Illustrated Anatta Teachings - 01

Anatta Teachings

Illustrated Anatta or Selfless Teachings or Motto Quotes

of Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara

 

Part - One

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Anatta Teachings - 01

Anatta Teachings

Anatta or Selfless Teachings or Motto Quotes

of Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara 

Part - One



Benefits Realized By Own Efforts

• Your actions (kamma) will give you the same results.
• The action of killing will give you the result of being killed.
• The action of blame will result in being blamed.
• The action of anger will result in suffering from anger.
• Do not utter vile and indecent speech, because you will suffer the same reaction.  
• Do not quarrel, for it will cause only suffering.
• Ill deeds do not result in quick reaction like fresh milk, which do not turn sour immediately.  It is like fire cinders covered with ash, which burn and follow the evil doers. 

Reduce  Talking

• One good spoken word is much better and brings peace and virtue, than   one thousand useless words.
• Quarrelling and arguing will not bring inner peace and tranquility.  It will only bring spite, conceit, and jealousy.
• Those who accuse others of being a rogue, villain and fool is never a person of virtue.  Because they vainly believe that only their policies are right and others are wrong.    

Emphasize On One’s Own Power

When one meets an industrious and virtuous person or friend, who chooses the right path of virtue and morality, you should make company with him although you will meet difficulty or troubles.  

You Will See What You Look

• In this mundane universe, there is no one free from praise or blame in the past, in the present or in the future.
• There are some who regards Dhamma which is virtuous as immoral, and Dhamma which is immoral as virtuous.  All these people are egoistic self-centered people.  As such who can say which policy is justifiable or which policy is wrong?
• If a person were to become evil, or faulty, there will be no one in the universe whose policy is good at all.  Everyone will say only their policy is good and all others are evil.
• Giving emphasis to the defined wrong is truly defilement and passion (Kilesa).  Giving emphasis to the defined right is also defilement and passion.
• If you breed evil mind, whatever you see will be wrong.  
• If you breed good mind, whatever you will see will be good.  
• What you see depends on your mind formation.  
• Change of mind will effect change of your insight.
• Even though your deed is good, if you look with an evil mind, you will see evil.  
• Even though your deed is evil, if you look with a good mind you will see no evil. 

The Bondage That Binds Without Knowing

• Those who believe and say that only their doctrine and policy is pure, right  and noble, they bind themselves with various dogmas and doctrines.
• All doctrines with future promises and prophesies shall be used as objects to be discarded finally.  All doctrines pointing future time and place shall be used as objects to be discarded finally.  

Rely Only On Noble Practice As True Support

• Grief and worry can bring futility in life.  It will not bring peace of mind but increase suffering.
• Only by contemplating on good thought, deeds and words, you will solve the problem of suffering.  There is no other way to root out such evil.
• Those who do not regard materials as my own possession, or his own possession, has no attachment and craving, will not suffer for loss of those which truly is not his own.
• It is not proper or right to do things you will later suffer or weep.
• You should do deeds which will bring no future regret or remorse, but bring only joy and happiness.
• You should not kill any living being intentionally, even when you know that it will harm you, you do so in self-defense.
• Revenge will never bring peace. Only by lovingkindness (metta) enmity can be solved.  This is the immutable natural law.
• There is no other noble practice like forbearance and patience in this universe. 
• Only through self admonition and noble practice you will have true support.
• The best and safest protection is your meritorious deed.
• You must know how to perfect yourself only through practicing what is perfect.  You must know how to train yourself in the ways of perfection only through self training.
• You must know how to walk the true perfect path only by practicing how to walk on the true perfect path. 

Purification Is The Main Criteria

• When you are soiled with dirt of attachment, lust and passion, it will be useless  only by washing your exterior physical body (rupa khanda).
• You can hope to achieve noble purity, only by contemplating on true noble Dhamma and practice.   

Beware Of Misusing Your Mind

• Beware of the misconception of the mind and strive towards freedom from errors.
• Problems of the mind occur because of dogmatic misuse of the true state of mind.
• What is more important than the resulting effects of the mind is the causation. 

Cause And Effect

• The more you place high expectation the more you will be frustrated.
• The more you love, the bitter is your hatred.
• Do not be too attached.  Learn to sacrifice.
• Do not be greedy.  Increase your merit and generosity.
• Things do not happen because of desire only.  It happens because we make it happen.
• Merit, virtue and good deeds always accrue equal returns without fail. Evil always accrue equal returns without fail.
• You will not get anything by just wishing for it.  Do good deeds always.  If you deserve, you will get it.
• Nothing will happen if you just wish it to be.  You must work hard, do good deeds and make it happen.  It will happen if you deserve it.
• If you do good deeds, you will surely enjoy the benefits.
• Try to cultivate good deeds with your own free will and determination to fulfill the common will, and you will surely enjoy fulfillment. 

To be continued

Real Mindfulness - 02

Real Mindfulness

Sacca Dhamma Teaching of

Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara

Delivered on 31st July 2012

Part - Two

 

 

 

In order to develop and attain real or genuine mindfulness, effort, concentration, thinking, analyzing and understanding, one needs to abandon placing central emphasis on those created mindfulness, effort and concentration.

 

One has high tolerance or patience does not necessarily mean that one is, by nature, totally free from dosa(anger).  It is merely an attained one, created one and not original.  Let me explain. 

 

When one is confronting with the circumstances which triggers his anger or frustration, in order to cover up that particular ugly state of mind, one will automatically create and utilize one's patience or endurance or tolerance power to overcome that particular situation.  That is called created endurance, created tolerance and created patience. Not original.

 

One attains devotion for Buddha, dhamma and sangha (Triple Gems) only when one takes refuge in the Triple Gems.  Similarly, when one meets or runs into elders, one would create respects for the elders in that very moment. 

 

 

By nature, worldings are not free from pride and ego.  However, worldings have ability and capability to create variety of mind (mental conditions) depending on the time, place, circumstances and switch to those created mind instantly (utilize the created mind) to fit into the particular circumstances.  That is called kamma cause....a created mind....created mental condition.

 

Likewise, the mindfulness, effort and concentration that one knows are also created mindfulness, effort and concentration.  They are being created to fit into various circumstances and encounters.  They are not real or genuine mindfulness, effort and concentration born out of one's ability in abandoning said created mindfulness, effort and concentration.

 

Mindfulness, which one knows or possess is also created mindfulness.  The mindfulness which one utilizes depending on place, time, situation and circumstances is also called created mindfulness. 

 

Abandoning paying central emphasis on created mindfulness, effort, concentration and striving oneself free from those created mindfulness, effort and concentration is true dhamma.

 

 

Likewise, one needs to strive one's very best to attain  .....

• real or genuine mindfulness and effort which can abandon placing emphasis on created mindfulness and effort,
• real or genuine concentration which can abandon placing emphasis on created concentration,
• real mindfulness, effort and concentration that can abandon kamma causes, and
• knowledge and wisdom that can abandon kamma causes.

Naturally worldings are capable of doing or carrying out kamma causes such as thinking this and that, contemplating on this and that, concentrating on this and that but lacks the ability in abandoning placing emphasis on those kamma causes or created actions.

 

Only when one strives very persistently in abandoning placing central emphasis on created mindfulness, effort and concentration on things, time, places, circumstances, one would realize the true Dhamma which is the one and only Magga Path (Ariya Path).....abandoning mental action, abandoning endeavours of mind, abandoning habitual utilization of mind and abandoning norms of mind.

 

 

It is so easy to use mind on usual and habitual tasks such as placing mindfulness on something, using effort to do something, placing concentration on something, somebody, time and place.

 

But, attaining real or genuine mindfulness, effort and concentration is difficult.  One needs the help of Buddha, dhamma and sangha if one wishes to abandon placing emphasis on created mindfulness, effort and concentration.

 

One needs to put in one's best effort and place central emphasis on mindfulness and concentration if one determines to abandon :

• the mindfulness which one had already attained,
• the mindfulness which one is automatically endowed with,
• the mindfulness which one is striving hard to attain as well as
• the mindfulness, effort and concentration which one is automatically endowed with. 

Placing central emphasis on created mindfulness is far easier than abandoning those created mindfulness, effort and mental action which one has already endowed with.

 

 

Worldings already have created concentration for carrying out their tasks or endeavours.  However, attaining real or genuine concentration is so much more difficult so one needs to put in one's best mindfulness, effort and concentration and contemplates persistently on it.

 

The teaching is over now.

 

May all the merits we have done until now be dedicated to all sentient being.

 

May all beings rejoice in our merits.

 

Sadhu.....Sadhu.....Sadhu.....

Real Mindfulness - 01

Real Mindfulness

 

Sacca Dhamma Teaching of

Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara

Delivered on 31st July 2012

Part - One

 

Kamma causes (actions or intention of an act) are for doing only and using only.  Kaya-kamma(physical action) means all movements of the body or parts of the body, Vaci-kamma (oral or verbal action) means all verbal expressions and Mano-kamma (mental action) is the functioning of the mind.   

As long as one is using one's mind, it is called mental action.  As long as one is using one's body, it is called physical action.  

• Using visual objects, voice and language are kamma cause. 
• Using taste, feeling and thinking are kamma cause.
• Using eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind, visual objects, sound, smell, taste and feeling are also kamma cause.
• Technology is kamma result (effect). 
• Using technology can be called kamma cause.
• Using time, place and life are also kamma cause. 

Staying idle or not doing anything physically, mentally or verbally does not necessarily means eradicating the root-cause of those kamma actions. It is not the correct way.  It is not sufficient. 

Eradicating the root cause does not necessarily imply merely abandoning of one's kamma cause such as doing or not doing anything.  Though one needs to abandon physical action, verbal action and mental action, it is insufficient to just abandoning them in that way. 

One needs to center their utmost abilities to carry out :

• Dana, which is the ability that can use all living and nonliving things as abandoning purpose,
• Sila, abandoning power to all physical and oral actions,
• Bhavana, abandoning power to all mental actions.

It does not necessarily matter whether :

• the mind is carrying out the tasks of the mind or
• the eyes are doing the jobs of the eyes or
• the ears are doing the jobs of the ears or
• the body is carrying out the tasks of the body.   

Doing the job or carrying out the tasks is not really important.   

It is more important to have ability to abandon placing central emphasis on those tasks.   

It is more important to place central emphasis on real dana, real sila and real bhavana. 

 

 

Placing central emphasis on mindfulness is also mental action .... be it on purpose or automatic, all are called kamma causes.   

Eradicating the root cause means striving to abandon mind from putting mindfulness on endeavours, on purpose or automatically.   

Effort always come together with mindfulness.   

Concentration is attained through effort and mindfulness. 

If one places effort and mindfulness over issues, such as health, rules and regulations, one will eventually attained concentration on these issues. 

Likewise, if one places effort and mindfulness over Buddha, dhamma and sangha, one will have interests in religion, dhamma and thus one will eventually attain concentration on these subjects. 

If one sets eyes on technologies or medicine and place mindfulness and effort over these subjects, one will attain concentration and eventually becomes specialist in these field. 

 

Be it doing something or idling or doing nothing but eating and sleeping .... these actions still amount to committing kamma cause.  Whatever the conduct is, be it big or small, there is always an involvement of mindfulness, effort and concentration in it. 

One needs to have knowledge, skill and expertise to carry out tasks, think and plan for his job, business and endeavours.   

Likewise, all the yogis (meditators) have faith and understanding in the method and technique of meditation that he or she is practicing; he or she will also be able to think and understand other's methods, techniques and teachings and he or she will, more or less, have mindfulness, effort and concentration on his or her method of meditation.....these are just kamma causes. 

Those kamma causes such as mindfulness, effort, concentration, thinking, analyzing, understanding, all are related to mental action, superficial and created truth. 

 

To be continued

Guided Insight Meditation Talk dd 4th March 2012-02 (pm)

Guided Insight Meditation Talk

by Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara

At Chompaka Lodge, Kuala Lumpa, Malaysia

4^thMarch 2012 (evening) 

Part - Two

Constant awareness of using-only, doing-only, experiencing-only, knowing-only will make all our action to be doing-only, will make all our knowing to be knowing-only, and whatever occurs to be experiencing only.  

My teaching is freed, no idea of someone or something.  Using mind and body, time and place, all are to use-only, without the idea of someone or something. The aim of practicing meditation or doing good deeds must be : not to use the idea of someone or something in all our actions. For the past ten years, I have been sharing the truth of using-only, experiencing-only, doing-only, and knowing-only.  

Previously, I could teach only in one way. The situation now is quite different. After putting ten years of continuous efforts (to share this quality), I now can successfully do it (share this quality) how it should be done. Only by practice, you can be able to solve the problem, to be doing what should be done.  

Doing good deeds or practicing meditation as you like, is not difficult. To be able to do what should be done is very difficult. Doing what you can do is very easy. Before you understand what I want you to understand, you will understand only what you can understand. Human intelligence does not have enough quality to understand the truth of : doing-only, experiencing-only, knowing-only.  That’s why the practice is essential.  

Understanding what you cannot understand is trying to improve the quality of your mind. Before you are able to practice how I want you to practice, you will practice only how you are able to. Do how you can do in practicing meditation, but your aim in practicing should be, to go beyond what you can do. What I want you to do is : to do beyond what you can do. You must solve this problem only by continuous practice.  

Doing physical, oral or mental actions with the idea of something or someone is easy, but doing all actions with the understanding of : using-only, experiencing-only, doing-only, and knowing-only is very difficult. Doing actions with attention to the action is easy, but doing the action with the understanding of : use-only, experience-only, do-only, and know-only goes beyond. Try to do what you cannot do by following this practice will improve the quality of your mind.  

I am training your mind to be more and more qualified. Concerning the body, I can do everything very easily.  But what is very difficult for the mind is not to forget the truth : to use- only, to experience-only, to do-only, and to know-only. The truth of to use-only, is the truth of the mind also. In fact we are using our mind without understanding the truth of our mind, this is why the idea of something or someone is involved in all our mental and physical actions. 

To know the situation of the mind is very easy, you can check your mind anytime and you can understand the present situation of your mind. But your mental action is controlled by the idea of someone or something. To know something is very easy for the mind, but to know the truth of : use-only, do-only is very difficult to understand for the mind.  

Using the created truth in the right way is the key for the natural awakening to the original truth and original wisdom.  

There is no created truth which is complete, no created wisdom which is complete.  

We are all using the created truth and created wisdom.  This is why nobody is really complete, no-thing is really complete. 

The original truth and original wisdom are really complete.  

We are using the created truth with attachment.  That is why we cannot know beyond the created truth.  

If there is strong attachment to yourself, most of your knowing will be concerning (relating to) yourself. Your ”knowing” cannot go beyond “yourself” because of attachment to yourself. If there is no attachment to yourself you can know beyond someone, beyond yourself.  

Attachment makes the quality of our understanding limited. Reminding the mind the truth of using-only, experiencing-only, doing-only, and knowing-only is the way to keep the mind free from attachment. 

The teaching is over now. 

May all the merits we have done until now be dedicated to all sentient being. 

May all beings rejoice in our merits. 

Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu

Source : 20120304  ET5 chempaka (mp3)

Recorded by Sibylle Bonu

@ Sayalay Daw Khema