Day 7 The Steadfast State & The Eightfold Path

DIN THAYAM CHAKKU MAHEKA RÁJAM HARISSAVANNO PATA VIPPA BHAASAM TAM TAM NAMAS SAMI HARISSAVANNAM PATA VIPPA BHAASAM TAYANJA GUNDHAVI HAREMU DIVASAM YEM BRAHMENAH VEDAKU SAMBUDHAVE TEME NAMOTECAMAM PADAYAM TU Good evening. I feel an amazing smile. I always like to see that. I'll try not to move around too much. I've had complaints that when I adjust my robes, it just goes like on the recording. So I have to be very still. Judging by the smiles, everything is pretty okay. As you guessed, we will begin talking tonight. Belsa and I will do another little collaboration. We discussed the retreat and how it was going, and I mentioned that there were a few things that would probably be worthwhile discussing, because in every retreat it seems like something kind of special happens. There's a kind of harmonizing of the minds, and there's always, I would say, a good amount of people that go through the same stages at the same time, it seems, and experience very similar experiences.

And we've noticed a few resonances here, so we were thinking about addressing a few of those stages, and how to actually even deepen our experience, and what can get in the way, basically. So tonight I'll be speaking about Majjhima Nikaya 106, the way conducive to steadfastness. And Bhikkhu Bodhi translates this as, this is the word, the way to imperturbability, imperturbability, Anenjasappaya Sutta. Are you saying Nepali? Yes, that's what I just said. Anenjasappaya Sutta. Anenja means kind of unshakable, unwavering, steadfast. I personally will read the translation of mine tonight. So words will be a little bit different, probably, than what you've heard before. And I call this particular state the steadfast state, or the steadiness.

Which is basically anything beyond the fourth jhana. It seems like the Buddha, I'm not sure if everybody, there we go, Terwan Saranai. Is Bantipunik coming? No. Oh, okay. Okay, not coming. Okay. So I was just saying that it seems like every retreat, there is kind of a resonance in the minds. And many people seem to go through similar stages at the same time for some reason.

And it happens pretty much every retreat. And so tonight, yeah, I will be addressing that, and Delson and I will be cooperating. And so I will be reading Majjhima Nikaya 106, Anenjasappaya Sutta. And I apologize for opening up a computer in front of you. I don't know if some people will be shocked, but everything I have teaching-wise is in Canada, in Baikuti. And so it's somewhat far and difficult to carry. So just carrying a computer is much easier and simpler for everybody. And thanks to Wood, who brought this. See, I just put it upside down.

More books, more books, more goodies. Was this announced? Or I think, man, they brought this. Yes, from Concept and Reality, a very profound book on dependent origination, nama-rupa, if you want to dig in your brain a little bit, very profound, academic. Is it something I should say, or? No, I wanted to say there's ten plus ten. Okay.

So I guess, before we get started, a few of the points that I'll be inclining towards reading this talk, because this talk could be interpreted for many kind of parts of the practice, But mainly, this will be directed at how to actually deepen awareness, even past neither perception or non-perception. Which is a place where a lot of people are right now experiencing. And still mind, clear awareness, clear mind.

And how it works with sitting a little bit longer, allowing more time for a mind to settle down. And this is a really good sutta that nudges this kind of understanding along. There were other things, but they'll just come back to me when I get talking. Here we are. This is when the Awakened One was living with the Kurus in a town called Khammasadamma. The Awakened One addressed the monks saying, "Monks, Bhadante," the monks replied. The Awakened One said this.

First, I would like to ask my elders' permission. Thank you. "Monks, sensory gratification is fleeting, hollow, deceptive, the way of thieves. It is a makeshift illusion, the mutterings of those who are lost. Sensory gratification here and now, or sensory gratification that is to come. Sensory perceptions here and now, or sensory perceptions that are to come, alike belong to the realm of the unwholesome." Here I put unwholesome in brackets, because I'm from the Western side of civilization, and the word Mara is a concept that is not always very welcome or accepted, well acknowledged. So I just change it to the unwholesome here, but you can also change that to Mara. That's the actual translation here.

So it is the realm of Mara, which isn't much more positive. It is the domain of the unwholesome, the bait of the unwholesome, the pasture of the unwholesome. Basically, like you will see with Delson's talk afterwards, it's not the things of the world that are the problem, but they hold the potential to become a problem. So it depends on what we do with them. That's why it's like the field, it's the realm, but we have the choice what happens with that.

They are Mara's domain, Mara's bait, Mara's pasture. This is where our harmful unwholesome mental states like jealousy, resentment, and violence are given rise. And these constitute an obstacle for the wise meditator in training. Now, we're just beginning the meditation. We're just learning how to deal with the coarser hindrances. Basically, that's where it starts. Now, the first instruction, we're going to see three instructions to the way to the steadfast state, and this is the first. "Perhaps could I meditate with a vast and completely expanded mind, having gone beyond the world with a resolved mind,

For if I were to meditate with a completely expanded mind, having gone beyond the world with a resolved intention, harmful unwholesome mental states of jealousy, resentment, and violence would not come to be. And when the Buddha talks about the world, he's talking about the six senses, because the world is nothing but the six senses. This is how we know this.

Monks, this is called the first way conducive to the steadfast. So you can probably recognize the practice of the brahmaviharas here, with the boundless cultivation of the mind, basically, which is what we have been doing. The next two, they are variables that can attain the same state, but usually the Buddha tends to begin with the brahmaviharas, like we can see in the Maha Rahulovada, the great advice to his son, Rahula. And Rahula basically asked for instructions on meditation on the breath, anapanasati, because Sarugutta Bhante recommends this meditation.

And he goes to the Buddha, and the Buddha says, no, Rahula, you should begin with, well, there's a whole preamble to this, but he says you should begin with radiating loving kindness, and then compassion, and then joy, and then equanimity, and then develop some detachment towards what is attractive, and then develop perception of impermanence, and then you should practice anapanasati. At that time the venerable Rahula is probably one of the youngest members of the Sangha, he's beginning his path, and this is a wonderful sutta where we can see that this is probably what the Buddha used as a main strategy from the beginning up until someone is ready to practice deeper with anapanasati, something like that. And this is what we are doing here: we're beginning with the brahmaviharas and going all the way and seeing the limit of each of those brahmic states and the way beyond. This is like the highway. It makes the mind very, very wholesome from the very beginning.

and it makes sure that everybody has a very wholesome basis to start from, and then afterwards there is much less problems where there could be a lot of distractions arising from, let's say, just going too quickly into satipatthana practice or things like that that are more neutral, less active. And now we're gonna speak about another kind of meditation that is about the four elements. Further, a wise meditator understands sensory gratification here and now or sensory gratification that is to come, sensory perceptions here and now or sensory perceptions that are to come. Those things are material, and all things material belong to the four elements. One who is attached to matter is merely holding on to the four elements, and see this is slowly detaching from the rupa to the arupa. So basically, that's what the steadfast is.

And this just means engaging in all things that we could do with this world of the six senses. Matter here and now and matter that is to come, material perceptions here and now and material perceptions that are to come, both alike are constantly changing. And for what is constantly changing, it is not reasonable to become excited for it, to look forward to it, and to remain attached. Practicing in this way and often meditating in this way, the mind becomes clear and calm. With this clear and serene awareness, one arrives at the steadfast at that time. Separating from the body after death, one is directly liberated by discernment, and it is possible that if their consciousness rolls onward, it goes into the steadfast state, which would be a rebirth in that plane of existence, basically.

Monks, this is called the third way conducive to the steadfast. And even though the name of this sutta is called the way to the steadfast, we're going to go beyond. So here we're going to go through a few of the arupajhanas. They're not all there. So the Buddha doesn't always teach everything the same way. But it's always really good to have different perspectives. Because this is really nourishing our practice whenever you're going to go back home. Or whenever you have, maybe, the right causes and conditions arise for you to see that one of these particular topics would be very helpful and would help deepen your meditation, then it's wonderful. You can totally use that as a support.

So now we're going to speak a bit about a plane that I call bare awareness, but that's my own translation for nothingness. Basically, it's simply this: nothingness is very much true. It's quite accurate. I'm just trying to remember the Pali. I have a blank. Akincha is something that is rid of all possessions, so it can mean nothing, no thing I came to, but I just like that kind of bare awareness. There's a few of you actually have said the same words without knowing, but being aware of awareness itself. This is the plane of nothingness, clear mind. Basically, further, amongst a wise meditator understands sensory gratification here and now, or sensory gratification that is to come.

Sensory perceptions here and now, or sensory perceptions that are to come. Matter here and now and matter that is to come. Material perceptions here and now, or material perceptions that are to come. And perception of the steadfast state. All of these are only just perceptions. Where these perceptions are completely given up, that is peaceful, that is sublime, that is the plane of bare awareness or the plane of nothingness. Clear mind.

Practicing in this way and often meditating in this way, the mind becomes clear and calm. So here, this is where I'd like to underline this: practicing in this way and often meditating in this way. This is a passage that comes back every single instruction in this sutta, and that really points out to... of course, here we are on the retreat, there he's teaching monks. Monks, they have left everything, and so every day they're doing this. But here, this is your time to shine, and so this is your monastic birth and striving. So here, this is why I've been telling quite a few people to try to extend a little bit their sit, just to see, just to see without forcing.

Because many of these states that we are going to talk about from here on only happen with much more time spent meditating. So we usually would be talking about, before this, we would be talking about maybe an hour and a half sit, for it to be very clear, very... for the mind to start to really feel comfortable in that base and be ready to see deeper, actually. Because this is a process of seeing deeper, like Delson will be reading later.

And so, to go beyond the plane of bare awareness into either perception or non-perception, which I also call the plane between awareness and its release, or its limit, we usually speak about two, two-and-a-half, three-hour sits. And the way beyond that, even, it's not rare that Bhante Vimalaramsi would make people sit out of compassion, out of such great compassion, actually, sit for four, five hours in a chair so that it's manageable, nobody gets hurt. And there are very specific teachings that we can use to actually understand feelings that arise, which will be the second part of this discourse, and how to actually really get deeper. And this comes as such a blessing, because these little impediments that arise that make us kind of stand up and break our sit, they are simply the mind basically reacting to a sensation, a feeling, a feeling tone.

And there's a little bit of dislike. There's a little bit of agitation. And there's a little bit of tension. But there's a way to soothe the pain. There's a way to soothe the mind even deeper. And to be like, you know what, mind? It's okay. It's okay, mind. It'll be fine. And just to be compassionate, to relax, and to allow the pain to be, and to actually relax that pain, and very often a meditator will break through that, and they will understand it was all only mental, basically, and that the only thing that was keeping them from going deeper was just to let go of this mental barrier.

And then there's just even more happiness and smiling. Monks, this is called the first way conducive to the plane of bare awareness or nothingness. And now we're going to speak about a meditation on anatta. And some of you have been asking, are there ways to develop anatta that I can actually understand? Well, the Buddha actually taught meditation practices around that and ways of understanding.

Monks, this is called the second way conducive to the plane of bare awareness. The end of possessions. Now this is a third way to enter this particular state, and you will see. These three ways are attaining this state, but there are also three characteristics of the states that are quite palpable when one is in that state. Further, monks, a wise meditator understands, I do not belong to anyone anywhere, nor is there anything belonging to me anywhere at all. Practicing in this way and often meditating in this way, the mind becomes clear and calm. With this clear and serene awareness, one experiences the plane of bare awareness at that time. Separating from the body after death, one is directly liberated by discernment.

And it is possible that their consciousness rolls onwards and arrives at the plane of bare awareness. Monks, this is called the second way conducive to bare awareness. And now we speak on, I think there's two or three again, instructions on neither perception or non-perception, how to enter that and what does that mean. And this state I call the limit of awareness or the plane between awareness and its release or its limit. Monks, a wise meditator understands sensory gratification here and now or sensory gratification that is to come. Sensory perceptions here now or sensory perceptions that are to come. Matter here and now or matter that is to come.

Material perceptions here now and material perceptions that are to come, the perception of the steadfast and the perception of the plane of bare awareness, all of these are only just perceptions. Does that sound familiar? Did I say this to you in an interview? So many things arise in that state usually, and the way to understand this, and this is where I take this from, is that it is only just perception, so that we don't make up more of them. They just arise. We let them. The causes and conditions for them are ripe for them to arise, and the mind is kind of getting more simple. This is a thing that happens a lot at the beginning, maybe the first few retreats, or before experiencing nero the more than once, the mind has to go through a kind of a cleansing process of that at that level, neither perception or non-perception. It's going to be very deeply subtle. How do you call them, the pro

The pre-cognitions, yeah, the proto-thoughts. But not only, I think it's even before the proto-thoughts: some of you will have been seeing lights, geometrical patterns, whatever it is, like flashes. These are just arising because mind is so used to being active, it's just that's all it knows what to do at this point. And this is the most subtle layers of the mind. And so it's just arising. It doesn't matter what it is, it's just perceptions, basically.

Good answer. Because it feels peaceful, very peaceful. Yes, yes, exactly. Relief, wouldn't it be? Yes. And someone just relishes in that state, which is very good. In a way, one's mind remains dependent upon it by clinging. Ananda, one with clinging is not completely liberated. Bhante, what does one's mind then cling to? Fairly good question. To the plane between awareness and its release, Ananda. Bhante, this surely must be the best kind of clinging. So I think some of you are in tune with that. Surely, Ananda, this is the best kind of clinging, namely the plane between awareness and its limit. Because there's barely any clinging at all, and mine is almost completely released. So this is very much the crown jewel of clinging, if there is a crown jewel to clinging.

That was the simile of the ice cream bowls. Yes, simulating. And dispassion. So when we, as it is said in the sutta, practice this over and over again, and we spend a lot of time. Welcome. And we spend a lot of time in this state, and then we're actually a bit stuck. And we kind of wonder how to go deeper. Because it seems like there's a release beyond that, but we're kind of stuck in there. But as we release and release and release and relax and release and relax, and learn to acquire more confidence and more steadiness in that base, the mind starts to soak in it more and starts to understand, okay, so this is how it works, and this is how I got here, and this is how to go deeper.

This is what I need to let go of, because here, the thing that needs to be let go of is the I-ness, this thing that pops in and says, hey, I'm here, and then it just wrecks it. And then it's like, what just happened? Wow, that was cool. I wonder, can I do that again? Hmm. Oh, this happy feeling feels pretty good.

And then it starts talking a little bit. So it doesn't mean that it doesn't become pleasant or relieving anymore, but it's just, as we were speaking before, we just start to become a little bit more detached towards it. It's like, yeah, I know, I know now how it works. I know you're gonna come up and say hey, and I'll just keep relaxing and not lower my level of interest, in putting too much energy and interest in wanting to know all the time, and I want to, I want to, everything.

So, we just develop a bit more dispassion, or just calm detachment from it. When one takes no pleasure in it, does not look forward to it, and does not remain attached to that steady mental calm, one's mind is independent from it because of not clinging. So now there's nothing that can bring back the "I-ness," the "being-ness," the "Hey, I'm there-ness." "Ananda, one without clinging is completely liberated."

But this is the deathless, Ananda, namely the unbinding of the mind through not clinging. Thus, Ananda, I have explained the path conducive to the steadfast, the path conducive to the plane of bare awareness, the path conducive to the plane between awareness and its release, the path to crossing the flood from one support to the next, and the unbinding of the ariyas, the awakened people. Ananda, what should be done by a teacher for his students, holding their best interests at heart, out of loving compassion, that I have done for you now. There are these roots of trees, monks. There are these empty huts. Meditate, monks. Do not be neglectful, lest you become remorseful when the time has passed.

This is my advice to you. This is what the Awakened One said: "With an uplifted mind, the Venerable Ananda delighted in the Awakened One's word." So this is personality as far as personality goes. Even in the deepest stages of the meditation, where there's only this I-ness, or where even saying "I" is too coarse to describe it, it's just being aware of awareness, basically, and it's very still. And slowly it starts to, we understand that there's actually a little bit of tension in there. If you look, just lean in towards it, and just check in, and you'll see. It's kind of tensed. And so from there, I think you all know what to do.

So you release and relax. And this awareness, this "I-ness," it kind of becomes blurry. There's not enough substance there to kind of hold it together. And so it kind of just goes out a little bit, like you would put out the flame on a candle. And that's the analogy for Nibbana, actually. So, I will ask my friend, Belsen, to please explain to us a little bit further. Oh, about this? About your sutta. Okay. Yes. And I think this will be a deeper, I guess, penetration, so definitely penetrative discourse, so a deeper understanding to perhaps a blockage that is very common at that level, is how to see bodily sensations that make us stand up.

All of a sudden, for no reason, and how to actually deal with that, and how to develop the Samadhi, the right understanding concerning those. So, Delson, that is your time. Thank you. So, I'm going to be reading from two suttas, actually, just as a reference, because what I want to discuss is an elaboration of what Bhante Ananda has been talking about for the practice, but also that this practice isn't just on the cushion.

It is also in daily life. How do you apply the practice in daily life? That is the application of the Eightfold Path. So the sutta I'm reading from is Anguttara Nikaya 6.63. This is called the Penetrative Discourse. And I'm going to be referring to Majjhima Nikaya 117, which discusses the Eightfold Path, so you have a good understanding of that. Because that is the path leading to the cessation of suffering.

How do you let go of clinging, even clinging to any jhana, clinging to any of the arupa states? How do you let go of the highest clinging? That is through letting go, and there is a way of letting go, which is facilitated through the Eightfold Path. When we talk about Sammaditthi, Sammaditthi means right view. That right view is the understanding of the Four Noble Truths.

So when you come to Sammaditthi, you have an understanding of the Four Noble Truths. First, you understand what is the First Noble Truth, which is generally understood as suffering. You fully abandon the causes and conditions for that suffering, and you experience and realize for yourself the complete cessation of suffering, and you do that through the cultivation and development of the path leading to the cessation of suffering. These are the four noble truths, but the four noble truths can be understood as a formula that you can apply for anything.

The four noble truths are a way of understanding how to see what is present, if it is causing suffering, how to let that go, and experience the cessation of suffering, and what to do to let it go. So I'll begin, and then we will read on, because I will teach you a penetrative exposition of the Dhamma. Listen and attend closely, I will speak. "Yes, Bhante," those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this: "And what, bhikkhus, is that penetrative exposition of the Dhamma? Sensual pleasures should be understood. The source and origin of sensual pleasures should be understood. The diversity of sensual pleasures should be understood. The result of sensual pleasures should be understood. The cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood. The way leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood.

Feelings should be understood. The source and origin of feelings should be understood. The diversity of feelings should be understood. The result of feelings should be understood. The cessation of feelings should be understood. The way leading to the cessation of feelings should be understood. Perceptions should be understood. The source and origin of perceptions should be understood. The diversity of perceptions should be understood. The result of perceptions should be understood. The cessation of perceptions should be understood. The way leading to the cessation of perceptions should be understood. The taints should be understood. The source and origin of the taints should be understood. The diversity of the taints should be understood. The result of the taints should be understood.

The cessation of the taints should be understood. The way leading to the cessation of the taints should be understood. Karma should be understood. The source and origin of karma should be understood. The diversity of karma should be understood. The result of karma should be understood. The cessation of karma should be understood. The way leading to the cessation of karma should be understood. Suffering should be understood. The source and origin of suffering should be understood. The diversity of suffering should be understood. The result of suffering should be understood. The cessation of suffering should be understood. The way leading to the cessation of suffering should be understood. So here is the general summation of the things the Buddha is going to be talking about. First and foremost, he says, when it was said sensual pleasures should be understood, the source and origin of sensual pleasures should be understood, the diversity of sensual pleasures should be understood, the result of sensual pleasures should be understood, the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood, the way leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures should be understood. For what reason was this said?

There are bhikkhus, these five objects of sensual pleasure: forms cognizable by the eye that are wished for, desired, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual pleasure, tantalizing; sounds cognizable by the ear; odors cognizable by the nose; tastes cognizable by the tongue; tactile objects cognizable by the body that are wished for, desired, agreeable, pleasing, connected with sensual pleasure, tantalizing. However, listen carefully. These are not sensual pleasures. There are forms cognizable by the eye. There are sounds cognizable by the ear, odors cognizable by the nose, tastes of flavors cognizable by the tongue, and tangibles cognizable by the body. These are the sense-based objects, but in and of themselves they are not sensual pleasure. In the noble one's discipline, these are called objects of sensual pleasure.

A person's sensual pleasure is lustful intention. The experience itself is not the sensual pleasure. It is the intention to take it personally, the intention to say this is me, this is mine, this is myself, and from there the intention to grasp onto it. That is the central pleasure. On the flip side of that, it could also be sensual aversion. From that sense of me, mine, myself, the mind says this affects me in a painful way, and so it pushes it away. But the basis for this is identification. Even with a neutral feeling, a neutral experience, there can still be a sense of identification with that experience. And so the Buddha goes into verse and he says they are not sensual pleasures. The pretty things in the world are not the sensual pleasures. A person's sensual pleasure is lustful intention, intention rooted in craving, rooted in taking things personally, rooted in aversion.

The pretty things remain just as they are in the world. Whether you attach a sense of self to it or not, that experience remains as it is. It is the mind that takes it personally, and it is the mind that causes itself suffering through that craving intention. But the wise remove the desire for them. So if you recognize that the mind is taking this experience personally, now let's even go forward and say taking the jhana personally and saying this jhana is me, mine, or myself, you can recognize that, let that go, and just relax into the jhana. Allow things to be as they are. Same with any sensual experience.

the pretty things of this world will remain as they are the painful things of this world will remain as they are but it is the intention to take it personally and say this is me this is mine this is myself that makes it something more than it actually is this is what is meant when one sees earth in relation to earth conceives of a self in relation to earth water fire and air space consciousness infinite space infinite consciousness nothingness neither perception or non-perception in relation to it there is a self in relation to it there is a grasping but if you just allow it to be as it is then the experience continues

But that sense of self, that sense of personal self to the experience, goes away, disappears. And what, because, is the source and origin of sensual pleasures? Contact is their source and origin. You can't experience anything without contact. There is the initial stimulation of the eye with the form, the arising of that, giving rise to eye consciousness. These three constitute eye contact. Likewise with the other sense bases, that contact, that initial spark, gives rise to feeling. That feeling, if taken personally, with the underlying tendencies, underlying tendencies towards craving, towards aversion, towards ignorance, towards doubt, towards view, towards conceit, towards becoming, and towards well, that's it. That's seven, isn't it? Just testing. Yeah, I said conceit. Yeah, towards becoming and towards conceit.

So those are the seven. Okay, good. So when those underlying tendencies arise, dependent upon the quality of the feeling, if it's a painful feeling or a pleasant feeling, the mind sees that and says this is me, this is mine, this is myself, grasps onto it, and then there is craving, or it pushes it away and there is aversion. So contact is the key here. Contact is what gives rise to the feeling, and from that feeling there can arise craving or aversion, the sensual pleasures, the lustful intentions. And what is the diversity of sensual pleasures? Sensual desire for forms is one thing. Sensual desire for sounds is one thing. Sensual desire for odors, still another.

Sensual desires for tastes, still another, and sensual desire for tactile objects, still another. This is called the diversity of sensual pleasures. Right, that makes sense. The desire for any of these different objects is this diversity of those sensual desires, sensual pleasures. And what is the result of sensual pleasures? One produces an individual existence that corresponds with whatever sense pleasures one desires, which may be the consequence either of merit or demerit. This is called the result of sensual pleasures. So the result is one takes it personally and creates an individual existence. There is a bhava, an inclination to wanting to become, wanting to possess, wanting to have and hold. And then that individual existence comes to be.

Based on previous causes and conditions, that is old karma. So the old karmic momentum continues, based on merit or demerit, wholesome karma or unwholesome karma. Here we're talking about wholesome and unwholesome karma in terms of the effect of previous choices. Those choices, if acted upon with a sense of self, will cause the mind to incline into a new habitual tendency from which the mind acts, and then creates suffering.

What is the cessation of sensual pleasures? With the cessation of contact, there is cessation of sensual pleasures. How do you cease contact? How is contact ceased? That is the cessation, nirodha. But I'm saying, how does that happen? I'm not talking about in the meditation. I'm talking about in daily life, how does contact cease? don't look at anything don't hear anything don't look at anything don't Don't smell anything. Don't taste anything.

Six star? Remove the eye. Remove the eye? Remember what contact is. Yes, remember what contact is. Contact is the joining of these three: eye, form, and eye-consciousness. If there is no eye consciousness, there won't be eye contact. How does the eye consciousness arise, or where does it go? It goes dependent upon nama-rupa. Nama-rupa is specifically within nama-rupa attention. Where you put your attention, that's where consciousness will flow. So the cessation of your attention to that object is a cessation of your desire for that object.

Here I see a glass of water. I feel thirsty. Let's say that's a natural inclination, thirst. But let's just say that thirst is the craving for some kind of object. If I see that object, there arises this thirst, which is literally tanha. Tanha is thirst. And now I want to grab onto this water. And then there is an individual existence. There is a bhava which says, I am going to drink this water. And now I drink it.

And now I have produced an action that results in my thirst being quenched. But in that process, that thirst, when we talk about it as tanha, as sensual craving, if you act upon it, what happens? It only adds to that repository of craving, to that repository of karma. Now, I could close my eyes and not see the glass of water, and thereby my attention doesn't go there. Or I could just divert my attention somewhere else. That diversion of attention, what is that dependent upon?

Mindfulness. But that mindfulness, how does that mindfulness arise? Intention. Inclination. You incline your mind away from that object of desire. So, in the six R's, you recognize there is a sensual desire, you release your attention from that, bring it back to mind and body, relax the tightness, intention, come back to the smile, come back to your object of meditation. Cessation of contact means cessation, specifically, of consciousness being directed to that experience, to that object. In daily life, nirodha is another thing in meditation, but we're talking about how do you experience that cessation of suffering, cessation of contact, in your daily life.

By paying attention to your intention. And then by using your intention to change your attention. So one could also use, an issue is emptying and emptying. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or it's impermanent. Right. Because what's going on there is you have replaced that attention towards that as something to desire, and now the attention is on seeing the impermanence of it. The attention is now given to seeing the emptiness of it or the dukkha aspect of it, whatever it might be. Yeah, you're doing a two-step process really. Yeah, taking away the whole unwholesome, replacing it with the wholesome. That's the foundation of Buddhist practice, or the Dhamma, to replace unwholesome states with wholesome states. Yes.

There is a statement by R. Buckminster Fuller. I might have mentioned this before, but there's a statement by R. Buckminster Fuller, which is a very, very profound statement, if I can remember it. He says, you do not change the existing reality by fighting it. Instead, you put a new model in its place so that the old one becomes obsolete.

So this is what the process is. You're replacing the old model of the unwholesome with a new model of the wholesome. When the mind gravitates towards the wholesome, there is no attention given to the unwholesome. It becomes obsolete. We now have these smartphones. We have these iPhones and Android phones with all kinds of capabilities and 16 megapixel cameras and all of that. When's the last time you thought about that old little brick of a phone that was the Nokia cell phone? When was the last time you thought about it? Maybe just now.

Because the old model is obsolete. The new model is in its place. Likewise, when you replace the old model of craving with wisdom, replace the unwholesome with the wholesome, then the unwholesome is forgotten. It is let go of. The remainder is fading away. What's that, withdrawing our attention, is more important? Withdrawing your attention? No, no, not withdrawing your attention. It's about changing your attention, inclining your attention away from that to something else. Before changing, I should withdraw my attention towards the customer. How will you withdraw it? Withdrawing. Okay, and then what happens after that?

Yeah, but what I'm not talking about, we're not talking about withdrawing the attention. We're talking about moving the attention, changing it. So replacing it, the object of the attention is replaced, from the unwholesome to the wholesome. So withdrawing, in that case, you could say releasing the attention. This is in the second R of the six R steps. Recognizing that your attention is on the unwholesome, releasing your attention, taking your attention away from that, then relaxing the tightness and tension, which is the craving, and bringing that attention to something wholesome, like the smile, and then the object of meditation.

So how do you cease contact? We just talked about it: the 6R's, right? Right effort. The Noble Eightfold Path. This Noble Eightfold Path is the way leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures, namely right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Let's go deep into what each of these factors of the Eightfold Path are.

There is the mundane path factors and there is the super mundane path factors. Now we'll get into that, which is in, well, I lost it there, we go. Majjhima Nikaya 117, that is Maha Chattarisaka Sutta, the Great 40. The Buddha says therein, because right view comes first, and how does right view come first? One understands wrong view as wrong view, and right view as right view. This is one's right view. Initially, the first aspect of right view is knowing the difference between what is wrong view and what is right view, knowing the difference between what is wholesome and unwholesome. So what is wrong view? This is wrong view: there is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, no fruit or result of good and bad actions, no this world, no other world, no mother, no father, no beings who are reborn spontaneously, no good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have realized for themselves by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world. Let's break that apart. What does that mean?

Here they're saying there is nothing given, nothing offered, nothing sacrificed, no fruit or result of good and bad actions. So there is no meaning in giving, there is no meaning in expressing generosity, there is no meaning, there is no merit in generosity. Then there is no fruit or result of good and bad actions. Here the wrong view says there's no such thing as karma. There's no action and consequence. No cause and effect.

Know this world, know other world. Now this is an interesting one. Know this world and know other world. What does that mean? Know this world, know other world. What is this world? Sixth sense basis. We are experiencing everything in this world through the sixth sense basis. What is the other world? They might say that the other world is a deva loka, or a hell realm, or this or that. I found a very interesting interpretation of this. No other world can also mean no experience of jhana, because there is this world, which is the mundane, and there is jhana, which is the super mundane. The other world touches also on one specific kind of wrong view, that was not believing that there is anything after death, and the Buddha says this is the basis for creating the most unwholesome actions. Because if there is this view of annihilationism, it says that it doesn't matter what I do, I'm not going to experience the consequences of that. So having that understanding that there are consequences even beyond the death of this life makes the mind very careful in deciding what to do.

No mother, no father. Here this is referring to: there's no need to repay our parents, no need to have gratitude for our parents. Our parents allowed us the possibility of birth into this existence with the potential for reaching nibbana. For that alone we can be grateful. Let alone they've been abusive, let alone they've shouted at us, let alone they've done all of these things. It's not a justification for their abuse, but an understanding of: no need to hate our parents, no need to blame our parents.

That's a very immature way of acting, blaming, putting the blame on someone else, especially our parents. I'm like this because my father was like this. I'm like this because my mother was like this, or because my mother said this when I was 14 years old. So letting go of all of that and understanding that our parents allowed us the possibility of coming into this life with the potential to attain nibbana, for that, just be happy, no ill will against them. At the very least, the Buddha has talked about how it's impossible to repay the debt that we owe to our parents.

No beings who are reborn spontaneously. This is the possibility, the potential for rebirth to happen. Again, this is talking about the fact that there is no intermediate stage. As soon as there is the dissolution of one life, there is the arising of the next life, dependent upon those causes and conditions. So the idea is not that you need to believe in rebirth. It's not like you have to say that you have some kind of conceptual faith in rebirth, but the willingness and openness to say, okay, what does that mean? How does that happen? If you close off the possibility of rebirth, if you have a closed-minded view, then you haven't fully developed this mundane right view. Allow the mind to be open and investigate for oneself, to see for oneself what is the reality of that. Good and virtuous recluses and brahmins in the world who have realized for themselves by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world.

So the idea that there are people who have walked this path, and possibly even perfected this path, and are able to actually guide the way one way or the other. But if you don't believe in that, then why do anything at all? Then what's the point? If there are not people who have actually experienced the fruit of this practice, then what's the point of doing this?

So then the right view is the opposite of that. That is to say, there's the two right views, the mundane and the super mundane. The mundane is a right view that is affected by the taints, partaking of merit, ripening in the acquisitions. What does that mean? Ripening in the acquisitions, partaking of merit, productive of karma, productive of new karma through that process. And that mundane right view is basically the opposite. There is what is given and what is offered and what is sacrificed. There is meaning in giving, meaning in generosity.

There is fruit and result of good and bad actions. There is karmic consequence. There is this world and the other world. There is mother and father. There are beings who are reborn spontaneously. There are in the world good and virtuous recluses and brahmins who have realized for themselves by direct knowledge and declare this world and the other world. This is the right view affected by taints, partaking of merit, and ripening in the acquisitions.

What is the right view that is a noble, taintless, super mundane, a factor of the path? The wisdom, the faculty of wisdom, the power of wisdom, the investigation of states, enlightenment factor, the path factor of right view in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path. This is right view that is noble, taintless and super mundane. This right view is non-productive of new karma. So first the foundation is to have your view straight, of knowing what is wrong view and what is right view, and then having these other aspects of understanding generosity, the meaning and giving, the karmic consequences, the gratitude for one's parents, so on and so forth.

And then from there, there arises wisdom. What is wisdom? Bidjaya, right? This wisdom, the power of wisdom, the faculty of wisdom, the investigation of states, enlightenment factor. What does that mean, investigation of states, enlightenment factor? It doesn't mean you need to investigate in that sense. It's discerning. It's the word that Bhante uses. Discernment of what is wholesome and unwholesome, discernment of what is right view and wrong view, and that wisdom is the understanding of the four noble truths. That's it, coming to that experience of seeing for oneself that this is indeed the path. That is a stream enter one who has unwaverable, unshakable experiential confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha.

That confidence arises from the experience of having some kind of wisdom, seeing that the Four Noble Truths indeed work in this way. It might not be perfected, but it begins to work in this way. How does wisdom arise? Through nibbana, by practice, through direct knowledge, through direct liberation of the mind. It's very, very short. So through the voice of another, so through the voice of another, and through yoniso manasikara, yoniso manasikara, through attention, proper attention. The voice of another is the voice of the Buddha or someone who has understood the path. I just like to... it's just a good thing to remember, because kalyana does come in, and it's not like you can develop wisdom, but also a very big part of it is because right now. If you're practicing with that, of course, then the meditation is kind of sharpening that ability, of course.

But then, I'm just listening to you speaking and I'm just thinking, this is exactly how we can gather listening to these thoughts. It's like a room where you're breaking down experience, and that it's all slowly coming together and piecing itself together. And at some point, you kind of have to understand a little bit more. So the voice of another is such an important part of that. Of course, the voice of another and proper attention. You could have the voice of another, but you could not be paying attention. So here's an important aspect. It says one makes an effort to abandon wrong view and to enter upon right view. This is one's right effort. So right effort is key. What is right effort?

Six hours, but right effort specifically here is making an effort to prevent all unarisen unwholesome states from arising, first abandoning already arisen unwholesome states, generating unarisen wholesome states of mind, and maintaining already arisen wholesome states of mind. So this can be brought down to even further two: the abandoning of the unwholesome and the awakening of the wholesome.

So the abandoning of wrong view and the awakening of right view, making that effort through, let's say, the 6R's: recognizing there is a wrong view arising in mind, releasing your attention from that, relaxing, coming back to the smile, and coming to right view. Of course, how do you know that's the right view? You've heard about it before, you read about it before. Mindfully one abandons wrong view, mindfully one enters upon and abides in right view. This is one's right mindfulness. So right mindfulness, sati, to remember, be present in everything that you're doing.

And then in that presence of mind, in recognizing, you see what is present, wrong view or right view, and using mindfulness you mindfully go to right view through the process of right effort. Right effort leads to right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right view. That is right view, the knowledge of what is right view and wrong view, right effort and right mindfulness.

What about right intention? For right view to be established, one knows what is wrong intention, and one knows what is right intention. What is wrong intention? The intention of sensual grasping, the intention of ill will, and the intention of cruelty. Having an intention to grasp and acquire things, having an intention of ill will, aversion, having an intention to harm another being through words, through mind, or through body, that's the cruelty. That's wrong intention. And what is right intention? That is mundane: the intention of renunciation.

The intention of non-ill will, the intention of non-cruelty. The intention of renunciation, the intention of seeing that this is not me, not mine, not myself, not taking things personally, renouncing a sense of self in relation to everything, letting go of sensual desire. The intention of non-ill will, not having ill will for any being. This is cultivated through the practice of loving kindness, metta. The intention of non-cruelty, not wanting to add suffering to another being.

This is cultivated through compassion. So ill will is the desire to— it's the aversion to something, meaning I don't want that. Right, and there is an ill will, but then that can become aggravated into the desire to harm. There's a desire to push away and there is a desire to harm. So non-ill will is a desire to push away or ill will rather, and cruelty is a desire to harm. And what is the right intention that is super mundane? The thinking, thought, intention, mental absorption, mental fixity, directing of mind, verbal formation, in one whose mind is noble, whose mind is taintless, who possesses the noble path and is developing the noble path. This is the super mundane right intention, that is inclining the mind towards nibbana, in essence inclining the mind towards release.

More than letting go of sensual desire, it's inclining the mind to experience complete freedom. The inclination here is the right intention, the right intention that is super mundane. Likewise, one makes an effort to abandon wrong intention and to enter upon right intention. This is one's right effort: recognizing there's a wrong intention, an intention to harm, intention to push away, intention to desire, releasing your attention from that, relaxing the tightness, intention coming back to the smile, coming back to right intention, fixing your mind back towards release, towards nibbana. Mindfully one abandons wrong intention. Mindfully one enters upon and abides in right intention. This is one's right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right intention: that is right view, knowing what is right intention and what is wrong intention; right effort, making the effort to go from wrong intention to right intention; and right mindfulness, mindfully bringing back the attention to right intention.

And then we have right speech. And what is wrong speech? First we need to know what is wrong. Wrong speech is false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech, and gossip. This is wrong speech. False speech, malicious speech, harsh speech, and gossip. What is false speech? Knowing something to be untrue and presenting it to be as true. Knowing something to be true and presenting it to be as untrue.

In essence, lying, that's false speech, bearing false witness, false testimony. Malicious speech, harsh speech. What is malicious speech? Speech intended to harm, to cause harm to another. Harsh speech, using words that are coarse, using words that cause aggravation in the mind. And gossip, talking about another behind their back. How do you know you're gossiping? If you're talking about that person when they're not there, and you would rather not talk about that person if they were there, then you are indulging in gossip.

So what is the right speech? What is the mundane right speech? Abstinence from false speech, abstinence from malicious speech, abstinence from harsh speech, and abstinence from gossip. This is an acronym that I use for right speech. This is called think before you speak. T-H-I-N-K. Before you speak, think. Is it timely to say what you want to say? That's T.

H is what you say. Do you know it to be honest? Do you know it to be true? I: what is the intention behind that? Is it intentionally wholesome or intentionally unwholesome? And is it necessary for the other person to hear what it is that you want to say? And K: can you say it with kindness? I've been approached by some people saying, well, sometimes I can't always say it with kindness, I have to be stern about these things. You can be kindly stern or sternly kind.

So, T-H-I-N-K, think before you speak. Right. Yes. That's what I'm talking about. Think. Is it timely or untimely? Is it true or untrue? What is the intention behind it? Is it necessary or unnecessary? And can you say it with kindness? And the Buddha talks about it. He says there are circumstances where it could be timely but not beneficial or necessary. It could be timely but not true. Different ways that you can either say what you want to say or not say what you want to say. That's from the Abhayya Sutta, I believe. Abhayya Sutta. This thing is better to have noble silence. No, what? It's better to have noble silence. Silence is better. Oh, noble silence.

Silence is better. Yeah. How many of you are practicing noble silence here, by the way? I only see one hand raised. Okay, two hands raised. Okay, three hands raised. Not bad. Oh, you have a question. No, I'm talking about not speaking during the retreat. My question is, instead of realising into all these things, in which of silence is greater. Not all the time. Sometimes it's necessary to say it. Before the speech, there is a super mundane quality. Our hands, that is a super mundane quality, directing everything, Nibbana, and not everything. Right intention. Basically, your mind is inclining or it's fixing its mind towards Nibbana. So the intention is always doing something that inclines towards Nibbana. So inclining the mind, in other words, inclining the mind to always follow the way leading to Nibbana.

This is the Eightfold Path. The speech that is super mundane is desisting from the four kinds of verbal misconduct. What are the four kinds of verbal misconduct here? The same thing? Okay. The abstaining, refraining, abstinence from, in one whose mind is noble, taintless, and possesses the noble path. So that is basically the same thing, but always automatically abstaining from that.

And then right mindfulness, using the mindfulness to be aware of what kind of speech you intend to use and then bringing it back to right speech if it's going to be wrong speech. There are two kinds of right action, super mundane right action and super mundane right action. What is right action or let's say what is wrong action first? So first you need to know what is right action, what is wrong action. What is the wrong action?

Killing living beings, taking what is not given, and misconduct in sensual pleasures. So this is part of the precepts, right? Breaking of the precepts. In the case of using false speech, that is the fourth precept. Killing living beings is the first precept. Abstaining from that. Abstaining from taking what is not given, that is the second precept. Abstaining from sensual misconduct, that is the third precept. What is the right action? That is abstinence from killing living beings, abstinence from taking what is not given, abstinence from misconduct in sensual pleasures.

So the super mundane is automatically desisting from the three kinds of bodily misconduct. You don't even have to think about it. It just happens automatically. So in other words, the mundane is to be developed. And as a result of being developed, the super mundane automatically is a natural aspect of that mind. So again, one makes an effort to abandon wrong action and to enter upon right action. This is one's right effort. Mindfully, one abandons wrong action. Mindfully, one enters upon and dwells in right action. This is one's right mindfulness. Thus these three states run and circle around right action: that is right view, right effort, and right mindfulness.

What about livelihood? What is, this is an interesting one. What is wrong livelihood? Actually, there is a sutra, I think in Digha Nikaya, which gives a whole list of what is wrong livelihood, especially for the monastic community. You can't read people's palms. You can't indulge in astrology. You can't do medicine. You can't do accounting. You can do all kinds of things. Yeah. So I'm going to fellowship now. Yeah, yeah. Basically the wrong livelihood for a monastic, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, is doing anything that does not lead to nibbana. Because, well, I mean, you should obviously apply that to lay people, but for lay people

there are certain kinds of trades or businesses that you don't deal with. So these businesses that engage in selling arms, selling weapons, human trafficking, poisons, intoxicants, and in meat, these are the five wrong livelihoods. But here it's an interesting one. It says scheming, talking, hinting, belittling, pursuing gain with gain. This is wrong livelihood: pursuing gain with gain. So, yeah, if I'm a monastic and I get this really nice bowl of food, I go to Bhante and then I said, I'll trade you this bowl of food for that really nice robe that you have. Or he gets a nice robe and he says, you know, you have a really nice kuti over there, I'll give you this robe if you can rent out that kuti for me.

so pursuing gain pursuing gain with gain is making exchanges am i right about that We are coordinating, we are allowed to coordinate the mind, so we can... Yeah, yeah, yeah. We have a particular meaning that we have a kind of idea of view. Right, so the intention is important behind it, yeah. From that, we're making interest. Oh, making interest off of a bowl of food. Or something like that. This is a little too much. Yeah. No, no, no. This is from monastics. You guys can still make interest on your fixed deposits. Don't worry. It's fine.

Scheming and what is it? Hinting and belittling. And then again, that refers to monastics primarily. Hinting, saying, hey, that's a nice piece of food over there. Is anyone going to have that? So there is the right livelihood, which is abstaining from these things. Abstaining in the case of the lay people, those five kinds of, any kind of business, any kind of work that causes harm for oneself and harm for another. That's wrong livelihood. So right livelihood is abstaining from that kind of livelihood. So then we have Right Mindfulness and Right Collectedness.

Right Mindfulness is the Satipatthana. Understanding body is body, feeling is feeling, mind is mind, Dhamma is Dhamma. So in other words, using the first step of recognize to be able to know where your mind is at in every given moment. Is there craving in there? Is there aversion in there? And you need proper attention to facilitate that process of mindfulness. Right effort leads to right mindfulness. Right mindfulness leads to right collectedness, right concentration. What is right concentration? What have you guys been doing all this time?

Right collectedness encompasses the four jhanas, secluded from right. So the right collectedness here, as Bhante was saying, is the alignment of the preceding seven factors. So right view leads to right intention, right intention leads to right speech, right speech leads to right action, right action leads to right livelihood, right livelihood leads to right effort, right effort leads to right mindfulness, right mindfulness leads to right collectedness, and that collectedness encompasses the experience of the four jhanas. So now there is another sutta which talks about what is the equipment of right collectedness: right effort and right mindfulness. You make an effort, the right effort, to notice your mind is uncollected, not collected, and mindful. You bring it back to a collected state of mind, and you require proper attention for this, yoni, so mara sakara. So what I am going to say here is that right effort is the heart of the eightfold path. The beginning of the eightfold path is right view. You require right view, and all of that leads into each other, and they are all interconnected.

Right, and there are two other path factors that are opened, let's say they are downloadable content, once you perfect the path: that is right insight and right liberation, samma nana, samma vimutti. But in terms of the eightfold path, you go from wrong view to right view, wrong intention to right intention, wrong speech to right speech, wrong action to right action, wrong livelihood to right livelihood, wrong mindfulness to right mindfulness, wrong collectedness to right collectedness, through the process of right effort. So the heart, that's what I'm saying, the core of the eightfold path is using right effort. Once you utilize right effort, then you go from the wrong factors to the right factors. So when we talk about the path leading to the cessation of whatever it might be, it is the Eightfold Path.

But in your mind, understand that the practical application of that is through the right effort. The six R's, in this case. I just love how again, the Buddha says right collectedness comes through the eightfold, no mention at all about looking at one object. It's just so weird. So it's a natural progression, and it's so much more alive, it's so much more harmonious, that it's not just one thing, it's actually just a lively process. So when you think about that, right collectedness, which is, or let's say, the component of samadhi, there are three components of samadhi: right effort, right mindfulness, and right collectedness. But those are facilitated through the process of sila: right speech, right action, right livelihood. But you can't have right speech, right action, right livelihood without the right intention.

And you can't have the right intention without the right view. So coming back to this sutta, now that we have some clarity on the Eightfold Path, let's get back to the penetrative discourse. When bhikkhus, a noble disciple, thus understands sensual pleasures, the origin of sensual pleasures, the diversity of sensual pleasures, the result of sensual pleasures, the cessation of sensual pleasures, and the way leading to the cessation of sensual pleasures, he understands this penetrated spiritual life to be the cessation of sensual pleasures. When it was said feelings should be understood and so on, for what reason was this said? There are because three feelings. Remember when we spoke about feelings before? The Buddha said he's talked about two kinds of feeling, he's talked about three kinds of feeling, he's talked about five types of feeling, six types of feeling, 18 types of feeling, 36 types of feeling, 108 types of feeling. But here we're just talking about three types of feeling. What are those three types? Pleasant, painful, neither painful nor pleasant.

What is the source and origin of feeling? Contact. Again, contact. Contact gives rise to feeling. Phassa gives rise to vedana. What is the diversity of feeling? There is worldly pleasant feeling. There is spiritual pleasant feeling. There is worldly painful feeling. There is spiritual painful feeling. There is worldly neither painful nor pleasant feeling. There is spiritual neither painful nor pleasant feeling. This is called the diversity of feelings. So what does that mean? Worldly and spiritual: one has to do with this body, the other has to do with freedom, has to do with inclining towards Nibbana, essentially, because the worldly pleasant feeling is a pleasant feeling that you experience through the five physical sense spaces.

But the worldly pleasant feeling, or the spiritual pleasant feeling, is jhana, experiencing jhanas. There is worldly painful feeling. We know what that is, right? Everybody knows what that is? What is spiritual painful feeling? Not being in jhana meditation. Pain can be one thing, but traditionally it's talked about as there's that inclination, that grief that arises: oh, when will I be free of suffering, when will I be free? Yeah, I could say, but it's more like that, some vega is there. It's like, I'm sick and tired of all of this. When will I have that experience?

Then adding to the suffering. Then adding to the suffering from that. There is worldly neither painful nor pleasant feeling. What would that be? What is a worldly neutral feeling? Indifference. Equanimity. Some level of equanimity. But what about the spiritual, neither painful nor pleasant feeling? It's the fourth jhana, really. Fourth jhana doesn't have neither pain nor pleasure. Neither joy nor grief. And what is the result of feelings? One produces an individual existence that corresponds with whatever feeling one experiences, and which may be the consequence either of merit or demerit. This is called the result of feelings. So again, one produces an individual existence that corresponds with whatever feelings one experiences, and which may be the consequence either of merit or demerit.

Feeling is old karma, vedana. It is to be experienced, and as a result of that, one can create a new habitual tendency, a bhava, an inclination towards existing in a certain state of mind or a certain plane of existence, which gives rise to birth of new existence or birth of new action, which adds to that whole process of karmic renewal.

And what is the cessation of feeling? With the cessation of contact, there is a cessation of feeling. The Noble Eightfold Path is the way leading to the cessation of feeling. In other words, let's say right effort, the heart of that, is the way leading to the cessation of feeling. Because using right effort, you recognize you have wrong intention towards something, which gives rise to a feeling which can be imbued with craving. You recognize, release your attention from that, let that go, right relax, come back to a wholesome state of mind, and see things with proper wisdom: thus, this is not me, this is not mine, this is not myself. Thereby you don't create an individual existence dependent upon, or corresponding with, the quality of that feeling.

So now we'll talk about perceptions after this short break. There are because these six perceptions, perception of forms, perception of sounds, perception of odors, perception of tastes, perception of tactile objects, perception of mental phenomena. So what is perception? Perception is that which recognizes an experience. Feeling and perception are intertwined. When there is a feeling, there is a perception of that experience: the knowing that this is a painful feeling, pleasant feeling, neutral feeling. The knowing of that is perception. The labeling of this as red, this is white, this is a feeling fan, this is a video camera, knowing what that is, that is perception. So there are six kinds of perceptions. Perceptions of forms: that this is a kind of form.

Form and color, actually. Perception of sounds: this is a pleasant sound, an unpleasant sound. This is music by Beethoven, this is music by Eminem, whatever the music is. This is a sound. That's the sound of a bee buzzing, that's the sound of a fly buzzing, that's the sound of this particular bird: the recognition of that quality of that sound. Perception of odors: this is a pleasant odor, this is an unpleasant odor, right? This is a perfume, this is the smell of garbage, and so on. Perception of tastes: this is salty, this is bitter, this is sweet, this is spicy, this is umami. Perception of tactile objects: this is coarse, this is smooth, this is hot, this is cold, and so on.

This is wet, this is dry. Perception of mental phenomena: this is that, this is this kind of thought. This is a wholesome thought. This is an unwholesome thought. This is an idea. This is a concept. This is a memory. This is a reflection. This is a thought experiment, whatever it might be. What is the source and origin of perceptions? How do perceptions arise?

Contact. Just as contact gives rise to a feeling, if perception is intertwined with feeling, it is dependent upon contact. What is the diversity of perceptions? The perception of forms is one thing, the perception of sounds is another, the perception of odors is still another, the perception of tastes is still another, the perception of tactile objects is still another, the perception of mental phenomena is still another.

This is called the diversity of perceptions. So different kinds of perceptions can arise in relation to sense objects or mental objects. And what is the result of perceptions? What do perceptions result in? I say that perceptions result in expression. In whatever way one perceives something, in just that way one expresses oneself, saying, I was percipient of such and such. This is called the result of perception. There is that part of mind in you, even when you are meditating, where the mind says it's not verbal, it doesn't have to be verbal. It's sometimes just a knowing: there is joy present, a knowing there is equanimity present, a knowing mind is calm, a knowing mind is agitated. That expression of that is that non-verbal knowing. The result of that, or the result, comes from the perception of what is happening.

On a coarser level it's the expression of speech. I see a tree and I say, "Hey, look at that tree, look at that oak tree." So the perceiving of that, then one says, "I am percipient of such and such." But in the jhana or in the meditation you are percipient of compassion, percipient of loving-kindness. How else are you guys able to report to us what's going on in your meditation? If there is no perception in perceiving, then there is the result of that in seeing: "Oh, this is what I am experiencing right now." That's called expression.

And what is the cessation of perceptions? With the cessation of contact there is cessation of perceptions. Why? When you put your attention on something, I'm looking at this camera, I'm seeing that this is a camera. I'm seeing the camera, that's the feeling, the perception is that this is a camera. If my attention goes away and is on Bhante Ananda, now there is contact between Bhante Ananda and my eye, and there is eye consciousness. My attention is on Bhante Ananda, but now I don't see the camera. I don't perceive the camera, I perceive Bhante Ananda. So in daily life I understand where your attention is, if it is in the unwholesome

Six are it, or just close your eyes in the case of your eyes. Right. So it's a matter of recognizing through proper attention, through mindfulness, seeing what is happening in reference to perception of form, of sound, of tastes, of odors, of tangibles and of mind objects. The eightfold, the noble eightfold path, is the way leading to the cessation of perceptions. So how do you seize contact? How do you seize the attention to that? Recognizing that there is this experience, releasing your attention from it, relaxing, coming back to a wholesome object. This is the utilization, the application of the eightfold path.

Now we're going to talk about the taints, the asavas. There are three, because there are these three taints: the taint of sensuality, the taint of existence, and the taint of ignorance. The taint of sensuality: this is where mind inclines towards sensual craving. The taint of existence: mind inclines towards the craving to be, the craving to become. The taint of ignorance: where there is a lack of mindfulness. So there is a sutta, Majjhima Nikaya nine, which is known as Samadhi Sutta, Right View, and in there Sariputta uses a similar kind of process, using the four noble truths as a way of understanding the links of dependent origination. So there is present, let's say, clinging. That's the first noble truth. The origin of clinging is craving. The cessation of craving is the cessation of clinging. Using the eightfold path is the way of ceasing craving, and thus ceasing clinging.

So in the same way he also talks about the taints, and he says that ignorance, avija, gives rise to sankharas. But what gives rise to ignorance? And the taints give rise to ignorance: the potentials, the inclination to have desire, sensual desire, the inclination to have desire for being, the inclination for having, lack of attention, lack of mindfulness. Every time you crave sensually, you feed back energy to the taint of sensual desire, and the next momentum gives rise, in the next arising, to a stronger inclination.

Or for sensual craving. But if you have let go of ignorance and are mindful in that moment, and you use right effort to let go of that craving, then bit by bit you drill away at the taint of sensual desire. Likewise with the taint of desire for becoming. Likewise for the taint of ignorance. It's all dependent upon having mindfulness, having attention, and proper wisdom of seeing all experience as impermanent, as not me, not mine, not myself, not worth holding on to. So then he asks, what is the source and origin of the taints?

What do you think the origin of the taints are? Ignorance is the source and origin of the taints. Just as there is an interdependency between mind and body, and consciousness, mentality and materiality and consciousness, there is an interdependency upon ignorance and the taints. When the taints arise, ignorance arises, through ignorance the taints arise. What is ignorance? Not knowing the four noble truths, not applying the four noble truths, not having wisdom, not applying mindfulness, proper attention. And what is the diversity of the taints? There are taints leading to hell, there are taints leading to the animal realm, there are taints leading to the realm of afflicted spirits, there are taints leading to the human world, there are taints leading to the deva world. This is called the diversity of the taints. So they have a destination that they lead to.

And what is the result of the taints? One immersed in ignorance, one who does not apply the four noble truths, is unaware of the four noble truths. One who has lack of mindfulness produces a corresponding individual existence, which may be the consequence either of merit or demerit. In other words, it is a perpetuation of rebirth, of the karmic cycle. This is called the result of the taints. What is the cessation of the taints? With the cessation of ignorance there is the cessation of the taints. Having awareness, you don't add to that repository of the taints, and when ignorance is completely destroyed, the taints are completely destroyed. This noble eightfold path is the way leading to the cessation of the taints, the application of the eightfold path through the process of right effort.

Now we'll talk about karma. It is volition, or intention, because that I call karma: for having willed, one acts by body, speech or mind. This is karma. Here the Buddha is talking about karma as an action. There's two ways of understanding karma. Old karma, which is karma that you inherit as a result of previous consequences, choices, or as a consequence of previous choices, let's say. And then there is new karma, which is the intention to act by mind, body and speech. This is the karma that we're talking about. What is the source and origin of karma? How does one act? Where does the process of thinking or inclining the mind come from?

Where does the intention to speak come from? Where does the intention to act come from? How does it arise? What facilitates it? Contact. Why? When you have contact with an experience, there is an inclination to react to that experience. There's an inclination to engage with that experience. There's an intention to do something. You see something and you say, "This is what it is." The inclination to speak. "It's hot outside." You're feeling hot and uncomfortable. You see the shade of a tree, and in seeing that you use bodily intention to walk towards the tree and meditate under it. You make contact with something and you think about that, and you have mental intention towards that. So contact is the key here. Contact gives rise, as I said, to feeling, to perception, to intention, to karma. Contact is the key. Phassa. The Buddha has said karma is of two kinds, as I said, old karma and new karma. That karma: the eye is old karma, the ear is old karma, the nose is old karma, the tongue is old karma, the body is old karma, the mind is old karma.

To be made contact with, felt and experienced, this is all old karma. How you choose to take that experience, and what you choose to do with it, is the intention, which is the new karma. What is the diversity of karma? There is karma to be experienced in hell. There is karma to be experienced in the animal realm. There is karma to be experienced in the realm of afflicted spirits. There is karma to be experienced in the human world. There is karma to be experienced in the deva world. This is called diversity of karma.

The fact that you exist in this experience, in this reality, as a human being, is karma. What is the result of karma? The result of karma, I say, is threefold: to be experienced in this very life, or in the next rebirth, or on some subsequent occasion. This is called the result of karma. Remember we use that analogy of the different kinds of fruits, different kinds of fruit seeds. You have a watermelon seed, you have an orange seed, you have an apple seed. Depending upon what kind of moisture, how much moisture is given, what kind of causes and conditions are present, certain karma will come to fruition at certain stages or in their own time, dependent upon the causes and conditions. So some karma will be immediately effective.

Some karma will arise after some time, some karma after even longer time, and some karma not at all if no causes and conditions are present for it to come up. And what, bhikkhus, is the cessation of karma? With the cessation of contact there's cessation of karma. How is that the case? How does contact ceasing, contact cease, karma? Sorry, I couldn't hear you. A dissolution on the five aggregates. But the dissolution of the five aggregates is one thing, but if there is craving in there there can be further into karma. But the contact we're talking about in daily life, if the consciousness which is directed by attention is tainted through fettered formations, then there will be an inclination to crave, there will be an inclination to have aversion, an inclination to take personally. But if you see that wrong intention, if you see that attention is rooted in misperceiving reality as it is

Then you recognize it, release it, release your attention from that, relax, come back to a wholesome state of mind. So the cessation of karma, what is the way leading to the cessation of karma? The eightfold path. So that super mundane eightfold path, that does not partake in merits, that does not ripen in acquisitions. So this eightfold path, having right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, causes no harm to oneself, causes no harm to another. Seeing things as they are, facilitated through that eightfold path, you don't add to the experience, you don't take away from that experience. You see that experience, or you experience it as it actually is.

In that experience of just the experience, no new karma arises. So just that is a cessation of old karma. Hindrances being old karma. When they arise, if there is engagement with them, then they further proliferate. If there is non-engagement with them, and there is a relaxation through the process of the 6R's, then the hindrances weaken and finally dissipate. If you take this in every experience of your life, you will see that until you let go of certain situations. When we talk about rebirth, for example, what is rebirth? Talk about rebirth from one life to the next life, but there's rebirth in terms of arising and passing away of consciousness. But in the middle way there's also rebirth of situations. I say that rebirth is the same as insanity: doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result, getting yourself in the same or similar kinds of situations, getting yourself in the same or similar kinds of relationships, dealing with the same or similar kinds of people, until you learn to let go of them.

This is also karmic in nature. You're adding to that every time you make mistakes and take it personally. You just add to that situation, and you keep digging yourself into that situation or into that relationship or whatever it might be. But if you see things as they actually are, you stop taking them personally, and bit by bit those situations dissipate without further fuel of craving and aversion or identification given to them, or those relationships, or whatever that might be. Eventually, after you've learned your lesson, you don't get yourself into those same kinds of situations. So here wisdom is important.

Now we'll get into the last part: suffering should be understood. Yeah. Well, we can assume that it is talking about the brahma loka and the arupa brahma loka. Everything ripens in karma, even in the brahma loka. Well, I mean, if you talk about the deva lokas, we could assume that they're talking about the brahma lokas. You could see it in different ways. You could see it as the six, or rather the existences in the sensual realms, but there is ripening of karma in the brahma lokas as well as the arupa lokas. Anyone else has a question before I continue?

So now we're going to talk about suffering. So what is suffering? Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering. Sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection and anguish are suffering. Not to get what one wants is suffering. In brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering. There is the Mahasatipatthana Sutta, and in that there's a section which I've done before, which talks about what is suffering. If you want the whole list of different kinds of suffering, it's all there, or you can just read the book. Dukkha. Birth is suffering. Now, there's different ways of understanding birth is suffering. Birth of new karma is suffering. Birth of action is suffering. Birth of new existence is suffering, because you're coming back to doing the same thing over and over again in samsara. But physical birth also is suffering. I can't speak from experience because I'm a man, but I'm sure women who've experienced childbirth can attest to the fact of how birth is painful and is suffering.

And remember, this is the time of the Buddha. I was just watching this video recently talking about how many people have actually lived throughout the earth. In the last, how many generations? 117 billion people have come and gone on this planet, according to the most recent numbers, 117 billion humans. And he was talking about how a lot of that death is suffering, that is suffering, because a person can fear death, can have that death anxiety, and that can lead to a person being violent. One who is afraid of death can be extremely violent.

And in order to control power over death, they inflict death on others. That is suffering, because it causes grief for those who are still here, the death of their loved ones. Sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection and anguish are suffering. Not to get what one wants is suffering. Getting what one doesn't want is also suffering. You're standing in line and you're looking forward to some chocolate pie, but it's not there anymore. Suffering. There's only banana pie. So we talked about suffering in terms of dukkha, dukkha viparinama dukkha, sankhara dukkha. So this is what it's talking about.

What is the source and origin of suffering? This is a pretty easy one. What is the source of suffering? Craving. Yeah, but here it's saying craving is the source and origin of suffering. The craving is dependent upon the conceit, but from the craving they can arise suffering. What is the diversity of suffering? There is extreme suffering, there is slight suffering, there is suffering that fades away slowly, there is suffering that fades away quickly.

This is called the diversity of suffering. So, different temperaments of suffering. And what is the result of suffering? This is an interesting one. Here, someone overcome by suffering, with a mind obsessed by it, sorrows, languishes and laments. He weeps, beating his breast, and becomes confused. Or else, overcome by suffering, with a mind obsessed by it, he embarks upon a search outside, saying, who knows one or two words for putting an end to this suffering?

Searching for TWIM on YouTube. Suffering, I say, results either in confusion or in a search. This is called the result of suffering. And what is the cessation of suffering? With the cessation of craving, there is the cessation of suffering. This noble Eightfold Path is a way leading to the cessation of suffering. These are the Four Noble Truths: suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the way leading to the cessation of suffering.

This, bhikkhus, is that penetrative exposition of the Dhamma. Any questions? So there's two kinds of noble silence, right. There's a noble silence in terms of practicality, of keeping your verbal silence, not speaking. But the noble silence that arises in the second jhana, with the cessation of thinking and examining thought, as the cessation of vitaka and vichara. So the noble silence here is the cessation of intentionalizing, any kind of verbalizing, intentionalizing any kind of wholesome image to bring up the object of meditation. Well, we have dealt with that suffering aspect. Now, having been born, we are always suffering. There's always going to be suffering. So how are you going to find the Nibbana? You've been born into this world. We've all been born into this world, into this life. That's suffering. We've all experienced some kind of loss and rejection.

That's suffering. But now that we're here, there is an inclination for Nibbana. That inclination arose due to the suffering. Yeah, the Upanisa Sutta. The suffering leads to faith and so on. So now we just said, right, suffering can have two results: further confusion, or a search. Is there a way out of this suffering? So we've found ourselves here in samsara, but now we're seeking a way out of samsara for good. Yeah. Two questions. One: during the session you mentioned that when there's no contact there's no karma, and also that to not have contact, you had to not have connection with the eye, the mind and form, not have connection with the mouth, the taste. Can you elaborate on the no contact, no party? Yeah. So another way of understanding it is just very simply that the contact gives rise to feeling that is to be experienced. But if the contact has consciousness that is already tainted by craving, then it will incline towards craving. So of course that's one kind of cessation of contact. The other kind of cessation of contact is Nirodha.

In Nirodha, there is no karmic output or input. The other question I had was, you had mentioned that also in America there are no intermediate states. Where does bardo come from? Bardo is more of a Tibetan Buddhist idea. I think it's found in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. And the way I would look at bardo is that there are still mental states that are being experienced prior to the next life.

So before the dissolution of all of the aggregates, there's still some mind element still being experienced, or which is experiencing the states of bardo. And then whatever inclination is there, that then will incline towards a new being or the new state of existence. That's why I was saying yesterday, and of course this is just what I'm saying, to take it for what it's worth: the body and the mind unravel. The six sense bases are unravelled in a certain way. So even if the body is medically and clinically dead, there's still some element of mind going on. Which is why it's important that when there is the death of a loved one, it's important not to cry and weep and lament, because it's possible that that mind will feel upset, will experience aversion. But if you can actually be there and be wholesome and apply some kind of wisdom, it's possible that that mind will incline towards the wholesome, or you will help that mind incline towards the wholesome.

It's impossible, because there's still vitality there. There's still the jivitindriya that's still present. The body is not physically really dead, because some sorts of things are still running the body. To not recognize it, I think this might say more than the body is clinically dead, which I mean to say is that our current medical sensors say that body is kaput. That's the medical term, kaput. Now, that's a good point that you bring up. When you think about the arupa jhanas, though, or the arupa realms, there's just nama, no rupa there.

There's only mentality there. Right. But if there's no rupa, there can still be nama. That's what I'm saying. There's just a feeling, mental feeling, mental feeling. Yes. Right. But then what about the arupa states? Is there rupa there? - Perception of rupa. - Perception of rupa, feeling of rupa. - Okay. - And you mentioned about rupa. - Whether or not there is awareness or perception of the body, the body is still there. So that consciousness is still dependent on the body. So the nama-rupa and consciousness principles still operate, but it's just that the mind has been purified so that it doesn't know rupa anymore. But if something were to happen to that body at that time, and die, for example, then we would have... the consciousness would have to move on. You'd have to find out how the body was.

It would mean towards another existence, because the mind cannot exist without the body, or without the body. It doesn't mean, because we're not aware of it, that it's not there. Because, I mean, that's the principle. In the case of that, as mentioned about our living, so what's being the, how's the living work for the living in our living? Because then, you can see that, our living to conscious, consciously to, so what kind of living in our living, looking for the living? So now, in the Brahma loka, for example, not all the six sense bases are there. Likewise, in the arupa loka, there's only mind.

So in the case of the dissolution of the body, that's the dissolution of any functioning in the body. But mind is still present. This is what I'm saying. Mind is still in body. Mind is in the process of death. Mind is still present. Body is now like a log. There's still vitality there. The heat is dissipating. The vitality is ended when the mind sense ends. That's when consciousness has no footing anymore in mind or body. Anywhere from three and a half hours to longer. Yes. Yes. There's no heat and there's no vitality. Yes, it is not really dead, it's dead by clinical standards. That's what I'm saying. You cannot know if there's actually somebody who's actually alive.

Not in nirodha, not someone in your road. It's happening in the mind. No, I wouldn't say after seven days that the mind departs. No, no, it's okay. The physical one is incapable to empty for a nurse, and then after that, in terms of the medical, it's physically dead. It's physically dead, but mind could still be unraveling.

Mind could still be unraveling. It could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. We'll have to experiment and see. So the bar is 49 days, so seven times seven weeks, then. So I mean seven weeks basically. Of course it has to be with sevens. It's always sevens, seven times seven. But basically what we're saying is that the mind will still be unraveling. So my point here is, when next time somebody dies, don't lament. I'm talking about practical means. Just be there, radiate loving kindness. Be there to support that person, or that being, that is on its way out. So even if you feel like you missed your chance to say goodbye after that body is clinically dead,

You can still say goodbye. You can still say, I love you. And whatever else you want to say to them. There's actually a story relating that in the Vinaya. Oh, is there? Where a lot of people just roll a piece of cloth from a body in the charnel ground. And the body is dead. And just a lot of people just don't use this anymore. He takes the piece of cloth and goes back to his house, and he noticed that the corpse is actually walking, the spirit is coming, and the spirit is coming, and then closing the door, and the spirit goes, and so we have a rule not to take clothing from the charnel ground.

So then that seven days makes sense then, that kiss. So in other words, mind can unravel and dissipate at most up to seven days from that body. Go ahead. So one more question. You had mentioned that there are certain taints that take you to the animal realm, taints that take you to the human realm, taints that take you to the deva realm. Would that taint be the conceit, I am? Yeah. So, the taint of sensual desire can lead you to any of the six sensual heavens or the human realm or animal realm or whatever it might be. Once that goes away, there's still a taint for being. So, that can lead you to any of the Brahma lokas still.

Oh, was this? Yeah. Were critically dead, they saw themselves being given an electric shock. And this is actually scientifically reported by a researcher called Ian Smith. He's written a lot of books on. In specific instances, they come back and say, hey, who did this to me while I was critically dead? So my question, and forward to that, yeah, it can be a case of mind-made body. There's some form of connection with the sixth sense basis if you look at it, because they felt, right, they could feel them giving an electric shock to the body. In that case, it's still mentality, it's still mind. That basically is what we've named them. - Yeah. - So there are larger acts that we bring it up.

It doesn't mean that the physical view, physical view, maybe kind of this perception of mental. Now look like, you're not telling me, it doesn't indicate that we have kind of a physical component, because material can also be gross or subtle. Gross is what we're experiencing, but the subtle can be a different kind of material, right? Yeah, that's how then you have the. Wait, before that, did you have something to say? Okay.

That's, yeah, the vitality, which is the jivitindriya, still there. But people think that there's a rupa kind of body. It means that the body, or the Buddha, can expand like much further by creating another form of a yoga rupa and then just continue forever. I mean, if there's any kind of rupa, rupa body like that, the Buddha can be forever. But no, when we talk about, listen guys.

Listen, when we talk about arupa, there is no materiality there. There is no six sense bases there. There's just mind. I mean, there's no five physical sense bases. There's just mind, and even in the brahma lokas not all the sense bases are active. So, and the kaya, by the way, rupa and kaya. Kaya can also mean mentality or mind-body. Not necessarily, like when he says, for example, he says a body witness, right? It's translated as a body witness. It says kaya. What is it in the Pali? Kaya sakkhi. Kaya sakkhi. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So kaya sakkhi means that he has touched his mind, his body, with those experiences. It doesn't mean his physical body necessarily. Kaya can also mean mind. He has touched his mind with that.

So rupa is the physical material. Kaya is the, it can mean body but it can also mean mind. That's the first time I hear. Yeah. I thought that kaya sakkhi was more like, because it also says sometimes, um, just tasted the truth, which is so hard to know with this body because it's, it's so gross. Yeah, yeah.

It can also mean that, but here, when we talk about it, because the mind also touches, the bodily witness is one thing, one liberated both ways is another thing. But there they're experiencing liberation by going through the four jhanas, rupa, and then there are rupa as well, which is not experienced in the body. In that case it's mental body, let's say kaya. So you can't mean physical body, because the body does feel relief as a result of experiencing nibbana. But here the kaya, just to clarify, because the clarification I'm doing is that there's no like way of a rupa or a kaya in as a rupa to be present in an arupa jhana. That's all I'm referring to. Yeah, yes, producing any new karma, right? So an arahant never produces any new karma. Their actions are not effective in producing any new karma because their mind is stabilized in the eightfold path. Eightfold path being an implementation of speech and action that doesn't result in any new karma.

If there is no, if there is materiality in where? no uh what he's saying is that it's not possible to experience if i'm understanding correctly nibbana through an arupa uh uh yeah yeah right but there is a few references race minor references in um i think the angutta nikaya where the buddha talks to sariputta and sariputta says how could it be when one doesn't have an intention one's own intention or the intention of another where does he end up and the buddha says that he could end up in neither perception or non-perception and then will not return from that world again or will not return to this world from there again which some some people interpret as becoming an anagami and then attaining Pareinabhan.

Quite possible. Let's add some controversy here. There is something known as a jhana anagami. Have you heard of the statement? No. There is a mention in a couple of places in the Anguttara Nikaya, which doesn't specifically say jhana anagami. But what it says is, one who experiences jhana consistently, when the body dissolves, when the life dissolves, they will not return back to this sensual sphere again.

This is called the autumn, yeah. And there's a couple of other references. So here they talk about jhana anagami in the sense that such a being would be experiencing jhana at the point of death, which means their mind is free of. So first of all, they need to be a sotapanna or sakadagami. That's the other understanding. Once you are sought upon as a sakadagami and you enter into jhana at the point of death, the idea is from there you will not return back to this sensual realm. And then depending upon which jhana you've cultivated, you will go to that corresponding Brahma loka or rupa loka. Again, this is controversy, so do your own research. Yeah, first become a sotapanna.

Keep developing your practice. You might as well become an anagami in that process. One way or the other. Yeah, yeah, let's hear this one. So, we're going to go to the next one. Sarada sutta, so this is book of three in the Anguttara Nikaya, 94, autumn, and that reference to jhana anagami is actually in the commentary, but it's, I guess it's quite outspoken.

So, just as in the autumn, monks, after the rains, when the rain clouds split and dissipate from the heavens, the sun rises up and ascends the sky, dispelling all darkness by its radiance and luminous effulgence. Similarly, monks, for the wise Ariya, the flawless, stainless vision of the Dhamma arises. Following the arising of vision, a wise meditator has given up three fetters: belief in personal self, doubt in Dhamma, and adherence to blind observances and practices.

Afterwards, one does away with two things: sensory yearning and ill will or anger. And this is actually describing the first jhana, basically. Yeah, it's like also attaining first jhana, so it's very close. So the understanding there would be a stream enterer or sakadagami has basically let go of the first three fetters. When they attain the first jhana, what does that mean? When they attain the first jhana, which includes no sensual craving and no ill will, so that mind in that moment is purified of any sensual craving, purified of any kind of ill will.

Therefore, in that sense, those five fetters are not close, and from there there's a possibility that they can turn back to the sensual realms. There's even suttas, the finger snap sutta, where the Buddha says that someone who cultivates a mind of loving kindness, even for the time of a finger snap, is one who practices jhana. So it's quite clear. A finger snap. Yeah, loving kindness, let alone one who would cultivate them. So they're said to practice jhana, practise the teacher's teaching, and they do not eat alms food in vain or as a debt. So for the time of a finger snap, and then he says, let alone those who would actually develop this. So for those who think that the brahmavihara is just like a kindergarten practice, it's actually pretty good. So yeah, and I like that they're actually talking about the fetters that are associated with anagami, and then right after they're talking about the same thing but with the jhana factors.

Afterwards one does away with two things, sensory yearning and ill will or anger, as one lets go of sensory engagement or yearning and lets go of unwholesome states of mind. And then, because at that point restlessness is still possible but it's somewhat calm, because there's no more anger or sensory engagement, that's calming it quite a bit, still thinking and reflecting with the blissful ease that arises from letting go.

One understands and abides in the first jhana. At that time, monks, if the lifetime of this wise ariya were to come to its end, there are no fetters that could bind the wise meditator to return to this world again. So get to stream entry at least, guys. Anyway. The spotless vision of the Dhamma. I like that. Yeah. Any other questions or are you guys good now?

Where do you want to distribute these books? There. There's more hockey stories. I'll take one first. Concept and reality. That's the best piece of the piece of the piece of the piece in the piece of the piece of the piece. Yeah, the music. So anyone who didn't get a copy will get one tomorrow. There's some more. So let's share some merit. May suffering ones be suffering free, and the fear struck fearless be. May the grieving should all grieve, and may all beings find belief. May all beings share these merits that we have thus acquired for the acquisition of all kinds of happiness. May beings and everything space and earth, devas and nagas of mighty powers sharing these merits of ours, may they long protect the Buddha Sasa Sasa Sasa