From our childhood we are used to the idea that this world we are living in with all the people around us is the real world. The Buddha taught that the world is composed of the objects which come to us through the senses of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and through the door of the mind. These are all fleeting phenomena which change within splitseconds. Seeing is there just for a moment and then it falls away. Visible object is there just for a moment and then it falls away. What we used to take for our solid world consists of impermanent elements. Our world crumbles away, there is the disintegration of our world and of ourselves.

When the reader is in the first page of this book confronted with two different kinds of truths, the conventional truth and the absolute truth, he may wonder whether there is a discrepancy here which makes it impossible to practise Buddhism and at the same time to live one's life in the world. We have to do our work, to be with other people and we want to enjoy our possessions, all the things of this world. The Buddha did not deny that there is the conventional truth we have to live with. However, it is a great blessing that he taught us the absolute truth, the truth of mental phenomena, nåma, and physical phenomena, rúpa. Nåma and rúpa are terms in Påli, the language in which the Buddhist scriptures have been written. We can develop understanding of the absolute truth, of nåma and rúpa, while we live our daily life naturally. Absolute truth is not a truth which cannot be grasped, it is not something abstract, it is the truth about daily realities. Understanding this truth will help us to be able to lead our life in the world in a more wholesome way and to face contrarieties in our work, and in our relationships.

How to develop understanding of nåma and rúpa naturally, while we are eating, doing our daily tasks, doing everything we normally do? This was the topic of the letters I wrote while living in Tokyo to someone who was wondering how to develop right understanding of nåma and rúpa in daily life. The Buddha taught mindfulness, in Påli: sati, of the nåma and rúpa of our life, in order to acquire direct understanding of them. We discussed what sati is; it is difficult for all of us to understand this reality which seems so elusive. Sati is different from thinking, but what is it then? We have to accept that we cannot understand immediately what sati is, we have to study carefully all the phenomena of our life the Buddha taught. We need knowledge of them as a foundation. Gradually we can learn to investigate the nåmas and rúpas which appear in our life and then there can be conditions for direct awareness of them, for sati.

The reader may wonder what the purpose is of the study of nåma and rúpa. Why should one take so much trouble? It is important to have less ignorance about our life, about ourselves. The real cause of all our troubles is not the behaviour of other people or the situation we are in, but our own defilements. Our ignorance conditions many other defilements, such as selfishness, hatred, avarice and jealousy. Through the development of understanding there will be elimination of ignorance. When there is less ignorance it will be for the benefit of both ourselves and others. The development of understanding can only be very gradual. We need patience to investigate all phenomena which appear. At first we may believe that we know already what phenomena such as seeing, hearing or thinking are, but gradually it will dawn on us how ignorant we are of the most common phenomena of our life. That is the right beginning. We are hearing sounds the whole day, but what do we know about hearing? We may have thought that we can hear and define the sound or recognize what we hear all at the same time. Hearing is one moment, and knowing the meaning of what we hear such as the meaning of words are other moments. The reader may wonder why it is important to know this. It is important, because defilements arise immediately on account of what we experience through the senses. We ought to learn more about our defilements and the way they are conditioned. We hear pleasant and unpleasant sounds and after that, when we know the meaning and think about what was heard, we immediately react to it either in a negative way, or in a positive way. There may be unwholesome moments of clinging or aversion, or there may be wholesome moments of patience and wisdom. All this happens so quickly, within splitseconds, it is actually beyond control. When we investigate such processes in our life we can experience ourselves that there are many different nåmas which are beyond control. We cannot create our own hearing, nor can we direct the way we react, it has happened already when we realize it. The Buddha taught that nåma and rúpa arise because of their own conditioning factors. For example, when one reacts with patience to harsh sounds one can do so because it is in one's character to react in that way. Such inclination has already been accumulated. This is an example which illustrates that there is not one mind, but many different mental phenomena which change all the time.

We may wonder why we also have to learn about physical phenomena, rúpas. Is it necessary to learn so many details? Rúpas affect us very much all the time. We cling to pleasant rúpas and we dislike unpleasant rúpas. Through the ears the rúpa which is sound is experienced by hearing-consciousness. When we hear harsh words it is only sound which is heard, only the rúpa which impinges on the earsense. However, we think with anger or sadness about an unkind person who spoke harsh words, we think in a negative, unwholesome way and this happens most of the time. In the absolute sense there is no person who speaks unkind words. The moments of consciousness which motivated his speaking are only fleeting moments, they have fallen away but we keep thinking about his unkindness. There is no person, no self who hears, hearing arises only for a moment and then it falls away. The sound which is heard is only a kind of rúpa which does not last. Right understanding of the objects we experience through the six doors will eventually lead to more patience. The effect will be that we are less inclined to feel hurt by what others say to us and that we will be able to forgive more easily.

The Buddha taught the impermanence of the phenomena of our life. We may believe that we know already that our body is subject to decay and that our thoughts and feelings change. We can think of impermanence but this is not the same as the direct knowledge of the changes from moment to moment of nåma and rúpa. A very precise knowledge of nåma and rúpa has to be developed so that later on their arising and falling away, their impermanence, can be directly experienced. When one has come to that stage there will be less enslavement to the objects one experiences. However, this is a learning process which has to continue for a long time, even longer than this life. There is no quick result, no shortcut.

The person who wrote to me wanted to create particular situations in order to have more mindfulness. He thought that concentration on breathing would help him to reach the goal sooner. In Letter 6 and 7, I deal with mindfulness of breathing. There are many misunderstandings about this subject. When one concentrates on breathing one may be able to eliminate worry for those moments, one cannot think of anything else when one thinks of breathing. However, there is right concentration and wrong concentration, as I tried to explain in these letters. When there is right concentration there is calm which is wholesome and when there is wrong concentration there is unwholesome consciousness. When one clings to a quick result there is wrong concentration. I deal with this subject and quote from the commentary, the Visuddhimagga, in order to show how complex this subject is. If one does not know precisely the way of development of mindfulness of breathing there is wrong concentration and this is useless. It is already a gain when one understands that mindfulness of breathing is not just sitting and trying to concentrate on breath without knowing anything.

The Buddha taught that nåma and rúpa are impermanent and not self. What we take for a person or a self are only fleeting elements. When we begin to develop understanding of nåma and rúpa we have not eliminated the idea of self. There is still another person who speaks harsh words to us, and there is still "self" who hears them and is angry. The fact that we think in this way is conditioned by remembrance of past experiences, we always thought in that way. Also thinking is a conditioned nåma, it is a reality. The person we think of is not an absolute reality but a conventional reality. We do not have to behave in an artificial way while we develop understanding of phenomena, but while we answer back to someone who speaks to us there can be a short moment in between of realising the truth that whatever we say or do is conditioned, that it is not "I". We are not used to such an approach, but gradually it can be learnt if we see its benefit. When we do not want to mislead ourselves about the fleeting phenomena of our life right understanding can begin to develop, it develops, there is no self who develops it. We may feel happy or sad, just as we used to, but in between understanding of such phenomena can very gradually be accumulated.

We can learn from our own experience the difference between the moments we are living in the world of conventional realities, the world of self, people and possessions, and the moments there is one nåma or rúpa appearing through one of the six doorways. We usually live with our illusions and dreams, we are led by the outward appearance of things and we are ignorant of what is really going on within us or around us. We look at our surroundings and at other people and we make our own mental pictures of what we observe. We are all different, with different inclinations, and this conditions the way we see the people and things around us. Each of us lives in his own world of thinking. We live most of the time in our own world of thinking, but through the study of the Buddha's teachings we begin to understand the difference between imaginations and realities.

The Buddha taught that there is no person, no self who can exert control over nåma and rúpa, they are beyond control. It may be difficult to accept this since we want to control our life. When there is seeing which experiences a pleasant visible object there is attachment to this object immediately. When there is seeing which experiences an unpleasant object there is aversion to this object immediately. The Buddha taught about realities in detail. A very precise knowledge of the different realities should be developed. Then we will find out that there are many more unwholesome moments, moments of attachment, aversion and ignorance, than we ever thought. These moments arise because of their own conditions but there can be the development of understanding of them. When understanding has been fully developed unwholesomeness can be eradicated, but that is a long way off. Even though the final goal is a long way off it is valuable to develop understanding. When there is a short moment of understanding we learn to see that there is only a nåma or only a rúpa, and consequently we will be less inclined to see them as very important. Understanding will condition more even-mindedness. Gradually we will learn to see nåma and rúpa as they are: impermanent and not self.

The reader may wonder why I use Påli terms. The Buddhist teachings are contained in the Tipiìaka, the three "Baskets" which are the Vinaya (the book of discipline for the monks), the Suttanta (discourses), and the Abhidhamma, which deals with absolute realities in detail. The Scriptures as they have come to us date from the Buddha's time, the sixth century B.C. and they are in the Påli language. I have also quoted from the Visuddhimagga which is a summary of the teachings written by Buddhaghosa in the beginning of the fifth century A.D. In different English translations of the texts the Påli terms have been rendered differently and thus confusion may arise as to which reality has been referred to by which term. The Buddha's teaching of realities is very precise and therefore it is useful to learn some of the Påli terms which represent these realities. In the back of this book is a glossary to help the reader. The reader should not be discouraged by the Påli terms. When one continues to study one will find that they are helpful for a more precise understanding of what the Buddha taught about all the different phenomena which occur right now.

The scriptures are deep in meaning and it is difficult to understand the application of the Buddha's teachings. Therefore I feel deep gratitude to Ms. Sujn in Thailand, who helped me to understand the Buddha's teachings and pointed to me the way to develop understanding of realities in daily life. Without such a good friend in Dhamma one will easily misunderstand the scriptures and apply them in the wrong way. I also wish to express my appreciation to the "Dhamma Study and Propagation Foundation" and to the publisher Alan Weller. Without their help the publication of this book would not have been possible.

While we study we should not forget the purpose of our study. The purpose is not theoretical knowledge, but direct understanding of our own life, of all our wholesome moments and unwholesome moments, all the nåmas and rúpas occurring at this moment. When we learn more about the conditions for these phenomena we will begin to see that they are beyond control, not self. The Buddha's message to us is to investigate the truth and to prove the truth through developing direct understanding, and this understanding can eradicate ignorance and all other defilements. May the reader investigate the truth himself!

We are used to thinking that there are the world of our work, of our home, of meditation, so many kinds of worlds. Actually we should consider what the realities are which can be directly experienced. These are the nåma and rúpa which appear through the six doors. There is seeing-consciousness, which experiences visible object through the eye-door. There is hearing-consciousness which experiences sound through the ear-door. There is smelling-consciousness which experiences odour through the nose. There is tasting-consciousness which experiences flavour through the tongue. There is body-consciousness which experiences tangible object through the body-door. There is mind-consciousness which experiences mind-objects through the mind-door. Thus, there are actually six worlds appearing through the six doors. It will take a long time to develop a clearer understanding of the six worlds. Thinking about them is not enough. In being mindful of different characteristics we will come to understand "the world in the sense of the ariyan discipline" through our own experience.

Coming back to your example of shaving, you notice different moments. Can you notice that there are different realities with different characteristics? When you look into the mirror, touch the razor, when you are thinking , could you simply, without any need to "detect" nåma and rúpa, just realize that these different moments are different experiences which have different characteristics ? We should know that there are different realities. When you are looking into the mirror is there no seeing? It experiences just what appears through the eyesense, visible object. When you close your eyes the reality which appeared when you were looking does not appear anymore. Considering this is the first step to know what realities are. Later on one will learn more through direct experience.

When you eat breakfast you touch the fork. We call it "fork", but what can you directly experience through the bodysense? The rúpas which are cold, hardness or motion? You can learn that, no matter whether we touch a razor or a fork, rúpas such as cold, hardness or motion can be experienced through the bodysense. It is not you who experiences them, but only a type of nåma which experiences them. Through the eyesense the rúpa which is visible object or colour can be experienced. The world of tangible object is different from the world appearing through the eyesense.

You might say, "But I experience the razor and the fork. I know when I touch the razor and when I touch the fork." How do you know what is a razor and what is a fork? Because of remembrance or perception, saññå, a mental factor, cetasika, which arises with every moment of consciousness, citta. There isn't any experience which is not accompanied by saññå. Because of saññå we remember things, we remember what different things are used for. We remember, "when we do this, it has that effect". Saññå is another reality, it is a kind of nåma, not self.

In the "absolute sense", or, in the "ariyan discipline", there is no fork, no razor, no mirror; these are only ideas we can think of, but they are not realities. When there is seeing, it is visible object which is experienced; when there is touching, it is hardness, coldness or another rúpa presenting itself through the bodysense , which is experienced. When we remember that we call a particular thing a "fork" or a "razor", or when we remember how to use them, the reality presenting itself at that moment is a kind of nåma. Realities are experienced through the six doorways, presenting themselves one at a time. They are not a person, not a thing which can stay, they are nåma and rúpa which arise and then fall away immediately. This is the truth which can be directly experienced, this is the "world" in the ariyan discipline.

Is this not more simple than you would have thought at first? There is thinking when you are shaving. Is that not different from seeing , from touching? Attachment or aversion may arise on account of what is experienced. Are these not realities different from seeing, from visible object, from the experience of tangible object or from the rúpas which are experienced through the bodysense? It would be helpful to realize that all these realities which appear are different, that they have different characteristics. They are nåma and rúpa which arise because of conditions, not self. We cling so much to concepts and ideas which we convey to others by means of conventional terms in language. We cling to saññå, we are infatuated with all the ideas and stories we remember, such as razor, fork, person. This blinds us to the world in the ariyan sense. It prevents us from understanding nåma and rúpa as they present themselves through the six doors, one at a time.

You wrote that you often wake up with mindfulness. I often wake up with attachment, lobha, or aversion, dosa. For example, I think, "What difficult thing do I have to do today?" Sometimes I have to hear unpleasant words from other people, and then I feel unhappy. Why? Because at those moments I do not see the world in the ariyan sense. When we hear unpleasant words, the hearing is only vipåka (citta which is result of kamma), it is nåma which arises just for a moment and then falls away immediately. When I have aversion, there is akusala citta (unwholesome consciousness), which is another kind of nåma. In the ariyan sense there is no "I"who experiences, there is no experiencer. There is not this or that person who says unpleasant words to me. There are only nåma and rúpa. There is seeing, hearing, thinking and other phenomena which appear for a moment and are then gone. There are different feelings arising because of different conditions. The teachings are very helpful for the understanding of our life. When we listen to the sutta texts we can be reminded to be aware of realities.

"Shaving is there", these are words you use to describe a whole situation you can think of, but which are the realities you can directly experience? There is the world in the ariyan sense: different phenomena presenting themselves through the six doors. Seeing, touching or thinking are realities, but shaving is not a reality. "Shaving presents itself as if done by someone else". What is this? It is a thought, that is all. We should not cling to special sensations, they are only nåmas which do not stay. Thinking is only one kind of reality which appears, and then there are other realities.

Is it true that there is more awareness when we do things which do not require much attention? At the Japanese school I have to be attentive to the teacher who asks me questions in Japanese which I have to answer, applying the grammar I learnt. We should not exclude beforehand the arising of awareness in such situations. If there can be awareness sometimes of different realities one can begin to develop understanding of them. Mindfulness arises when there are conditions for its arising and we cannot say beforehand, "In such circumstances it will arise, in such circumstances it will not arise". Awareness is anattå, not self. We may think that it cannot arise in particular circumstances, but this is only our thinking. We should realize such a moment of thinking as only a kind of nåma which arises because of conditions.

When hardness is experienced through touch we may take for sati what is actually attachment. Do we wish to have many moments of sati? Then we are clinging and right understanding cannot develop. Our aim should be to learn more about the realities which appear one at a time. We cling to visible object, sound and all the other sense objects. We may not notice it that we cling to them, but is it not true that we are usually absorbed by these objects and think about them for a long time? We think that we see people and different things, but we can learn that what appears through eyes is only visible object. We think that we hear the voice of someone, but what appears through the ears is only sound, there is no person in the sound. We can learn to consider the phenomena of our daily life as only different realities which appear one at a time.

There can be "study" of visible object, sound, hearing and other realities when they appear one at a time. The word "study" is appropriate, because it is a learning process. It is not theoretical study but study of nåma and rúpa in daily life. We should not have expectations about the arising of clear, direct understanding of nåma and rúpa. When there are expectations there is attachment to an idea of self who is successful, whereas mindfulness and right understanding should lead to detachment from the idea of self. We should remember that mindfulness of nåma and rúpa accompanies kusala citta and that kusala citta does not arise as often as akusala citta. There are countless more moments of akusala citta than kusala citta. If we remember this we will be less inclined to false expectations. When we have understood that there should be study of the characteristics of nåma and rúpa in order to have more understanding of them, we will stop wondering what mindfulness is or doubting about it.

There is usually forgetfulness of nåma and rúpa, but sometimes there can be kusala citta accompanied by mindfulness of the reality which appears at the present moment, a nåma or a rúpa. We cannot do anything special to cause the arising of sati because sati is anattå. It arises because of its appropriate conditions. The right conditions for sati are: listening to the Dhamma, theoretical understanding of nåma and rúpa and deeply considering the Dhamma in our life. One may be discouraged about it that, although one has listened for many years, there is hardly any awareness in daily life. When one merely listens but does not deeply consider what one heard and does not test the meaning of it, there are no conditions for awareness. Through considering the Dhamma one builds up one's own understanding, one is not dependent on other people. Everybody should consider nåma and rúpa in his own situation.

You asked in your letter what the difference is between sati and thinking. There can be thinking with kusala citta and with akusala citta. Most of the time there is thinking with clinging or with aversion. When there is thinking in the right way about nåma and rúpa it can condition right awareness later on, but we do not know when. When we think about sati we will not know its characteristic, but when right mindfulness of nåma and rúpa arises we will know what sati is. We can notice that there are countless moments of thinking in a day, and when there is thinking it is time to study the characteristic of thinking. Then we can come to know it as a nåma which arises because of its own conditions, not self. It is the thinking which thinks.

You want to know when in the process of cittas sati arises. Sati has to accompany kusala citta, but it can be mindful also of akusala citta. When for example aversion, dosa, arises, it can be object of mindfulness. Cittas succeed one another very rapidly and after the dosa has fallen away there can be in another process kusala cittas with sati. Sati can then be mindful of the dosa which has fallen away. If there is unpleasant feeling now can there not be study of its characteristic, in order to know it as not self, not my unpleasant feeling? We are inclined to take feeling for self, but when we understand that feelings arise because of conditions we will be less inclined to take them for mine or self. Sometimes I take things to heart and I have unpleasant feeling, sometimes not. This is because of different conditions. We should learn that there is no self who can control feelings. We do not have to think of processes when there is the study of different characteristics. All that matters is to know the world in the ariyan sense. This world is a new world to us since we used to know only the world of conventional truth, the world of self, people and possessions.

When there is no development of understanding of nåma and rúpa, akusala cittas will arise very often: we are infatuated with the objects we experience, we have aversion towards them or there is ignorance about realities. When we, for example, see a teapot, we may be ignorant of the six worlds in the ariyan sense. When we are confused as to the different doorways, we think that what presents itself through the eye-door is a teapot and we take it for something which stays. However, through the eye-door it is only visible object that presents itself, just for a moment. When we touch the teapot, the rúpas which are hardness, softness, heat or cold may present themselves. In order to know realities as they are we should be aware of them as they present themselves through the different doorways, one at a time. Like and dislike are again different phenomena and we should not confuse them with seeing or visible object. Thinking of the concept "teapot" is again another reality, a type of nåma.

Whatever nåma or rúpa appears can be object of mindfulness and thus right understanding can develop. If there is preference for particular types of nåma or rúpa which seem to be so clear, there is clinging. We should learn different characteristics of nåma and rúpa as we go along in daily life; when walking, standing, getting up, taking a bath, eating, listening or talking. Only thus will there be the disintegration of the "self ". We will know the world in the ariyan sense. We read in the Kindred Sayings (IV, Saîåyatana-vagga, Kindred Sayings on Sense, Third Fifty, Chapter IV, § 136) that the Buddha said to the monks:

This classification may seem rather theoretical, but it is a classification of realities which arise now. There are the five khandhas now while you are seeing. There is the eyesense which is rúpa-kkhandha, there is visible object which is also rúpa-kkhandha, there is seeing which is viññåùa-kkhandha. Seeing is accompanied by feeling, vedanå-kkhandha, by remembrance, saññå-kkhandha, and by other cetasikas which are saòkhåra-kkhandha. The khandhas arise and fall away, they do not stay and none of the khandhas is self. Do you have an idea of a self who is seeing? It is only viññåùa-kkhandha which arises for an extremely short moment, performs the function of seeing and then falls away. Seeing arises because of its own conditions. Eyesense and visible object are conditions for seeing. Without these conditions you could not see. Can you create your own eye-sense? It arises because of its appropriate conditions. Seeing, eyesense and visible object do not belong to you. Do you think that you see people? It is only visible object, rúpa-kkhandha, which is seen just for a moment and then falls away.

When we have listened to the Dhamma we understand in theory that there is no self, no being, but our understanding is still weak. We do not directly experience the truth of realities as they appear one at a time. We cling to the khandhas and have an idea that they can last. Do we have a notion of a "whole" of mind and body, of "my personality"? What we take for a whole of mind and body are only five khandhas which arise and fall away. We also cling to rúpas outside ourselves and consider them as things which last. Don't we cling to our possessions, to our house and all the things in it? We may be stingy, we may not be inclined to give things away. We should remember that what we take for our possessions are only rúpa-kkhandha which arises and falls away.

There is not necessarily wrong view every time we cling to the khandhas. We may just be attached to our body without there being wrong view about it. We can cling to the khandhas with conceit. When we have conceit and compare our body or our mental qualities with those of someone else there cannot be wrong view at the same time. Conceit and wrong view cannot arise together. We learn from the Abhidhamma that there are eight different types of lobha-múla-cittas, cittas which are rooted in attachment, of which four are accompanied by wrong view, diììhi, and four unaccompanied by wrong view. When one has studied the Dhamma and acquired intellectual understanding about the nature of not self of realities it does not mean that one has realized the truth of not self. We have accumulated so much ignorance about realities and the latent tendency of wrong view has not been eradicated. Only the sotåpanna who has developed understanding to the degree that enlightenment could be realized has eradicated the latent tendency to wrong view. Paññå, right understanding, must be developed in order to realize nåma and rúpa as impermanent and not self.

We are so used to thinking that we see people, houses and trees. Do we really study with awareness seeing which appears now or visible object which appears now? Do we study again and again the realities which appear one at a time? Only in that way can we find out that no person can appear through the eyes but only visible object, that which is visible. We prefer to think about people and things, we prefer to live in the world of our thoughts instead of studying realities such as seeing or visible object. We have accumulated the tendency to be absorbed in our thoughts about people and things, and thus it is natural that we are inclined to thinking about those things which are not real, which are only concepts or ideas. It is not self who thinks, but a type of nåma which arises because of its own conditions. We should not try to push away our thinking but we can begin to notice the difference between the moments we are absorbed in our thoughts and the moments of being aware of one reality at a time, such as visible object or seeing. In this way we can learn the difference between concepts or ideas and realities. Only when we know the difference we can gradually learn how to study realities with awareness and in this way there can be more understanding of them.

Attå or self implies something which stays. Where is the self, does it have a characteristic which can be directly experienced? Is the body the self? The body consists of rúpas which arise and then fall away immediately. Is feeling self? Feelings change all the time, they can be happy, unhappy or indifferent. Is thinking self? Thinking changes all the time, thus, how could you identify yourself with thinking? When we learn to be aware of the phenomena which appear through the six doors we will lose interest in things which cannot be directly experienced but which are only objects of speculation.

Even though we may not expressively think, "It is I" , we are likely to be confused about realities. So long as right understanding has not been developed we join different realities together into a "mass", a "whole". For example, we do not distinguish the characteristic of sound from the characteristic of hearing, and thus our knowledge of them is still vague. We do not distinguish hearing from thinking about what we heard, or from like and dislike. When understanding has not been developed yet we are also confused as to the different doorways through which objects are experienced. For example, hearing experiences sound through the ear-door and thinking about what was heard experiences its object through the mind-door.

There is seeing time and again but there is no right understanding of it. We do not realize the characteristics of phenomena as they appear one at a time through the different doorways. The nåma which sees only experiences visible object or colour through the eye-door. When we recognize an object such as a rose there is not seeing. The object is not colour but a concept or idea we form up by thinking. The thinking of the concept "rose" is conditioned by seeing but seeing and thinking arise at different moments. There is the experience of colour and there is thinking of the concept rose, and then colour impinges again on the eye-door and there is seeing again. How fast cittas change, how fast objects change! In which world do we mostly live? Do we know the six worlds appearing through the six doors or do we live only in the world of conventional truth? Is it wisdom to know only one world? Should we not know the worlds appearing through the six doors by being aware of different characteristics? In that way the self can gradually be broken up into elements until there is nothing left of it.

When one begins to develop right understanding of nåma and rúpa there cannot yet be the direct realization of their arising and falling away. First their different characteristics have to be clearly known, nåma has to be known as nåma, different from rúpa, and rúpa has to be known as rúpa, different from nåma. Understanding develops stage by stage and it is at a later stage that the arising and falling away of the reality which appears can be directly known. However, even the sotåpanna who has realized nåma and rúpa as they are, as not self, has not eradicated all clinging and ignorance. Only the arahat has eradicated all kinds of clinging, all ignorance and conceit. When we read this sutta we can be reminded to begin to study with awareness the nåma and rúpa which appear now. Since it is a long way to realize their impermanence we should not delay the development of understanding of them.

You were wondering how there can be different characters of people, a "personality", if there is no self. There are accumulations, tendencies which are accumulated in the citta. Cittas arise and fall away but the citta which falls away conditions the next citta and that is why accumulations can be "carried on" from one citta to the next one. That is why we can notice that people have different inclinations, that they behave in different ways. Our behaviour is conditioned, it is not self. We cling to our personality, to the image we have of ourselves. We want to be good, we cling to our good deeds. We have not realized that there is no self, no matter kusala citta or akusala citta arises. We do not possess kusala, it cannot stay. It only arises for a moment and then akusala citta is bound to arise. Because of our ignorance we do not even notice when there is kusala citta and when akusala citta. For example, when we give something away with generosity there are kusala cittas which can be accompanied by pleasant feeling. Very shortly afterwards akusala cittas with attachment may arise and these can also be accompanied by pleasant feeling. We may, for instance, think," I did this very well; I have really achieved something; I did this." If there is no awareness we do not know the different moments of citta and the different moments of feeling. It seems that there is only one kind of feeling, pleasant feeling, which lasts, and it seems that it is kusala all the time. Thus we take for wholesome what is unwholesome. It is essential to have right understanding of kusala and akusala, otherwise kusala cannot be developed.

You wrote that you can be aware of more than one reality at a time. This is not possible. Each citta can have only one object at a time and thus also the citta with awareness can have only one object at a time. One may take for awareness what is only thinking. For example, one may have an idea of oneself seeing and hearing at the same time. Then there is thinking of a concept, of a "whole" of different phenomena which are joined together. If there can be awareness of different characteristics of realities which present themselves one at a time one will find out that awareness can be aware of only one object at a time. It is unpredictable which reality will present itself at which moment. It can be softness or hardness which impinges on the bodysense, it can be sound, visible object or another reality. So long as we do not distinguish between different realities which arise closely one after the other we will keep on thinking that realities last. For example, cittas with attachment may arise and then there may be thinking of the attachment. We may think with aversion about the attachment which arose a moment ago. If there can be awareness of different characteristics it can be known that attachment is one kind of reality and thinking with aversion another kind of reality. They arise because of their own conditions, they are beyond control, not self.

Who is recognizing sound as sound? Is there an idea of self who recognizes sound as sound? When two people say that they recognize sound as sound one person may have right understanding and the other person may not. We may understand in theory that sati is not self but we may still cling to an idea of "my sati". When one has desire for sati and one wants to create conditions for its arising one has not understood that sati is not self, that it arises because of its own conditions. One may imagine what sati should be like but instead of speculation about it one should keep in mind that the realities which appear and thus also sati and paññå are only conditioned phenomena which are beyond control. Beyond control means that they are not self. Our goal should not be to have many moments of sati but to develop right understanding of the nåma and rúpa which appear now. Sound appears time and again. Right understanding of sound can be developed when it appears and we do not need to think about sati. One may say that one recognizes sound as sound but one may not realize it as a kind of rúpa which appears through the earsense. One may name it "rúpa," but naming a reality is not the same as directly knowing its characteristic when it appears. In the beginning there cannot be a precise knowledge of nåma and rúpa but we should remember that it can be developed only when there is study with awareness of the nåma or rúpa presenting itself now.

We live most of the time in the world of conventional truth, and there is much ignorance about the world of absolute truth, the world of paramattha dhammas. In your letter you give an example of young people who are displeased with situations in their countries and who commit acts of violence (dosa) in order to show that they are discontented. Their accumulated violence is the real cause that they commit these acts, and the situations they are displeased with are only opportunities for their accumulated dosa to appear. Dosa will always arise so long as it has not been eradicated.

In our daily life there are many moments of aversion, dosa. We may wake up with a slightly unpleasant feeling. At first we do not realize that there is dosa, but then we may remember an unpleasant event, for example, unkind words someone may have spoken to us the day before. Or we may worry about a difficult situation we will have to face that day. These circumstances are not the real cause of our dosa. The outward circumstances, the people we meet change, but there is still our accumulated dosa and it will come out, always finding an object. There will always be reasons for dosa so long as it has not been eradicated yet. The person who has attained the third stage of enlightenment, the anågåmí, has eradicated dosa. The way leading to the eradication of defilements is the development of right understanding of them when they appear. There is no other way.

How can we realize that dosa is a conditioned nåma? Not by thinking about the dosa which has fallen away already, or about the events which conditioned its arising, but by being aware of it when it appears at the present moment. Only if there is mindfulness of phenomena as they appear through the six doors will we gradually realize that they are conditioned realities, not self. If there is awareness only of phenomena appearing through the eye-door or through the ear-door, it is not enough. There is not only visible object or sound, but also seeing, hearing, attachment, lobha, aversion, dosa, and other realities.

There can also be awareness of the different kinds of feelings which arise. Our feelings change all the time. There are feelings arising on account of what is seen, heard, smelt, tasted, of what is experienced through the body-sense and of what is thought. At each moment of citta the condition for the accompanying feeling changes and thus feelings change all the time. It does not appear to us this way when we cling to the feeling which has fallen away already. It exists no more but we keep on pondering over it. If we cling to feelings of the past, we live more in the world of illusions than in the world of realities, of paramattha dhammas.

`...But just as there is no store, prior to its arising, of the sound that arises when a lute is played, nor does it come from any store when it arises, nor does it go in any direction when it ceases, nor does it persist as a store when it has ceased, but on the contrary, not having been, it is brought into being owing to the lute, the lute's neck, and the man's appropriate effort, and having been, it vanishes-so too all material and immaterial states, not having been, are brought into being, having been they vanish.'

It is beneficial to be reminded that the nåmas and rúpas which appear in our daily life arise because of conditions and then fall away. If we consider this thoroughly there will be less inclination to keep on thinking about what is past already. In this way there will be less forgetfulness of what appears now. You don't have to do anything special to be aware, there are objects impinging on the six doors time and again. When you touch water which is too hot heat presents itself. You may think, "This water is too hot", and then there is thinking. Hot water is a concept we think of, but heat is a reality, a rúpa, which impinges on the bodysense, it can be directly experienced. The rúpa which is heat, the nåma which experiences heat or the painful feeling can appear again and again, in between the thinking. These are all different phenomena which do not stay, which are not self. There is no person who has painful feeling, there is a nåma which feels. Painful feeling arises because of its own conditions. When there are not the right conditions for it it cannot arise.

When we hear harsh words there are conditions for unpleasant feeling, but there can also be moments of awareness in between. Besides unpleasant feeling there are sound, hearing and other realities appearing. In this way we can realize that unpleasant feeling is only one phenomenon among many other realities which each arise because of their own conditions. Whereas if we are not mindful we think that there is only "my unpleasant feeling" which seems to last. We may believe that this particular person, this place and this situation are the causes of our unhappiness. However, these are not the real causes. The real cause is our accumulated dosa.

When we are aware of nåma and rúpa there is less enslavement to the objects we experience. When there is awareness of visible object which appears through the eyes there is no enslavement to visible object. When there is awareness of sound which appears through the ears there is no enslavement to sound, and it is the same with regard to the objects which present themselves through the other doorways. Wisdom can make us free, but we should not expect results within a short time. Do you remember the sutta about the handle of the knife which wears out very slowly, in the Kindred Sayings (III, Khandhå-vagga, Middle Fifty, Adze-handle)? The Buddha speaks about the handle of a knife which one holds each day. It gradually wears away, but one cannot notice how much is worn out each day. We cannot control the frequency of awareness, since it is anattå, not self, arising because of its own conditions. However, even a few moments of awareness in between lobha, dosa and moha is very beneficial. One begins to develop the Path which will surely lead to freedom. We read about the condition for freedom from defilements in the Kindred Sayings (IV, Saîåyatana-vagga, Kindred Sayings on Sense, Third Fifty, Chapter III; § 124). We read about a conversation the housefather Ugga had with the Buddha:

There are many degrees of comprehension. What would "clear comprehension" mean, theoretical knowledge or the knowledge through one's own experience? Which would be clearer? Does the sotåpanna have clear comprehension of nåmas and rúpas, of the world in the ariyan sense? Is the degree of clear comprehension of the arahat still higher? What is the way to develop clear comprehension, is it through thinking about realities or through awareness of them when they present themselves? Would awareness of realities not be the way that comprehension becomes clearer in different stages?

Såtthaka-sampajañña, comprehension with regard to the purpose, pertains to our bodily health as well as to the growth of kusala and understanding. The Buddha was considerate of the monk's bodily and mental welfare. The monk was taught to have comprehension of the purpose with regard to the taking of almsfood and the use of the other requisites. There are rules for the monks with regard to the use of them. He should not use them with attachment. We read in the Visuddhimagga (I, 85) about the way he should use almsfood:

Also laypeople can apply to a certain extent, in their own situation, some of the rules of training for the monks. When there is sati-sampajañña while we are eating, it knows the right purpose of the taking of food. We do not have to think all the time what the purpose is of what we are doing. When sati-sampajañña arises it knows the right purpose. When there is clear comprehension with regard to the purpose of the taking of food, there are conditions not to indulge in food, but to take it as a medicine for the body. One can find out what is right for one's health. One should not torture oneself by staying too long in one position of the body. Some people have desire for tranquillity and they are hoping to be able to develop it to a high degree by sitting for a long time. When there is clear comprehension with regard to the purpose one will not torture oneself, one will stretch at the right time or change one's posture.

We then read that the abstaining from akusala kamma is aim. Sati-sampajañña with regard to the purpose sees the benefit of kusala and the disadvantage of akusala. When other people speak in a harsh way to us we think immediately of ourselves, of our own interest. What is really useful to ourselves? When sati-sampajañña arises it sees the benefit of patience and lovingkindness, it sees the benefit of all kinds of kusala. When other people are unkind they give us an opportunity to cultivate patience and endurance. We need sati-sampajañña with regard to the purpose in daily life. If one wants to develop calm (samatha) one needs sati-sampajañña which knows the benefit of kusala and which sees the disadvantage of attachment to the sense objects. When one has desire for tranquillity the citta is akusala, but one may not notice it. In order to develop calm which is wholesome there must be sati-sampajañña which realizes the disadvantage of desire. So long as there is desire one will not reach the goal.

We believe that right understanding of nåma and rúpa is what we value most highly in life, but is this true? We should be sincere and get to know our own accumulations. Don't we find our work and our relaxation more important than the development of right understanding? If there is sati-sampajañña which sees the value of awareness of realities right understanding can develop during the time we are working and also during the time of relaxation. There are nåma and rúpa all the time, no-matter where we are. There can be a beginning of the study of them when they appear. We do not have to go to a quiet place and change our usual way of life in order to develop understanding. When there is desire for awareness it will hinder the development of understanding of our life, of our accumulations. We have accumulated attachment to pleasant things, we like to go to concerts or watch T.V. We should learn to see that in such situations there are only dhammas, realities, which arise because of their own conditions. If we do not get to know lobha as it is, as only a conditioned reality, enlightenment cannot be attained and defilements cannot be eradicated.

The second sampajañña, sappåya-sampajañña, is knowing what is suitable, fitting to oneself. This sampajañña appertains to our bodily health as well as to the development of kusala. We know that we should not neglect our bodily health and therefore we should know what is suitable for us in order to avoid sickness and to live in comfort. We should find out, for example, what is the right kind of food for us and what not. What is suitable for one person may not be suitable for another person. We need sappåya-sampajañña in order to know the right conditions for our bodily health. We also need sappåya-sampajañña in order to know the right conditions for the development of kusala. Those who have accumulations to develop samatha should know the particular conditions which have to be fulfilled in order to develop calm. Most important is right understanding which knows precisely when the citta is kusala and when akusala, otherwise calm cannot be developed. Sappåya-sampajañña is needed in order to know which of the meditation subjects is suitable to oneself so that calm can grow. The meditation on corpses, for example, is not suitable for everybody, for some people this subject conditions aversion or fear. If one has accumulations to develop calm to the degree of jhåna one has to live in a secluded place. One needs sappåya-sampajañña in order to find out which place is suitable to oneself.

The impermanence of the realities which appear through the six doors cannot be realized immediately. First the rúpa which appears has to be realized as rúpa and the nåma which appears has to be realized as nåma. Their arising and falling away cannot be realized if one cannot clearly discern their different characteristics. This sutta reminds us to at least begin with awareness of realities such as visible object, seeing, feeling or attachment, of the realities which appear now. That is the condition which is helpful to gain more understanding.

The third sampajañña is gocara-sampajañña. Gocara literally means place or domain. In this case it is not the place where one should stay but "where citta goes", the object, årammaùa, of the citta. When gocara-sampajañña arises there is comprehension of the object of mindfulness. All realities which appear now through the six doors are the gocara or "domain" of sati of the Eightfold Path. All of the nåmas and the rúpas are included in the four "satipaììhånas", the applications of mindfulness. They are: mindfulness of the body, of feeling, of citta and of dhammas. The object of sati is a paramattha dhamma which appears now, it is not a concept such as a body, a hand or a chair. Some people think that the postures of the body can be object of mindfulness. They think for example that the "sitting rúpa" should be object of mindfulness. Among the twenty-eight kinds of rúpa which are taught in the Abhidhamma there is no sitting rúpa. The body is composed of the four Great Elements and other rúpas which each have their own specific characteristic. The characteristic of hardness or heat may appear, no matter whether one is sitting, standing, walking or laying down. Sitting has no characteristic, it is a concept one has of the whole body which sits. In order to eradicate the idea of self who is sitting there should be awareness of one reality at a time, one nåma or rúpa. We have conditions to think of sitting and we do not have to avoid that, but we should know the difference between the moments we think of concepts such as the whole body and the moments there is awareness of a paramattha dhamma (absolute reality).

Is there any object of awareness we do not like and of which we think that it ought not to be object of awareness? Do we "push it aside" and wait until there is another object? For instance, most of us do not like it to be in a hurry. Would we rather not be aware of nåma and rúpa at such moments? Or do we think that we can't? Is there not a secret tendency not to know objects we dislike? In that way right understanding of realities cannot develop. When we are feeling tired, or angry, or when we are discouraged about the development of satipaììhåna, can there be awareness even of such moments? They are only realities arising because of conditions, not self. We understand in theory that everything can be object of awareness, but do we apply this understanding? Wrong practice (sílabbata-paråmåså, translated as clinging to rules and ritual) is a kind of wrong view (diììhi). So long as we are not sotåpanna wrong view has not been eradicated and thus wrong practice can arise. We may think that when we are in the company of many people it is impossible to be aware. Do we try to ignore particular realities we do not think fit to be objects of awareness? We can find out that although we have intellectual understanding about wrong practice such tendencies can still arise. It is essential to be aware also of these moments. If they are not known wrong view cannot be eradicated.

If one knows that whatever reality appears now can be object of awareness right understanding can develop. Should we not know seeing, hearing or thinking which appear now? When there are conditions awareness can arise in any situation, also when we are laughing or talking. We read for example in the "Khemaka Sutta" Kindred Sayings (III, Khandhå-vagga, Middle Fifty, Chapter IV, § 89) that the monk Khemaka attained arahatship while he explained Dhamma to others, and that sixty monks who listened attained arahatship as well. We read in the "Satipaììhåna Sutta" Middle Length Sayings (I, no.10) that the Buddha, while he was staying among the Kuru people in Kammåssadhamma, spoke to the monks about the "Four Applications of Mindfulness". We read in the section on Mindfulness of the Body, on the Four Kinds of Clear Comprehension, that the Buddha said:

A clearly conscious way is the translation of sati-sampajañña. Is there clear comprehension with regard to the object of right understanding while we are looking in front or looking around? Is there clear comprehension while we are bending or stretching, eating, drinking, walking, standing, sitting, lying down, while we are talking or keeping silent? We may have read this text many times, but do we really apply what the Buddha taught? We need to consider this text often, even if we think that we have understood it already. We can find out that considering the teachings is suitable, helpful, that it is a "sappåya" for the development of understanding. This sutta can remind us that there is no limitation to the "field of awareness". When we are, for example, looking for something in our handbag, or when the shoelace breaks while tying it up, there are only nåma and rúpa, but we are likely to be forgetful. Usually dosa (aversion) arises at such moments. However, sometimes there can be awareness and then different characteristics of realities can be known. Dosa has a characteristic which is different from hardness or motion which appears through touch. Even if there is only a short moment of awareness of a reality it is helpful because it is a condition that awareness can be accumulated. In that way the tendency to take realities for self will become less.

If gocara-sampajañña is well established, there can be the fourth sampajañña, asammoha-sampajañña. Asammoha means "non-delusion". When there is asammoha-sampajañña there is non-delusion about the object of awareness. One no longer doubts whether there can be awareness while one is busy or while one is in trying circumstances. When there is no delusion the realities appearing through the six doors can be known as they are, as not self. When there is awareness of visible object there is no delusion about visible object, it is realized as just a reality, not a person or a thing.

It is useful to know the different aspects of clear comprehension, sati-sampajañña: clear comprehension with regard to the purpose, with regard to what is suitable, with regard to the object of sati and clear comprehension of non-delusion. However, while right understanding is being developed we do not have to try to pinpoint which kind of sampajañña arises. It is sati-sampajañña, not self, which knows the purpose of the development of the Eightfold Path, the eradication of defilements. It is sati-sampajañña which knows the right conditions which are suitable for the development of right understanding. In the beginning one still doubts whether there can be awareness in any situation, one limits the field of sati, and thus there cannot yet be non-delusion about the object of awareness.

In the Visuddhimagga (III, 29) we read about the ten impediments. These are: dwelling, family, gain, class (students), building, travel, relatives, affliction (sickness), books and super-normal powers. As regards dwelling, for those who cultivate samatha the dwelling is only an impediment if it distracts one or if one has many belongings stored there. As regards family, this refers to relatives or a family of supporters who present food or other requisites to the monk. They can be distracting from the development of calm. As regards gain, this means here the four requisites of the monk. If he receives requisites from people all the time, he has to give them blessings and teach them Dhamma. In this way he will be engaged continuously. Class means students of suttas or students of Abhidhamma. If the monk has to teach students he has no opportunity for the development of samatha. Building means the construction of a building. This is always an impediment for samatha since one is engaged in seeing to the work. Travel is an impediment for samatha since one's thoughts are occupied with the journey. With the impediment of relatives is also meant the monk's teacher or pupil or others he is dwelling together with. If they are sick they are an impediment for samatha since they preoccupy him. Affliction is any kind of illness. It is an impediment when it causes suffering. As regards books, this is responsibility for the scriptures, or recitation of the scriptures. When he is engaged with these matters it will distract him from the development of samatha. It is said that nine of the ten impediments are hindrances only for samatha. They distract one from its cultivation. As regards the tenth impediment, which are the supernatural powers of the non-ariyan, this is not a hindrance for samatha. We read in the Visuddhimagga (III, 56) about the super-normal powers:

By these examples one sees that the method and aim of samatha is different from the method and aim of vipassanå. If one has accumulations to develop calm to a high degree one has to live a secluded life and the factors which are impediments to calm have to be severed. As regards insight, this has to be developed in one's daily life, one has to develop understanding of all realities which appear, one's defilements included. As we have seen, only super-normal powers are an impediment for insight since one cannot lead one's daily life if one wants to develop them. One has to live in seclusion and one has to develop calm to the degree of jhåna in order to be able to acquire the supernormal powers. The other factors which are impediments for samatha are not impediments for vipassanå. "Dwelling" is not a hindrance for the development of insight. We still have attachment to our house, we want to embellish it. So long as one is not an anågåmí (non-returner), attachment to sensuous objects has not been eradicated yet. Attachment to the place where we live and any other kind of attachment can be object of awareness when it appears and then it is not an impediment. If there is no right understanding of the object of satipaììhåna, everything hinders: the place where one lives, relatives, travelling or sickness. There always seems to be an excuse for not being aware right at this moment. First this work has to be finished, that letter has to be written, relatives need help and take up our time so that we believe that there is no opportunity for awareness. What is hindering us now? Are there not nåma and rúpa, right at this moment? There is impingement of hardness or softness on the bodysense, wherever we are. Hardness is a paramattha dhamma, an absolute reality, but when there is no awareness we do not know it as a reality. We may be thinking of hardness but that is not awareness. When sati-sampajañña arises the characteristic of hardness can be studied without there being the need to think about it. It can be known as a reality which is conditioned. It does not belong to anyone; we cannot change it, we cannot do anything about it.

One may think that awareness is too difficult, one may believe that one should first go to a quiet place. Why is that? Because one expects many moments of awareness and immediate clear comprehension. We should let go of expectations. If we have listened to the Dhamma and if we have understood the way to develop right understanding of nåma and rúpa, there are conditions for the arising of awareness. After a moment of awareness there are bound to be countless moments of unawareness since we accumulated ignorance for aeons. How could we get rid of it within a short time? If we think that awareness in daily life is too difficult we create a hindrance for the development of right understanding. If there is a beginning of the development of understanding now it can be accumulated. If that would be impossible there would be no ariyans who have realized the truth. They have proved that there are no impediments to the development of right understanding in daily life.

These rúpas impinge on the bodysense all the time. The body-sense through which these rúpas can be experienced is also rúpa. The bodysense does not know anything, but it is a condition for the nåma which experiences tangible object. The bodysense is to be found all over the body, except in those parts which are insensitive, such as hair or nails. The bodysense is not only on the outside of the body, but also inside the body. The Visuddhimagga (XIV, 52) states that it is to be found everywhere, like a liquid that soaks a layer of cotton. Also in those parts of the body we call "kidney" or "liver" there is bodysense; pain can be felt in these parts. When we notice any bodily sensation, be it ever so slight, it shows that there is impact on the bodysense. When we remember this it can be a condition for awareness of different kinds of realities, also when the impact on the bodysense is very slight, or inside the body.

Body-consciousness which experiences tangible object impinging on the bodysense is vipåka-citta, a citta which is the result of kamma. When it experiences a pleasant tangible object it is the result of kusala kamma and when it experiences an unpleasant object it is the result of akusala kamma. When the object which impinges on the bodysense is pleasant the body-consciousness is accompanied by pleasant (bodily) feeling, and when the object is unpleasant the body-consciousness is accompanied by painful (bodily) feeling. There cannot be indifferent bodily feeling. The object is unpleasant when the temperature which impinges on the bodysense is too cold or too hot, and it is pleasant when the temperature is just right.

Body-consciousness which experiences tangible object arises in a process of cittas which experience that object. Each citta in a process performs it own function while it experiences the object which is impinging. The body-consciousness which is vipåka-citta falls away immediately and it is succeeded by other cittas. There are cittas arising within the process which can be kusala citta or akusala citta and they experience the same object as the body-consciousness. When they are kusala cittas they can be accompanied by happy (mental) feeling or by indifferent feeling, and when they are akusala cittas, they can be accompanied by happy (mental) feeling, by indifferent feeling or by unhappy (mental) feeling. These feelings can be called "mental feeling" in order to differentiate them from the bodily feeling which accompanies body-consciousness. As we have seen, bodily feeling is not rúpa, it is nåma. It can be called bodily feeling since it accompanies body-consciousness.

Sometimes we have an idea that painful feeling and aversion which can arise shortly afterwards can hardly be separated. However, they are different realities arising because of different conditions. When we burn ourselves the heat, which is an unpleasant tangible object, impinges on the bodysense and it is experienced by body-consciousness which is accompanied by painful bodily feeling. At that moment there is no dislike, the body-consciousness which is vipåka-citta, the result of kamma, merely experiences the unpleasant object. The painful feeling which accompanies the body-consciousness is also vipåka. It merely feels, it does not dislike the object. The citta with aversion, the dosa-múla-citta, which is accompanied by mental unpleasant feeling arises later on. It experiences the object with aversion, it is akusala citta. When sati arises it can be mindful of one reality at a time, and thus gradually different characteristics of realities can be known. If we try to "catch" realities and if we have desire to know whether the reality which appears is citta, feeling, rúpa or any other phenomenon, there is thinking with attachment, not mindfulness.

You wrote that you find that attachment, lobha, and aversion, dosa, can be known more easily than seeing or hearing. Can we say that anything is easy? We may think that it is easy to know lobha and dosa but do we realize their characteristics when they appear? Or are we merely thinking about them? Do we know them as conditioned nåmas, not self or is there still "my lobha" and "my dosa"? We should realize lobha and dosa also when they are of a lesser degree. For example, when there is seeing there is bound to be clinging to what is seen or clinging to seeing, arising closely after the seeing. When we hear a sound which is loud there can be a slight aversion but we may not even notice it. When there is lobha or dosa there are nåma and rúpa, there are so many realities we are still ignorant of. Lobha and dosa condition rúpas. Don't we look different when we are angry or when we are glad? When we are afraid or when we dislike something we may notice bodily phenomena conditioned by citta. It is not easy to distinguish between the different characteristics of realities. We tend to join different realities into a "whole" of "my personality" and thus we will not know them as they are, only nåma and rúpa, devoid of self.

In your letter you gave examples of moments of awareness. You write that when walking you are aware of the feeling of pressing the ground. Is there not thinking of a concept of "pressing the ground"? Do you picture yourself as walking? That is a way of thinking. The object one thinks of at that moment is a concept or idea, not a reality. We may easily mislead ourselves and take thinking for awareness. When you touch hardness and you know that it is hard is there clear understanding of the true nature of the rúpa which is hardness? There may still be "something" hard there which seems to stay. Does the ground seem to stay? Even when one does not name it "ground" or "feet" there can still be wrong understanding of reality. The rúpa which is hardness can be experienced through the bodysense and it arises and falls away, it cannot stay. Hardness seems to stay so long as we have not understood the truth of impermanence. We cling to sati and we want to hold on to realities in order to know them. We should not expect there to be full understanding of nåma and rúpa which arise and fall away, but we can learn to be aware of one characteristic of reality at a time when it appears. When we remember that realities and also awareness cannot last we will be less inclined to try to be aware and to hold on to realities. When it is the right time for sati it arises and then it can be aware of any reality which appears. We cannot plan to be aware of such or such reality.

You write that when eating you are aware of flavour. There is not only flavour, there is also the nåma which experiences flavour, otherwise flavour could not appear. Do we know already the difference between nåma and rúpa? There can be mindfulness of only one reality at a time, but it seems that flavour and the experience of it appear together. When understanding develops one reality can be known at a time, but now there is still confusion. You say that you can be aware of the movement of the jaws when eating. Again, is there not thinking of the idea of "my jaws" instead of being aware of one nåma or rúpa at a time? When we become more familiar with the characteristics of nåma and rúpa we will be less inclined to name them or to select a particular object of awareness.

Some people may be inclined to sit and wait for the appearing of hearing, sound, like or dislike. In that way realities will not be known. We can go on with all the things we usually do and we do not have to do anything special in order to have awareness. For instance, when one is writing, there may be sound, hearing, like, dislike or any other reality. When moving the hand hardness or motion may appear and these realities can be object of awareness. We should not mind what kind of reality presents itself. One may be trying to "catch" the difference between hearing and sound, seeing and visible object, but in that way realities will not be known. Sometimes there may be mindfulness of rúpa, sometimes of nåma, it all depends on the sati.

Our life consists of nåma and rúpa. When there is the development of awareness everything appears as usual, but before we did not know that what appears is a characteristic of reality. There is hearing, seeing or feeling all the time, but when there is no awareness we do not realize that they are only conditioned realities, nåmas. There is a reality at every moment but when we are forgetful we do not realize this. We should develop right understanding until we are familiar with the characteristics which appear, until there is no more doubt about them. When we are hungry or when we have a headache there are different kinds of nåma and rúpa. There is rúpa such as hardness, there are nåmas such as painful bodily feeling or unhappy mental feeling, there are many realities appearing. If there is no awareness when there is painful feeling we will think that pain can last for a while. When there is mindfulness we can find out that there are many other kinds of nåma and rúpa presenting themselves besides the pain caused by the impact on the bodysense. Pain does not stay, it falls away immediately, and then it arises again.

So also, housefather, after having heard a sound with the ear, smelt a scent with the nose, tasted a flavour with the tongue, experienced tangible object with the body, cognized with the mind a mental object, that is pleasant¤Owing to contact that is pleasant to experience arises happy feeling. But after having cognized a mental object which is unpleasant¤owing to contact that is unpleasant to experience arises unhappy feeling. Again, after having cognized with the mind a mental object that is indifferent in effect, he comes to know as such mind-consciousness that experiences an object which is of indifferent effect. Owing to contact that is indifferent arises feeling that is indifferent.

We do not come to know seeing, visible object, contact and feeling "as such" merely by just thinking about them. Paññå should realize the characteristic of seeing when it presents itself; it should realize seeing as nåma which arises because of conditions, not self. The nåma which sees is different from the rúpa which is visible object. When we learn to see realities as elements which arise because of conditions and which we cannot control, we will be less carried away by pleasant or unpleasant objects. We are attached to the feelings which arise on account of the objects which are experienced. Feeling accompanies each citta but we are mostly forgetful of feeling. Is there any understanding of the feeling which presents itself now? If there never is awareness of feeling there cannot be detachment from the idea of "my feeling".

There are realities appearing through the six doors, wherever we are. There is no need to go to a quiet place in order to know them. When we are in the company of many people, for example at a party, there are only realities appearing through the six doors and gradually we can learn to be aware of them. We see pleasant objects and on account of these we feel happy. However, we can remember that it is only feeling which feels, feeling which has arisen because of pleasant contact. We will see or hear unpleasant objects and owing to the unpleasant contact unhappy feeling is bound to arise. We will get tired when we have to stand for a long time while we listen to speeches and we may feel tense.There are only different realities appearing such as hardness or aversion. All the time there is diversity of elements, diversity of contact and owing to that contact diversity of feeling. We can consider the Dhamma wherever we are and if there is no clinging to sati there can be conditions for its arising. There cannot yet be the precise knowledge of realities but we can begin to learn.

Is there hearing now? That is another reality. It is a type of nåma which experiences sound through the ear-door. Hardness, softness, heat or cold appear time and again. They are different realities which each have their own characteristic. A characteristic of nåma or rúpa is not something besides that which can be experienced now, at this moment. All realities which appear have different characteristics and they can be experienced one at a time. Seeing is nåma, visible object is rúpa; they have different characteristics.

You wrote that you cannot distinguish the difference between seeing and thinking about what was seen, that they seem to occur at the same time. When we pay attention to the shape and form of something such as a chair there is thinking. However, are there not also moments of merely experiencing what appears through the eyesense, without there being thinking? There is not all the time thinking or defining of what something is. There are moments of seeing and seeing conditions thinking about what was seen, but they occur at different moments. One citta can have only one object at a time. We cannot expect to have precise understanding of realities, but we can begin to be aware of different realities. There are different degrees of knowing characteristics of nåma and rúpa and when paññå has been developed more, they will be known more clearly. They have to be known as nåma and as rúpa, not self.

The Buddha explained realities in different ways so that people would be able to know them as nåma elements and rúpa elements, as not self. We read in "An Exhortation from Nandaka" Middle Length Sayings (III, no.146) that the monk Nandaka had to preach to the nuns. Then the Buddha asked him to repeat to them exactly the same sermon. Why? Their "faculties", indriyas¹ , were developed and hearing the same sermon again would be the right condition for them to attain the degree of enlightenment for which they were ripe. How could that happen? Could it be just because they were listening and thinking about what they heard, or rather because there would be mindfulness while listening? While listening mindfulness can arise and it can be aware of seeing, hearing, thinking or feeling, of any reality appearing through one of the six doors. When I quote what Nandaka said, one may think, "Is that all?" However, when one listens, considers what one has heard and there can be mindfulness of realities one can come to know them as they are.

"It is good, sisters, it is good. For it is thus, sisters, that by means of perfect intuitive wisdom this is seen by an ariyan disciple as it really is. It is, sisters, like the oil for lighting an oil-lamp which is impermanent and liable to alteration, and like the wick which is impermanent and liable to alteration, and like the flame which is impermanent and liable to alteration, and like the light which is impermanent and liable to alteration. If anyone, sisters, were to speak thus: `The oil for lighting this oil-lamp is impermanent and liable to alteration, and the wick¤and the flame is impermanent and liable to alteration, but that which is the light-that is permanent, lasting, eternal, not liable to alteration', speaking thus, sisters, would he be speaking rightly?"

At times we have to experience unpleasant objects through the senses. The other day someone hit me, meaning it as a joke. Feeling the impact of it was akusala vipåka through the body-sense. Why did this have to happen to me? At such moments one may be upset and there is no awareness. Of course, I know why it happened: it was the result of akusala kamma, a deed committed in the past. Thus we see that everything we have to experience are only conditioned realities, and also our like or dislike of what happens and our feelings about it are only conditioned realities. Our attachment or our dislike are not vipåka, they arise with akusala citta which is conditioned by our accumulated defilements. We had attachment and aversion in the past and therefore there are conditions for their arising today. There are different types of conditions which play their part in our life.

"It is good, sisters, it is good. For it is thus, sisters, that by means of perfect intuitive wisdom this is seen by an ariyan disciple as it really is. It is, sisters, as if a clever cattle-butcher or a cattle-butcher's apprentice, having killed a cow, should dissect the cow with a butcher's sharp knife without spoiling the flesh within, without spoiling the outer hide, and with the butcher's sharp knife should cut, should cut around, should cut all around whatever tendons, sinews and ligaments there are within; and having cut, cut around, cut all around and removed the outer hide and, having clothed that cow in that self-same hide again, should then speak thus: `This cow is conjoined with this hide as before.' Speaking thus, sisters, would he be speaking rightly?"