Pakokku Sayadaw's 

Dhamma Talks

"Know Mano"

[Mind]

Semon on 5th December, 2006,

By the Venerable Bhaddanta Indobhasa

(Pakokku Sayadaw - Burma)

Length (13:09)

Translated by Jenny Ko Gyi (Burma - Myanmar)

Transcription and sound recording by Florian Dobson

That which comes in contact with the mind base is dhammarammana (mental-object). Not contact with the eye base (or the other sense-bases), but with the mind base - which is called mano. Not knowing the true nature of the object is delusion, moha cetasika - mental concomitant.

Get rid of moha, delusion, and there will be no ignorance, avijja. If there is no ignorance, there will be the peaceful element, nibbana. Nibbana is covered by [names and concepts], pannatti.

[1:00]

All that comes into contact with the mind base is pannatti. In dreams also it is contact with mano. The objects of dreams are also pannati. That which turns attention toward objects is mano. Bhavanga citta-[life continuum consciousness], and the attention toward objects, these two consciousnesses are mano, mind.

[1:35]

In dhammanupassana, you also have to know mano – mind - and the mental objects. Manancapajanati know the mind, mano, the Buddha says so.

[ Dhammeca pajanati], know the objects, dhammarammana. Kasina [objects for developing concentration, samatha], and nimmita [the signs or symbols] used for developing abhinnana [psychic] powers. These also, are pannatti - name, concepts.

[2:30]

Bhavanga citta (life-continuum consciousness) and the attentive mind is mano.In dreams also there is attention turned [toward objects]. Know the mind. Not knowing the mind, mano, there arises 'I'. Not knowing mano is ignorance - avijja. Taking it as 'I', [mine], is ditthi - wrong view.Know mano.

[3:10]

‘I’m going there', it originates in the mind, but comes out of the mouth, 'I’ll have to go there'. Speaking is vaci vinnnatti, rupa (matter). Talking about the world, about countries or cities is pannatti. It will have names and shapes. Speaking originates in the mind base, speaking can be done only with mano, not with the eye; it cannot be spoken by the eye. The eye cannot give rise to rupa.

The abdomen rising and falling is pannatti, seeing the abdomen is still pannatti (name concept), only the movement is paramattha. [Knowing as the] abdomen or sitting, shapes, forms, are pannatti. Only the pushing, movement, thrusting into motion is paramattha (absolute truth). [repeating]. Shapes and forms are pannatti. Only the movement, which is the characteristic of air element, vayo, is paramattha. It is that which pushes into motion. The heat, warmth, when you are feverish, when there is high fever, fever so high that ice packs are needed, these are all paramattha - tejo [fire element]. There are no names [in paramattha]. Only when you understand the nature of the heat element, [you understand] paramattha, only when pushing or motion is understood, [the air element understood] which is paramattha. The names alone are pannatti. These are the objects of mano.

[4:50[

Coarse and subtle [rough and fine (or smooth)], these are pathavi - earth element, the flesh is pannatti.Flesh can be cognized by mano. This is pannatti [concepts].The object of kama citta, sensual desire, also is pannatti. There appear to be forms and shapes. [for example at the eye door] perceiving [visual ]objects as shapes and forms is kama mano, or kama citta - the sensual mind, this is an object of mano, mind, mananca pajanati, dhammenca pajanati- [know the mind and its objects]. The objects of mano are pannatti.

[5:50]

The object and pannatti concepts are causes of ignorance - avijja.

Pannatti objects (name concepts) give rise to ignorance - avijja. Know dhammarammana. Most of the objects of mano are pannatti. __***3** Pannatti and nibbana also are objects of the mind - dhammarammana. Nibbana also is dhammarammana. Pannatti and nibbana they are dhammarammana, they are objects of mind, mano.

Names, shapes, and forms are pannatti. Be mindful so that attention does not fall upon names and shapes. Objects are pannatti and that which knows them is mano. Based on the two, mind and the concepts, there arises [attachment] - samyojana. The contact between mano and arammana is the cause of attachment - samyojana. For example desire, anger, pride, jealously, stinginess, remorse,sloth, torpor, these are all attachments (samyojana).

[7:20]

Nibbana is where there is no attachment. Attachment comes related to pannatti. Pannatti and attachment, if there is pannatti there is attachment. If there is no pannatti there is no attachment; if there is no attachment, nibbana is attained. Having no attachment is called nibbana

[7:45]

Where does attachment (samyojana) come from? Ditthi is attachment.[perceiving as] hand is ditthi (wrong view), [perceiving as] 'my hand' is [craving or attachment] - tanha. Head is ditthi, my head is tanha, face is ditthi, my face is tanha. Taking as chest is ditthi, taking as 'my chest' is tanha craving. Legs is ditthi, my legs is tanha. These are pannatti names. From [craving and wrong view] tanha ditthi there come [actions] kamma - physical, verbal, and mental actions arise. Dependent upon tanha ditthi, taking as man is wrong view. Taking as my man, it becomes craving. Taking as citizens is ditthi, my (fellow) citizens is tanha. Money is ditthi, my money is tanha. Tanha and ditthi gives rise to kamma, the kamma that has tanha and ditthi, [wrong view and craving]

[8:55]

Tanha ditthi, tanha is [greed] loba.Ditthi is wrong view. Both are mental formations or mental states - cetasika. The kamma which has [greed and wrong view]. Kamma is cetana [volition], in the mind [a mental state],(*2) tanha ditthi (craving and wrong view) give rise to kamma.

What is kamma? There are mental, verbal, and physical kammas. Mano kamma is [volition] cetana, and in cetana there are tanha and ditthi. If it is without tanha, ditthi, there is nibbana. This should be known first.

Know rupa (matter). If it is my rupa it is ditthi tanha.Waving your hand, knowing as hand, it is pannati. Knowing the movement is vayo rupa, air element matter, in rupa there is no hand. Differentiate between pannatti and rupa. Know this is feeling - vedana, this is sanna - perception, this is sankara - volition, this is rupa – matter.

[9:55]

Know warmth, heat, motion, hardness, (etc.). Like molecules, know this is rupa, this is the cause of rupa. Externally, rupa arises because of tejo, heat. __The body arises because of kamma, citta, utu, ahara - [kammic deeds, mind, temperature, nutrition], because of ignorance, because of craving, because of attachment or clinging, kamma, and because of ahara (nutrition), there arises rupa (matter). If you cannot recognize all, remembering one is quite ok. Only when you know cause and effect, doubt - vicikicca, is dispelled.

1045

In dhammanupassana, commentator says dhammo also is sabhavo - nature, the characteristic. Nature arises dependent upon cause. There is singing and you hear singing. A gong is struck and you hear the sound of a gong. A car drives by and you hear it

Arising dependent upon cause is nature - sabhava. Know the arising [of consciousness]. Knowing the arising is udaya nana. Know the cause, know the arising. Arising dependent on cause. ___ This is sabhava characteristic. The ear consciousness hears [sound]. Hearing is sabhava nature. Knowing the arising is udaya nana,

[11:40]

Knowing the passing away is vaya nana. If there is hearing, hearing (as man, etc.,) is mano mind. The ear consciousness hears [sound alone].Due to causes there comes arising - this is nature. If the arising is known, it is udaya nana.If the passing away is known, it is vaya nana.

[12:07]

Passing away, passing away, knowing only passing away is bhanga nana, _this is anicca impermanence. Only when bhanga nana is attained, anicca is fully understood. Impermanence - anicca - means after arising it is no more (utva abhavato). The previous one is no longer there, and another has arisen [in its place]__ the passing away is like a mustard seed kept atop a needle, instantly it falls off. After arising it passes away. This impermanence is also an object of the mind – dhammarammana, asamohasampajana.

. ___this impermanence is only the object of the wisdom, nana, which has no moha.

sadhu. sadhu. sadhu.

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Friday, December 15, 2006

[If There Is]

Dhamma talk by

The Ven. Bhaddanta Indobhasa

AKA

The Pakoku Sayadaw

Translated by Dr. Jenny Ko Gyi

Edited by Florian Dobson

Imasmim sati idamhoti

Imasmin asati idamnahot

If there is one, there is the other

If the one is not there, the other isn’t either

Imasmim sati idamhoti; if there is one, there is the other. Imasmim This mind-and-matter complex – namarupa. sati if there is mindfulness[1], idamhoti there [is no man, only the sense bases] eyes, ears, nose[2], etc. Imasmin asati idamnahoti; Imasmim This mind-and-matter complex, asati if there is no mindfulness, idamnahoti the eyes, and ears aren’t there [and one perceives there to be man].

___ Sitting or walking about is physical phenomena - rupa, being aware of it is mental phenomena - nama. Together they form - namarupa - mind and matter. [1:00 ]

When you see eyes and ears, know that it is only namarupa. In cities there are eyes and ears, take is as namarupa. Animals in the jungle also have eyes and ears, they are also namarupa. Does a man have eyes and ears? No, if we say a man has eyes and ears, and then again we say namarupa has eye ears, then they will both have eyes and ears. But in fact there is no man, there is only namarupa, [man is only a name given upon namarupa].

[1:45]

In paticca samuppada, the doctrine of dependent origination, man is not said to exist, there are only eyes, ears; namarupa paccaya salayatanam - dependent upon mind and matter, the 6 sense bases, eyes, ears, etc., arise. There is no man, only mind-and-matter, which means eyes ears ect. Is they a man’s eyes and ears? Think, understanding there is no man is great wisdom [maha panna], also called great knowledge [maha vijja]. According to the paticca samuppada there is no man, in the Patthana[3] [the study of causal relations], there is no man. In the Abhidhamma[4], also, no man is said to exist.

[3:00]

Do men have eyes? It is not so. Only when one attains this knowledge [nana], which is fully convinced of the nonexistence of man, then it can be said that this is the ‘manless mind’[5]. Only when this wisdom is attained, then you can live with a mind empty of the impression of man. It is very peaceful. This manless mind can also be called the mind without pannatti. Names and shapes [or forms] and concepts, such as man etc., are pannatti. [3:45] Differentiate between the mind which has pannatti and the mind which is empty of pannatti.

When the mind is empty of pannati, it’s like a man without a mind. What does it mean ‘a man without mind’? When he is insulted or abused he is not hurt, and remains unaffected, there will not be any anger. Who receives the insults? [In reality] only the ear receives insults. But who feels insulted? ‘I’ feel insulted. Only if you feel ‘'I' am insulted’, there will be anger. If there is anger it becomes sankhata dhamma[6] - conditional phenomena. If there is no anger it is asankata dhamma – unconditioned phenomenon – and abusive language is not used in return. If there is no anger, there will be no retaliation, verbally or physically.

What the eye sees is only visible object - ruparammana[7]. Don’t accept what man has impressed upon you, __it’s only a visible object. Seeing the form as man it becomes asava[8]. What is seen by the eye is only visible object, not a man. At this point one will understand the Dhamma.

What the ear hears is only sound. When the ear hears, don’t discern or compare. At the ear, what is heard? And who hears it? The ear hears it. Whose ears? It is the paticcasamuppada ear[9], the namarupa ear. Man does not have ears, who hears?The paticcasamuppada ear hears, there is no man.

The nose smells, that which is smelled is gandharammana – scent.Don’t accept what man has taught you, there is only the paticcasamuppada nose. Who smells? The paticcasamuppada nose smells, there is no man who smells.

When the tongue tastes, don’t make comparisons. Not comparing means; when the tongue tastes sweet, sour, salty, etc., don’t take it that ‘this is good, that is not good’. [6:30] Names/concepts such as chicken and pork do not apply[10]. There are only the tastes such as sweet, sour etc, which are paramattha absolute truth.

What the body touches is tangible object – photthabbarammana. Whose body is it? There is no man, and no body, it is not a man's body. Paticcasamuppada body. Is it not a man’s body? Knowing what should not be known. [In other words] the knowledge that comes from ignorance is called illusion. ____??___[11] When there is knowledge, illusion turns into function.

What the mind thinks is only dhammarammana - mental object. Don’t remember what has been taught to you by man. Who thinks? The mind thinks, it has ideas. Whose mind? It is the paticcasamuppada citta. Only then you understand this dhamma, you will not think this and that. loba, dosa – desire and anger, will not arise and there will be peace.

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