From: https://youtube.com/watch?v=EkFbf4Aq3QA

Context: Throughout this transcript, Bhante Vimalaramsi is the speaker unless otherwise indicated.

you

okay the discourse tonight is the true

lasat Raqqah suit the shorter discourse

to sachika this number 35 before we get

started

sat Rica was a person that was real good

in debating and he would go around to

all of these different teachers that

were somewhat popular in India at the

time and he would argue with them and he

would try to get them to get unbalanced

and angry and and that sort of thing so

he decided he was going to do that to

the Buddha thus if I heard on one

occasion the blessed one was living in

at Visalli in the great wood in the hall

with the peaked roof now on that

occasion sachika then he got the son was

staying at vesali

he was a debater and clever speaker

regarded by many as a saint he was

making a statement before the Visalli

assembly

I see no recluse or Brahman the head of

an order the head of a group the teacher

of a group even one claiming to be

accomplished and fully awakened who

would not shake shiver and tremble and

sweat under the armpits if he were to

engage and debate with me even if I were

to engage a senseless post and debate it

would shake shiver and tremble

if it were to engage and debate with me

that's pride so what shall I say of a

human being then when it was morning the

venerable AUSA G dressed and taking his

bowl and outer robe went into vesali

four homes as sachika then he got the

son was walking and wandering for

exercise in this alley he saw the

venerable AUSA G coming in the distance

and went up to him and exchanged

readings with him when this courteous

and amiable talk was finished sachika

then he got the son stood at one side

and said to him master

ASSA G how does the Rekluse Gautama

discipline his disciples and how is the

Rekluse Gautam --is instruction usually

presented to his disciples this is how

the Blessed One disciplines his

disciples ASSA G are the sachika and

this is how the Blessed One and

instruction is usually presented to his

disciples monks material form is

impermanent feeling is impermanent

perception is impermanent formations are

impermanent consciousness is impermanent

monks material form is not self feeling

is not self or we could change that to

impersonal perception is impersonal

formations are impersonal consciousness

is impersonal all formations are

impermanent all things are impersonal

that is how the blessed one disciplines

his disciples and that is how the

Blessed ones instruction is usually

presented to his disciples if we have

heard what the Rekluse Gautama asserts

we have indeed heard what is

disagreeable perhaps some time or other

we might meet master Gautama and have

some conversation with him perhaps we

might detach him from that evil view now

at that time 500 lack of ease had met

together in an assembly hall for some

business or other then sachika then they

got the son went to them and said come

forth good luck of ease come forth today

there will be some conversation between

me and the recluse Gautama if the

recluse Gautama maintains before me what

he has maintained before one of his

famous disciples the monk named hostage

he then just as a strong man might cease

a long-haired Ram by the hair and

dragged him to and dragged him fro and

dragged him roundabout so in debate I

will drag the recluse Gautama to and

drag and fro and drag him roundabout

just as a strong brewer's workman might

throw a brewers sieve into the deep

water tank

and take it by its corners drag it to

and drag it fro and drag it roundabout

so in debate I will drag the Rekluse

Gautama to and drag and fro and drag him

roundabout just as a strong Brewers

mixer might take a strainer by the

corners and shake it down and shake it

up and thump it about so in debate I

will shake the Rekluse Gautama down and

shake him up and thump him about yeah

you can see what's gonna happen and just

as a 60 year old elephant might plunge

into a deep pond and enjoy playing the

game of hemp washing so I shall enjoy

playing the game of hemp washing with

the recluse Gautama come forth good lack

of ease come forth today there will be

some conversation between me and the

recluse Gautama thereupon some lack of

ease said who is the recluse Gautama

that he could refute sachika than he got

the sons assertions on the contrary

sachika the Marathas son will refute the

recluse gotama's assertion and some

luckabee said who is sachika than they

got the son that he could refute the

reek the Blessed ones assertions on the

contrary the Blessed one will refute

such a kathan he got the sons assertions

then sachika the nagata's son went with

500 lack of ease to the hall with the

peaked roof

in the great wood now on that occasion a

number of monks were walking up and down

in the open then sachika then he got the

Sun went up to them and asked where is

master go Gautama staying now sirs we

want to see master Gautama the blessed

one has entered the great wood sachika

and is sitting at the root of a tree for

the days abiding then sachika then he

got the son together with a large

following of lek Ovie's entered the

great wood and went to the blessed one

he exchanged greetings with the blessed

one and after this courteous and amiable

talk was finished sat down at one side

some of the lek of ease paid homage to

the blessed one and sat down at one side

that means they nailed to him some

exchange greetings with him

and when this courteous and amiable talk

was finished sat down at one side some

extended their hands and reverential

salutation towards the blessed one and

sat down at one side some pronounced

their name and clan in the blessed one's

presence and sat down at one side some

kept silent and sat down at one side

when sachika the Nagata son had sat down

he said to the Blessed One I would like

to question master Gautama on a certain

point if master Gautam Oh would grant me

the favor of an answer to the

String ask what you like sachika

how does master Gautama discipline his

disciples and how is master Gautama is

instruction usually presented his

disciples this is how I discipline my

disciple sachika and this is how my

instruction is usually presented to my

disciples monks material form is

impermanent feeling is impermanent

perception is impermanent formations are

impermanent consciousness is impermanent

monks material form is impersonal

feeling is impersonal perception is

impersonal formations are impersonal

consciousness is impersonal all

formations are impermanent all things

are impersonal that is the way I

discipline my disciples and that is how

my instruction is usually presented to

my disciples a simile occurs to me

Master Gautama explain how it occurs to

you sachika

the Blessed One said just as when seeds

and plants whatever their kind reach

growth increase and maturation all do so

in dependence upon the earth based upon

the earth and just as when strenuous

work whatever their kind are done all

are done in dependence upon the earth

based upon the earth

so to master Gautama a person has

material form as self based upon

material form he produces merit or

demerit a person has feeling as self and

based upon feeling he produces merit or

demerit a person has perception as self

and based upon perception he produces

merit or demerit a person has formations

as self and based upon formation he

produces merit or demerit a person has

consciousness as self and based upon

consciousness he produces merit or

demerit so what is really saying is the

brahman belief in reincarnation okay and

he's trying to hold that up and listen

to what the Buddha does with this

sachika are you not asserting this

material form is myself feeling is my

self perception is my self formations

are my self consciousness is my self I

assert thus master Gautama material form

is myself feeling is myself

perception is myself formations are my

self consciousness is my self and so

does this great multitude and what has

this great multitude multitude to do

with you sachika

please confine yours

- your own assertion alone then Master

Gautama I assert thus material form is

self feeling as my self perception as my

self formations are my self

consciousness is my self in that case

site Raqqah I shall ask you a question

in return answer it as you choose what

do you think would a head anointed noble

King for example king pasenadi of

Kassala were king ajatasattu of magadha

exercised the power of his own realm to

execute those who should be executed to

find those who should be fined and to

banish those who should be banished

master Gautama a head anointed noble

King for example king pasenadi of Kosala

or king ajatasattu of magadha would

exercise the power in his own realm to

exercise or to execute excuse me those

who should be executed to find those who

should be fined to banish those who

should be banished for even these

oligarchic communities and societies

such as the vagine' the Malians

exercised the power in their own realm

to execute those who should be executed

to find those who should be fined and to

banish those who should be banished so

all the more so should had anointed

noble Kings such as king pasenadi of

Kosala working ijat aside - of

ha he would exercise it master vote

tonight he would be worthy to exercise

it now it starts to get interesting

what do you think such akka when you say

thus material form is myself did you

exercise any such power over that

material form as to say let my form be

thus let my form not be this when this

was said sachika then he got the son was

silent a second time the Blessed one

asked the same question and a second

time sachika then he got the son was

silent when the Blessed then the Blessed

One said to him sachika

now answer now now is not the time to be

silent if anybody went ask a reasonable

question up to the third time by the

target still does not answer his head

splits into seven pieces there and then

oh it's a good idea to answer it now on

that occasion a thunderbolt wielding

spirit holding an iron Thunderbolt that

burned and blazed and glowed appeared in

the air above sachika than they got the

Sun thinking if sachika then he got the

Sun women ask a reasonable question up

to the third time by the Blessed One

still does not answer I shall split his

head into seven pieces here and now the

Blessed One saw the Thunderbolt wielding

spirit and so did sachika than they got

the Sun but nobody else saw it then

sachika then he got the Sun was

frightened alarmed and terrified seeking

his refuge Asylum and refuge seeking his

shelter Asylum and refuge in the Blessed

One himself he said ask me master

Gautama I will answer that was a close

one

what do you think Sarika when you say

this material form is myself do you

exercise any such power over that

material form as to say let my form be

thus let my form not be thus no master

Gautama pay attention sachika pay

attention to how you reply what you said

afterwards does not agree with what you

said before nor does what you said

before agree with what you said

afterwards what do you

Thanks our chica when you say this

feeling is myself do you exercise any

such power over that feeling as to say

let my feeling be thus let my feeling

not be thus that's what you try to do

with some pains have come up in it

no master Gautama pay attention sachika

pay attention to how you reply what you

said afterwards does not agree with what

you said before nor does what you said

before agree with what you said

afterwards what do you think sachika

when you say perception is my self

do you exercise any power over that

perception as to say let my perception

be thus let my perception not be thus

and that's what happens when you have

some hindrances come up

no master Gautama pay attention sachika

pay attention to how you reply what you

said afterwards does not agree with what

you said before nor does what you said

before agree with what she said

afterwards what do you think Sachiko

when you say thus formations are myself

do you exercise any such power over

these formations as to say let my

formations be thus let my formations not

be thus no master Gautama

pay attention sachika pay attention to

how you reply what you said afterwards

does not agree with what you said before

nor does what you said before agree with

what you said afterwards

what do you thanks at Raqqah when you

say this consciousness is my self who

takes their thoughts personally tries to

make them be the way they want to hmm

okay and over that consciousness as to

say let my consciousness be thus let my

consciousness not be thus no master

Gautama pay attention sachika pay

attention to how you reply what you said

afterwards does not agree with what you

said before nor does what you said

before agree with what you said

afterwards what do you think sachika is

material form permanent or impermanent

impermanent Master Gautama is what is

impermanent suffering or happiness

suffering Master Gautama is what is

impermanent suffering and subject to

change fit to be regarded thus this is

mine this I am this is my self no master

Gautama what do you think sachika

is feeling permanent or impermanent

impermanent Master Gautama is what is

impermanent suffering or happiness

suffering Master

go tomorrow is what is impermanent

suffering and subject to change fit to

be regarded thus this is mine this I am

this is my self no master Gautama what

do you think sachika is perception

permanent or impermanent impermanent

Master Gautama is what is impermanent

suffering or happiness suffering Master

Gautama is what is impermanent suffering

and subject to change fit to be regarded

thus this is mine this I am this is my

self no master Gautama what do you think

sachika

our formations permanent or impermanent

impermanent Master Gautama is what is

impermanent suffering or happiness

suffering Master Gautama is what is

impermanent suffering and subject to

change fit to be regarded thus this is

mine this I am this is my self no master

Gautama is consciousness permanent or

impermanent impermanent Master Gautama

is what is impermanent suffering or

happiness suffering Master Gautama is

what is impermanent suffering and

subject to change fit to be regarded

thus this is mine this I am this is my

self no master Gautama what do you think

sachika when one adheres to suffering

resorts to

suffering holds to suffering and regards

what is suffering thus this is mine this

I am this is my self could one ever

fully understand suffering oneself or

abide with suffering utterly destroyed

interesting question an awful lot of

people that are practicing meditation

think the opposite they get into their

suffering they want you to suffer I know

because I experienced that for a long

time so the the real question here is

what do you think sachika when wanted

here's to suffering now we're talking

about merited right now

resorts to suffering holds to suffering

regards what is suffering thus if you

take it personally now he's refuting the

I am of everything I am that this I am

this is mine this is my self could one

of ever fully understand suffering when

you get caught in it now that's talking

about merit - but it's not directing it

directly saying narrow or abide with

suffering utterly destroyed so he's he's

talking about demerit and merit if it's

destroyed it's its merit right okay

how could one master Gautama no master

Gautama what do you think sachika that

being so do you not adhere to suffering

resort to suffering hold to suffering

and regard what is suffering as thus

this is mine this I am this is my self

how could I not if he doesn't understand

how to let go of craving as many people

that are practicing meditation don't

realize how can they let it go if they

don't recognize what it is how it arises

and how to let it go okay how could I

not recognize I'd be caught in suffering

master Gautama yes master Gautama it is

though a man needing heartwood seeking

heartwood wandering in search of

heartwood were to take a sharp axe and

enter the wood and there he would see a

large plane ten

a large plane tin trunk straight young

without a butt fruit bud core then he

would cut it down at the root cut off

the crown and unroll the leaf sheath but

as he went on unrolling the the leaf

sheath he would never even see any heart

SAP would let alone heartwood so to

sachika when you are pressed questioned

and crossed question by me a

about your own assertions you turn out

to be empty vacant and mistaken but it

was you who made this statement before

the vesali assembly

I see no Rekluse or brahmin head of an

order head of a group the teacher of a

group even one claiming to be

accomplished and fully awakened who

would not shake shiver and tremble sweat

under the armpits if he were to engage

in debate with me even if I were to

engage as senseless post and debate it

would shake shiver and tremble if it

were to engage in debate with me so what

shall I say of a human being now there

were drops of sweat on your forehead and

they have soaked through your upper road

and fallen to the ground but there's no

sweat on my body now the blessed one

uncovered his golden colored body before

the assembly when this was said sachika

then he got the sunset silent dismayed

with shoulders drooping and head down

glum without response that'll teach him

then do Mucca the son of the lek of ease

seeing sachika then he got the son in

such a condition said to the Blessed One

assembly a assembly occurs to me master

Gautama explained how it occurs to you

do matka suppose venerable sir not far

from a village or town there was a pond

with a crab in

and then a party of boys or girls went

from the town or village to the pond

went into the water and pulled the crab

out of the water and they put it on dry

land and whenever the crab extended a

leg they would cut it off and broke it

and smashed it with sticks and stones so

that the crab with all his legs cut off

broken and smashed would be unable to

get back to the pond as before so to all

sachika then he got the sons contortions

writhings and vacillations have been cut

off broken and smashed by the blessed

one and now he cannot get near the

blessed one again for the purpose of

debate when this was said sachika then

he got the son told him wait Bhumika

wait you are not speak we are not

speaking with you here we are speaking

with master Gautama then he said let be

master Gautama that talk of ours of

other ordinary recluses and brahmins it

was mere prattle but in what way is a

disciple of master Gautama one who

carries out his instructions who

responds to his advice who has crossed

beyond doubt become free from perplexity

gained intrepidity and become

independent of other

in the teachers breathe dispensation

here sachika any kind of material form

whatever whether past future or present

internal or external gross or subtle

inferior or superior far or near a

disciple of mine sees all material form

as it actually is with proper wisdom

thus this is not mine this I am NOT this

is not my self

any sort any kind of feeling whatever

whether past future or present internal

or external gross or subtle inferior or

superior far or near a disciple sees

that disciple of mine sees all feeling

as it actually is with proper wisdom

thus this is not mine this I am NOT this

is not my self

here's a check any kind of perception

whatever whether past future or present

internal or external gross or subtle

inferior or superior far or near a

disciple of mine sees all perception as

it actually is with proper wisdom thus

this is not mine this I am NOT this is

not my self

here's a chica any kind of formation

whatever whether past future or present

internal or external gross or subtle

inferior or superior

or near a disciple of mine sees all

formations as they actually are with

proper wisdom thus this is not mine this

I am NOT this is not my self

here's I took any kind of consciousness

whatever whether past future or present

internal or external gross or subtle

inferior or superior far or near a

disciple of mine sees all consciousness

as it actually is with proper wisdom

thus this is not mine this I am NOT this

is not my self it is in this way that a

disciple of mine is one who carries out

my instruction who responds to my advice

who has crossed beyond doubt free from

perplexity gained and rapidity and

become independent of others in the

teachers dispensation being independent

of others is actually saying they are

their own teacher master Gautama in what

way is a monk and our hot with taints

destroyed one who has lived the holy

life done what had to be done laid down

the burden reached his own goal

destroyed the fetters of being and is

completely liberated through final

knowledge here's a took any kind of

material form whatever whether past

future or present

ternal or external gross or subtle

inferior or superior far or near a monk

has seen all material form as it

actually is with proper wisdom thus this

is not mine this I am NOT this is not my

self and through not craving and

flinging he is liberated any kind of

feeling whatever whether past future or

present internal or external gross or

subtle inferior or superior far or near

a monk has seen all feeling as it

actually is with proper wisdom thus this

is not mine this I am NOT this is not my

self and through not craving and

clinging he is liberated any kind of

perception whatever whether past future

or present internal or external gross or

subtle inferior or superior far or near

a monk has seen all perception as it

actually is with proper wisdom thus this

is not mine this I am NOT this is not my

self

and through not craving and clinging he

is liberated here sachika

any kind of formation whatever whether

past future or present internal or

external gross or subtle inferior or

superior far or near a monk has seen all

formations as

they actually are with proper wisdom

thus this is not mine this I am NOT this

is not my self

and through not craving and clinging he

has liberated any kind of consciousness

whatever whether past future or present

internal or external gross or subtle

inferior or superior far or near a monk

has seen all consciousness as it

actually is with proper wisdom thus this

is not mine this I am NOT this is not my

self

and through not craving and clinging he

is liberated it is in this way that a

monk is in Hara hot with a taint

destroyed one who has lived the holy

life done what had to be done laid down

the burden reached his own goal

destroyed the fetters of being and has

completely liberated through final

knowledge that's the kind of statement

that happens automatically in your mind

when you become a not when a monk's mine

is thus liberated he possesses three

unsurpassable qualities unsurpassable

vision unsurpassable practice and

unsurpassable deliverance when a monk is

thus liberated he still honors respects

Revere's and venerates that's a target

of us the Blessed One is awakened and he

teaches the Dhamma for

the sake of awakening the Blessed One is

tamed and he teaches the Dhamma for

taming oneself the Blessed One is at

peace and he teaches the Dhamma for the

sake of peace the Blessed One had

crossed over he teaches the Dhamma for

crossing over the Blessed One has

attained Nirvana and he teaches the

Dhamma for attaining Nibbana when this

was said that he got the sachika then he

got the son replied master Gautama we

were bold and impudent and thinking that

we could attack master Gautama and

debate a man might it might attack a mad

elephant and find safety yet he could

not attack master Gautama and find

safety a man might attack a blazing mass

of fire and find safety yet he could not

attack master Gautama and find safety a

man might attack a terrible poisonous

snake and find safety yet he could not

attack master go to mind find safety we

were bold and impudent and thinking we

could attack master go to my Inn debate

let the Blessed One together with the

Sangha of monks consent to accept

tomorrow's meal from me the Blessed One

consented in silence then knowing that

the Blessed One had consented sachika

then he got the son addressed the lack

of ease here me lack of ease the recluse

Gautama together with the Sangha of good

monks

has been invited by me for tomorrow's

meal you may bring to me whatever you

think would be suitable for him he's

asking him to donate the food then when

it was night and it had ended the lack

of ease brought 500 ceremonial dishes of

milk rice as a gift of food I've told

this story quite a few times there's two

different kinds of milk rice one is just

cooking the rice and milk okay and they

throw sugar in it and things like that

but I had something offered to me that

was really really special when they make

rice from milk what they do is they

plant the best rice they could find and

they only take milk for the rice dirt

nourishment in other words it's just a

field of milk with rice popping up and

then they take all of that grain and

they've replanted with milk in the field

and then they take that grain and they

replant it again with milk in the field

and I was offered a bowl of that and it

was unbelievable it was really something

special I have no idea why they offered

it to me but they I was with some other

monks that were very famous in Burma and

I just happened to be with them at the

right time so

of course laying down the burden of

being reborn again get off the wheel

there's there's an interesting thing

about this a lot of people are very

confused about me Bona and what happens

when you get off the wheel and B you

become an RA and get off the wheel in

the end retrim nakiya

there's a short verse that says suppose

you were at the beach and you built a

sand castle and a wave came and knocked

it all down you could never put that

sandcastle together again in exactly the

same way now what they're finding out

about space is that there is some

consciousness in space and there are

some beings that come from that

consciousness that start to grow they're

very small they don't need to have air

but it is live beings so the space is

not empty and to my way of thinking the

only thing that's holding us together is

craving and ignorance okay when you

become an art hot and you die all of

these different aggregates are still

there because nothing can come from

nothing but these aggregates are still

there but you can never be put together

in the same way again and it seems it

seems at least reasonable

that this can be like that it's a

conglomeration of things that well but

when you become a Nara hot you don't

have any more craving if there's no more

craving there's no more rebirth so when

you die you still have your five

aggregates as an are hot but you don't

have any craving or clinging so

basically an Arad is somebody that's

coming from their intuition with their

connection to the universe as it were

and that's the advantage of being around

in our hot they're gonna give you the

straight the straight skinny they're

gonna give you the straight answers and

they turn out to be magnificent teachers

if they feel like doing that some some

just go off and they don't see people

again and and then they die whenever

they die but a lot of the our hearts

they spend their time helping other

people to attain nirvana

it is about the graving and blinging if

you don't have anything craving you're

not making any bad merit okay there's

only good merit that you're making until

you die absolutely I look for 12 years

to see if I could find one and I never

did I went to a lot of claims of ära

Hachi

there's one month that he uses the name

are Sri Lanka and one of my students

went and spent some time with him and

what his teaching was was to be happy

and he was always stressing smiling

laughing and helping other people but he

got heavily criticised for claiming to

be in our heart because he wasn't

well that's kind of a tricky question

there are people that can become our

hats or pacheco buddhas when there is

not a samisen buddha around they can't

be in the buddha era and Patrika buddhas

they stress to people when they see them

they pretty much hide out but they have

to go out for alms round and whenever

they see someone that's it's giving them

some alms food they can ask questions

and they're only going to talk about the

importance of keeping your precepts and

practicing your generosity and things

like that so yes there are people that

can become our hats not in the buddha

era there are a lot more that become our

hats and the buddha era but the buddha

said this era was going to last about

5