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Venerable Sayadaw U Kosala (Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw) 1913-2002

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Biography:

“Biography of The Most Venerable Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw Bhaddanta Kosala”
By Daw Khin Mya Mya


The future Mahathera of Shwe Oo Min forest meditation center was born at Mukkhamu village, Kyaik hto township in the Mon state of Myanmar on the Myanmar era year 1275 (1913 C.E.), the 1st day after the full moon day of the month of Tawthalin (September), Monday at 5.00AM, to the parents of U Han and Daw Thai Khyoun. He was the eldest son among the five children.

At the age of 9, the young future Sayadaw entered the Order of Sangha as a novice at the Hman Kyaung monastery of Mukkhamu village, presided and officiated by the head abbot of the Hman Kyaung monastery, Bhaddanta Nandiya. The future Sayadaw was given the name Shin Kosala. In 1295 B.E., the future Sayadaw Shin Kosala, was fully ordained and became a noble Sangha at the Main Nyaung le bin forest monastery, Nyaung le bin township, Pegu division. His preceptor was the renowned head abbot, Bhaddanta Ariya Thera, who was a well-known Buddhist scholar, accredited with producing short and concise treatises on some chapters of the Buddhist Texts, lovingly known as Essence Treatises – A ya thar Treatises.

The future Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw had studied diligently all the basics as well as the higher learning of the Pali Texts (Tipitaka), Commentaries (Atthakatha) and Sub-Commentaries (Tika), under the tutelage of the late Bhaddanta Ariya Thera; the late Medini Sayadaw Bhaddanta Alara at the Kyauk kone forest monastery, Yan kin township, Yangon; and the late Nyaung le bin Taw ya kyaung Sayadaw of the Nyaung le bin forest monastery, Thahton township, Mon state. While residing as a student monk at these monasteries, he followed the day and night lectures on all aspects of the Buddhist Scriptures, learning and firmly absorbing all the details of the Pali Texts.

Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw stayed in the Taung paw Taw ya kyaung forest monastery, Shwe kyin township, Pegu division, practising meditation with Ya Kyaw Sayadawgyi of Pacchima-yon monastery, Kyaik lat township, Irrawady division. Then he went and learned the Satipatthana Vipassana meditation technique from the most Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw at Mahasi Sasana Yeiktha, Yangon. He stayed at the Yeiktha for ten years from 1313-1323 B.E. as one of the kamatthanacariyas. After that, he went to reside at Shwe Oo Min Tawya meditation center, Pu ywek hseik kone street, North Okkalapa. Sayadaw had established the Kyauk ai Tawya Dhammasukha Yeiktha in Paung township, Mon state in 1350 B.E. He established the Shwe Oo Min Tawya Dhammasukha Yeiktha in Padamya Ward, Mingaladon township in 1359 B.E. Many foreign Buddhists came there to undertake meditation practice under his guidance. Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw was well respected for his strict adherence to the Vinaya Discipilinary Rules, and for his excellent qualities of morality(Sila), concentration (Samadhi) and wisdom (Pañña), that the Sangha of Shwe kyin Nikaya appointed him as the most long-standing Mahanayaka.

At the age of ninety, of seventy vassas, the most Venerable Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw passed away at 3:30pm on the Wednesday, the 1st day of Waning month of Tazaung mone, 1364 B.E., (20th November 2002) at Shwe Oo Min Tawya Dhammasukha Yeiktha, Mingaladon. The cremation ceremony of his remaining khandha was taken place on 26th of November 2002.

Collection of dhamma talks given by the late Venerable Sayadaw U Kosala (Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw) in the year 2002.

In our Buddhists’ way of life, we are familiar with kusala. We all know that kusala brings forth harmlessness and blamelessness. We achieve mental and physical happiness through kusala. We know that kusala brings forth the happiness of wealth and prosperity, the fulfillment of one’s wants and needs. The noble ones, the virtuous ones praised those who had not forgotten kusala dhamma. The noble ones explained that kusala dhamma would bring forth all those benefits not only in this present life, but also in many future lives, these benefits enabling them to the practice of dana, sila, bhavana, leading them further towards magga bliss, phala bliss and finally the nibbana bliss. The noble ones earnestly admired the owner of these kusalas, declaring that only these worthy people would know and only these worthy people could manage to accumulate these profitable kusalas which would give forth all the advantages.

Today, that kind of worthy people are gathered here. The reason for this gathering is to offer dana, which can be done only at certain time of the year. The fruition coming out of dana kusala is wealth. The offering is to be done with sakkacca garava (respectfully, with due honor, reverence towards). Because you hold the great respect and courtesy towards Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, because your act of donation is done with respect and courtesy, the results generated from those kusalas are much more advantageous than that of some people. Some people even when in the process of donation, do so with careless flippancy, do not wish to do things themselves. Because they were not so courteous, the results achieved are not as advantageous; the others did in turn not treat them with courtesy. Sometimes, even though you are the master of the house, you have not much authority, not much influence in your household. Those who had offered dana with courtesy are able to exert authority and their words are obeyed respectfully in their households. Any dana brings forth wealth. In spite of that, sometimes the rich man may not have much influence over his family, but his wife; having donated with much courtesy holds authority in the family. Therefore we can see that due to our courteousness in our dana, we have one advantage of being well respected by lay people and monks alike. This is sakkacca dana.

The second type of dana is called saddha dana. One believes that, due to his meritorious actions (kusala), he will have (1) harmlessness, (2) bodily as well as mental well-being, (3) fulfillment of wealth and sukha in his future lives, (4) in turn leading towards the accomplishment of magga, phala and nibbana. Because he believes, his mind is very clear and joyous. He believes in the Buddha, he believes in the Dhamma, he believes in the Sangha. Sometimes, some people believe much more than the triple gems, don’t they? They believe in all sorts of deities, psychics, and seers, thinking of accumulating more merit. Do you think they will have much more advantages because they believe and worship in so much more? Communists also asked that why their belief in their leader Stalin could not be considered in the category of saddha. It seems like their belief in Kuan-Yin has to be included in the types of dana, is it? Anyway, the true saddha as defined by our Buddha is to have belief in the triple gems, the existence of kamma, and the effects of kamma. When a person donates with true saddha, as he was donating with right belief and with a clear and joyous mind, in addition to his reaping the result called wealth, he will have one more advantage than the others will. When it is time for his kusala to come into fruition, he will not only be rich; he will have very fine appearance (beauty). Because he has donated with clear belief and joyousness.

Thirdly, donating according to the timely need, such as offering robes at the beginning of vassa, offering kathina robes at the end of vassa, offering meals at the daily suitable time, offering drinks in the afternoon, those who understand this, those who are skillful at offering whatever is required at the necessary time; their kusala will come to fruition at their early ages. They will have plentiful of money at their early youthful age; they can enjoy their wealth early too. The good fortune comes at the age where they can do things with the full faculty of youth. They have plenty of time to expand their wealth, and so, they can donate, they can support the sasana well to their heart’s content. They can be successful at their dhamma missions. This is called kala dana, doing suitable dana at the right time. Audience here, you all have done that too, right? At mid day in hot summer time, you all might have offered candle lights to Buddha. In wintertime, you might have offered water bath to the Buddha, too. Doing remedial dana, Tuesday born offering water bath early in the morning at the Tuesday corner of the cetiya. Lucky you do that to the Buddha; if it were to human, I think the person would be trembling with cold! Do you think it will be considered as kala dana? I do not think so. When the weather is hot, offering cool air by waving a fan will be more appropriate, don’t you think? When Shwe Ceti Sayadaw went to India, when he reached the place where Buddha passed away entering parinibbana, he had tears in his eyes. He missed Buddha much. As though Buddha were alive and there in his presence, as he would attend to the Buddha, respectfully he offered kneading as massage therapy. He respectfully bent down and paid homage to the Buddha. So, attending to the needs at the required time is kala dana. This type of donor will reap benefits at the early age.

Some people got mansions, cars, three sets of television only when they were old and senile, only when they were near their deathbed. One television is enough, isn’t it? Even if someone came and gave ten televisions, it is of no use. Hearing is not so good, eyesight is not so clear, but you still want some fun despite of your aging, isn’t it? May be, fun wanting has still not aged yet, has it? They were told “Buddha doesn’t like it, the wasting of time with television”. They replied that the television was for the children. But, old grand fathers and old grand mothers were never far from the television. PhoneGyi (an appropriate form of self-expression used in the place of “I” or “me” in Myanmar for monks) cannot understand that. Television must have so much attraction power. If they sit in front of Buddha instead, imagine the amount of benefit they may have accumulated. It is pitiful. What those foreigners said could be true. When Taung Pulu Sayadaw went to America on overseas mission about 30 years ago, he left behind one of his disciples, a competent foreigner monk to teach dhamma there for over a year. His American students inquired the monk whether television had reached Burma. He told them that there began some trial introductions in the capital, it had not spread to all parts of the country yet. They exclaimed that “Oh, you all will be corrupted soon!” Can we say that having television leads us to moral decline? It seems there is progress, so much cars now, they are very hard to avoid. One devotee told me, there are so much cars that they have to wait two traffic light changes to get pass a junction. That much development. But the foreigners said their country has already gone, our country has started down the path of moral corruption. Things start from there. What gets corrupted? Moral characters get corrupted. Children love that kind of education from television. Fighting, killing, they are very good with detailed simulations, detailed descriptions of fights. I heard that if one gave lift to a stranger on the road, one would get robbed and be killed, his car would be stolen. One devotee told me that people got killed for a necklace. Why not just take the necklace, leave the man alive? OK, that subject is enough for now.

Let us get back to kala dana, such benefits. Even then, the fact that I want to remind you all, is - “It is not as suitable, it is not as sufficient to do all these dana all day, wasting time this way”. The best way would be to go to bed at night, building Buddha in your heart. You all know how to build Buddha in your heart, right? How tall should the cetiya be? 15 feet tall? The cetiya taller than 15 feet is also possible. When the time for Buddha to enter parinibbana was drawing nearer, Ashin Ananda was much despondent. Buddha knew (realized) that, and so he told Ashin Ananda “Ananda, why are you so distressed? You have been looking after me for over 20 years. It is not a small amount of kusala. I have exhorted 84,000 numbers of dhamma khandha; I have established 84,000 buddhas, the 84,000 dhamma vinayas (teachings of Buddha in its completeness). These 84,000 buddhas in the form of dhamma vinaya , will be your counsel, will be your admonisher. Do not feel sad. Do not feel despondent. Be calm and composed. Cultivate your meditation calmly and peacefully. You will come to comprehend the dhamma that you have been longing for”. Buddha made preordainment of that event. Soon Buddha entered parinibbana, and later the funeral pyre of the Buddha spontaneously burst into flames. Whenever people saw Ashin Ananda, as they were disappointed and unhappy, they surrounded Ashin Ananda and asked, “Ashin Ananda, where have you left the Buddha? How come we did not get to pay our respects to the Buddha? What have you done? What has happened?” People were engulfed with anguish. Ashin Ananda had to pacify them. There was a forest deva, who guarded the forest that he went to meditate. The deva scold him “Your Venerable, do not be unmindful like this, you will never understand dhamma this way.” But our Buddha had explained to Ashin Ananda that he must not despair. All these 84,000 dhamma vinayas, these 84,000 dhamma khandhas, all these 84,000 buddhas were there to counsel him, there to teach him. Therefore, we all must understand that dhammas are buddhas. Buddha, having understood dhamma, that he had become buddha. Since Buddha had passed away, his teachings, the dhammas stand in his stead as buddha. Having comprehended whatever is needed to be comprehended, he had become buddha. So, our way of building buddha in our heart indeed means – “to learn to understand whatever is there to understand”. Whenever rupa arises, we must know that rupa arises. By knowing whenever citta arises, knowing every time nama arises, knowing every time feeling arises, we are building buddha in our hearts – a dhamma cetiya.

Webhu Sayadaw always instructed us to maintain awareness at the nostril. If we can do that, the 84,000 dhamma khandhas, 84,000 buddhas dwell at your nostril. All my devotees, you all are doing just that, aren’t you? Some may not be able to do that much, as they spend more time watching television. I would like to give you a record book. You must keep a record book to compare between the time spent in watching television and the time meditating, the time maintaining the application of ñana to your khandha. We must keep account of that. Some keep account of purchase and sell, some do it daily, and some do it monthly. One must be good with your account records. The other day, some accountants came to pay me a visit. Have to tell them to keep account of their mindfulness too. If you drop some money in the market, you will trace back your route and search for that money. Very sad face, and return only after a long search. How valuable can it be? Couldn't be more than 9000, or 10,000 kyats the most. If you lose a million kyats that you have won from lottery, you would have combed the whole of Yangon to search for that money. If 100 millions, of course you would search just about everywhere. But you all are not searching the tens of trillions of dhammas that you have been losing every day! A lot more than that. You all have been losing out tens of trillions of dhammas at each step that you walk everyday. A lot more than that, don’t you think? You have been losing thousands of trillions everyday. What will you do for these losses? There are a lot of unmindful people, looking left, looking right, walking east and walking west, north and south. Think which is more, the number of people walking unmindfully or the number of people walking mindfully with sati? Let’s not talk of others; let’s check on ourselves. See which is more, the hours you have walked mindfully and the hours you have walked unmindfully. Unmindful hours were more. How much more? Not so much yet, unmindful hours were only since we were born! If we keep an account book of that, we will find our great losses. So, what those Americans said was just an understatement. Let’s start the habit of keeping account starting by tonight, OK? Check how much tens of trillions we accumulated each day. People from Accountant General’s Office had done that. Sayagyi U Ba Khin and his staffs started the habit of meditation during lunch break. Have to put in effort that way. His staffs became exemplary people, U Ba Khin himself became well-known and well-respected meditation teacher in Burma, as well as to the world. We must work hard to accumulate those kusala dhammas that will raise the quality of our human life. Not only today, we must do it everyday.

The fourth type of dana is called Anuggahita dana. Some offer dana with attachment, with stinginess, with covetousness. He will have wealth and prosperity here and hereafter. But he would not use much of his wealth to enjoy, to spend. Because he donated with a lobha (stinginess, covetousness). He has not digested (assimilated ?) his three A’s (Alobha, Adosa, Amoha) yet. When one dies with lobha, one can become a lobha peta (wandering ghost) who is starving, as one cannot find food. It is easier to understand that people are starving due to unavailability of food. How can we understand a person’s starvation when that person has ample supply of food? A man with money in his pocket, standing near a restaurant, he was feeling quite hungry; then why didn’t he go in and eat? Why? Because he was stingy. He still has not understood the 3 A’s.

An individual with Alobha (ungreediness), he not only can eat well, he can feed others too. Not only can he maintain himself, but also he can maintain the others. That is a kind of individual who has done dana freely, liberally. Tripitaka SayadawGyi (U Vicittasarabhivamsa ) explained about that in one of his dhamma talks. One hot summertime, about 30 plus Shan Palaung monks and their male devotees came on pilgrimage trip to the SayadawGyi’s MinGun forest monastery. They came from cooler climate, and so they were quite tired from the hot weather. They had not brought with them their umbrellas. SayadawGyi pitied them and managed to collect 25 umbrellas. So, he collected umbrellas from senior teaching monks from each building in his monastery. He managed to offer each and every one of the visitors an umbrella. After this dana, he felt so pleased and joyous. This kind of detachment was not with him before. If he gave away all the umbrellas and slippers, what would happen when the resident monks and samaneras were in need of it and asked for it? There seemed to be that concern which created hesitancy in his generous volition. He never gave all away, he had never forsaken all, and he always left a few behind for the residents. That day, he did not remember to reserve some, he just gave all away, and he felt so delighted to see the visitors all cool and happy under the umbrellas. That is the dana being given liberally.

Those who had donated with a bit of attachment, the result was that – although they have money, they like to use second hand things, a little inferior quality products, a little rougher materials, they ended up with used things. They themselves like those kinds. They do not long for the best things. Of course, intentional frugality as in practising dhamma is different. Ashin Maha Kassapa made his double-fold over garment robe (dukutta) from the rough patches of cloths laden with maggots, which he peeled from the discarded corpse of a servant girl in the graveyard. The estimable robe looked soft and delicate on him. When he came to see Buddha, Buddha praised that he had such soft robe of patched cloth. So, he asked Buddha to accept the offering of his robe. Buddha replied that, “ If you’d accept the offering of my robe, then I would accept yours.” Buddha took off his dukutta robe and gave to Ashin Maha Kassapa. Of course there was a reason for that. Ashin Maha Kassapa led the First Great Sangha Council, which was held shortly after the Buddha's Parinibbana. That is Theravada Buddha Sasana (Elders). Successions of Elder monks, old and young alike had handed down the Buddha’s teachings so that it would be in continuation, and still is prosperous to this present day. That’s why today we all can listen to, revere to, and practise this sasana. That’s why we all still can offer dana, the words of sasana can still be heard, all these are the gains derived from the sasana. Theravada means – the tradition of following the Elders’ doctrine, which gives us the opportunity to practise the Buddha’s exact exhortations, without derivation. That’s why we still can give all these danas. Because we all donate without stinginess, without grudge, without attachment; - when kusalas take effect, we are able to spend, enjoy, share and donate liberally, freely. This is the fourth way for a virtuous man to give charity, isn’t it?

The fifth type is to offer dana without making defamatory remarks on others. Some people will say, “Oh, that family next door, they go out so much. But never saw them doing dana. We, not because we have plenty of money, but we always donate. We cannot exist without dana.” Saying things malicious about others. If you can do it, if you can afford to donate, by all means donate. When you cannot afford to donate, of course do not donate. But you should not say slanderous comments on other’s lack of dana (charitable) act. By saying slanderous words about others, one will live without being free from the five perils. Because one has done dana, one will be wealthy. But, like that saying, “Every time a deer was born, time after time, a tiger came and ate it!” one’s properties are destroyed by fire, water, king or ruler, a thief, or by one’s bad heirs. Those are the incessant troubles that one cannot recover from. By donating without malicious speeches about others, you can be sure that your wealth will be protected from the five perils. We all need that kind of protection at this day and age. One will not get killed for a necklace. If you do not willingly give it away, not even half a chunk of charcoal from your property can be taken away from you. Not even a single rose; not even a branch of banana leaves. You will have such security. Nowadays, not very secure. Money out of your pocket can be stolen. Therefore, do not donate with derogatory remarks about others who are not doing dana. So,

" With no slander, If we practice generosity, The five perils will be expelled."

These are the five ways of performing dana by the noble ones (sappurisa-dana). Due to the presence of sakkacca garava in your act of dana, you will not only be prosperous, but also be influential. Having donated with the true saddha, you will not only be wealthy, you will also be endowed with beauty. Timely dana will bring about the early enjoyment of the benefits. He will have ample time to support the sasana. Fourthly, having donated without stinginess, one can spend freely for one self, as well as can give away to others freely too. Perform dana without making disparaging remarks of others. You should perform acts of charity - any small amount that you can afford, with eagerness and enthusiasm. And it will bring forth the benefits of your lives free from five kinds of perils.

We can find these benefits in the story of the rich man Jotika and the king Ajatasattu. Ajatasattu had that streak since born. When his father took the young prince Ajatasattu to visit the house of Jotika, Ajatasattu was not pleased, as he found the wealth of Jotika much more so than theirs, the sovereigns. Jotika had all kusalas that were mentioned above. Thinking his father was weak, Ajatasattu decided that when his father passed away, when he became the king, he would take over all these wealth from Jotika. When he became the king, and when his plan to take away Jotikas’ properties failed; in humiliation he took a detour towards Jetavana monastery where Buddha resided. He was surprised to find Jotika there. He asked Jotika how he escaped. Jotika replied that he did not understand what he was talking about. Ajatasattu told him that he had marched his army by underground tunnels to seize Jotika’s compound. Jotika’s defending army was very powerful and strategically positioned. Therefore his army could not succeed and had to go into hasty retreat. His soldiers went disarrayed, and he was the only one left. Jotika said he had no army. Ajatasattu said there were so many soldiers. In reality, Ajatasattu and his soldiers saw their own reflections in multiple numbers from the walls of the mansion that Jotika lived. Jotika said if he did not willingly give away, not even a piece of pottery nor a string of his cotton yarn could be taken away from him. He then challenged Ajatasattu; he dared the king to take off the ruby ring that he was wearing on his finger. Frightening, isn’t it? For a king still having lobha for a single ring. He pulled and pulled to relieve the ring from Jotika’s finger – to no avail. Jotika had such security from the five perils. Audience here should have the same kind of kusalas, the same kind of security, shouldn’t you?

We are lucky to be in this day and age, where we can accumulate all these kusalas. Today, you have all kusalas in conjunction with the Vassa robes donation to the sangha. (1) You have kusala for having offered dana. (2) You have kusala for having paid homage to the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha. (3) You have kusala having taken refuge in the triple gems. (4) You have kusala for having managed to take and then maintain the five precepts (sila kusala). (5) You have obtained kusala for having done the food donation at the frequency of every fortnight. These are thavara kusalas (firm, strong, immovable). You have acquired this noble habit. (6) You have offered vassa robes to the sangha at vassa period every year. These are the timely danas.

People are always searching for refuge. It is not so easy to find the true refuge. Before the arrival of Buddha, people took refuge in the mountains, forests, big trees, big hills, and dusty mounds. People believed that those would take care of them from danger if they took refuge in them. As Buddha had come, people realized that to be free from danger, one should not find refuge outside of one’s body, one had to search refuge in one’s body. Only by taking refuge in Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha; one will get to understand the Truths (sacca dhamma) which are to be found from his khandha. Then only, one can be free from the danger of aging, the danger of sickness, and free from the danger of death. For such escape, it is important for him to comprehend the truth as it really is.

People are searching for worthy refuges. People are rushing to any place where there is news of something unusual and extraordinary. Everyone is flocking there. Remember the time when the news of golden banyan tree caused a great stir? The news of a seer, the news of the arriving of a sage always causes a lot of stir. That is the indication of how much people are depending on the outside help. Buddha did not like that. One mustn’t look for anything to depend upon other than one’s own dhamma. Buddha had said one must not search for refuge anywhere other than from one’s own dhamma. By dhamma means “satipatthana dhamma”, the four foundations of mindfulness. By practising satipatthana dhamma, one is very secure, one is being freed from dangers. One will escape from the danger of aging, one will escape from the danger of illness, one will escape from the danger of death, and one will be very secure. When yogi meditates, at that precise moment of meditation, the yogi can overcome those sufferings, those vedanas. Therefore, each and everyone, who practises daily and unfailingly, can enjoy seven benefits.

Sattanan visuddhiya: For all living beings to achieve the purity of mind. - People are always troubled with anxiety and greed called lobha cittas, anxiety and anger called dosa cittas, the fire called soka (grief), the fire called moha (ignorance); these fires are always burning in them, tormenting them. To overcome these mental states, to extinguish these burning fires, one has to attain the purity of mind. One then will be quite cool and calm. At this modern age, people use electric fans to cool themselves. In fact, living with satipatthana can make you feel cool and calm. May be about twenty years ago, a male supporter dayaka went to Kyan-tau cemetary. The compound had a lot of trees that gave shades. Therefore, he kept his umbrella folded on his arm. Later, when he left the compound, he was already in his mindfulness meditation, and did not remember to open his umbrella. It was the hottest month of the year, the sun was blazing, and the tar road he walked on was sizzling hot near the evaporating point. He was walking coolly and composedly, contemplating sattipathana meditation. He told PhoneGyi that people might be thinking of him as odd. They might wonder whether he was insane, as he wasn’t using the umbrella. He was calmly walking cultivating satipatthana dhamma. In stead of going to his room, he came straight to PhoneGyi and said he did not suffer from the heat because he wasn’t paying any attention to the heat. Only if you pay attention to the heat that you will feel the heat. He did not suffer at all.

Likewise, when in meditation, let alone the external heat, even the internal aches, numbness, heatiness, soka (grief, sorrow) will be extinguished. Sattanam visuddhiya soka-paridevanam samatikkamaya. Crying, wailing, lamentation will be overcome. Dukkha-domanassanam atthangamaya. Bodily suffering will end, mental suffering will end. Yogi can transcend them. You all know bodily suffering can cause mental suffering. Oh, such pains, such aches, such sufferings, how terrible. A yogi who has been cultivating satipatthana, even an average yogi will find considerable relief. If yogi practises more, just as yogi reaches the right ñana, just as yogi attains the right view, from then on he will understand that all are just nature (sabhava). There will not be sufferings in him, like the man who was walking under the hot sun calmly and coolly. Because he did not pay any attention to the heat, because his attention was directed on the dhamma. In Pali it is called vikkhambhana - discarding, not taking it to heart.

However, when meditating yogi does not have the right concept, the right attitude, he will have some difficulties. All of us here, because we have physical bodies (kaya), we must be able to differentiate between roga (disease, illness of the body) and vedana (suffering). In the audience here, there are some medical professionals. We most of the time lump these two together in our daily usage. Illness, aches, injury, pain, they are roga, they all happen in the body. Then does the body feel the pain? By way of everyday speech, one can say the body is aching, the body is suffering. The body (rupa) does decay. But the rupa does not have the ability to know. It is the mind that has the ability to know. Then the knowing of the mind of that pain is now being categorized as vedana the feeling, the sensation. The body might be basked in the heat, but the person would not be aware of that. Only when his mind took notice that he knew. When one does not pay attention, vedana is vedana by itself, knowing is knowing by itself, they exist separately. If we do not mix vedana with paññatti (designation, name), then we will know that vedana is simply a sabhava (nature, condition). For example, let us say that the soles of his foot were very hot. Let’s say the heat was at the lower leg, we usually said that his lower leg was very hot. We have been saying that way. Over time, as its momentum became exhausted, the hot sensation was no more. It disappeared. If it was the lower leg that was hot, then shouldn’t the lower leg also disappear? No, the leg had not disappeared. Well then, since the leg had the hot sensation, since the leg was still here, shouldn’t the leg be permanently hot? Not that way, either. As conditions favor, the hot sensation momentarily appeared. When its momentum became exhausted, the hot sensation disappeared. That is one part. In the mean time, while it still has its momentum, what yogi should know is: - to adopt an attitude that, heat, cold, pain, all are not part of the leg, they exist separately. When yogi’s samadhi and ñana are strong (fully-developed), when yogi watches the leg’s hot sensation, yogi will find that the sensation is a separate entity entirely on its own. Yogi’s noting mind is dissociated from his leg. He only knows the hot sensation when the hot sensation arises. Previously, he thought of this as “my leg is hot”. Three parties, “the hot sensation”, “the leg” and “I”. Now, he has eradicated “the leg” and “I”. He knows the hot sensation when hot sensation arises. The mind object and the awareness of it; the mind object and the awareness; there exists only that pair. If yogi can differentiate between the mind object and the awareness, if yogi is aware of the pair distinctly, clearly: - without any of aforementioned deep-seated obsession, it is like the doctor examining the patient. A doctor when he examines the patient’s leg’s pain, the doctor does not join in to feel the pain. It is the patient who is in pain. The doctor examines just so that he can help correct whatever is necessary in the patient. That is the only responsibility the doctor has. He does not have to participate in the patient’s painful suffering. Yogi must strive to reach that stage where he can look on with that kind of attitude.

The right approach, the right attitude is important. When meditating, yogi must not create it to appear, as well as yogi must not make it disappear. Yogi only needs to just know as it appears, just know as it disappears. If one makes it to appear, that is lobha. Making it disappear is dosa. Let’s think about it. Audience yogis here have experienced that. We have already considered aches, pains and such sufferings as undesirables. We dislike the pain. So, we are quite dissatisfied with that. That dissatisfaction is dosa. Therefore, yogi is trying to finish it, fighting it, repelling it. That is wrong approach, wrong attitude. Yogi’s meditation is much muddled.

The other time during water festival, there were two doctors coming to enter dullabha monkhood in this monastery. PhoneGyi has forgotten their names. There also was one army officer by the name of Major Khin Maung Lwin. He was quite confused in his meditation. He could not differentiate between paññatti (conventional truth) and paramattha (absolute truth); his meditation was going around in circle. His perseverance was excellent. He disciplined himself to sit five hours each day throughout the years for thirty years. He became a bit discouraged after so many years without improvement. He thought unless he found some significant changes this year; he would stop this endeavor. It got harder as he was growing older. He should give up. He came to this monastery to meditate. When he found progress in his meditation, he was pleased. He thought, “Ha, It’s really true when done in the right way!” When the approach was right, these feelings became the object of meditation. The skill has to be acquired. Then only you will have easy death. Because, we will face one vedana or the other at deathbed. When PhoneGyi was residing in NaungDoon Tauya, there was an old man, the donor of that monastery; everyone used to call him “Ba Gyi”. He meditated a lot. He also moaned a lot about never having gotten past the vedana. There was a Karen dayaka by the name of Yar Pan Sein, who commented “Old man, You are chasing dukkha yourself”. However, he always listened in, with great interest, the interview that the old man had with PhoneGyi. Soon he got interested in the meditation, and was given a meditation instruction. After three days or so of meditation, he commented that “Ha, I don’t understand why the old man did not like vedana. It’s better to meet vedana earlier!” If vedana can be put to use skillfully, even enemy can be negotiated, persuaded to become your friend. For those skillful meditators, for those learned ones; vedana is like a useful medicine, a good medicine that can cure diseases. For those wise yogis, it is like a kind of balm. Like some people who skillfully turn snake poison into a medicine to save lives. Poison is a danger to those untrained persons though.

Likewise, if one becomes skillful, dhamma can be of tremendous benefits. Lobha, dosa, these dhammas have been tormenting us all, and yet, if yogi can make use of these lobha, dosa; if yogi knows that he is angry when dosa arises, if yogi knows that he is greedy, when lobha arises, at each and every awareness, the ñana kusala increases. These lobha, dosa also get weaken by and by. The process called “knowing (dukkha sacca), discarding (samudaya sacca), arriving (nirodha sacca), contemplating (magga sacca)” illustrates that, “Because yogi knows, he has discarded, he has arrived and peace has set in”. The right method of approach is also important. When these lobha, dosa arrive, yogi’s right mindfulness will not accept them. With tolerance, he discards them. Occasionally when one gets into argument with someone, - if he puts up with the insults, the abuses, if he tries to repress his anger; only later that his explosive reaction, the retaliation occurs. One should not handle that way. In reality, one should settle that problem straight away. Buddha likes to deal with them right away. Buddha said “Know that you are angry as and when the anger arises”. So, what will happen when you realize that you are angry? You should know right at the present moment as it occurs. There was a boy named Maung Tin Oo who went to live in America with his family. In his 8th grade year, the whole family came back for a visit, and the boy had novice initiation here. Now he must be about 17 and a half years in his tenth grade. His aunt sent him several dhamma tapes, and cleverly asked him to send her the notes that he made on them. He would listen to the tapes, do reflections, and meditate too, while doing school homework. He listened well, studied well of the teachings in the tapes, three or four tapes at a time. He said writing notes helped him remember deep concepts. I wish to recount, for someone this young, how well he understood from his meditations. How much more he would have understood if he were older. It is quite rare to hear this kind of statements. He said these lobha, dosa, moha, mana in him seemed to have become weakened a lot. He said just as it (lobha, or dosa, or moha, or mana) arose, he noted it, and it became much less. His mother came back here frequently on business. He said whenever his mother scolded him; he would meditate more, so as to watch his mind. He found that his emotions were very tight, very dis-satisfied. As soon as he knew that he was dis-satisfied, his anger dissipated instantly.

Therefore, “knowing, discarding, arriving, contemplating” this process is not for putting up with the problem, not for bearing with the problem. The same approach goes for lobha as well as moha. They don’t stand long under scrutiny. One important thing is for the yogi to have right attitude, the right approach. During meditation, yogi feels dis-satisfied when he finds that his mind wanders a lot. He wishes to stop his meditation. Or, he carries on meditating with a disgruntle mind. His noting mind wasn’t clear throughout the session. Because he has a fixation, a fixed idea that good meditation brings out stable (quiet) state of mind. In fact, it is not correct. We meditate not to establish the stable (quiet) state of mind, but to know, to understand. Every time yogi realizes that the mind is roaming, there establishes the right understanding (samma-ditthi), the ñana kusalas. To establish this ñana kusala is the fundamental requirement. Having ñana kusala is all you need. To attain ñana kusala, yogi should meditate calmly and composedly. Everytime the mind wanders, yogi knows that. The fact that he knows means he has sati. Sati is the one that knows. Sati is samadhi magga. Samadhi has not been disrupted. Even while having meal, even while taking drinks, yogi is performing his job well. While eating, yogi with sati has only two discernments, knowing the sense object and being aware of the knowing mind, - knowing the sense object and being aware of the knowing mind. Yogi, having completely abandoned the paññatti, does not pay any attention to “the act of eating”, “the act of chewing”, “the act of drinking in the liquid” and “the act of swallowing”. Yogi reaches the stage where the notion such as “he is eating”, “I am eating” is nowhere to be found, is totally absent. Yogi just knows the presence of sense object and the awareness of the sense object. The awareness is a separate sabhava dhamma (principle of nature), the sense object is another separate sabhava dhamma.

At one time when PhoneGyi talked about this, one female supporter dayika got up from the audience and told us what Webhu Sayadaw said in a dhamma talk. Webhu sayadaw said “You all, remember this, one can arrive at magga while chopping onions. One can attain magga in the kitchen.” Likewise, if one can maintain sati, one can attain magga while eating, while drinking. That was what Buddha had said, but Buddha did not say directly like that. He said magga was developed from vipassana magga to ariya magga. Of course, vipassana magga was directly mentioned. Mokoge SayadawGyi in his dhamma talk would usually iterate “arising, passing away, magga ”, “arising, passing away, magga ”, that magga he mentioned was primarily of “vipassana magga”. When vipassana magga matures, it could lead to ariya magga. There are three classifications of magga. (1) mula magga - the present practices; namely, dana, sila, samatha; these are called mula magga. They are basic; they are of the elementary grade. (2) pubbabhaga magga : when yogi meditates and clearly understands the rupa and the nama, the cause and its effect, the rising and the passing away of phenomena, that is pubbabhaga magga. (3) When a person has reached pubbabhaga magga – when he sees the red glow of dawn, he is certain that the sun is coming up. Because the glow that one sees at dawn is in fact coming from the sun. Therefore, if one sees the red glows of the dawn, one can be sure that the sun will definitely be up soon. Likewise, if one has been daily, unfailingly practising pubbabhaga magga, then that is the indication of the soon arrival of ariya magga. If one has not prastised to the stage of arriving at vipassana magga, he has no chance what so ever to arrive at ariya magga, at all. However much one says “May I attain magga, phala, nibbana.”, he might just get sores in his mouth, but there is no chance at all for him to attain magga, phala, nibbana. Praying for it would not get him anywhere. One must genuinely practise with the right attitude.

Like this saying “Virtuous persons One approaches, Noble dhamma One listens to, Keeping right One’s attitude, And practises accordingly, Privilege to magga, phala, One then will have surety.”

One will have it, only if one practises that way. One must approach the wise and virtuous persons. One must listen to sacca dhammas, the true dhammas. One must have the right attitude. This attitude about meditation where one thinks, “Meditation is good only when it is quiet and steady, when one does not hear anything.” - So, he does not like it when he hears sounds. Yogi thinks “Meditation is good when it is calm and peaceful. The good meditation should be buoyant and clear.” So, - he does not like it when his mind wanders. That is not the right attitude. When the meditation is not quiet and not steady, it also is dhamma. When the yogi is quiet in his meditation, if he then finds enjoyment and has attachment in the quietness of his meditation, that is A-dhamma (not dhamma, false dhamma). When one is aware that he feels enjoyment, when one is aware that he feels attached, that is also dhamma. One must maintain his noting “just to know”, “just to know”, so that he is aware just as it happens. Then this is the middle path (majjhima-patipada). If yogi walks along this majjhimapatipada path, he will finally reach the ariya magga. So, from the first step mula magga, then pubba, and finally ariya magga. Mula, pubba, ariya, Threefold noble magganga. Developing those maggas, Enter the noble nibbana.

Yogi reaches the final destination, the Nibbana. Then he truly has The Refuge. His roga vedanas are all dissipated (completely cured, removed). Yogi is able to reach magga, phala, and the final nibbana. Yogi’s mind is cleansed and purified. In addition, he has overcome the anxieties and grief. His bodily sufferings (dukkha) as well as mental sufferings are being extinguished. Afterwards, there arises deep and profound wisdom (ñana). That is the arrival of ariya magga ñana. Then, he penetrates to experience the nibbana. Ñãyassa adhigamaya nibbanassa sacchikiriyaya.

It happens in that order. What do you have to do? You have to practise satipatthana dhamma with diligent sati. If you do that, you will be complete with freedom from all kinds of danger. Your reading and your chanting of parittas and kammavasa will protect you from the external dangers. By maintaining this sati, this sati is your shield from your internal dangers. The internal protection. This sati, the sati of the noble ones, does not allow the arising of lobha cittas, does not allow the arising of dosa cittas, and this sati does not allow the afflictions inflicted by any other burning kilesa (defilement). And this sati protects you from them all. Sati magga is one of the noble eight-fold maggas (path).

Therefore, May you all be able to practise so that you may attain peace and relief through the contemplation of these eight magga dhammas.

Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu.

(another short talk in the tape) All human beings, all living beings (sattava) once come into being, it is inevitable that they face death without exception. It is a norm. It does not happen only to a one person. In each and every country, in each and every town, in each and every suburb, in each and every household, no one is resistant to death. It is an un-avoidable dhamma. Isn’t there an end to this process called “aging, illness and death”? Isn’t there a way leading to the cessation of that process? We must search till we find that way.

Follow and recite three times after me:

Aging, illness, death and separation, You cannot evade, you cannot avoid, Kamma alone will manage you.

If Kamma dictates, as kamma dictates, we will age, we will get sick and we will die. And we will have to severe from this bhava (life, state of existence). Likewise, we depart from one bhava to another. Again and again, one life after another. Do you all understand that “ Kamma is managing here”? From this kamma, we must try to turn it into ñana. With our intellect, we must strive to develop and attain ñana. All kamma kusalas that you have done today, you must strive to convert that to ñana kusala. Ñana kusala consists of sati and athi (knowing, perception, Myanmar word). Once yogi has ñana kusala, he will escape from old age, illness and death. Why does he escape? Because, the kamma kusala is sometimes accompanied by lobha. Dosa, moha, mana accompany kamma kusala also. Moha does accompany kamma kusala most of the time. When sati and athi accompany yogi, it is then ñana kusala. This ñana kusala is the kusala that liberates you from bhava. This is the only ñana that can liberate us. What should we do to cultivate that ñana kusala? Whatever we do, do it with sati and athi. Whatever arises in the body, know it with sati and athi. Whatever arises in the mind, know it with sati and athi. Anytime, every time feeling arises, know it with sati and athi. Knowing with sati and athi every time.

Is it difficult to know with sati, athi? Not that difficult, wouldn’t you say? Cooking, boiling, touching, holding, eating, drinking, chewing, swallowing, all can be done with sati. There, ñana kusala is being developed. “Asite pite khayite sayite sampajanakari hoti” (sampajana : attentive, full attention, synonym of sati). Buddha had instructed to maintain full attention, to attach sati and athi in whatever you are doing. In all other actions too. There requires no extra work, no additional action. Webhu sayadaw once told a female supporter dayika, “Listen, one can arrive at magga in the kitchen, one can arrive at magga while chopping onion.” It will not happen freely though. He meant doing chores with sati, athi. Sati is called sati magga. Do you all know that, don’t you? It is the sati that will take you out of the misery of “aging, illness, death”. If you forget the sati, it is for the sake of death. It seems like all you have done is for you to meet with death. Execution without sati means execution to meet the death. Therefore, isn’t it wise to do things with sati, so that we escape from death? Do whatever you routinely do, do it with sati. There’s no extra work. Just focus with sati. The job will be well done and successful. You will truly escape from the danger of “aging, illness and death”. So, why can’t we do that? Yes, we can do that.

Whenever there is sati, athi accompanies. Athi is pañña magga. Sati is samadhi magga. If yogi has sati magga, samadhi magga, of course naturally sila magga is there too. There is no bodily transgression; there is no verbal transgression. Bodily and verbal transgressions cause the infringement of sila. All of indriya-sa?vara sila (self restrain in conduct) have been correctly looked after.

Say it three times: Aging, illness, death and separation, You cannot evade, you cannot avoid, Kamma alone will dictate you, Ñana alone will provide the escape.

There, the most important of all for us, we must learn to develop ñana, understand? At your free time, lying down in your own bed, or wherever you are, relax and choose any position you like. If yogi does not know any meditation technique; - just put your mind with sati at the in-breath and out-breath. Know when there is an in-breath; know when there is an out-breath. Know that there is rushing in of in-breath, know that there is rushing out of out-breath. “Touching, knowing, touching, knowing”. With sati and athi, yogi must be aware of the manifold of “touching, knowing” “touching, knowing” happening at the nostril. That is ñana (insight, wisdom). It can help yogi escape. Yogi knows just as rupa arises. Yogi knows as nama arises. Yogi knows as nama-rupa arise. That is ñana. The ñana that understands the existence of nama-rupa. From there, yogi knows that with this nama, he knows there arise motions, the pushing, the pulling, the movements. That knowledge is ñana. Yogi knows that these motions are also changing. From old motion to a new motion, from old movement to a new movement. That is ñana also. He knows whatever arises. And then, he catches up to know all that arise. While you are executing a chore, you are not tired, that job is completely and successfully well done. Isn’t it wonderful?

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(another short talk in the tape) Today this is the sharing of merit after the dana ceremony in memory of the passing away of Daw Hla Hla five months ago. Not only the dana kusala, but you also have veyyavicca (service work) kusala. In addition to that, we must strive to accumulate ñana kusala too. Today, you take refuge in Buddha. You take refuge in the Dhamma. You take refuge in the Sangha. A person who takes refuge in Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha has kusalas of his own. A person who has Buddha in his aranmana, he goes about doing chores with Buddha in his thoughts. The person who has Dhamma in his aranmana, he goes about doing chores with Dhamma in his mind. The person who has Sangha in his aranmana, he goes about doing chores with Sangha in his mind. The scripture states that if he has aranmana on either one of the above three, when he passes away from this human life, he can attain the khandha (body) in the deva realm. It is more secure if you live with Dhamma aranmana. If you live with sati and sati ñana, it is more secure. Everyday when we are done with the day’s work, we sit in front of Buddha, we bow down to pay respect to Buddha and we take precepts. After that, the best action which is in accordance with the foremost wish of the Buddha will be to sit quietly for a while with sati and athi, being mindful of the in-breath and out-breath. At least for 15 minutes or so. Half an hour is good. As much as you can. If you can do that everyday, sati and athi will get strengthened, and your effort and practice towards the escape from the danger of “aging, illness and death” will get complete. At the end of each practice, you should share your merit to the relatives, the parents, grandparents, and all beings. It is the best way. You will feel very fresh, calm and happy for having shared your merit with others.

If you want to live joyous and happy, what should you do, then? You would go and sit in front of the television, is it? Sitting near the television would make you happy and joyous, is it? Outside the meditation centers, in household lives, people are sitting in front of the television and feeling happy. That is a different thing. But there is a much better happiness, which is much more peaceful. It brings forth a type of happiness that is quite free from worries. People have worries while earning their day to day living; - buying, selling, and worrying whether it will turn out as they have expected. Those are continuously tormenting people. If people can develop a calm and collected mind, maintaining a watchful sati and athi at your executions, there will be ñana kusalas. Executions will be accomplished well and successful, at the same time there will be no suffering. Because all have been discarded.

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