Sujin : At the attainment of Buddhahood, the Buddha realized the truth of Dhamma by his wisdom which eradicated defilements completely. His teaching is different from all other teachings and methods. The highest degree of wisdom taught by other religions and philosophies is only the degree which can temporarily subdue defilements. Defilements can only be completely eradicated by panna, wisdom, developed through satipatthana, which is actually the development of right understanding of the eightfold Path. Only the Buddha has taught this Path, there is no other way leading to the eradication of defilements.
Bhikkhu: I can develop this Path sometimes, but I want to develop it thoroughly and reach the goal. I do not know how many lives it will take to reach the goal. I have listened to lectures about vipassan, the development of insight, and I have heard that through insight clinging and the other defilements can be eradicated. The eradication of defilements is most important, but it is extremely difficult, not only for laypeople but also for bhikkhus.
S. : The venerable bhikkhu said that the eradication of defilements is difficult, no matter it concerns bhikkhus or laypeople. It is only panna which can eradicate defilements. If panna does not arise it is impossible to eradicate them.
Through the accumulation of wisdom together with all the other perfections the Bodhisatta could in his last life, at the attainment of enlightenment, become an omniscient Buddha. Therefore, everyone who is sincerely interested in the Dhamma and who is motivated to study it, should realize that the development of panna is of the highest benefit. Without panna it is impossible to eradicate defilements, and if someone who does not develop panna believes that he can eradicate them, he is utterly deluded. Each person has accumulated many defilements during countless lives, they are accumulated from the past on to this present life, and in this life from the moment of birth until now. However, we should not be discouraged because of this. If we listen to the Dhamma and there is more understanding of it, we can very gradually learn to investigate the characteristics of the realities which appear. This is the way leading to the realization of the truth that dhamma is dhamma, not I, mine or self.
When someone begins to listen to the Dhamma and sees that the Dhamma is a most difficult subject, he should not become disheartened. If people, instead of being discouraged, begin to develop panna, they will see that what at first seemed most complicated gradually becomes clearer. The development of right understanding in daily life can become ones habitual inclination and eventually one will be able to fully develop it.
B. : The listeners say that while they are listening to the Dhamma their minds are occupied with the Dhamma, and there is understanding of it. However, when they have finished listening they are distracted, they are absorbed in other things. What should they do in order to cause the citta to be firm and steady with regard to what is wholesome, to be intent on the Dhamma all the time?
S. : This is not possible all the time. However, the citta can gradually become more intent on the Dhamma, depending on ones understanding and confidence. The person who has understanding of the Dhamma will not be forgetful of what he has heard, he will ponder over it and consider it. If he has free time he may be inclined to read the scriptures. When he wakes up in the morning he may still think of the Dhamma he has heard. He may, for example, remember what he heard about rpas of the body. When he touches hardness he can remember that tangible object is not self, not a being, not a person. No matter whether we are asleep or awake, sit, lie down, stand or walk, there is the body; the body is right at hand. There are rupas of the body appearing whenever we touch what is hard or soft. If someone has firm remembrance of the Dhamma he has heard, and if he has accumulated confidence and the other spiritual faculties, indriyas, there are the right conditions for the arising of mindfulness. Sati can be directly aware of the characteristics of realities which are appearing at the present moment. Then he understands that the dhammas, the realities which are appearing, are not abstract categories. Citta, cetasika and rupa, all realities which are explained in the Tipitaka, are appearing now. The truth of Dhamma pertains to this very moment. As panna develops there can be awareness and investigation of the characteristics of realities and in this way they will be seen more clearly. However, if people cling to panna it cannot be developed. When we have listened to the Dhamma we acquire more understanding of it, and then, in accordance with what we have learnt about realities, sati can be aware of the characteristics of realities which appear. Some people have a great deal of understanding whereas others do not have much understanding, depending on the extent they have listened to the Dhamma and considered it. Listening to the Dhamma, intellectual understanding of it and pondering over it, these are conditions which support the arising of sati, and in this way the truth about realities can be understood more clearly. However, we should not be negligent with regard to the development of understanding.
We should remember that the Buddha in countless former lives as a Bodhisatta had to accumulate the perfections. In his last life during which he attained enlightenment, he was a human being, just like all of us who are sitting here. He was seeing visible object through the eyes, hearing sound through the ears and thinking of different things; he was not all the time thinking of the Dhamma. However, he needed to know the true nature of seeing while he was seeing, he needed to know the true nature of hearing while he was hearing. He needed to know these phenomena as they are because they are realities. After seeing and hearing there are like and dislike of what has been seen and heard, and these are also realities which should be known as they are.
The Buddha knew that it is extremely difficult to know the true nature of phenomena such as seeing or hearing, which are realities occurring time and again, in daily life. We could reduce our life to just one moment, because life actually occurs during one moment of citta which experiences an object and is then gone. However, if one is not a Bodhisatta one is absorbed in thinking for a long time about what appears just for a moment through the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the bodysense or the mind. The Bodhisatta was altogether different from us who are time and again infatuated with what we experience. Since he knew that the way leading to enlightenment was extremely difficult, he accumulated patience, energy and the other perfections, which were necessary conditions to attain Buddhahood. He had endless endurance and he did not become disheartened while he accumulated the perfections with the purpose to penetrate the truth of realities and to be able to teach other beings, so that they also could become free from dukkha just like he himself.
Everybody here has the opportunity to listen to the Dhamma which the Buddha realized at the attainment of enlightenment and which he taught to others as well. You do not need to accumulate the perfections to the extent the Buddha accumulated them for the attainment of Buddhahood, but you can listen to the Dhamma and practise the way the Buddha has shown us.
Listening to the Dhamma, listening intently, is an essential condition for the arising of panna, there is no other method to develop panna. If people are listening only superficially they are not really listening to the Dhamma. They may call listening what is not really listening, because what they hear goes in at one ear and out at the other; there is no understanding of what they heard. Listening to the Dhamma is actually paying careful attention to what one hears and pondering over it with understanding. It is most important to remember that listening also means applying what one hears. It is not enough to have only theoretical understanding of what one hears, but one should also practise what the Buddha taught.
B. : The venerable bhikkhu says that he has listened already but that he now wants to really practise the Dhamma. However, he has many different tasks to accomplish with regard to the Order of monks, and because of his work his citta is distracted. He has no opportunity to sit quietly, alone. He has listened to the Dhamma and he has understood what he has heard, but he has no leisure time. He wonders whether there is only one way of practice or more than one, depending on ones way of life. A monk has a way of life which is different from the life of laypeople. He understands that laypeople can practise the Dhamma, but he, as a bhikkhu, has many tasks to do which make it difficult to practise. Since he himself is still young he has a lot of work to do. When he is older he will have more leisure time for the practice.
S. : The venerable bhikkhu said that he had listened to the Dhamma already, but, our listening is never enough. Even the arahats in the Buddhas time continued to listen to the Dhamma. The Buddha taught the Dhamma for fortyfive years with the purpose to help people to understand the Truth. We may have listened for a long time, but if we do not come to understand the characteristics of the realities which are appearing, we have not listened long enough yet. It would be better, instead of wanting to practise, to begin to understand the characteristics of the realities appearing at this very moment. We may wish to have no more defilements, but can defilements be eradicated at all if we do not listen to the Dhamma and understand as they are the characteristics of the realities which are appearing?
As regards the venerable bhikkhus remark about his lack of free time for the practice, not only monks but also laymen have many tasks to fulfill; also many laymen complain that they have no leisure time for the practice. However, the practice of the Dhamma does not depend on the amount of free time one has. Just now, while we are sitting here, there are realities appearing. There are seeing and hearing, and these are real. Also when we are doing our work there are realities appearing. We cannot select a particular time for the understanding of this or that reality. It is necessary to develop panna which understands the realities which are appearing in daily life, until there is complete understanding of them. In this way ignorance, doubt and wrong view of self can be eradicated.
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