WHERE IS THE DHAMMA?

Tsunami Sayadaw U Ottamasara’s

Practical Insight Meditation

FOR those only who wants to abandon

ALL stress or suffering
REALLY & QUICKLY

Arranged by
SoeWinHtut
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Tsunami Sayadaw
U Ottamasara’s
Practical Insight Meditation

Only one way to abandon the sufferings

at all truly

FOR those only who wants to abandon

ALL stress or suffering
REALLY & QUICKLY

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 Preface
Richard Feynman, who also was a Noble Prize winner, passed away
very recently and was a member of NASA organizations. He said “an
electron is not a thing, it is a theoretical model, there is only energy and
energy is always changing”.
Nothing can stay the same, but if we take the whole picture it seems as if it
stays the same. If you look into the energy pattern you’ll find that it is
always changing. We cannot think of anything as a ‘thing’, the whole
Universe is a process, not a thing. When we look at something as a thing,
it seems as though it is not changing,...
Everything is insubstantial; and it doesn’t last.
In quantum physics about sub-atomic particles you can understand this.
No substance, No form, no shape, just energy nature.
Robert Oppenheimer, American theoretical physicist and professor of
physics at the University of California, Berkeley said that if you ask “does
an electron stay in the same position?” The answer is, no. Does it change?
The answer is, no. Does it stay? The answer is, no. Does it move? The
answer is, no. An electron is just a theoritical model; something disappears
and something arises. There is a link (between them) but they are not the
same anymore.
In the field of materiality, the modern scientists knows that there
is no ‘’something, somewhere or permanent one’’ which is unchanging
for a while in reality. Although their discovery is nearest to Utimate reality
of material nature the Buddha had already said about 2600 years ago,
they can’t know yet even in intellectual level that there is no ‘’something
or a permanent entity or self-ego or soul or one single mind’’ in Ultimate
reality of mental nature that Buddha had discovered in inner experiential
level. The discovery of Buddha about the nature of mentality and
materiality is very important in practising the insight (vipassana)
meditation to abandon the defilements (kilesa) truly.

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 Buddha taught the two types of meditation method ; serenity
(samatha) & Insight (vipassana) meditation. Budda taught that in insight
meditation, meditators must remove the idea of the something, form or
shape -etc. [i.e, In insight meditation level, in order to find the ultimate
truth(paramattha sacca) behind the relative truth (sammuti sacca) or
conventional words(vohara), we have to erase the idea of something,
someone, abdomen, nose, form, or shape..-etc;which are conventional
or relative truth which are unreal or barrier for knowing the ultimate
truth(paramattha sacca).]
Traditional medition methods are based on the focusing something
such as abdomen, nose, touching place, air coming in and going out or
sound.. etc. These method are very good for serenity or concentration
level (samatha meditation). If you wants to step on the insight (vipassana)
level, focusing something such as abdomen, touching place, pain,
pleasure, sound or air.. etc- beacuse in insight meditation level, we must
remove the idea of the relative truth such as “I, ego, self, someone,
something, somewhere, form or shape.. etc;”. If you can’t remove the
idea of the relative truth such as self, someone, something, somewhere,
form or shape.. etc, attachments together with likes, dislike are
automatically arising upon something such as abdomen, touching area,
air, sound, pain, pleasure, sensation.. etc; with the idea of “I,” “someone,”
“something of mine”. So we are assuming we are doing vipassana
meditation in spite of noting or focusing something such as abdomen,
touching place, odour, sound, or air coming in and going out.. etc.
One layman who was a business man from Yangon has found out
the weak point of some traditional meditation method after practising &
learning the traditional meditation methods diligently.
At the age of 29, he first encountered ‘Ultimate truth’ or ‘the
teaching of the Buddha’ or ‘Anatta nature’ or ‘theory of the
insubstantiality’ or non-self (not-something, not-someone, not-
somewhere and not-sometime) of mentality and materiality. From then
onward, he practiced diligently never to lose the awareness of the
Truth of “not something, “ “not someone (I, you, individual),” “not
sometime,” or “not somewhere”.. etc; -4-
 After he had understood well the ultimate reality or what the
Buddha meant mainly in insight meditation level, he was ordained under
the monk, Rev.Nyayyathagara and so has been teaching insight
(vipassana) meditation in Yangon, Myanmar, for the past 7 years as a
monk to fix the weak points of traditional meditation method. Now, he is
well-known in the insight meditation fields in Myanmar.
Some people ask him which tradition is followed by Sayadaw’s
method. Sayadaw answers that his method is Buddha’s tradition of direct
Insight meditation in spite of having learned under with the help of Mogok,
Sonlon, TeeInnGu and U Ba Khin’s method.
Sayadaw explains how his method came to be:
“This teaching method has come into being because of the
inadequacy of traditional teachings. In traditional teachings and methods
there are a many weaknesses, especially concerning the role of ‘I’. In
traditional methods, action is essential. And because there is action, there
comes the doer of the action, which is the misunderstanding of ‘I’.
Whatever you do with ‘I’, you are doing with non-enlightenment and
attachment. In this way, you are accepting the enemies as your friends,
that’s why, however much you practice, it is very unlikely to get to the
goal of real enlightenment.”
“Most meditators, (especially in Myanmar), have the idea ‘I must
meditate,’ or ‘meditation is something I should do’. Their intention is not
bad but the weak point is that what they understand and practice is not
real insight meditation - because they misunderstand what they called
‘I’ is meditating. In reality, knowing there is no ‘I’, is the insight meditation.
Instead of [trying to accept] the truth of no ‘I’, they practice [various]
techniques with ‘I’ and that’s why although they have the right intention,
it is nearly impossible they will reach the final goal.”
“I see that there are a lot of misunderstandings when it comes to
meditation, so I determined to try and solve this problem. Because of my
hard work for over 6 years, this explanation appeared and it really works
for nearly all people who are open-minded.”
To follow & practise this way, you must have the rigid trust (saddha)
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upon this method, Practical Insight Meditation and you’ll need the certain
period to meditate regularly, while listening to Guided meditation
instruction-CD attached with this book or while you’re meditating, please
turn on his guided meditation instruction-CD until you’ve already
understood this method well so that you can easily abandon any
hinderance such as stress, sufferings, hatred, laziness or doubt..etc;
This method seems little bit difficult to understand for beginners
or some meditators who can’t understand yet what insight meditation is
or those who have been attaching the tradational meditation method.
But if one will try to understand & practise patiently & persistently, he
will find out the axiomatic benefits from this way more greatly and faster
than other traditional meditation methods.
For those who want to get some reference sutta from Theravada
Pali texts about this practical insight meditation method the Buddha
taught, this book includes Phena Sutta (Foam)(SN 22.95), Malunkyaputta
Sutta (SN 35.95), Bahiya Sutta(Ud 1.10) and Satta Sutta (A being) (SN 23.2)
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu and pali quotation from ~Visuddhimagga & its
translation in Part One of the book.
Author
Content
Part One
1. Phena Sutta (Foam) 6
2. quotation from ~Visuddhimagga 9
3. Malunkyaputta Sutta 10
4. Bahiya Sutta 14
5. Satta Sutta (A Being) 18

Part Two
6. Introduction to Practical Insight Meditation 19
7. Practical Insight Meditation Method 26
8. Three steps of Practical Insight meditation 27
9. Not to Forget 28
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 PART ONE
SN 22.95 PTS: S iii 140
CDB i 951 Source:
Phena Sutta Transcribed from a file provided by
the translator.
Foam Copyright © 1999 Thanissaro
Translated from the Pali Bhikkhu.
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu Access to Insight edition © 1999

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying among the Ayojjhans
on the banks of the Ganges River. There he addressed the monks:
“Monks, suppose that a large glob of foam were floating down this
Ganges River, and a man with good eyesight were to see it, observe
it, & appropriately examine it. To him — seeing it, observing it, &
appropriately examining it — it would appear empty, void, without
substance: for what substance would there be in a glob of foam? In
the same way, a monk sees, observes, & appropriately examines
any form that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant
or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him — seeing it,
observing it, & appropriately examining it — it would appear empty,
void, without substance: for what substance would there be in form?
“Now suppose that in the autumn — when it’s raining in fat, heavy
drops — a water bubble were to appear & disappear on the water,
and a man with good eyesight were to see it, observe it, &
appropriately examine it. To him — seeing it, observing it, &
appropriately examining it — it would appear empty, void, without
substance: for what substance would there be in a water bubble? In
the same way, a monk sees, observes, & appropriately examines
any feeling that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant
or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him—seeing it,
observing it, & appropriately examining it —it would appear empty,
void, without substance: for what substance would there be in feeling?
“Now suppose that in the last month of the hot season a mirage
were shimmering, and a man with good eyesight were to see it,
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observe it, & appropriately examine it. To him — seeing it, observing
it, & appropriately examining it — it would appear empty, void,
without substance: for what substance would there be in a mirage?
In the same way, a monk sees, observes, & appropriately examines
any perception that is past, future, or present; internal or external;
blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him — seeing
it, observing it, & appropriately examining it — it would appear
empty, void, without substance: for what substance would there be
in perception?
“Now suppose that a man desiring heartwood, in quest of
heartwood, seeking heartwood, were to go into a forest carrying a
sharp ax. There he would see a large banana tree: straight, young,
of enormous height. He would cut it at the root and, having cut it at
the root, would chop off the top. Having chopped off the top, he
would peel away the outer skin. Peeling away the outer skin, he
wouldn’t even find sapwood, to say nothing of heartwood. Then a
man with good eyesight would see it, observe it, & appropriately
examine it. To him — seeing it, observing it, & appropriately
examining it — it would appear empty, void, without substance:
for what substance would there be in a banana tree? In the same
way, a monk sees, observes, & appropriately examines any
fabrications that are past, future, or present; internal or external;
blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near. To him — seeing
them, observing them, & appropriately examining them — they
would appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance
would there be in fabrications?
“Now suppose that a magician or magician’s apprentice were to
display a magic trick at a major intersection, and a man with good
eyesight were to see it, observe it, & appropriately examine it. To
him — seeing it, observing it, & appropriately examining it — it
would appear empty, void, without substance: for what substance
would there be in a magic trick? In the same way, a monk sees,
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observes, & appropriately examines any consciousness that is past,
future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common
or sublime; far or near. To him — seeing it, observing it, &
appropriately examining it — it would appear empty, void, without
substance: for what substance would there be in consciousness?
“Seeing thus, the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones grows
disenchanted with form, disenchanted with feeling, disenchanted
with perception, disenchanted with fabrications, disenchanted with
consciousness. Disenchanted, he grows dispassionate. Through
dispassion, he’s released. With release there’s the knowledge,
‘Released.’ He discerns that ‘Birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the
task done. There is nothing further for this world.’”
That is what the Blessed One said. Having said that, the One Well-
Gone, the Teacher, said further:

Form is like a glob of foam;

feeling, a bubble;
perception, a mirage;
fabrications, a banana tree;
consciousness, a magic trick —
this has been taught
by the Kinsman of the Sun.
However you observe them,
appropriately examine them,
they’re empty, void
to whoever sees them
appropriately.
Beginning with the body
as taught by the One
with profound discernment:
when abandoned by three things
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— life, warmth, & consciousness — Thus a monk, persistence aroused,
form is rejected, cast aside. should view the aggregates
When bereft of these by day & by night,
it lies thrown away, mindful,
senseless, alert;
a meal for others. should discard all fetters;
That’s the way it goes: should make himself
it’s a magic trick, his own refuge;
should live as if
an idiot’s babbling.
his head were on fire —
It’s said to be
in hopes of the state
a murderer.1
with no falling away.
No substance here
is found.
1. SN 22.85

Dukkha eva hi, na koci dukkhito

karako na, kiriya va v jati
atti nibbutim, na nibbuto puma
maggam atthi, gamako na vijjati
~Visuddhimagga

Mere sufferings exist, no sufferer is found.

Mere the deeds are but no doer of the deed is there.
Mere the actions(creations) are ..
but no actor(creator) of the actions or creations is there.
Nibbana exists, but not the man(someone) that enters it.
The path is, but none who travels on it is seen.
~The Path of Purification
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 SN 35.95
Malunkyaputta Sutta
(To Malunkyaputta)
Translated from the Pali
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
PTS: S iv 72
CDB ii 1175 Source:
Transcribed from a file provided by
the translator.
Copyright © 2005 Thanissaro
Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition © 2005

Then Ven. Malunkyaputta, who was ardent & resolute, went to the
Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one
side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One: “It would
be good, lord, if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in
brief so that, having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I
might dwell alone in seclusion: heedful, ardent, & resolute.”
“Here now, Malunkyaputta: What will I say to the young monks
when you — aged, old, elderly, along in years, come to the last stage
of life — ask for an admonition in brief?”
“Lord, even though I’m aged, old, elderly, along in years, come to
the last stage of life, may the Blessed One teach me the Dhamma in
brief! May the One Well-gone teach me the Dhamma in brief! It
may well be that I’ll understand the Blessed One’s words. It may
well be that I’ll become an heir to the Blessed One’s words.”
“What do you think, Malunkyaputta: the forms cognizable via the
eye that are unseen by you — that you have never before seen, that
you don’t see, and that are not to be seen by you: Do you have any
desire or passion or love there?”
“No, lord.”
Similarly, “The sounds cognizable via the ear...
“The aromas cognizable via the nose...
“The flavors cognizable via the tongue...
“The tactile sensations cognizable via the body...
“The ideas cognizable via the intellect that are
uncognized by you — that you have never before cognized, that
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you don’t cognize, and that are not to be cognized by you: Do you
have any desire or passion or love there?”
“No, lord.”
“Then, Malunkyaputta, with regard to phenomena to be seen, heard,
sensed, or cognized: In reference to the seen, there will be only the
seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the
sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the
cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there
will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in
reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed,
only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Malunkyaputta,
there is no “you” or “someone”in connection with that. When there
is no “you” or “someone” in connection with that, there is no “you”
there. When there is no “you” there, you are neither here nor yonder
nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress.”1
1. (see also Ud 1.10 Bahiya Sutta)

[Alternative translation of above passage by Maurice O’Connell Walshe]

“Well then, Malunkyaputta, in things seen, heard, smelt, tasted,
touched, sensed, cognized: in the seen there will only be the seen, in
the heard only the heard, in the sensed only the sensed, in the
cognized only the cognized... Then, Malunkyaputta, there will be no
‘thereby’ for you.2
2.[There is no “agent” or “one single entity” or “something,” i.e., no “seer,”
“feeler,” “knower”, “someone”, “I” in the seen, heard, smelt, tasted,
touched, felt, known, or cognized.. -etc; “There will be no ‘thereby’
whereby one will be lustful, hating or deluded (SA[SN commentary]).”
Having no ‘thereby,’ you have no ‘there’ or ‘in that matter’.3
3. ’If there is no agent (i.e., “something” or “someone” or “self” ), then
there is nowhere such an agent can be located. “You will have no ‘there’”:
you will not be bound “there” or attached “there,” i.e., with regard to the
seen, heard, sensed and cognized (SA).
Having no ‘there,’ Malunkyaputta, there is for you neither this world,
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nor the next, nor anywhere in between.4
4. “You will realize that nothing is really reborn.”

That in itself is the end of suffering.”

“I understand in detail, lord, the meaning of what the Blessed One
has said in brief:
Seeing a form
— mindfulness on the ultimate truth lapsed —
attending to the theme of ‘endearing,’
impassioned in mind,
one feels and remains fastened there.
One’s feelings, born of the form,
grow numerous,
Greed & annoyance
injure one’s mind.
Thus amassing stress,
one is said to be far from Unbinding or Detaching.
{Similarly, Hearing a sound...
Smelling an aroma...
Tasting a flavor...
Touching a tactile sensation...
Knowing an idea... }

Not impassioned with forms

— seeing a form with mindfulness firm on the ultimate truth —
dispassioned in mind,
one knows and doesn’t remain fastened there.
While one is seeing a form
— and even experiencing feeling —
it falls away and doesn’t accumulate.
Thus one fares in being mindful in ultimate truth , i.e., one only does
wihout the idea of ‘I’ or ‘doer’.
Thus not amassing stress,
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 one is said to be
in the presence of Unbinding or Detaching.
{ Similarly, Not impassioned with sounds...
Not impassioned with aromas...
Not impassioned with flavors...
Not impassioned with tactile sensations...
Not impassioned with ideas...}
“It’s in this way, lord, that I understand in detail the meaning of
what the Blessed One said in brief.”
“Good, Malunkyaputta. Very good. It’s good that you understand in
detail this way the meaning of what I said in brief.”
[The Buddha then repeats the verses.]
“It’s in this way, Malunkyaputta, that the meaning of what I said in
brief should be regarded in detail.”
Then Ven. Malunkyaputta, having been admonished by the
admonishment from the Blessed One, got up from his seat and bowed
down to the Blessed One, circled around him, keeping the Blessed
One to his right side, and left. Then, dwelling alone, secluded,
heedful, ardent, & resolute, he in no long time reached & remained
in the supreme goal of the holy life for which clansmen rightly go
forth from home into homelessness, knowing & realizing it for
himself in the here & now. He knew: “Birth is ended, the holy life
fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this
world.” And thus Ven. Malunkyaputta became another one of the
arahants.

See also: MN 18; SN 23.2.

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 Ud 1.10
PTS: Ud 6
Bahiya Sutta Source: Transcribed from a file
provided by the translator.
Copyright © 1994 Thanissaro
About Bahiya Bhikkhu.
Translated from the Pali Access to Insight edition © 1994
by Thanissaro Bhikkhu For free distribution.

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near
Savatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. Now at that
time Bahiya of the Bark-cloth was living in Supparaka by the seashore.
He was worshipped, revered, honored, venerated, given homage
— a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medical requisites
for the sick. Then, when he was alone in seclusion, this line of
thinking arose to his awareness: “Now, of those who in this world
are arahants or have entered the path of arahantship, am I one?”
Then a devata (deity who has a limited lifespan) who had once been
a blood relative of Bahiya of the Bark-cloth — compassionate,
desiring his welfare, knowing with her own awareness the line of
thinking that had arisen in his awareness — went to where he was
staying and on arrival said to him: “You, Bahiya, are neither an
arahant nor have you entered the path of arahantship. You don’t
even have the practice whereby you would become an arahant or
enter the path of arahantship.”
“But who, living in this world with its devas, is an arahant or has
entered the path to arahantship?”
“Bahiya, there is a city in the northern country named Savatthi. The
Blessed One — an arahant, rightly self-awakened — is living there
now. He is truly an arahant and he teaches the Dhamma that leads
to arahantship. “
Then Bahiya, deeply chastened by the devata, left Supparaka right
then and, in the space of one day and night, went all the way to
where the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi, in Jeta’s Grove,
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Anathapindika’s monastery. At that time, a large number of monks
were doing walking meditation in the open air. He went to them
and, on arrival, said, “Where, venerable sirs, is the Blessed One
staying — the arahant, right self-awakened? We want to see him.”
“He has gone into the town for alms.”
Then Bahiya, hurriedly leaving Jeta’s Grove and entering Savatthi,
saw the Blessed One going for alms in Savatthi — calm, calming, his
senses at peace, his mind at peace, tranquil and poised in the ultimate
sense, accomplished, trained, guarded, his senses restrained, a Great
One (naga). Seeing him, he approached the Blessed One and, on
reaching him, threw himself down, with his head at the Blessed
One’s feet, and said, “Teach me the Dhamma, O Blessed One! Teach
me the Dhamma, O One-Well-Gone, that will be for my long-term
welfare and bliss.”
When this was said, the Blessed One said to him: “This is not the
time, Bahiya. We have entered the town for alms.”
A second time, Bahiya said to the Blessed One: “But it is hard to
know for sure what dangers there may be for the Blessed One’s life,
or what dangers there may be for mine. Teach me the Dhamma, O
Blessed One! Teach me the Dhamma, O One-Well-Gone, that will be
for my long-term welfare and bliss.”
A second time, the Blessed One said to him: “This is not the time,
Bahiya. We have entered the town for alms.”
A third time, Bahiya said to the Blessed One: “But it is hard to know
for sure what dangers there may be for the Blessed One’s life, or
what dangers there may be for mine. Teach me the Dhamma, O
Blessed One! Teach me the Dhamma, O One-Well-Gone, that will be
for my long-term welfare and bliss.”
“Then, Bahiya, you should train yourself thus: In reference to the
seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the
heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to
the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train
yourself.
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When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen,
only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference
to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then,
Bahiya, there is no “you” or “someone” in terms of that. When there
is no “you” or “someone” in terms of that, there is no “you” there.
When there is no “you” there, you are neither here nor yonder nor
between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress or sufferings.”1
1. [There is no “subject” or “object” (“I,“ “me,“ “someone,” “seer,” “feeler,”
“knower,” ) in reference to the seen, heard, sensed, felt, or cognized.. -
etc; but there will be “action only, doing only, creation only, seeing only,
hearing only, knowing only, or feeling only”..-etc; or annata nature only.
No more included in insubstantial nature (annata) but “action only,”
“creation only”.

By understanding this ultimate truth, you can stop or abandon directly

your wrong view of “I,” “you,” “someone,” “individual,” “self-ego,”
“something,” or “one single entity”..-etc; According to the Law of
Dependent Origination (Paticca-Samupadda), in normal minds’ process,
with the base of sensations or feelings, likes, dislikes and attachment
arise because normal mind process is in the wrong view of “I, you,
someone or sensations as mine or something.

By understanding or believing this ultimate truth of not-I, not-someone,

non-self, or not-something behind the feelings but “action only, creation
only, or feeling only”, you can stop or erase the arising of likes, dislikes
and attachment (Tanha & Upadana)with the base of sensations or feelings
(Vedana). ie , There is no someone or feeler which feels the feelings or
sensations but actions only, feelings only, creations only, By being mindful
or believing this truth, one can stop or erase directly the chain of
Dependent Arsing (Paticca-Samupadda) or the origins of sufferings
(Samudaya Sacca) or the law of causes and effects.(Sankhara or Kamma
bhava, Jati, and Jara-Marana) (1 Author’s alternative translation)
Through hearing this brief explanation of the Dhamma from the
Blessed One, the mind of Bahiya of the Bark-cloth right then and
there was released from the effluents(defilements) through lack of
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clinging/sustenance. Having exhorted Bahiya of the Bark-cloth with
this brief explanation of the Dhamma, the Blessed One left.
Now, not long after the Blessed One’s departure, Bahiya — attacked
by a cow with a calf — lost his life. Then the Blessed One, having
gone for alms in Savatthi, after the meal, returning from his alms
round with a large number of monks, saw that Bahiya had died. On
seeing him, he said to the monks, “Take Bahiya’s body and, placing
it on a litter and carrying it away, cremate it and build him a
memorial. Your companion in the holy life has died.”
“As you say, lord,” the monks replied. After placing Bahiya’s body
on a litter, carrying it off, cremating it, and building him a memorial,
they went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down
to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, they said to him,
“Bahiya’s body has been cremated, lord, and his memorial has been
built. What is his destination? What is his future state?”
“Monks, Bahiya of the Bark-cloth was wise. He practiced the Dhamma
in accordance with the Dhamma and did not pester me with issues
related to the Dhamma. Bahiya of the Bark-cloth, monks, is totally
unbound.”
Then, on realizing the significance of that, the Blessed One on that
occasion exclaimed:
Where water, earth, fire, & wind have no footing:
There the stars do not shine,
the sun is not visible,
the moon does not appear,
darkness is not found.
And when a sage,
a brahman through sagacity,
has known [this] for himself,
then from form & formless,
from bliss & pain,
he is freed.
See also: SN 35.95; AN 4.24.
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 SN 23.2 PTS: S iii 189 CDB i 985
Satta Sutta “A Being“ Source: Copyright © 1999
Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu Access to Insight edition © 1999

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near
Savatthi at Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s monastery. Then Ven. Radha
went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to
him sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed
One: “‘A being,’ lord. ‘A being,’ it’s said. To what extent is one said
to be ‘a being’ or ‘someone’ or ‘individual’ or ‘ego-entity’ or ‘a life’3?
“Any desire, passion, delight, or craving for form, Radha: when one is
caught up1 there, tied up2 there, one is said to be ‘a being.’3
“Any desire, passion, delight, or craving for feeling... perception...
fabrications...
“Any desire, passion, delight, or craving for consciousness, Radha: when
one is caught up there, tied up there, one is said to be ‘a being.’
“Just as when boys or girls are playing with little sand castles:4 as
long as they are not free from passion, desire, love, thirst, fever, &
craving for those little sand castles, that’s how long they have fun
with those sand castles, enjoy them, treasure them, feel possessive
of them. But when they become free from passion, desire, love, thirst,
fever, & craving for those little sand castles, then they smash them,
scatter them, demolish them with their hands or feet and make them
unfit for play.
“In the same way, Radha, you too should smash, scatter, & demolish form,
and make it unfit for play. Practice for the ending of craving for form.
“You should smash, scatter, & demolish feeling, and make it unfit for play.
Practice for the ending of craving for feeling.
“You should smash, scatter, & demolish perception, and make it unfit for
play. Practice for the ending of craving for perception.
“You should smash, scatter, & demolish fabrications, and make them unfit
for play. Practice for the ending of craving for fabrications.
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“You should smash, scatter, & demolish consciousness and make it unfit
for play. Practice for the ending of craving for consciousness — for the
ending of craving, Radha, is Unbinding.”
Notes ; 1. Satta. 2. Visatta. 3. Satta. which is to be considered as a merely
conventional term that is unreal. 4. Lit.: “dirt houses.”

PART TWO

Introduction to
Practical Insight Meditation
Insight meditation is not doing something. Insight mediation means
not getting rid of the effects but erasing the origins of all stress or suffer-
ing (dukkha). Knowing something such as one permanet entity, ego-self,
soul, thinking, feeling, pain, pleasure..etc; or someone such as doer, I,
you, he, she, individual..etc; is not real or unnatural but just the deceitful
creations of ascribing minds in perceptual distortions (“Avijja, Sankhara,
Tanha, Upadana and kamma” or “Samudaya sacca”).
Ultimate reality we can believe or be mindful is that there are only
the natures of “the deceitful creations of ascribing minds in perceptual
distortions” or “actions of wrong classifications upon the vanishing na-
ture in very high rate” as I, you, he, she, something, mine, yours, myself,
yourself, one soul, a being, an individual, one life, ..etc, because of not
being able to believe or understand the nature of mental and physical
energies’ processes renewing & vanishing at the rate of billions per sec-
ond.
Insight meditation means to be mindful or believe or accept con-
tinuously that the assumings of something such as pain , pleasure, being
seeing, hearing, smelling, thinking, ego, spirit, soul -etc. is not real ,but
just deceitful creations or illusory actions of ever-new ascribing minds in
wrong perceptions.
We must be remerbering, accepting, believing or being aware of
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not being someone such as I, you, mine, yours, myself, yourself etc. and ,
not being somewhere such as my country, your country, my ward, your
ward. my home.
That means erasing or abandoning of the assuming or ascribing or
identifying nature of minds in perceptual distortions as something, pain,
pleasure, good, bad, ego, soul, mine, yours, self, one entity, someone, I,
you, individual, somewhere, sometime.
We have assuming that something, the seeing, the hearing, the
smelling, the tasting, the touching, pain, pleasure, feeling, perception, ,
thinking or one entity-etc; is existing for a while such as one second, one
minute, one hour-etc. within the certain period of contact with eye and
visual objects, ear and sound, nose and odour, tongue and taste, body and
touchable things, minds and mental objects.
These assumings that one seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touch-
ing, sensing, pain, pleasure, feeling, perception, thinking, soul, ego-self,
one entity or something..etc; is existing for a while such as one second,
one minute or one hour..etc; is not real, but just illusions or creations of
ever-new deceiving minds. In reality, there is no ‘ I, you, mine, yours,
individual, entity, self-ego, something, someone, pain, pleasure, some-
time, somewhere but just impermanent or vanishing nature (annica), un-
satisfactory or stressful nature(dukka), and the nature of insubstantiality,
no-I, non-self, non-ego, non-soul, non-entity, no-inner core, not-something,
not-someone, not- somewhere..etc; (annata).
Buddha said, energies or atomic particles (rupa) is vanishing and
renewing at the rate of 50,000-60,000 millions within a very short instant
(the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat) and minds or
consciousnesses (nama) are vanishng and renewing at the rate of 1,000
billions in this instant. Because the speed of disappearing and renewing
of the energies and minds in same qualities, is very high, we are deceived
to be seemed they are lasting for a moment such as one second, one
minute, one hour, one day, one year..etc;
For one simile, a fire flame in a candle. We are being deceived to
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be seemed that one single flame is existing for one minute, one hour or
two hour above a wax rod. That is not true. In reality, a lot of new heat
energies or new flames are renewing, replacing at the positions of previ-
ous vanishing heat energies or flames consecutively, repeatedly and
immediately due to the wax fuel. So, it is not one single flame. One
single flame is not existing even for one second. It is not somehing or
one single flame but heat energies renewing and vanishing consecutively,
repeatedly and so rapidly within a milli-second or one thousandth sec-
ond.
You must decide or believe or remember or be mindful that the
knowings that breathings , pains, pleasures, feelings, sensations, hear-
ings, smellings, thinkings are lasting or permanent for a certain time, is
not real but just the deceitful creations of ascribing minds in perceptual
distortions.Our perceptions are unreal without practising real insight
meditation.
If you have ever learned or understood ‘the relativity theory’ by
Albert Einstein who is regarded as the greastest scientist or human being
of 20th Century, you can easily understand your ascribing as ‘pain, pain’ or
‘pleasure, pleasure’ is just a perceptual distortion.
If one having ever experienced or from very hot Sahara desert,
must stay in Kuala Lumpur, he won’t take the temperature of Kuala Lumpur
in sunny days as hotness for him. But if one from Canada or USA must stay
in KL at sunny days, he will take that of these days in KL as hotness for
him.
A normal man will jerk on the arm of a lady at the age of sixteen by
his fist in certain degree of intensity, she will take such a jerk as pain but
if he will in again jerk on the arm of a heavy weight boxer as in same
degree in intensity as that upon the girl’s arm, the boxer will not take it as
pain.
If you compare yourself with one native black African , you think
you’re so handsome but you will assign you’re not handsome in relative

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to the very popular Hollywood star such as Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or Angelina
Jolie.
So also, in ascribing that time or distance is too long or short , Einstein
gave his friends one example; ‘you will assign the five minutes of standing
on hot stove is too long but one hour of being or wining together a young
beautiful lady is too short’. And then he said to his friends in humouring,
“If you don’t believe this relativity, you can test about it by standing on
the hot stove for five minutes but I will drink together with a beautiful
lady.” That’s right!. Our minds is always taking or ascribing that the difficult
or painful period is too long but the pleasant or sweet period is too short
although these two periods are equal in amount.
The distance from Kuala Lumpur to Burma is very far for one who
has ever been travelling within his town if he has to travel this trip but
one who often travels to KL to USA, will take this distance is not very far if
he has to start this trip.
If one who always has the meal with too much hot chilli, must eat a
curry with chilli, his mind will not take it isn’t too hot, but if one who has
ever been having the sweet curries, must eat this chilli curry, his mind
will assign it is too hot.
You can easily understand our ascribing is not real but just a
perceptual distortion or wrong arbitrary decision of past experiences if
you can be aware of your tongue’s senses on the tastes. For example,
‘you’ drink half of a cup of sweet coffee or milk at first and then you eat
the some amount of sugar or some sweets. And then, drink the left half
cup of this same coffee again. You will assign or take this coffee is not so
sweet in relative to the previous time. Our minds assign or take one same
quality (same degree of sweet intensity) as two different qualities (two
different degrees of sweet intensity) in two different time intervals.
These above are some practical similes to understand that our
thinking or ascribing or taking ‘something, someone, somewhere,
sometime’ or ‘good or bad’ or ‘pain or pleasure’ or ‘long or short’ or ‘ugly
or beautiful’ or ‘hot or cold’ or ‘sweet or bitter’ is very far from ultimate
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reality, and in order to ascend the insight meditation level, these notings
or ascribings ‘pain or pleasure’like that is not enough for ‘right
understanding’ or ‘wisdom’ or ‘insight meditation’ to understand the
utimate reality of mental & physical energies’ natures.
In the insight level, it is most important to be able to leave or
abandon or erase them(takings sensations,pains,pleasures,something,
or someone are not real’)in order to arise ‘the passive detached observing
minds ‘or ‘equanimity’ or ‘insight’ of all sensations. Really, our ascribings
or takings ‘good or bad’ or ‘pain or pleasure’ are ‘not something’ but just
‘our perceptual distortions’ or ‘creations (sankhara) of delution (avijja)’
or ‘delusive decisions or trick creations of past experience’ or just arbitrary
taking far from reality with the wrong view of ‘I, mine’.
That means if you assign or identify a certain drgree of intensity in
temperature or tightness or situation as good or bad or moderate, the
arising natures such as temperature or tightness which is not as same as
your specified or assigned them as good or bad or moderate, will be
automatically decided or assigned by your habitual minds as craving or
averse one.”Oh, these are not as same as my likings or my assignings as
good, so I dislike or want to push away them.” And then your good or bad
reactions will genarate and the effects of these reactions with ‘likes,
dislike and the idea of I’ will continue repeatedly and endlessly.
That means that there is no real the God, but the assigning or
assuming minds that there will or may be the God in somewhere.
We have ever seen that there is a mirage on dry hot highway road
on a very hot day. The mirage seems to be a small lake. If you have any
previous experience about the mirage, your eyes will deceive you to
misunderstand that there is a small lake on it. In reality, there is no real
small lake on a highway road on a very hot day, the creations of deceitful
minds in optical illusion beacuse of not-knowing the real nature of
atmospheric refraction by a layer of hot air distorts or inverts reflections
of distant objects.

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 There is no real pain, but the ascribing or assuming minds that this
certain degree of tension or pressure is painful.
There is no real value, but the ascribing or assuming minds that how
much valueable this object is. For example, previous World Cup football
match, the ball missed in the penalty goal kicking by David Beckham was
bought at the more times larger than the original value of it. That means
he valued a normal ball as a very precious one by himself or his minds. In
reality, a normal ball kicked by one footballer is not a very precious one.
For the one who is losting his way in the big desert and trying to
survive for tomorrow will value the food or the way of escaping more
than a lot of money, diamonds, golds or jewels.
Ascribing “mine, my blood, my kidney or my bone..etc;” is unreal,
so we can give or donate our bloods or kidney to others or we can accept
them from others if necessary or matched.
That means our ascribings as something such as pain or pleasure,
assumings as good or bad, feelings lasting for a moment, and one single
mind wandering for a while, are not real. In ultimate reality Buddha said
that there is no something or thinking or ascribing lasting for a while, or
even for a split second but just the impermanet nature or vanishing nature
of mental and physical energies’ processes at the rate of billions per second
but we take wrongly that something, pain, pleasure, smelling, thinking,
or thought-etc; is lasting for a moment such as one second, one minute or
one hour-etc.
And then, how can we know the ultimate truth by insight
meditation? The utimate truth of endless, repeated, vanishing and
impermanent nature (dukkha sacca) is unknown due to the truth of the
actions of creations of ever-new illusory minds. (Avijja ,tanah, Upadana,
Kamma & Sankhara; Samudaya sacca)
But we can be mindful or remember or decide or believe the truth
that there is just the creations of illusory minds or ascribings good or bad
in perceptual distortions (i.e. The knowing of something, someone,

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sometime, somewhere is unnatural or unreal, but just the imitations,
illusions, or actions of creations in delusions:(Avijja & Sankhara)).
This above being mindful, remembering, deciding, taking or
believing this noble truth (samudaya sacca) can be called direct insight
meditation.
This insight meditation method is as same as watching the horror
film with believing or remembering or being mindful that the events in
the film is unreal, but just imitations or creations of trick by director with
the help of camera lens or computer animation program. By understanding,
remembering or believing this reality, the one who is seeing the film will
be no more fear or worries about these seeings or happenings before his/
her eyes. If one forget that the trick creations of director or the events he
is watching in the film are unreal, he will involve in his seeings in the film
and he will begin to fear, be terrible , worries about and attach about his
seeings and hearings.
In this method, while you meditate, if any pains or smellings or
hearings or sensations or thinkings arise, no need to note them as mental
saying as example; ‘pain, pain’ or ‘pleasure, pleasure‘ or ‘smelling,
smelling’ or ‘hearing, hearing’..etc; but you must remember or believe or
be aware of the truth that the knowings that something or someone or
individual such as - pain or pleasure or smelling or thinking or breathing or
rising or falling-etc; is lasting for a moment, are not real, but just actions
of creations of ever-new perceptions in unreal views.
While you are believing or accepting or being aware of this truth, if
any doubt or any worries or craving or likes or dislikes or thinkings arise,
abandon or erase this wrong by remembering or being aware of this truth
(samudaya sacca) that is the origin of the truth of sufferings or stress of
unsatisfactoriness (dukkha sacca). By practising like that, you can easily
stop the actions of creations of previous habitual minds with likes, dislike
and ascribing with the view of “I,” “you,” “someone,” “mine,“ “yours,”
“something, sometime, somewhere”..etc;

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 Practical Insight Meditation Method
Nature in this message means nature of nature , not the nature of
something or someone. The action of creation is also just action or creation
only , there is no creator and nothing which is created.
Our mind is not perfect and that is why it is always busy with endless
works. Natural mind is perfect by itself and needs no creation. By using
this method, mind can be free from all limits.
Nature has two opposite qualities.One is ever new impermanent
nature and the other is the permanent nature. But only the wisdom that
understands the impermanent nature can fully understand the permanent
nature also.
Nature is just nature by itself only, not something, not someone,
not sometime and not somewhere.
Mind creates something, someone, sometime, somewhere and
mind is always busy with them like mother is taking care of her children.
It is beause of attachment in creation, our mind cannot live without them.
Knowing about something , someone, sometime, somewhere is
unnatural.
By following this meditation method , unnatural knowing will not
continue and the original impermanent nature will appear automatically.
This meditation practice will allow one to let go or to loose one’s
limited mind and by doing so ,limitless natural mind will appear
automatically.
No one can be perfect by doing something. The real meditation
method is not doing something. It is not only stopping all actions of mind,
but also not to accept the idea of something (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body
, mind and so on ) as real. Meditation is not denying nor accepting whatever
happen, but to stop self-making or creating habit of mind.
Eye, ear, nose, tongue and body are mind’s friends. They work
together frequently. All works of mind ,concerning with something,
someone, sometime, and somewhere are extra works. The aim of
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meditation is trying to stop these extra works of mind, in this way the
original mind’s work will stay remained.
Something, someone, sometime and somewhere are not real ,just
illusions. Only the nature of nature is real.
Believing illusions as reality is the cause of all problems in ones
daily life. The purpose of meditation is trying to stop that misbelieving.
Accepting original reality as real is the right meditation method.
Meditation is making new causes continuously, in this way the habit
of making old cause will stop automatically.
Meditation is a mind clearance work. It is concerned only with mind,
not with our body and life.
Our mind is working all the time, and never takes any rest.
Every knowing is because of mind’s work.Without mind’s work,
there will be no knowing. Even the mind itself is just a creation.
Creation appears because of not knowing the real impermanent
nature and permanent nature. Nature is just nature and it is limitless.

Three steps of Practical Insight Meditation

The first step intends to destroy the attachment of all objects. It

needs continuous believing only in the action of creation. Forget about
everything except the action of creation.
The second step is removing the subject. Each action of believing
must be just an action only, without the subject (someone or something).
A lot of practices need to be done to be able to achieve this step.
The third and last step is to believe the truth that the action of
creation is not the other thing, present action of believing without subject
itself is just the action of creation only. A quick and gentle action of present
believing itself is just the action of creation only. But notice the fact that
while there is believing, there is no knowing of believing and while there
is knowing of believing, there is no action of believing. It only needs to
believe (just action only) and do not need to know; like traffic lights
which make actions without knowing.
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This believing practise must be carried on continuously. This habit of
pratice must not end in the first step. It must end only in the last step.
Continuously practising the last step is the direct way for the original
pure mind to appear for a moment.
The ability to continue the original nature of mind for some minutes
can permanently destroy a part of attachement concerning our with
unnatural or wrong knowing.

Not To forget

- Overview, not normal onesided view.

- Don’t live for one, live for all.
- Selfcontrol , not control to others.
- Do not be selfish or selfless but stop the idea of self.
- Our mind has limit. Losing your mind means freedom from all limits.
- Forget freedom of one and try to be free from one.
- Taking care of something, someone, sometime,and somewhere
is the cause of losing original mind power.
- If there is cause, there is effect. If there is no cause, there will be
no effect. Effect is only the shadow of cause.
- Hoping/Expecting or attachment to the effect will weaken the
process of making more causes.
- Accepting or occupying one means losing the remainings.
- Something, someone, sometime, somewhere has limit. Not
something, not someone, not sometime, not somewhere has no limit.
- Beyond self is beyond everything, beyond everyone, beyond
everytime, beyond everywhere.
- Eternal truth has no limit.
- The seed or root of whatever happens is only established in our
mind. If we can lose our created mind, all the problems concerning with
something , someone, sometime and somewhere will also be solved
automatically.
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- You will naturally understand these words with ‘I’, but
understanding without ‘I’ will be quite opposite with our present
understanding.
- Only with more practice, one can make clear of all doubts and
suspicions on this meditation method.

The only thing you need to be able to practise

real insight meditation is
the courage to fully give up
all the views of ‘I, mine’ or
what you have learned previously
with the idea of ‘I, mine’.

Contact Address to Sayadaw U Ottamsara

(a)45th Street Meditation Centre,
Yangon, Myanmar, Ph:951-298196
(b)Pagoda Hill Meditation Centre (Thanlyin)
Yangon, Myanmar, Ph : 01 724056, 09 5085212
Email: mtsm45@gmail.com
web: www.mtsm45.multiply.com
If you want this book and guided meditation instruction-CD ,
please contact to this e-mail; soewinhtut1977@gmail.com or
Phone: 016 638 7439

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Me
Mere
Mere sufferings exist,
re sufferings exist, no
no sufferer
sufferer is
is found.
found.
Mere
Mere the deeds are
the deeds are but
but no
no doer
doer of
of the
the deed
deed is
is there.
there.
Mere
Mere the
the actions(creations)
actions(creations) areare ....
but
but no
no actor(creator)
actor(creator) ofof the
the actions(creations)
actions(creations) is is there.
there.
Nibbana
Nibbana exists,
exists, but
but not
not ‘someone’
‘someone’ thatthat enters
enters it.it.
The
The path
path is,
is, but
but no
no ‘someone’
‘someone’ who
who travels
travels on
on itit is
is seen.
seen.
~Buddha~The Path of Purification

This book is attached with Guided Meditation audio CD.

While turning on meditation CD, meditate according to his guided
instruction, or while you’re meditating, turn on meditation CD,
until you has already understood this method well.

The guided Insight meditation instructions were taught to some

of his disciples in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

You can also download the guided meditation instruction talks of

U Ottamasara at the below web:
(www.soewinhtut.multiply.com) in English or Myanmar language.
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