3. The Highest Blessing

[punuri]

3. The Highest Blessing

Nibbaana Sacchikiriya Ca

The Dhamma of the Lord Buddha was revealed correctly and properly. It was neither hidden nor obscured but was clearly presented on every level according to the truth. For example, it states that virtue and wrongdoing,1 heaven and hell, Nibbaana, all really do exist. It continues unequivocally to maintain that the defilements are also things present and extant. These truths can't be denied. Yet why do such things pose a problem for us?

The Dhamma was openly and forthrightly presented. There was nothing esoteric and mysterious about it, for it was expounded entirely in accordance with truth — the reality that's present now. It was offered from every aspect and level of truth, and yet we still can't understand it. It's as if the Lord Buddha is saying to the blind and the deaf, "Look here! Look at this!". Apparently we must be like those blind people who can only grope around but can't actually see. Even though we know that the Lord has already explained all about it, we still always seem to bump into suffering. We've been told that suffering isn't something to welcome and yet we are constantly caught up by it. This is because our motives — the causes we put into effect — become aimed entirely at amassing the fire of suffering to heap on ourselves.

One quality of Dhamma that the Lord has pointed out is that it is visible here and now — sandi.t.thiko. Happiness and suffering can both be seen and experienced within ourselves. Death is one example of this. The other qualities of ehipassiko and opanayiko are also very important principles. Ehipassiko means 'calling one to come and see' the genuine Dhamma. This though does not mean that we should go out calling other people to come and see it. 'Ehi' refers to teaching the one listening to Dhamma and practicing it, so turn your heart to look inwards to where the truth is found.

Using more worldly terms, we can say that the truth is constantly proclaiming itself, constantly inviting and challenging — because of its candour and honesty it challenges us to, "look here!". This 'ehi!' invites you to look, rather than getting other people to come and see. How can others see, when they neither know the truth nor where to look for it. The truth is in themselves but if they don't search for it there then they are certainly not going to find the truth inside us.

Ehipassiko — the Lord taught us to look at the truth, the truth about ourselves that is right here.

Opanayiko means to 'bring within'. Whatever we see or hear or touch needs leading inside so that we can make good use of it. Anything coming into contact through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body, or appearing in the heart, must always be opanayiko — brought inward. Whether it is concerned with goodness or wickedness, happiness or suffering, the internal or external, past or future, it must all — opanayiko — incline towards the heart. For this is the principle source of all internal affairs.

The heart is preeminent and nothing surpasses it in importance. The issue of the heart is therefore pressing and critical: "All dhammas originate from the heart".2 This statement alone is enough to shake up the entire physical world. One's slightest movement must originate in the mind, and in fact, all dhammas must look to the heart as being foremost.

Only the heart is able to know about all the various things. What are these various kinds of dhamma? There are wholesome dhammas and unwholesome dhammas,3 These are only found in the heart. Wholesome dhammas come from the resourcefulness and cleverness of the heart, which enables it to respond quickly and appropriately to the ongoing situation. In fact, the various issues and consequences of these ongoing events spring from our own heart. When unwholesome dhamma arises in the heart, bring up the investigative wisdom of wholesome dhamma to examine and rectify our foolishness — which is that unwholesome dhamma — so that it can be disposed of.

Opanayiko is the inclining, drawing inward of any experience. Whether it be one of foolishness or cleverness, happiness or suffering, coming from anyone whatsoever, it all needs to be brought inside and made a lesson for the heart.

Ehipassiko is the viewing of the point source, the well- spring of all issues. And that is the heart. It's involved in never-ending activity, outperforming commonplace machinery that starts and stops according to its fixed schedule. The heart is never shut down but goes on and on until the last day of life.

It makes no difference how much we grumble and complain about the suffering involved in this state of affairs. Only by correcting it at its root cause will there be any practical value. Rectify the cause and the resultant suffering will diminish — in proportion to the proficiency of our circumspection and wise judgment. The Lord Buddha never pointed away from these principles for that would be like teaching one to catch hold of distant shadows. "There, over there!" — whereby one overlooks the real perpetrator, the original cause. This is of paramount importance because that's where the defilements are born.

What are we going to do? How are we going to cope? What is the origin of the suffering and the hardship that all beings must endure? What is the source of birth, aging, sickness and death? The defilements are the source and the prime-mover and yet they themselves can only arise in the heart. They are right here. That's why the Lord didn't teach about other places. So when we get down seriously to investigate the structure, the cause and effect of all this, and gradually see the truth and steadily uproot the defilement — we must do it here. This is the spot where our ignorance and stupidity binds and confines us, allowing the defilements to accumulate and grow.

This is also the place where mindfulness and wisdom, as they increase in their range and discernment, must uproot the defilements. Mindfulness must be maintained there with care and vigilance. This place — which is the heart — needs to be closely protected and sustained; nourished with mindfulness and with meditation. Mindfulness protects the heart by not allowing it to stray outside, whereby it would involve itself in external affairs and finally return with fire.

From protection one moves to eradication by analysing and probing into the reasons for this situation. We must then try to correct whatever is detrimental by examining its fundamental nature and rectifying it at its place of origin. The essential point at issue lies with the heart. It is the heart that takes up birth and endlessly wanders through the repeated cycles of birth and death. The accumulated corpses of just one person would be enough to fill the whole world — yet ignorance so blinds the 'owner' that nothing is known about the true extent of the situation. What remains is just deception and delusion, where no essence of truth can be found.

This is where you should try to advance your mindfulness so that it can come to terms with the thoughts and imaginings bubbling up in the heart. With awareness in attendance the slightest rippling of agitation in the heart will simultaneously arouse 'mindfulness and wisdom.' As we sit and watch right at the place where all developments originate — right at the heart — we will gradually start to notice the first flurries of activity.

This is where the deception of the heart begins and the heart will need wisdom to get to the truth of it. We'll also have to investigate the nature of the body until insight is implanted in the heart, so that the truth of each bodily part is deeply felt by the heart. By repeatedly examining and going over each part the heart will understand more and more, and the initial understanding will deepen to profound conviction.

Form.4 Listen, what is this form? Hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth and skin, flesh, sinews and bones: These are all form. This includes every internal bodily part and organ that is on the physical and material side. The Lord called this the form aggregate or simply, the body. All right then. Let's look at this. While exploring and probing, mindfulness will need to follow each observation of a part or organ of the body. Let mindfulness direct the work of investigation, being constantly in attendance. Let wisdom screen and process the information for a more and more subtle understanding. This is our work and task.

Our previous occupation with thinking and imagining, with drifting and wandering, always lacking in mindfulness has been of enormous harm to the heart. Whereas this other work is directly leading to the ending of the internal suffering and danger. Mindfulness holds down each piece of work, while wisdom explores, and knowledge follows through each bodily part and provides a guideline for the heart to follow. Mindfulness and wisdom must constantly follow along closely, as writing follows the ruled line. This is the 'Kammatthana Tour', the (in-)sight-seeing meditation trip around the cemetery found within ourselves.

You must not allow wishful over-eagerness for a speedy realization to interfere with the investigation. Keep your understanding following what is currently being investigated. Continue the analysis and differentiate and penetrate into the nature of this bodily aggregate. It's covered with a mere membrane of skin — that still manages to deceive the eyes of us all. It's not even as thick as a palm-leaf manuscript. That's skin. Yet whichever way your investigations proceed they must always be aimed at the overcoming of delusion. That won't be all, for they will soon start to become a quite fascinating and absorbing exercise too.

Alright! Let's take this body and look up to the top and down to the bottom. Let's see its outside and its inside. Let's immerse ourselves in this tour, not merely 'going along for the ride' but with mindfulness in full attendance together with wisdom checking each experience. In this way wherever you look you'll find the true Dhamma.

This can be considered the work of purging and eliminating the poison of attachment5 which infiltrates and infects every part of the body. It is primarily because of this attachment that suffering is spread everywhere. This 'universal suffering' refers to the suffering in the heart caused by attachment, rather than any other sort.

The bodily pain and suffering arising from illness — the aggregates must always fall under the law of impermanence, suffering and not-self — was experienced by the Lord Buddha and the noble disciples. But the heart that has transcended those conditions, or is in a position to do so, can observe — without negligence — these things so that it's no longer affected by them. This is because the envisioning of oneself is done so that you can investigate and get to the truth. This is the important factor in preventing anything from affecting the heart. In other words, suffering can no longer arise within, because the body is no longer imagined and credited as being 'me' or 'mine'.

Examine this body. Probe right into it. Alright then, what is skin really like? How about those animal hides that are made into handbags and shoes?

Let's look at the whole lot: the flesh, sinews and bone. See here! Both animal flesh and human flesh are much the same. Delve into it — what's the nature of bone? What's the difference between animal and human bone? Look to see the full truth within yourself. Carry on in! Penetrating this body that inherently poses such a challenge to us.

So why can't we fathom it out? Why isn't the heart bold and courageous? Once we begin to see the truth, it will be enough to start challenging the deception. The truth, realized with wisdom, is potent and able gradually to wipe out those false and treacherous views until they are entirely eliminated.

The truth that appears within the heart arises through mindfulness and wisdom. This truth is valid in two aspects or conditions: In one respect there's the truth of the aggregates whose very existence offers us a challenge. And then, when wisdom has fathomed and realized the truth of those conditions, there will be the truth within the heart. Such is the way of uprooting the defilements. Once these two truths meet and connect they are no longer harmful and will expel all the poison and danger out from the heart.

While on the 'Kammatthana sightseeing tour' of the body, we have examined and investigated its various organs, both large and small. Now we have to continue this Kammatthana trip to see how this body ends in transformation and dissolution. We must fix our attention here to see in what way it will decay and rot, until it has disintegrated and dispersed. The body must definitely go this way, though which aspects we target can be adjusted according to inclination and preference. Suppose that we wish to fix our attention on one particular object, so as to clearly see it within the heart. Whatever object we take — skin for instance — must be firmly held and targeted so that it appears as an image in the heart.

Should the image appear high or low, don't speculate about its position. The object under investigation must be taken as the target for our awareness, with mindfulness directing the way without distraction. However much the object might appear to expand, just see it as it is in the present. Whether it's high or low, let there just be awareness of that without wondering if it's too high or too low, or has already left the body.

At first we might wonder why it is that although we set our investigation inside the body, the particular part now seems to be external to it. Don't allow such thoughts to intervene. By not permitting awareness to wander from its target — whatever position it may have assumed — the object will give us a sight of 'the extraordinary and wondrous'. For example, if you concentrate on flesh, of whatever part of the body, see it clearly within yourself and then you'll observe that it will gradually transform itself. With mindfulness firmly established — which is when we have undivided attention firmly fixed in front of us — the heart will know that it is doing the work and that wisdom is doing the analysis. In a short while that object begins to transform itself. It starts to decay and decompose.

Right then. Let's get to see this clearly, without fear of death. Why should we be afraid when we are looking at the truth of the matter and not our own mortality? Go ahead then, let it disintegrate. I did my own investigations in this way. Each of the different bodily-parts just broke-up. It was really fascinating doing this investigation, this exploration into one's own body. Yet while being absorbed in the investigation, it then seemed as if the body had completely disappeared. Awareness of the body was not apparent even though I was investigating the body.

So. The body disintegrates. The head falls off... and an arm breaks off right there, in front of one. Then the other arm goes, and a length of bone, and everything inside ruptures and bursts out. Keep on looking. Be absorbed in watching the body as it falls apart.

Some of the bodily fluids seep out into the ground and some evaporate into the air. That's the way it goes. Once all the liquids are lost into the ground and atmosphere, the bodily parts start to dry out and steadily dehydrate until they finally crumble into dust. Then the dust from the bones of the body and the earth itself merge into one. This is seen so clearly.

Those more solid parts, like a bone for instance, could be taken up and seen as if it's burnt in a fire or as it slowly decomposes and crumbles away. Eventually they all seem to have become one with the earth.

In this particular investigation both the earth and water elements appeared the most vivid; but especially the earth element. The water element seemed to remain as water, while neither the air nor fire elements posed any problem. Unlike the courser, more solid parts, they didn't seem the weighty objects of this investigation and therefore didn't appear so vividly to the heart.

Once this stuff had completely dispersed into, and become one with, the earth, the heart was empty and bare. At that moment everything was void.

However, when you are doing the investigation, please don't speculate about such things. Just take the truth within yourself as your own, as your living testimony. Don't bring in outside speculation for witness and mode of practice, because that's about other people and doesn't belong to you. What you have realized by yourself is your own, and whatever that might be, let it happen within yourself. Your own realization and experience are what matters. So remember this as you go further.

At other times the results of the practice were not always exactly the same. Although they would still be following the natural course of things. On occasion the body would have dispersed into the earth, but some skeletal parts were left in a partial state of decomposition. Then a thought appeared in the heart predicting that, 'even though they haven't all gone yet, what's left is still doomed to return to the earth again'. This when there was no awareness of one's body — yet the heart was still able to create such things.

A moment later and the ground suddenly seemed to swell up out of nowhere and the rest of the remains were swallowed up. And so they all were transformed into earth. When that was done, the heart turned around to another angle and... everything disappeared. Even the ground that had so suddenly swallowed up the bone fragments was no longer there.

There was the knowledge and realization that: 'Aha! Every part of the body is made of earth and has returned to earth.' Then the heart turned around and everything disappeared with only pure awareness remaining. An indescribable feeling of wonder and amazement arose, because my investigation had never ended like this before. But now it had actually happened and was vividly perceived and experienced. The heart was now one, without a single moment of duality, because it was steadfast and constant in a true state of oneness.

(Normally,) as soon as the heart begins to stir, it will form two with the thought process, but here, there was absolutely no thought process. All that remained was bare awareness, which was marvellous and amazing. At that moment there was no physical world — no trees, no mountains. Nothing was present. It was empty and void as if it was all space, however there was also no conjectures using such ideas. Only knowingness was present.

The heart was stilled like this for hours and then, having emerged from that condition, any object focused upon appeared empty and void. Such an experience probably only happens once for each practitioner. For me it happened just that one time and has never occurred again. However, the investigative process can be repeated and will eventually be successful every time, depending on the skillfullness of the heart.

The transformation process into earth, water, air and fire will then be vividly seen every time one investigates it. This repeated experience strengthens the heart, familiarizes it with the truth of the elements and enables it steadily to uproot the view that they are 'me' or 'mine'. For that's how things really are — this body is made up of elements, when one talks in terms of elements, or it's the earth element. It is not 'me' or 'mine' as one's various opinions and imaginings like to impute and depict.

Repeated investigations will steadily deepen your insight until you are able clearly to comprehend and detach yourself from seeing the body as 'me' and 'mine'. Then there will be merely the body, and we can also say that even that's only a label. We could also call it a conditioned phenomenon, if we wanted to. Once this is sufficiently understood, nothing can pose a problem any more. Whatever the heart may call it, it won't make any difficulties, because the problem has always lain solely within the heart.

Our problems have to be dealt with by disengaging from fantasy and delusion, and by entering into the truth of Dhamma. This is that 'bare awareness' of the 'bare elements'. We might designate body but that's just the bare elements. Turning in towards the heart is bare awareness. We then have the two as the bare truth. Alright then, if feeling springs up let it carry on, for it's 'elemental' or a natural process6 similar to the body. This is how they are connected.

Perception or notions7 are concerned with knowledge of the heart's engaging in thought concoctions. We know that it has gone out from the heart and is engaged in a particular thought fabrication or supposition. On becoming aware of this the heart will withdraw and perception will stop straight away. But if we are not aware it will continue on, connecting up with this... and that... in progression... like a chain... link to link. And it will only stop the moment that mindfulness catches up. For it will then cease to concoct concepts and associations of ideas. This is what is meant by mindfulness matching up — and if it can't catch up with the train of thoughts, they will perpetually go on and on.

Investigating the body should become one of your major concerns. The Lord Buddha therefore taught the Four Foundations of Mindfulness that are all found within this body and mind. And this includes the Noble Truths. Yet what might be the purpose of all these investigations? They are aimed at enabling the heart to understand the truth of the situation and thereby let go of its deluded attachment. It will then come up against this being-a-self.

So then, when our confused misconceptions concerning the four elements and the five aggregates are resolved, we must then turn to investigate the delusion of the heart. See! There is a problem remaining.

This level of delusion is more insidious due to the subtle nature of its defilements. We need to move in closer to examine and then decide what to use as the basis for this investigation. We are investigating the heart and the heart is naama-dhamma.8 So are feelings, defilements and wisdom itself, so it doesn't just apply to the heart. Naama-dhamma's are able to coexist and interrelate and this means that the defilements and the heart can associate together.

It's wisdom then, that must do the probing for it too is a naama-dhamma. We must investigate in the same way as we did with the aggregates, by differentiating and analysing so as to see through to the true nature. Then we must put the heart in the dock and hit hard at the accused, the offender.9

The heart has gathered its offenses into itself and is conceited, thinking itself all-wise and all-knowing. It thinks it knows everything about this physical world of sense impressions and aggregates. But it doesn't yet know about itself. This is where it gets stuck. This is where it is ignorant. Wisdom must now be turned loose into the heart, dissecting and cutting away so as to penetrate it. We must thrust through to that knowingness, which is the body of conceited awareness, which forms the real delusion of the heart.

A careful and thorough scrutiny and analysis of the condition that has infiltrated within the heart, will show that it's just another natural process.10 The heart, therefore, won't come to ruin by such a rigorous investigation. Nevertheless, one's investigation can't be eased back for fear of harming it, because if the heart is able to stand up to the truth it will prevail and won't be destroyed. It will be true to its nature, and so will not only survive but will go beyond all offenses to purity. Let's see whether the heart will be annihilated or not.

Delve and dig into it. Don't be hesitant or over- protective of anything, not even of the heart. Don't be afraid that the heart will be destroyed or ruined. Once wisdom has completely wiped out the infiltrators, every kind of defilement will disappear. For it's this that makes up all the falsity existing within the heart. When the investigation really gets moving properly, those things that are vulnerable to dispersion will not be able to resist and will be annihilated. But the nature that can't be annihilated will come through and stand.

Please notice therefore, that it is the heart that is dominated by the defilements. And that once wisdom has totally shattered and cleared the defilements away, the heart will be transformed into the state of purity. This is the genuine purity. How can it vanish? Were it to disappear, how could it be pure? That dies, that is ruined, but this is the genuine deathless, the undying.11 It is undying through purity and doesn't turn12 — unlike the immortality that spins with the revolving wheel of birth and death. This is the vital truth present in the midst of our aggregates.

So we come to the main culprit, the one that incites and agitates the heart; pressing it into falling for the world, for the elements, for the aggregates, for pain, illness, and confusion. In truth, these things don't have anything to say about the matter. The body is how it is. Feeling arises as it should — it doesn't know that it's pain or pleasure or neutral feeling. It is this heart that goes and gives meaning to them and afterwards is duped by those self-made meanings. It gains nothing but harm and affliction for itself in the process.

We must therefore inquire into this. What can be lost by a vigorous examination into the true state of affairs? If the body should break, let it break. It comes, like all things in the world, under the law of impermanence, suffering and not-self — just as the Lord always said it did. How can we interfere? Let go of it! If it can't endure, then let it go! Everything in this physical world is breaking and dissolving. Some sooner, others later, but surely our aggregates can't last for aeons and aeons, for they too fall under the same law and limit. So let's investigate to see our aggregates according to truth, before they break up. This is encompassing, all-around wisdom, ready clearly to see painful feeling coming on the scene.

Alright then. Today we climb into the (boxing) ring. That's it. Today, we are going into the ring to see and realize the truth in accordance with Dhamma. We're certainly not going in there to fall down or collapse. When painful-feeling arises, that's pain's business, but the investigation of it belongs to mindfulness and wisdom. We are searching for the truth so how can we be knocked down. We don't do it for our downfall, but for victory and for penetrative insight. For the all-embracing realization of truth — of every aspect of truth within our heart. Victory will bring us freedom, and it's this that is 'the highest blessing'.13

The Lord said that:

"The realization of Nibbaana is the highest blessing."14

So you can see that this is the way to go. Nibbaana is concealed because the heart is covered and obscured by defilements, craving and ignorance. This has to be cleared and put right by investigation and an analysis to gain insight into the truth. It is the way to uncover and reveal all the things that have been hidden. It's called the way of realizing Nibbaana and seeing it clearly within the heart — here is the highest blessing. What can be any higher than this?

From here on it is:

"Whatever comes into contact, this heart is no longer shaken or upset. Nothing can reach it or affect it." Asoka viraja khema etam mangalamuttama."15

This is the secure and blissful heart — "khema.m" — and it is the highest blessing. These two blessings that I've mentioned are found in the heart, and nowhere else. It is the heart that is the blessing, yet it can also become a bane.

Right at this moment, we are turning the malediction that has infiltrated our hearts into the benediction 'Nibbaana sacchikiriya'. So then, let's open and clear all of this:

"Tapo ca brahmacariyanca Ariya sacca na dassanam."

Here, 'tapo' means the burning up of defilements. They sear the heart with their own heat so we must turn on them the dhamma-torch,16 which is mindfulness and wisdom. It's putting the heat on the defilements and burning them out.

'Ariya Sacca' and 'dassanam' is the realization of the Four Noble Truths: Suffering is now fully understood by the heart; its Cause is completely relinquished; the Path is fully developed to its ultimate level of greater-mindfulness and wisdom.17 All that's left to say is, the Cessation of suffering is now fully apparent.

This is what is meant by seeing the Truth of Dhamma, and the one who truly knows this is the one who reveals Nibbaana. This one is the heart that is no longer shaken and upset by all the worldly dhammas.18

So then, shouldn't we try to reach the essential, the heart of the matter. As far as the aggregates and body go, well, we already have gone into that. It's the heart that really counts.

If any thing should break up and come apart, well, let it. That's the way the world goes along and it's been like that from time immemorial. We have followed that way for so long, dying and being born again and again... Continuing along the old highway.

This so-called 'highway' is really the common course of things, the way the world gets along. No one can block this path and all must follow it. Yet surely by now, you are starting to have an inkling of the truth. What else can I say... I can't present anything more. Please take this up and examine it with care. Don't be careless and complacent.

"Endeavoring for the realization of Nibbaana is the highest blessing

— Nibbaana sacchikiriya ca etammangalamuttamam."

And one day it must definitely belong to the followers of the Lord Buddha, to those who determinedly strive on.

May I close this Dhamma talk with that.

Notes

1. boon and bahp. (Thai)

2. "Mano pubba.mgamaa dhammaa"

3. kusalaa dhammaa; akusalaa dhammaa

4. ruupa

5. upaadaana

6. sabhaava dhamma

7. sanyaa

8. naama-dhamma; incorporeal.

9. offender = nak tote, offences = tote (Thai)

10. sabhaava-dhamma

11. amata.m

12. vi-va.t.ta; va.t.ta-cakra

13. from the Mangala Sutta, on the 'highest blessing.'

14. "Nibbaanasacchikiriyaa ca etam ma.ngalamuttama.m"

15. "Phu.t.thassa lokadhammehi citta.m yassa na kampati,

Asoka.m viraja.m khema.m etam ma.ngalamuttama.m."

16. tapa dhamma

17. mahaa-sati; mahaa-panyaa

18. loka-dhamma