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මුල් සිංහල වීඩියෝව සඳහා Play කරන්න
The Illusion of Consciousness | Dhamma Siddhi Thero
If we are unable to control the mind, the events occurring through the other sense bases will happen regardless. Is it not the mind that collates these stories and weaves them together? If someone feels, "I must do this," it is because that thought has become real to them. If it feels real, I act upon it. Consider a dream: within the dream, everything happens—even natural functions like urinating—and within that context, it is not a problem; it is simply what is destined to happen in that realm.
There are things that are destined to unfold. If Prince Siddhartha had not left his home and had stayed until his son Rahula grew up, would the character of a Buddha have ever emerged? No. We judge the situation, saying, "You are right because you left," or "You are wrong because you abandoned them." But in truth, that act of leaving is also like a dream. Those dreams occurred. To achieve the most successful result, one must let go at the most difficult point. It is when problems are severe that one can clearly see the danger and drawbacks (ādīnava). The person who sees this clearly, understands it, and escapes, has no desire to cling back to it for any reason.
Because the final experience is profound, if one simply lives a normal life, they might think, "Let us ordain." But once they are in the temple, they might lament, "Oh, my previous life was so much better; look at how showy it was," and desire to return. One must let go of everything. You wake up from the dream at the precise moment the mind craves, saying, "I want to do this, I want to see this." To wake up is to let go of everything.
To be awakened is to look at the world after having let go of everything. We have simply shifted our perspective. That person is free, this object is free, and I am free from that person. I have no sorrow. No one says, "Let's go back for a little while." If you go back, you get entangled. You must view everything else as having the nature of a dream. The Buddha spoke words to prove this: He taught that it is not consciousness (viññāṇa) that performs every action. When the eye opens, things are seen, but there is no substantial "thing" inside.
When looking at something, if there is no prior recognition, we do not know what it is. Even if there was a relevant recognition, if one has let go, it remains irrelevant. But if I am holding onto some concept, then the eye sees it. Is there no mouth? Is there no body? We say, "Listen to this," but is it truly the mouth that speaks, or is it the mind? If you observe the eye and these thoughts, you can complete the task. I do not attribute it to the mouth; I do not transfer the function to the sense bases. Even if I am silent today, the topic arises tomorrow. Even if I am silent tomorrow, the person brings it up the day after.
If we remain silent on a topic three or four times, does the mind bring it up again? No, we escape it. As the saying goes, "Silence is golden" (muniwata); otherwise, suffering increases on both sides. In another way, the Buddha explains that this is a dream. He says that consciousness (viññāṇa) is a magician. It creates and projects images for that specific moment. It is not something that truly exists; it is a projection.
If it truly existed as a solid entity, consider this example. Take a family member, for instance, a mother. We say, "Look who is coming, it is Mother; go and hold her hand." If you ask the husband, "Who is this?" he says, "It is my wife." If you ask the children or relatives, they say, "It is my sister" or "It is my daughter." Then, if you tell the child, "Take your mother and go," and the mother is taken away, what happens to the 'wife' or the 'sister'?
It is the same physical body. However, if there are ten people looking at her, they see ten different individuals. Yet, it is just one person standing there. In reality, no one sees the person who is actually there. What they see is not the real entity. They do not all see the same person. What is seen is not what is present; it is not what truly exists. There is something else entirely. This is the nature of illusion (māyā)—the quality of creating and projecting. It is consciousness (viññāṇa) that does this.
So, how is each person's consciousness formed? It is shaped by the memories they have stored in the past. That is why one person identified her as "Mother." The child does not go and say, "My wife." No, they say what they have stored. One person projects one label, another projects a different one. In truth, who are you? If we cannot designate you as a truly existing person, why do you give life to these various characters? In a sense, you are already dead.
Consider what you think of as "yours" in this physical world at this moment. Imagine we gather your entire crowd in a ground and say, "Go and hold the hand of the person you know." Like a game of blind man's bluff, they will somehow find and grab you. These are the people who have a piece of "you" stored within them; it is a concept they have created. But when you are here alone, hasn't that crowd dispersed? Yet, in that moment with them, you feel you must be responsible.
You think, "Ah, this is my person." Then, you must frown at those who deserve a frown. You must look with love at those who expect love. You must look with friendship at others. As you look at their faces, your own face changes. The way you look at a girlfriend is different; you cannot look at your mother in that same mode. You have to constantly adjust and change your perception.
In a single moment, you are acting out a multitude of characters. You switch from one to another with incredible speed. Within a split second, it produces reactions like a factory. Is it the people who were actually there who dictate this, or is it a pile of images you have created that responds? At that moment, there is a burden of maintenance; you feel responsible. You feel you must do something, even if it is just a glance. You feel you must answer.
I ask you: those people are now scattered all over Sri Lanka. Are you taking responsibility for them in this very moment? Will you take responsibility in the next? Even if you reach a point where you never take responsibility again for the rest of your life, they will seem to question you. But in truth, there is no one there to question you. It is you who questions yourself. What do you ask? "Does Mother not think about me? Does she not feel for me?"
"Are they looking for me?" You do not know. You say you are free, but are you truly free? Are you not just hiding aside falsely? You have not actually been liberated. I am speaking of true liberation. If you had truly stepped aside, even if the police came searching with dogs, it would be irrelevant to you. All this commotion lasts only for a week. After that, they return to their old, habitual modes and continue with their own madness.
Think of someone from your batch, perhaps a close friend. You might say, "Friend, he is not around. I do not know where he went. We called his home, but no answer. We even told the police, but they cannot find him. Maybe he went abroad." Even if he is working somewhere else or has moved on, no one knows. He is put aside. Various stories circulate. Then, what happens? The interest fades away.
You do not search for him. No one goes looking. People do not even consider whether such a person existed. This exact same process happens within a family. Now I ask you, are you not free? You have that crowd of people you speak of; I have a crowd too. But where are they now? To remove one person from your life is to remove one problem. To remove ten people is to remove ten problems.
To remove everything from your life is to remove all problems from your life. Who is maintaining these problems now? It is you. You might say, "Venerable Sir, these are huge problems, a massive pile." So, think a little. You have enjoyed life, you have danced this madness to the maximum. After doing all that, after living life to the fullest, you realize that it is all just a dream. That is the end.
You did all those things thinking there was some enjoyment in them. Indeed, there is a temporary, small pleasure; I am not saying there isn't. But, once you throw all of that into the dustbin and liberate yourself, the relief is like a perpetual high, far greater than any intoxicant. You do not need to be there anymore. You do not need to fear the police. That is why the Buddha taught us to let go of everything. Even God says to let go of everything to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. This freedom is the Kingdom of Heaven. Are you afraid to accept it?
Original Source (Video):
Title: විඤ්ඤාණ මායාව | @parawarthana69
https://youtu.be/qkg1isDWfOg?si=VqBnHH1au1nkMjP3
Disclaimer
The translations shared on this blog are based on Dhamma sermons originally delivered in Sinhalese. They have been translated into English with the help of AI (ChatGPT & Gemini AI), with the intention of making these teachings more accessible to a broader audience.
Please note that while care has been taken to preserve the meaning and spirit of the original sermons, there may be errors or inaccuracies in translation. These translations are offered in good faith, but they may not fully capture the depth or nuance of the original teachings.
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