Beyond the Extremes of 'Is' and 'Isn't' | Dhamma Siddhi Thero

මුල් සිංහල වීඩියෝව සඳහා Play කරන්න

Beyond the Extremes of 'Is' and 'Isn't' | Dhamma Siddhi Thero 

A Note on the Source Text: This translation was prepared from a transcript of the original video recording. As the source transcript may have contained inaccuracies, there may be variations between this text and the original audio, particularly in the spelling of personal names, the titles of Suttas, and the rendering of Pali verses.

Disciple:

Venerable Sir, these two extremes of 'outside' and 'inside'—are they both ultimately created through this very process of attention (manasikāra)?

Siddhi Thero:

Yes.

 

Disciple:

As perceptions (saññā) arise, one can see that two sides have been formed.

Siddhi Thero:

Yes, an 'outside' and an 'inside' do not exist anywhere in reality. This needs to be properly understood. When I explain this, I speak of two things: the internal (ajjhatta) and the external (bahiddha)—or 'inside' and 'outside'. And so, once this is understood, you are liberated from that entire concept of 'outside' and 'inside'. All the words we use in our Dhamma talks are merely tools. They are used to point something out, to help someone understand, or to provide a support. Beyond that, there is no inherent truth in any of those words.


Disciple:

As this is being constructed in the mind, and the two sides become apparent within that process, eventually the entire construction simply dissolves.

Siddhi Thero:

Yes. And so, in that moment, there is nothing to be established. There is no place to stand. Is there a being, a person, a thing, or a place to be found? No.


Disciple:

Venerable sir the idea of 'doing something from here to there' or 'looking from here at something over there'—ultimately, what is all that? It’s just a story constructed from a single subject matter, right here.


Siddhi Thero:

In reality, there is no story there at all. There is simply a moment, and the activity within that moment. We create a story about it. And when that story ends, the matter is finished. Then we pick up another story. Perhaps it's a story about animals. Or a story about clouds. Then a story about liberation (Nibbāna). Then a story about the ocean. We just keep on talking. Whatever is present in that moment, we sustain it with a story.


Disciple:

Venerable sir, I would like to get ordained. Can we get ordained over there venerable sir?


Siddhi Thero:

Well, it's like this. For now, I have no intention of ordaining anyone. Many people are eager to be ordained. However, before that can happen, we need to establish a proper place, don't we? It’s like when a stray dog has a litter of puppies on the street; it can become a burden to the entire community. Similarly, there needs to be a stable place. The necessary requisites and facilities for them must be in place. There is a great deal involved in that, you see.

Disciple:

Indeed.


Siddhi Thero:

That is why we are striving to create a place called the 'Uththaravimana'. That project is still underway. So, at a time when its work is complete, it will be possible for people to join and be ordained. In the meantime, if you find another place that feels right in your heart, you should go there and enter the monastic life.

Disciple:

There might have been a longing from long ago, a very strong desire thinking, 'This is what I must do.' But now, as the Dhamma is understood, one eventually realizes that this desire, too, is just a feeling.

Siddhi Thero:

Ultimately, yes. For a person who has realized this Dhamma, the easiest way to live is the monastic life (pabbajjā). The Buddha established the monastic life for this very purpose. It is not for attaining liberation (Nibbāna). It is for those who have already realized it to live with ease. If someone enters this Dispensation (Sāsana) with the goal of attaining liberation, I would say they are likely to be unsuccessful. What I mean is, liberation is not something you can find simply by coming inside of this structure. Instead of struggling, trying all sorts of different things, and chasing after experiences, I say it is far easier to realize this while living your current life. After all, one encounters a great many of life's experiences within the lay life, doesn't one? Therefore, while remaining in that context, it is quite possible to realize something with great ease.


Disciple:

Yes, Venerable sir.


Siddhi Thero:

And once you have that realization, you must feel like a monastic even while at home. In your home life, you should feel, 'I am not a layperson; I am a monastic.'

 

Disciple:

That is the truth.


Siddhi Thero:

The day you formalize this, you simply come to a monk and request the three robes. That’s all there is to it.


Disciple:

When we are transacting with the world, there is that element of friction, of colliding with the world, isn't there? Now, as the Dhamma is understood more and more, the mind begins to see the nature of what is called 'worldly' (lokiya). The mind then wants to be free. As it gradually becomes free from every single thing it was bound to, there is an immense sense of freedom.

Siddhi Thero:

Yes. But it's not that there are two separate things: you and 'being freed'. What you realize is that this 'worldliness' is simply a mentality. You come to see, 'I have been mentally maintaining all these things, people, and activities, clinging to them, entangled with them.' You understand that it wasn't your body that was wrestling with all these things for so long—it was your own mind. From that point on, with that very realization, the struggle we speak of subsides. After that, you are free from the old mentality you used to maintain things with. If you wish, you can remain in that state of realization, free from that mentality, and continue to engage with the world.


Disciple:

Yes, Venerable sir. It is that mental guise, that struggle, that gradually subsides.


Siddhi Thero:

After all, Prince Siddhartha also sought liberation (Nibbāna) to solve such a mental problem, not because of some physical discomfort his body was experiencing.


Disciple:

The sensations this little body feels will naturally be felt. It is in its nature to experience those things until the very end.

 

Siddhi Thero:

It is pointless for us to worry about that, because we are not the ones who created it. In my sermons, I often say that this isn't a body we acquired by filling out an application form, requesting, “Please give me an eye that can see this well,” “Give me an ear with these features,” or “Give me a pair of legs that can run this fast.” This is something that has arisen from the nature of existence.

The problem of ‘I’ or ‘what is this’ is not found inside the body. Rather, it is as if a hungry ghost (peta) has possessed it from the outside and is now performing a frantic dance.


Disciple:

It suffers over this, it rejoices over that, but when you look at it from an ultimate perspective, absolutely nothing has actually happened.

Siddhi Thero:

Now, I am not saying that nothing has happened at all. Of course, various things have been taking place all this time, haven't they?


Disciple:

Yes. Because of our ignorance (avijjā), our lack of understanding, we grasp at things, thinking, ‘Something happened.’

Siddhi Thero:

However, to say that ‘nothing happened at all’ is to be ensnared by ignorance just the same.

Disciple:

Venerable sir, how can that be?

Siddhi Thero:

Yes, that is precisely my point. Many people who believe they have understood the Dhamma first go and get stuck in that other extreme. They fall into the notion that ‘nothing has happened; all of this is nothing, nothing, nothing.’ This is called the annihilationist view (ucchedavāda diṭṭhi). One must become free from that as well.


Disciple:

Yes, Venerable Sir. The moment you say ‘nothing happened,’ aren't you once again grasping the whole lot of it?

Siddhi Thero:

Yes. First, you construct an 'I', and only after that can you say, ‘Nothing happened to me,’ or ‘I am nothing.’ You construct a concept of 'nothingness.' Initially, the view was, ‘It happened. It has happened. It is happening.’ Then, without even realizing it, after hearing the Dhamma, some people get stuck in the idea of ‘nothing.’ ‘Nothing has happened.’ They create a side of 'non-existence.' The 'I' is still there in that.

 

Disciple:

It is the very same 'I' who does all of this.


Siddhi Thero:

That is why I say not to be in a hurry to be ordained; you must also see this side and become free from these views.

Disciple:

Venerable Sir, when we speak of the cessation of these arising perceptions (saññā nirodha), does it mean to live without being bound to this? That is how I have understood it.

Siddhi Thero:

Yes, but to live without being bound, the perceptions (saññā) are still there, aren't they? In that case, the perceptions have not ceased, have they?

 

Disciple:

No, they have not.

Siddhi Thero:

If I were to live without being bound to my wife, the wife would still exist, wouldn't she?


Disciple:

Yes, she would.

Siddhi Thero:

It is just like that. To say, ‘I will remain unbound by perceptions,’ implies that you are trying to remain unbound from a perception that is present. Therefore, there has been no cessation of perception (saññā nirodha). Here, cessation (nirodha) means the non-arising of it in the first place.


Disciple:

Non-arising.

 

Siddhi Thero:

Yes. So, if you are trying to remain unbound from perceptions that are still arising, that would require a great deal of effort, wouldn't it? Because they are arising, and you are actively trying not to be bound, not to cling to them.

 

Disciple:

Yes.

 

Siddhi Thero:

So what is being spoken of here is something different.

Disciple:

Venerable Sir, please clarify that point a little more.

Siddhi Thero:

What is important is the realization, the direct experience (paccakkha). Within this direct experience, you need to understand that the sense bases (āyatana) exist. Causes and conditions exist. Therefore, a corresponding activity occurs through the sense bases—the eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body. We accept that this activity occurs. We accept it, but without going into any activity with 'I' as the foundation, without reacting. When we do not react in that way, my transaction, my conflict with the sense bases comes to an end.

Then, one arrives at the state I was in as a tiny child.

Disciple:

Yes.

Siddhi Thero:

Back then, seeing just happened to me; hearing just happened to me. I didn't go to see or go to listen, did I?

Disciple:

No, I did not.


Siddhi Thero:

We return to that state. So, until then, what we must do through this methodology is this: while engaged in transactions with the world through the sense bases, observe to what extent I become attached to them or averse to them. That is what you practice insight (vipassanā) on.

When we practice insight regarding attachment, we unknowingly end up at the other pole—aversion. Then, when you get to a point of trying to remain without aversion to anything, you still have 'something' and you still have 'I'. Then what happens? The other side is created.

Disciple:

Yes, yes, the extreme of nothingness then emerges.

Siddhi Thero:

Yes, indeed. This is why I always say not to be in a hurry, and that this nature of existence must be realized through life itself. This is why I repeatedly say this is a practical Dhamma. Now, you have already developed a certain intuition, about halfway there.

Disciple:

Indeed.

Siddhi Thero:

So, just keep observing to see what happens next. You can't see properly when you're running, can you? Just proceed slowly, at a pace where you're almost not moving, like someone in a procession. At that pace, if you just keep observing what this is, what these extremes are, and where we get caught—all those points will become very clear.

Disciple:

Indeed venerable sir.

Siddhi Thero:

When you feel agitated, understand who has gotten that agitation. It is because someone has become agitated.

Disciple:

Exactly.

Siddhi Thero:

In that very way, practice insight (vipassanā) within each moment as it arises. Then, after a while, someone might say, "My mind is free from all conflict. I am at peace." When you hear such a statement, you must question it. "Oh? What was that you said? You are at peace? Who is this ‘one’ who is at peace?" You must ask again. Then they will see, "Ah, I am caught. I am not truly at peace."

Disciple:

Yes, we don't realize how we get trapped in those very places.

Siddhi Thero:

That is why mindfulness (sati) is needed. Ultimately, this is a very beautiful game. Once you have played this game for a while, you arrive at a certain state. In the beginning, when we play a game, we are very focused, aren't we?

Disciple:

Indeed.

Siddhi Thero:

Otherwise, what happens is that a fault occurs somewhere, and the game is lost.

Disciple:

Yes, you fail.

Siddhi Thero:

Imagine a game like this: there are fruits hanging from above and a pit of fire below. I have to walk along a path in the middle. I get a certain number of points for the fruits, but if I fall into the fire, the game is over.

While playing, I have two concerns. One is that I need to get more points, and the other is that I must not fail the game. In that situation, the moment mindfulness is lost, I fall down. Do you understand what I'm saying?

Disciple:

Yes, yes.

Siddhi Thero:

You need to get points, and you also need to avoid failing. These two things. For someone who has played this game skillfully for some time, it becomes very natural. Without any problem, two things happen. First, the player becomes free from the idea, ‘I must get a high score.’ That is, ‘I don’t need to win.’

Disciple:

Indeed.

Siddhi Thero:

Do you see? As that desire wears away, the tendency to fall into the pit, the possibility of failing, also wears away.

Disciple:

Yes.

Siddhi Thero:

It diminishes. It wears away until a point comes when one can remain right in the middle without any effort at all. Do you understand? Then, for the rest of one's life, there is no problem. No discursive thoughts are constructed. The mind no longer torments you. A very beautiful way of life is established. Did you understand the example I gave? Those who know how to play games might understand it a little better.

Disciple:

In that state, you don't fall into the extremes. You don't lean toward either side.

Siddhi Thero:

Yes, in this way, a beautiful life of practice is established. And within that established way of life, there is none of what we call birth (jāti), aging (jarā), sickness (byādhi), and death (maraṇa). There is no sorrow (soka), lamentation (parideva), pain (dukkha), grief (domanassa), and despair (upāyāsa). However, the body one has is a creation of nature.

Disciple:

Indeed.

Siddhi Thero:

That body proceeds beautifully until its end. In the end, there is no 'being' or 'person' left to be judged, to continue on in the cycle of rebirth (saṃsāra), to be transferred to some divine realm, or anything of that sort. It is as if only the body shows up for the interview. The person had already died long before. Only the body went.

It's like the story of when a fully enlightened one (Arahant) attained final liberation (Parinibbāna), and Māra came looking for an address to send him to for his next life.

Disciple:

Yes.

Siddhi Thero:

Māra was convinced that he could certainly assign an address to this being. That is, to another existence. I cannot recall the name of that particular Arahant. So Māra searched and searched and searched, but could find nothing. The Buddha then declared that the monk was an Arahant.

Disciple:

Venerable Sir, it is when we discuss these things like this that our own shortcomings begin to appear again.

Siddhi Thero:

Yes, and then, if we fall back into the old track, we end up leaning on some corner somewhere.

Disciple:

Indeed.

Siddhi Thero:

That is why we bring these things up repeatedly. To live with mindfulness (sati).

Disciple:

Venerable Sir, is it the individual's own nature that is ultimately encountered?

Siddhi Thero:

Yes. For a time, we exist with the nature of an animal. For another period, we have the qualities of a hungry ghost (peta), don't we? Then, for a time, having heard the Dhamma, what happens? We ascend to a divine nature, surpassing the human nature. At another time, that same mind ascends to a Brahma-nature. At yet another time, that nature becomes a Buddha-nature.

But if someone there grasps it, thinking, 'This mind is mine, it is I who am going through this,' then the Buddha-nature is not there. Only someone at a lower level of being experiences a 'self' or an 'other'. In truth, one only 'meets' a Buddha from a lower state of being. We cannot become a Buddha and then talk about being a Buddha.

For some, their perfections (pāramitā) are fulfilled, and they can hear the path very clearly. When they hear the words, they feel it and understand it well. They have momentary realizations. However, their perfections may not yet be strong enough to attain direct knowledge (paccakkha ñāṇa), the unshakable knowledge (akampā ñāṇa). For them, we prescribe the general practices, such as cultivating the ten wholesome actions (dasa kusala) and so on.

Disciple:

Indeed, Venerable Sir. It must be some shortcoming that is obscuring this.

Siddhi Thero:

Absolutely. It is from one's own shortcomings that this deficiency becomes apparent.

Original Source (Video):

Title: ඇත - නැත අන්තද්වයෙන් ඔබ්බට | ‪@parawarthana69‬

https://youtu.be/CT9kSnFAEPg?si=J-HwPG5j3N8olnvR

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