[LeThanhPhong]

(continued - MOGOK SAYADAW'S WAY TO THE VIPASSANA PRACTICE)

THIRD PART

        Mogok Sayadaw: You continue with the meditation after you have your breakfast. Only then you will develop the Samadhi. When you meditate let faith, knowledge, concentration and effort be well balanced as I have told you earlier. I am taking my time to explain in detail as you are a beginner. What’s so difficult to about practising Anapana. Go and practise till your Samadhi is strong and then come back.
        [ When the Mogok Sayadaw left U Kyaw Thein had his breakfast and continued his practice from six to eight in the morning. However, he did not have strong Samadhi despite the extended practice and he had to try repeatedly using all available means. ]
        [ After eight o’clock U Kyaw Thein helped preparing the meal for the Mogok Sayadaw together with those who came to the monastery for offering the necessities for Sangha. When everything was done he went to the Mogok Sayadaw:at nine o’clock to be assessed on his progress. ]
        Mogok Sayadaw: How are you doing Maung Kyaw Thein? Have you developed good Samadhi?
            Yes my Lord, I have developed a strong Samadhi now.
        Mogok Sayadaw: What position have you taken to meditate?
            Sire, I have done sitting meditation at the first hour and then did the walking meditation for the rest of the time.
        Mogok Sayadaw: You didn’t look like you have strong Samadhi though you said so.
            Can you, my Lord, tell exactly if a person has Samadhi or not just by looking the external appearances?
        Mogok Sayadaw smiled and replied "Dear Maung Kyaw Thein, I will explain to you later how different a person looked if he had the Samadhi. Take a bath after you have your meal and then make sure that you have no inconveniences. Otherwise you may have to disrupt the practise if you have the call of nature while meditating. These things are very interfering with the practice."
        [ Only then U Kyaw Thein realised his fault of having inconveniences while he was meditating earlier as he did not go to the loo before the six o’clock sitting. Now he did as he was advised and started the meditation from twelve noon till two o’clock. Later on he went to see the Mogok Sayadaw:in his room. Being a beginner he was given a special privilege to visit the Mogok Sayadawas often as he wished if he had any problems. ]
        Mogok Sayadaw: Have you developed a strong Samadhi now?
            Yes sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, you now have the Samadhi, but you must remember that Samadhi is like a column of mercury in a thermometer. It can go up and down according to the condition. When you are in meditation it is good. However, if you encounter with crude sensuality it can go down again.
            Yes Sire, but I have a strong Samadhi now.
        Mogok Sayadaw: All right, it’s enough. You can change over to Vipassana. First you must try to develop good Samadhi and then go to Vipassana.
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: You are asked to do Samadhi not to encourage you to practise Samatha. You must let go of the mindful breathing as soon as the mind is calm and then contemplate on any sensation that develops without any breach. If you contemplate more and more on sensations you will come to a point where you can overcome them. You will no longer register them as sensations, but only as arising or dissolving phenomenon. You will realise that all sensations including pleasant ones, unpleasant ones and neutral ones dissipate and come to an end. When you contemplate on sensations Vedana will appear, but when you watch them with analytical knowledge you will come to know that they are impermanent (Aniccha). If this wisdom is developed it can be regarded as the overcoming of Vedana (sensual perception). If you couldn’t comprehend the impermanence of sensual perceptions you haven’t overcome Vedana as yet. When a Yogi has surpassed Vedana or has eliminated them the Yogi will feel light, agile and fresh even after the meditation is over. That is why one needs to try hard to overcome Vedana. Mindfulness of breathing in Samatha is just to make the mind calm, but it cannot lead to Nibbana. You must remember this very well.
            Yes my Lord.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Vipassana is to keep the mind on the wisdom path and watch and realise the phenomenon of mind and matter as they are. The physical body that we have at present is continuously forming and decaying from cradle to coffin. It must be comprehended that impermanence (Aniccha), suffering (Dukkha) and impersonal characteristics (Anatta) are the only realities that can be found.
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: When Rupa and Nama (body and mind) are comprehended as Aniccha, Dukkha and Anatta repeatedly, and the arising and dissolving phenomenon are perceived it is known to have reached the Udayabbaya nana. You remember? Do you understand?
            Yes my Lord.
        Mogok Sayadaw: You need to know these facts clearly. If they are not clarified beforehand using acquired knowledge your progress will not be substantial. So I will have to go further to remove false views (Ditthi) and doubts (Vicikccha). Maung Kyaw Thein, if you want to be a stream winner (Sotapanna) what should you remove first?
            Yes Sire, I need to remove Ditthi and Vicikiccha first.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, where do false views and doubts lie?
            I have no idea, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Ditthi and Vicikiccha are attached with the five aggregates of mind and matter.
            Yes Sire, now I know.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Now you know that they are attached to the five aggregates. If you do not know where these five aggregates come from and how they are arising and dissolving, you could not remove false views and doubts by any means.
            All right, my Lord.
        Mogok Sayadaw: You may have the book knowledge or have acquired from teachers that the five aggregates are Rupakhanda, Vedanakhanda, Sannakhanda, Sankharakhanda and Vinanakhanda, but if you do not know the causes and reasons for their becoming and disintegration false views would adhere to you despite the acquired knowledge. That is why you need to know Paticcasamupadda, the cycle of dependant arising first if you want to have insight into the five aggregates. So, I will teach you the Paticcasamupadda. Go and fetch the cycle of dependant arising chart from my room. Do you still remember anything about Paticcasamupadda?
            Yes Sire, I could remember only a few aspects.
        [ When he brought the chart]
        The Mogok Sayadaw said "Right, place it in front of you. I’ll show you. What you have learnt about dependant arising in the past was only an acquired knowledge."
            I have only the book knowledge, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: If you do not know Paticcasamupadda there is no way you can know the aggregates. If you do not know the aggregates, false views will adhere. That’s why you need to comprehend Paticcasamupadda. Book knowledge is not enough.
            Yes Sire, I will try to understand it.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Do you still remember it by heart?
            Yes I do, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: In that case I won’t elaborate on it (Please refer to Paticcasamupadda on the web site). You must remember that there are two forms of dependant arising. What you know from the book about Paticcasamupadda is one thing and there is also another Paticcasamupadda that is arising and dissolving in the body. You must understand the Paticcasamupadda of the body in order to make progress. Do you follow me?
            Yes Sire.
Pointing at the diagram of the circle of dependent arising The Mogok Mogok Sayadawcontinued "That’s why I am going to show you the causes and reasons for arising and dissolving of the five aggregates. Do you know that your volitional responses (Sankhara) of the past existence, which were carried out without wisdom (Avijja) have resulted in the body that you have it now?"
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Those were in the past and therefore they were out of your control. They were past Paticcasamupadda and did not concern you. Again the future Paticcasamuppada has not arrived yet and so it does not concern you. The most important thing is to understand the present Paticcasamupadda. Is that clear?
            Yes Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Which Samupadda concerns you?
            The present one my Lord.
        Mogok Sayadaw: What about the past?
            It doesn’t concern us, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: And the future?
            No Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Where do false views and doubts attach?
            To the five aggregates, Sire.
        Mogok Sayadaw: Right, they are attached to the five aggregates. If I ask you whose hair is this, you will answer that it is your hair. The false view attaches to Rupakhanda, the hair. If I say that the tea is very nice, it attaches to Vedanakhanda, the feeling or taste. If I say that this sentence is written by me, I note down this line, then the false view attaches to Sannakhanda, the interpretation of a feeling. When I say that my weaving is exceptionally good, then the false view attaches to Sankharakhanda, the reaction to a feeling. And if I say "Don’t you dare try me" then the false view attaches to the Vinnakhanda, the consciousness or self esteem. These are the places of attachment, do you follow me?
            Yes sire.
   
(To be continued)