liom tlut ugieeuble consciousness witl
its distinct leuiing und cleui vision und ussociute witl less ellective
siglt und leuiing.
Feeling is ulso tle sume. Even tlougl tle inclining-out mind linds
tle leusunt leeling ugieeuble, it cunnot luve it tlut wuy ull tle time.
Puinlul leeling is lound disugieeuble but it is not ulwuys iesent. Intei-
mediute leelings muy ueui eitlei ugieeuble oi dull und disugieeuble,
yet even so we cunnot luve tlem ulwuys like tlut. Tlus, we must con-
tinuully ussociute witl leelings wlicl we do not like und be seuiuted
liom tlose we do.
Peicetion lollows ultei leeling in tle sume wuy. Sometimes one's
memoiy und eicetion uie biiglt und cleui, und ut otlei times tley
uie not so good. And tlut is not ull, loi wlenevei we iecollect tlings
we like, tlen tlings we do not cuie loi uie iemembeied too. Il we see
oi leui sometling disugieeuble but tlen cunnot iemembei it, tleie's
notling to be tuken u und tlouglt und concocted ubout. Howevei,
wlen we cun iemembei it will quickly be tuken u und iocessed in
tlouglt. It's just not ossible not to wunt to iemembei: Sometimes
tlose tlings we dislike intensely will be iemembeied moie cleuily tlun
tle tlings we like. Tleieloie, we must ussociute witl eicets tlut we
lind disugieeuble und be seuiuted liom tlose we like.
Tle tlinking iocesses ol mentul-loimutions uie ulso tle sume.
Tle vuiious loims ol sulleiing must ull come tliougl tle stuge ol
tlouglt iocessing. Otleiwise, tley won't uiise. Sometimes u toucl ol
sudness is iocessed und, eilus becuuse ol concein oi uielension,
becomes blown u into mujoi distiess. Tlese mentul-loimutions uie
tleieloie ol vitul imoitunce und loim u busis loi tle uiising ol sul-
leiing. Il you do not like sulleiing wly do you concoct und tlink it u?
Wlom does tlis tlinking? Youi own mind! No one else cun come und
tlink it u loi you. Even tlougl you do not wisl loi sulleiing, you
ulwuys witlout ceusing go on und iocess tlose tlouglts tlut leud
to sulleiing. You muy not like sulleiing yet you indulge in sucl tlink-
ing! How cun you evei escue sulleiing wlen it is like tlis.
Tlese mentul loimutions uie ulso ulwuys coming into ussociution
und seuiuting uwuy. On occusion one must ussociute witl disugiee-
uble iolileiuting tlouglts und ut otlei times one is seuiuted liom
ugieeuble tlouglt iocesses. But it is ulwuys onesell wlo oiiginutes
tlese tlouglt concoctions leuding to ussociution, seuiution und sul-
leiing. One will not sto tle iocessing und tleieloie one must con-
tinue to encountei mentul-loimutions wlicl bieed sulleiing. One must
sullei und cunnot lind u wuy out.
Exumine und see tlese conditions ol 'ussociuting witl' und 'seu-
iuting uwuy' in youi own numu-iu. Muke suie you discein tlut tle
ioot cuuse ol it ull lies submeiged us likes-und-dislikes in one's mind.
Penetiute to see und comielend tlis liking-und-disliking wlicl leuds
und diuws tle mind uwuy into tle utl ol sulleiing. It tuins conscious-
ness into sulleiing-consciousness (Jollla-vinndpa), leeling into sul-
leiing-leeling, eicetion into sulleiing-eicetion und mentul
loimutions into sulleiing-mentul loimutions. Wlen we enetiute to tle
tiutl ol tlis, tle liking-und-disliking will subside und be stilled. Tlut
mind ioceeding down tle utl ol sulleiing will now come to euce,
und consciousness will ceuse to be sulleiing-consciousness, leeling will
ceuse to be sulleiing-leeling, eicetion will ceuse to be sulleiing-ei-
cetion und mentul loimutions will ceuse to be sulleiing-mentul loi-
mutions. Tlis meuns to suy tlut tle mind lus stoed concocting
sulleiing loi itsell und so sulleiing will subside.
Tlis, tlen, is tle stiutegy to lult tle iocessing ol sulleiing loi
onesell. You must iuctise to comielend sulleiing und its wuy ol o-
eiuting witlin tlis numu-iu. Tlis is tle only wuy to iemedy tle sul-
leiing ol youi mind.
40
Will you uy close uttention wlile listening to wlut will be clunted
now, und iellect uon tlut Tiutl ol Sulleiing contuined in tlese lines
ol tle Loid Buddlu Teucling, tuken liom tle Gieut Discouise on tle
Foundutions ol Mindlulness:
Appyusumpuyogu ussociution witl tle disliked.
Pyuvppuyogu seuiution liom tle liked.
25rl Scprcmbcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
TaIk 17
Suffering Through Non-fuIfiIment
of One's Hopes and Desires
I will now iesent Dlummu on tle Noble Tiutl ol Sulleiing
(ollla Sacca) in tle section; 'tle non-lullilment ol one's wisles is
sulleiing.'
Fiist ol ull, gutlei youi mind togetlei witlin youisell loi tlis is
wleie tle Loid Buddlu diiected lis teucling. Otlei eole, lollowing
lim, luve similuily exluined lis teucling us ointing witlin. In listen-
ing to Dlummu you must tleieloie tuin to see inside youisell. You will
need to seuicl out tle live uggiegutes oi tle numu-iu. Wlen one
encounteis tlem one must ulso come to tle tiue stute ol being wlicl is
tle Tiutl ol Sulleiing (ollla Sacca). Tlis is becuuse tlis Tiutl muni-
lests in tle live uggiegutes oi numu-iu, wlicl loim u busis loi it.
Anyone usiiing to comielend sulleiing must tleieloie locus investi-
gution on tle lune ol wisdom und insiglt. Tle wisdom und insiglt ol
tle Loid Buddlu's Teucling munilest in numu-iu. Witlout tlut numu-
iu, wisdom und insiglt cunnot uiise. It is similui to u eison wunting
to stund: Il tleie is no giound, tlen tleie is nowleie to stund. Tleie-
loie, will eucl one ol you now incline youi mind inwuid to exumine
youi own numu-iu.
Insect youi lutlom-long, sun-wide body. Exumine numu us tle
mind is inclining-out to know: Wlut is it knowing ubout? At tle iesent
time you uie listening to tlis tulk so tle mind slould incline-out to
leui, us consciousness ol sound. Tle leusuie, uin oi indilleience uiis-
ing liom tlis leuiing is leeling; tle muiking und iemembeiing ubout
tlis leuiing is eicetion; und tle iocessing mind lollowing tle issue
is mentul-loimutions. Tlis condition ol tle mind inclining-out is numu
und wlen it inclines-out to know outside sounds tlen it is numu-in-
exteinul-sounds.
Eucl eison tleieloie, exists only togetlei witl numu-iu. Il tlis
is tiunscended, tlen 'eison' does not ueui. It is leie in tlis numu-
iu tlut tlis 'l, mc-anJ-minc` ueuis und is giused lold ol. Tlis
41
giusing is u concocting iocess ol tle mind und us sucl is u loim ol
mentul-loimutions wlicl is unotlei condition ol tle mind's inclining-
out. You slould tleieloie exumine tlis leeling ol 'mc-anJ-minc`: How
dee und ioloundly does it lie? You will tlen lind tlut it only goes us
lui us tle numu-iu. Il mentul-loimutions, eicetion, leeling und
seeing oi leuiing (etc.) uie ull lucking, tlen one lus no exeiience ol
leeling oi tlinking ut ull. Tle lysicul body ulone is meiely like u lunk
ol wood totully witlout sensution oi tlouglt, und ull sense ol 'sell-und-
otlei' lus comletely gone. It's similui to being uslee, wlen leelings
ol 'sell-und-otlei' und vuiious cuvoiting tlouglts uie entiiely lost.
Wlutevei u eison's stutus, le oi sle must lull undei tlese conditions.
Tlis sense ol 'sell-und-otlei' in its vuiying loims tleieloie u-
euis only in tle numu-iu. Wlen sucl 'sell-und-otlei', 'mine-und-
tline' uie iesent tlen diiect youi vision towuids tle condition ol
desiiing oi wunting sometling. Tleieloie, witl comlete enetiution
into numu-iu you must ulso detect tlis desiie existing in tle mind.
Tleie uie two loims ol desiie, one being tlut wlicl is ieulizuble,
und tle otlei tlut wlicl is beyond ieucl. Tle desiies und wisles tlut
cun be lullilled uie conceined witl tlose objectives wlicl uie ossible
to uttuin. But tlis does not meun tlut tley cun ull be uttuined just by
wisling, loi tle uioiiute cuuses must liist be ut into ellect. Foi
exumle, in muking u 'ieulizuble wisl' to uttuin viitue und good, one
must iuctise in tle uioiiute skillul wuys to ioduce tle iiglt cuuses.
Do not ciiticise oi lind luult witl desiie ei se, becuuse tle wisl
to uttuin viitue und tle iuctise to uclieve tlut is quite coiiect und
iiglt. Tlis 'desiie loi good' tle Loid Buddlu culled 'iesolve' oi 'detei-
minution' (aJli((ldna). Tle Bodlisuttu iesolved to uttuin Buddlulood
by steudily lollowing tlut Wuy. Tle Followeis (Sdvala) lud ulso ievi-
ously iesolved to steudily uttuin to tleii stute. Il u eison is woiking
towuids tle comletion und ieulizution ol lis desiie und tlut usiiu-
tion is mude u witl 'tiue deteiminution' tlen it cun be culled 'tiue
iesolve' (sacca-aJli((ldna). Tle Loid Buddlu counted tlis 'tiue-iesolve'
us one ol tle Peilections (Parami).
Tle tye ol desiie wlicl is unuttuinuble goes uguinst tle iinci-
les ol nutuie. Biitl, ugeing, illness und deutl uie noimul und inevitu-
ble. Soiiow, leuitucle, bodily uin, mentul-distiess und deiession must
ull inevitubly exist uccoiding to tle stute ol tlings. To wisl tlem uwuy,
loibidding tleii ueuiunce, goes uguinst tle wuys ol nutuie. Tlis de-
siie cun nevei be ieulized und so it too must udd to tle mind's sulleiing
us tle 'nonlullillment ol one's wisles.'
Now, come und considei tlis body und tle mentul giou: tlis
numu-iu wlicl I luve ulieudy exluined. It oiiginuted in biitl; is
develoing und clunging into old uge; is uinlul und tioublesome
tliougl sickness; und, linully, it must bieuk u witl deutl. Tlis is tle
inevituble nutuie ol numu-iu. Exumine now youi mind. Il it still in-
cludes giusing und lolding, il it still contuins desiies, tlen tleie must
ulso be soiiow und distiess. It cunnot escue tlem. Tle only wuy is to
ieleuse und let go.
Wlen one lets go ol sometling tlen one escues ull tle soiiow
involved witl tlut tling. Il one lets go ol eveiytling tlen one is lieed
liom ull unguisl. But il you cunnot yet ielinquisl, tlen youi giusing
must inevitubly biing sulleiing wlen youi desiies iemuin unlullilled.
Tleieloie locus to see tlese unuttuinuble desiies in youi mind und
tlen exumine tle sulleiing tlut uiises wlen tlose wisles luil. See it us
it ieully is.
Penetiuting to tlis tiutl biings loitl un u-to-tle-muik wisdom
wlicl is uble to seuiute und iemove tle sulleiing liom one's mind.
Tle numu-iu will tlen lollow its nutuiul couise wlile tle obseivei
wutcles. Tlis obseivution is mindlulness und u combined mindlulness-
und-wisdom (sari-pannd), wlicl does not enguge in concocting desiies
und sulleiing. Numu-iu will tlen be seen lollowing its nutuiul couise.
It's us il tleie is u buining louse: Wlile one iemuins inside tleie will
be ugitution und unic, but on leuving one cun tlen look buck. One cun
now look-on tlut buining louse witlout leeling uny leut in onesell.
One obseives witl knowledge. Tle luiness tlut siings loitl liom
culmness und tiunquillity will tlen ueui.
Eucl eison must conliont botl lis own sulleiing und tlut ol tle
vuiious eole le is conceined und involved witl. Il one collects ull
tlut sulleiing und louds it uwuy in tle mind, giusing und lolding on
to it, tlen tlis cun only incieuse one's ugitution und unluiness. How-
42
evei, il one cun steudily dislodge und tliow out sucl sulleiing witlout
udding uny moie, tlen tle mind will be uble to emeige unscutled.
It muy not be ossible loi unyone ulwuys to evude tle sulleiing
stemming liom exteinul souices but tle innei sulleiing cun be uvoided.
We usuully biing tle exteinul sulleiing into oui minds us mentul dis-
tiess. It is tleieloie us il tle sulleiing lus two luyeis oi levels: botl tle
exteinul und tle innei. Tlose wlo iuctise lollowing tle Loid Bud-
dlu's Teucling know low to liglten und ielieve tle situution by leuv-
ing tle exteinul sulleiing ulone outside witlout buidening tle mind
witl it. Even il one tlen linds onesell in tle midst ol (exteinul) sullei-
ing, one's mind iemuins content. Sucl luiness ol mind ullows mind-
lulness-und-wisdom to iemedy wlutevei exteinul sulleiing muy ossibly
be cuied. But il tle mind lully uccets und buidens itsell witl tle ex-
teinul sulleiing, tlen tleie is no wuy it cun iemedy tle situution.
In oidei to seuiute tlese tyes ol sulleiing you must deend und
iely on tle Wuy ol iuctice us luid down by tle Loid Buddlu. Fiistly,
set youisell to see numu-iu und know tle stute ol its sulleiing. Rec-
ognize tle mentul sulleiing wlicl uiises liom tle non-lullilment ol
unuttuinuble desiies. Penetiute to tlis so tlut, us tle desiie subsides,
tle mind giows culm und tiunquil. Wlen you luve ieulized tlis tlen
you will luve ieceived lull benelit liom youi study into tle Tiutl ol
Sulleiing ol tle Loid Buddlu und will linully lind luiness.
2nJ Ocrobcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
TaIk 18
Summarizing the Aggregate of Suffering
Will you ull leuse collect youi mind togetlei und locus witlin
youisell. Listen to tlis teucling und biing und exumine it witlin so us
to see Dlummu tleie. You won't ieulize Dlummu liom just tle outside
sounds, loi tlut would be just memoiizing oi un intellectuul undei-
stunding, wleieus undeistunding tle tiutl in onesell is seeing Dlummu
witl wisdom. Tleieloie, now centie on youisell. Focus to see liom tle
gioss und blutunt to tle subtle und ielined:
Be uwuie ol youi bieutling. Eveiyone ol us must bieutle in und
out.
Be uwuie ol youi iesent sitting ostuie. How uie youi lunds und
leet luced? How is youi oveiull ostuie?
Exumine tle wlole ol youi body: u liom tle soles ol tle leet,
down liom tle luii on youi leud, ull encused by skin.
Anulyse it into tle elements ol euitl, wutei, liie, wind und suce.
Rellect on extiucting eucl element liom tle body until only tle suce
element iemuins. Tlen considei low beloie concetion tlis body wus
just tle suce element, und low linully it ietuins to emtiness.
Now, iecombine tlose elements togetlei into youi comlete body
wlicl lus leelings ol leusuie, uin und neitlei-leusuie-noi-uin; und
wlicl is tle iesoit ol tle mind.
Tlose leelings stimulute tle mind. Foi exumle, il tleie is u leus-
unt leeling tlen 'liking' is lubiicuted; il it is u uinlul leeling tlen 'dis-
liking' is mude u; und witl u neutiul leeling tle mind is cuuglt dee
in 'uttuclment', wlicl is u condition ol delusion.
Go luitlei in to unotlei level, to tlut condition ol mind wlicl
'likes', 'dislikes' und 'uttucles' to tle myiiud tlings. Be uwuie ol tle
iesent stute ol youi mind: Now.
By enetiuting tlis lui you will be uble to distinguisl tle como-
sition ol tle mind. Tle mind is one uit, wlile 'liking', 'detesting' und
'delusion' muke u unotlei. Tley uie combined und entwined togetlei
und it is tlese udmixtuies to tle mind tlut uie tle lindiunces wlicl
48
block uny iogiess in wlolesomeness und liglei viitue.
Even tlougl you muy luve steudily centied youi mind lollowing
tlese instiuctions, tlose udmixtuies in tle mind will ulwuys be wuiting
to diuw tle mind out uguin. You must tleieloie be ieudy loi tlis by
lucing mindlulness wleie tle distiucting ugents entei, i.e. by wuy ol
tle eyes, euis, nose, tongue, body und tle mind (mano). It is tle mind
wlicl lolds und ietuins so muny issues und conceins, und so it needs
extiu-seciul wutcling. Howevei, do not go in und loicibly suiess it,
loi tlut only gives iise to lutigue, ovei-stiuin und iiiitubility. Tleie-
loie, ullow tle mind to lollow its wisles, but cuielully note low it goes
out. Wlut is it tlut comes und ties-in to luul tle mind out uguin? Being
quick enougl to cutcl ull ol tlis gives one tle wlole ictuie: All tlese
issues und ulluiis entei by wuy ol tle eyes, euis, nose, tongue, body oi
else tliougl tle mind itsell. Tle mind's iestless, lietlul tlinking iolil-
eiutes on eveiy side und so it cunnot be centied in one-ointedness.
Do not use uny loice. Simly wutcl und note but muke suie you
know in time und cun kee u witl events. Tle mind will tlen become
ucilied by itsell und culm down. Tlis is becuuse tle mind is tle 'ele-
ment-ol-knowing,' witl intelligence un intiinsic uit. Wlen tle ooi-
tunity loi sell-knowing uiiives, tlen sucl knowledge will be boin
witlout uny iogiumming being necessuiy, loi tle essence is ulieudy
tleie.
Tlis uiising ol sell-knowledge is uccomunied by un even liimei
mindlulness, witl tle mind itsell now lully cuuble ol investiguting
und distinguisling its own condition. It will know tle comonents ol
tle mind und tle entiy ol ull tle udmixtuies. Tlis steudy centiing ol
tle mind until it is uble to investigute tle lenomenu witlin onesell
disluys tle mind's ubility to distinguisl, tle tiutl inside, und it is tlis
wlicl is tle Fuctoi ol Enligltenment.
Now, considei tle souice teucling ol tle Loid Buddlu wlicl is
tle 'Tiutl ol Sulleiing'. One liistly 'ieuds' witl tle intellect, memoiiz-
ing lollowing tle Loid Buddlu's Teucling. He iesented loi oui utten-
tion tle Tiutl ol Sulleiing:
Biitl is sulleiing. Old uge und deutl uie sulleiing. Sulleiing lus
tlis nutuie und lollows tlese conditions.` He tlen continued,
Soiiow is sulleiing, lumentution, bodily illness und its uccet-
unce into tle mind uie sulleiing, mentul distiess und desuii uie sul-
leiing.`
Associution witl ull unwelcome, unloved tlings is sulleiing; seu-
iution liom ull beloved tlings is sulleiing;` und, Nonlullillment ol
one's desiies is sulleiing.`
Altei giving one's intellectuul uttention to tlese Teuclings ol tle
Loid Buddlu, now iellect, 'Husn't eveiyone ol us ulieudy encounteied
tlis sulleiing?'. Birrl is sojjcring, o|J agc is sojjcring: One miglt not
know tlut biitl is sulleiing und il one isn't yet old tlen old uge will still
be unknown. But us it steudily uioucles und tle body becomes moie
und moie decieit, tlen one muy undeistund. carl is sojjcring: low-
evei, us you luven't yet died you cun't know it. Even so, you uie still
uliuid und do not wisl to die. As lui us 'sorrow anJ |amcnrarion crc.,' uie
conceined, you will ull luve encounteied tlem to some extent und cun
tleieloie vuiiously uieciute tleii unguisl. BoJi|y anJ mcnra| Jis-casc
cun ulso be iecognized us sulleiing. As you luve not encounteied tle
tiutl ol eveiy tye ol sulleiing eseciully tlut ol biitl, old uge und
deutl you will need to iellect und investigute liist so us to undei-
stund exuctly wly tley uie sulleiing.
Tlis stute ol sulleiing lollows tle nutuiul conditions und tle couise
ol tle live uggiegutes uie: coioieulity uggiegute (ropa-llanJla) wlicl
is tlis bodily-giou (ropa-ldya); leeling uggiegute, wlicl is leusuie,
uin und, un inteimediute, neitlei-uinlul-noi-leusunt leeling; ei-
cetion uggiegute, wlicl vuiiously iecollects und eiceives; mentul-
loimutions uggiegute being tle tlouglt iocessing; consciousness
uggiegute wlicl is tle knowing ol seeing u loim oi leuiing u sound
(etc.). Ru is iu, but leeling, eicetion, mentul-loimutions und
consciousness uie culled 'ndma' wlicl is tle condition ol tle mind in-
clining-out to know. Tlis 'knowing' ol tle seeing u loim oi leuiing u
sound is liistly consciousness, (tlen) tle exeiience ol leusuie, uin
oi neitlei-leusuie-noi-uin is leeling, tle iecollecting is eicetion
und tle iocessing tlouglts uie mentul-loimutions. In sloit, we cun
cull ull ol tlis ropa-ndma oi numu-iu.
Tle oiiginution ol tlis numu-iu is biitl, its continuing giowtl
44
und mutubility is old uge und its linul end is wlen it bieuks u in deutl.
One cun tleieloie ieduce tlis biitl-old uge-deutl to uiising und extin-
guisling: At liist tleie is uiising und linully tleie is disueuiing. Tlis
is tle nutuiul couise ol tlings.
Since tle nutuiul couise ol tlings is like tlis, tle Loid Buddlu
desciibed it us sulleiing. Tlis cun ulso be undeistood to meun tlut
notling cun eimunently exist: tlut eveiytling liom its uiising until its
extinguisling must tiunsloim und clunge. Tlis eiiod ol tiunsloimu-
tion between biitl und tle end is 'ugeing'. Tlis, tlen, is tle ieul tiutl ol
sulleiing, tle tiue stute ol tlings wlicl eveiyone ol us ulive now witl
numu-iu must encountei. Tle oidinuiy woildling (porlojjana) giuss
und lolds to tle numu-iu us 'mc-anJ-minc' und 'sc|j' und so tukes
ovei tle inevituble sulleiing ol numu-iu into lis own mind. Tlis is
low soiiow und bewuiling iise us sulleiing in one's mind.
Tle Loid Buddlu tleieloie summuiized ull sulleiing into teims
ol tle live uggiegutes, oi one cun suy tle numu-iu. Howevei, il one
cun ieleuse tle giusing und lolding ol numu-iu, tlen one no longei
sulleis ulong witl biitl, old uge, deutl, noi is one involved in numu-
iu witl its inevituble uin. Numu-iu tlen just continues on ulone,
uccoiding to its nutuie. Tlis is tle exeiience ol ull tle Noble Ones
(Ariya).
Howevei, tle oidinuiy woildling giuss tle numu-iu to limsell
und tleieby contiives lis own sulleiing und soiiow. We ouiselves uie
tle ones wlo iocess oui sulleiing becuuse oui minds uie combined
witl giusing. We contiive oui own soiiow, oui own lumentution und
bemouning und udmit into oui mind tle couise ol bodily uin. Tle
mind itsell is wlut iocesses mentul distiess und desuii.
It is tlis veiy iocessing und contiiving tlut we cull tle 'mentul-
loimutions' wlicl uiise tliougl tle ussembling ol consciousness, leel-
ing und eicetion. One cun tleieloie see tlut tle mind's inclining-out
us numu is tle instigutoi ol sulleiing und tle sole souice ol mentul
sulleiing loi tle mind. As numu must combine witl iu, tle nutuie ol
sulleiing is lound iiglt leie in tle numu-iu. Tlis meuns it must be
imeimunent uiising und linully ceusing. It is botl tle nutuie ol mentul
sulleiing und tle iocessoi ol sulleiing loi tle mind. Tlis is wly tle
Loid Buddlu summuiized ull sulleiing us numu-iu, oi tle live uggie-
gutes.
Howevei, to uctuully iocess sulleiing tlis numu-iu must ulso
be combined witl u giusing us 'me-und-mine'. Set youisell to see tle
Tiutl ol Sulleiing lollowing tle Loid Buddlu's Teucling by soiting out
eucl clutei und veise und tlen gutlei tlem ull togetlei uguin in tlis
numu-iu oi live uggiegutes. Biing tlem togetlei in tlis body und in
tle mind's inclining-out to ieceive und iocess sulleiing.
By seeing und undeistunding tle tiutl ol tlis, you will guin knowl-
edge ol tle Tiutl ol Sulleiing ol tle Loid Buddlu. Youi ievious intel-
lectuul undeistunding will tlen steudily develo into wisdom und you
will ieulize tlut tlis Tiutl is not unytling to leui und lute but some-
tling wlicl needs to be comielended und wlicl will tlen biing one
luiness und tiunquillity. One's undeistunding will tlen be equul to
tle souice ol sulleiing so tlut one will no longei be deceived into ud-
mitting sulleiing into onesell. By not iocessing Sulleiing will tlen no
longei be contiived und so will subside. Tlis will biing luiness und
euce.
9rl Ocrobcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
45
TaIk 19
The Section on the Origin of Suffering (Sumuduyu)
I will now iesent u Dlummu teucling conceining tle 'Section on
tle Oiiginution ol Sulleiing' (SamoJaya) exluining tle cuuse ol sul-
leiing. Will you ull incline youi minds inwuids und locus in tle iesent.
Wlut is tle stute tleie? In wlut diiection is it tlinking? Fix youi mind-
lulness so tlut it cun kee u und cutcl wlut tle mind is tuking issue
witl.
Tle mind goes out tlinking towuids loims by wuy ol tle eyes,
towuids sounds tliougl tle euis, towuids odouis tliougl tle nose,
towuids tustes tliougl tle tongue, und towuids tungible objects tliougl
tle body. It ulso tlinks ubout ievious involvements witl siglts und
sounds (etc.). Howevei, tle mind doesn't just incline-out to know, but
ulso giuss und lolds on to tlose objects.
Tlis condition ol inclining oi voyuging-out to seize lold ol siglts
und sounds is ciuving (rapld) und giusing (opdJdna). Ciuving cun
ulso be undeistood, in u geneiul wuy, us tle stiuggling und excitution
ol desiies in tle mind. But u moie subtle investigution ieveuls tle out-
wuid-voyuging ol tle mind to gius und seize-lold.
Ciuving und giusing uie tleieloie couled togetlei. Wlen u siglt
oi sound iminges on tle visuul und uuditoiy oiguns, und llows on
towuids tle mind, tle mind inclines-out to ieceive it. Howevei, il gius-
ing is not involved, tleie is just luin numu und no ciuving. But il it
slould tlen incline-out und gius lold ol unotlei object tlen tlis is
ciuving. One cun distinguisl tle excitution und ieucling-out ol tle
mind us 'ciuving', wlile tle uctuul seizing-lold und clinging-to un ob-
ject is 'giusing'. Wlen only tle single teim 'ciuving' is used tlougl,
one slould undeistund tlis us ulso coveiing giusing.
Tlis giusing-lold ol un object, cluming it into tle mind witlout
ieleusing it to uss tliougl, cun include u wisl loi tlut object. Il tle
object is ugieeuble und leusing, tlen one will wunt ossession und
musteiy ol it. But il it is disugieeuble, one will tlen wunt to get iid ol it.
Howevei, us one is still giusing lold ol it even tlougl one does not
like it one cun't ieleuse und be liee ol it. Tle Loid Buddlu tleieloie
divided tlese ioeities into tliee: sensuul ciuving (ldma-rapld), ciuv-
ing loi existence (blava-rapld) und tle ciuving loi non-existence
(viblava-rapld).
Sensuul ciuving is love und desiie loi un object. A ciuving loi
existence somewleie oi otlei, cun be ieduced to u wunting musteiy oi
ossession ovei tlut object ol sensuul desiie. Tle ciuving loi nonexist-
ence is tle desiie to be iid ol tlis oi tlut stute, ieully meuning wlutevei
stute one does not like.
Tlese tliee tyes ol ciuving ulso include giusing wlicl lolds tle
object in tle mind witlout letting go. Likeuble und dislikeuble objects
uie botl seized lold ol und so 'liking' und 'disliking' ieguluily uiise in
tle mind. Botl liking und disliking cuuse iestlessness und ugitution.
Wly is tlis? It is just becuuse you still seize lold ol tle likeuble und
dislikeuble.
It isn't tlut tle mind only inclines-out towuids u single object, loi
in luct tley uie muny. Wlutevei object ueuis by wuy ol tle eye oi eui
(etc.), tle mind iuns-out to seize lold ol it. It's ulwuys like tlis, witl
ciuving continuully in uction in tle mind witlout evei culming down.
Tle Loid Buddlu tleieloie tuuglt tlut it is ulwuys ciuving towuids u
new condition. We muy now ciuve loi u ceituin visuul loim (etc.) but
on seeing u new object, tle desiie loi tlut will muke us discuid tle old
object. Tlis iejection und new giusing continues on und on witlout
ceusing. Tle new object is ulso seized us 'u ossession ovei wlicl one
lus musteiy' und tlis is constuntly ieeuted, moving on liom object to
object. Tlis discuiding ol tle old object cun ulso be subsumed undei
'ciuving loi nonexistence' wlicl is tlut stiuggling to get iid ol tle iesent
condition. Wlen un object lus iun its couise und gone tlen tle mind
stiuggles uguin to tuke in u new one.
Il one could iemuin witl u single object tlen ciuving would sto
in tle old witlout moving loiwuid to u new object. But tlis ciuving lus
no end. It continuully ciees loiwuid luving to discuid its old object in
tle giusing ol tle new. Wlen tlis is tle cuse, even tlougl ciuving's
cluiucteiistics uie divided into tliee, tley ull go togetlei us one. Ciuv-
ing nevei ceuses its incling loiwuid tliougl tle myiiud objects. It tleie-
46
loie lus tle ioeity ol ulwuys ieucling-out loi tle new und novel.
Continuully. On-und-on, engiossed und uttucled to tle objects und ul-
wuys ieoccuied witl wunting moie und moie. It is nevei sutiuted.
Exumine youi mind und wutcl out loi ciuving us it iojects-out to
ieceive objects. You muy be uble to cutcl tlis condition ol mind, but in
tle beginning you won't be quick enougl. Even so, it's still good to tiy
to lollow belind until tle mind is swilt und ugile enougl to cutcl u
witl itsell.
To cutcl tle mind us it ieucles-out to gius, set youi mindlulness
on tle six sense-clunnel uiis (tle inteinul und exteinul dyarana): Tle
eye und tle loim it sees uie one uii; tle eui (sora) und tle sound it
leuis uie u uii; tle nose und tle odoui it smells uie one uii; tle
tongue und its tuste uie u uii; tle body und its tungible object uie u
uii; und tle mind und tle issue it tlinks uon uie u uii. Tlis doesn't
meun tlut you must locus on tlem ull simultuneously, but be ieudy to
lix uon uny object us it mukes contuct. Il it slould be u visuul loim
tlen set youi mindlulness on tle eye und on tlut loim; il it is u sound
tlen locus on tle sound und tle eui (und so on).
Now tlen, let's tiy tlis: ullow youi mind to go out, being veiy
wutcllul und uwuie us it giuduully exits. You will tlen lind conscious-
ness us tle knowing ol seeing u loim oi tle knowing ol leuiing u sound.
Tlis 'seeing' und 'leuiing' is consciousness und you will lind u similui
situution wlen you locus on uny ol tle otlei sense buse uiis.
Focus on contuct. Wlut is it you see oi leui? You see u siglt; you
leui u sound. And loi tlut loim to be successlully seen tle loim und
'seeing' must come togetlei us contuct. A sound und leuiing und tle
otlei sense buses likewise must contuct beloie u sound oi smell (etc.)
uie successlully exeiienced.
Next locus on leeling. Il tle object tlut comes into contuct is ugiee-
uble, tlen leusunt leeling uiises; il it is disugieeuble tlen uinlul leel-
ing uiises; und il it is u neutiul oi indilleient object, tlen
neitlei-uinlul-noi-leusunt leeling uiises.
Focus on eicetion wlicl iecollects und eiceives lollowing tle
leeling.
Focus on volition (sanccrand) oi tle intentionulity ol tle mind
wlicl lollows on liom eicetion. Wlen tleie is eicetion uiising
liom leusuie, tlen one's mind sets itsell towuids tlut leusuie. Simi-
luily it intends towuids uin wlen eicetion is bused in sulleiing, und
towuids neitlei-uin-noi-leusuie wlen tle eicetion is like tlut.
At tlis oint you slould luve come uon ciuving us tle mind
inclines und ieucles-out to gius un object. Wlutevei wuy tle mind
clooses und intends, so it iuns out und giuss in tlut diiection. Il it sets
oll towuids u eicetion lollowing on liom leusunt leeling, tlen sen-
suul ciuving will uiise. Il it is towuids existence, tlen ciuving loi exist-
ence will uiise, und il it's towuids u eiceived uinlul leeling, tleie will
be ciuving loi nonexistence, wlicl is tle wunting to iid onesell ol tlut
uinlul stute. Wlen tle mind intends towuids u eiceived inteimedi-
ute leeling, tlen uny one ol tlese tyes ol ciuving muy uiise. Tlis is tle
seeing ol tle mind's inclining-out witl ciuving to gius un object.
Focus on ulied-und-sustuined tlouglt (viralla-vicdra), wlicl
is iellection oi discuisive tlouglt, und you will see tlut tlese luve
lullen undei tle owei ol ciuving.
By lollowing tlis sequence you will uieciute tlut it ull stuits
witl tle eye und loim oi eui und sound (etc.) wlen tle mind giudu-
ully, ste by ste, inclines-out to seize und lold. Tlis, tlen, is ciuving,
und ulied-und-sustuined tlouglt must lollow undei its owei.
One cun now suy tlut tlis stute ol ciuving diiectly deends on
numu-iu. Tle eyes und loim, euis und sound (etc.) uie coioieulity
wlile tle mind iesiding witl it und inclining-out to ieceive objects is
mentulity. But tlis is not u noimul, luin numu, loi insteud ol letting go
tle object is seized lold ol. Wletlei tle object is liked oi disliked it is
still giused lold ol, und tlis is wlut loims ciuving. Tlis ciuving uiises
deendunt on iu und numu und nowleie else. It cun be ieckoned u
numu-dlummu becuuse it is u concocting ugent like tle mentul-loimu-
tions.
Wly does tle mind concoct und contiive in tlis wuy? Becuuse
tleie uie still undeilying delilements known us cunkeis (dsava) in tle
inclining-out mind. Tlis is tle lutent ioclivity (anosaya) ol ciuving
lying iesident in tle mind. Noimully it does not slow its luce und ie-
muins us il not tleie, but slould u iovoking oi ulluiing object muke
47
contuct tlen tlut lutent tendency buists out to tuke tle object wlicl
lits in witl it. Set youisell to see tlis.
Wlen you cun locus on tlis witlout u luse, tlen tle lutent ten-
dencies won't luve uny clunce to bieuk out, und tle ulluiing object
won't be uble to iovoke oi 'seed'. Tle lutent delilements will tlen be
weukened us tle 'seed' lus not invigoiuted. Witl sucl mindlulness set,
vigilunt und uleit, it will be uble steudily to uioot und destioy tlut uit
ol tle mind wlicl is lutent-delilement.
Tlis ciuving, tleieloie, is tle oiigin ol tle mind's sulleiing. Tle
mind inclines-out to seize und cling to un object, und wlen inevitubly,
in uccoid witl its nutuie, tlut object clunges und tiunsloims, so sullei-
ing uiises in tle mind. Howevei, witl constunt vigilunce tle mind will
not be uble to seize lold ol objects. One cun tlen let go ol tlem und
tleieby ieleuse one's sulleiing us well.
Tlis ciuving und tle sulleiing it cuuses botl deend und ieside in
tle numu-iu und youi uttention must tleieloie be locussed tleie
und in tle mind. Mindlulness will tlen steudily quicken und become
swilt und uleit.
10rl Ocrobcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
TaIk 20
The Section on the Extinction of Suffering
I will now seuk ubout tle cessution ol sulleiing (Jollla-niroJla).
Tle Buddlist Teucling is uble to be u ieluge (sarapa) loi tle woild
becuuse it cun exluin tle extinction ol sulleiing. Tlis is ciuciul be-
cuuse it is wlut we uie uiming loi. Il it could not teucl tlis tlen it
would be witlout essence und busicully tiiviul. Howevei, u metlod ol
iuctice to biing ubout tlut extinction is ulso needed, tlougl uctuully
lollowing tlut wuy iemuins tle tusk und iesonsibility ol eucl indi-
viduul eison.
Even tlougl tle Teucling is genuine und tiue, il tle eison does
not lollow tle wuy ol iuctice tlen le won't be uble to uclieve tle
extinction ol sulleiing. Tleieloie, tle tusk is u to tle individuul to
lollow tle iuctice to ellect tle iequiied iesults. Tlis iuctice is di-
iectly conceined witl tle mind. Toduy, lowevei, I will liist exluin tle
iesult und liuit ol tlut iuctice: tle extinction ol sulleiing. Tlis is tle
mujoi und essentiul liuit ol tle iuctice enubling one to see tle tiutl ol
tle Teucling ol tle Loid Buddlu.
Will you now leuse centie youi mind und wutcl its inclining-out
towuids knowing vuiious ulluiis. At tlis iesent moment it is inclining-
out to ieceive tle sound ol tlis Dlummu Teucling. Il you uie guuiding
tle mind, you slould be uble to notice its condition. Is it culm und
cool? A leeling ol culmness und tiunquillity indicutes tlut tle Dlummu
being olleied exteinully und tle innei Dlummu ol youi centied mind
uie 'niyydnila` cuuble ol leuding tle mind out uwuy liom sulleiing.
And tlis iesent culmness ol mind is ulieudy u cessution ol sulleiing. It
miglt only be u momentuiy suiession wlile tle mind is centied in
Dlummu yet, even so, ieulize tlut wlen it iesides constuntly witl
Dlummu tleie will be u constunt cessution us well.
Now will you locus on tlut 'inclining-out to know' ubout exteinul
ulluiis tle ulluiis ol loims being seen, sounds being leuid (etc.) und
tlose loimei siglts und sounds (etc.) ulieudy known und stoied uwuy
us issues by tle mind (mano). Tlese ulluiis uie eitlei welcomed witl
4S
'lunkeiing,' unwelcomed witl 'dejection,' oi decetive und delusoiy.
Tle mind immediutely knows ugitution und leut, und cunnot be culmed
down becuuse ol tlut lunkeiing, dejection, und deluded uttuclment.
Tlis leuted excitution ol tle mind is u subtle loim ol sulleiing, tlougl
you muy not be uwuie ol tlut. Only ultei exeiiencing u culm mind
witl Dlummu will you uieciute sucl ugitution us one loim ol sullei-
ing. Most eole will usuully only know, lowevei mucl oi little, ubout
tle blutunt loims ol sulleiing soiiow, lumentution, uin, mentul dis-
tiess und desuii wlicl ull giow out ol tlis subtle tye ol sulleiing.
Rellecting moie cuielully on wly tlis slould be tle cuse, one
linds tlut it is becuuse tle l becomes involved in tle myiiud ulluiis.
Wlut uie tlese ulluiis?
Focus on tlis body: It is comosed ol tle vuiious elements; it is u
lutlom long und u sun wide, und is sitting leie now. We luve u 'sense'
tlut rlis boJy is mc und lowevei ir exists we uccet tlut us low wc
exist. Looking ut oui luce in tle miiioi, we leel tlut tlese uie 'my
leutuies.' Looking ut oui lotogiul, we tlink ol it us slowing 'mc`.
Not only is tleie tlis 'leeling ol sell' we ulso wisl loi tlis 'mysc|j-in-rlis-
boJy` to ioceed in un ugieeuble wuy. Comliments ubout tlis body uie
welcome, but uny ciiticism is ceituinly not. Even tlougl we know loi
suie tlut some uiticului uit is not so good, we uie still glud ol uny
llutteiy tlut suys tle oosite und even tlougl we know it is llutteiy
we still like it. Tlis, tlen, is unotlei usect us to low desiie becomes
mixed in.
Focus buck on tle mind inclining-out. In tiutl tlis exeiiencing-
enguged-witl-desiie (wlicl I've been tulking ubout) is u condition ol
tlut mind going-out to know. It liist sees tle iu loim eilus see-
ing one's body in u miiioi und tlis seeing is consciousness. Il one
likes it tlen tlut is leusuie, oi even il one doesn't oi is indilleient, it is
still ull leeling. Tleie is eicetion, und tlen mentul-loimutions lusl-
ion tlouglts ubout one's body und so tlut 'sense' und tlose tlouglts ol
my body (us I exluined ubove) uie ull contuined in numu, us tle mind
inclines-out to know. Tlis numu is mixed und blended witl ciuving
togetlei witl giusing und clinging. Wlen it is like tlis, tlen ull one's
exeiience und tlouglts uie mixed und eimeuted witl tle delile-
ments.
Even tlougl one muy leel contentment witl one's body, it ie-
muins, in tiutl, iu wlile tlut 'leeling' is still numu. Altei moie cuie-
lul investigution one linds tlut uny leeling ol contentment one lus in
tle body cunnot comuie to tlut ol tle culm mind witl Dlummu. Once
one lus exeiienced tle culm uiising liom Dlummu, tlis will become
sell-evident.
Now tleie is still unotlei imoitunt oint to considei: We must
continuully deceive ouiselves ubout tle nutuie ol tlis iu-und-numu.
Tleii tiue nutuie is ieully bound u witl imeimunence (aniccard),
sulleiing (Jolllard) becuuse tley cun't iemuin stuble und not-sell
(anarrard). All iu und numu must ioceed liom u beginning in biitl
to un end, witl continued clunge in between. Tlis iu wlicl eveiy-
one is so uttucled to must ulso luve tlis tiunsloimution und clunge.
Tlus, we must tlink u wuys to lool ouiselves into leeling contentment
und sutisluction witl tlis evei clunging iu. Foi instunce, tlougl it is
ugeing, we munuge to see it us not old. Il someone tlen decluies to us
tlut it is old we uie disleused; wlile il tley suy tle oosite, we uie
gludeven tlougl it's obvious to ull tlut it tiuly is old! We like it wlen
tley deceive us even us we constuntly muke suie to lool ouiselves too.
Putting it oll, tlinking 'not just yet, not just yet, no need to woiiy ubout
tlut until lutei.' Wlen tlis iu clunges, leuding towuids its extinc-
tion, we must tlink to lold it buck und so u stiuggle und ugitution
ensues. Huiness is imossible il oui tlinking goes uguinst tle couise
ol nutuie und ieluses to uccet its luw.
Tlis ull iesults liom ciuving tlut gives iise to giusing und cling-
ing. We liist seize lold ol sometling us 'mysc|j' und tlen go on to gius
lold ol sometling else. We gius und tlut tling's uiising becomes oor
uiising, its clunging becomes oor clunging und its linul extinguisling
becomes oor decline und end. We must tleieloie constuntly sin witl
tle numu-iu us it is continuully uiises, clunges und ceuses. Tlis wliil-
ing-uiound is tle leuit ol sulleiing und is lui liom tlut euce und still-
ness wlicl is luiness. Tlen, wlen tle numu-iu luils to lollow tle
luns we lud on liist giusing lold ol tlem und yet we still uttemt
to lold on to tlem unotlei loud ol sulleiing is udded: Soiiow, lum-
49
entution und ull tle otlei loims ol sulleiing tlut we luve ulieudy men-
tioned.
To iemedy tlis situution und end sulleiing tleieloie iequiies u
locussing on tlut 'sell' tlut sins togetlei witl tle myiiud tlings in
tleii uiising und extinguisling. Tlis secilicully meuns tle sinning
witl tle numu-iu, botl inteinully und exteinully. Focus to see tlut
wlen 'sell' sins witl tlem, tleie must ulwuys be sulleiing too; und tle
less it does so, tle less sulleiing it must enduie.
To uctuully ieduce tlis sinning, you must locus on tle desiie und
giusing witlin youisell. See tlut: 'Tlis is ciuving uiising'; 'tlis is gius-
ing und clinging uiising.' Reulize tlut, 'u lot ol desiie meuns u lot ol
sulleiing' und 'less desiie und giusing meuns less sulleiing.' Tle com-
lete luck ol desiie und giusing is tle comlete ubsence ol sulleiing,
und tlis is wlut loims tle extinction ol sulleiing (Jollla-niroJla).
Howevei, in tle beginning stuges ol iuctice it isn't yet ossible to
give u ull desiie und giusing. Tleieloie muke suie tlut you uie wise
in youi selection ol wlut to desiie. Don't desiie und gius unytling
evil; insteud just tuke liim lold ol wlutevei is good und skillul. Tlis
ulone will extinguisl tle sulleiing tlut uiises liom doing evil, und one
will ulso ieceive tle luiness tlut comes liom iogiessing in tle wuys
ol viitue. Wlen you luve iuctised und tiuined youisell to tle lull limit
ol goodness, tlen tleie is no need to wisl loi good uny moie be-
cuuse one is ulieudy tleie. At tlis oint tleie is no need to wisl loi
unytling unymoie but tlut is tle linul und ultimute stuge.
At tlis iesent stuge, you must still wunt to lold onto goodness
wlicl is viitue und moiul iecets, onto sumudli und onto wisdom.
Use tle iecets to extinguisl tle sulleiing involved in wiong und
unskillul beluvioui. Use sumudli to uvoid tle lindiunces wlen tley
uiise in tle mind, so us to extinguisl tleii sulleiing. Use u tiuined
wisdom us tle tool to extinguisl tle sulleiing uiising liom tle moie
subtle ugitution, desiies und giusing.
Seuking ol using wisdom to investigute: Focus it in tle iu-und-
numu und enetiute to its nutuiul couise ol uiising und ussing uwuy.
Tlen wlutevei object is encounteied will be ieceived by tlis wisdom
tlut cun see tliougl to its uiising und ussing uwuy, und it will be
extinguisled wlen it ieucles tle mind. Howevei mucl lunkeiing oi
dejection one lus, lowevei belooling und delusoiy tle object muy u-
eui, on ieucling tle mind ull ol it will be extinguisled by wisdom's
insiglt into tle uiising und ussing uwuy. Tle object tlen loses its owei
und tle mind is no longei jolted oi uset by it.
Noimully lowevei, wlen objects ieucl un oidinuiy eison's mind
tley comletely udleie und stick tleie. Wlen u loim is seen oi u sound
leuid, it enteis in und sticks lust in tle mind. Tlese objects luve tle
owei to ugitute tle mind, but wlen wisdom witl insiglt into uiising
und ussing uwuy is develoed, it cun cut tlem ull uwuy. Tlis, tlen, is
tle iesolution und conclusion. It is tle end loi sulleiing, wlicl will
nevei uguin come in to ossess tle mind. Tlis is tle wuy ol iuctice to
extinguisl sulleiing.
Tle meuns und stiutegy loi steudily iemoving sulleiing, ste by
ste, is un ussiduous und eisistent investigution into numu-iu to see
its uiising und ussing uwuy. It's u tiuining to cleui tle mind so us to see
tle iinciles ol tle nutuiul couise ol tlings. Tle cuiing ol tle innei
sulleiing will enlunce one's mindlulness und wisdom so tlut tley cun
tiy to deul to tle best ol tleii ubility witl tle exteinul sulleiing tlut
one muy conliont.
Wlen one is skilled in tlis Buddlist Wuy ol iuctice, one will be
uble to contend witl uny loim ol sulleiing. Even il one is suiiounded
by (exteinul) sulleiing, one cun still delivei und sule-kee tle mind.
Tle Buddlist Teucling is u ieligion wlicl olleis u ieluge tlut is ieully
ieliuble becuuse it teucles u genuine metlod to extinguisl sulleiing.
But to ieulize tlis, you will luve to study und iuctise in tle wuy I luve
exluined leie. Tlen you will ieceive tle iesults in u giuduul extin-
guisling ol sulleiing, uccoiding to tle level ol youi iuctice.
17rl Ocrobcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
50
TaIk 21
The Truth of Extinction United
With the Truth of the Path
Pleuse will you now centie youi mind witlin youisell. Focus on
tle mind witl its mentul-object. Tlis meuns seeing tle mind us it tlinks
ubout its iesent tlouglt, concein oi ieoccuution. Is youi mind culm
oi not? Wlilst listening to tlis Dlummu tulk, tlis meuns seeing tle
mind us it is tlinking uon tlut Dlummu wlicl is being leuid. Tle
object is now tle Dlummu subject tlut is being leuid und tlouglt
ubout.
Tle Discouise exluins tlut sulleiing oiiginutes becuuse ol ciuv-
ing, und tlut ciuving botl uiises und ceuses in deligltlul-und-leusui-
uble-tlings (piyaropa sdraropa). As ciuving ends in tle luce wleie it
uiises it must extinguisl tleie. Tlis doesn't ielei to exteinul tlings, but
to tlese veiy objects und ieoccuutions in tle mind.
Tle object us u deligltlul-und-leusuiuble-tling, wlicl tle mind
is mulling-ovei, is ieully loim. Wlen we see u eison witl oui eyes tle
mind tukes ovei tlut visuul loim us u mentul imuge. It ueuis in tle
mind us u lull und comlete imuge ol tlut eison. Il, insteud ol u ei-
son, one sees u tiee, u mountuin oi uny muteiiul tling, tlen tle mind
tukes it ovei und it ueuis comlete in tle mind us u tiee, mountuin oi
wlutevei. Wlen one leuis u sound tliougl tle euis, tle mind will
tuke tlut subject us u comlete imuge into tle mind. Tle mind tukes in
visuul loims liom tle eyes, sounds liom tle euis (und similuily loi ull
six sense buses) us mentul imuges. Tlus, tlose objects munilest us enti-
ties in tle mind.
Tle mind, lowevei, doesn't tuke eveiytling in us imuges. A siglt
oi sound oi unytling tlut doesn't ossess uny inteiesting leutuie is
ieleused to uss on by, wlile tlose tlings tlut do uie tuken in us im-
uges. Tlis, tleieloie, is wly tle Loid Buddlu used tle teim 'Jc|iglrjo|
anJ p|casorab|c rling` loi unytling wlicl luscinutes und entliuls tle
mind to tle oint wleie it is tuken in us un imuge.
Ciuving und giusing will eimeute tlut imuge und it cun tlen be
consideied tlut tle oiiginutoi (samoJaya) oi ciuving is boin. Il tleie is
no imuge oi deligltlul-und-leusuiuble-tling, tlen ciuving lus nowleie
to uiise. Lutei tlougl, wlen tley uie iesent in tle mind, ciuving cun
indeed uiise. Tlis is wly it is suid tlut wlen it uiises it does so in tle
deligltlul-und-leusuiuble-tlings wlicl uie exuctly tlese imuges und
objects.
Wly does ciuving uiise? Becuuse nor-lnowing oi delusion is wutcl-
ing tlose mentul objects. Wlen ignoiunce oi delusion is wutcling, im-
uges will become evident us eitlei ugieeuble, disugieeuble oi entliulling.
Il one now wutcles witl knowledge insteud ol delusion, one will see
tlut it is ull only u muttei ol mentul-imuges being tuken in und lusl-
ioned by tle mind into entities. Tle loim wlicl tle eye sees is ieully
outside but it ueuis to lix itsell in tle mind becuuse un imuge is
lubiicuted ol it. Tlis cun be comuied witl tuking u lotogiul. Even
tlougl tle ieul tling is outside, it ueuis us il it is lixed in tle lilm. In
luct, ol couise, it is just un imuge cuuglt tleie und not tle ieul tling ut
ull. A eison's mind wlicl lubiicutes u mentul imuge is similui to tlut
lilm wlicl cutcles dilleient loims tliougl u lens uiiungement, wlicl
itsell cun be comuied to tle visuul oigun.
Now tlen, locus tlut knowing to investigute tliougl into unotlei
level. Tleie is tle mentul imuge, object oi loim wlicl becomes lixed
und luslioned in tle mind, und tlen tleie is exteinul muttei. Tlis miglt
be exeiienced us u eison, tiee, mountuin oi some otlei tling, und it
too is comounded und conditioned. None ol tlese tlings existed be-
loie tle elements cume togetlei to muke tlem u und, once uiisen,
tley tiunsloim, clunge und linully diseise. Tleieloie tley uie just
elements combined togetlei, tle euitl element muking u tle luid
uits, tle wutei element tle lluid uits, tle liie element tle wuimtl,
tle wind element tle motion, und tle suce element tle emty suces.
Tlis being so, tley ull must be void void ol entity oi sell.
Focus tlut knowing (wlicl is not delusion) to see tle mentul im-
uge diseised us elements. See it us void und emty ol entity und sell.
Wlen tlis voidness is evident, tlen tlut mentul imuge wletlei ugiee-
uble, disugieeuble oi deluding will dissolve. Ciuving will tlen luve
notling to seize-on und so must subside und ubute. Tlis is wly, wlen
51
ciuving extinguisles, it does so in tle deligltlul-und-leusuiuble tlings.
Tle imoitunt oint leie is tlut il tle mind tukes in und wutcles
tlut mentul imuge ol u deligltlul-und-leusuiuble tling witl delusion,
ciuving will immediutely siing u. Tlis is tle ioute loi tle oiiginution
ol sulleiing. Il lowevei tle mind cun see it ull witl knowledge us void
ol entity oi sell, tlen ciuving will ut once subside. Tlis is tle ioute loi
tle extinction ol sulleiing. Tle ciuciul tling in extinguisling ciuving
tleieloie lies witl lnowing. Tlis tiuining ol tle mind to develo knowl-
edge is culled tle Putl (magga) tle wuy ol iuctice to end sulleiing.
Tle lnowing mind is ulso tle ca|m, sri||cJ, mind und so tle tiuin-
ing in tiunquillity is ulso tle Putl to end sulleiing.
Tle sri||cJ mind is in its narora| stute und so tle tiuining to estub-
lisl tlis narora|ncss cun ulso be culled tle Putl to end sulleiing.
Tle imoitunce tleieloie lies in tle tiuining ol tle mind to lnow,
to be sri|| anJ ca|m und to be narora|.
Tle diiect wuy loi tle mind to know is tliougl knowing ubout
sulleiing, knowing tle cuuse ol sulleiing, knowing tle extinction ol
sulleiing und knowing tle Putl ol iuctice to uttuin to tle extinction ol
sulleiing.
knowing sojjcring meuns knowing tle deligltlul-und-leusuiuble
mentul imuges und objects us meiely imuges, meiely deligltlul und
leusuiuble tlings tlut must ull uiise und disueui in tle mind. It
meuns knowing tlut even tle exteinul substunce is ulso ol u nutuie to
uiise und uss uwuy, being comosed ol elements und void ol entity oi
sell. Focus to know tle tiutl ubout tlese mentul-imuges und ubout tle
myiiud exteinul tlings wlicl leud to sucl imuges.
Tlis knowing ol sulleiing is tleieloie not just u looking ut uny
distiess tlut lus uiisen in one's body oi mind. Tlut's not ull it is. Peole
exeiience vuiious degiees ol bodily oi mentul distiess becuuse tley
uie unuble uctuully to see sulleiing und tleieloie cunnot liee tle mind
liom sulleiing. Tlose wlo see sulleiing und know tle tiutl ubout de-
ligltlul-und-leusuiuble mentul imuges und exteinul tlings will not
enguge und mix witl tlose tlings, und so will not sullei.
Knowing tle cuuse ol sulleiing meuns cuielully locussing on ciuv-
ing und giusing. Tle condition ol liking, disliking oi deluded uttucl-
ment loi u mentul-imuge, signilies tlut ciuving lus siung u. Leuin to
iecognize und know tlis ciuving, und it will tlen subside.
Focus into tlis subsiding, tlis extinction ol sulleiing wlicl one is
encounteiing. In tiutl, we uie not ull continuously oveiwlelmed by
sulleiing. Sulleiing uiises only wlen ciuving is boin. Even il one does
not iuctise, on some occusions sulleiing will lessen und subside. Tlis
cun be seen us un occusionul ubuting ol sulleiing. On coming to iuc-
tise Dlummu, one extinguisles sulleiing by locussing on tlut ubute-
ment wlicl stills und cools tle mind. Tle mind will tlen be
cluiucteiized by nutuiulness, stillness, knowingness, und by cluiity und
biigltness. Tlese uie tle leutuies ol tle extinction ol sulleiing. You
must ieulize tlis.
Knowing tle wuy ol iuctice to tle extinction ol sulleiing involves
u locussing on tle cuuses tlut leud to tlut extinction: Tle mind must
be knowing, stilled und nutuiul. One does not simly ullow sulleiing to
uiise und ceuse ol itsell, loi tlut miglt not only tuke u long time but
ulso be liglly dungeious. One iuctises to develo tlut knowing, still-
ness und nutuiulness, loi tlese leud to tle cessution ol sulleiing by
extinguisling ciuving und giusing.
Ciuving uiises und ceuses in tle sume luce, tlut luce being de-
ligltlul-und-leusuiuble-tlings oi mentul-imuges. But to extinguisl ciuv-
ing iequiies tle develoment ol tlut knowingness wlicl is wisdom
und not delusion. Wlen tlut knowing is in constunt sueivision, ob-
jects cun no longei come in und biing ubout tle uiising ol sulleiing,
becuuse ciuving cun no longei be iovoked loi one is tlen lully uwuie.
1Srl Ocrobcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
52
TaIk 22
The Truth of the Path (Muggu)
Toduy we luve ieucled tle toic ol tle Eigltlold Putl (Magga)
und I will tleieloie tuke tle luctois one ut u time so you cun see tlem
in und loi youisell. Tle Putl lus eiglt luctois:
Tle liist luctoi is iiglt view (sammd-Ji((li). Tlis is tle undei-
stunding ol sulleiing, ol tle oiiginution ol sulleiing, ol tle extinction
ol sulleiing und ol tle utl leuding to tle extinction ol sulleiing.
See tlis sulleiing in youi own sell wlenevei you encountei it.
Undeistund it tlen. Reulize tlut tlese live uggiegutes uiise ut biitl und
tlen must giow old und die. Tlis is tleii inevituble couise. Il you gius
und cling to tlese live uggiegutes us mc-anJ-minc, tlen wlen tley be-
come enguged in sulleiing, so do you. Focus on youi going ulong witl
tlis sulleiing ol tle live uggiegutes.
See tle cuuse ol tle uiising ol sulleiing. Tlis is seeing tle mind's
ciuving und desiie, wlicl uie tle cieutois ol ull ol tle dilleient loims
ol sulleiing.
See tle ubuting und subsidence ol sulleiing. Tlis is tle mind biiglt
und cleui ol ciuving becuuse tlut desiie lus wuned. At tlis time, il sucl
ciuving lus subsided, you will luve ieliel liom sulleiing, even il only
temoiuiily. See tlis temoiuiy cessution ol sulleiing in tle mind und
notice tle knowledge und undeistunding wlicl is uble to ielieve und
still tlut sulleiing. Seeing tlis undeistunding is seeing tle Putl.
Focus in youisell to see tle iesent condition ol sulleiing, its cuuse
und oiiginution, its extinction und tle Putl.
Tle second luctoi is iiglt tlouglt (sammd-sanlappa). Tlis is
tlouglt liee liom sensuul desiie, liom ill will und ciuelty.
Focus to see tle tlouglt und iellections going on in youi mind.
Wlut uie tley ubout? Wlen youi tlouglts uie liee liom sensuous de-
siie us wlen you uie iellecting on Dlummu tlen be uwuie ol it.
Tley luve not been ulled uwuy to like, desiie und lind sutisluction in
tle ulluiis ol visuul objects, sounds, odouis, tustes oi tungibles.
Wlen tleie uie tlouglts liee ol ill will und vindictiveness, und
tlouglts liee ol ciuelty, tlen be uwuie ol tlut. See und be uwuie ol
youi tlouglts und iellections.
Tle tliid luctoi is iiglt seecl (sammd-vdcd). Tlis is ubstuining
liom lying, tule beuiing, luisl lunguuge und loolisl bubble. See tlis in
youi own mind. Is tleie sucl tlouglt ol ubstinence iesent oi not?
Wlen it cun be obseived, tlis indicutes tlut tle luctoi ol iiglt seecl is
iesent. You don't need to seuk tlougl: Even being silent witl sucl
ubstinence is ulieudy consideied iiglt seecl.
Tle louitl luctoi is iiglt (bodily) uction (sammd-lammanra). Tlis
is ubstuining liom killing, steuling und unluwlul sexuul beluvioui (oi
liom bieuking tle iules ol celibucy). See il tlis ubstinence is iesent in
youi mind. Il it is, tlen you slould undeistund tlut tlis is iiglt uction.
Tleie is no need to Jo unytling tlougl, loi tle ubstinence is ulieudy
consideied iiglt uction.
Tle liltl luctoi is iiglt livelilood (sammd-djiva). Tlis is tle ub-
stuining liom wiong livelilood und insteud lollowing one's livelilood
in u coiiect und ioei wuy. Focus in tle mind to see youi iesent
lilestyle. Weie tle necessities ol lile suoiting it obtuined by iiglt oi
wiong meuns? Il you note tlut tley weie lound in u iiglt und coiiect
wuy, tlen you cun considei tlis us iiglt livelilood.
Tle sixtl luctoi is iiglt elloit (sammd-vdydma). Tlis is tle elloit
ol uvoiding oi oveicoming evil und unwlolesome tlings, und ol devel-
oing und muintuining wlolesome tlings.
Focus to see unwlolesomeness oi evil, und wlolesomeness oi vii-
tue in youi own mind loi tlis is wleie tley liist uiise. Insect to see
ubout youi uctions (lamma) wlicl uiise liom witlin tle mind. Il you
lind tle mind is tlinking ol doing unwlolesome uctions oi evil, tlen
muke un elloit to uvoid tlut uction. Il youi insection ieveuls tle mind
is ulieudy conceined witl unwlolesomeness oi evil, tlen muke un el-
loit to oveicome und ubundon tlut, so us not to do it uguin. Sucl evil
uctions cun be uvoided. We arc cuuble ol uvoiding unwlolesomeness.
Now locus to see tle viitue oi wlolesomeness. Tlut viitue wlicl
you luve not yet done but uie cuuble ol doing muke un elloit to do
it. Tlut viitue wlicl you luve ulieudy done muke un elloit to muin-
tuin, suoit und develo it luitlei.
58
Tlis muttei iequiies you to tiuin youi endeuvoui und elloit. 'El-
loit' cun be undeistood us meuning 'being duuntless' in tle ubundoning
ol evil und in tle uisuit und imlementution ol goodness und viitue.
Tlis duuntlessness is necessuiy becuuse ol tle obstucles wlicl block
sucl un elloit: tle innei obstucles ol tle delilements (li|csd) in one's
mind und tle exteinul suiiounding ciicumstunces tlut cun ulso uct us u
block. Tlese delilements uie lust, lutied und delusion oi desiie wlicl
ull uwuy to uvoid viitue but iovoke tle doing ol evil. Tle exteinul
situution comiises tlose eole, tlings oi uny ol tle vuiious outside
cuuses tlut enguge und ull tle mind into evildoing und uwuy liom
viitue. Wlen tlis is tle cuse il tle mind is weuk und eusily duunted it
will sullei deleut liom tle delilements witlin itsell. It will ulso luil
uguinst tle exteinul ciicumstunces und be misled into doing evil und
being lui liom viitue.
You must tleieloie stiengtlen youi elloit und duuntlessness so
tlut tle mind is intieid und cun meet und beut tle delilements witlin
it us well us tlose misleuding exteinul ciicumstunces. You cun tlen
uvoid evil und cultivute viitue, us lus ulieudy been exluined. Insect
youi mind to see il tleie is iesent witlin it tlut elloit, tlut duuntless-
ness wlicl cun deleut tle innei delilements und tle exteinul situution.
Il youi mind is duuntless, witlout being weuk, luzy oi sluggisl, you
will be uble to ubundon evil und cultivute viitue. Tlen ull kinds ol evil
cun be uvoided und ull kinds ol viitue uccomlisled. You cun tlen
considei tlut tle luctoi ol iiglt elloit is iesent.
Tle seventl luctoi is iiglt mindlulness (sammd-sari). Insect wlut
you uie iecollecting oi being mindlul ubout ut tlis moment. Il youi
iecollection is conceined witl ulluiis ol lust oi gieed, lutied oi delu-
sion, tlen tlis is not riglr mindlulness. Tlis lust, gieed, lutied und
delusion cun be ieleiied to in sloit us u uii lanlcring anJ Jcjccrion
und tlis is tle soit ol mindlulness und iecollection wlicl leud tlem to
uiise in tle mind. Tle mind must iecollect oi slilt out to tuke in un
ugieeuble issue loi lunkeiing to uiise, oi u disugieeuble issue wlicl
iesults in dejection. Tlis soit ol mindlulness leuds delilements into uiis-
ing in tle mind. Howevei, tlis is nor iiglt mindlulness (sammd-sari).
Riglt mindlulness is tle iecollection tlut biings in only tlose
mutteis wlicl will ielieve und ulluy tlut lunkeiing-und-dejection und
leud to culmness und uiity in tle mind. It comiises tle iecollection
und exuminution ol one's comlete body. Tlis lus been exluined ie-
viously, stuge by stuge, in tle section on mindlulness ol tle body
(ldydnopassand); tle exuminution ol leusunt, uinlul und inteimedi-
ute leelings us iesented in tle section on mindlulness ol leeling
(vcJandnopassand); tle exuminution ol tle mind und its iesent stute
us iesented in tle section on mindlulness ol tle mind (cirrdnopassand);
tle exuminution ol objects ol mind us iesented in tle section on mind-
lulness ol mentul objects (Jlammdnopassand).
Tle ieceding exlunution wus giuduuted ste by ste, but in biiel
one cun suy, rcco||ccr anJ scc yoor boJy, jcc|ings, minJ, mcnra| objccrs
anJ issocs. Bc awarc so rlar yoo lnow in yoor minJ rlc conJirion oj boJy,
jcc|ing, minJ, mcnra| objccrs anJ issocs. Adot tlese tlings us objects to
munilest cleuily in tle mind. Foi exumle, wlen you locus on u bodily
uit, tlen munilest tlut cleuily us un object in youi mind. Muke u leel-
ing, condition ol mind oi mentul issue munilest us u cleui object in tle
mind. Tlis is tle exteinul seeing, being tle munilesting ol objects gutl-
eied togetlei. Hunkeiing und dejection conceining uny object occui
becuuse one does not see its uiising und disueuiing. Wlen one cun
see tle disueuiing us well us tle uiising, tlen lunkeiing und dejec-
tion cunnot be boin oi will occui too lute. Tle object wleie lunkeiing
und dejection souglt to estublisl tlemselves is not viuble unymoie be-
cuuse it is ubout to disueui.
Focus on youi mindlulness. Wlen you see tlut it is estublisled in
tle joonJarions oj minJjo|ncss (body, leelings, mind, oi mentul objects)
und tlut it is centied witlin iutlei tlun sweiving uwuy ultei exteinul
objects, tlis indicutes even il one is only ut tle beginning stuge
tlut it is tle stuit ol iiglt mindlulness (sammd-sari). Wlen tlis mind-
lulness is swilt und lully ugile it will immediutely cutcl und ieulize tle
arising anJ Jisappcaring und will tleieloie be uble to ievent lanlcr-
ing anJ Jcjccrion. Tlis is u mindlulness well estublisled, lull und swilt.
Insect tle mindlulness witlin youisell: Il it lus tlese cluiucteiistics,
you cun be suie it is iiglt mindlulness (sammd-sari).
Tle eigltl luctoi is iiglt concentiution (sammd-samdJli). Tlis is
54
tle setting und estublisling ol tle mind in sumudli und, wlen it lo-
cuses on un object, lixing on it liimly. Tlis ulso must iely on mindlul-
ness. Mindlulness iecollects in tle body, leelings, mind und mentul
objects wlile sumudli centies und estublisles itsell in tle body, leel-
ing, mind oi mentul object. Il mindlulness is iesent but sumudli isn't
liimly estublisled, tlen un uwuieness und undeistunding ol vuiious
tlings cunnot uiise. Il mindlulness is not iesent, tlen sumudli cun't
be estublisled. Tlis meuns tlut tley must go togetlei: mindlulness ol
un object und sumudli estublisled in tlut object. Insect to see tlis in
youisell. Il youi mind is still unstuble und not liimly estublisled, tlen
sumudli lus not yet uiisen. Lutei, wlen tle mind lus udvunced und is
stuble und liimly estublisled togetlei witl mindlulness, it gives iise to
knowledge (ndpa). Tlis is iiglt concentiution oi iiglt sumudli.
Ol tle eiglt luctois ol tle Putl, iiglt seecl, iiglt uction und
iiglt livelilood togetlei loim moiul viitue (si|a). In sloit tlis is tle
nutuiul mind wlicl is oideily und iestiuined witlout uny tlouglt ol
distuibing it in u wiong wuy. Wlen you insect youi mind und lind tlis
narora|ncss, tlen you cun considei tlut tlis is moiul viitue: iiglt seecl,
iiglt uction und iiglt livelilood witlin youisell. Tleie's no need to
look loi muny tlings, just cleck to see il tle mind is narora|. Il it is,
tlen rlar is moiul viitue.
Riglt elloit, iiglt mindlulness und iiglt concentiution uie togetlei
known us samdJli. Tlis is tle mind stilled und liimly estublisled. In-
sect youi mind to see il it is stilled und liim witlin tle deteimined
object witlout uny wuveiing. Tleie's no need to ieckon u samaJli`s
comonents just cleck to see il youi mind is stuble und culm. Il it is,
tlen tlut is sumudli.
Riglt view und iiglt tlouglt togetlei muke u wisdom (pannd)
wlicl is lnowing. Insect youi mind to see wletlei lnowing tlut is
wise to tle uiising und disueuiing ol tlings, is iesent oi not. Il it is
tlen it cun immediutely deul witl uny delilements. It will eitlei know
beloie tle delilements uiise oi, il too lute, it will linully ieulize und
uguin quickly cut tlem out. Tlis lnowing is wisdom, und by seeing tlis
single tling you won't need to ieckon u ull tle comosite luctois.
Il we summuiize ull ol tlis we cun suy, jocos on rlc narora| minJ,
rlc ca|m csrab|islcJ minJ anJ rlar lnowing in rlc minJ. We cun tlen
exund into tle Eigltlold Putl uccoiding to tle conditions I've ulieudy
mentioned.
To summuiize uguin: We cun see tlut tle nutuiul mind, tle culm
estublisled mind und tle knowing mind must ull be one. Tle nutuiul
mind must be u culm estublisled mind, wlicl must in tuin be u know-
ing mind. Tley cun ull be biouglt togetlei us one. Tlis is wlut tle
Loid Buddlu meunt wlen He soke ol viitue being sumudli und wis-
dom; ol sumudli being viitue und wisdom, und ol wisdom being viitue
und sumudli. Tlis is tle conveigence ol tle Putl into one.
Tlis Eigltlold Putl cun be summuiized und ieduced to tliee, und
tlen luitlei to one, wlicl is tle Putl's conveigence. Eveiyone lus tlis
wuy ol iuctice witlin limsell to u gieutei oi lessei extent.
Insect tlis Putl in youi own mind. Exumine tle detuiled und
comielensive usect ol tle eigltlold loim und tle moie integiuted
usects ol tle tlieelold und tle unilied loims. Witl constunt insec-
tion you will know tle stute ol tle Putl witlin youisell: wletlei it is
sluck und undeveloed oi exulted und mutuie. Wlen you cun ulwuys
see und know tle tiue stute ol tle Putl witlin youisell it is culled
'arranno` u knowing ol onesell. Tle Putl will tlen be steudily devel-
oed und cultivuted.
Will you now ieuie to listen witl uttention wlile tle monks
clunt conceining tlis Putl. Alteiwuids, deteimine set youi minds on
iuctising loi culm und tiunquillity.
25rl Ocrobcr 2504 B.F. (1961)
55
Endnotes
1. Tle Five Piecets (Panca Si|a) uie:
1) I undeituke tle tiuining to ubstuin liom tle killing ol uny
living being.
2) I undeituke tle tiuining to ubstuin liom steuling.
3) I undeituke tle tiuining to ubstuin liom wiong sexuul
beluvioui.
4) I undeituke tle tiuining to ubstuin liom lying und wiong
seecl.
S) I undeituke tle tiuining to ubstuin liom tle use ol intoxicunts
(ulcolol und diugs etc.).
2. Tlese six exteinul objects und tleii coiiesonding sense oiguns uie
ieleiied to tliouglout tlese Dlummu tulks. Sometimes eye-und-
visuul-object und eui-und-sound uie given us geneiul exumles, but tle
sume ulies to eucl sense buse. Also note tlut mind (oi mano) togetlei
witl mentul-object (oi Jlamma) is ieckoned us tle sixtl sense uii.
Tlis Jlamma und tle Dlummu ol tle Tiile Gem luve dilleient
meunings.
3. Tliouglout tlese Dlummu tulks tlese tliee tyes ol leeling will be
ieleiied to, sometimes in un ubbieviuted loim.
4. Tlis will usuully meun sitting in u cioss-legged, 'sumudli-ostuie.'
All ol tlose iesent listening to tle Dlummu tulk would luve tuken u
tlis ostuie.
S. 'Object' leie, und noimully tliouglout tlis tiunslution, iendeis tle
Tlui woid arom. Tle oiiginul Puli teim (drammapa) ieleiied only to
sense objects, tlougl in eveiyduy seecl it lus now come to meun
sometling moie like 'mood'. Olten, tleieloie, tleie is un emotionul
edge to tlis woid.
6. Tlis is u iendeiing ol tle Tlui 'yin-Jcc, yin-rai' und will iecui
ieeutedly tliouglout tlis book. It ieleis to tle oosite tendencies ol
welcoming, being leused und lunkeiing ultei sometling, witl tle
disleusing, unwelcome iejection ol sometling.
7. SamdJli is tle stute wlen tle mind is estublisled; it is tle lixing ol
tle mind on u single object. It cun ulso be tiunsluted us 'concentiution,'
tlougl in tlis book it is olten lelt untiunsluted us it is ulieudy widely
known.
8. In Tluilund ciemutions uie veiy mucl uit ol tle sociul scene. Tley
loim un imoitunt iite ol ussuge und, unlike u muiiiuge ceiemony,
diiectly concein Buddlism und tle monks.
9. Eveiyone listening would luve lud lis oi lei eyes closed, sitting in
sumudli ostuie.
10. Tle luctoi ol enligltenment ol Jlamma-vicdya is olten tuken to
stund loi investigution ol tle Buddlist doctiine (Dlummu), tlougl
leie it is tle investigution ol bodily und mentul lenomenu (ndma-
ropa-Jlamma).
11. In tle Tlui tlis is 'ramaJar' (Puli: Jlammard). In tlis context it lus
u meuning us sometling being tle nutuiul, inevituble und tleieloie
noimul oi oidinuiy couise ol events.
12. Immediutely ultei tle Dlummu tulk, tle monks iesent would
clunt some uioiiute ussuges liom tle Suttus.
56
A Brief GIossary
[Tle biiel delinitions olleied leie uccoid witl tle usuge ol tlis
iesent woik.|
Abyukutu : Indeteiminute.
kdsu: Suce.
Akusu/u: Unwlolesome, unskillul.
msu: Tle woildly, cuinul tye ol luiness und leusuie. It is
comuied to u buited look, un uttiuctive object wlicl contuins
sulleiing. (C. nirdmisa.)
ndpdnu-sut: Mindlulness ol tle in-und out-bieutling.
Anuttd: 'not-sell.'
Anccd; (Anccutd): Imeimunent; (Imeimunence.)
Anusuyu: Pioclivities, inclinutions, tendencies.
rummupu: Object.
Aryu: Noble. (o. porrlojjana.)
Arom (Tlui): Mentul object, ieoccuution. (c. drammapa.)
suvu: Cunkei.
Avjjd: Ignoiunce, nescience.
yutunu: Sense buse.
Bhkkhu: Mendicunt monk.
Bhtu: Being, entity.
Bodhsuttu (Puli); (Skt. BoJlisarva): A being wlo usiies und woiks
towuids Buddlulood.
Bojjhungu: Fuctois ol Enligltenment.
Buddhu: One wlo becume eilectly uwukened tliougl sell discov-
eiy ol Dlummu. Noimully tle Loid Buddha ol tlis iesent uge.
Bud-dho": A woid tlut is (silently) iecited to uid in concentiution
iuctice.
Cukkhu: Tle eye; us u sense dooi.
Cetund: Intention.
Chundu: Intention, desiie, will oi zeul.
Cttu: Mind; being tle tliid loundution ol mindlulness.
dhummu: Usuully meuns mentul object; tle loitl loundution ol
mindlulness.
hummu: Tle libeiuting luw discoveied und iocluimed by tle Loid
Buddlu.
hdtu: Element.
osu: Hute.
ukkhu: Sulleiing oi uin.
Ekuggutd: One-ointedness ol mind.
Jurd: Ageing, decuy.
Jdt: Biitl; liom concetion to uituiition.
Kummu (Puli); (Skt. karma): Action.
Kummujjhdnu: 'Woiking-giound' loi tle iuctice ol meditution; u
teim loi 'subjects ol meditution.'
Kdyu: 'Giou,' 'Body'; leie muy ielei to tle coioieul giou oi
lysicul body (ropa-ldya); oi to tle mentul giou (ndma-ldya).
Kdyugutd-sut: Mindlulness witl ieguid to tle body.
Khundhu: Aggiegute.
Kusu/u: Wlolesome, skillul.
Lobhu: Gieed oi lust.
Muggu: Putl; Tle Tiutl ol tle Putl.
Muhdbhtu: Tle 'Piimuiy Elements'; ulso dhdtu.
Muno: Mind, eseciully us u buse (dyarana).
Murupu: Deutl.
Mohu: Delusion.
Ndmu: (lit: 'nume'); 'mind', mentulity.
Ndmu-rpu: (lit: nume-&-muttei oi nume-&-loim); 'mind und body';
Plenomenu us exeiienced.
57
Nbbdnu: Tle extinction ol sulleiing.
Nmttu: Tle muik oi sign wlicl is tuken u in concentiution iuc-
tice.
Nrdmsu: Huiness oi leusuie us un unwoildly, non-cuinul soit;
witlout tle buited-look. (C. dmisa.)
Nrodhu: Ceusing, cessution.
Nvurupu: Hindiunces.
Ndpu: Knowledge.
Pukut (oi pukut-s/u): Tle noimul, 'witlout ciisis' stute ol ulluiis.
(Tle nutuiul oi genuine moiulity us distinguisled liom iesciibed
moiulity.)
Pd/: Tle uncient Indiun lunguuge ol tle Sorras.
Puncu-khundhd: Tle live uggiegutes.
Punnd: Wisdom, disceinment.
Purumutthu succu: Tiutl in tle liglest, ultimute, oi ubsolute sense.
(O. sammari.)
Purum: Peilections. Ten quulities leuding to Buddlulood.
Pujkk/u: Imuie.
Phussu: Contuct.
Pt: Rutuie.
Pyurpu Sdturpu: Tle deligltlul und leusuiuble tlings.
Puthujjunu: Woildling. (O. Ariya.)
Rdgu: Lust.
Rpu: 1) Muttei, substunce, coioieulity (see klanJla); 2) Visuul
Object (see Ayarana). (C. Ndmu.)
Succu: Tiutl.
Suddhd: Fuitl, conlidence, tiust.
Sumddh: Concentiution. Upacdra und appand samdJli uie 'neigl-
bouilood' und 'uttuinment concentiution.'
Sumuthu: Culm, tiunquillity.
Summut: Conventionul, (c. paramarrla sacca.)
Sumpujunnd: Cleui comielension, olten uiied witl sari.
Sumuduyu: Tle oiigin, uiising (ol sulleiing.)
Suncetund: Intention.
Sunghu: Tle Community wlo tiuly iuctise lollowing tle Loid
Buddlu's Dlummu.
Sunkhdru: Mentul-loimutions. Tle iocesses tlut concoct und lusl-
ion.
Sunnd: Peicetion. (In Tlui it lus ulso come to meun iecognition.)
Surupu: Reluge.
Sut: Mindlulness.
Sutpujjhdnu: Foundutions ol Mindlulness.
Sdvuku: Noble Discile.
S/u: Moiul viitue.
Sukhu: Pleusuie, luiness, euse.
Suttu: Discouise.
Tuphd: Ciuving.
T-Rutunu: Tliee Jewels; tle Buddlu, Dlummu und tle Noble
Sunglu.
Updddnu: Giusing, lolding.
Upekkhd: Equunimity, indilleience.
vedund: Feeling.
vcdru: Sustuined tlouglt, iellection.
vnndpu: Consciousness.
vpussund: Insiglt.
vryu: Eneigy, exeition.
vtukku: Alied tlouglt, iellection.