From: https://youtube.com/watch?v=853ZQGXzXNk

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

[Music]

okay so this evening we are at the

domine ninh epoch fitness center with

Joshua Tree retreat number four this is

venerable Vimala Ramsey and it is March

the 7th 2009 tonight's talk is going to

be from the majima nakiya suitor number

95

the chunky suit touch with chunky now

this particular suit I really like a lot

it explains the whole process of the

meditation what needs to happen so I'm

going to start and let you know what it

that's have I heard on one occasion the

blessed one was wandering in the Kosala

country with a large Sangha of monks and

he eventually arrived at the Kosala and

Brahmin village named opa sada there the

blessed ones to stayed in the God's

Grove the solitary Grove to the north of

okasada

now on that occasion that Brahmin

trockie was ruling oh Posada a crown

property abounding in living beings rich

in grasslands woodlands waterways and

grain a royal endowment a sacred grant

given to him by king pasenadi of Kosala

the Brahmin householders of opah sada

heard the Rekluse Gautama the son of the

sake ins went forth from the sake and

plan has been wandering in the country

of the the day ends with a large Sangha

of monks of course he never travelled

with less than 500

now a good report of master Gautama has

been spread to this effect the Blessed

One has accomplished fully enlightened

perfect and true knowledge and conduct

what is it to be perfect in conduct

keeping the precepts but not doing

anything in an offensive way very gentle

very kind sublime

Noora world's incomparable leader of

persons to be tamed teacher of gods and

humans enlightened and blessed he

declares this world with its Brahmas its

Mara's and its Brahmas this generation

with its reap losses and Brahmans with

its princes and its people which is

himself realized with direct knowledge

he teaches the Dhamma that is good in

the beginning good in the middle and

good in the end with right meaning and

brief in freezing Andry he reveals a

holy life that is utterly perfect and

pure now it is good to see such ara

Hut's then the Brahmin householders of

OU Posadas set forth from OPA sada and

groups and bands and headed northwards

towards the God's Grove the salutary

Grove now on that occasion the Brahmin

jockey had retired to the upper storey

of his palace for his midday rest then

he saw the Brahmin householders of oh

Posada setting forth from oh Posada in

groups and bands and heading northwards

to God's Grove the salutary Grove when

he saw them he asked his minister good

minister why are the Brahmin

householders of oh Posada setting forth

from the opah sada in groups

bands and heading northward to the gods

Grove a solitary Grove sir there is the

repose Gautama the son of Saki ins who

went forth from the cell of the sake and

clan who has been wandering in the Coase

island country the son of the sake ins

who went from went forth from the sake

and plan has been wandering in the

country of the vidiians with a large

Sangha of monks with 500 bucks now a

good report of Master Gautama has been

spread to this effect the Blessed One is

accomplished fully enlightened perfect

and true knowledge and conduct sublime

nor world's incomparable leader of

persons to be tamed person the teacher

of gods and humans enlightened and

blessed he declares this world with its

gods its Mara's and its Brahmas this

generation with his Rekluse and Brahmans

with its princes and its people which he

has himself realized with direct

knowledge he teaches the Dhamma that is

good in the beginning good in the middle

and good in the end with the right

meaning and phrasing and he reveals a

holy life that is utterly perfect and

pure now it is good to see such our

hearts they are going to see master

Gautama then good master go to the

Brahmans householders of OU Posada and

tell them serves the Brahmin tronky says

this please wait sirs the Brahmin Chompy

will go to see that Rekluse go to them

yes sir the vendor of the minister

replied and he went to the Brahmin

householders of OPA Sabha and gave them

the message now on that occasion 500

Brahmins from various states we're

staying in oh Posada with some business

rather they heard the Brahmin tronky it

is said it is going to see the Rekluse

Gautama they went to the Brahmin

trumpian asked him sir is it true that

you're going to see the reflows go to

them so it is sirs I'm going to see the

Rekluse Gautama sir do not go see the

Rekluse Gautama it is not proper master

tronky for you to go see the Rekluse

Gautama rather it is proper for the

repose Gautama to come see you for you

sir are well born on both sides with

pure maternal and paternal descent seven

generations back unassailable and

impeccable in respect of birth since

that is so master chunky it is not

proper for you to go see the Rekluse go

to my rather it is proper for the

reakless goat about to come see you this

is the kind of thing that happens a lot

with people of importance trying to say

I'm more important than you are you

should come see me I shouldn't go see

you

since that is so master chunky it is not

proper for you to go see the Rekluse

Gautama rather it is proper for the

Rekluse Gautama to come see you

you sir are rich with great wealth and

great possessions you sir are a master

of the three vedas with the vocabularies

literacy phonology etymology and the

histories as as a fifth skilled in

philology and grammar you are fully

versed in natural philosophy and in the

marks of a great man

you sir are handsome comely and graceful

possessing supreme beauty of complexion

with sublime beauty and sublime presence

remarkable to behold you sir are

virtuous mentor and virtue possessing

mentor virtue you sir are a good speaker

with a good delivery you speak words

that are courteous distinct flawless and

communicate the meaning you sir teach

the teachers of many and you teach the

recitation of the hymns to 300 brahmin

students you sir are honored respected

revered venerated and esteemed by king

pasenadi of Kosala your honored you sir

are honored respected revered venerated

and esteem by many Brahmin you sir rule

of esada a crown property abounding and

living beings a sacred grant given to

you by king pasenadi of Kosala since

this is so master trockie it is not

proper for you to see the Rekluse

Gautama rather it is proper for the

repose Gautama to come see you

when this was said the Brahmin trunky

told these Brahmins now serves here from

me why it is proper for me to go see

master Gautama and why it is not proper

for master Gautama to come see me sirs

the Rekluse Gautama is well born on both

sides of pure maternal and paternal

descent seven generations back

unassailable and impeccable and respect

of birth since this is so sirs it is not

proper for master Gautama to come see me

rather it is proper for me to go see

master go to though serves the repose

Gautama went forth abandoning much gold

and bullion stored up away in vaults and

depositories so the Rekluse Gautama went

forth from the home life into

homelessness while still young of

black-haired young men and out with the

blessings of youth in the prime of life

during well even today in India the

Brahmans what they will do is live the

lay light and then when they get to be

about sixty years old their family as

all grown they're taking care of

everything

they give all of their things away and

then they become ascetics so for a

master Gautama to do this while he was

still very young is unheard of

nobody would ever do a thing like that

so it's really quite remarkable that he

did this sort of thing serves the

Rekluse Gautam I shaved off his hair and

beard put on the yellow robe and went

forth from the home life in

homelessness through his mother and

father his mother and father wished

otherwise and wept with tears tearful

faces sir the reproduce Gautama is

handsome calmly and graceful possessing

supreme beauty of complexion with

sublime beauty and sublime presence

remarkable to behold serves the repose

Gautama is virtuous of with noble virtue

with wholesome virtue possessing

wholesome virtue serves the reproduce

Gautama is a good speaker with good

delivery he speaks words that are

courteous distinct flawless and

communicate the meaning sir the Rekluse

Gautama is a teacher of teachers of many

serves the repose Gautama is free from

sensual lust without personal vanity

serves the recluse Gautama holds the

doctrine of moral FSE of action the

doctrine of moral FOC of deeds he does

not seek any harm for the line of

Brahmans that's a major thing that he's

not trying to convince anybody of

anything he's not proselytizing he's

just speaking the Dhamma and he answers

any questions that anybody comes up with

sirs the Rekluse Gautama went forth from

an aristocratic family from one of the

original original noble families his

family the there's the Brahmin caste

that's the highest caste in India the

next caste is the warrior class the

warrior class are the ones that were the

rulers and the fighters but they were

the ones that were

kings and princes and all of that sort

of thing sirs the Rekluse go tomorrow

went forth from a rich family from a

family with great wealth and great

possession serves people come from

remote kingdoms and remote districts to

question the Rekluse Gautama serves many

thousands of deities have gone for

refuge for life to the recluse Gautama

sirs a good report of the recluse

Gautama has been spread to this effect

that the Blessed One has accomplished

fully and like perfect and true

knowledge and conduct sublime nor of

world's incomparable leader of persons

to be tamed teacher of gods and humans

enlightened and blessed

serves the Rekluse Gautama possesses the

thirty-two marks of a great man sirs

king bimbisara of magadha and his wife

and children have gone for a refuge for

life to the recluse Gautama sirs king

pasenadi of Kosala and his wives and

children have gone forth for a refuge

for life to the Rekluse Gautama sir as

many brahmanas and their wife and

children have gone forth for refuge for

life to the recluse Gautama icers

supposed to be there serves the Rekluse

Gautama has arrived at oppa sada and is

living in ou Posada in the Gods Grove

the salah' of tree grove to the north of

oppa sada

now any reposes or brahmins that come to

our town are our guests and guests

should be honored respected revered and

venerated by us since the Rekluse

Gautama has arrived at O Posada he is

our guest and as our guest should be

honored

expected revered and venerated by us

since this is so sirs it is not proper

for master Gautama to come see me rather

it is proper for me to come see master

go from sirs this much is the praise of

Master Gautama that I have learned but

the praise of Master Gautama is not

limited to this for the praise of master

Gautama is immeasurable

since master Gautama possesses each of

these factors it is not proper for him

to come see me

rather it is proper for me to go see

master Gautama

therefore sirs let all of us go to see

the Rekluse Gautama then the Brahman

chunky together with a large company of

Brahmans went to the Blessed One and

exchanged greetings with him when this

courteous and amiable talk was finished

he sat down at one side now on that

occasion the blessed one was he did

finishing some amiable talk with some

senior Brahmans at the time sitting in

the assembly was a young student young

shaven head 16 years old he was a master

of the three Vedas with their

vocabularies liturgy phonology and

etymology and histories as the fifth

skilled in philology and grammar he was

fully versed in natural philosophy and

in the

so the great men for somebody to have

memorized all of this at the age of 16

means that he had a truly remarkable

mind and was respected well the very

senior Brahmins were conversing with the

Blessed One he often broke in and

interrupted their talk this is something

that is not to be done in even among

monks the senior monk is the one that

talks to whoever they're visiting the

junior mock sit and are quiet for a

junior month to break in and interrupt

the talk it's considered very rude and

when I was in Burma we would go to visit

a monastery and I was a senior foreign

monk so they were always talking to me

and I just happened to be about three

days senior to the next month down and

that earth Tamil deleted so one day he

said I want to sit first because always

the senior monk sits down first and

because I wasn't really attached I said

okay and he started talking so much

nonsense to the senior monk and

do that again he often broke in and

interrupted their talk then a blessed

one reboot reboot rebuked the brahmins

student thus let not the venerable one

break in and interrupt the talk of the

senior brahmins while they are

conversing let the venerable one wait

until the talk is finished when this was

said the Brahmin Chalky's said to the

Blessed One

let not Master go to not repeat the

Brahmin student the Brahmin student is a

Klansman

he's very learned he has good delivery

and as wise and is capable of taking

part in the discussion with master

Gautama so tronky went in and got on his

side on the student side then the

Blessed One thought surely since the

Brahmins honour him thus the Brahmin

student must be accomplished in the

literate and the scriptures of the three

Vedas then the Brahmin student thought

when the Rekluse Gautama catches my eye

I shall ask him a question then knowing

with his own mind the thought of the

Brahmans student the blessed one turned

his eye towards him then the Brahmans

student thought the reakless Gautama has

turned towards me suppose I ask him a

question then he said to the Blessed One

Master Gautama in regard to eight

ancient ancient dramatic hymns that have

come down through the oral traditions

and the scriptural collections the

Brahmans come to the definition

Fujin only this is true anything else is

wrong

what does Master Gautama say about this

how then student among the Brahmans is

there even a single Brahmin Brahmin who

says thus I know this I see this this is

true and anything else is wrong

no master Gautama how then student among

the Brahmans

is there even a single teacher or a

single teacher of teachers back to the

7th generation of teachers who says this

I know this I see this only this is true

and anything else is wrong no master go

to them how then student the ancient

Brahmin seers the creators of the hymns

the composers of the hymns whose

ancients hymns that were formally

chanted uttered and compiled the

Brahmins nowadays still trance and

repeat repeating what was spoken and

reciting what was recited and then he

goes through a bunch of Indian names

which I'm not going to go into didn't

even these Brahmin in ancient Brahmin

seers say thus we know this we see this

only this is true anything else is wrong

no master Gautama so student it seems

that among the Brahmans there's not even

a single Brahmin who says thus I know

this I see this only this is true in any

else is wrong among the Brahmans there

is not even a single teacher or a single

teacher teachers teacher back to the

seventh generation of teachers who says

I know this I see this only this is true

anything else is wrong and the ancient

Brahmin seers the creators of the hymns

the composers of them's even these brown

mancierge did not say thus we know this

we see this only this is true and

anything else is wrong suppose there

were a file of blind men each in touch

with the next the first one does not see

the middle one does not see in the last

one does not see so two student in

regard to their statement the Brahmin

seemed to be like a file of blind men

first one does not see the middle one

does not see the last one does not see

what do you think student that being so

does does not the faith of the Brahmins

turn out to be groundless where I live

in the Bible Belt

I hear a lot of this is true and

everything else is wrong so this is this

is something that I like to bring up for

some of those the Brahmins honor this

not only out of faith master Gautama but

also honor it as oral tradition student

first you took a stand on faith now you

speak of oral tradition there are five

things to that turnout in

two different ways here and now what

five faiths approval oral tradition

reason cogitation and reflective

acceptance of a view these five things

may turn out in two different ways here

and now now something may be fully

accepted out of faith yet it may be

empty Hollow and false but something

else may not be fully accepted out of

faith yet it may be factual true and

unmistakable may be fully approved of or

well transmitted or well cogitated or

well reflected upon yet it may be empty

Hollow and false but something else may

not be well reflected upon yet it may be

factual true and unmistakable under

these conditions it is not proper for a

wise man to preserve truth the who

preserves truth to come to the definite

conclusion only this is true anything

else is wrong but master Gautama in what

way is there the preservation of truth

how does one preserve truth we asked

master Gautama about the preservation of

truth if a person has faith student he

preserves truth when he says my faith is

thus but he does not yet come to the

definite conclusion only this is true in

any

thing else is wrong in this way student

there is the preservation of truth in

this way he preserves truth in this way

we described the preservation of truth

I'm saying this but I'm not saying that

it's the only truth that way he

preserves true yeah you just say this is

what my belief is but you don't go ahead

and say this is the absolute truth

everything else out there is wrong okay

but monkey in this way he preserves

truth in this way we described the

preservation of truth but as yet there

is no discovery of truth if a person

approves of something if he receives an

oral tradition if he reaches a

conclusion based on reason cogitation if

he gains a reflective acceptance of a

view he preserves truth when he says my

reflective acceptance of this is thus

but he does not yet come to the definite

conclusion only this is true and

anything else is wrong see in this way

to student there is the preservation of

truth in this way he preserves truth in

this way we described the preservation

of truth but as yet there's no discovery

of truth in that way master Gautama

there is the present preservation of

truth and that way one preserves truth

in that way we recognize

the preservation of truth but in what

way master Gautama is that this is there

the discovery of truth in what way does

one discover truth we asked master

Gautama about the discovery of truth

here student a monk may be living in

dependence on some village or town then

a householder or householder son goes to

him investigates him in regards to three

states in regards to the state based on

greed in regard to the states based on

hate and in regard to States based on

delusion are there in this venerable one

any states based on greed such that with

his mind obsessed with those states well

not knowing he might say I know or while

not saying he might say I see or he

might urge others to act in a way that

would lead their to their harm and

suffering for a long time as he

investigates him he comes to know there

is no such States based on greed in this

venerable one the bodily behavior and

verbal behavior of this venerable one

are not those of one affected by greed

and the Dhamma that this venerable one

teaches is profound hard to see hard to

understand peaceful and sublime

unattainable by mere reasoning so to be

experienced by the wives this Dhamma

cannot easily be taught by one

affected by greed when he has

investigated him and has seen that he is

purified from the state based on greed

he next investigates him in regard to

States based on hate are there in this

venerable one any such things based on

hate such that with his mind possessed

of those states well not knowing he

might say I know or while not saying he

might say I see or he might urge others

to act in a way that would lead to their

harm and suffering for a long time as he

investigates him he comes to know there

are no such States based on hate in this

venerable one the bodily behavior and

verbal behavior of this venerable one

are not those of one affected by heat

and the Dhamma that is is that this

venerable one teaches his profound

hard-to-see hard to understand peaceful

and sublime unattainable by mere

reasoning subtle to be experienced by

the wise the Dhamma cannot easily be

taught by one affected by hate when he

has investigated him and has seen that

he is purified from States based on me

he next investigates him in regard to

States based on delusion remember what

delusion is what

seeing the impersonal nature of

everything now back here when they when

he says to be experienced by the wives

what are we talking about dependent

origination so that's even in this suit

oh but it's not easily seen that way

unless it's explained to you when he has

investigated him and have seen his

purified from the states based on hate

he next investigates him in regard to

States based on delusion are there in

this venerable one any States based on

delusion such that with his mind

obsessed with those states well not

knowing he might say I know or well not

seeing he might say I see or he might

urge others to act in a way that would

lead to their harm and suffering for a

long time as he investigates him he

comes to know there are no such dates

based on delusion in this venerable one

the bodily behavior and verbal behavior

of this venerable one are not those of

one affected by delusion and the Dhamma

that this venerable one teaches is

profound hard to see and hard to

understand peaceful sublime unattainable

by mere reasoning subtle to be

experienced by the wise this Dhamma

cannot easily be taught by one affected

by delusion when he has investigated him

and seen that he is purified from States

based on delusion then he places faith

in him filled with faith he visits him

and pays respect to him having paid

respect to him gives ear when he gives

ear he hears the Dhamma

having heard the Dhamma he memorizes

that and examines the meaning of the

teachings he has memorized when he

examines their meaning he gains

reflective acceptance of those teachings

when he has gained reflective acceptance

of those teachings enthusiasm springs up

when enthusiasm has sprung up he applies

his mindfulness having applied his

mindfulness he scrutinizes having

scrutinizing he strives resolutely

striving he realizes with the body of

the Supreme Truth and sees it by

penetrating it with wisdom seeing it

through the eyes of dependent

origination in this way student there is

the discovery of truth in this way one

discovers truth in this way we described

the discovery of truth but as yet there

is no final arrival that truth in that

way master Gautama

there is the discovery of truth in that

way one discovers truth in what way we

recognize the discovery of truth excuse

me in that way we discovery we

discovered we recognize the discovery of

truth but in what way master Gautama is

there the final arrival at truth in what

way does one finally arrive at truth we

asked master Gautam about the final

arrival and truth the final arrival that

truth student lies in the repetition

development and cultivation of those

same things so when you're sitting in

meditation and you have distractions you

continually practice the six arts that's

how you develop and cultivate the truth

so we'll do this again and the final

arrival at truth student lies in the

repetition development and cultivation

of those things previously taught

learning dependent origination learning

about the five aggregates learning about

the seven factors of enlightenment

learning about the six R's and

practicing seeing them continually the

Eightfold Path the five faculties the

five powers the four foundations of

mindfulness all of these things we

continually use and repeat and repeat

and repeat over and over again until

we've realized them and that's how you

attain the truth or arrive at the truth

in this way student there is the arrival

at truth and this way one finally

arrives at truth in this way we describe

the final arrival at truth in this way

master Gautama there is the final

arrival that truth in that way one

finally arrives at truth and that way we

recognize the final arrival of truth but

what master Gautama is most helpful for

the final

rival that truth we asked master Gautama

about the thing most helpful for the

final arrival at truth so you see the

questions that he this young

sixteen-year-old is asking or very

penetrating and get right to the point

he wants to know as much as he possibly

can while he's talking with the Buddha

so he keeps asking questions striving is

most helpful for the final arrival at

truth student if one does not strive one

will not finally arrive at fruit but

because once drive strives one does

finally arrive at truth that is why

striving is most helpful for the final

arrival and truth you've got to keep

doing it and kind of point your mind in

the direction of the arrival of truth

and keep working towards it and that's

what you're doing your own retreat but

what master Gautama is most helpful for

striving we asked master Gautama about

the thing most helpful for striving

scrutiny is most helpful for striving

student if one does not scrutinize one

will not strive look closely think

deeply deal whether this is the right

thing for you or not

if one does not scrutinize one will not

strive but because one scrutinizes one

strives that is why scrutiny is most

helpful for striving but what Master

Gautama is most helpful for scrutiny we

asked the master Gautama about the thing

most helpful for scrutiny application of

mindfulness is most helpful for scrutiny

student if one does not apply one's

mindfulness one will not scrutinize but

because one applies one mindfulness one

scrutinizes that is why the application

of mindfulness is most helpful in

scrutiny now this is mindfulness and

investigation that we're talking about

but what Master Gautama is most helpful

for the application of mindfulness we

asked master Gautam how about the thing

most helpful for the application of

mindfulness enthusiasm is most helpful

for the application of mindfulness

student if one does not arouse in

enthusiasm one will not apply one's

mindfulness but because one arouses to

enthusiasm one applies one's mindfulness

that is why enthusiasm is most helpful

for the application of mindfulness but

what master Gautama is most helpful for

enthusiasm we asked master Gautam about

the thing most helpful for enthusiasm a

reflective acceptance of the teachings

is most helpful for enthusiasm student

if one does not gain a reflective

acceptance of the teaching enthusiasm

will not spring up so you have to

continually

looking and practicing and seeing

whether this is right or not as you go

deeper into your practice you gain more

enthusiasm

ah this is right and that helps pick up

your energy and keep your energy in

balance

because one gains reflective acceptance

of the teaching enthusiasm springs up

that is why reflective acceptance of the

teachings is most helpful for enthusiasm

but Master Gautama what is most helpful

for a reflective acceptance of the

teachings we ask master go vote Gautam

about the thing most helpful for

reflective acceptance of the teaching

examination of the meaning is most

helpful for a reflective acceptance of

the teachings if one does not examine

and examine their meaning one will not

gain reflective acceptance of the

teachings but because one examines their

meaning one gains of reflective

acceptance of the teaching that is why

examination of the meaning is most

helpful for a reflective acceptance of

the teaching this is one of the reasons

that I'm continually going to Malthus

source and looking for easier words to

understand that really point in the

right direction but you have to do it

for yourself too if you don't understand

some words you need to ask you don't

understand how things work you need to

ask but what Master Gautama is most

helpful for the examination of meaning

we asked master Gautam about the thing

most helpful for examination of meaning

memorizing the teaching is most helpful

for examining the meaning if one does

not memorize a teaching one will not

examine its meaning but because one

memorizes a teaching wanting

salmon's the meaning now this doesn't

mean that you have to sit down and if

the book can memorize the whole book

although there are many monks that do

but you want to memorize what the five

hindrances are what the five precepts

are what the aggregates are what the

enlightenment factors are what the

Eightfold Path is you need to know these

[Laughter]

so this and I had the specific good

fortune of meeting somebody that had

memorized the entire two Pitta kapha he

was in the World Book of Records for the

best protective memory means aid oh yeah

he memorized about 12