From: https://youtube.com/watch?v=iD9Rsfw5fUM

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

[Music]

so today we are going to be talking

about the path

the eightfold path

and what that constitutes

so i'll be reading from majaminikaya 117

maha chattaroo

the great

40.

thus blessed i heard on one occasion the

blessed one was living at savathi in

jetta's grove anatha pindika's park

there he addressed the beku's thus

bhikkhu's venerable sir they replied the

blessed one said this

because i shall teach you

noble right collectedness

with its supports and its requisites

listen and attend closely to what i

shall say yes venerable sir

the beakers replied

the blessed one said this what beku's is

noble right collectedness with its

supports and is its requisites

in other words what is it that supports

right meditation

right collectedness

that is right view

right intention

write speech

write action

right livelihood right effort

and write mindfulness

unification of mind equipped with these

seven factors is called noble right

collectedness

with its supports and its requisites

so unification of mind that is a

non-dispersed attention you need an

attention that is undistracted

for you to get into a collected state of

mind

and what does that mean an undistracted

mind

staying with one single object

but not becoming

one pointed

so an undispersed attention means a mind

that orbits around its object of

meditation doesn't get distracted in the

sense that even if there are

backgrounds in the thought

thoughts in the background

then that mind

will be aware of it but it's still with

its object and meditation still with

loving-kindness

or joy or equanimity or quiet mind or

compassion whatever it might be

and when it gets distracted it means

that now the mind is paying attention to

all of those thoughts in the background

and now they come to the foreground

now mind is no longer with its object of

meditation

so to be with your object and meditation

means you are aware of it

you're resting your awareness on it

feeling it

and there might be thoughts coming and

going there might be

little whispers of thoughts here and

there coming and going but that's okay

but this constitutes

right samadhi this constitutes right

collectedness

therein beku's right view comes first

and how does right view come first

one understands wrong view as

wrong view

and right view as

right view

this is one's right view

so at the very forefront of it right the

very basic level right view is knowing

what is wrong and what is right

there's no doubt no perplexity about

what is right or what is wrong

how do you get to there we'll talk about

that

and what beku's is wrong view

this is wrong view

there is nothing given

nothing offered nothing sacrificed

no fruit or result of good and bad

actions

no this world no other world

no mother

no father

no beings who are reborn spontaneously

no good and virtuous recluses and

brahmanas in the world

who have realized for themselves by

direct knowledge

and declare this world and the other

world

this is wrong view

and what because is right view

right view i say

is twofold

there is right view that is affected by

the taints

partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

and that and there is right view that is

noble

without the taints

super mundane a factor of the path

and what because is right view that is

affected by the tense

partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

there is what is given and what is

offered and what is

sacrificed

there is fruit and result of good and

bad actions

there is this world and the other world

there is mother and father

there are beings who are reborn

spontaneously

there are in the world good

and virtuous recluses and brahmanas

who have realized for themselves by

direct knowledge and declare

this world and the other world

this is right view affected by taints

partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

so this is the mundane right view

and at the very heart of that is the

understanding of karma

understanding of action and consequence

understanding that wholesome states of

mind

lead to wholesome

consequences

unwholesome states of mind lead to

unwholesome consequences

so it is your intention

and your action mentally

verbally

and physically that lead to a

corresponding effect

when they talk about things when he

talks about things like that what is

what is given and what is offered and

what is sacrificed

that is merit

there is an understanding that there is

merit to be acquired

merit to be acquired by listening to a

dhamma talk merit to be acquired by

giving to the monastics merit to be

acquired by being generous in general

and so on and so forth

so there is meaning in giving

there is meaning in being generous

when he talks about like i said there is

fruit and result of good and bad actions

here he's talking about karma

there is an effect to all of the actions

that you produce with intention

and there is a result of it

there is action and consequence

there is this world and the other world

pretty much

most

belief systems have some kind of concept

like this

that there is this world and there might

be a heaven

there is this world and there might be a

hell there is this world and another

world

present

that's a very basic understanding of

that

there is mother and father

we have a responsibility to our parents

no matter

what kind of parents they've been

what they've done

good bad or indifferent

because at the very basic

understanding of this

is that you have gratitude

for one's parents

who

provided the opportunity for an

existence in this life

and the opportunity

to experience nibana

an opportunity to understand

the four noble truths

that very basic thing

that there is grateful there is

gratitude

for one's parents

there are beings who are reborn

spontaneously

this is the understanding that there is

no such thing as an antara bhava

antara bhava means

an intermediate state between one life

and the other

sometimes people

will say that that's the bardos and

stuff like that we talked about that

yesterday we said the bardo is a mental

happening just before the arising of the

next life

because if you were to assume an

antarabhava if you were to assume that

there was an intermediate state

then that would be another realm of

existence

so here the understanding is that beings

are reborn spontaneously as soon as one

being dies

there is another being

coming to be in a different existence

it happens

like that

there are in the world good and virtuous

recluses and brahmanas

who have realized for themselves by

direct knowledge and direct this and

declare this world and the other world

so

here there is this openness

and willingness

to say that there are people who have

walked the path

who understand the path

that the dhamma is still present

because there are these people still

present

and so

you may go to them you may go learn from

them you may go discuss the dharma from

them with them and so on

but in essence this is really talking

about the idea that there are still

there are still possibility

of

attainments people who have attained to

a certain understanding

people who have attained to a certain

kind of

wisdom and so on

and this is the right view affected by

the taints partaking of merit ripening

in the acquisitions

meaning this is the mundane right for

you because it's affected by

the taints of sensual experience sensual

desire the taint of wanting to be

something and the taint of ignorance

just understand that right view here is

the basic right view you that you start

with on this practice

remember in the very beginning of this

retreat we were talking about the six

different types of wrong views

just to understand where you are in your

mindset do you subscribe to any of those

views

and if you do do you let go of them and

come to the right view

in this mundane right view that allows

you

then to practice the dhamma that allows

you to have right intention

that allows you to have a mindset

geared towards practicing the dharma

that's the very basic of it very

practical aspect of it

and so it is affected still by someone

on the path

somebody who is beginning on the path so

somebody beginning on the path will

still have the taints

we'll still have sensual desire we'll

still have some kind of a

craving for existence will still have

some kind of ignorance of the four noble

truths in the sense that they might have

they will still have lack of mindfulness

partaking of merit and ripening in the

acquisitions this is karmically

effective right view in other words even

if you have this right view

you are not yet an arahat and arahat is

one who no longer produces new karma

so this kind of right view can still

produce karma because there is an

identification

with that view there is still a clinging

to that right view

and what beku's is right view that is

noble

taintless

supermundane a factor of the path

the wisdom the faculty of wisdom the

power of wisdom the investigation of

states enlightenment factor the path

factor of right view in one whose mind

is noble whose mind is taintless who

possesses the noble path and is

developing the noble path this is right

view that is noble paintless super

mundane a factor of the path

so this right view that is noble which

means

one who has attained stream entry

one who has become

a noble one

paintless means one who has become an

araha so anyone who has

entered the stream

possesses this super mundane right view

and eventually

the perfected right view that is

paintless

that has no more clinging to that right

view that right view becomes automatic

in such a mind

and

it possesses wisdom

that wisdom is the understanding of the

impersonal nature of all things

because you have seen for yourself how

the links of dependent origination

arise

the faculty of wisdom and the power of

this wisdom the faculty of wisdom is

that mind factor that allows you to

possess the power or energy of wisdom

and so that allows you to have the

investigation of state's enlightenment

factor

when it says investigation of states

there can be in the mind this idea

that one has to actively investigate one

has to actively analyze one has to

actively contemplate one has to actively

reflect

but another way of looking at this

the effective way of looking at this is

it really means to understand things as

they are

when you recognize

that you are distracted as i said you

bring up mindfulness

and this investigation of states because

you are aware that the mind is

distracted and you know that the mind is

distracted

so this understanding

is to mindfulness what perception is to

feeling

what does that mean

feeling is the experience that you're

having pleasant

painful or neutral

the labeling of what that feeling is

is perception a recognition of what the

quality of that feeling is is perception

in the same way mindfulness is the

awareness of mind's attention having

moved from one object to the other

the

fact that it is distracted or the

knowledge or knowing the perception that

it is distracted

is the investigation of states

so i call this understanding that the

mind is distracted

so it happens automatically you don't

need to actively do it

you just have to be aware be attentive

and know that the mind is distracted and

then bring it back with right effort and

so on

and so the path factor of one of right

view in one whose mind is noble one who

has let go

of certain feathers from stream entry

onwards whose mind is taintless that is

to say one who is an arahat

who possesses the noble path meaning now

they are following the noble path

they are

continuously developing the path so one

who is developing the path

or one who has perfected the path this

is right view that is noble

taintless super mundane a factor of the

path

when you have this

you are not producing any karma

when you have this right view

when you practice this right view

that means you are actively sexaring you

are actively being aware when mind

becomes distracted

when you have this right view

it does not lead

to any kind of clinging

instead it allows you to let go

it allows you to see things as they are

and let go of any craving let go of any

clinging

one makes an effort

to abandon wrong view and to enter upon

right view

this is one's

right effort

how do you go from the wrong view to

right view

you six are it

you recognize here is present a wrong

view

and you let go of that and come to the

right view

mindfully one abandons wrong view

mindfully one enters upon and abides in

right view this is

one's right mindfulness

what does that mean you recognize that

there was wrong view

and you mindfully meaning you

six are

gently paying attention what's going on

and abandon that wrong view

this is right mindfulness

thus three these three states run and

circle around right view

that is right view in terms of what is

wrong view and right view

right effort in terms of the six r's and

right mindfulness in terms of being

attentive to what you are doing

therein biku's right view comes first

and how does right view come first

one understands wrong intention as wrong

intention

and right intention as right intention

this is one's right view the basic right

view

and what bekus is wrong in tension

the intention of sensual desire

the intention of ill will

the intention of cruelty

this is wrong intention

sensual desire

grabbing on to things

whether you have craving for them or

aversion against them

when you're meditating

and you hear

somebody walking around

you hear

some kind of a disturbance outside

the wrong intention there is to grab on

to that experience and say i hate that

why is this person walking around

why is this person doing this or that

that's the wrong intention that's

holding on to

the experience of the years

or a fly lands onto your

hand

or it starts buzzing around and starts

creeping and crawling on your hand

you feel that that's the bodily

sensation

and you have anger and irritation

towards that fly

that's the grasping that's the sensual

desire and so when you have anger and

irritation there's ill will there

and then you want to smack that fly and

so that is cruelty

right

and what because is right intention

right intention i say is twofold

there is right intention that is

affected by things partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

and there is right intention that is

noble

paintless

super mundane a factor of the path

and what beku's is right intention that

is affected by the taints

partaking of merit ripening in the

acquisitions

the intention of renunciation

the intention of non-ill will and the

intention of non-cruelty

this is right intention that is affected

by the taints and ripening in the

acquisitions

the intention of renunciation what does

that mean renunciation

to let go

to abandon

to abandon craving

to abandon

unwholesome states of mind

to let go of aversion

to let go of taking things personally

every time you six are

you're cultivating right intention

the intention of non-ill will

non-ill will not having any presence

of the single

slightest iota

of irritation

or aversion

that's cultivated through

loving-kindness

when you bring up loving-kindness there

is no ill-will there

so every time you bring up

loving-kindness

whether it's in the meditation or

whether it's in daily practice or

whether it's when you're met with some

kind of

situation that troubles you

you're practicing right intention

non-cruelty

the intention of non-cruelty

this is ahimsa non-violence

the intention

to not harm another person

or being

this is cultivated through compassion

a person comes storming at you starts

arguing with you starts

abusing you

starts getting angry at you

compassion

sees that being and understands that

they are suffering

so why would you want to add to their

suffering

by having the wrong intention to

resist to them

argue with them get angry at them

return their abusive speech with abusive

speech

if you have true compassion you

understand that whoever is upset

whoever gets angry

has suffering in them

so you want to alleviate suffering from

beings

because that's the motivating factor of

compassion that may all beings be free

of suffering

that quality of compassion that you feel

in the meditation

is this sense of all beings are

suffering so i want them to be free

a sense of empathy with all beings

not sympathy not looking down upon them

understanding this person is suffering i

know what it feels like to suffer

so i don't want to add to that suffering

i want to let go of it

and help them alleviate that suffering

so when somebody argues with you what do

you do

stay silent don't give them the chance

to have to add to their karma of

continually arguing at things or

de-escalate the situation

do something that helps them calm down

and come back to a more pleasant

wholesome state of mind

this is non-cruelty

so if you have any attachment to this if

you have any identification with this if

you have any clinging to this

this ripens in the acquisitions this is

affected

by the craving to become

this is affected by ignorance because

you still take things

personally

and what beku's is right intention that

is noble taintless super mundane a

factor of the path

that is to say what is the right

intention of a noble one

what is the right intention of a stream

enter or a sakadagami

or a anagami or an arahat

what is that which is super mundane

the thinking thought intention

mental collectedness

mental fixity

directing of mind

verbal formation in one whose mind is

noble

whose mind is taintless

who possesses the noble path and is

developing the noble path

this is right intention that is noble a

factor of the path

so this is that which does not ripen in

the acquisitions

so that is the thinking and thought the

intention and mental collectedness

mental fixity directing of the mind

every time you six are and you bring the

mind's attention back to lovingkindness

bring it back to a meditative object

you have this right intention

and your mind becomes collected

verbal formation

what is that verbal formation

that verbal formation is to speak

right speech

to act

with right speech to speak with right

speech

meaning you are always being

non-abusive

you're being harmless with your speech

you tell the truth with your speech

you be

kind with your speech

and that starts with the right intention

of a noble person

so the intention to meditate the

intention to bring the mind to

collectedness

is that right intention

that does not ripen in the acquisitions

that is taintless

that doesn't have any sensual desire in

it

doesn't have any craving for being in it

doesn't have any ignorance in it

because it's dependent upon right

mindfulness

and so one makes an effort to abandon

the wrong

intention

and to enter upon right intention

this is one's right effort

you notice the mind is agitated angry

upset

holding on to something

non-meditative

unable to con focus or concentrate or be

collected

and so you recognize you release your

attention relax the craving and tension

in there

come back to the smile that is bringing

up something wholesome that's the right

intention

and come back to a collectedness that's

also right intention so you go from the

wrong intention

and come to the right intention

mindfully one abandons wrong intention

mindfully one enters upon and abides in

right intention

this is one's right mindfulness you do

this with mindfulness

you do this by observing how your mind

goes from

a distracted agitated

ill-will aversive state of mind

and now is directed and comes back

to a non-agitated state of mind to a

state of mind with loving kindness and

compassion

a state of mind that is collected

thus these three states run and circle

around right intention that is the right

view

to know what is wrong intention and what

is right intention the right effort to

go from wrong intention to right

intention and right mindfulness being

aware when one is in wrong intention

and when one is in right intention

therein because right view comes first

and how does right view come first

one understands wrong speech as wrong

speech

and write speech as right speech

this is one's right view

so the very basic of that is knowing

what is the wrong speech and what is the

right speech

and what bekus is wrong speech false

speech

malicious speech

harsh speech and gossip

this is wrong speech

what is false speech

being untruthful telling lies

what is malicious speech

speech meant to harm another person

speech to bring down another person

harsh speech using abusive languages

using abusive words

to bring down that person

degrading speech

and gossip

talking about another person

whether you know it to be true or not

in order to

[Music]

say something negative about them

so way to understand whether you are

dealing in gossip about another person

is if you were going to talk about that

person

to someone while they're not in the room

see if you would still talk about that

person in the same way if they were

present in the room

and if you if you feel like that's wrong

or uncomfortable to do then you know you

are going to be dealing in gossip

so this is wrong speech

and what because is right speech right

speech i say is twofold there is right

speech that is affected by the taints

partaking of merit ripening in the

acquisitions and there is right speech

that is noble paintless super mundane a

factor of the path

and what because is right speech that is

affected

by the taints partaking of

merit ripening in the acquisitions

abstinence from false speech

abstinence from malicious speech

abstinence from harsh speech

abstinence from gossip this is right

speech that is affected by the taints

ripening in the acquisitions

another way of understanding right

speech is a practical approach of using

the acronym think

before you speak

t h i n k

t

is for timeliness

is it the right time to say what you

want to say

h is for honesty

is what you're going to say

true

honest you know it to be true

i is intention what is the intention

behind what you're going to say is it

intentionally wholesome

or intentionally unwholesome

is it intentionally cruel or

intentionally compassionate and so on

n is for necessity

is it necessary for you to say what

you're going to say to the other person

is it beneficial for them

is it beneficial for them to hear it

and k

kindness

can you say it with kindness

this is think before you speak

and what beku's is right speech that is

noble paintless super mundane a factor

of the path

the desisting from

the four kinds of verbal misconduct

meaning

such a mind that is noble such a mind

that is taintless

would automatically not deal

with such kind of speech that is abusive

that is harsh that is malicious that is

false that deals in gossip

the abstaining refraining

abstinence from them from them

in one whose mind is noble whose mind is

taintless who possesses the noble path

and is developing the noble path this is

right speech that is noble a factor of

the path

when you are developing the path

you make an active intention

to be in right speech so you notice if

the mind starts to

wonder and starts to deal in gossip it

starts to deal in lies

starts to deal in harsh speech or wants

to deal in them and you let go of it

with the six r's

this is how you develop the right speech

and then when you possess the path when

you have perfected the path then such

a mind that is fully liberated

will not deal in slander will not deal

in gossip will not deal in lies will not

deal in harsh speech will not deal in

malicious speech

automatically

because they always have the right view

and right intention

so one makes an effort to abandon wrong

speech and to enter upon right speech

this is one's right effort

mindfully one abandons wrong speech

mindfully one enters upon and abides in

right speech

this is one's right mindfulness

thus these three states run and circle

around right speech

that is right view right effort and

right mindfulness

what is the right view here

knowing that there's what you're going

to say is wrong speech and knowing what

is the right speech

what is the right effort here

recognizing there is an intention to

commit rights wrong speech

letting go of that intention coming back

to a wholesome state of mind and using

right speech

and what is right mindfulness

mindfully being aware if the mind is

dealing in wholesome speech unwholesome

speech

in the wrong speech

and mindfully guiding the mind back that

is to see that is to say paying

attention

while observing how mind's attention

goes towards the unwholesome states that

leads

to wrong speech and bringing it back

with right effort

and becoming mindful

observing how mind's attention goes from

that

to the intention to have right speech

therein because right view comes first

and how does right view come first

one understands wrong action as wrong

action

and right action as right action this is

one's right view

you know the difference between what is

wrong action and what is right action

that's your

right view the basic right view

and what bekus is wrong action

killing living beings

taking what is not given

and misconduct in sensual pleasures

this is wrong action

killing living beings

breaking the first precept

taking what is not given breaking the

second precept

dealing in misconduct in sensual

pleasures that is the

third precept

breaking the third precept sexual

misconduct also is part of sensual

misconduct

so when we talk about killing living

beings

that also includes intentionally harming

them

even in your mind

having the intention to harm them let go

of

that taking what is not given that is of

course stealing taking what is not given

in terms of physical possessions

but taking what is not given in terms of

seeking things

where they're not do seeking credit

where it's not due

seeking attention where it's not due

trying to vie for things

in a way that causes restlessness in the

mind

sensual misconduct

getting attached to sensual pleasures

whether that is craving for them or

having aversion

against sensual pain

like being irritated by the fly

and then when you get irritated by the

fly and you try to smack it

that's causing you to have further

misconduct

because now you're intentionally trying

to harm that fly

or you start cursing in your mind

towards somebody who's walking around

getting angry at them

and so now you have an intention to harm

them with your wrong speech

or you have mental action

to get angry at them

so sensual misconduct

is part of this whether it's having

craving for it or aversion for any

sensual experience

sexual misconduct is related to

being

faithful being loyal to your partner

whatever that relationship is doesn't

matter what kind of relationship it is

not engaging in adultery in the sense of

cheating not only on your partner but

engaging in such sexual misconduct that

causes somebody else

to cheat on their partner it doesn't

matter if you are

a couple or a throuple

or polyamorous

whatever it might be doesn't matter

there's sort of a

guideline in that relationship right

whatever that might be

but if you break that guideline that is

sexual misconduct

and what beku's is right action

right action

i say is twofold

there is right action that is affected

by the taints partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions and there

is right action that is noble

taintless super mundane a factor of the

path

and what because is right action that is

affected by the taints partaking of

merit

ripening in the acquisitions

abstinence from killing and harming

living beings

abstinence from taking what is not given

abstinence from sensual misconduct

that is right action that is affected by

the taints and ripening in the

acquisitions

so this kind of right action is

basically keeping the precepts

but there can be identification with

that process

which ripens in the acquisitions because

you become proud you become conceited

that i am somebody who keeps the

precepts

i am somebody who

is ethical i am somebody you know that

self-righteousness

if that's there then you have to let go

of that

and understand

the practical

reasons for why you keep precepts

because that leads

to clarity of mindfulness

that leads

to deeper collectedness

and so on

so you let go of the clinging to that

and that is now turning into a

noble right action and we'll get into

what that is

and what biku's is right action that is

noble taintless super mundane a factor

of the path the desisting from the three

kinds of bodily misconduct the

abstaining refraining abstinence from

them

in one whose mind is noble whose mind is

taintless who possesses the noble path

and is developing the noble path

this is right action that is noble a

factor of the path one who is a noble

person actively seeks to have

right action

actively seeks to develop continue

developing the noble path

so they make it a point to always keep

their precepts

and then one whose mind is taintless and

one whose mind is

fully liberated

they're automatically keeping the

precepts

they don't have to think about it

it's just automatic

without any clinging or identification

with that process

one makes an effort to abandon wrong

action and to enter upon right action

this is one's right effort you notice

that you have the intention to harm

another living being

so

you recognize that you release your

attention from that relax the aversion

the craving the tightness

come back to your smile come back to a

wholesome state of mind and let go of

that

you notice

and recognize that the mind is seeking

attention

seeking credit where credit is not due

seeking to

take something that is not given

you notice the agitation that arises

from that

and you will release your attention from

that

relax the mind

feel

the relief in that relaxed step

once you have a mind that is

non-agitated come back to a wholesome

state of mind

let go of the need for credit that go

for the need of attention let go for the

need of having to take what is not given

whether that's physical possessions or

whatever it might be

so you take you you're using the six r's

to go from

wrong action to right action

you notice that the mind

might have an inclination to cheat on

someone in a relationship

you let go of that

attention to that thought

you relax any kind of craving that's

there

you come back to a wholesome state of

mind and you let go of anything your

mind is now pure

and you don't think about that anymore

or you have some kind of craving

you may be standing in line

for some

chocolate chip cookies for lunch for

dessert

right and everybody gets one

right and then you seize one there and

then somebody takes it

and now you're

obsessing over that chocolate chip

cookie

just when the person doesn't see it you

snatch it

what have you done

you've taken what is not given

your intention

you say oh

i want that chocolate chip cookie

so you sticks are you let go of that

intention

and you say okay i'll get a chocolate

chip cookie another time or i'll check

in the kitchen and ask is there any

extra chocolate chip cookie

but you don't get obsessed over and you

take what is not given snatch somebody

else's cookie away from them

mindfully one abandons wrong action

mindfully one enters upon and dwells in

right action

this is one's right mindfulness you're

observing how mind's attention moves

from the intention to commit wrong

action

to how the mind's attention moves to

the intention to have right action the

intention to keep the precepts

thus these three states run and circle

around right action

that is right view

right effort and right mindfulness

therein because right view comes first

and how does right view come first

one understands wrong livelihood as

wrong livelihood

one

understands right livelihood as right

livelihood this is one's right view you

know the difference between what is

wrong livelihood and what is

right livelihood

and what bekus is wrong livelihood

scheming talking

hinting

belittling pursuing gain with gain this

is wrong livelihood

it's an interesting way of looking at it

so traditionally we understand wrong

livelihood for the lay people and for

the monastics

for the lay people it means not engaging

in any trade

that deals with poisons that deals with

weapons that deals with alcohol that

deals with human trafficking and that

deals with

meat

so

that abstinence from that kind of

engagement in business practices that

deal with these things

is what you have to let go of as a lay

person

so if you own a bar

it's time to sell that bar

if you

deal with poisons it's time to let go of

that

right

if you're dealing in human trafficking

by all means please let go of that

so this is wrong mind wrong livelihood

for the lay people

the wrong livelihood for

the monastics

is doing

anything else

except

for practicing the dharma

anything else except for

heading towards arahatship why else are

you getting into the monastic life for

letting go of all of these things

and now you are cultivating silas

samadhi and panya

so when he talks about talking scheming

hinting belittling pursuing gain with

gain

he's talking about those

aspects of monastic where they

do certain things to manipulate the way

in which they gain

the requisites talking their way into

gaining certain kinds of requisites

belittling

scheming

trading

your robes for a bowl

those kinds of things

pursuing gain with gain

but then they're like i said the base

arts

reading one's palms

looking into the sky

reading bird droppings

telling the future all of these things

not to do

even becoming a doctor by the way as a

monastic you can't do

that doesn't mean being a doctor is

wrong livelihood for a monastic

their whole thing

is to go towards

full awakening that's it

so anything that

distracts them from that

they have to let go of that and come

back to what is the true dharma

getting phds

[Laughter]

yeah getting phds

and what because

is right livelihood

right livelihood i say is twofold

there is right livelihood that is

affected by taints

partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

and there is right livelihood that is

noble

taintless

super mundane a factor of the path

and what because is right livelihood

that is affected by taints

partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

here because

a noble disciple abandons wrong

livelihood

and gains his living by right livelihood

this is right livelihood that is

affected by taints

ripening in the acquisitions so here he

talks about a noble disciple it could be

even a stream enter and so on

but they abandon the wrong livelihood

they abandon this whole process of

trying to get

you know their requisites in any other

way except for when it's the right time

to get the requisites right

the other the other thing about that is

they

they abandon the wrong livelihood and

they gain their living by right

livelihood in other words

they do the right thing they keep their

precepts

they continue practicing samadhi

they might go out for arms round or

whatever it might be that's the way to

get your food as a monastic

the right livelihood here for a lay

person that doesn't mean you have to let

go of making money and all these other

things it's just that

make sure that you don't deal

with things that we were talking about

before deal in things that cause harm to

others in one way or the other

deal in things that cause pain and

suffering for others in one way or the

other

and what because is right livelihood

that is noble paintless supramundane

a factor of the path

the desisting from wrong livelihood the

abstaining refraining abstinence from it

in one whose mind is noble whose mind is

taintless who possesses the noble path

and is developing the noble path this is

right livelihood that is noble a factor

of the path

here this is one whose mind is noble who

automatically follows

right livelihood

meaning they continue to develop sila

they continue to develop samadhi they

continue to develop

panya if they are a monastic

everything that they do is towards the

dhamma towards

understanding the dharma

towards

full awakening

and they do this automatically

and so in one who is taintless one who

is an arahat

that right livelihood

is pretty much already there

they're doing everything on autopilot

they don't have to think about it

there's no second guessing about it

it's already

happening as a result of the way that

their mind functions

so in other words for the mind of an

arahat

their default mode of functioning

is always through the eightfold path

their right view will always be right

for you their right intention will

always be right intention

their right speech will always be right

speech

their right action will always be right

action

their right livelihood will always be

right livelihood

and they'll always have right effort

why because they six are all the way

until there's nothing left to 6r anymore

their mind is in total relief all the

time

and so their mind is always observing

the attentive mind

your mind is always aware of everything

that arises in any given present moment

and sees everything as conditioned and

dependently arisen therefore their mind

doesn't hold on to anything at all

doesn't take anything personally

and that's because their mind

is completely free of any kinds of

attachments

therefore their mind is always collected

their mind is always

collected

wherever they are

not dispersed about thinking this or

that

and so

one makes an effort to abandon wrong

livelihood and to enter upon right

livelihood this is one's right effort

you recognize when you have an intention

to do something that might be

constituting wrong livelihood

you let go of that

and come back to an intention to have

right livelihood your sex arming

that process

of

wanting to commit wrong livelihood

mindfully one abandons wrong livelihood

mindfully one enters upon and dwells in

right livelihood

this is one's right mindfulness

thus these three states run and circle

around right livelihood that is right

view of what is wrong livelihood and

right livelihood

right effort

of letting go of wrong livelihood and

coming to right livelihood and right

mindfulness of being attentive and

paying attention to how mayan's

attention

moves from the intention to commit wrong

livelihood to the intention to have

right livelihood

therein because right view comes first

and how does right view come first

in one of right view

right intention comes into being when

you have right view

there is right intention

in one of right intention right speech

comes into being

right intention leads to right speech

in one of right speech right action

comes into being with the right

intention you also have right speech and

right action

in one of right action right livelihood

comes into being now that you keep the

precepts you understand that anything

that you do

that causes you or another to break a

precept you let go of and you come to

the right livelihood in one of right

livelihood right effort comes into being

now you're able to have right effort all

the time

because now you have dealt with the

wrong view brought it up to right view

dealt with the wrong intention brought

it to your right intention dealt with

the wrong speech brought it to right

speech

dealt with the wrong action brought it

to your right action dealt with the

wrong livelihood and brought it to right

livelihood we're using your six r's

using right effort so right effort is

always there and so in one of right

effort

right mindfulness comes into being

you six are when you're six houring your

mindfulness comes into being

you're paying attention you're observing

of how mind's attention moves from one

thing to the other

in one of right mindfulness right

collectiveness comes into being

you six are your way back to being

collected

and this is happening constantly in your

practice right when you are in samadhi

when you're in bhavana when you are

meditating

right effort

right mindfulness and right

collectedness these three run around

each other

when the right collectedness goes to

wrong collectedness mind becomes

distracted you use right effort

and so now you gain mindfulness and you

come back to collectiveness this is a

continual process that you're doing in

meditation

right effort right mindfulness right

collectedness

in one of right collectedness

right knowledge comes into being

in one of right knowledge

right deliverance comes into being

thus because the path of the disciple in

higher training

one

training towards arahatship

possesses the eighth factors

and the arahat possesses ten factors

now the right collectedness

leads to

right insight right knowledge right

wisdom

that wisdom of the four noble truths the

wisdom of the impersonal nature of

things the wisdom of dependent

origination

and the mind is delivered

this happens continuously

at each attainment until our hardship

that is to say when you have right

collectedness you go through the jhanas

then you go into cessation you have an

experience of nibbana you see the lynx

independent origination and you let go

of the three feathers

in the case of entering the stream

when you have that same experience

continue to rinse and repeat continue

walking the path getting to right

collectedness again you have right

wisdom see the links of dependent

origination

and now you have weakened craving

sensual craving and aversion

so now you have deliverance again

so first you were delivered by from the

first three fetters then you were

delivered by

the sensual craving and the aversion by

attenuating it by weakening it

then when you become an anagami

you do the whole process again and then

you have right

insight right wisdom you see again the

links of dependent origination and you

let go completely of sensual craving and

aversion and now your mind is delivered

from sensual craving

delivered from aversion completely

and then finally with regards to the

arahat when you get into

our hardship you walk the path again you

have a deeper understanding of the path

this time and then you go into

collectedness you have cessation

you have the experience of dependent

origination that is the right knowledge

the right wisdom and your mind is

delivered from the five higher feathers

and so now the arahat possesses fully

all ten fetters

oh sorry ten factors

which means that they have automatically

right view

right intention

right speech right action

right livelihood right effort right

mindfulness right collectedness

and what is the right knowledge that

they possess

what is the right deliverance that they

possess

the knowledge that the mind is free from

craving the knowledge that the mind is

free from greed hatred and delusion and

the knowledge that the mind is delivered

staying here being always all the time

delivered that is right deliverance for

the arahat

they don't have to do anything at that

point in time

and so they don't produce any karma

because the buddha says that the noble

eightfold path

is the way leading to the cessation of

any karma

which means for the arahat their default

mode of functioning

possessed by the eight factors of the

eightfold path and possessed of

constant right knowledge wisdom

constant right deliverance

mind free

from greed hatred and delusion is

automatic

there's no effort to be made there

they're always functioning from there

there in biku's right view comes first

and how does right view come first

in one or right view wrong view is

abolished

the many evil unwholesome states that

originate with wrong view as condition

are also abolished

and the many wrong

sorry the many wholesome states that

originate with right view as condition

come to fulfillment by development

in one of right intention wrong

intention is abolished and the many evil

unwholesome states that originate with

wrong intention as condition

are also abolished

and the many on

many wholesome states that originate

with right intention as condition come

to fulfillment by development in other

words there are the akusala the 10

unwholesome

actions the 10 unwholesome states

and there is the 10 wholesome states

so with right view with right intention

you let go of those ten unwholesome and

you cultivate the ten wholesome

in one of right speech wrong speech is

abolished and one of right action wrong

action is abolished in one of right

livelihood wrong livelihood is abolished

in one of right effort

wrong effort is abolished in one of

right mindfulness wrong mindfulness is

abolished in one of right collectedness

wrong collectedness is abolished

so what is wrong effort

trying too hard

pushing

straining

anything that is not the six r's is

wrong effort

what is wrong mindfulness

mindfully walking mindfully eating

mindfully sitting mindfully standing

mindfully

doing this or that in other words

paying attention to

the steps that you're taking

slowly bit by bit instead of

paying attention to how mind's attention

moves from one thing to the other

what is wrong collectedness

one pointed concentration

becoming one pointed in an object

becoming so focused that you crush mind

with mind that's another part of wrong

effort

trying too hard

so

right collectedness is

keeping your mind's awareness on the

object of meditation having an open

awareness

so that anything that comes up whether

it's hindrances or insights they come up

and you're aware of them

and so you're practicing right

mindfulness when you have that because

you become aware the mind's attention

moved from the object to something else

then you're using the right effort by

letting it go and coming back using the

six hours

in one of right knowledge

wrong knowledge is abolished what is

wrong knowledge

not knowing the four noble truths

ignorance

holding on to something taking something

as a soul taking something as a self

in one of right deliverance wrong

deliverance is abolished what is wrong

deliverance

the idea that you have become one with

everything

and attaching yourself to that

right anything that doesn't deliver you

from craving anything that doesn't

deliver you from identification from

aversion

so wrong deliverance causes the mind to

constrict more rather than become more

open

to grasp at things more to construct

things more

rather than to let go of them and

decondition them

and so these states of

enlightenment where you become one with

the universe

cosmic consciousness

christ consciousness

brahman consciousness

all of these ideas of becoming

the small self to the large self

or the small self dissolves into the

large self and all of these other things

this is wrong deliverance

and the many evil unwholesome states

that originate with wrong deliverance as

condition are also abolished and the

many wholesome states that originate

with right deliverance as condition come

to fulfillment by development

thus because there are 20 factors on the

site of the wholesome

and 20 factors on the side of the

unwholesome

this dharma discourse on the great 40

has been set rolling and cannot be

stopped by any recluse or brahmana or

god or mara or brahma or anyone in the

world

because if any recluse of brahman thinks

about this dhamma discourse on the grade

40 should be censured and rejected

then there are ten legitimate deductions

from his assertions

that would prove grounds

for censuring him here and now

if that worthy one-censure's right view

then he would honor and praise

those

recluses and brahmanas who are of wrong

view

if he censures right intention

then he would honor and praise those

recluses and brahmanas who are of wrong

intention

if he censures right speech right action

right livelihood right effort right

mindfulness right collectedness right

knowledge right deliverance

then he would honor and praise those

recluses and brahmanas who are

of

wrong speech wrong action wrong

livelihood wrong effort wrong

mindfulness wrong collectiveness

wrong knowledge and wrong deliverance

if any requisite brahmin thinks that

this dhamma discourse on the great 40

should be censured and rejected

then these are 10 legitimate deductions

from his assertions that would prove

grounds for censuring him here and now

because even those teachers from okola

vasa and banya

these are different ascetics

who held the doctrine of non-causality

who the doctrine of non-doing that there

is no karma and the doctrine of nihilism

would not think that this dhamma

discourse on the great 40 should be

censured and rejected

why is that for the fear of blame

attack and confutation

that is what the blessed one said the

bekus were satisfied and delighted in

the blessed one's words

so a couple of things about that number

one as monastics in terms of monasticism

you can only accept what is given to you

some people eat meat some people don't

eat meat

so you don't have a choice whether you

can eat meat or not

but the idea of uh this whole thing

about meat has been talked about so many

times

in one way or the other there's a sutra

called

chiva

is that mn55

i wonder if i could

that's pretty short

i didn't need to create

i'll just read the whole thing or

you know because it's a pretty good suit

and it's very short

i won't give any commentary because it

speaks for itself

so this is uh

mn55

majminikai 55 jiva kasuta 2g vakrun

jivacar was the buddha's physician by

the way

that's what i heard on one occasion the

blessed one was living at rajya gaha in

the mango grove of jeevaka

komarabacha

then jeevaka went to the blessed one and

after paying homage to him he sat down

at one side and said to the blessed one

venerable sir i have heard this

they slaughter living beings for the

reckless gautama the reckless gautama

knowingly eats meat prepared for him

from animals killed for his sake

venerable sir do those who speak thus

say what has been said by the blessed

one

and not misrepresent him with what is

contrary to fact do they explain in

accordance with the dhamma in such a way

that nothing which provides a ground for

censure can be legitimately deduced from

their assertions

jeevika those who speak thus do not say

what has been said by me

but misrepresent me with what is untrue

and contrary to fact

jivaka i say there are three

instances

in which meat should not be eaten

when it is seen heard or suspected

that the living being has been

slaughtered for oneself

i say that nietzsche

should not be eaten in these three

instances

i say that there are three instances in

which meat may be eaten

when it is not seen not heard and not

suspected

that the living being has been

slaughtered for oneself

i say that meat may be eaten in these

three instances

should i continue i'll stop it there

i think that's not going to address the

question yeah

here jivaka sambiku lives in dependence

upon a certain village or town

he abides pervading one quarter with the

mind imbued with loving-kindness

likewise the second likewise the third

likewise the fourth so above below

around and everywhere and to all as to

himself

he abides pervading the all-encompassing

world with a mind imbued with loving

kindness

abundant exalted immeasurable without

hostility and without ill will

then a householder or a householder son

comes to him and invites him for the

next day's meal

the biku accepts if he likes

when the night is ended in the morning

he dresses and taking his bowl and outer

robe goes to the house of that house

of that householder or householder son

and sits down on a seat made ready when

the householder or household or son

serves him

with good arms sorry then the

householder or householder's son

serves him with good arms food

he does not think

how good that the householder or

householder son

serves me with good ams food

if only a householder or householder son

might serve me with such good ams food

in the future he does not think thus he

eats that ams food without being tied to

it

infatuated with it and utterly committed

to it seeing the danger in it and

understanding the escape from it

what do you think jivaka

would that beku on such an occasion

choose for his own affliction or for

another's affliction or for the

affliction of both

no venerable sir

does that beku sustain himself with

blameless food on that occasion

yes venerable sir i have heard this

venerable sir

brahma abides in loving-kindness

venerable sir the blessed one is my

visible witness to that for the blessed

one abides in loving-kindness

jivaka any lust any hate any delusion

thereby ill will might arrive whereby

ill my ill will might arise

have been abandoned by the tataga cut

off at the root made like a palm stone

done away with so that they are no

longer subject to future arising

if what you said refer to that then i

allow it to you

venerable sir what i said pref uh what i

said referred precisely to that

here jivaka ibiku lives in dependence on

a certain village or town he abides

pervading one quarter with the mind

imbued with compassion with the mind

imbued with joy with the mind imbued

with equanimity

likewise the second likewise the third

likewise the fourth so above below

around and everywhere and to all as to

himself he abides pervading the

all-encompassing world with a mind

imbued with equanimity abundant exalted

immeasurable

without hostility and without ill will

then a householder or a householder son

comes to him and invites him for the

next day's meal

the beku accepts it if he likes

what do you think chivaka would that be

on such a occasion

choose for his

own affliction or for another's

affliction or for the affliction of both

no venerable sir

does not that biku sustain himself with

blameless food on that occasion

yes venerable sir i have heard this

venerable sir brahma abides

in compassion in joy in equanimity

verbal sir the blessed one is my visible

witness to that

for the blessed one abides in

compassion in joy in equanimity

jeevika any lust any hate any delusion

whereby cruelty or discontent or

aversion might arise have been abandoned

by the tagat cut off at the root

made like a palm stump done away with so

that they are no longer subject to

future arising

if what you said referred to that then

allow and i allow it to you

venerable sir that i said what i said

referred

to precisely that

if anyone slaughters a living being for

the tata

or his disciples

he lays up the merit in five instances

when he says

go and fetch that living being

this is the first instance in which he

lays up much demerit

when that living being experiences pain

and grief on being led along with a neck

halter

this is the second instance in which he

lays up much demerit

when he says go and slaughter that

living being this is the third instance

in which he lays up much demerit

when that living being experiences pain

and grief on being slaughtered

this is the fourth instance in which he

lays up much demerit

when he provides the tata or his

disciple with food

that is not permissible

this is the third instance in which he

lays up much demerit

anyone who slaughters a living being for

the tagat or his disciple

lays up much demerit in these five

instances

when this was said jivaca

said to the blessed one it is wonderful

venerable sir it is marvelous

the biku sustained themselves with

permissible food

the biku sustained themselves with

blameless food

magnificent venerable syrup magnificent

venerable sir from today let the blessed

one remember me as a lay follower who

has gone to him for refuge for life

so

the meat that we eat

in the dining hall for those of us who

eat meat

was it specially killed for us

or did it come from a supermarket

already pre-packaged

did we suspect that the

meat that was there was killed for us

have you seen it have we heard that it

was killed for us

now when you go to a restaurant and you

order lobster

you're definitely going to be

having food that is not blameless

because you specially select that

lobster

to be killed for your

food

so that's why monks can't eat

lobster for example

right or any kind of live seafood

because it's specifically killed for

them

but this whole process of

you know meat as it's available in

supermarkets and things like that that

is blameless

because it's not specifically killed

for that person

that's the understanding

now you can talk about how well if

you're going to be eating meat it still

continues that process of slaughtering

meat and so on or slaughtering animals

for meat and it propagates the

the industry

you know the meat industry and all of

these things

but you're not responsible for that

you're responsible for only the choices

that you make

people who

kill the me kill the animal and

everything that's

their responsibility that's their merit

or demerit or whatever it might be

so if you intentionally go and say

i want that cow

for my hamburger

and somebody kills it

you're causing that person to kill

another living being for your enjoyment

of food

hunting would be bad karma absolutely

hunting for sport

fishing as well

yeah you're more than welcome to do that

but the understanding is from a karmic

standpoint

you're not doing anything wrong

so long as you are not causing an

individual

to kill another living being for the

enjoyment of food

yeah

go ahead

no i was just basically saying that so

if you're going to be

the the karmic standpoint of this the

karmic view of this is basically

you know you're eating

meat that's not specifically killed for

the purpose of your food

you're not causing another individual to

have to slaughter a being specifically

for your food

and you're not you're not seeing or

hearing or suspecting

that animal to have been killed

specifically for you

you know devadatta who was the

buddha's cousin

he was jealous of the buddha and he

became a monk

and

he actually created a schism in the

sangha

and for that of us obviously he

experienced terrible karma

but one of the things he said to the

buddha was

you know

we should

all be vegetarian

there should be a rule for vegetarianism

in the monastic community

and the buddha said no

that should not be the case

because you are subsisting on arms food

you're sustaining yourself

in dependence

on people

and some people eat meat and some people

don't eat meat you have to just take

what is given to you

as long as you suspect that that

animal was not killed for you

and so on and so forth you can accept it

so why would you force your

idea of vegetarianism as a monastic

community and then have people do make

the trouble of people having to

you know

cook vegetarians vegetarian food

especially for you

so the idea here is no we're not going

to be vegetarians

they're just going to subsist on

whatever people can offer

some people couldn't make vegetables

some people couldn't buy vegetables some

people could only subsist on certain

things

may suffering ones be suffering free may

the fear stroke fearless be

may the grieving shed all grief and may

all beings find relief

may all beings share this merit that we

have thus acquired for the acquisition

of all kinds of happiness

may beings inhabiting space and earth

devas and nagas of mighty power share

this merit of ours may they long protect

the buddha's dispensation

sadhu their son

[Music]

you

[Music]

so today we are going to be talking

about the path

the eightfold path

and what that constitutes

so i'll be reading from majaminikaya 117

maha chattaroo

the great

40.

thus blessed i heard on one occasion the

blessed one was living at savathi in

jetta's grove anatha pindika's park

there he addressed the beku's thus

bhikkhu's venerable sir they replied the

blessed one said this

because i shall teach you

noble right collectedness

with its supports and its requisites

listen and attend closely to what i

shall say yes venerable sir

the beakers replied

the blessed one said this what beku's is

noble right collectedness with its

supports and is its requisites

in other words what is it that supports

right meditation

right collectedness

that is right view

right intention

write speech

write action

right livelihood right effort

and write mindfulness

unification of mind equipped with these

seven factors is called noble right

collectedness

with its supports and its requisites

so unification of mind that is a

non-dispersed attention you need an

attention that is undistracted

for you to get into a collected state of

mind

and what does that mean an undistracted

mind

staying with one single object

but not becoming

one pointed

so an undispersed attention means a mind

that orbits around its object of

meditation doesn't get distracted in the

sense that even if there are

backgrounds in the thought

thoughts in the background

then that mind

will be aware of it but it's still with

its object and meditation still with

loving-kindness

or joy or equanimity or quiet mind or

compassion whatever it might be

and when it gets distracted it means

that now the mind is paying attention to

all of those thoughts in the background

and now they come to the foreground

now mind is no longer with its object of

meditation

so to be with your object and meditation

means you are aware of it

you're resting your awareness on it

feeling it

and there might be thoughts coming and

going there might be

little whispers of thoughts here and

there coming and going but that's okay

but this constitutes

right samadhi this constitutes right

collectedness

therein beku's right view comes first

and how does right view come first

one understands wrong view as

wrong view

and right view as

right view

this is one's right view

so at the very forefront of it right the

very basic level right view is knowing

what is wrong and what is right

there's no doubt no perplexity about

what is right or what is wrong

how do you get to there we'll talk about

that

and what beku's is wrong view

this is wrong view

there is nothing given

nothing offered nothing sacrificed

no fruit or result of good and bad

actions

no this world no other world

no mother

no father

no beings who are reborn spontaneously

no good and virtuous recluses and

brahmanas in the world

who have realized for themselves by

direct knowledge

and declare this world and the other

world

this is wrong view

and what because is right view

right view i say

is twofold

there is right view that is affected by

the taints

partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

and that and there is right view that is

noble

without the taints

super mundane a factor of the path

and what because is right view that is

affected by the tense

partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

there is what is given and what is

offered and what is

sacrificed

there is fruit and result of good and

bad actions

there is this world and the other world

there is mother and father

there are beings who are reborn

spontaneously

there are in the world good

and virtuous recluses and brahmanas

who have realized for themselves by

direct knowledge and declare

this world and the other world

this is right view affected by taints

partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

so this is the mundane right view

and at the very heart of that is the

understanding of karma

understanding of action and consequence

understanding that wholesome states of

mind

lead to wholesome

consequences

unwholesome states of mind lead to

unwholesome consequences

so it is your intention

and your action mentally

verbally

and physically that lead to a

corresponding effect

when they talk about things when he

talks about things like that what is

what is given and what is offered and

what is sacrificed

that is merit

there is an understanding that there is

merit to be acquired

merit to be acquired by listening to a

dhamma talk merit to be acquired by

giving to the monastics merit to be

acquired by being generous in general

and so on and so forth

so there is meaning in giving

there is meaning in being generous

when he talks about like i said there is

fruit and result of good and bad actions

here he's talking about karma

there is an effect to all of the actions

that you produce with intention

and there is a result of it

there is action and consequence

there is this world and the other world

pretty much

most

belief systems have some kind of concept

like this

that there is this world and there might

be a heaven

there is this world and there might be a

hell there is this world and another

world

present

that's a very basic understanding of

that

there is mother and father

we have a responsibility to our parents

no matter

what kind of parents they've been

what they've done

good bad or indifferent

because at the very basic

understanding of this

is that you have gratitude

for one's parents

who

provided the opportunity for an

existence in this life

and the opportunity

to experience nibana

an opportunity to understand

the four noble truths

that very basic thing

that there is grateful there is

gratitude

for one's parents

there are beings who are reborn

spontaneously

this is the understanding that there is

no such thing as an antara bhava

antara bhava means

an intermediate state between one life

and the other

sometimes people

will say that that's the bardos and

stuff like that we talked about that

yesterday we said the bardo is a mental

happening just before the arising of the

next life

because if you were to assume an

antarabhava if you were to assume that

there was an intermediate state

then that would be another realm of

existence

so here the understanding is that beings

are reborn spontaneously as soon as one

being dies

there is another being

coming to be in a different existence

it happens

like that

there are in the world good and virtuous

recluses and brahmanas

who have realized for themselves by

direct knowledge and direct this and

declare this world and the other world

so

here there is this openness

and willingness

to say that there are people who have

walked the path

who understand the path

that the dhamma is still present

because there are these people still

present

and so

you may go to them you may go learn from

them you may go discuss the dharma from

them with them and so on

but in essence this is really talking

about the idea that there are still

there are still possibility

of

attainments people who have attained to

a certain understanding

people who have attained to a certain

kind of

wisdom and so on

and this is the right view affected by

the taints partaking of merit ripening

in the acquisitions

meaning this is the mundane right for

you because it's affected by

the taints of sensual experience sensual

desire the taint of wanting to be

something and the taint of ignorance

just understand that right view here is

the basic right view you that you start

with on this practice

remember in the very beginning of this

retreat we were talking about the six

different types of wrong views

just to understand where you are in your

mindset do you subscribe to any of those

views

and if you do do you let go of them and

come to the right view

in this mundane right view that allows

you

then to practice the dhamma that allows

you to have right intention

that allows you to have a mindset

geared towards practicing the dharma

that's the very basic of it very

practical aspect of it

and so it is affected still by someone

on the path

somebody who is beginning on the path so

somebody beginning on the path will

still have the taints

we'll still have sensual desire we'll

still have some kind of a

craving for existence will still have

some kind of ignorance of the four noble

truths in the sense that they might have

they will still have lack of mindfulness

partaking of merit and ripening in the

acquisitions this is karmically

effective right view in other words even

if you have this right view

you are not yet an arahat and arahat is

one who no longer produces new karma

so this kind of right view can still

produce karma because there is an

identification

with that view there is still a clinging

to that right view

and what beku's is right view that is

noble

taintless

supermundane a factor of the path

the wisdom the faculty of wisdom the

power of wisdom the investigation of

states enlightenment factor the path

factor of right view in one whose mind

is noble whose mind is taintless who

possesses the noble path and is

developing the noble path this is right

view that is noble paintless super

mundane a factor of the path

so this right view that is noble which

means

one who has attained stream entry

one who has become

a noble one

paintless means one who has become an

araha so anyone who has

entered the stream

possesses this super mundane right view

and eventually

the perfected right view that is

paintless

that has no more clinging to that right

view that right view becomes automatic

in such a mind

and

it possesses wisdom

that wisdom is the understanding of the

impersonal nature of all things

because you have seen for yourself how

the links of dependent origination

arise

the faculty of wisdom and the power of

this wisdom the faculty of wisdom is

that mind factor that allows you to

possess the power or energy of wisdom

and so that allows you to have the

investigation of state's enlightenment

factor

when it says investigation of states

there can be in the mind this idea

that one has to actively investigate one

has to actively analyze one has to

actively contemplate one has to actively

reflect

but another way of looking at this

the effective way of looking at this is

it really means to understand things as

they are

when you recognize

that you are distracted as i said you

bring up mindfulness

and this investigation of states because

you are aware that the mind is

distracted and you know that the mind is

distracted

so this understanding

is to mindfulness what perception is to

feeling

what does that mean

feeling is the experience that you're

having pleasant

painful or neutral

the labeling of what that feeling is

is perception a recognition of what the

quality of that feeling is is perception

in the same way mindfulness is the

awareness of mind's attention having

moved from one object to the other

the

fact that it is distracted or the

knowledge or knowing the perception that

it is distracted

is the investigation of states

so i call this understanding that the

mind is distracted

so it happens automatically you don't

need to actively do it

you just have to be aware be attentive

and know that the mind is distracted and

then bring it back with right effort and

so on

and so the path factor of one of right

view in one whose mind is noble one who

has let go

of certain feathers from stream entry

onwards whose mind is taintless that is

to say one who is an arahat

who possesses the noble path meaning now

they are following the noble path

they are

continuously developing the path so one

who is developing the path

or one who has perfected the path this

is right view that is noble

taintless super mundane a factor of the

path

when you have this

you are not producing any karma

when you have this right view

when you practice this right view

that means you are actively sexaring you

are actively being aware when mind

becomes distracted

when you have this right view

it does not lead

to any kind of clinging

instead it allows you to let go

it allows you to see things as they are

and let go of any craving let go of any

clinging

one makes an effort

to abandon wrong view and to enter upon

right view

this is one's

right effort

how do you go from the wrong view to

right view

you six are it

you recognize here is present a wrong

view

and you let go of that and come to the

right view

mindfully one abandons wrong view

mindfully one enters upon and abides in

right view this is

one's right mindfulness

what does that mean you recognize that

there was wrong view

and you mindfully meaning you

six are

gently paying attention what's going on

and abandon that wrong view

this is right mindfulness

thus three these three states run and

circle around right view

that is right view in terms of what is

wrong view and right view

right effort in terms of the six r's and

right mindfulness in terms of being

attentive to what you are doing

therein biku's right view comes first

and how does right view come first

one understands wrong intention as wrong

intention

and right intention as right intention

this is one's right view the basic right

view

and what bekus is wrong in tension

the intention of sensual desire

the intention of ill will

the intention of cruelty

this is wrong intention

sensual desire

grabbing on to things

whether you have craving for them or

aversion against them

when you're meditating

and you hear

somebody walking around

you hear

some kind of a disturbance outside

the wrong intention there is to grab on

to that experience and say i hate that

why is this person walking around

why is this person doing this or that

that's the wrong intention that's

holding on to

the experience of the years

or a fly lands onto your

hand

or it starts buzzing around and starts

creeping and crawling on your hand

you feel that that's the bodily

sensation

and you have anger and irritation

towards that fly

that's the grasping that's the sensual

desire and so when you have anger and

irritation there's ill will there

and then you want to smack that fly and

so that is cruelty

right

and what because is right intention

right intention i say is twofold

there is right intention that is

affected by things partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

and there is right intention that is

noble

paintless

super mundane a factor of the path

and what beku's is right intention that

is affected by the taints

partaking of merit ripening in the

acquisitions

the intention of renunciation

the intention of non-ill will and the

intention of non-cruelty

this is right intention that is affected

by the taints and ripening in the

acquisitions

the intention of renunciation what does

that mean renunciation

to let go

to abandon

to abandon craving

to abandon

unwholesome states of mind

to let go of aversion

to let go of taking things personally

every time you six are

you're cultivating right intention

the intention of non-ill will

non-ill will not having any presence

of the single

slightest iota

of irritation

or aversion

that's cultivated through

loving-kindness

when you bring up loving-kindness there

is no ill-will there

so every time you bring up

loving-kindness

whether it's in the meditation or

whether it's in daily practice or

whether it's when you're met with some

kind of

situation that troubles you

you're practicing right intention

non-cruelty

the intention of non-cruelty

this is ahimsa non-violence

the intention

to not harm another person

or being

this is cultivated through compassion

a person comes storming at you starts

arguing with you starts

abusing you

starts getting angry at you

compassion

sees that being and understands that

they are suffering

so why would you want to add to their

suffering

by having the wrong intention to

resist to them

argue with them get angry at them

return their abusive speech with abusive

speech

if you have true compassion you

understand that whoever is upset

whoever gets angry

has suffering in them

so you want to alleviate suffering from

beings

because that's the motivating factor of

compassion that may all beings be free

of suffering

that quality of compassion that you feel

in the meditation

is this sense of all beings are

suffering so i want them to be free

a sense of empathy with all beings

not sympathy not looking down upon them

understanding this person is suffering i

know what it feels like to suffer

so i don't want to add to that suffering

i want to let go of it

and help them alleviate that suffering

so when somebody argues with you what do

you do

stay silent don't give them the chance

to have to add to their karma of

continually arguing at things or

de-escalate the situation

do something that helps them calm down

and come back to a more pleasant

wholesome state of mind

this is non-cruelty

so if you have any attachment to this if

you have any identification with this if

you have any clinging to this

this ripens in the acquisitions this is

affected

by the craving to become

this is affected by ignorance because

you still take things

personally

and what beku's is right intention that

is noble taintless super mundane a

factor of the path

that is to say what is the right

intention of a noble one

what is the right intention of a stream

enter or a sakadagami

or a anagami or an arahat

what is that which is super mundane

the thinking thought intention

mental collectedness

mental fixity

directing of mind

verbal formation in one whose mind is

noble

whose mind is taintless

who possesses the noble path and is

developing the noble path

this is right intention that is noble a

factor of the path

so this is that which does not ripen in

the acquisitions

so that is the thinking and thought the

intention and mental collectedness

mental fixity directing of the mind

every time you six are and you bring the

mind's attention back to lovingkindness

bring it back to a meditative object

you have this right intention

and your mind becomes collected

verbal formation

what is that verbal formation

that verbal formation is to speak

right speech

to act

with right speech to speak with right

speech

meaning you are always being

non-abusive

you're being harmless with your speech

you tell the truth with your speech

you be

kind with your speech

and that starts with the right intention

of a noble person

so the intention to meditate the

intention to bring the mind to

collectedness

is that right intention

that does not ripen in the acquisitions

that is taintless

that doesn't have any sensual desire in

it

doesn't have any craving for being in it

doesn't have any ignorance in it

because it's dependent upon right

mindfulness

and so one makes an effort to abandon

the wrong

intention

and to enter upon right intention

this is one's right effort

you notice the mind is agitated angry

upset

holding on to something

non-meditative

unable to con focus or concentrate or be

collected

and so you recognize you release your

attention relax the craving and tension

in there

come back to the smile that is bringing

up something wholesome that's the right

intention

and come back to a collectedness that's

also right intention so you go from the

wrong intention

and come to the right intention

mindfully one abandons wrong intention

mindfully one enters upon and abides in

right intention

this is one's right mindfulness you do

this with mindfulness

you do this by observing how your mind

goes from

a distracted agitated

ill-will aversive state of mind

and now is directed and comes back

to a non-agitated state of mind to a

state of mind with loving kindness and

compassion

a state of mind that is collected

thus these three states run and circle

around right intention that is the right

view

to know what is wrong intention and what

is right intention the right effort to

go from wrong intention to right

intention and right mindfulness being

aware when one is in wrong intention

and when one is in right intention

therein because right view comes first

and how does right view come first

one understands wrong speech as wrong

speech

and write speech as right speech

this is one's right view

so the very basic of that is knowing

what is the wrong speech and what is the

right speech

and what bekus is wrong speech false

speech

malicious speech

harsh speech and gossip

this is wrong speech

what is false speech

being untruthful telling lies

what is malicious speech

speech meant to harm another person

speech to bring down another person

harsh speech using abusive languages

using abusive words

to bring down that person

degrading speech

and gossip

talking about another person

whether you know it to be true or not

in order to

[Music]

say something negative about them

so way to understand whether you are

dealing in gossip about another person

is if you were going to talk about that

person

to someone while they're not in the room

see if you would still talk about that

person in the same way if they were

present in the room

and if you if you feel like that's wrong

or uncomfortable to do then you know you

are going to be dealing in gossip

so this is wrong speech

and what because is right speech right

speech i say is twofold there is right

speech that is affected by the taints

partaking of merit ripening in the

acquisitions and there is right speech

that is noble paintless super mundane a

factor of the path

and what because is right speech that is

affected

by the taints partaking of

merit ripening in the acquisitions

abstinence from false speech

abstinence from malicious speech

abstinence from harsh speech

abstinence from gossip this is right

speech that is affected by the taints

ripening in the acquisitions

another way of understanding right

speech is a practical approach of using

the acronym think

before you speak

t h i n k

t

is for timeliness

is it the right time to say what you

want to say

h is for honesty

is what you're going to say

true

honest you know it to be true

i is intention what is the intention

behind what you're going to say is it

intentionally wholesome

or intentionally unwholesome

is it intentionally cruel or

intentionally compassionate and so on

n is for necessity

is it necessary for you to say what

you're going to say to the other person

is it beneficial for them

is it beneficial for them to hear it

and k

kindness

can you say it with kindness

this is think before you speak

and what beku's is right speech that is

noble paintless super mundane a factor

of the path

the desisting from

the four kinds of verbal misconduct

meaning

such a mind that is noble such a mind

that is taintless

would automatically not deal

with such kind of speech that is abusive

that is harsh that is malicious that is

false that deals in gossip

the abstaining refraining

abstinence from them from them

in one whose mind is noble whose mind is

taintless who possesses the noble path

and is developing the noble path this is

right speech that is noble a factor of

the path

when you are developing the path

you make an active intention

to be in right speech so you notice if

the mind starts to

wonder and starts to deal in gossip it

starts to deal in lies

starts to deal in harsh speech or wants

to deal in them and you let go of it

with the six r's

this is how you develop the right speech

and then when you possess the path when

you have perfected the path then such

a mind that is fully liberated

will not deal in slander will not deal

in gossip will not deal in lies will not

deal in harsh speech will not deal in

malicious speech

automatically

because they always have the right view

and right intention

so one makes an effort to abandon wrong

speech and to enter upon right speech

this is one's right effort

mindfully one abandons wrong speech

mindfully one enters upon and abides in

right speech

this is one's right mindfulness

thus these three states run and circle

around right speech

that is right view right effort and

right mindfulness

what is the right view here

knowing that there's what you're going

to say is wrong speech and knowing what

is the right speech

what is the right effort here

recognizing there is an intention to

commit rights wrong speech

letting go of that intention coming back

to a wholesome state of mind and using

right speech

and what is right mindfulness

mindfully being aware if the mind is

dealing in wholesome speech unwholesome

speech

in the wrong speech

and mindfully guiding the mind back that

is to see that is to say paying

attention

while observing how mind's attention

goes towards the unwholesome states that

leads

to wrong speech and bringing it back

with right effort

and becoming mindful

observing how mind's attention goes from

that

to the intention to have right speech

therein because right view comes first

and how does right view come first

one understands wrong action as wrong

action

and right action as right action this is

one's right view

you know the difference between what is

wrong action and what is right action

that's your

right view the basic right view

and what bekus is wrong action

killing living beings

taking what is not given

and misconduct in sensual pleasures

this is wrong action

killing living beings

breaking the first precept

taking what is not given breaking the

second precept

dealing in misconduct in sensual

pleasures that is the

third precept

breaking the third precept sexual

misconduct also is part of sensual

misconduct

so when we talk about killing living

beings

that also includes intentionally harming

them

even in your mind

having the intention to harm them let go

of

that taking what is not given that is of

course stealing taking what is not given

in terms of physical possessions

but taking what is not given in terms of

seeking things

where they're not do seeking credit

where it's not due

seeking attention where it's not due

trying to vie for things

in a way that causes restlessness in the

mind

sensual misconduct

getting attached to sensual pleasures

whether that is craving for them or

having aversion

against sensual pain

like being irritated by the fly

and then when you get irritated by the

fly and you try to smack it

that's causing you to have further

misconduct

because now you're intentionally trying

to harm that fly

or you start cursing in your mind

towards somebody who's walking around

getting angry at them

and so now you have an intention to harm

them with your wrong speech

or you have mental action

to get angry at them

so sensual misconduct

is part of this whether it's having

craving for it or aversion for any

sensual experience

sexual misconduct is related to

being

faithful being loyal to your partner

whatever that relationship is doesn't

matter what kind of relationship it is

not engaging in adultery in the sense of

cheating not only on your partner but

engaging in such sexual misconduct that

causes somebody else

to cheat on their partner it doesn't

matter if you are

a couple or a throuple

or polyamorous

whatever it might be doesn't matter

there's sort of a

guideline in that relationship right

whatever that might be

but if you break that guideline that is

sexual misconduct

and what beku's is right action

right action

i say is twofold

there is right action that is affected

by the taints partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions and there

is right action that is noble

taintless super mundane a factor of the

path

and what because is right action that is

affected by the taints partaking of

merit

ripening in the acquisitions

abstinence from killing and harming

living beings

abstinence from taking what is not given

abstinence from sensual misconduct

that is right action that is affected by

the taints and ripening in the

acquisitions

so this kind of right action is

basically keeping the precepts

but there can be identification with

that process

which ripens in the acquisitions because

you become proud you become conceited

that i am somebody who keeps the

precepts

i am somebody who

is ethical i am somebody you know that

self-righteousness

if that's there then you have to let go

of that

and understand

the practical

reasons for why you keep precepts

because that leads

to clarity of mindfulness

that leads

to deeper collectedness

and so on

so you let go of the clinging to that

and that is now turning into a

noble right action and we'll get into

what that is

and what biku's is right action that is

noble taintless super mundane a factor

of the path the desisting from the three

kinds of bodily misconduct the

abstaining refraining abstinence from

them

in one whose mind is noble whose mind is

taintless who possesses the noble path

and is developing the noble path

this is right action that is noble a

factor of the path one who is a noble

person actively seeks to have

right action

actively seeks to develop continue

developing the noble path

so they make it a point to always keep

their precepts

and then one whose mind is taintless and

one whose mind is

fully liberated

they're automatically keeping the

precepts

they don't have to think about it

it's just automatic

without any clinging or identification

with that process

one makes an effort to abandon wrong

action and to enter upon right action

this is one's right effort you notice

that you have the intention to harm

another living being

so

you recognize that you release your

attention from that relax the aversion

the craving the tightness

come back to your smile come back to a

wholesome state of mind and let go of

that

you notice

and recognize that the mind is seeking

attention

seeking credit where credit is not due

seeking to

take something that is not given

you notice the agitation that arises

from that

and you will release your attention from

that

relax the mind

feel

the relief in that relaxed step

once you have a mind that is

non-agitated come back to a wholesome

state of mind

let go of the need for credit that go

for the need of attention let go for the

need of having to take what is not given

whether that's physical possessions or

whatever it might be

so you take you you're using the six r's

to go from

wrong action to right action

you notice that the mind

might have an inclination to cheat on

someone in a relationship

you let go of that

attention to that thought

you relax any kind of craving that's

there

you come back to a wholesome state of

mind and you let go of anything your

mind is now pure

and you don't think about that anymore

or you have some kind of craving

you may be standing in line

for some

chocolate chip cookies for lunch for

dessert

right and everybody gets one

right and then you seize one there and

then somebody takes it

and now you're

obsessing over that chocolate chip

cookie

just when the person doesn't see it you

snatch it

what have you done

you've taken what is not given

your intention

you say oh

i want that chocolate chip cookie

so you sticks are you let go of that

intention

and you say okay i'll get a chocolate

chip cookie another time or i'll check

in the kitchen and ask is there any

extra chocolate chip cookie

but you don't get obsessed over and you

take what is not given snatch somebody

else's cookie away from them

mindfully one abandons wrong action

mindfully one enters upon and dwells in

right action

this is one's right mindfulness you're

observing how mind's attention moves

from the intention to commit wrong

action

to how the mind's attention moves to

the intention to have right action the

intention to keep the precepts

thus these three states run and circle

around right action

that is right view

right effort and right mindfulness

therein because right view comes first

and how does right view come first

one understands wrong livelihood as

wrong livelihood

one

understands right livelihood as right

livelihood this is one's right view you

know the difference between what is

wrong livelihood and what is

right livelihood

and what bekus is wrong livelihood

scheming talking

hinting

belittling pursuing gain with gain this

is wrong livelihood

it's an interesting way of looking at it

so traditionally we understand wrong

livelihood for the lay people and for

the monastics

for the lay people it means not engaging

in any trade

that deals with poisons that deals with

weapons that deals with alcohol that

deals with human trafficking and that

deals with

meat

so

that abstinence from that kind of

engagement in business practices that

deal with these things

is what you have to let go of as a lay

person

so if you own a bar

it's time to sell that bar

if you

deal with poisons it's time to let go of

that

right

if you're dealing in human trafficking

by all means please let go of that

so this is wrong mind wrong livelihood

for the lay people

the wrong livelihood for

the monastics

is doing

anything else

except

for practicing the dharma

anything else except for

heading towards arahatship why else are

you getting into the monastic life for

letting go of all of these things

and now you are cultivating silas

samadhi and panya

so when he talks about talking scheming

hinting belittling pursuing gain with

gain

he's talking about those

aspects of monastic where they

do certain things to manipulate the way

in which they gain

the requisites talking their way into

gaining certain kinds of requisites

belittling

scheming

trading

your robes for a bowl

those kinds of things

pursuing gain with gain

but then they're like i said the base

arts

reading one's palms

looking into the sky

reading bird droppings

telling the future all of these things

not to do

even becoming a doctor by the way as a

monastic you can't do

that doesn't mean being a doctor is

wrong livelihood for a monastic

their whole thing

is to go towards

full awakening that's it

so anything that

distracts them from that

they have to let go of that and come

back to what is the true dharma

getting phds

[Laughter]

yeah getting phds

and what because

is right livelihood

right livelihood i say is twofold

there is right livelihood that is

affected by taints

partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

and there is right livelihood that is

noble

taintless

super mundane a factor of the path

and what because is right livelihood

that is affected by taints

partaking of merit

ripening in the acquisitions

here because

a noble disciple abandons wrong

livelihood

and gains his living by right livelihood

this is right livelihood that is

affected by taints

ripening in the acquisitions so here he

talks about a noble disciple it could be

even a stream enter and so on

but they abandon the wrong livelihood

they abandon this whole process of

trying to get

you know their requisites in any other

way except for when it's the right time

to get the requisites right

the other the other thing about that is

they

they abandon the wrong livelihood and

they gain their living by right

livelihood in other words

they do the right thing they keep their

precepts

they continue practicing samadhi

they might go out for arms round or

whatever it might be that's the way to

get your food as a monastic

the right livelihood here for a lay

person that doesn't mean you have to let

go of making money and all these other

things it's just that

make sure that you don't deal

with things that we were talking about

before deal in things that cause harm to

others in one way or the other

deal in things that cause pain and

suffering for others in one way or the

other

and what because is right livelihood

that is noble paintless supramundane

a factor of the path

the desisting from wrong livelihood the

abstaining refraining abstinence from it

in one whose mind is noble whose mind is

taintless who possesses the noble path

and is developing the noble path this is

right livelihood that is noble a factor

of the path

here this is one whose mind is noble who

automatically follows

right livelihood

meaning they continue to develop sila

they continue to develop samadhi they

continue to develop

panya if they are a monastic

everything that they do is towards the

dhamma towards

understanding the dharma

towards

full awakening

and they do this automatically

and so in one who is taintless one who

is an arahat

that right livelihood

is pretty much already there

they're doing everything on autopilot

they don't have to think about it

there's no second guessing about it

it's already

happening as a result of the way that

their mind functions

so in other words for the mind of an

arahat

their default mode of functioning

is always through the eightfold path

their right view will always be right

for you their right intention will

always be right intention

their right speech will always be right

speech

their right action will always be right

action

their right livelihood will always be

right livelihood

and they'll always have right effort

why because they six are all the way

until there's nothing left to 6r anymore

their mind is in total relief all the

time

and so their mind is always observing

the attentive mind

your mind is always aware of everything

that arises in any given present moment

and sees everything as conditioned and

dependently arisen therefore their mind

doesn't hold on to anything at all

doesn't take anything personally

and that's because their mind

is completely free of any kinds of

attachments

therefore their mind is always collected

their mind is always

collected

wherever they are

not dispersed about thinking this or

that

and so

one makes an effort to abandon wrong

livelihood and to enter upon right

livelihood this is one's right effort

you recognize when you have an intention

to do something that might be

constituting wrong livelihood

you let go of that

and come back to an intention to have

right livelihood your sex arming

that process

of

wanting to commit wrong livelihood

mindfully one abandons wrong livelihood

mindfully one enters upon and dwells in

right livelihood

this is one's right mindfulness

thus these three states run and circle

around right livelihood that is right

view of what is wrong livelihood and

right livelihood

right effort

of letting go of wrong livelihood and

coming to right livelihood and right

mindfulness of being attentive and

paying attention to how mayan's

attention

moves from the intention to commit wrong

livelihood to the intention to have

right livelihood

therein because right view comes first

and how does right view come first

in one of right view

right intention comes into being when

you have right view

there is right intention

in one of right intention right speech

comes into being

right intention leads to right speech

in one of right speech right action

comes into being with the right

intention you also have right speech and

right action

in one of right action right livelihood

comes into being now that you keep the

precepts you understand that anything

that you do

that causes you or another to break a

precept you let go of and you come to

the right livelihood in one of right

livelihood right effort comes into being

now you're able to have right effort all

the time

because now you have dealt with the

wrong view brought it up to right view

dealt with the wrong intention brought

it to your right intention dealt with

the wrong speech brought it to right

speech

dealt with the wrong action brought it

to your right action dealt with the

wrong livelihood and brought it to right

livelihood we're using your six r's

using right effort so right effort is

always there and so in one of right

effort

right mindfulness comes into being

you six are when you're six houring your

mindfulness comes into being

you're paying attention you're observing

of how mind's attention moves from one

thing to the other

in one of right mindfulness right

collectiveness comes into being

you six are your way back to being

collected

and this is happening constantly in your

practice right when you are in samadhi

when you're in bhavana when you are

meditating

right effort

right mindfulness and right

collectedness these three run around

each other

when the right collectedness goes to

wrong collectedness mind becomes

distracted you use right effort

and so now you gain mindfulness and you

come back to collectiveness this is a

continual process that you're doing in

meditation

right effort right mindfulness right

collectedness

in one of right collectedness

right knowledge comes into being

in one of right knowledge

right deliverance comes into being

thus because the path of the disciple in

higher training

one

training towards arahatship

possesses the eighth factors

and the arahat possesses ten factors

now the right collectedness

leads to

right insight right knowledge right

wisdom

that wisdom of the four noble truths the

wisdom of the impersonal nature of

things the wisdom of dependent

origination

and the mind is delivered

this happens continuously

at each attainment until our hardship

that is to say when you have right

collectedness you go through the jhanas

then you go into cessation you have an

experience of nibbana you see the lynx

independent origination and you let go

of the three feathers

in the case of entering the stream

when you have that same experience

continue to rinse and repeat continue

walking the path getting to right

collectedness again you have right

wisdom see the links of dependent

origination

and now you have weakened craving

sensual craving and aversion

so now you have deliverance again

so first you were delivered by from the

first three fetters then you were

delivered by

the sensual craving and the aversion by

attenuating it by weakening it

then when you become an anagami

you do the whole process again and then

you have right

insight right wisdom you see again the

links of dependent origination and you

let go completely of sensual craving and

aversion and now your mind is delivered

from sensual craving

delivered from aversion completely

and then finally with regards to the

arahat when you get into

our hardship you walk the path again you

have a deeper understanding of the path

this time and then you go into

collectedness you have cessation

you have the experience of dependent

origination that is the right knowledge

the right wisdom and your mind is

delivered from the five higher feathers

and so now the arahat possesses fully

all ten fetters

oh sorry ten factors

which means that they have automatically

right view

right intention

right speech right action

right livelihood right effort right

mindfulness right collectedness

and what is the right knowledge that

they possess

what is the right deliverance that they

possess

the knowledge that the mind is free from

craving the knowledge that the mind is

free from greed hatred and delusion and

the knowledge that the mind is delivered

staying here being always all the time

delivered that is right deliverance for

the arahat

they don't have to do anything at that

point in time

and so they don't produce any karma

because the buddha says that the noble

eightfold path

is the way leading to the cessation of

any karma

which means for the arahat their default

mode of functioning

possessed by the eight factors of the

eightfold path and possessed of

constant right knowledge wisdom

constant right deliverance

mind free

from greed hatred and delusion is

automatic

there's no effort to be made there

they're always functioning from there

there in biku's right view comes first

and how does right view come first

in one or right view wrong view is

abolished

the many evil unwholesome states that

originate with wrong view as condition

are also abolished

and the many wrong

sorry the many wholesome states that

originate with right view as condition

come to fulfillment by development

in one of right intention wrong

intention is abolished and the many evil

unwholesome states that originate with

wrong intention as condition

are also abolished

and the many on

many wholesome states that originate

with right intention as condition come

to fulfillment by development in other

words there are the akusala the 10

unwholesome

actions the 10 unwholesome states

and there is the 10 wholesome states

so with right view with right intention

you let go of those ten unwholesome and

you cultivate the ten wholesome

in one of right speech wrong speech is

abolished and one of right action wrong

action is abolished in one of right

livelihood wrong livelihood is abolished

in one of right effort

wrong effort is abolished in one of

right mindfulness wrong mindfulness is

abolished in one of right collectedness

wrong collectedness is abolished

so what is wrong effort

trying too hard

pushing

straining

anything that is not the six r's is

wrong effort

what is wrong mindfulness

mindfully walking mindfully eating

mindfully sitting mindfully standing

mindfully

doing this or that in other words

paying attention to

the steps that you're taking

slowly bit by bit instead of

paying attention to how mind's attention

moves from one thing to the other

what is wrong collectedness

one pointed concentration

becoming one pointed in an object

becoming so focused that you crush mind

with mind that's another part of wrong

effort

trying too hard

so

right collectedness is

keeping your mind's awareness on the

object of meditation having an open

awareness

so that anything that comes up whether

it's hindrances or insights they come up

and you're aware of them

and so you're practicing right

mindfulness when you have that because

you become aware the mind's attention

moved from the object to something else

then you're using the right effort by

letting it go and coming back using the

six hours

in one of right knowledge

wrong knowledge is abolished what is

wrong knowledge

not knowing the four noble truths

ignorance

holding on to something taking something

as a soul taking something as a self

in one of right deliverance wrong

deliverance is abolished what is wrong

deliverance

the idea that you have become one with

everything

and attaching yourself to that

right anything that doesn't deliver you

from craving anything that doesn't

deliver you from identification from

aversion

so wrong deliverance causes the mind to

constrict more rather than become more

open

to grasp at things more to construct

things more

rather than to let go of them and

decondition them

and so these states of

enlightenment where you become one with

the universe

cosmic consciousness

christ consciousness

brahman consciousness

all of these ideas of becoming

the small self to the large self

or the small self dissolves into the

large self and all of these other things

this is wrong deliverance

and the many evil unwholesome states

that originate with wrong deliverance as

condition are also abolished and the

many wholesome states that originate

with right deliverance as condition come

to fulfillment by development

thus because there are 20 factors on the

site of the wholesome

and 20 factors on the side of the

unwholesome

this dharma discourse on the great 40

has been set rolling and cannot be

stopped by any recluse or brahmana or

god or mara or brahma or anyone in the

world

because if any recluse of brahman thinks

about this dhamma discourse on the grade

40 should be censured and rejected

then there are ten legitimate deductions

from his assertions

that would prove grounds

for censuring him here and now

if that worthy one-censure's right view

then he would honor and praise

those

recluses and brahmanas who are of wrong

view

if he censures right intention

then he would honor and praise those

recluses and brahmanas who are of wrong

intention

if he censures right speech right action

right livelihood right effort right

mindfulness right collectedness right

knowledge right deliverance

then he would honor and praise those

recluses and brahmanas who are

of

wrong speech wrong action wrong

livelihood wrong effort wrong

mindfulness wrong collectiveness

wrong knowledge and wrong deliverance

if any requisite brahmin thinks that

this dhamma discourse on the great 40

should be censured and rejected

then these are 10 legitimate deductions

from his assertions that would prove

grounds for censuring him here and now

because even those teachers from okola

vasa and banya

these are different ascetics

who held the doctrine of non-causality

who the doctrine of non-doing that there

is no karma and the doctrine of nihilism

would not think that this dhamma

discourse on the great 40 should be

censured and rejected

why is that for the fear of blame

attack and confutation

that is what the blessed one said the

bekus were satisfied and delighted in

the blessed one's words

so a couple of things about that number

one as monastics in terms of monasticism

you can only accept what is given to you

some people eat meat some people don't

eat meat

so you don't have a choice whether you

can eat meat or not

but the idea of uh this whole thing

about meat has been talked about so many

times

in one way or the other there's a sutra

called

chiva

is that mn55

i wonder if i could

that's pretty short

i didn't need to create

i'll just read the whole thing or

you know because it's a pretty good suit

and it's very short

i won't give any commentary because it

speaks for itself

so this is uh

mn55

majminikai 55 jiva kasuta 2g vakrun

jivacar was the buddha's physician by

the way

that's what i heard on one occasion the

blessed one was living at rajya gaha in

the mango grove of jeevaka

komarabacha

then jeevaka went to the blessed one and

after paying homage to him he sat down

at one side and said to the blessed one

venerable sir i have heard this

they slaughter living beings for the

reckless gautama the reckless gautama

knowingly eats meat prepared for him

from animals killed for his sake

venerable sir do those who speak thus

say what has been said by the blessed

one

and not misrepresent him with what is

contrary to fact do they explain in

accordance with the dhamma in such a way

that nothing which provides a ground for

censure can be legitimately deduced from

their assertions

jeevika those who speak thus do not say

what has been said by me

but misrepresent me with what is untrue

and contrary to fact

jivaka i say there are three

instances

in which meat should not be eaten

when it is seen heard or suspected

that the living being has been

slaughtered for oneself

i say that nietzsche

should not be eaten in these three

instances

i say that there are three instances in

which meat may be eaten

when it is not seen not heard and not

suspected

that the living being has been

slaughtered for oneself

i say that meat may be eaten in these

three instances

should i continue i'll stop it there

i think that's not going to address the

question yeah

here jivaka sambiku lives in dependence

upon a certain village or town

he abides pervading one quarter with the

mind imbued with loving-kindness

likewise the second likewise the third

likewise the fourth so above below

around and everywhere and to all as to

himself

he abides pervading the all-encompassing

world with a mind imbued with loving

kindness

abundant exalted immeasurable without

hostility and without ill will

then a householder or a householder son

comes to him and invites him for the

next day's meal

the biku accepts if he likes

when the night is ended in the morning

he dresses and taking his bowl and outer

robe goes to the house of that house

of that householder or householder son

and sits down on a seat made ready when

the householder or household or son

serves him

with good arms sorry then the

householder or householder's son

serves him with good arms food

he does not think

how good that the householder or

householder son

serves me with good ams food

if only a householder or householder son

might serve me with such good ams food

in the future he does not think thus he

eats that ams food without being tied to

it

infatuated with it and utterly committed

to it seeing the danger in it and

understanding the escape from it

what do you think jivaka

would that beku on such an occasion

choose for his own affliction or for

another's affliction or for the

affliction of both

no venerable sir

does that beku sustain himself with

blameless food on that occasion

yes venerable sir i have heard this

venerable sir

brahma abides in loving-kindness

venerable sir the blessed one is my

visible witness to that for the blessed

one abides in loving-kindness

jivaka any lust any hate any delusion

thereby ill will might arrive whereby

ill my ill will might arise

have been abandoned by the tataga cut

off at the root made like a palm stone

done away with so that they are no

longer subject to future arising

if what you said refer to that then i

allow it to you

venerable sir what i said pref uh what i

said referred precisely to that

here jivaka ibiku lives in dependence on

a certain village or town he abides

pervading one quarter with the mind

imbued with compassion with the mind

imbued with joy with the mind imbued

with equanimity

likewise the second likewise the third

likewise the fourth so above below

around and everywhere and to all as to

himself he abides pervading the

all-encompassing world with a mind

imbued with equanimity abundant exalted

immeasurable

without hostility and without ill will

then a householder or a householder son

comes to him and invites him for the

next day's meal

the beku accepts it if he likes

what do you think chivaka would that be

on such a occasion

choose for his

own affliction or for another's

affliction or for the affliction of both

no venerable sir

does not that biku sustain himself with

blameless food on that occasion

yes venerable sir i have heard this

venerable sir brahma abides

in compassion in joy in equanimity

verbal sir the blessed one is my visible

witness to that

for the blessed one abides in

compassion in joy in equanimity

jeevika any lust any hate any delusion

whereby cruelty or discontent or

aversion might arise have been abandoned

by the tagat cut off at the root

made like a palm stump done away with so

that they are no longer subject to

future arising

if what you said referred to that then

allow and i allow it to you

venerable sir that i said what i said

referred

to precisely that

if anyone slaughters a living being for

the tata

or his disciples

he lays up the merit in five instances

when he says

go and fetch that living being

this is the first instance in which he

lays up much demerit

when that living being experiences pain

and grief on being led along with a neck

halter

this is the second instance in which he

lays up much demerit

when he says go and slaughter that

living being this is the third instance

in which he lays up much demerit

when that living being experiences pain

and grief on being slaughtered

this is the fourth instance in which he

lays up much demerit

when he provides the tata or his

disciple with food

that is not permissible

this is the third instance in which he

lays up much demerit

anyone who slaughters a living being for

the tagat or his disciple

lays up much demerit in these five

instances

when this was said jivaca

said to the blessed one it is wonderful

venerable sir it is marvelous

the biku sustained themselves with

permissible food

the biku sustained themselves with

blameless food

magnificent venerable syrup magnificent

venerable sir from today let the blessed

one remember me as a lay follower who

has gone to him for refuge for life

so

the meat that we eat

in the dining hall for those of us who

eat meat

was it specially killed for us

or did it come from a supermarket

already pre-packaged

did we suspect that the

meat that was there was killed for us

have you seen it have we heard that it

was killed for us

now when you go to a restaurant and you

order lobster

you're definitely going to be

having food that is not blameless

because you specially select that

lobster

to be killed for your

food

so that's why monks can't eat

lobster for example

right or any kind of live seafood

because it's specifically killed for

them

but this whole process of

you know meat as it's available in

supermarkets and things like that that

is blameless

because it's not specifically killed

for that person

that's the understanding

now you can talk about how well if

you're going to be eating meat it still

continues that process of slaughtering

meat and so on or slaughtering animals

for meat and it propagates the

the industry

you know the meat industry and all of

these things

but you're not responsible for that

you're responsible for only the choices

that you make

people who

kill the me kill the animal and

everything that's

their responsibility that's their merit

or demerit or whatever it might be

so if you intentionally go and say

i want that cow

for my hamburger

and somebody kills it

you're causing that person to kill

another living being for your enjoyment

of food

hunting would be bad karma absolutely

hunting for sport

fishing as well

yeah you're more than welcome to do that

but the understanding is from a karmic

standpoint

you're not doing anything wrong

so long as you are not causing an

individual

to kill another living being for the

enjoyment of food

yeah

go ahead

no i was just basically saying that so

if you're going to be

the the karmic standpoint of this the

karmic view of this is basically

you know you're eating

meat that's not specifically killed for

the purpose of your food

you're not causing another individual to

have to slaughter a being specifically

for your food

and you're not you're not seeing or

hearing or suspecting

that animal to have been killed

specifically for you

you know devadatta who was the

buddha's cousin

he was jealous of the buddha and he

became a monk

and

he actually created a schism in the

sangha

and for that of us obviously he

experienced terrible karma

but one of the things he said to the

buddha was

you know

we should

all be vegetarian

there should be a rule for vegetarianism

in the monastic community

and the buddha said no

that should not be the case

because you are subsisting on arms food

you're sustaining yourself

in dependence

on people

and some people eat meat and some people

don't eat meat you have to just take

what is given to you

as long as you suspect that that

animal was not killed for you

and so on and so forth you can accept it

so why would you force your

idea of vegetarianism as a monastic

community and then have people do make

the trouble of people having to

you know

cook vegetarians vegetarian food

especially for you

so the idea here is no we're not going

to be vegetarians

they're just going to subsist on

whatever people can offer

some people couldn't make vegetables

some people couldn't buy vegetables some

people could only subsist on certain

things

may suffering ones be suffering free may

the fear stroke fearless be

may the grieving shed all grief and may

all beings find relief

may all beings share this merit that we

have thus acquired for the acquisition

of all kinds of happiness

may beings inhabiting space and earth

devas and nagas of mighty power share

this merit of ours may they long protect

the buddha's dispensation

sadhu their son

[Music]

you