Dharma Talk by LuongTa Chanhphy Manivong
at `Samadhi Cottage'-Kilsyth, Victoria
When a child is born, It resembles a white piece of paper
I practice meditation according Lord Buddha's Teachings who once said that `Life is full of endless struggle at all time and man has no time for himself'. Therefore, Lord Buddha has taught us Dharma principles known as ` Dharma Meditation for a being to relax , to have time for himself and to realise his life' . According to this, I would like to talk to you about my understanding of my Dharma practice which is extremely delicate and important for those who wish to know the whereabouts of principles of truth. Many of us are dreaming of `Samadhi' concentration. We want to know what it is. We want to learn how to do it. We have been looking for it every where and at the end we become more confused. In reality, human beings are very intelligent. It is our intelligence which makes us overlook the truth of the matter. In this situation, my understanding is that all of us has `Samadhi ' concentration within ourselves from the very first day when we were born.
Lord Buddha once said that `Sati (Awareness) is the base of Vipassana (meditation)'. If a person does not have Samadhi (concentration) that person is insane or his mind is not healthy which means he has no base for Samadhi. For example, if a person does not have Samadhi, it means that he has no Sati and he will not be able to do anything right. He will not be able to feed himself. When walking, he will get lost. When we do things correctly and safely, it means that we automatically have Samadhi and we do not have to look for Samadhi outside ourselves. But many of us sit to meditate and concentrate it is only because we do not have time for ourselves. From the very first day when we were born and until we reach the age of 20-30-40-50-60-70, we do not have time for ourselves. We always think about `Tanha' (craving). We think about what happened in the past. We think about our future. We think back and forwards. It goes round and round. Before we can sleep, we think and think until the body gets tired and goes to sleep. Once we awake, we start thinking again. This process of thinking never ends.
Let us say from the age of 10 until we reach the age of 60 or 70 , how many million ideas have we thought about it. Does anybody know about our thinking? Does anybody remember them? Does anybody collect these data? Does anybody record them somewhere?
Our ears have heard millions of sounds. They have all sort of sounds whether they are pleasant or unpleasant, good or bad, angry or not angry. Does anybody collect these data? Does anybody record these sounds? Does anybody know?
Our eyes is like a camera. We have seen millions of `rupa' (forms) and colours. Does anybody know about these `rupa' (forms) and colours? Does anybody know who operates the camera? Where are these `rupa' (forms) and colours are stored.? Does anybody knows?
Our body can feel hot, cold, heavy, light for millions of times, but does anybody record these feelings and store them somewhere?
Our nose can smell good and bad millions of times, but does anybody know these smells and store them somewhere?
Our tongue can taste sweet or sour, hot or salty, bitter or not bitter millions of times, but does anybody record these tastes and store them somewhere?
Our heart can feel sad or sorrow, content or discontent, happy or unhappy, unsatified or satisfied, love or hated millions of times, but does anybody record these feelings and record them somewhere?
Because of these, Lord Buddha once taught that if anybody would like to know all of these in the past whether it is happiness or unhappiness, content or discontent, sweet or bitter, good or bad then start `Vipassana Meditation' to gain wisdom. In this situation, we would have time to ourselves. We would understand more and more about life. This is why Lord Buddha had to sit in Vipassana Meditation.
As a result, Lord Buddha knows the past, present and future. Lord Buddha knows all these from Vipassana Meditation, not from anywhere else.
I would like to tell you again, for example, when you meditate, it is like we close our front door of our house. This house is only outside, but the house inside is our physical body which has five doors namely - Ears, Eyes, Nose, Mouth and Heart (Citta). When we sit and meditate, we must close all these doors. Our eyes not seeing anything from outside. Our ears not hearing any noise from outside. Our nose not smelling any smell from outside. Our tongue not tasting anything from outside. Our heart not communicating with anyone from outside. We only consider and examine everything inside our body. When we close our eyes, there will be millions of colours appearing. In this situation, we will be unable to know exactly what they really are. I will not attempt to explain in detail here. But if any of you would like explanation, you should close your eyes and start practicing then you will get the answer you are looking for from your eyes. Once you close your eyes, your desire starts appearing immediately. I would like to explain in brief about `desire' . You desire to know what is happening. You desire to know what it is. You desire to understand. You desire to see. You desire to see whether what happened in the past will return. There are millions of questions that we would like to ask. Similarly, there are also millions of answers. But in actual fact, there are more questions than answers.
In the end, we will not be able to find the answer. Then confusion starts to arise. Our mind becomes confused. Our mind becomes unsettled and millions of ideas start pouring in. This is because we lack wisdom. It is our desire that makes us become more and more confused. Because of our desire for answer and when there is no answer there occurs a feeling of being afraid and then we will try to find a way to get out from them. If we cannot get away from them we become disappointed . In the end, we are fallen into the ignorant state (Avijja). I would like to tell you that all those things occurring in your eyes represent `Tanha' (craving). It is this Tanha that makes us want to know this and that. It makes us want to understand. It makes us want to be happy. It makes us want to escape from sufferings. Once there is `Tanha' attachment (Upadana) would follow. This means we become attached to forms (rupa) taste (rosa) smell (gandha) , sound (sadda) and tangible objects (phothabba). These are similar to strings which tie our heart and mind; they tie our hands and legs. Then we will not be able to find a way out. That is why we are fallen into a state of being ignorant (avijja). I would like to tell you about the source of what appearing in our eyes as I know where did they come from. What happened when we were about 10 years old until we reach the age of 50-60 or 70, our sub-conscious know them all. Past events in every forms are all stored in our memory. In this situation one may wish to ask that why we did not see all of these before? The simple answer is that we do not have time for ourselves. We are full of tanha (craving) which we will never be able to satisfied .
Likewise, our ideas never ends. Because of this, Lord Buddha had escaped from all dukkha (sufferings) and all tanha (craving). Lord Buddha has set an example for all beings to follow him. Anybody follows Lord Buddha's path shall be able to find a way out from all sufferings. Lord Buddha himself had shown the way for us to follow. He had shown that all human beings if properly practiced Vipassana Meditation shall be able to reach higher state of Dharma which he himself has attained.
What I have told you is my Dharma practice during the 1993 retreat at Samadhi Cottage owned by the Somaia family in Melbourne. I realize that some of you may know more than myself, however, whatever I have gained I would like to let you know and pass on to you. The way to solve sufferings from our heart and mind which is clouded by tanha (craving) and kilesa (impurities) and followed by Upadana (attachments) which in turn makes our mind becomes confused and fall into a state of being ignorant (avijja) is to make our heart and mind peaceful and tranquil for wisdom to develop. We must practice. We must determine. We have to be aware. We must not be weak. If we are weak we will not be able to fight against Kilesa (impurities) We must use all the wisdom we have and cut our heart and mind from all kilesa by reminding ourselves that all things are unreal. All things are untrue. All rupa (forms) that we saw were in the past and these are only obstacles (nivarana) We must be strong and stable and these obstacles would slowly disappear. Attachment (Upadana) which is like a piece of string that ties our mind would slowly become untied. As a result, our mind is free. Our mind is pure. Our mind no longer has dukkha (suffering) and this is what all of us have been looking for. But many of us cannot do it because of our high education backgrounds which make us fall into the state of ignorant (Avijja).
Another thing which I would like to tell you is about Kilesa (defilement). From the day a child was born until he reaches the age of, let us say 10. His mind has no kilesa, just like a white piece of paper. It is clean and pure. From the age of 10 the child now starts to have kilesa which is similar to a number of black lines drawn on that white piece of paper. Then we colour those black lines with whatever colour we prefer. If we like red, colour them in red. If we like blue then colour them in blue. If we like green then colour them in green. If we like yellow then colour them in yellow and so on. Finally, that white piece of paper is full of black lines and colours. It becomes a piece of scrap paper. It is no longer useful for anyone as it is full of all sort of lines and colours. These represent tanha (craving) and then Upadana (attachment) would follow. In the end we become more and more confused. Then we have to find a way out. Once we cannot find a way out we become afraid, and it makes us suffer (dukkha). The more we suffer the more we intend to find a way out. These dukkha are similar to the white piece of paper full of blacks lines and colours. The way we want to escape dukkha is just like to make that piece of scrap paper becomes pure white again. See drawing below
Because of this, Lord Buddha has shown us the way to escape from all dukkha. These kilesa and tanha are strings that pulling us back to the suffering circle which has no end. The colours we paint on those black lines represent tanha. We make our own decision, if we like red, paint them in red. We create our own tanha. If we like sweet, we add sweet. If we like something sour, we add something sour. If we like something bitter, we add something bitter and so on until your heart content. As for sensual pleasure, one touching it, we have feeling. Our heart would say that the touch is smooth. This would cause our mind to become attached and fixed to it by saying that it is nice and beautiful and makes it happy. As for food, when we consume it, we become attached and fixed to it by saying that it is nice. In conclusion, odour, taste, feeling which are parts of Kilesa and Tanha are pieces of strings allowing us to see lines on white piece of papers. There are many colours on the white piece of papers that we talked about and when we combine all the lines and colours together, it makes that white piece of paper becomes useless and can no longer be used for any useful purpose. If we want to know the quantity of our desire , we must use our Sati (Awareness) to examine it carefully. The more we desire it, the more sufferings we would have. This is a reality according to my Dharma practice which I have endured to find. Dharma, in actual fact, is a reality.
The truth in Dharma is `Emptiness'. Emptiness is the supreme happiness for those seeking peace and tranquillity. A very good example is our Lord Buddha. When Lord Buddha was Prince Sidhartha, he had no emptiness. He could not do anything personally as he had no emptiness. Why has he no emptiness? This is because he had to look after his population. He had thousands of concubines. He had palaces for every seasons of the year. He had a wife, children, nieces and nephews. Prince Sidhartha's tanglements are similar to the lines drawn on the white piece of paper we talked about earlier. It is a mess. Everything is confused. So, in this situation we should now realised that Prince Sidhartha had no emptiness. Because of this, Prince Sidhartha decided to look for emptiness. In a way Prince Sidhartha was looking for supreme happiness. Prince Sidhartha believed in his enlightenment and once he made up his mind, he left his beautiful wife and children and went away to torture himself in order to find happiness (Vimokkha). This is similar to the fact that we want to escape from sufferings which is to escape from all the tanglements on the white piece of paper.
My way of Dharma practice is that if we want to be happy, we must accept the truth. The truth is the real happiness as emptiness is the supreme happiness. Lord Buddha once said that there is no other happiness than complete salvation or liberation (Vimutti). This is because our mind is no longer Kilesa and Tanha's slave. Our mind is completely free and not occupied in anything. Our mind is free from desire of all kind. As a result we enjoy complete happiness which all of us have been looking for.
In comparison, there is an empty glass which we can fill it with any sort of water. This is only because the glass is empty. Once the glass is full, we cannot fill it with anything else because the glass was already full and there is no use trying to pour additional water or liquid into a glass already full.. A glass full of water is similar to our mind which is has no emptiness and as such unable to add anything to the mind which is full of material desire. Not until our mind is empty, not until our mind is no longer selfish, not until our mind full of kindness and would like to see happiness in others at all time our mind will not be empty. Emptiness will develop in our mind when our mind is kind and generous. Kindness is a precious Dharma . Lord Budhha has taught earthly beings to know emptiness which means live together in harmony and this is Dharma. Dharma has no Rupa. Dharma is not material. Dharma has no colour. Dharma has no taste. Dharma cannot be touched. Dharma cannot be bought. Dharma cannot be given as Dharma is emptiness. Whoever wants to know Dharma and whoever wants to know wholesomeness he must do it himself. He must endure himself so that he can understand himself for happiness to develop. As a result, he will obtain happiness. This is real Dharma which Lord Buddha has taught human beings to know Vipassana Meditation. Lord Buddha taught us to find emptiness by ourselves so that to escape from sufferings (Dhukha). This is reality which all of us have been looking for over 2539 years.
Some of us has reached higher state of Dharma, but there are still many of us are still confused because of our ignorance as we refuse to accept reality which make us become attached to our own desire. When does our desire begins and where does it end? It all begins in the morning when we open our eyes. Once our eyes are opened, our desire starts immediately. That is we desire to get up. We desire to go and wash our face. We desire to see, to eat, to listen, to talk, to be happy and not to be poor, not to die. Our desire and our breath goes together. Our desire and our feeling goes together. It never ends. We desire until we go to bed. Even when we go to bed, we still desire at all time and not until our body can no longer takes, then it goes to sleep. Once we get up again, our desire starts . From the day when we were born up until now, we have never seen that we do not desire anything. We desire more and more. It never ends. Because of this, Prince Sidhartha had to escape to a forest where he tortured himself for 49 days. He restrained himself from thirst, from breathing in order to escape from desire and to gain emptiness. But unfortunately, Prince Sidhartha still felt that the state of being ignorant as he desired too much. Prince Sidhartha's desire could not be accomplished and he almost lost his life. But because of his good deed in the past, he managed to conquer his desire and found emptiness. Prince Sidhartha was extremely careful. He used all his extremely delicate Sati (awareness) in order to find a way to conquer his own desire. He used all his wisdom to defeat his own desire. In the end Prince Sidhartha found emptiness. There is nothing else above emptiness. Lord Buddha attained enlightenment without being taught by any teacher. He was the greatest Teacher of Gods and human beings. Lord Buddha's enlightenment Dharma's are Dukkha (suffering, misery), Smudaya ( cause of suffering) , Nirhoda (cessation of suffering) and Mugga (path leading to extinction of suffering). Dharma to combat Dukkha is emptiness and only emptiness can conquer suffering. This is called Ariyasacca Dharma which is reality. Reality is not changing. Emptiness is not changing and so as Sacca Dharma is not changing. Good action is also not changing. Dharma you have just heard here cannot be bought no matter how much money one would have. They cannot be given to anyone and even Lord Buddha cannot give them to you. The only way you can obtain them is to practise yourself. If you are still waiting for someone to do it for you, it means that you are in the state of being ignorant (Avijja). According to Lord Buddha's teaching Avijja is ignorant as we cannot accept reality. We mistake ourselves that we are good person. We mistake ourselves that we are more intelligent than anyone. We mistake ourselves that we are right and others are wrong, and because of our own mistake we are fallen into a state of being ignorant more and more until we are unable to find a way out.
Before we give something to someone, we should give it with an empty mind. If our mind is not empty, it means that we are not ready to give. To give something to someone with an empty mind is more precious than to give something to someone without an empty mind. To give something to someone without an empty mind means that we still want something in return. Such an action cannot be classified as Parisuti (pure action). This is similar to the way you ask for the Five Dharma Precepts and then unable to carry them out. We can only assume it. Therefore, in this situation, we can only assume that we are happy as reality is still reality. It cannot be changed. Therefore, all of us must accept reality as reality came before Lord Buddha and this is why Lord Buddha said Dharma is Reality.
Dharma Proverbs:
Dharma will Develop in an Empty Mind
Happiness will Develop in an Empty Mind
Suffering will Disappear in an Empty Mind
Dharma will not Develop in a Mind which is not Empty
Happiness will not Develop in a Mind which is not Empty
Suffering will not Disappear in a Mind which is not Empty
These are Dharma. They are very delicate and they are in Je - Ji - Ru - Ni.
Empty Mind, Empty Intention, Empty Rupa (form) cause a peaceful mind to develop and Mind stays still in an Emptiness. This is Nibbhana. Emptiness is Happiness. This Happiness was found by Lord Buddha which is we know as Nibbhana.
If anyone still has any doubt about these Dharma Proverbs, they can find the answer themselves, however before starting Vipassana Meditation they should know where are the bases for Vipassana meditation? Where does it start before reaching Vipassana Mind. Then they will get the answers they are looking for.
An Empty Mind is a Tranquil Mind.
Empty Intention is firmly stay in Wholesome Action. Empty Rupa is not attaching to Rupa (form), Rosa (taste) Gandha (odour), Sadda (sound), Phasa (contact) and DharmArrom (a mind object). Only Emptiness consisted of tranquility can be classified as `Ni' which is an abbreviation of Nibbhana. If we want to know how delicate is Dharma we simply place a small ball of cotton wool on our back hand and if we immediately realise the weight of the cotton wool and at the same time immediately know the feeling on our back hand we would be able to know and understand Dharma. This is only an example, without any doubt as Dharma is even more delicate than the weight and the feeling of a cotton wool on our back hand. To understand the quantity of reality is to know Dharma within a boundary. The truth is not too much and not too little either. It is the exact amount exact amount which leads to the guitar with three strings which caused Prince Sidhartha to be able to escape from Avijja (ignorance)
We mislead and forget ourselves. We think that we are very knowledgeable and wise. We forget how to live. We forget how to talk. We forget how to take and how to desire. We forget how to remember. We forget how to remember to return home. We forget ourselves that we use harsh words that might cause suffering to others. We forget that we are not with reality. We forget that we do not practice Lord Buddha's Dharma which he had left us, but instead, we have use Dharma in the wrong way. If we want to know the truth, we must find the truth ourselves and then we will get the answer we have been looking for. Once we get the answer we would no longer be forgetful. This is real Dharma of Lord Buddha and do not mistake that what I have talked about was not Lord Buddha's Dharma. If we want to know the truth which is reality we must be diligent, we must keep practising to acquire wisdom then we will be able to understand the most delicate Dharma by ourselves only. This is Vipassana Meditation - The Middle Way - The Way You Are Looking for. With the blessing of the Triple Gems, I wish you to be successful in what you are looking for. Sadhu Anumodhami.