Ajitha Sutta | Thithtagalle Anandasiri Thero

මුල් සිංහල වීඩියෝව සඳහා Play කරන්න

Ajitha Sutta | Thithtagalle Anandasiri Thero

You heard the Magandiya Sutta, didn't you? Now, there's a small special point in that. What was the discussion about from what you heard and understood? The special thing here is that the Buddha was presented with a mat, right? And Bharadvaja went with him, right? Bharadvaja was in the fire-worshipping hall. At that time, Magandiya said something. "The Buddha saw what should not be seen." "He heard what should not be heard." There's a beautiful word here. Because actually, many people think that Buddhism is precisely this: "though a Buddhist, 'Bho Shramano Gotama,' for what reason? Did we get to see the dispensation of Gotama, which destroys prosperity?" It means it destroys people's prosperity. Why does it mean destroying prosperity? They understood it as the Buddha's dispensation destroying people's prosperity, destroying it.

"He saw what should not have been seen, he saw something that shouldn't be seen." Now, what is that? The Buddha preaches the Dhamma to realize oneself. What is it? Anatta Dhamma. What kind of Dhamma? Anatta Dhamma. To eliminate the "I," the Buddha teaches the Dhamma to eliminate the concept of "self" or "mine." Is that right? To eliminate oneself. What's the difference between eliminating oneself and realizing oneself?

In Anatta, the Buddha preaches that they say, "the one who eliminates oneself." Who? Even today, some people think that the Buddha preaches to eliminate the ego. Is that right then? What's the mistake in that? There is no such thing as "self." Oh, so to eliminate "self," they say "self." So, for what purpose does the Buddha preach the Dhamma? Further down in that sutta, it says that even though there isn't a "self," people think there is. It's a concept of self. What kind of concept? They take it to be "self." Even when there is no such thing as "self," they take it as "self." What happens? This happens out of habit. So people think that they exist. Then they think that the Buddha preaches the Dhamma to eliminate that existing self. If that were the case, the Buddha doesn't preach the Dhamma in that way. Then the entire Dhamma is wrong. What happens? The way someone understood it is also wrong.

If someone thinks of eliminating the ego by listening to this Dhamma, they are wrong. Why? There must be something to eliminate, right? What should be there? The Buddha preaches the Dhamma to understand that wrong idea of "self." What kind of idea? To understand the wrong idea. For what purpose? To understand the wrong idea. If someone thinks, "I exist," which everyone thinks, right? Everyone thinks they exist, right? So, when listening to the sermon again, they think, "Why am I listening to a sermon to eliminate the self that exists?" Even nominal Buddhists sometimes think that way due to faith, but that person [Magandiya] didn't have such faith; they were Hindu devotees. So they were in the concept of atta (soul). They were establishing the soul. So, those people all blamed it. "This is a destruction-bringing person, a person who came to destroy us." This is mentioned in many places about the Tathagata. That's one place, which is why I asked you to read it while I was still here.

So, when the Buddha heard about it, he went to that person's place and had a discussion, because if that entire idea were spread in society, that the Buddha is someone who destroys oneself, it would be wrong. The Buddha does not preach such a thing. The very basis of taking something as "self" is wrong. What is that mistake? It's Sakkāya-diṭṭhi. What is Sakkāya-diṭṭhi? It's taking oneself, one's own self, as "I" or "mine." The Dhamma is preached to understand that mistake. So, that Magandiya Sutta, you all should look at it thoroughly first. After you look at it, I will give that lecture on the Magandiya Sutta again.

"Bho Shramano Gotama," the Buddha showed that there he used the word "self." That's what was said: "Bho Shramano Gotama, for the destruction, for our destruction." Now, the Buddha for destruction - that is what is called ignorance. The Dhamma is preached for destruction. It's not appropriate to take oneself as "self." It's inappropriate. What is inappropriate? First, understand that. Understand that it's inappropriate. You need to understand it through wisdom, right? Wisdom. Wisdom is not knowledge. What was said? Wisdom is not knowledge. A person with a lot of knowledge can be without wisdom. When wisdom arises in the mind, it leads to understanding, seeing reality as it is. That's wisdom.

So, the Buddha's Kaccayanagotta Sutta alone is enough for someone to understand the Dhamma. There's no need for many suttas like this. If someone sees that alone and understands it within themselves as knowledge not borrowed from others, then they will understand for themselves the mistake of taking oneself as "self." What will be understood? They will immediately enter into Sammā-diṭṭhi (Right View). That's enough.

However, having many of these discourses makes it much easier, as it's taught differently for each person to realize themselves. The most important thing in Buddhism is to realize oneself. After that, there's a little about wisdom. For Darukiriya, there's no Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī, or Arahant. He was told to train, he trained, and right then, what happened? At the end of the training, he became an Arahant. There are no divisions of the four paths and fruits there. Right? "Sikkhitabbā." We will discuss that sutta during the rainy season. It's a very profound sutta. Only two people understood it in that way in this dispensation, Darukiriya and one other person. As soon as they were told briefly, they trained in that way, and their thoughts were directed in that way. They developed yoniso manasikāra and understood the Dhamma.

So, for someone to gain wisdom, what needs to arise? Wisdom arises when yoniso manasikāra is present. Yoniso manasikāra means kalyāṇa mitta (noble friend). It's wisely reflecting on the Dhamma taught by the kalyāṇa mitta. Yes, or wisely reflecting on the Dhamma taught by the Tathagata in that way. Only if you reflect wisely in that way will wisdom arise. Otherwise, many concepts will arise. What kind of concepts? Many concepts can be created. Many concepts are not understanding. When the mistake of taking oneself as "self" is understood conceptually, those concepts only lead to arguing, debating, and creating various views and ideologies. Yes, when wisdom arises, there's no room for views and ideologies. It's seeing truth as it is. It's a seeing, a crossing over through that seeing. What is it? A crossing over.

Now, the Ajitha Sutta discusses it in that way. We have discussed the Ajitha Sutta before. Today, I'm going to explain a small part of it again. It states that when wisdom arises, one crosses over. In that way. So, even some monastics, when talking to monks who have spent 40 vassa, haven't clarified these points. They think that the Dhamma is preached to destroy oneself. This means they haven't studied the suttas and discussed them. It's possible to be like that. So, it's important to understand this correctly. Thinking that there is an existing "self" is a wrong idea we hold; it's wrong, and it's inappropriate to hold such a view. We are in an inappropriate place. So, the mistake is to understand that.

Let me give an example. When a dog or a monkey goes to a pond and looks at the water, what happens? They see a dog or a monkey. If they then think there's a dog there, is that right? It's wrong, isn't it? Thinking there's a dog there is wrong. So, if someone thinks that words are being spoken to eliminate that dog, that's completely wrong, isn't it? There is no dog there. So, if they are deceived by something, it's to eliminate that deception. To eliminate what? To eliminate the deception, the Dhamma is preached.

So, that mistake, just like our Sakkāya-diṭṭhi, taking "self" as "I" or "mine," the way of grasping, it was said, right? The method of grasping, attachment, clinging, being bound. When an object comes, one grasps it, gets entangled in it. When it enters, what happens? "Self" arises. If there is a "self," then they see that existing "self." They take that "self" to be what arises with grasping. Grasping an object. Grasping what? Grasping the object. Hearing a sound with the ear. When a sound is heard, one grasps that object, gets entangled in it, gets bound to it, and then "self" arises. That's when self-existence emerges. Right?

The sutta says that if one doesn't grasp, doesn't get bound, doesn't get entangled, "nāditṭhāti," what happens? There is no "self." There is no "self." And in that way, through unwise attention (ayoniso manasikāra), what happens? When one grasps. So now, the way we make mistakes is also shown. How do you make that mistake? Then, how does that concept of self arise? Then, what is there? When a direct seeing arises within oneself from the Buddha's teachings, it's not something borrowed. Wisdom arises within oneself. Understanding arises. What happens? The Sotāpanna has the faculty of wisdom, right? The faculty of faith, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom. It's through the faculty of wisdom that the faculty of wisdom arises. It means a vision that transcends the eye arises. It's a seeing, a vision. What is it? A vision.

In a sutta, it says, "Cakkhuṃto," that one with eyes sees, or if they don't see, they lie down thinking there is something there. Like a dog, thinking there's a dog there, it barks and barks and barks. It barks, looks away, barks again, and so on. It lies down. Or it runs excessively. It runs excessively. But it doesn't see. The one with eyes sees. The one with wisdom. What kind of person? The one with wisdom. When these suttas are preached, watch them again and again. Okay?

Now, if we take the Ajitha Sutta, who is this for? Is it for memorizing what I just said? Or for whom? Look at those children who come, we help them, and you all help them too. Look, they are studying right now. What are they trying to achieve? To become a doctor or to earn a degree, right? The sacrifice they make: waking up early in the morning, studying for about seven hours, and participating in lectures. They are trying to succeed in their worldly lives. Even if they succeed in that, do they realize the self? No. If they don't realize it, what happens? A person will be subjected to incredible amounts of suffering and distress. Why? Because of ego.

Today, there's a big problem in the world. India and Pakistan are fighting. If you trace the root of that problem, where does it lie? It's in the ego. In their own ego. Russia and Ukraine are fighting. If you trace the root of these problems, what is it that people have? Their ego. What else? Israel and Iran are fighting. What else is there? When Iran is attacked, those of Israeli origin or those sympathetic to Israel are very happy, saying, "Oh, they got what they deserved!" And then when missiles hit Israel, all the countries sympathetic to them are happy. What's the problem? To create happiness by seeing someone else's destruction. Right? What's the problem? The ego.

This is the fundamental problem. That's why the Buddha said, "Ananda, don't take this as understandable. It's due to not understanding this that all these problems and worldly realities are established." So, this education, missiles, technology—all those who received that education, what are they doing? Someone without an education might not be able to get involved in those things. One can make a bow, but even for making a bow, some education is needed about it. But those technological things are done by people who studied them. Why do they get destroyed afterwards? It means all the armies, those who were here yesterday, are gone today. They fall apart. When they fight, other people also go away in that manner, and there's no benefit for anyone. Why? They haven't developed a path that leads to well-being. What is it? Sakkāya-diṭṭhi (self-view). More and more, what is it? They are not following a path that leads to the understanding of truth. They are following a way that obscures truth. Obscuring truth. How much do people strive to obscure truth? Worldly life.

Now, when such discourses are given, what should one do? Memorize them. What else? To understand them, right? Monastic life. The Buddha said that the most difficult thing in this world is to step away from these things and become secluded. It's difficult, not everyone can do it. So, that's why people strive so much. How much effort do you all need to put in now that you have encountered such a Dhamma? It is being purified more and more. The muddiness is being removed. As it becomes clearer to you, the related Buddhist teachings... So, what is valuable is the teaching that the Buddha taught, isn't it? Another person cannot understand themselves, can they? The things you learned, science, what you learned in school, you won't get help to understand yourself through that. To magnify oneself, to make oneself great, to go towards that very non-understanding. Why go there? They go towards non-understanding. Even teachers, principals, presidents of countries, professors—it's the same.

What you have encountered now is the opposite. That's why it's called Paṭisotagāmī (going against the current). So, what that person has is this: wisdom arises, they learn the Dhamma. If they have the Dhamma, then yoniso manasikāra arises. They strive. Now, those Ajitha Sutta, in the Parāyana Vagga, were formerly memorized. Even monks and laypeople memorized them. In this era, people don't strive to memorize them. But if you memorize them, then you can reflect. If you reflect, sometimes yoniso manasikāra and wisdom will arise, helping you. Yoniso manasikāra needs to arise for wisdom to arise.

Now, Ajitha in this context refers to those who thought very profoundly and made great sacrifices in this dispensation. They made sacrifices. When they came to meet the Buddha, they had a vision. But even though they meditated and gained some discipline and dedicated their lives to those things, they didn't know the truth. Even if they didn't know the truth, they made a sacrifice. What did they do? They left the worldly life, meditated, and were with the ascetic Bavari, who had great... But they had no help. They felt stuck in a place, like they couldn't do anything beyond that. There were no problems. So, that's why as soon as they heard that a Buddha had appeared, their teacher himself told them to go. He couldn't solve his own problem, saying his head was splitting. So, he sends them. Go and see. This is a rare opportunity. There are plenty of people in the world who observe precepts and meditate, and these things arise from time to time. They exist in the world. Samadhi, meditation, they exist from time to time. But what happens? However, the cessation of self-view (Sakkāya Nirodha), the realization of self, correcting this mistake – such Dhamma is only heard from a Buddha. It's not heard from anyone else. Only a Buddha has the ability.

Pacceka Buddhas can talk about merit and generosity. But Sakkāya Nirodha, even if they realize it, they can't explain it. With the ability of a Buddha, using the words in this world, he has highlighted this Dhamma for wise people. For whom? Not for fools, because they will misunderstand it. It's for wise people. So, when this Dhamma arises, and you are born in a time when you can understand and discuss it, and you've given up things and come, what should you do? Just like doing other necessary tasks, you need to understand these things first. If it's difficult to understand, first memorize them, remember them. Right? What's the point of remembering anything else? If you remember math, you can do sums. But what's the point of memorizing poems for us? To write poetry? It's not helpful, is it? Why? Because they only increase our distress and suffering, not liberate us. What didn't happen?

No matter what one does in this world, eventually, they become helpless. They become helpless due to sensual pleasures, or due to illness, or due to broken attachments. To find reality again, one has to go through this path. Sometimes, if you want to find it, it's too late. What's too late? This Dhamma was in the world, but you sought other things. By the time you come to seek it, your time is over. In terms of timing. But that hasn't happened to you, has it? Now, in your youth, while you're working, while others are doing unnecessary things, you were directed to listen to these discourses for some reason. Now, what's there? The mind doesn't want to remember these things. Why? The mind wants to be happy through non-understanding. But at some point, that same mind will cause them suffering. Doing what the mind wants doesn't bring happiness, does it? It brings distress, suffering, and extreme helplessness. Right? People do what the mind wants. But doing so doesn't make the mind happy, does it? What does it do? At some point, it makes them utterly helpless, tormented, and throws them into a place of no escape, into prison. It subjects them to many things.

So, when one encounters the Dhamma, one needs to understand that mind, to understand oneself, to understand reality. What does this Dhamma do? You have to bow down to this Dhamma. Once you bow, there's nothing beyond that. There's no argument now. If someone argues, it means they still don't understand what I'm saying. There's no argument beyond that. Then there's effort to understand.

Now, when we are very sick, we can't get up or do anything. We are utterly helpless. Our bones broken, legs broken, sick and everything. Then we go to a doctor, there's no other help. We meet the doctor. The doctor gives medicine. Now, what's the patient's only intention? To go to a fashion show? To go to work? Or to get well? To get up from the illness, right? He wants to get up from the illness. So, whose instructions does he follow? His own way, or the doctor's way? He won't even think of doing it his own way. Why? He's so helpless. He asks, "When should I drink this? What should I eat and not eat with this?" He asks and asks. What does he do? Who is he placing above all else? The doctor. He has no other refuge. What happens? He's such a helpless person.

If people truly understand their helplessness, their own helplessness, then when they encounter the Dhamma, they won't have a single word of argument against what the noble friend says. They won't even think of it. If they still argue, it means they still don't know their helplessness. They are still asserting themselves, aren't they? How helpless people become by mistakenly taking this "self" as "self"! How helpless they become by not seeing the truth! There is no other refuge.

So, if we take the Ajitha Sutta, they too were in such helplessness. They had the ultimate Nirvana right there. That is, a wonderfully profound state of concentration. They had no mental suffering whatsoever. Why? They were in good meditation. They had practiced it for a long time. They were living by a river, separated from people. But their only suffering was that they didn't know the truth correctly. What didn't they know? They didn't know the truth. Even though they were in such comfort, they didn't know what the truth was. They had that doubt. Even though they had that doubt, they couldn't resolve it, they couldn't answer it. Their own teacher couldn't answer it. A friend couldn't answer it. Those close to them couldn't answer it. They couldn't find it themselves. If they had found it, they would have become Pacceka Buddhas. They came upon hearing that news.

So, he has a question for the Buddha. The question he asks, from that very question, you can understand how powerful his thinking was:

"Kenasu nihato loko? Kenasunnappakāseti? Kissābhibhūto pammarohi? Kissusmattā mahabbhaya?"

That is the question Ajitha asks. After meeting the Buddha and paying homage, he asks this question: "Kenasu nihato loko?" What is this world covered by? Yes, "Kenasu nivato? Kenasunnappakāseti? Kissābhibhūto?" What is it smeared with? "Kissusmātā mahabbhaya?" What is the greatest fear in this? What is the greatest fear? Now, what is the greatest fear of the people in Israel at that time? They don't know when it will collapse. So, they cry out. The people in Iran are also like that; they are in great fear. Those countries. When there was war in our country, people didn't send their children to school, did they? At that time, they feared when a bomb would explode in a bus. What were they afraid of? But people know that fear. They know they are afraid of losing their lives. Do they know that or not? They know.

"Kenasu nihato loko?" What is all living beings in this world covered by? And that covering, "Kenasu vana?" Why don't they see that it's covered? "Kessābhi lepaṃ rohi?" What is the great fear that everyone has to face? Buddha, please explain. Now, look at the question he asks. Why? He sees that it is covered by something. But for some people, for wise people, who understand it—like Sariputta and Moggallana, they knew the truth. But other people don't seek the truth like that. What happens? They don't seek the truth. "Kenasu nihato loko?" This world is covered by something. But why don't they feel like seeking that truth? He doesn't understand it. What happens? He lives in an untruth, as if covered by something. Covered by something. What happens? It is covered. "Niruto loko Kenasu vuna?" Why don't they know that it is covered? Why is it not apparent to them? They are imprisoned, like in a jail. But those people don't understand it. It's not apparent to them that they are in a prison. "Kessāpi liyam?" What is everyone in their lives smeared with, so that the truth is not apparent? Why are they smeared? "Kissavaryakīṃsuttamahayan?" What is the greatest fear for everyone? What is the greatest fear? If you asked those two countries, they would say this is it.

...you don't know if missiles will fall at that moment. You don't know if they will attack from above. Russia and Ukraine are the same, aren't they? Russia went right inside and attacked. Everyone is undisciplined. Life is spent in fear. But here, he is asking something beyond that. Whether there is war or not, even if they eat and drink well, even if they are sick at this moment, what is this great fear that every living being, every human being, has? What are they covered by? Why is that covering not apparent? Why are they stuck and smeared with something?

The Buddha says directly, and it's something that even in that person's lifetime, perhaps those questions weren't there, and they didn't receive answers from any religion. "Avijjāya nivuto loko." Who asked "Kenasu nihato loko?" The answer now is Avijjā, ignorance. Ignorance means not knowing the truth, foolishness. There is no dog there, it's a reflection that forms. But one thinks there is a dog. What is that? Foolishness. Stupidity. What is it called? It's covered by ignorance. Not by anything else. The not-knowing of truth. Even at this moment, ignorance reigns supreme.

The Buddha has taught that if there were no lights now, this place would be dark. But there are some places even on this earth where sunlight doesn't reach. Sunlight doesn't fall. They are in dense darkness. Even living beings in those places cannot see others because of that darkness. Because of what? Because of darkness. Similarly, there are now places called black holes in this universe. They are also like that. There is darkness. The sun has light. The other side is the opposite. Even if sunlight goes there, what happens? It's not visible. It cannot give light. That is its nature. But then those who are there cannot see either, can they? If we turn off these lights and everything, we won't see ourselves. We won't see each other. If it's a new moon night, everything is dark and not visible. You can't find anything anywhere. If there's no light, right? You don't see what the truth is, do you? Trees are not visible. People are not visible. Animals are not visible. It's covered. Reality is covered.

Ignorance is darkness. The Buddha used the analogy that it is covered. Who? Our lives. Every moment of our lives is covered by ignorance. Next, he asks, "Why is that covering not seen, not understood?" The Buddha says, "Pamādapramādattaṃ na prakāśati" - It's because of negligence and stinginess that it's not seen. Because of what? Because of negligence and stinginess. It's not seen. Stinginess is said. Stinginess means clinging tightly to the object again. Becoming greedy for the object. Then what happens? The mind runs after the object and doesn't bend to see the reality there. It runs after what came to the mind. Every living being in this world does this. It's not about finding light in this darkness or anything else, it's about an object coming to the mind. What happens after that? They pursue it. They are greedy for it.

Now, if a Buddha didn't show us this, we wouldn't even understand it. We wouldn't know that we are chasing after an object. Even now, even if it's shown, people don't understand, do they? Again, after this, they will run again, won't they? They will set some object and run after it. They won't let go of it. What happens? They won't let go of it. Because you have faith, you are here. But if it weren't for that, wouldn't you follow what your mind says? Right? That is stinginess. What is stinginess? Ordinary stinginess means not giving anything to anyone else. And also, condemning those who do give. That is also called stinginess. But what is stinginess here? Along with the mind, along with ignorance, what happens? The objects that come to this mind, seeing forms with the eye, one goes along with them. Thinking with the mind, one goes along with them. Hearing with the ear, one goes along with them. Ah, there's no desire to stop there. No desire for what? So that is extreme stinginess towards these objects. Because of that, one asserts that "I" again directly. The eye, form, consciousness combine. Upaya, upadana, abhinivesa, vinibandha - they combine, approach, cling. That's what the Buddha shows. After that, the self emerges. When the self emerges, it is shown, like in the Madhupiṇḍika Sutta, how one creates it and then struggles with various delusions.

So, our lives are like that, aren't they? Are our lives spent like that? We have been fortunate enough to hear some amount of this Dhamma. Still, our lives are spent like that, aren't they? Stinginess. What is it? The stinginess that comes to the mind. We can't let go of them, can we? So, it is covered by ignorance. It is covered by ignorance. And it's not seen that it's covered, because of the stinginess towards these objects. Because of clinging. Because of stubbornness.

After the self has arisen, what a noble friend says is useless. One only takes one's own opinions, one's own level. Even if the Buddha says it, it's useless. Again, after that, one is so greedy for the object. What is that called? Greedy. Avaricious, so much so. Enslaved by craving. Since one is greedy for that object, one's own opinion, one's self arises with the clinging to the object, doesn't it? Then, relative to oneself and the world, one argues and debates. Why? Because the object has been grasped. What has been grasped? So now there is greed and stinginess. That's when delay happens. Delay due to stinginess. Stinginess due to delay. Because of both delay and stinginess, one doesn't know it. Because of that not-knowing. Is it because of that that one doesn't see? One doesn't see that one is covered. Why? It means, as I said, we don't know the fact of seeing. We reflect and reflect, and we know. Ah, no one needs to tell us that. Something arises in the eye, the eye arises, contact occurs. A sphere of contact arises. Directly, through this, we travel again. Mind, object, and consciousness make contact. What happens? Like creating a child, we don't have an understanding of that process. What do we do? We pursue enjoyment of it. We go seeking enjoyment. If we only got enjoyment, it would still be fine. But that process leads to many disadvantages. Leads to what? Many disadvantages. How many people are trying to talk now who have been mentally tormented in this moment? Why is that? Because they went on that journey, didn't they? Again, even after being taught, they try to fix their minds again, listen to this sermon, and then go back to the same thing. It means those people don't have that fortune. They listen and listen. But now they can become a Sotāpanna, meaning they can understand themselves. But beyond that, there is also a method in the dispensation for wisdom to arise. It is through that wisdom that the path to Nirvana is completed. But for them, what happens? They have to sacrifice for that. They are now so attached and greedy for objects that their life's timeframe is not enough. But it's not like that for you. You are being told now, at the time of venerating the Buddha, that these things should be memorized. Otherwise, how will you wisely investigate? Today, if it were memorized, "Kenasu nihato loko? Kenasunnappakāseti?" one would know its meaning. Then it would simply be understood. This falsehood, this lie within oneself, is first understood conceptually. Then one moves to understanding. Then attention is directed. Wisdom arises. For wisdom to arise, one must be in the process of wisdom arising. Without a process for wisdom to arise, wisdom will never arise. Then, like a rice field, without plowing, without sowing seeds, you won't get a harvest. If there's a rice field, you have to dam water, what needs to be done? Plow, weed, do these things, sow fertile seeds, and if you protect it, only then will you get a harvest. Without doing any of that, what happens? Just by wearing a farmer's dress and standing by a rice field, you won't get a harvest. It's the same in the dispensation. So, if you say you're doing other things without going into the process of wisdom arising, what happens? Wisdom will never emerge. What will emerge? The self will emerge. That's a habit anyway. Those wrong actions won't be understood.

One can live within that mistake. Therefore, after listening to discourses like this, if you genuinely have a desire for self-realization in life, first, what do you do? Memorize these things. Now, Ajitha, these are like such treasures, aren't they? Right? Next, you can make your own arrangements for this. If we spend another 10 minutes chanting for 100 days at the time of venerating the Buddha, just chant. But the Parāyana Vagga... In the past, even during the time of the Buddha, it was like that, and it's not different today. Even some laypeople today know from their life experience that even if they bore other things and remembered them, they only suffered many disadvantages. It's better to remember something like this even than getting degrees. Right? There's no real use, is there?

Next, he asks, "Kissābhi?" What is this smeared with? What is the smeared thing? So the Buddha shows, "Taṇhā-vilepanaṃ." What is smeared within every living being is craving. What is smeared? Craving. Desire. Running after objects. Covered by ignorance. Taking a non-existent illusion as real, as reality. After that, one strives to achieve that target. That's the nature of the world. It means, not a calming within something burning, but collecting more fuel for the fire. Collecting petrol. Then saying, "It caught fire." This is the nature of the world. Take these children now, they are on that path too. But if even one word... I think about ten people came and asked if I could explain a little about themselves, about what they did that day. So I said, "Okay, I'll explain 'self' when you come at a convenient time." So that's what we need to help with.

Now, someone in lay life, like you, might feel, "I really want to go on this path. I want to go on the path the Buddha showed." So, it's not an easy thing to find such a person. It's a very difficult thing. What kind of thing? A difficult thing. So, I mean, if anyone thought that's all there is to it, then after thinking about it, they would have enough time. With that wisdom, what you all did with the Magandiya Sutta, it happens in the end. In the Magandiya Sutta, what is there? The Buddha discusses with him. "This idea you took is wrong. It's like this, and like this." A long discussion follows. The discussion is like turning something upside down right side up, or showing the way to someone who got lost. He says, "You saved me, Venerable Sir. I take refuge. Please give me ordination." Why? Because the great lie he had believed to be true all this time, he understood it within himself. Now he wants to realize it directly. He understood. He understood that he had done many foolish things throughout his life. "Please, Venerable Buddha, grant me this fortune now." That's what's in the end of the Magandiya Sutta.

So, the Buddha said, "You are not a non-Buddhist, are you? You haven't listened to these discourses for a long time, have you? Therefore, non-Buddhists have problems. So you need to have faith in the Sangha. You need to stay for at least four months." What happens? Now, during the time of the Buddha, it came to the middle. In the beginning, they were ordained quickly. Now, they don't ordain immediately. Why? Because they came and created problems where there was no discussion, and that happened. So, it was a great trouble for the virtuous young men who had ordained out of faith. So, they had to be willing. Then what happens? He says, "I will stay for not four months, but four years." "Not four months, but after four years, if I am pleased, I will ordain you." Now, you see the faith that arose, don't you? He said, "I will work on that and stay for four years." Why? What was his whole life spent on until now? Understanding something wrong. Now, such a path has opened up for me. You have opened the path for me. So, to understand that, I don't need four months to sacrifice. "Four years, it's a fortune. I will stay for four years. If they are pleased after those four years, may I be ordained." Then it says, after four months, he was pleased with the Sangha. He truly and sincerely wanted to understand this truth. He practiced the monastic life and attained Arahantship in a short time. "A short time" can mean 10 or 15 years. It's a short time when compared to the entire cycle of existence. Right? So, you saw that, didn't you? Now, today, what happens to people after a while? Their ego attacks. They blame others. "Oh, he's wrong, she's wrong." Don't look for others' faults when you're in trouble. Don't look for shortcomings. Look for yourself. Look for whom? Look for yourself. The Dhamma has been taught. There's a way to listen to discourses now. Then there's a phone. Closing it, they make attachments with parents, but they abandoned their parents to come. They abandoned relatives to come. So there's no journey with them again. They are in another world. Right?

Again, talking to them and creating attachments and friendships, what happens there again? What happens again? They came to seek the self. They got to hear the Dhamma that seeks the self. When it comes to understanding it, they have to do other things and then realize it. The same suffering. It means the Buddha says one comes to death. One comes to death in the noble discipline. It means abandoning the Dhamma. The Buddha's Dhammādāyāda Sutta shows this. In one place, there is plenty to eat, everything is there. But there is no Dhamma. There is food, but no Dhamma. It's in the Majjhima Nikāya, the Dhammādāyāda Sutta. So, is there any point in thinking there? There is food, drink, everything, but no Dhamma. In another place, there is nothing to eat, nothing to drink, nothing of those things. But there is Dhamma. What is there? Dhamma. Dhamma means the process of understanding oneself through discussion, right? So, there, the Buddha says, "Where should one associate?" Even if there is nothing to eat or drink, even if it's like a woodcutter's life, that's better. There's no point in being prosperous there.

Now, after hearing this, if the next aim in life is to foolishly look after a temple... There are plenty of temples. Where are there temples without monks? You can go and look after plenty of temples. There are plenty of temples in Lanka. Monks don't even give alms. So they ordain from Bangladesh, and they go to look after a temple, get a title, find a phone, do something, and suffer through all that. What happens to that person, how much does he fall into negligence? What did he pursue? The Dhamma to understand himself? Or the stinginess shown there? He went after stinginess, after objects. He couldn't recognize it. And others here create mindfulness. They look. Mindfulness doesn't arise. Such is the negligence that we have fallen into negligence.

These are the points in the Ajitha Sutta, aren't they? If one understood oneself, then there would be the joy and happiness of the Dhamma. It arises within oneself. The Dhamma itself arises. So what happens then? He doesn't have such distress. He can even investigate. These are petty things. It's a crime, isn't it, to oneself, to one's human life, to assert oneself and then destroy something good that could have been done. To help someone else. That's what happens when you assert yourself. Okay.

Next, you see this, don't you? Craving. So it is craving that is smeared. "Dukkhamassa mahabbhayaṃ." What is the fear that everyone has? Suffering. Now, if we talk about the war between those two countries, even then, in the end, it's about suffering, isn't it? Suffering, isn't it? When millions are wounded, what kind of suffering is that? Dukkhamassa mahabbhayaṃ. What is this? Suffering. It is covered by suffering. What is this world based on? It is based on suffering. Based on what?

Now, the Buddha says this world is based... We think we are on the ground. Yes, we human beings are based on the ground. But in our lives, lives covered by ignorance, what happens when there's a slight shift? Suffering comes out. After a fire has started, if anything ignites, what comes out? Is it a flame or a diamond? What comes out? Lava comes out. What comes out? Lava. Similarly, in the lives of these human beings, a slight shift, a broken attachment, and pain comes out. Not suffering, there is more suffering, and it's not even understood. One is tormented by pain. Tormented by disadvantages. Understood? This other person has this world. He has it. "Kissuttamahabbhayaṃ? Dukkhamassa mahabbhayaṃ." What is the fear? Suffering is what is in this world. Suffering. Ranjanee says that's it. So, a person without wisdom doesn't understand it. Suffering comes out. A person with wisdom who lives with suffering inside barely understands, "Isn't that right?"

Other people fall for it. So, when they build vehicles, build houses, wear jewelry, get degrees, do jobs, if even monastics fall for those things, what is within them? Ayoniso manasikāra. Then wisdom won't arise, will it? Then what happens? They fall for that process. Foolishness. Ignorance is ayoniso manasikāra, it helps ignorance. Yoniso manasikāra helps wisdom, knowledge. So, if they see those things and cannot understand reality, then that person falls for them. Understanding comes first, and then, beyond that, there are the fetters of sensual desire. Therefore, the main thing in this, if you take the entire Sakkāya Sutta Pitaka, there are many discourses about Sakkāya-diṭṭhi. Now you all are gathering it. What do you need to do? Gather it, discuss it. If you don't understand, you need to come and ask me, "What is said in this?" Do you understand or not? That's why I said it. If you ask, I can explain. Just as we help these people with other things, you too need to discuss these suttas, like with a whiteboard. When there's a mistake, I can explain it. Then understand it. That's how you should approach that process. Otherwise, doing other things won't bring much benefit.

Next, he asks, "Savanti sabbadhi sotā, sotānaṃ kiṃ nivāraṇaṃ? Sotānaṃ saṃvaraṃ brūhi, kena sotā pitīriyare?" The streams of craving flow from all senses. That means craving flows from everywhere. Now, did he ask these questions by looking at books? No. He asked what he saw in his life. Ajitha asks about what he saw in his own life. He is a seeker of truth. "The streams of craving flow from all senses." "Savanti sabbadhi sotā, sotānaṃ kiṃ nivāraṇaṃ?" How can these flowing streams be stopped? "Sotānaṃ saṃvaraṃ brūhi, kena sotā pitīriyare?" Explain to me, my Lord, how to restrain these streams forever, how to stop this river forever, beginning with the senses. He asked, "Because of craving, good sir, my thought." Then the Buddha says, "Yāni sotāni lokasmiṃ, sati tesaṃ nivāraṇaṃ. Sotānaṃ saṃvaraṃ brūhi, paññāye'ti pitīriyare." So he says, to stop all those streams flowing from the senses, it is mindfulness. Mindfulness is established.

Now, at the beginning here, he tells the monk what to do. Generally, a person who seeks the truth, who seeks reality, to eliminate that great fear... Now fear was mentioned. What is the greatest fear in this world? Suffering. It is all suffering. A person who wants to cross over suffering. Now what does he do? He says, through the eye, forms, the senses—that's it, the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind—through each of them, what happens? It flows with craving. It was said that it's smeared with craving, wasn't it? So now, through that, one wisely reflects on what is said. Through what is said, he then presents his questions. Now it flows with craving. Seeing with the eye, hearing with the ear, craving arises. It flows. Now this cannot be stopped. What does one do? How to stop it? "Establish mindfulness." What happens? That's really true, isn't it? When we are in a conversation, we understand what happens when we get caught up in thoughts and go along with them—it's over. Why? As soon as mindfulness is lost, what happens? Chaos. Then, as soon as mindfulness is lost, it's like a river overflowing its banks, strongly flowing after heavy rain. What happens? The rivers rush, the streams flow fast. Again, when the sun rises and the rain subsides, what happens? The water recedes again. Similarly, mindfulness is present. What happens to mindfulness? But then, to do it with mindfulness, what other religions do here, what other teachers do, what the Tirthikas do, is that they practice mindfulness meditation. Now, to escape this trouble, they suppress sensual desire. When those are suppressed, what happens? They come to some state of concentration and dwell there. What do they do? Like Alara Kalama and Uddaka Ramaputta, they practice mindfulness. But as soon as the practice of mindfulness is over, they go back to the same place. They cannot sustain it. What was suppressed comes back up.

Next, the Buddha, he knows that. That's why he asks, "How to restrain this forever? How to stop it forever, from all senses, forever?" He asks how to stop it forever, by saying, "Sotānaṃ saṃvaraṃ brūhi, paññāye'ti pitīriyare." It is through wisdom that it is stopped forever. Now, what is that word? Wisdom. Wisdom can do it forever. Wisdom is not knowledge. Wisdom is seeing and understanding the truth within oneself. This discourse is only important to help with that now.

Now, the Buddha shows that a Buddha appears in the world to explain three words in eight letters. It's not to involve this world or others in other activities. Then what is it? Anicca (impermanent), Dukkha (suffering), Anatta (non-self). So, the seeing of impermanence, suffering, and non-self is a vision. What is that vision? The arising of wisdom is a vision. That vision means the arising of wisdom. As soon as the sun rises, darkness disappears. As soon as the sun rises, what happens? Darkness. Now, when the lights are on, as soon as the light falls, darkness disappears. Similarly, then what happens to what is seen by the eye and heard by the ear? "Sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā'ti yadā paññāya passati, atha nibbindati dukkhesu, esa maggo visuddhiyā." That's what is said. That was explained before: conditioned phenomena, formations. Those formations are not permanent. That's a seeing. What is it? A seeing. As soon as one sees that, it's not permanent. There's nothing that exists. Nothing appears to persist. There's no persistence. Thinking that is useless. What happens? Through developed wisdom. Through what wisdom? That wisdom is a vision, one of them. And that wisdom, as soon as it sees that, what happens? Our defilements are gone. Then, when defilements are gone, there's nothing to cling to again. One doesn't cling. If you say there's nothing to cling to, you don't cling. Now, one grasps an object because one takes it that there is something there. Nicca saññā (perception of permanence). What kind of perception? When one says it exists, then one gets caught. Then the Buddha shows that it's wrong. It happens because of a wrong view. When the view is purified, when wisdom arises, what happens? There's nothing to cling to there. Nothing to what? Nothing to cling to.

"Paññāyetaṃ pitīriyare." Then, "Yaṃ pana aniccaṃ, taṃ dukkhaṃ." Whatever is impermanent is suffering. One cannot dwell there. Suffering means one cannot dwell in that pain. Cannot dwell in what? Cannot stand firm. That is suffering. Next, "Sabbe dhammā anattā'ti." Then there is no "I" or "mine" there. It's not that there's nothing to grasp. So, there must be something to grasp. What happens? It's not grasped. That is wisdom. That is what? That is the path to Nirvana. That is Nirvana. It ends there. What happens there? The mind is restrained. There is nothing to exist there. It ends when one sees the truth. Seeing the truth means wisdom.

So, it's exactly like this. If we take a mirage, in a mirage, there's water, and we see water. In a desert or on roads, animals fall for it, but human beings have the ability to understand that mirage, don't they? Then they chase after the water and get exhausted. What happens? They get exhausted running. Now, as human beings, we know this is a mirage. There's no real water, this happens due to a certain phenomenon. Do we even need to think like that about a mirage? Do we need to go search for water in a mirage, investigate it, and then understand it? Do we need to understand it like that? What is a mirage? Nothing like that can be found there. That's understanding. That is what? Understanding. Nothing like that can be gained there.

Now, when you say a banana tree, do you need to look for its core again? If someone looks for the core of a banana tree, what do you call them? Foolish. A banana tree means it doesn't have a core. What doesn't it have? What happens in the temple itself? It doesn't have a core. It's the same with wisdom. Wisdom is a vision, a seeing.

You don't need to think of impermanence again. These words have been coined by the Buddha for us to understand. This initially helps with reflection. However, when we speak of wisdom, it's not a mere label of "wisdom" that's struck on the mind. It ends with the direct vision itself. There, the three words "impermanent, suffering, non-self" don't give rise to a concept. What doesn't arise? A vision. A seeing. It's just given a name. And for that, there aren't stories like Dārucīriya being a Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmi, Anāgāmi, or Arahant. It's directly what? The Arahant, the Arahant, the path to Nibbana, a path to Nibbana was preached, a way to train, "Sikkhi-tabba," a way to train was taught. That way, the thought flowed. What happened? The complete path to Nibbana was completely extinguished, that's all. When wisdom arises, there's nothing new. So, when we use it in common parlance, we call it wisdom. It's an understanding. What to do? So now, it's an understanding. We can't forcibly gain it, can we? We can think forcibly, we can reflect on these things, but we cannot forcibly gain wisdom. It must arise. It must arise. Now, the sun must rise in the early morning for darkness to disappear. And when the sun rises, there's no label saying, "Oh, the sun has risen, now darkness is disappearing," is there? It's an event. What happens? An event. So similarly, we can help ourselves with that. That's what helps. Wisdom is a result of causes. Wisdom is a result of a cause. So for that, Yoniso manasikāra (wise reflection) and kalyāna-mittatā (noble friendship) are the aids. There is no other aid. When ayoniso manasikāra (unwise reflection) and ignoble association combine, what happens? Then, what happens? One cannot even understand that one is covered by ignorance. One cannot grasp it.

Now, when one meets a noble friend, they speak the excellent True Dhamma. They show the Buddha's teachings. Then, one wisely reflects on it in that way. Not in the way one wants, but one reflects in the way it is taught. One understands. So, when one reflects in that way, with that help, wisdom arises. When wisdom arises, what happens? The river of craving dries up completely. Then, he asks some more beautiful questions beyond that. "Paññā-ceva satī-ceva nāmarūpañca mārisa." Now, if you say you understood this, if you say I understood what I'm teaching now, right? Then I'm the one who has understood it. This is not something to be understood. What is there to understand? If there is something for me to understand, the work here is finished. Now, what happens? There is something to understand. Because it gives us a hint to understand this. This is how the river of craving flows. This is how it happens. So, when this is understood in terms of its practical application, one is still clinging to the object, one has still asserted oneself. This must always be understood. What is there? There is something to understand here. There is something to unravel. Like that. "Paññā-ceva satī-ceva nāmarūpañca mārisa, etaṃ me puṭṭho pabbrūhi kattaṃ uparujjhati." Wisdom, mindfulness, and Nāma-rūpa (mind-and-matter). Now, Nāma-rūpa was a word used at that time to name forms. "Nāma-rūpa, O Venerable One, explain this to me, when asked: How is it stopped permanently?" It is extinguished in such a way that it never arises again, that suffering is gone. That is his wisdom. Now he is focusing as described. He is subjected to Yoniso manasikāra. When that happens, he sees that wisdom is a result of a cause. There is a law of cause and effect even there. Even there, wisdom arises. It becomes a vision. One attains understanding through it. Okay, and mindfulness, all of them are Nāma-rūpa. So then, I think even the Buddha feels joy. Such profound wisdom, such deep questions, not everyone asks them, do they? They don't have the knowledge or wisdom to ask such questions. In a dispensation, only one or two like this arise.

"Yame taṃ paññāpaññaṃ apucchi Ajita taṃ vadāmite, yatrā nāmañca rūpañca asesaṃ uparujjhati, viññāṇassa nirodhena etaṃ uparujjhati." Ajita, you have now questioned this wisdom. I will explain it to you. Where name and form are completely extinguished, it is extinguished by the cessation of consciousness. So, here, there is no need to think about unestablished consciousness. What happens? When an object is known, wisdom arises, and then consciousness itself, consciousness means special knowing, it is enlightened. But even there, there is some kind of formation. What is there? A formation. Now, the Buddha says such direct experience... consciousness, it's called Nāma. The Buddha speaks of feeling, perception, volitional formations as Nāma. Feeling, perception, volition, life. Those things. Mental formations, form, object, object, form, object. So, because of that, consciousness arises. The Naḷakalāpa Sutta says that consciousness arises because of name and form, and name and form arise because of consciousness. These two rotate to create this cycle of existence. So, you haven't seen the Naḷakalāpa Sutta, have you? It's like two bundles of reeds supporting each other. So, with the help of each other, it describes how this cycle of existence continues. If one falls, the other falls. So, similarly, with the cessation of consciousness, name and form cease. Then that vision is also finished. That's also finished. There's a word in the Dhamma called unestablished consciousness (apratiṭṭhita-viññāṇa), which doesn't get established. That means, in one place, the Buddha shows, to Dārucīriya, if you train in that way, you are neither here, nor there, nor in between. Neither on that side nor on this side. It establishes those four. Four, there is no such establishment. It cannot be established. It does not get established. Consciousness disappears in that way.

Now, if we try to understand this, it's wrong. You have to understand it for yourself. You don't know it. It's something to experience. Oh, there's something to wisely investigate here. There's something to discover here. There's a teaching of the Buddha here. So, if wisdom arises from there, one can realize it directly. "Yato saṅkhatā ca dhammā, sekkhāpabbaveda, tesaṃ nipako iriyaṃ, puṭṭho'si pabbhimārisa." Next, he asks about the one who is training. "Tell me, O Venerable One, about the wise conduct of those who are still training in the Buddha's dispensation." So now he asks about the person who is training, the sekha person. He also asks about the person who has completed training, the Arahant. Then he says, the one who is training is not greedy for sensual objects. He does not cling to sensual objects. Sensual objects mean, for us, it's always the five sensual pleasures. Every form seen by the eye is a sensual pleasure. Sounds heard by the ear are sensual pleasures. If one is greedy for them, one goes searching for them. One becomes greedy for consuming them. There's no problem with consuming food, is there? We can't live without eating, can we? We can't live without clothes, can we? We can't live without medicine, can we? Those are sensual objects. But if we are greedy for them and try to accumulate them, if we don't have them, time will pass like it does for ordinary people. We cannot call that person "training." Right? The ordinary person, the puthujjana, spends their time on that. But the sekha person, the one who is training on the path to Nibbana, refers to the Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmi—the one training in that process, the one striving to understand the truth, the one training in the Buddha's path—what happens? They only consume those things. "Paribhuñjati." So, it says, there is no greed for sensual objects. No disturbance in the mind that never arose. "Kāmesu nābhijjhāye, manasā na vilosaye. Kusalo sabbadhammānaṃ, sato bhikkhu paribbaye." The Buddha concludes the sutta by saying that every training person skillfully behaves in all things and spends their time mindfully. The concluding phrase, "manasā na vilosaye," means there is no mental disturbance. What is there? An Arahant has no disturbance. It cannot be grasped. What happens? There is no disturbance. The reason for that is everything is finished.

So, because of that, you need to reflect more and more on this discourse. You need to investigate more and more. It's not "I understood, I understood, I understood." What happens? You have heard it. What have you done? You have heard it. You still need to strive to experience it, word by word. For that, what do you do? You need to memorize those words. You need to understand the meaning correctly. After hearing it, you need to wisely investigate it. What was said? Where are we now? Then it's right. The questions Ajitha asked there, in the Parāyana Vagga, similar questions are asked. There, there is the solution to our understanding, to our problem. It's there, very beautifully. So, because of that, Ajitha, who came as a human being and attained Arahantship, that discourse is profound. His skill was that he wisely investigated as the Buddha said. What did he do? He wisely investigated. He has that much skill in thinking. Now, people are not like that; their thinking skill is low. They are skilled at thinking about unnecessary things. They are unskilled at thinking about the Dhamma, about reality. Unskilled in the Noble Dhamma. So, because of that, if it's about reality, when one wisely reflects, reality emerges. Wisdom arises. What happens with wisdom? The river of craving becomes calm, as the Buddha showed. So, because of that, it might take 10 years. It might take 15 years. It might take one year. But if one strives with that process, what happens? One's great fire is extinguished. What happens? A fire is extinguished.

So now, a hundred percent thought about fire. Otherwise, you first need to find out what fire is. What is fire burning? What does it mean for the eye to be burning? What does the Āditta Pariyāya Sutta (Fire Sermon) say about the ear burning? What does it mean for consciousness to be burning? Isn't that what needs to be extinguished now? Now, what is the great fear of suffering in this world? Do you truly have such a fear of suffering? Do you feel that? Now, people who fear missiles falling from above, they feel that, don't they? Do you feel that you are caught in this suffering? If something happens, suffering bursts out. That's what's inside. It's based on suffering. Right? It's understood by words. What is understood by words needs to be understood through life. If you understand it through your life, within yourself, then what happens to this Dhamma being spoken? It helps you on the path to Nibbana. Otherwise, it's just a few mere words. So, then you'll just think it's good that you heard it. There's nothing else. So, these mere words go beyond that. That's why it was said, how much is there in the Buddha's discourses to highlight, so that our misunderstanding vanishes, the way of thinking, the way of conceptualizing, is within it.

Now, if you go and look at the Āditta Pariyāya Sutta, if you don't understand what it says, then ask. Only when you ask will you understand. Otherwise, if you don't know the fire, and you don't know you're burning, no one will strive to extinguish it, will they? If one is suffering, even in the ordinary world, one takes medicine. If one is sick, so one looks for the fire. When one looks for that fire, one sees the truth, doesn't one? One starts to understand that the teaching of the Tathāgata is true. The Buddha's teaching, what the Buddha said, is true. So, because of that, strive to seek this. If you strive and ask, then I too can come and clarify. Just like you help with cooking, I help with this. And that help is without any expectation of asserting oneself, thinking, "I do this work, others don't." There's a word called nissaraṇa adhyāśaya (intention for liberation). One does something with the intention for liberation. One does it without expectation. Otherwise, if you come to the point of thinking, "He does it, she does it, I don't," what happens? You assert yourself, and what happens? There's no benefit for yourself. No benefit for the place. No benefit for others. You will never benefit from it. When you assert yourself, there's no way to benefit, is there? The world. Now, look at the final result, the world has not benefited. There's no benefit in asserting oneself. The environment is destroyed, lives are destroyed, countries are destroyed—that's the final result, isn't it? There's no benefit. In the dispensation too, asserting oneself within the dispensation is shown by the Buddha as a decline of the dispensation.

So, because of that, be a good person. A good person means one who listens to the Dhamma of good people and trains in it. Don't be an ignoble person. Now, even though we teach these things here, the ignoble person emerges from this. The ignoble quality emerges from that person, and they become a victim of it and are destroyed by it. One must know how not to be like that. Now, in the Gola Sutta, the Buddha shows a dog tied with a chain, like a leash. The dog can only go within the limits of the chain. What does that mean? What does the Gola Sutta try to show? We are also like that. From everything we hear, see, and perceive, we assert our "self." What do we do? So, it only revolves within that. The dog can only jump and revolve within the length of the chain. It can do everything within that limit. Now, why has the Buddha taught this Dhamma? To break the chain. To break what? To break the chain. The chain is what is taken as "self." Break that place where that wrong understanding goes.

So, because of that, an Arahant, a deity came and asked, "Shouldn't these monks strive to become Anāgāmis? If a fire starts, it should be extinguished." So, what is needed for that? One should strive to see the Sakkāya-diṭṭhi (identity view) and the Sakkāya-nirodha (cessation of identity). Then it's right. From there, the process can be discussed. Now, for those who have attained contact, the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (Discourse on the Characteristic of Non-Self) is preached there. Otherwise, discussion about the three characteristics is useless. Because for the ordinary person, it is always understood as permanent, pleasurable, and self. Only for a Sotāpanna person does it barely become understood as impermanent, suffering, and non-self; they don't take it as permanent. The ordinary person always takes conditioned phenomena as permanent and self. Therefore, only after becoming a Sotāpanna, after understanding this wrong process of taking something as "self," does the discussion for further bringing forth that three-characteristic wisdom exist. So, the Buddha says not to be anxious about that. What should one strive for? Like breaking that dog's chain, the self emerges from everywhere. The self emerges even from a word heard, from a Dhamma verse. The self emerges even from work done. The self emerges even from what is thought. That's what one clings to. This self keeps emerging. One goes along with it.

You have heard the Dhamma, the Noble Dhamma, with mindfulness and wisdom. Now, one needs to train in the Noble Dhamma. When one trains, without many days, the chain breaks and goes away. What happens? As soon as the Dhamma is properly and wisely investigated, wisdom arises. As soon as wisdom arises, what happens? It's not that one becomes a Sotāpanna. The wrong view of taking something as "self" is understood. What happens? That's called the Sotāpanna Fruition. It's not something one gets. The wrong view of "self" that was learned is understood. Now, wasn't the discourse started from there? Where did it start? From the person named Māgandhiya saying he saw something he didn't see, heard something he didn't hear, and called the Buddha "the one who proclaims destruction." Who? The Buddha is not one who proclaims destruction, he rectifies the mistake. What happens? He rectifies the mistake, that's all.

So, because of that, these discourses that are being given now, listen to them often. Like children, write them down and listen and understand them. There is something to understand there. It's not something that is merely understood. What is there? Something to understand. Something to wisely investigate. Something to realize directly. Therefore, one should dedicate one's life to that. If one simply does what comes, then it will be extinguished. To be extinguished does not mean that one is extinguished. One receives the results, doesn't one? Here, a fire is extinguished. What is extinguished? It is extinguished completely, without remainder.

So, because of that, now after some time passes, a monastic ego arises, doesn't it? "Oh, I have been ordained for so long, and it's like this." No, that's wrong. What should arise? If monastic results are to arise, the tree should bear fruit, the fruits should be heavy. Humility should increase, pride should decrease. Then one should be happy in helping common work, common things. We help someone. Now, my expectation, truly, as I told the sir, I don't need that money. I don't take even a rupee of the children's money, and it's no use to me. Right? That's what I told the sir. The sir might even run out of money by the time this is finished. Sir, you take the money. The electricity bills, data bills, and the money for food and drink, sir said that's enough for me. I don't mind if there are 100 or 500 children there. I don't seek profit from it. What do I not seek? I don't seek profit. So, I know it best, Revata, you know they give you money. I don't ask for it, do I? So, if he puts it there, it's no use to him. He spends it like that, so it's convenient for me. Convenient means, as we use it, the sir pays it off, doesn't he? And the sir paid even before this came. So, it's a big benefit for us. Otherwise, we wouldn't even strive to pay the electricity bills and data bills. That person is doing a great service to us. Now, how can he help us back from what he earns? I teach him these Dhamma points. He can't help me back from that, can he? It's useless to stay. He also has everything else. So, he helps us.

So then, to those children, I'm like this, those children there are intelligent children. You saw their effort, didn't you? In their ordinary lives, they are doctors. From the perspective of Dhamma, that's not very useful. But from the perspective of the world, it's a big thing, isn't it? It's better to be like that in a country than to be destroyed by drugs. And also, listen to at least one Dhamma verse that has been given. That's all. Someday, they too will find solace in it for humanity. If the Buddha had thought, "My freedom will be lost," he wouldn't have had to walk barefoot to the forest or to the royal palace; he could have stayed peacefully. That way of thinking is completely wrong. What is wrong? If one's freedom is lost, it should be lost. It's one's own freedom. Whose freedom? One asserts oneself with freedom. So, that which is lost. No problem at all. In the Vinaya Piṭaka, it is said that when someone comes to ordain, they don't get to listen to these discourses. In the past, they would listen very little. They would say, "Do small tasks, do big tasks." They would dye the Sangha's robes, wash the robes. Those are the things they would do. They would give medicine to the sick. It would take seven or eight years in those days to hear a Dhamma verse. He would listen to it. It's said, like in the Māgandhiya Sutta, "I will stay even for four years." Ah, that's why there is patience. Why do we listen to such a Dhamma? To get a result. If one's fire is there, it is extinguished. We haven't had the opportunity to hear such a Dhamma.

So, when someone like that helps, when it goes out, one understands that when you are in some place, you need to clean that place. Then you can find out whether he has freedom or not. It's a very basic thing. Just as it was said, someone said, "I will go for alms, Venerable Sir." I said, "You can go for alms." That's a very unfitting word. There's nothing like that now. The Buddha preached to Dārucīriya while on his alms round; he didn't tell him to wear a robe and come. He didn't tell him to wear a robe and come. Now, for the person who is teaching this process of understanding ego, when one loses oneself, one should not feel happy. Ah, "Good, today I am giving this person this hut, take wisdom from here." That's what the dispensation is about. Haven't you heard that Rahula Thero, the Buddha's son from his lay life, Siddhartha? Many people came to Jetavanārāma. The Sangha was numerous. People were sleeping in his hut. But he thought, "I shouldn't disturb them." So, now, when they ask for huts, they just go. He didn't ask quickly. He went to the toilet and stayed there. He didn't tell anyone, "Someone is sleeping in my hut," or "this and that." He stayed there, and in the morning, the Buddha saw him because he went to the toilet. Otherwise, no one would have known. He wouldn't even have said it. He probably did such things many times before. The dispensation is like that. It's about giving what you have to others and being happy about it. The ordinary world is about establishing one's status. Others consuming, you are selling out of stock. You need to quickly bring rice because otherwise, during this virus, we won't have food, will we? What is that? That is about making a part for oneself. That's the ordinary person. What is the dispensation? It's about giving what you have and being happy. Making sacrifices. Sacrifices help one's practice. Receiving such an opportunity is like receiving a treasure. How much is there? How many things are there in this dispensation? Like Venerable Sāriputta said at one time, what was it like? Now, Venerable Sāriputta doesn't say his freedom was lost, does he? He was accused, "He took me along, thinking I was a fool for alms." An old monk thought that. So, Venerable Sāriputta didn't know that, did he? So, he left him. That day, during alms, the Buddha was accused by that angry monk. When he was accused, what did he say? What did he say? "I live like a hornless bull." A hornless bull cannot gore anyone, can it? Cannot gore, no. It's broken. Like a rogue youth. So, it was understood that one does not seek respect or a place in society. One does not seek respect or a place. Like a rogue youth. That's why that person, because he didn't know the wisdom of Venerable Sāriputta, accused him like that. It means he didn't even reveal that much to anyone. When he came to help someone to attain Sotāpanna fruition, to understand themselves, he didn't go around saying, "The Buddha said this with wisdom, so I'm composed like this." That's the nature of this dispensation. The practice of the dispensation is to help others and not even hint that one has helped. No one needs to know that "I did this." Now, some people help in such a way that others know, "I'm the one who's doing this." Then there's what? There's dishonesty. Again, one asserts oneself with a dishonest cunning. That's not what the dispensation is about. One makes such sacrifices, and no one knows. If someone happens to see it or if it becomes known by chance, then it's known. Otherwise, in this dispensation, how many monks have lived like that, making sacrifices and never letting it be known? How many are there? No one knows those things. No one knows that someone gave a hut, gave food, gave alms for others. So, because of ayoniso manasikāra, what happens to them? They think, "It's a crime to give away my dwelling place. When children come, I lose my freedom." Now, if they had freedom, true freedom, no one could take it away, could they? They don't have the wisdom to think like that. Now, if we had true freedom, could anyone take it away? Right? Now, in that verse, it was said that it's a word that doesn't tremble. What happens? It's unshakable. The sages are unshakable. So, it cannot be destroyed even by cutting off limbs. What can't it be destroyed by? Cutting off hands and feet, dropping bombs, atomic bombs—those are the sounds. Even those things won't be destroyed. So, if freedom is lost in such a dispensation, that loss is good, isn't it? Why? Because that freedom is not real; it's some fabricated, false opinion that one has created, calling it freedom.

So, because of that, here, seclusion means what you need to do for yourself. Now, how much is there on other days? One does that work. To do work means there's nothing else to discourse on, is there? To go and learn other things means it only helps ayoniso manasikāra. It's useless. Take me as an example. I don't try to learn any of those things; it's useless. Why? Now, I look at the suttas again. What happens there? There's a lot there. That's what is to be done for extinguishing purposes, to help someone. That's the word of the Buddha. What do you do with other things? Now, if someone goes, I said, "Okay, if you like it, I won't hinder you." No problem. But what is there is to hold this noble psychology in hand and go learn a beggarly Dhamma. Psychology is this. Even one Dhamma verse is better than learning it as a theory. Now, recite the Kaccāyanagotta Sutta. Recite the Gola Sutta. If you understand it, just by looking at it, immersing yourself in it, investigating its meaning, and wisely examining it, that's enough. You don't need to come like me, researching the Tripitaka. But if you have a good memory, there's no point in remembering anything else, is there? There's no point in looking at anything else either. Even if you look occasionally, don't be too greedy for them. Being greedy is useless. If that happens, you get caught up in them. You are drawn to them. You become stingy about them. Then, to understand that you are covered by ignorance, what happens now? It's negligence, isn't it? Because of negligence and stinginess, you don't even understand that you are covered. Then, what happens when diligence and stinginess decrease? Ignorance is not understood. A process for knowledge to arise is created. Ignorance is the opposite of knowledge, isn't it? Wisdom is there. A process for wisdom to arise is created. Now, you were able to discuss this at this time because of something like that, weren't you? Now, there's a desire to earn money at this time. If you were stuck with those things, you couldn't come here and have a Dhamma discussion, could you? Why? Now, we tell people to come, and our people still listen to sermons. Come. Can you come to discuss at this time? No. They are with negligence and stinginess. Even if they want to come, they can't. Why, then, the process? Now, with this process, as soon as you talk here, you can come. As soon as you talk, you can come.

Isn't that also due to a small measure of diligence that it happens? Right? Isn't it due to sacrifice? Because of that, there are many people suffering in this world now. They have at least a little bit of wisdom. They desire, they like to do this. Now they fully understand that they are trapped, that they are stuck. They roughly understand the fire. They understand the attachments and the restlessness. But now, what happens? They are stuck in responsibilities. Stuck in what? In responsibilities. They can't come. Even when they think of coming, time is not enough, a lifetime is not enough. When merit arises, they think, "Oh, then they come searching, they come occasionally." They listen to discourses. Even listening is useless.

Just now, I spoke with someone who had listened to every discourse continuously for about seven years. They had understood it in a completely different way. Now, only then did that person understand, "Oh, isn't that what the discourse is?" After that, he said, "Oh my, what foolish thing have I been doing for seven years? What have I been listening to?" So, because I spoke to him, I was able to show him his mistake, "Oh, isn't this the mistake?" And he immediately had the ability to understand it. He had the ability. So, it's like that, merit is unknown. Now, when I talk with the people here, I understand their shortcomings. Then I tell them. So, they can let go of it. I know everyone.

So, because of that, now this dispensation, it's about not losing freedom, isn't it? What is done is done with great mindfulness and deliberation. One does not act without mindfulness and deliberation. One acts with mindfulness and deliberation. What does one do? One acts with mindfulness and deliberation. But they don't have a target for that. There's nothing like that. The work is done, finished. What do they have? What is being investigated with wisdom? What does it mean to walk? What does it mean to think? What does it mean to see? How does the self arise from that? How does one get caught in that? That wrong process, that's their aim. It's on the other side.

So, previously, now people face disappointment and other things with the first obstacle. Then they endure it, take help from others, become humble, and get up from it. Otherwise, if you are overcome by the mind, it's over. Overcome by what? Overcome by the mind. Now, after being overcome by the mind, one can't even lead an ordinary life, can one? One fails even in that. The spiritual life will certainly fail. So, because of that, these are mental states. Alright. We still have the Āditta Sutta. Now, the last four verses need to be explained again. There will be a time for that. I explained it earlier. Remind me of that sutta at another time to explain those parts. Alright. May all beings be well and happy in the Triple Gem.

Original Source (Video):

Title: අජිත සූත්‍රය | Ajitha Suttra | Thithtagalle Anandasiri Himi

https://youtu.be/9GouozF1oQ0?si=utSJKHWIEMX46tqH

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