55:36

MN 141 - Saccavibhanga Sutta - The Exposition Of The Truths (Part 1)

by Ekta Bathija

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In this talk, Ektaji explains the 'MN 141 - Saccavibhanga Sutta - The Exposition of the Truths' (Part 1) from Majjhima Nikaya (The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha by Bhikkhu Bodhi). These suttas are at the heart of Buddha's teachings which were originally in Pali language. Ektaji uses some Pali words to make sure the meaning and importance of the sutta are not lost in translation and interpretation. Please visit her website for more information.

BuddhismFour Noble TruthsImpermanenceCravingsAversionSufferingEffortMindfulnessQuiet MindAcceptanceEightfold PathMeditation ObstaclesEgoSamadhiVolitional FormationsFive AggregatesAniccaDukkhaRight EffortSuffering OriginSuffering ReductionCraving And AversionSamskarasStream Entry

Transcript

Salaam.

Salaam.

Salaam.

Salaam.

Salaam.

Salaam.

Majma Nikaya,

Suttah 141.

Satcha Vibhanga Suttah.

The exposition of the truths.

Thus have I heard on one occasion the Blessed One was living at Banaras in the deer park at Isipatana.

There he addressed the bhikkhus.

Venerable Sir,

They replied,

The Blessed One said this.

At Banaras bhikkhus in the deer park at Isipatana the Tathagata accomplished and fully enlightened set ruling the matchless wheel of the Dhamma.

You know the wheel of the Dhamma.

You must have seen certain photographs.

There is a wheel that we always you would see in every Buddhist tradition.

So this wheel of the Dhamma is this.

So when he got enlightened first he decided,

Oh it's too hard.

Nobody will get it.

It's not possible and those who have to get it know they'll get it on their own.

So he decided I'm not going to teach or do anything about this.

He just sat.

It is said that all whatever inner angel voices that you hear and that also you hear Mara sometimes like that only that is the opposite of Mara.

So those voices in him came and said there are people who are on the threshold.

That voice said there are some on the threshold not on this side not on that side.

Yeah,

They're just on the threshold.

Little push you give them.

They'll get it.

They just need a clue.

They are ready.

They're like a ripe mango.

It just needs to be touched and will come off.

But the touch is required.

Otherwise it might rot in on that tree.

Have you seen yeah when something becomes too ripe and it doesn't fall off or is not taken off it rots.

So just to help those few who are at the threshold who will get it you teach.

So he started teaching.

That's why most of his teachings are to whom?

To people who had already become ascetics who had already been practicing for such a long time and failed in their practices could not attain what they were really thirsting for.

Some of you went into quiet mind today.

How you loved it isn't it?

Yeah,

That's what you've been thirsting for that peace that quiet that equanimity.

You really want it.

That is all you want.

You always say I want that peace.

Right?

Just for giving this taste of peace to you that it is inside.

It is not in these external things that you're looking for.

He started teaching those big kus or ascetics people who had anyway dropped everything and were practicing for a long time and they got it immediately.

Ah because they were almost there.

No last step last step was required.

Yeah.

So that is called the matchless wheel of Dhamma.

That's why it is matchless.

Yeah,

Because before that whatever the teachings were they were not helping people to get to that last short.

That's why it's called the matchless wheel of Dhamma.

Which cannot be stopped by any recluse or Brahmin or God or Mara or Brahma or anyone in the world.

That is the announcing,

Teaching,

Describing,

Establishing,

Revealing,

Expounding and exhibiting of the four noble truths.

Of what for the announcing,

Teaching,

Describing,

Establishing,

Revealing,

Expounding and exhibiting of the noble truth of suffering.

That's the first truth.

What does it mean?

Tell me.

There is suffering in life means what?

Educate me.

I don't understand.

What is the meaning of there is suffering in life?

Okay,

Everything is impermanent,

Unenthusiastic and so?

It's not in the context of the constant going on and on that is causing my own story that is causing trouble to me as well as to the others.

Perfect.

This going on record in my mind goes on and on and on.

Why is it going on and on and on?

Because I'm not ready to accept the truth that everything is a nature.

Everything is changing.

Everything is changing.

Why am I not able to accept?

What does the ego want?

Permanency.

My spouse permanent,

My house permanent,

My family permanent,

My money permanent,

My spiritual progress permanent.

Tell me our jhanas permanent.

You got the got to highest stages.

What happened?

All gone.

No.

Everything is changing.

But ego wants permanency.

It's not ready to accept the truth that everything is changing and that is why there is craving and aversion craving aversion in your mind all the time.

You get it.

That is tukkha.

Simple.

Very simple.

There is no other thing that is causing you tukkha.

Super clear right?

Yeah,

My own craving and my own aversion.

Even if it is,

Oh he caused me tukkha or she caused me tukkha.

What is my ego looking for?

Permanency.

But that person changes.

That person changes.

I'm not ready to accept the truth of a nature.

Super clear?

The announcing,

Teaching,

Describing,

Establishing,

Revealing,

Expounding and exhibiting of the noble truth of the origin of suffering.

What is the origin now?

That thought,

The first thought came from where did that thought originate?

Tarmasan skara originated from where?

From previous action.

Okay,

Previous action.

What was that previous action?

It caused the caused and effect of previous action.

Yeah,

What is that?

Come on,

Louder.

Memory,

Memory of that previous action has come up in the form of a thought.

Memory of what?

What do you remember?

Fantastic.

My craving or aversion in that particular situation only becomes my memory.

Do you remember whether you had one glass of kombucha or two today?

You have to look in your memory because it's not important.

Are you understanding what gets registered in memory?

My craving or my aversion.

Aversion is the other side of craving.

In the past,

I had some craving or aversion that got deposited,

That became my memory.

That memory is like a seed that was sown in the past.

The seed kept maturing and today,

When I'm in my best meditation,

That is the moment that that sapling decided to come out of the earth and that first thought comes up and disturbs me in my meditation.

I am having the most peaceful meditation after three days of struggling with my five hindrances and now I have to remember that childhood nasty friend of mine.

Do you see?

Yes,

Are you understanding?

Yeah,

What is the cause of suffering?

What is the origin of suffering?

Origin and cause is the same.

My own craving and aversion.

Very clear?

Of the noble truth of the cessation of suffering.

Now how will this cease?

Now look at this whole process.

There was a craving and aversion that strong impression became memory seed that continued in my consciousness till the memory seed matured.

Today that sapling came out.

First there was that tanha of that sapling coming out of the earth.

I decided not to be aware and be in my own.

Yeah,

Whatever state I didn't look at it and it became a thought and that thought distracted me out of my meditation.

Yes,

You understood the whole process.

Yeah,

How do I seize this process?

Recognize the tanha.

Yeah,

Recognize the tanha.

Fantastic those who become very aware even before the sapling sprouts of out of the earth before only they notice that shaking that vibration that tanha.

Those who are not aware,

What do they do?

They are smiling and relaxing at tanha also and now the thought came and the first thought you smile you relax the meninges,

Relax,

Smile that cuts off that cord with this thought and this.

Does it mean it's not going to come up again?

No,

No,

No.

Now the second leaf will come up.

Third one.

Yeah,

And it's going to come out full.

Yeah,

How much ever craving and aversion I had pumped into that seed that much is going to sprout today.

Yeah,

The stronger I become in relaxing,

Relaxing,

Relaxing,

Not reacting.

What is relaxing really?

Relaxing the meninges.

What is it really?

What are you doing?

You're not cooking.

I'm not hooking onto it again and again.

I am unhooking and by unhooking what am I doing?

Really?

I'm not adding water to that little sapling.

What does sapling need?

Whatever food I'm not giving it what happens when I stop giving it water and food and I'm just busy relaxing,

Busy smiling.

I'm not taking care of the sapling.

I'm taking care of my joy.

What happens to the sapling?

It will die.

Perfect.

It will die.

Cessation.

In whose hand is all this?

My hand or God's grace?

Who's going to relax?

I have to relax.

Is grace going to relax me?

No,

Grace will relax me one day.

Let me sit and mull over the past.

Am I ever going to get out of this suffering?

Never going to get out of this suffering.

We've done it enough.

Yeah,

Now that you recognize that only effort is the way make the right effort.

Stop feeding that sapling.

Let it wither and die.

Yeah,

If it has a little emotion attached with it burn in that emotion.

It's okay.

Yeah,

Emotion is nothing but a little bit of fire on the top,

But there is ice at the bottom.

Yeah,

You're just so afraid of that fire that you keep running away from that emotion.

You just say,

Okay,

I surrender.

Okay,

I'm done with the story.

I'm done with it.

I'm going into this fire.

You go into the fire.

There's only this much little level of fire.

It's just to scare you.

You keep going,

Sinking,

Sinking,

Sinking,

Sinking.

You will come out to the cool side.

And under that ice and cold water is absolute spaciousness.

It doesn't matter what your strong emotion is.

Yeah,

Whether it is anger,

Hatred,

Disappointment,

Rejection.

Rejection.

Fear.

It doesn't matter.

Whatever it is,

I am going to go to the other side.

Can you make that effort?

Yes.

That is the way to seize suffering.

Very clear.

Yeah,

And the last is the way leading to the cessation of suffering and that's the eightfold path.

Out of which right effort is what you keep applying.

Yeah,

And what are you doing?

You're doing Samadhi now.

Those who have started doing jhanas.

Those who are doing Satipatthana.

What is that?

Mindfulness.

Remember,

Right?

Right mindfulness.

Right samadhi.

At Banaras Pinkus in the deer park at Isipatana,

The Tathagata accomplished and fully enlightened set rolling the matchless wheel of the Dhamma which cannot be stopped by any recluse or Brahmin or God or Mara or Brahma or anyone in the world.

That is the announcing,

Teaching,

Describing,

Establishing,

Revealing,

Expounding and exhibiting of these four noble truths.

Cultivate the friendship of Sariputta and Moggallana Vikkhus.

Associate with Sariputta and Moggallana.

They are wise and helpful to their companions in the holy life.

Sariputta is like a mother.

Moggallana is like a nurse.

Sariputta trains others for the fruit of stream entry.

Moggallana for the supreme goal.

Sariputta Vikkhus is able to announce,

Teach,

Describe,

Establish,

Reveal,

Expound and exhibit the four noble truths.

What is stream entry?

We discussed this little bit last time.

Okay,

What is it called in Pali?

Sutapanna.

Yeah,

Sutapanna is the first level of enlightenment.

Yeah,

When you have entered the stream.

One thing I really appreciate about Buddha,

When somebody attains some high level like Moggallana,

Sariputta,

He gives them that position and then he lets them teach.

Yeah,

Because their words probably are easier for the others to understand.

It's so much humility,

You know.

The thing is not there that only I am the teacher,

Only I will teach.

You will not teach.

That thing is not there.

I really,

Really admire this about the Buddha.

So the Blessed One said,

Having said this,

The sublime one rose from his seat and went into his dwelling.

Then soon after the Blessed One had gone,

The Venerable Sariputta addressed the Vikkhus thus,

Friends,

Vikkhus.

Friend,

The Vikkhus replied to the Venerable Sariputta.

The Venerable Sariputta said this,

And Banaras,

Friends,

In the dear park at Isipatana,

The Tathagata accomplished and fully enlightened,

Set rolling the matchless wheel of the Dhamma.

Turn back the page,

Find the matchless wheel of the Dhamma and the second paragraph continues there.

Which cannot be stopped by any recluse or Brahman or God or Mara or Brahma or anyone in the world.

That is the announcing,

Teaching,

Describing,

Establishing,

Revealing,

Expounding and exhibiting of the four noble truths.

Of what for?

The announcing everything and exhibiting of the noble truth of suffering,

Of the noble truth of the origin of suffering,

Of the noble truth of the cessation of suffering,

Of the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering.

And what friends is the noble truth of suffering?

Birth is suffering,

Ageing is suffering,

Death is suffering,

Sorrow,

Lamentation,

Pain,

Grief and despair are suffering.

Not to obtain what one wants is suffering.

In short,

The five aggregates affected by clinging are suffering.

Means your whole life is suffering.

Is that what he is saying?

What is he really saying?

Beautiful that the key is in the five aggregates affected by clinging.

What are the five aggregates?

Rupa is form.

Vinyana,

Consciousness.

Sannyas,

Perception.

Vedana,

Feeling and sankhara,

Impressions.

There is clinging in all of them.

Clinging,

Clinging,

Clinging,

Clinging.

Where does clinging come from?

Craving.

Where does craving come from?

Feeling.

I like this.

I want it.

I don't like it.

I don't want it.

Yes,

Do you see this?

This is there in you all the time.

This is in the five aggregates.

You are made up of these five aggregates.

All this clinging,

Clinging,

Clinging leads to suffering.

Because of this clinging there were impressions formed.

Because of those impressions formed there is birth.

Without impressions will there be birth?

Birth is because of sanskharas,

The past sanskharas or sankharas or impressions.

When there is birth what starts happening to ego?

It wants everything to be permanent but everything changes.

It wants its body to be young and beautiful.

What happens?

Does it stay that way?

It doesn't stay that way.

There is sickness.

There is aging.

And finally there is death.

In life also you keep looking for permanence.

That is why there is pain.

Only because you are looking for permanence.

If you accept the truth that it's all impermanent then where is the dukkha you tell me?

Are you seeing this?

So my dukkha is in my clinging.

The moment I let go of this and I accept the changing nature of truth,

Changing nature of reality,

There is no dukkha.

Are you getting it?

Isn't it true?

Very difficult but true.

And what friends is birth?

The birth of beings into the various orders of beings.

Their coming to birth,

Precipitation in a womb,

Then generation,

The manifestation of the aggregates,

Obtaining the basis for contact.

This is called birth.

What are basis for contact?

The base of that eye contact is the eye itself.

The base of ear contact is ear.

You are in this at birth.

That itself is suffering.

That is dukkha.

Very hard to digest.

Don't want to believe that I gave birth to dukkha.

But when you are dukkha then how will you not give birth to dukkha?

That's why people ran away from this.

This is very pessimistic,

Very negative.

But then you miss the most important thing.

He is talking about clinging.

You can have a very peaceful and happy life if you're ready to accept that everything is changing.

And it is the truth.

He's not manipulating something.

He's not telling you to accept something that is not the truth.

Right?

Ego is not happy right now.

No,

No.

There has to be another way.

She's going to tell me something else now.

No,

There is nothing else.

This is it.

This is what friends is ageing.

The ageing of beings in the various orders of beings.

Their old age,

Brokenness of teeth,

Greenness of hair,

Wrinkling of skin,

Decline of life,

Weakness of faculties.

This is called ageing.

Look at yourself.

Aren't you feeling that?

He's telling your own truth.

He's showing you the mirror and you want to run away.

No,

Don't show me the mirror.

Every little grey hair bothers you.

Every little wrinkle bothers you.

The body is not functioning as it used to function.

Just a couple of years ago that is bothering you.

Isn't it?

But it is the truth.

The sooner you accept,

The easier it will be to live the rest of your life.

You don't accept.

You kick the bucket.

You're coming back.

The same thing repeats.

Same thing repeats.

Ageing begins on day one.

The day babies born ageing begins.

It is the truth of life.

But what does ego want?

Eyes should look like hero.

Don't you do that when you look into the mirror.

It's not just the girls.

It's the truth,

Right?

Truth.

Truth.

What is,

Is.

What is,

Is.

Accept the truth.

This is it.

That does not mean that you don't do what you do.

Do everything in the world.

Wear your beautiful clothes.

Look pretty and handsome.

Do all your things.

But with that firm clarity,

Everything is changing.

Nothing is permanent.

Nothing is permanent.

Relax.

Surrender.

Just be.

It's happening.

Simple mantra.

Clear?

And what friends is death?

The passing of beings out of the various orders of beings.

They're passing away.

Dissolution.

Disappearance.

Dying.

Completion of time.

Dissolution of aggregates.

Laying down of the body.

This is called death.

I want you to become friendly with death.

It's your friend.

It's really your friend.

It's not your enemy.

It takes you away from all this death that you were paying.

The debt comes to an end.

The day you become mortgage free,

When you pay your last installment or the final down payment of the house,

How you feel?

Some of you have already felt it and some of you want to feel like that.

Like that you will feel debt free.

Story over.

It's very friendly.

It's helping you.

Yeah,

So you don't fear death.

Similarly,

You don't bother about somebody else's death.

For him or her,

It is the same.

Mortgage free,

Debt free.

That person is also becoming free of something.

Why you sad really?

My craving,

My aversion,

My wanting.

Don't leave me.

I me mine,

I me mine.

Check,

Check,

Check.

What I me mine?

Am I in control?

I'm not in control.

What's the point about worrying about something that I'm not in control of anyways?

Foolish.

I'm not in control of anything regarding death.

Just let it be.

It's a beautiful thing.

You get to sleep very soundly.

Yeah,

Don't fear it.

Do wholesome beats.

That's why we did yesterday's sutta.

Now the mind is silent.

This silent mind can be steered into the right direction.

The right direction is of wholesome beats,

Wholesome thoughts,

Wholesome actions.

Yeah,

A quiet mind becomes like wet mud.

Now you can mold it into a particular direction.

Are you understanding this?

That is why I wait for you to go through jhanas and then I take you into metta because metta is wholesomeness,

Softness,

Loving kindness,

Letting go.

And now you're moving into the direction of wholesomeness.

There you let this wet mud become solidified.

You get it?

But it's possible only from a quiet mind to go there.

An unwholesome mind which is in the world is so hard,

No?

The softer the mind,

The easier it is to steer towards wholesomeness.

Yeah,

So forgive yourself,

Forgive the other person,

Become softer,

Kinder,

Happier,

Just happiness and then radiating that happiness to everybody.

This can be done only by the one who has happiness,

No?

Only by the one who has kindness.

And only an empty pot can fill with kindness and happiness.

A full pot full of stiffness,

Unwholesomeness.

Where is the room?

Clear?

Very,

Very clear.

Yeah,

So first empty your pot of all that negativity.

Move towards empty mind and now fill with wholesomeness.

Yeah,

Then death becomes afraid.

Yeah,

Because you're ready to accept what is.

Life becomes soft,

Becomes happy,

Becomes light.

Yeah.

And what friends is sorrow?

The sorrow,

Sorrowing,

Sorrowfulness,

Inner sorrow,

Inner sorryness of one who has encountered some misfortune or is affected by some painful state.

This is called sorrow.

Yeah,

Once you become soft,

You will understand who the sapling it was.

It's time to sprout.

It was going to sprout.

Can I change it?

Tell me.

Can I change it?

I had sown this seed in the past.

The seed has taken its time to sprout now.

Today is its time.

It's sorrowful.

So it's all full.

Can I change it?

What can I do?

Get lost in the story of the thought.

Good,

Good,

Good.

Cry,

Cry,

Cry.

Is that good?

Okay,

I accept it.

Oh,

I'm bad and he's bad and she's bad and this bad happened.

Just do what you think of the way.

How?

More than that.

Yeah,

You remove the focus from this focus on.

Relaxation.

What is right effort?

We did yesterday.

What is right effort?

Recognize that an unwholesome state has come up.

Second.

Okay,

You drop the attention from the unwholesome state and.

Substituted by a wholesome state.

What wholesome state will you do?

What is easiest?

Relax,

Relax,

Relax,

Relax from that thought.

Relax from that thought.

Oh,

It's a very big sorrow in my life.

What to do?

Do you have an option?

Are you in control?

You're not in control.

Forgive yourself.

Forgive the other person.

Let go.

Relax from that smile.

Come back.

There is no other shortcut.

If you're trying to find one,

You go to a psychiatrist,

Go to a counselor,

Go everywhere.

What are they telling you?

Dealing with the thought.

Except this thought.

But what are you still focusing on?

That thought,

That sorrow that has come up.

What is Buddha's method?

Substitute this negativity with positivity.

Are you understanding this?

That is the only way to stop feeding it.

If you keep analyzing the thought,

You keep thinking about the sorrow,

Why it came and how it came and how long it lasted and then make an excel sheet on the sorrow.

Is that sorrow going to go away?

You're feeding it.

The more you get into story,

You are.

Feeding the sorrow.

Is this very very clear?

Very very clear.

No,

But it's a very big sorrow.

Is that a justification for feeding the sorrow?

It's silly,

Right?

It doesn't matter how big it is or how small it is.

The wise one learns the more attention I give on the story of the sorrow,

The more I feed it.

The wise thing to do is to stop feeding it,

Relax from it.

Substitute with some wholesomeness.

If joy is not coming up,

Forgiveness is the way to go.

Joy cannot come up in a sorrowful situation.

Forgiveness can come up.

You forgive yourself for being so hard on yourself.

Forgive yourself for continuously playing the broken record and causing suffering to yourself.

That feeling of forgiveness will automatically become softer and softer and kindness towards your own self.

Now that kindness you radiate to this other person who has caused sorrow.

Why did that person cause sorrow?

Perfect.

If I have only pain,

Can I give you happiness?

I'll give you what I have,

No?

Yeah,

I am like a pot full of sorrow.

If I take a cup full from this pot and give you,

What am I giving you?

Sorrow because I am a pot full of sorrow.

Are you getting it?

If I am a pot full of joy and I take a cup from this and give you,

What am I giving you?

Joy.

So if the other person gave you sorrow,

That person is suffering.

Does he deserve your anger or does he deserve your compassion?

You tell me.

Very simple.

So forgive him or her.

Can you do that?

Is it for his or her sake?

Whose sake is it?

Mine.

So that my mind calms down.

So that this broken record which is going on and on stops and I become silent.

I reach quiet mind.

Yeah.

Okay.

And what friends is lamentation?

The veil and lament,

Wailing and lamenting,

Bewailing and lamentation of one who has encountered some misfortune or is affected by some painful state.

That is called lamentation.

When you're so sad and you can't take the pain,

You're literally screaming,

Beating yourself up.

You're not physically beating yourself,

But mentally you're beating yourself up.

I'm bad.

I did wrong.

I this,

I that.

Recognize I do this.

And what friends is pain,

Bodily pain,

Bodily discomfort,

Painful uncomfortable feeling born of bodily contact.

This is called pain.

This is simple.

And what friends is grief,

Mental pain,

Mental discomfort,

Painful uncomfortable feeling born of mental contact is called grief.

Understood?

So pain is body and grief is mind.

Mental and bodily contact is the root cause.

And what friends is despair,

The trouble and despair,

The tribulation and desperation of one who has encountered some misfortune or is affected by some painful state.

This is called despair.

And what friends is not to obtain what one wants is suffering.

To being subject to birth,

There comes the wish,

Oh,

That we were not subject to birth.

That birth would not come to us.

But this is not to be obtained by wishing.

And not to obtain what one wants is suffering.

Did you understand this?

Yeah,

When you come,

When you get older and older and older and you are not ready to accept the truth of impermanence,

What happens?

You start saying,

She wish I was not born.

What a horrible life.

I'm always sick.

This body is always tired and so old.

I look so ugly.

Nobody takes care of me.

Life is horrible.

And you wish for?

Wish I was not born.

Does it come by wishing?

No,

By wishing it will not happen.

To being subject to aging,

There comes the wish,

Oh,

That we were not subject to aging.

That aging would not come to us.

But this is not to be obtained by wishing.

And not to obtain what one wants is suffering.

Now you also curse aging.

Oh,

Why did I have to get old?

I was nice,

Young,

Handsome,

Hero,

Heroine.

You look at your younger pictures.

You've already started doing that.

You have been now readily accessible because of your social media.

We have to still open albums to see younger pictures.

Yeah,

You go to social media and see,

Yeah,

See,

My hair was so beautiful.

Before and after.

Yeah,

Before and after.

I was so young.

I was so strong.

I used to go to the gym so many hours.

I used to work out.

You know what?

Yeah,

Then the grief sets in.

You are sowing the seeds of grief with comparison.

Are you noticing this?

You compare yourself to what you were previously again and again,

And you are only sowing the seeds of grief.

They will sprout,

No?

And when will they sprout?

At the most weak time of life when this body will be very old.

That's the time they are going to sprout.

Are you seeing this?

Opposite.

You have to do the opposite.

Substitute it with wholesomeness.

See this maturity?

This is so awesome.

When I was young,

I was so stupid.

At least now I'm more sensible.

I'm doing right things.

Yeah,

I'm more wiser.

If you start looking at the wholesome path,

Yeah,

Then there is no,

You're not sowing any negative seeds to come up.

You're sowing only seeds that would help you during your old age.

Yeah,

You're still not old yet.

Even though you think,

Oh,

This is not functioning and that is broken.

You're still not old yet.

You will get to a weaker state and that's when you will really feel happier if you have sown seeds of admiring your wisdom,

Admiring your maturity,

Valuing maturity,

Purity,

Wisdom over youth and beauty and you know the shallow things of life.

Not that they are bad,

But this is better.

Yeah,

So when you see one grey hair coming,

What should you do?

Well,

See I'm wise.

Yeah,

Wholesomeness substitute unwholesomeness with wholesomes.

This is the right effort.

It's not just in meditation day to day.

This will happen at home,

Right?

Looking into the mirror,

Doing things.

You fall,

You break a bone.

Oh,

I am old now.

Don't you see this dialogue?

Oh,

I am old now.

No.

Substitute it with wholesomeness.

Yeah,

This body has seen many years.

Yeah,

And it's still going strong.

Yeah,

Wholesomeness,

Wholesomeness,

Positivity is nothing but wholesomeness.

You put a smile on your face because you are responsible for your joy.

You get it?

Make that effort.

You've only made an effort to enhance unwholesomeness all your life.

This is bad and she's bad.

He's bad.

I am bad.

Everything is bad in this world for you.

Nothing is good enough.

Have you noticed that?

Nothing is good enough for you.

Instead of seeing a stone,

First I put a magnifier,

Then I put a microscope,

Then I put a telescope and it's just a stone but it magnifies.

You magnify your problems.

You are doing it to yourself.

Surrender,

Open up,

Relax.

Yeah,

It's not so difficult.

Yeah,

Life is not so heavy as you are making it.

If this becomes clear,

You will not need a 10-day retreat.

We will come to you.

How do you manage being so happy?

Please teach us.

You will become a teacher.

Do you get it?

Just substitute your unwholesome attitude with wholesomeness moment to moment to moment of life.

Can you take this up for yourself for your own sake?

Two beings subject to sickness.

There comes the wish.

Oh,

That we were not subject to sickness.

That sickness would not come to us.

But this is not to be obtained by wishing and not to obtain what one wants is suffering.

Two beings subject to death.

There comes the wish.

Oh,

That we were not subject to death.

That death would not come to us.

But this is not to be obtained by wishing and not to obtain what one wants is suffering.

Two beings subject to sorrow.

There comes the wish.

Oh,

That we were not subject to sorrow.

That sorrow would not come to us.

But that is not to be obtained by wishing and not to obtain what one wants is suffering.

Two beings subject to lamentation,

Pain,

Grief and despair.

There comes the wish.

Oh,

That we were not subject to sorrow,

Lamentation,

Pain,

Grief and despair.

That sorrow,

Lamentation,

Pain,

Grief and despair would not come to us.

But this is not to be obtained by wishing and not to obtain what one wants is suffering.

He's so clear.

Very clearly he's put down what is the cause of your suffering.

Your own wishing,

Your own wanting something,

Your own craving for something,

Non-acceptance of truth as it is.

Why is your pain there?

Why is your grief there?

Why is your lamentation there?

Oh,

Husband did this,

Wife did this,

Child did this,

Boss did this or this money is lost,

That car is lost.

That is the cause of sorrow,

Lamentation,

Pain,

Grief,

Despair.

Are you getting it?

So in short all of your life that you do not want to accept and you cling to it that is the cause of your suffering.

And what friends are the five aggregates affected by clinging that in short are suffering.

They are the material form aggregate affected by clinging means this body the form this body is affected by clinging,

Clinging.

The feeling aggregate affected by clinging.

Yeah,

The Vedana that arises in the sensation feeling the perception aggregate affected by clinging your Sannyas,

Your constant analytical mind,

Your labeling mind,

Your judging mind.

That is the cause of suffering for you recognize I cling a lot to this.

The formations aggregate affected by clinging.

Formations is all my thoughts,

My ideas,

My concepts all these are also affected by clinging because I only craved for it,

Clung to it and gave rise to these formations.

Do you understand now what is the meaning of Sankhara or volitional formation?

We understood this whole process know from the past there was some craving or aversion.

The seed was sown and this whole seed in its maturation as a sapling and turning into that thought this part is the volitional formation.

That volitional formation only comes up at that as that first thought that you can't do anything about.

Can you?

What thoughts can you control?

The one that I create after this I can decide I'm relaxing.

I'm not interested in starting that chain only this one.

I cannot control the first thought has this become very clear not intellectually experientially.

Or you still think that first thought is still in my control.

No,

No,

I don't know how many of you think you know you are some Superman God superhuman power that first thought you're going to control.

I'm not going to let that first thought arise.

How many of you are thinking that meditation means no thought at all ever will arise.

Get out of this because that volitional formations will release its sapling when it's due to mature even in the very very very very quiet mind.

Only the thing is you have reached quiet mind because you practice relaxing and smiling and letting go.

So now even at Tanha you recognize it and you let it go you recognize it you relax in your smiley let it go you relax is smile and let it go so it doesn't become a thought only that's the best you can do.

Can you erase this Tanha completely?

Yeah,

So become very clear you cannot erase it.

That is why you have this human life.

You came into this human body because of these formations this sanskara sitting in that bank of yours.

That is what has led to the birth of this body led to aging led to sickness led to old age and death.

And in the middle pain lamentation despair grief and sorrow.

And the consciousness aggregate affected by clinging.

These are the five aggregates affected by clinging that in short are suffering.

This is called the noble truth of suffering.

The Tanha that Tanha when it is coming who or what aspect of me is recognizing this Tanha?

My mind consciousness is recognizing there is a Tanha coming this Tanha can become a fully blown volitional formation converting into thought and drama and feeling and craving and clinging and the whole chain.

Before it becomes who first saw my consciousness saw who analyzed this is Tanha who labeled it as Tanha.

Sania.

Yes,

Sania labeled it.

It is Tanha who felt the feeling the Vedana felt this feeling and Sania immediately said relax relax relax.

This happens very fast not so slow.

Yes.

Oh.

Meet your Teacher

Ekta BathijaSt. George, USA

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