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

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

so

today

we are going to read from the angutta

nikaya

6.63

this is the

neb hedika suta or the penetrative

discourse

because i will teach you a penetrative

exposition of the dhamma

listen and attend closely i will speak

yes bhante those bhikkhus replied

the blessed one said this

and what because is that penetrative

exposition of the dhamma

sensual pleasures should be understood

the source and origin of sensual

pleasures

should be understood

the diversity of sensual pleasures

should be understood

the result of sensual pleasures should

be understood

the cessation of central pleasures

should be understood

the way leading to the cessation of

central pleasures

should be understood

feelings should be understood the source

and origin of feelings

should be understood

the diversity of feelings should be

understood

the result of feelings should be

understood

the cessation of feelings should be

understood

the way leading to the cessation of

feelings should be understood

perceptions should be

understood the source and origin of

perceptions should be understood

the diversity of perceptions should be

understood

the result of perceptions should be

understood

the cessation of perceptions should be

understood

the way leading to the cessation of

perceptions should be understood

the taints should be understood

the source and origin of the taints

should be understood

the diversity of the taints should be

understood the result of the taints

should be understood

the cessation of the taints should be

understood

the way leading to the cessation of the

taints should be understood

karma should be understood the source

and origin of karma should be understood

the diversity of karma should be

understood the result of karma should be

understood the cessation of karma should

be understood the way leading to the

cessation of karma should be understood

suffering should be understood

the source and origin of suffering

should be understood

the diversity of suffering should be

understood the result of suffering

should be understood

the cessation of suffering should be

understood

the way leading to the cessation of

suffering should be understood

when it was said sensual pleasures

should be understood the source and

origin of sensual pleasures should be

understood the diversity of sensual

pleasure should be understood the result

of sensual pleasure should be understood

the cessation of sensual pleasure should

be understood

the way leading to the cessation of

sensual pleasure should be understood

for what reason was this said

there are bekus these five objects of

central pleasures

forms cognizable by the i that are

wished for desired agreeable pleasing

connected with sensual pleasure

tantalizing

sounds cognizable by the ear

odors cognizable by the nose taste

cognizable by the tongue

tactile objects cognizable by the body

that are wished for desired agreeable

pleasing connected with sensual pleasure

tantalizing

however these are not sensual pleasures

in the noble ones discipline these are

called objects of sensual pleasure

a person's sensual pleasure is

lustful intention

so there's a verse that says here

they are not central pleasures the

pretty things in the world

a person's sensual pleasure is lustful

intention

the pretty things remain just as they

are in the world

but the wise remove the desire for them

so the bmw is not the problem

the craving for the bmw is the issue

here

the lustful intention

the chocolate cake is not a problem

chocolate cake is never a problem by the

way

but it's the craving for it right

the pain is not the issue the sitting

when there is pain

in the sitting that's not the problem

it's the aversion to that pain

that that should be

understood so sensual pleasures are is

one thing but the craving for central

pleasures is another

and what bikus is the source and origin

of sensual

contact is their source and origin

makes sense

without contact you can't have a

pleasant feeling

and what is a diversity of sensual

pleasures

sensual desire for forms is one thing

sensual desire for sounds is another

sensual desire for order still another

sensual desire for taste still another

and sensual desire for tactile objects

still another

this is called the diversity of sensual

pleasures

and what is the result of sensual

pleasures

one produces an individual existence

that corresponds with whatever sense

pleasure one desires and which may be

the consequence either of merit or

demerit

this is called the result of sensual

pleasures

in other words when there is a sensual

pleasure a pleasant feeling if there is

lustful intention if there is craving

for it if there is aversion for it there

is an individual existence dependent

upon it

meaning there is becoming

an individualized self

there is a habitual tendency that arises

dependent upon the craving and clinging

for that sensual pleasure or the

aversion

and so it says

one produces an individual existence

that corresponds with whatever sense

pleasure one desires

and which may be the consequence either

of merit or demerit so when we talk

about rebirth in this case

we have some kind of pleasant experience

at the point of death some

pleasant memory arises

that memory arises as a result of

something you did previously that

thought arises as a result of previous

choices

that's why if a mindset is

always wholesome inclines always to the

wholesome then the choices that that

mind makes

will tend and incline towards the

wholesome

if a mind has been unwholesome

then the choices that they make will

incline towards the unwholesome that is

to say the automatic conditioning will

arise dependent on previous choices that

they've made in the past

so at rebirth

when there arises a pleasant memory or

an unpleasant memory if there is craving

or aversion for that and if it is strong

there

that can give rise to certain formations

that can give rise to a new

consciousness that

takes rebirth in a new namarupa that is

dependent upon those formations

dependent upon that pleasant unpleasant

experience that is the new existence

that arises

on the micro level on the day-to-day

level when there is a sense sensual

experience when there's a pleasant

experience

the mind will see that and want that

and then the mind can obsess over it

right and there is an individual

individual existence wrapped around

the wanting of that wrapped around the

grasping for that

and then from there there is birth of

action there's birth of reaction

now there was a question that arose in

the interviews which was

what about one who is a noble one one

who attains

what happens when they take rebirth that

is to say a sodapana or a sakadagami

because they'll still take rebirth

in one of the sensual realms whether

it's the human plane

or one of the six human uh six sensual

heavens

for them their mind inclines towards

that which is wholesome already

that is to say that they have completely

cut off

any possibility or potential for

existence in a lower realm

any existence in an animal realm in a

hungry ghost realm or in a

hellish realm

so because of the purity of right view

that's there in their mind

what will arise will be wholesome

inclinations

almost automatically

so when they pass on whatever will arise

will be some

so it will be some wholesome

thought

some wholesome memory

and then that will give rise

to the craving for that or the

identification with that and then that

will give rise to a new consciousness

which will then descend

into a new nam of internew mentality

materiality corresponding with those

formations corresponding

with that pleasant

wholesome experience that they're having

so for the sodapana and the sakuragami

they are not going to go into any of the

lower realms anything that arises will

incline automatically to the wholesome

and what is the cessation of sensual

pleasure

uh what is the yeah what is the

cessation of central pleasures

with the cessation of contact there is

the cessation of sensual pleasures

so a sensual pleasure that is a pleasant

experience

arises as a feeling

dependent upon contact when contact

ceases

so does that sensual pleasure

the noble aid full path is the way

leading to the cessation of sensual

pleasures

namely right view right intention right

speech right action right livelihood

right effort right mindfulness and right

collectedness

so

to cease contact that is to experience

the cessation that we understand as the

cessation of perception feeling and

consciousness

you need to follow the eightfold path

you need to have right view in place

that right view will give rise to right

intention that right intention

will

inform and facilitate right speech and

right action and right livelihood

right effort is the core of the

eightfold path

right mindfulness is being able to

attend or pay attention or observe how

mind's attention

moves from one object to the other

right collectedness

is being with samadha and vipassana

yoked together right that is where it

gives rise

that is serenity and insight give rise

or allow the cause the conditions to be

there for the cessation of perception

feeling and consciousness to happen

which means that is a cessation of

contact as well with the cessation of

contact there is a cessation of feeling

and perception and consciousness

so

in order to go from wrong view to right

view

wrong intention to right intention

wrong speech to right speech

wrong action to right action

wrong livelihood

to right livelihood

wrong mindfulness to right mindfulness

wrong collectedness to right

collectedness

you need right effort

you need to have the right view of

knowing what is wrong view and right

view first of all you need to have the

right view of knowing what is a

wholesome state and what is an

unwholesome state

what are states that lead

to unwholesome consequences and what are

states that lead to wholesome

consequences

that right view helps you understand

what right intention is

so you need the six r's

so first you need the information you

need the knowledge of what is right view

what determines what is right view and

wrong view once you have that then you

can use right effort to six ours to

recognize when there is a wrong view let

that go and come back to the right view

you have the wrong intention what is

wrong intention holding on to something

having ill will

having an intention to cause harm

what is right intention

renunciation letting go abandoning

loving kindness

and compassion

so when you recognize that the mind is

holding on to something

or the mind is having ill will or the

mind has an intention to harm

then you can let go of that using the

six r's and come to the right intention

letting go of that you can then have

right speech

when you recognize there's a wrong

intention in your mind

to say something that is unwholesome

you can let go of that using right

effort or the six hours

and come to right speech

when you notice that the mind wants to

break a precept

you can recognize that

and let go of that and come back to

right action

when you notice that the mind is making

choices to go towards wrong livelihood

you can recognize that use right effort

and let go of that when you notice that

the mind is becoming

distracted

and is not paying attention not

observing how mind's attention is moving

you recognize that that's what happens

in the meditation you recognize that you

let go of it bring your attention back

to the collectedness back to the object

of meditation

right collectedness wrong collectiveness

you notice that you're becoming one

pointed you notice that you're using

your mind in a way that causes tightness

and tension

you can recognize that you can let go of

that use the six r's and come back to a

softer mind in right collectiveness

when

is a noble disciple when these when he

says a noble disciple

he's talking about one who is at least a

stream enterer

a noble one is one who has become a

stream enterer or above

thus understands sensual pleasures the

source and origin of sensual pleasures

the diversity of sensual pleasures the

result of sensual pleasures the

cessation of sensual pleasures and the

way leading to the cessation of sensual

pleasures he understands this

penetrative spiritual life to be the

cessation of sensual pleasures

so it's the cessation of what not the

central pleasures in terms of the un the

pleasant feeling

or the unpleasant feeling it's the

cessation of craving or aversion or

identification with those experiences

when it was said sensual pleasure should

be understood and so on it is because of

this that this was said

when it was said feeling should be

understood

and so on and the way leading to the

cessation of feelings should be

understood for what reason was this said

there are beku's these three feelings

pleasant feeling

painful feeling and neither painful nor

pleasant feeling these are the three

basic uh tones of feeling pleasant

unpleasant

neither pleasant or unpleasant

and what is the source and origin of

feelings

what gives rise to feeling

contact

contact is their source and origin

and what is the diversity of feeling

there is worldly pleasant feeling there

is spiritual pleasant feeling there is a

worldly painful feeling their spiritual

painful feeling

there is worldly neither painful nor

pleasant feeling there is spiritual

neither painful nor pleasant feeling

this is called the diversity of feelings

we talked about the 108 different

categories of feelings all stemming from

pleasant painful or neither pleasant nor

painful

so what is a worldly pleasant feeling

a worldly pleasant feeling has to do

with a mind that is rooted in craving

rooted in attachment to sensual

experiences

what is a spiritual pleasant feeling

jhana

factors of the jhana or jhana

there is worldly painful feeling it's a

worldly painful feeling would be a

feeling that you experience

when you have aversion towards something

but what is a spiritual painful feeling

[Laughter]

meditation pain is one

hindrances is another one

so when you have meditation pain there's

a difference right between meditation

pain and physical pain

physical pain will still be there after

you move it

but then when you're meditating you have

you know your your shoulder hurts your

chest hurts

your bottom hurts your knee hurts

something or another hurts while you're

sitting and your mind pays attention to

that and says if i just moved an inch

not even an inch if i just moved a

centimeter

all would be well

and as soon as you move what happens

that pain disappears

because that pain is meditation pain

that pain arises because you're trying

too hard you're becoming too focused

you're concentrating too much

and that can give rise also in

conjunction with that restlessness

so how do you deal with that meditation

pain

you tranquilize it you relax it you

soften it you pull back a little bit

don't become so

concentrated pull back a little bit

are what the aversion to that pain not

the pain itself

six are your reaction to that pain let

that go

soften things and come back

you'll notice if you really pay

attention if you just pull back your

attention a little bit if you relax it a

little bit so does the pain go away

there is worldly neither painful nor

pleasant feeling

what would this be

neither painful

nor pleasant feeling

indifference

i'll explain there's spiritual neither

painful nor pleasant feeling this is

equanimity

so there is equanimity and there is

indifference

equanimity is what

yes good answer

and you're good yeah acronym really good

indifference bad but why

what is equanimity exactly

equanimity is seeing things as they are

without the mind becoming pushed or

pulled in one direction

seeing things as they are

indifference

is apathy in differences i couldn't care

in differences

i'm ignoring it so there's actually a

little bit of

quality of aversion there if you think

about it

and differences

i don't care about this thing

but that's different from this

enchantment as well this enchantment

sees it doesn't get affected by it

and doesn't engage in it

indifference

sees it and has this reaction to it says

i'm choosing to ignore you

i have apathy for this i don't care

about this

this is called the diversity of feelings

and what is the result of feelings

one produces an individual existence

that corresponds with whatever feelings

one experiences

and which may be the consequence either

of merit or demerit

so let's split that up a little bit

which may be the consequence either of

merit or demerit which means

feeling is old karma right we talk about

old karma is that which you inherit as a

cascading of different choices that lead

to the present moment which you're

experiencing

everything from formations

down to consciousness down to mentality

materiality down to the sixth sense

basis down to contact down to feeling

and perception

this is all old karma to be experienced

dependent upon

past good choices or past bad choices

past wholesome inclinations or past

unwholesome inclinations

this gives rise to a pleasant feeling or

an unpleasant feeling or a neutral

feeling whatever that kind of feeling is

it is a result of previous choices it

arises dependent upon contact

it's through the mechanics of contact

that feeling can arise that you can have

an experience

once you have an experience how do you

choose to deal with it

if you choose to have craving for it

if you choose to have aversion against

it if you choose to identify with that

experience

that will give rise to further

clinging

and that will give rise to

individualized existence which is the

becoming

the the forming of a individual self

the personal belief in that self or that

that making it into something that is me

mine or myself that's facilitated

through the process of craving

and then further strengthened by

clinging

and then solidified in bhava in becoming

inhabitable tendencies

that then gives rise to birth of action

or birth of reaction

likewise when there is an experience

at the dissolution of the body

that can be clung to that can be craved

for have aversion to words and that can

give rise to a new bhava a new existence

as we talked about before the

consciousness arises dependent upon the

formations that arise and that

consciousness then goes into a new

namarupa and a new existence that

corresponds

with that kind of craving and aversion

with that quality of formation

what is the cessation of feelings with

the cessation of

contact there is the cessation of

feelings

this noble eightfold path is the way

leading to the cessation of feeling

namely

right view right intention right speech

right action right livelihood

right effort

right mindfulness and right

collectedness

when because a noble disciple thus

understands feelings when he says

understands what does he mean by that

when he says understands does he mean

just seeing it as it actually is or is

he seeing the link of feeling is he

actually understanding there is present

this link of feeling

seeing with attention rooted in reality

seeing with yoni so many sakara

when he understands thus

the source and origin of feelings the

diversity of feelings the result of

feelings the cessation of feelings and

the way leading to the cessation of

feelings he understands this spiritual

life to be the cessation of feelings

so

you can understand it on an intellectual

level you can remember all you can about

the eightfold path and this is what

gives rise to feeling and so on

but how does that translate into your

day-to-day experience unless you

actually understand

it

as it arises

that is to say when you see the links of

dependent origination actually

understand it

then you understand the the arising

the origin of suffering and then you

understand the cessation of suffering

and then you understand in order for

cessation for the cessation of suffering

to happen

you understand that you need to have the

eightfold path and that's facilitated by

right effort by the six hours

so when it was said feeling should be

understood and so on it is because of

this that this was said

when it was said perception should be

understood and so on

for what reason was this said

there are beku's these six perceptions

perception of form perception of sounds

perception of odors perception of tastes

perception of tactile objects perception

of mental phenomena

what is perception

right it's the interpretation

of what is arising

in the form of an experience

whatever you are experiencing whatever

you are feeling

is that experience but how you label it

how you recognize it recognize what it

is

that is the perception

so perception is rooted in

memory

when you know something as something

whether this is the color red or this is

the color blue or this is green or this

is orange

or that's hot this is cold and so on

that is perception

you learn about it

when you first experience it

and then

it is there in your memory and then when

it arises again your memory arises of

what that is and you perceive that

experience so there's a perception of

the sixth sense based experiences

the perception of sight seeing things

the perception of

sounds the perception of smells the

perception of tastes the perception of

tactile objects and the perception of

mental objects

is the diversity

oh uh

and what is the source and origin of

perceptions

anyone want to guess what would be the

origin of perception

contact

contact is their source contact is their

origin

because when you give when contact

arises there is perception

and conjoined sorry there's feeling and

conjoined to that feeling there is

perception

so the contact gives rise to the

perception

and what is the diversity of perceptions

the perception of forms is one thing the

perception of sounds is another

the perception of order is still another

the perception of tastes still another

the perception of tactile objects still

another

and the perception of mental phenomena

still

so the way to understand this is you

have to understand that there is present

suffering

you have to abandon the second noble

truth of craving or any of

craving clinging or becoming

and in that

when you abandon it you experience the

cessation of suffering

and to do that you have to cultivate

right effort

that is the heart of the eightfold path

so we talked about the

paint of ignorance so every time you're

able to 6r every time you're able to

recognize how your mind's attention

moved away

every time you recognized

that

your mind was

okay

with the present moment to

not okay with the present moment in

other words it was in conflict

because it had craving for something

or it had a version for something or it

was identifying with the process

every time you notice that

then you have mindfulness

and then you're noticing there is here

the suffering in the form of whatever it

might be

and you let go of the cause of that

and then you experience the cessation of

that

and you have cultivated and used

or utilized the hateful path through

right effort to come to that cessation

so as an example when you're in

meditation

the hindrance that arises

is the suffering is the dukkha so you

understand here is a hindrance

the craving or aversion towards that

hindrance

is the cause for it to keep

keep it there

in other words your attention to it

which is misguided by craving or

aversion

which is dependent upon craving an

aversion

fuels that hindrance further

but if you release your attention from

that hindrance and you've relaxed the

tightness and tension

then you abandon the second noble truth

of the cause which is the craving or the

hindrance and by relaxing you experience

nirodha in that moment

you experience mundane nibana in that

moment

and once you relax and then you come

back with a smile come back to the

object

you have now come back to collectedness

you have utilized the smile as a way of

bringing up a wholesome state of mind so

you're cultivating right view and right

intention right there

and then you come back to the object and

you're utilizing the right collectedness

and implicit in that is all of right

mindfulness and that whole process is

right effort

and when you do that you can have right

speech you can have right action and you

can have right livelihood

so every time you do the six hours

you're getting

more acquainted

having more wisdom about the noble uh

the four noble truths

so every time that happens

you're whittling away at the taint of

ignorance

and then finally there comes a point

when at arahat ship

you have no more becoming no more desire

to be

and you have no more

ignorance

you see the four noble truths you

understand them through and through in

every single way

and what is the source and origin of the

taints

no

gotcha

ignorance is the source and origin of

the teens because it's through the

ignorance of not knowing how to let go

of this process that the taints continue

every time you have lack of mindfulness

every time you're no longer paying

attention you're only feeding further to

the taints because when you act upon the

craving you're feeding into

the taint of sensual desire when you act

upon the desire to become something

you're feeding into the taint of

becoming every time you have that lack

of mindfulness you're feeding into the

taint of ignorance

and what is the diversity of the taints

there are taints leading to hell

there are taints leading to the animal

realm

there are taints leading to the realm of

afflicted spirits

there are taints leading to the human

world there are taints leading to the

deva world this is called the diversity

of paints so the asavas are the

mechanics for rebirth they are the

starting point in one arising of

dependent origination

and can give rise to the rebirth in one

of these different

realms why because when you have the

taint of sensual desire

it keeps you locked into one of these

sensual

realms

whether it's an animal realm whether

it's a hungry ghost rum whether it's a

hell realm whether it's a earth realm

whether it is a deva realm

so this along with the taint of becoming

along with the taint of ignorance can

give rise

to an experience in a realm of one of

these six century sensuous heavens or

one of these four

three lower realms or one of the human

realms

now there can still be there can be the

deactivation and eradication of the

taint for sensual desire

but the taint for becoming will still

give rise to an experience or rebirth in

a brahmaloka

or an experience or rebirth in a

formless realm

so in order for you to eradicate rebirth

altogether you have to let go of the

taint

of becoming and the taint of ignorance

and what is the result of the taints

one immersed in ignorance produces a

corresponding individual existence

which may be the consequence either of

merit or demerit

this is called the result of the taints

so one immersed in ignorance meaning

one who does know who doesn't know the

four noble truths

sir there are three

levels of ignorance you could say

there is a level of ignorance in

relation to never having known about the

four noble truths meaning never being

introduced to the four noble truths

then there is the level of ignorance

where you do know about the four noble

truths but you don't apply the effort to

let go of the ignorance

and then finally there is the ignorance

in relation to the ignorance that gives

rise to the rest of the series of

dependent origination so

in other words not knowing about the

four noble truths has two levels there

is the

the not knowing in terms of never being

introduced to it and then there is a not

knowing in terms of non-application

of

the processes

that eradicate ignorance

once ignorance goes away then there is

only wisdom then there is only right

view

then that means that there is no more

craving no more conceit no more wrong

view

which won't give rise to any rebirth

which means for a liberated mind the

only

links that are functional

are

formations consciousness

mentality materiality the sixth sense

basis

contact and feeling

there won't be any ignorance there won't

be any craving there won't be any

clinging there won't be any

becoming there won't be any birth of

reaction that causes

further new karma and further suffering

so there will be suffering it's not that

the liberated mind won't suffer meaning

they will still experience pain

they will still experience the

consequences of previous actions

that were taken prior to full awakening

but when that experience is felt at

feeling and perception when that

experience happens

there's no further craving or clinging

or becoming that causes renewal of that

karma

it just dissipates

and what is the cessation of the taints

with the cessation of ignorance there is

the cessation of detains

once you have known and understood and

applied the four noble truths completely

then

there is no more

becoming there is no more craving there

is no more ignorance

there is another way of understanding

the four noble truths which is talked

about somewhere in the suttas which is

about the the uh

the four noble truths and the twelve

aspects

so the twelve aspects are that number

one

the first noble truth

uh

has to be understood

the first noble truth is understood

there is a confirmation that the first

noble truth has been understood

the second noble truth has to be

abandoned the second noble truth is

abandoned

and there is a knowing that the second

noble truth has been abandoned

the third noble truth has to be realized

or experienced

there is the realization over or

experiencing of the third noble truth

and there is a knowing that there has

been

a realization and experience of the

third noble truth

there is the understanding that the

fourth noble truth has to be cultivated

the fort noble truth is cultivated and

there is a knowledge and knowing that

the fourth fourth noble truth has been

cultivated

so this is the twelve aspects of the

four noble truths

is that question or statement

can you wait

okay

so this noble eightfold path is the way

leading to the cessation of the taints

when bekus a noble disciple thus

understands the taints

the source and origin of the tints the

diversity of the tints the result of the

taints

the cessation of the taints and the way

leading to the cessation of the tints he

understands his penetrator spiritual

life to be the cessation of the taints

when it was said that things should be

understood and so on it is because of

this that this was said

when it was said karma should be

understood and so on for what reason was

it said

it is

volition it is intention

because that i call karma

for having willed

one acts by body speech or mind this is

very important to understand

because the jain understanding is that

any action

intentional or unintentional

is something that one has to suffer the

consequences of

but here in the dhamma the understanding

is your intentions

will determine the karma that arises in

other words there is an intention to

harm that gives rise to a mental feeling

that i want to harm this person that

gives rise to a verbal

action which is you're saying something

to harm that person

or there's a bodily deed bodily action

where you actually harm that person

so karma is intention karma starts from

intention

always

what is the source and origin of karma

the answer is right here

contact is the source and origin of

karma

what have i been saying karma is old

karma is everything that is experienced

and felt

how do you experience and feel

through contact

so when contact arises what happens this

is where it gets really interesting like

i said yesterday contact arises

there is a feedback loop to formations

which then give rise to certain

intentions

and which give rise to how feeling

arises and what happens to that feeling

how you perceive that feeling

that's why i said contact is the key

contact gives rise to feeling to

perception to intention to karma to

consciousness

contact is the key right there

so

the source and origin of karma that is

old karma

is facilitated through

contact

then that gives rise to vedana that

gives rise to an experience

now how you choose to deal with that is

new karma

do you choose to

crave for it do you choose to cling to

it

do you choose to become it you know do

you identify with it

which gives rise to rebirth of new karma

and further suffering or do you choose

to see it as it actually is that this is

not me not mine not myself you don't

take it personally and you allow it to

be experienced without your reaction to

it

non-reactivity

is the key to letting go of all karma

or i should say non-reactivity and

response

rooted in wisdom what is the response

rooted in wisdom

it's having loving kindness it's having

compassion it's having

joy it's having equanimity

so when you guys are doing these

brahmaviharas what you're actually doing

is you're cultivating the ability to see

any karma that arises and when it makes

contact with you

when you have loving kindness

that karma seems just like this what

seemed like a huge thing

is now become this little thing

so now because it's become a little

thing what could have affected you

negatively if somebody said a harsh word

to you

somebody abused you if you didn't have

loving kindness there

the reaction would have been to abuse

them back

to say something in return

but if you have loving kindness if you

have compassion

you see the suffering that that person

has and you don't react to them

instead you choose to de-escalate the

situation

so the karma the old karma that arose

was the harsh speech that was given to

you

by you continuing

to have aversion to it and acting

with harsh speech in kind what's

happening now that guy says something

else that's harsher then you say

something else that's harsher and then

he says something that's even harsher

and then you say something that's

harsher and then he punches you that's

even worse

and then that gets into further you know

accumulation of karma

but if you have loving kindness if you

have compassion if you have joy if you

have equanimity

if you have wisdom

then whatever they say to you see it as

empty why when you have wisdom you see

that this is just vibration this is your

sound

when you have compassion you see this

person as suffering they're saying it

because they're suffering

so when you do it in that way when you

understand in that way

then any feeling that arises in the form

of that old karma that her speech you

don't take personally and you don't

react to it but instead you let go of it

and you try to calm them down

right you try to de-escalate the

situation now you have let go of that

old karma and no new karma arises

and what is the diversity of karma there

is karma to be experienced in hell

there is karma to be experienced in the

animal realm there is karma to be

experienced in the realm of afflicted

spirits there is karma to be experienced

in the human world there is karma to be

experienced in the deva world this is

called the diversity of karma

so when we talk about karma we're

talking about two things as i say old

and new old is just karma that is

inherited

right old is what is known as the

technical terms vipaka

the fruit of that karma the fruit of

that seed

the way to look at karma is like

different seeds right now i'm going to

borrow what venerable verocini was

telling me the other day

upandita was telling her this which is

how do you explain karma very simply and

he says

you plant a banana seed and there's a

banana tree you plant an apple seed and

there's an apple seed a apple tree which

means

whatever your intentions are there will

arise

certain karma because of that

but that is in control of you are in

control of the seed in terms of your

intentions and choices in every given

moment

what you're not in control of how much

water that seed has

how much sunshine that seed has how much

nutrition in the soil that seed has

that's dependent upon external

circumstances this is where we were

talking about the sivaka suta which i'll

bring up later where there are other

things which you cannot comprehend

in relation to karma in relation to your

own intentions

all you can do is deal with the present

moment

if someone were to be able to tell you

your whole karmic

background

what use is that if you can't deal with

it in the present moment

if someone were to tell you that this is

the consequence

it's better that you know it yourself by

understanding if i did it this way

then this would have negative

consequences if i did it this way this

would have wholesome consequences that's

using wisdom now you know what is

wholesome and unwholesome now you have

right view about it

so

karma if there is an intention to be

hurtful and harsh

they can give rise to

a state that is hellish a state that can

be animalistic a state that can be

afflicted

and so there can be existence in that

particular kind of realm or there can be

a psychological state that is hellish

torturous a psychological state that is

animalistic or psychological state that

is

afflicted like a hungry ghost

likewise if you're generous and so on

you could be born in the deva realm or

you have a deva mentality

and what is the result of karma the

result of karma i say is threefold to be

experienced in this life in this very

life

or in the next rebirth

or on some subsequent occasion

this is called the result of karma

now using that analogy of karma being

the seed

right

where you're planting with your

intentions certain kinds of seeds

some seeds sprout faster than others

some seeds will sprout faster depending

upon how much craving there is depending

upon other kinds of causes and

conditions that can give rise to its

fruition

they can give rise to it becoming into a

tree whatever that tree might be so

that's dependent upon a lot of a lot of

different factors but namely your

choices your intention if it's rooted in

craving or if it's rooted in wisdom

now in the bhavasuta yesterday i was

saying there's another analogy which

call which says that consciousness

is the seed

and karma is the field

and craving is the moisture

so what does that mean

consciousness is the seed meaning your

awareness right whether that's on the

micro level or on the macro level a new

being coming to be that's the seed

what is karma

karma is that in relation to old karma

everything in terms of this body and

mind is old karma

that is the

that's the field

so the seed is consciousness the field

is karma

craving is the moisture do you activate

that karma further in this mind and body

to be felt and experienced over and over

again through further moisture of

craving

or do you

let go of that

and don't give it moisture don't give it

fuel so that it doesn't turn out to be

new karma and you suffer

in subsequent births whether it's

rebirth in this very life

a subsequent rebirth or rebirth after

that

and what because is the cessation of

karma

with the cessation of contact there is a

cessation of karma

here what he's talking about is karma in

terms of old karma you cease that karma

when there is no contact because when

there is contact there is

feeling and any feeling or experience is

karma to be experienced but you cease

that and there is no karma to be

experienced and therefore no potential

for new karma to arise in the form of

craving for it or clinging to it or

becoming it

this noble eightfold path

is the way leading to the cessation of

karma

when bhikkhus a noble disciple thus

understands karma

the source and origin of karma the

diversity of karma the result of karma

the cessation of karma

and the way leading to the cessation of

karma he understands this penetrative

spiritual life to be the cessation of

karma

when it was said karma should be

understood and so on it was because of

this that it was said

when it was said suffering should be

understood

the source and origin of suffering

should be understood

the diversity of suffering should be

understood the result of suffering

should be understood the cessation of

suffering should be understood the way

leading to the cessation of suffering

should be understood for what reason was

this said

birth is suffering old age is suffering

illness is suffering

death is suffering sorrow lamentation

pain dejection and anguish are suffering

not to get what one wants is suffering

in brief the five aggregates affected by

craving and clinging are suffering

there are these three types of suffering

what three

there is

the suffering of suffering that is

dukkha

the suffering of change which is vipari

namaduka

and

the suffering in existence that is

the pervasive suffering

so birth old age illness

death

sorrow lamentation pain dejection and

anguish all come under the category of

dukkha

that's the suffering that's well known

right

then there is not to get what one wants

or getting what one doesn't want is

another kind of suffering

that's part of

the suffering of change you want

something that's the vipari namaduka but

you're not getting it that's because of

change that's because of causes and

conditions that arise

you're on your way to your flight

to go on vacation

and now that flight is cancelled

that's the duka of change

that's the suffering of change

when it was very cold and you went for a

hot shower it was very pleasant

suddenly it became icy cold

that is

that is the suffering of change

the inherent suffering is the suffering

in relation to identifying

with one or more of the five aggregates

which leads to craving and clinging

that is sankhara dukkha

so identifying making taking things

personal gives rise to that suffering

it's not that the five aggregates

themselves are suffering

that's not what it's saying it's saying

they are affected by craving and

clinging which means when you take them

personally

when you say this form this feeling this

perception

this formation this consciousness is me

mine or myself

in one way or the other and you identify

with it

then it is a cause for suffering

and

what is the source and origin of

suffering

don't say contact

craving is the source of suffering

that's the second noble truth

but craving is the shorthand for

basically all of dependent origination

dependent origination

is the elaboration of craving of the

second normal truth so that includes

ignorance that includes wrong views that

includes conceit that includes craving

and what is the diversity of suffering

there is extreme suffering there is

slight suffering there is suffering that

fades away slowly there is suffering

that fades away quickly

this is called the diversity of

suffering

and what is the result of suffering

here someone overcome by suffering with

the mind obsessed by it sorrows

languishes and laments

he weeps beating his breast and becomes

confused that's one way or else overcome

by suffering with the mind obsessed by

it he embarks upon a search

like going on youtube for example

saying who knows one or two words for

putting an end to suffering

suffering i say results either in

confusion or in a search this is called

the result of suffering

suffering is what gives rise for you

guys to be here

right you're looking for a way out of

suffering some kind of suffering that

you have

you came here on retreat to let go of

that you came beyond retreat to learn

how to deal with suffering how to

abandon it how to let go of the causes

and conditions of suffering

some people did a google search some

people went on youtube like i said you

know sir found out about twin

decided to do an online retreat or

decided to do a physical retreat

and now you're learning a way leading

out of suffering

and what is the cessation of suffering

with the cessation of craving there is

the cessation of suffering

this noble hateful path is the way

leading to the cessation of suffering

when it when because a noble disciple

thus

understands suffering the source and

origin of suffering the diversity of

suffering the result of suffering the

cessation of suffering and the way

leading to the cessation of suffering he

understands he understands this

penetrative spiritual life to be the

cessation of suffering

when it was said

suffering should be understood and so on

it is because of this

that this was said

this because is that penetrative

exposition of the dharma

uh so i don't know if you want to take

questions now because i want to go

through another suit just very briefly

should we take questions first or

it's very short

just to give more clarity on karma

basically

[Applause]

oh yeah this is the sivaka suit that i

was talking about the other day

so this is samitha nikaya 36.21

sivaka

sutra on one occasion the blessed one

was dwelling at raja gaha at the bamboo

grove the squirrel sanctuary

then the wanderer maulia sivaka

approached the blessed one and exchanged

greetings with him

when they had concluded their greetings

and cordial talk he sat down to one side

and said to the blessed one

master gautama there are some ascetics

and brahmanas who hold such a view and

doctrine as this

whatever a person experiences whether it

be pleasant or painful or neither

painful nor pleasant

all that is caused by what was done in

the past

what does master gautama say about this

some feelings shivaka

originate arise here originating from

bile disorders

some that some feelings arise here

originating from bile disorders

one can know for oneself

and that is considered to be true in the

world

now when those aesthetics and brahmins

hold such a doctrine and view as this

whatever a person experiences

whether it be pleasant or painful or

neither painful nor pleasant

all that is caused by what was done in

the past they overshoot what one knows

by oneself and they overshoot what is

considered to be true in the world

therefore i say that this is wrong on

the part of those ascetics and brahmanas

some feelings srivaka arise here

originating from phlegm disorders

originating from wind disorders

originating from an imbalance of the

three

or produced by a change of climate

produced by careless behavior

caused by assault

produced as a result of karma

that some feelings arise here

uh originating from flame disorders

originating from wind disorders

originating from an imbalance of the

three

produced by a change of climate produced

by careless behavior

caused by assault or produced as a

result of karma

one can know for one's self and that is

considered to be true in the world

now when those ascetics and brahmanas

hold such a doctrine and view as this

whatever a person experiences whether it

be pleasant or pain or painful

or neither painful nor pleasant all that

is caused by what one by what was done

in the past they overshoot what one

knows by oneself and they overshoot what

is considered to be true in the world

therefore i say that this is wrong on

the part of those ascetics and brahmanas

when this was said the wanderer mauli

sivaka maulia savaka

said to the blessed one

magnificent master gotama magnificent

master gautama from today let master

gautama remember me as a lay follower

who has gone for refuge for life

so it says and there's a verse here bile

phlegm and also wind so this is just the

three humors right this is uh

in ayurveda that's the

pitta the the the kapha and the vata

these are different kinds of

humors in the body this is one way they

understood medicine

or the imbalance of those and climate 2

the change of climate

carelessness accidents or assault

with karma result as the 8th

so this is what he talks about so what

he's saying is

yes the only way you can understand

karma is in terms of what you can

understand here and now

it can be produced as a result of

certain disorders in the body it can be

produced as a result of an imbalance in

the body as a result of climate as a

result of change in the environment

as a result of

you know accidents and as a result of

somebody attacking you you didn't let's

say somebody attacked you unprovoked

now you can say that that was my karma

you can tell that person

who was attacked hey that arose because

that was your karma how is that helpful

for them in that moment

right so the idea of karma is so

pervasive that the best way to

understand karma is what is arising in

the present moment here and now to be

understood as it actually is

and dealing it with it

using wisdom

using the eightfold path

[Music]

you