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THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF CHAO KHUN MONGKOL THEPMUNI AND THE DHAMMAKAYABy Terry Magness |
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CHAPTER IV (Part 1)
The Chao Khun delivered sermons by the dozen during his long life, only few of which were recorded and preserved. This, which follows, is a condensed version of one expatiating on the virtues of the Triple Gem, delivered to a large audience gathered at Wat Paknam.
"Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa. Itipi so bhagava, araham, samma Sambuddho, vijjacarana sampanno, sugato, lokavidu, anuttaro purisadhamma sarathi, sattha devamanussanam, Buddho, bhagava ti....
Now we are about to discourse upon the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha, so as to augment the mindfulness, wisdom, and devotion of all those gathered here with faith in the Buddha Sasana.... This discourse will lean heavily in the direction of meditational practice, so that it shall be to the profit of the many....
"The Blessed One was honored by devas, brahmas, and men not because he belonged to the nobility, but because he sacrificed noble heritage and wandered out as a beggar in search of the priceless gem which is truth, leading a life of purity and earnestness, until he finally was enlightened under the Bodhi-tree. From that day forth he was endowed with certain special qualities, numbering nine....
"Araham, this implies worthiness and freedom from defilements and wavering. Even as inside the human form there arise levels of personality, such as the refined human form, the deva form, the Brahma form, the Arupa-Brahma form, which are detached from the crude human form at death, even so whatever defilements which remained in the Blessed One were detached in this way, removed level after level in successive style.
"What were these defilements? In the human form the defilements which were left aside were covetousness, anger, and false beliefs. In the deva form the defilements, which were left aside, were greed, hate, and delusion. The defilements in the Brahma form which were left aside were passion. The defilements in the Arupa-Brahma form which were left aside were sensuality, malice, and ignorance....
"Having detached these forms and their respective defilements, the Blessed One emerged into another form, which is the Dhammakaya form. This was the transition-of- lineage, which he made, by which he became a Gotrabhu puggala. Then he accomplished jhana samapatti, and investigated the Four Noble Truths by direct order and reverse. Thereby he abandoned the defilements of belief in a permanent self, doubt, and pernicious rites.
"Then, sinking to void centre, his consciousness flashed into the stream-enterer form which is called Sotapanna. He then accomplished jhana samapatti by direct order and reverse, and as a consequence abandoned sensuality and malice. Whence he flashed into the once-returner form, which is called Sakadagamin.
"Then he accomplished jhana samapatti again in this form by direct order and reverse, and as a consequence abandoned desire for form and formless states of the Brahmas. Whence his consciousness flashed into the non-returner form, which is called Anagamin.
"Then he accomplished jhana samapatti once more in this form by direct order and reverse, and as a consequence abandoned pride, wavering and ignorance. Whence his consciousness flashed into the emancipated form, which is called Arahatta and is free from all blemish.
"Now the reason why the Blessed One became emancipated in this way was because of Vipassana, practiced with great energy of mind. Wherefore he in the first watch of the night attained to the recollection of past births. In the second watch attained to the knowledge of others' destinies. And attained to the knowledge of abandoning the defilements in the third watch.
"It was with the Dhammakaya eye, not the human eye, that all this was seen and known. Surpassing the human world, the deva world, the brahma world, Nibbana was attained and seen.
"This is what is implied by the first virtue of Araham.
"Samma Sambuddho. This implies that the Blessed One attained perfect knowledge by himself, in perfect style. That is to say, five qualities in him arose. Vision arose, insight arose, wisdom arose, knowledge arose, light arose. Added to this, it implies tranquillity and zeal. Not only did the Blessed One know, he saw, both saw and knew, not with the human but with the Dhammakaya eye. And this was achieved not because any one taught him to see or know, but because he achieves it on his own, alone.
"The Blessed One saw all things in their true perspective without a vestige of doubt. This was achieved through the power of concentration, purged of defilement, free from blemish, motionless, translucent. Because of this motionlessness, things arose clear in his mind, making him know. Just as if a stone were at the bottom of a jar of water. If the water is churned the stone cannot be seen. But if the water is left to settle, then even a needle at the bottom can be seen.
"Now when it is said that the Blessed One saw things in their true perspective, what is meant is that he knew things in the light of cause and effect. And this again implies that he knew the cause of happiness, the cause of suffering, the cause of neither happiness nor suffering. Knew their cause, and knew their effect.
"What was the cause of happiness that he knew? Non-greed, non-hate, non-delusion. This was the cause of happiness. And the cause of suffering he knew to be greed, hate, and delusion. In this world we all know that the man who does evil is punished. But to know that is not enough. We must go deeper, and know why he did it. Because his mind was filled with greed. But that again is not enough. Why did greed fill and overwhelm him at all? Because his mind was unclean, because he never listened to the teaching of morality, because he never observed morality, and so on.
Now we must drive on in cause and effect back to the roots. This is the relinquishing of suffering, the pursuit of happiness, and the way to the cessation of suffering. This is why when Assaji Thera was asked by Sariputta Thera what's the teaching of the Blessed One was, Assaji Thera replied that the teaching consisted in knowing all causes and their cessation. The Blessed One in his ultimate teaching taught that the mind in its normal state is clear. However, when swayed by passion or greed it absorbs the nature of that passion and greed, and becomes red in hue. Hatred makes it black in hue, and delusion makes its hue like mud. This was observed by the Dhammakaya eye.
"In concentration it is necessary to wash away all these defilements and their hues. When the mind is purged of these it becomes purely functional (kiriya citta) and is neutral (avyakata). In this state it is flexible and able to achieve anything. In the beginning of his ministry, the Blessed One leant heavily on cause and effect in explaining the dhamma. Taught us how to perceive all component things as having their origin through ignorance, and so on. And then taught that their cessation came about through relinquishing ignorance, and so on.
It will be seen, therefore, that ignorance is of first importance, because if it is put away, then all else is put away. Because of this the Blessed One taught us to banish ignorance so that we may be freed from the round of birth and death which goes on and on. Because of this the Blessed One as he became enlightened exclaimed aloud that he had searched many a life for the maker of this bodily palace, which caused so much pain, without end. Desire was the maker. Now he knew the maker, no more could it make him defiled and ignorant, he was free.
"This is what is implied by the second virtue of Samma Sambuddho.
"Vijjacarana sampanno. This implies that the Blessed One possesses eight knowledge and fifteen qualities of conduct.
"Knowledge here means the way of dispelling darkness. What darkness? The darkness of personality, which is the five grasping groups, namely, form, feeling, perception, impressions, and consciousness. And this also implies not only the human form but deva form, the brahma form, the arupa-brahma form. These are all in the darkness of personality because they do not know the way to release of mind.
"Now the first knowledge necessary for emancipation of mind is Vipassana vijja. Vipassana means seeing clearly, seeing comprehensively, seeing tangibles, seeing intangibles, seeing impermanence, seeing suffering, seeing not-self. The human eye, the deva eye, the brahma eye, and the arupa-brahma eye do not see comprehensively. And why? Because like a chicken in its shell clearly, they cannot break free, are bounded by their shell. This shell is their personality, which is made up of the five grasping groups.
"Nevertheless, Vipassana has first to depend on Samatha which is tranquillity. This is done by sinking the mind to two finger breaths above the navel, in the sphere of dhamma there which is called Pathama Magga, meaning the first step. It is there that the refined human form, the deva form, the brahma form, and the arupa-brahma form, are seen. By investigating at this centre will be seen the elements (dhatu) and essences (dhamma) which go to fashion these forms like shells.
"But we have to break away these shells. If our mind is restless it will see nothing. The mind perceives only when it is calm. Crudity cannot see, it is only refinement which perceives. Therefore to see a human corpse with the human eye is not enough because the human eye is crude and even when it sees the corpse the mind is not thereby released from attachment thereto. At the most, it serves only as a condition for future reference. And so it is if a corpse is seen with the deva eye, the brahma eye, or the arupa-brahma eye.
"What we must do is to see with the Dhammakaya eye, like the Blessed One. See that these are not the true self, see them arise, see them perish; see them made up of elements and mental substance. If you put soft soap in a basin of water, the water still remains clear. But if you were to stir it up, then it turns to foam and takes on shape and form. Look closely and you will see bubbles in the foam, so numerous as to be beyond count. This continuous collection of small bubbles we call foam. We look closely and we see that these little bubbles as they arise are bursting all the time.
"So it is with the five groups of grasping personality, they arise and they burst all the time. This is how the Dhammakaya eye always sees. Suffering belongs to the five grasping groups. If we are attached to them we suffer. We suffer because we grasp at them. lf we let them pass, then nothing will arise. Things which by their very nature are impermanent we want to be permanent. Things which are not our self we want to make our self.
"And what is the reason for this? Sensual desire, desire for life, desire for extinction of life. Detach the refined human form from the body, and body has no more base, no more pain. Detach the deva form, detach the brahma form, detach the arupa-brahma form, in this same way, and there is no more base for pain. Detaching all these shells only the Dhammakaya will be left.
"The Blessed One saw and knew what he saw and knew because he broke the shells of self, even as a chicken breaks open its shell at last. Why did the Blessed One so often teach impermanence, suffering, and not-self? Because leaving aside impermanence he wished us to seek permanence. Leaving aside suffering he wished us to seek happiness. Leaving aside not-self he wished us to seek self.
"Attachment, detachment. These are the two chief modes. He who leaves aside is not called one who is attached. He who clings is not one who is called free. But you must first see the five grasping groups as they really are with the Dhammakaya eye. Only then is it called Vipassana vijja.
This is what is implied by Vipassana Vijja.
"Manomayiddhi vijja. This implies the power of performing supernormal things. If so desired, a certain thing happens according to wish. Just as when the Blessed One descended from the Tavatimsa heaven and so wished that humans and devas see each other, it happened according to his wish. This was achieved by the Dhammakaya of the Blessed One....
"Iddhivithi vijja. This implies the power of building supernormal things out of nowhere. Whether it be the magical display of forms, palaces, and so on. Which the Blessed one performed so as to convince people and bring them round to the truth...
"Dibbacakkhu vijja. This implies the power of seeing things with the divine eye, whether they be near or far. To attain this you level and interpenetrate the human, deva, brahma, arupa-brahma forms together, and then penetrate them all with the Dhammakaya eye. Then you will see things so clear, as if through a great magnifying glass, level upon level....
"Dibbasota vijja. This implies the power of supernormal hearing. To attain this do the same as for the divine eye. That is, level all the mundane forms of human, deva, brahma, and arupa-brahma together, and then penetrate them with the Dhammakaya ear. Then, whether near of far, all things can be heard if so wished....
"Paracitta vijja. This implies the power of knowing others' minds. Just as when the Blessed One read the minds of the giant demons who thought of offering him a problem to solve, and if he could not do so, to throw him across the seas. But before they could do anything the Blessed One had already told them their thoughts....
Pubbenivasa vijja. This implies the power of remembering past births, what you were, where, and so on. Just as in the case of the Blessed One's past life, wherein he was Vessantara....
Asavakhaya vijja. This implies the power of knowing the way of destroying the defilements. That is sensuality, desire for existence, false views, and ignorance....
"Now as for the fifteen qualities of conduct whereby the Blessed One is known. The first is Sila samvara. This implies the quality of restraint as to morality.
"The second is Indriya samvara. This is the quality of keeping the six senses in restraint. This quality is the Blessed One's by nature, and there is no need for him to exert himself, as with the ordinary human being, in this respect.
"Bhojanemattannuta. This is the quality of observing the proper amount of food sufficient for sustenance, and no more, otherwise instead of being a boon the eating of food becomes a bane.
"Cakiriyanuyoga. This is the quality of vigilance, of always being awake. This was the Blessed One's by nature, whereby no hindrance could overwhelm him at any time.
Saddha. The quality of faith. This quality was exemplified in the Blessed One's past life as Prince Vessantara, who through faith disposed of his belongings, bore with hardships, and lived like a hermit.
"Sati. The quality of mindfulness, as taught in the Mahasatipatthana Sutta. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or reclining, to be mindful at all times. To be mindful of the body, feelings, consciousness, and intangible dhammas.
"Hiri. The quality of modesty.
"Ottappa. The quality of aversion towards evil.
"Bahusacca. The quality of attentiveness in hearing the dhamma.
"Upakkamo. The quality of dutifulness, as the Blessed One preserved in his daily routine, numbering five. Going round at dawn for alms. Teaching the dhamma in the afternoon. Discoursing to the disciples in the evening. Answering the problems of the devas at night. Meditating before dawn on whom to convert.
"Panna. The quality of wisdom, of knowing things on a broad scale, their causes and effects, without a doubt.
Caturupajjhana. The four jhanas of form. The Blessed One made use of these four jhanas so as to transform mundane wisdom to supramundane. This method the Blessed One discovered for himself, without external help.
"These comprise the fifteen caranas. And together with the eight knowledge, this is what is implied by the third virtue of vijjacarana sampanno....
"Sugato. This implies one who has gone well, fared well, to a happy destiny. This is because the Blessed One practiced the qualities of morality, concentration, and wisdom, in body, speech and thought.
"These qualities are condensed and distilled in the clear sphere called Pathama Magga, in the centre of the body two finger-breaths above the navel. The Blessed One proceeded into this sphere, and remained calm. This proceeding, or faring into, is called Sugato. As the Blessed One's mind remained calm and clear as crystal glass, no passion, hate, delusion, greed, or anger stirred up the pure pool of his mind.
"With this calm, concentration arose, knowledge arose, wisdom arose. In this fashion he penetrated forth, to the deva form, the brahma form, the arupa-brahma form, and the Dhammakaya Gotrabhu form.
Now as the Dhammakaya Gotrabhu form stopped still, the consciousness which issued forth was Path consciousness (magga citta), the knowledge which issued forth was Path wisdom (magga panna). The Dhammakaya of the Blessed One then accomplished jhana samapatti and investigated the Noble Truths. Whence the sphere of Dhammakaya sank to void centre was transmuted into Sotapanna status, into Sakadagamin, into Anagamin, into Arahatta status respectively. This proceeding forth is called Sugato, One who is well gone.
"Also is it said, Khemamtisarngacchamano. Which is to say, gone to the sphere of bright purity, that is Nibbana. For when the Dhammakaya in concentrated style sank to void centre, a sphere of existence called Ayatana Nibbana absorbed the Blessed One as his consciousness sunk, and pulled it up into Nibbana, even as the physical body sat still on earth. This is called Sugato, One who is well gone.
"Again, after laying aside for the last time the five groups of personality without residue, the Blessed One accomplished jhana samapatti, the Dhammakaya sank to void centre, and the Ayatana Nibbana absorbed it up. This is called Sugato, One who is well gone.
"Again, as the Blessed One was walking on his way to preach his first sermon to the five ascetics at Isipatana, the splendor of his radiance attracted creatures of two legs and four legs to witness his passage and they stopped still in amaze, unable to move. Such a radiant passage is called Sugato, One who has gone well.
"Again, wheresoever the Blessed One moved, there it was well. As when cholera plagued the city of Vesali, so that those who died littered the streets because there was no place or time to bury them, the Licchavi princes held a meeting and decided to invite the Blessed One for aid. As the Blessed One arrived late in the afternoon at the riverbank, he therefore took up his abode on the bank without crossing. That night, devas knowing that the Blessed One would cross the river to Vesali next morn, and seeing that Vesali was not a fit place for him to visit because of its corpses strewn about, held a meeting and sent rain clouds pouring down their rain until the heavy streams of water washed away all the rotten mess. So that when the Blessed One arrived in Vesali the next day all was clean. The Licchavi princes offered him alms, and the Blessed One recited the Parittas and told Ananda to bless the place with lustral water, and the disease was quelled.
"This is what is implied by the fourth virtue of Sugato. One who is well gone.
"Lokavidu. This implies one who knows clearly the world. The world has three divisions. Sankhara loka, satta loka, okasa loka.
"Sankhara loka. This implies the world which lives on nutriment for sustenance. Nutriment here has four divisions. Normal food, contact, mental volition, and consciousness.
"All creatures exist on food, whether physical or astral. From devas up to brahmas, arupa-brahmas, up to Nibbana. But the refinement of the food differs according to plane. All this is not in the books, but can be investigated if one so desires to know more about causes and effects. Of course, the way the food is consumed differs from that of human beings, in that it is just as though we were to consume food when we dream. These devas are filled by just eating in this way, but the duration of each meal extends for a longer period than this mundane. Food is the condition which begets body and is Eightfold in scope, partaking of the earth element, water, fire, wind, color. odor, taste, and refreshment elements.
"Sense-contact is the next. Contact through the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind is food. When any shape or sigh contacts the eye it is called cakkhu samphassa. And it is in the same fashion for all the other sense contacts. Sense-contact is food because it serves as the base for the arising of feeling, which is threefold: happy, painful, and neither. As when Sariputta Thera held an umbrella over the Blessed One (Buddha Anomadassi aeon ago) for seven days without feeling hunger, this was because of phassa ahara. Those in hell are there because of their evil contacts of sense. Those who sleep live on that kind of nutriment which is neutral in scope.
Mental volition is the third kind of food. It is so because it carries creatures to either a happy or unhappy destiny. Volition is that which acts and is kamma. It is because of nutriment that one is born in this world of humans, the deva world, or the brahma worlds.
"Consciousness is also food. Consciousness is that which exists on the matter derived from the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. And in turn consciousness serves as the base from which name and form arises. Therefore also is it food.
"Satta loka. This implies the world of creatures. The Blessed One knew clearly about this world of creatures, knew well that it is from dhamma that all creatures arise. Creatures look at the world from various viewpoints. Some consider this world to be permanent and believe that when one dies one will be reborn human again. Others again believe that when one dies nothing is left and whether one does good or evil it does not matter because everything dies with one's death and there is no retribution.
"All this is not knowing how the world is run. The Blessed One knew how all things come to be, through kamma. Good done bears good fruit, and evil done bears evil fruit, even as a shadow follows a shape. He knew the seven defilements, of sensuality, of desire for existence, of malice, of false views, of doubt, of pride, and of ignorance. He knew the six natures, the passionate, the angry, the delusive, the worryful, the faithful, and the wise. He knew the characters of low and high, of merit and demerit, and the proportion of defilement present in each. He knew the five potential faculties, whether strong or weak, of faith, of energy of mindfulness, of concentration, and of wisdom.
"Now if the Blessed One saw that the five potential faculties were developed and ripe in any one, he would look for the means for converting him. As in the case of Vakkali, who had great admiration for the beauty of the Blessed One, and thus became a bhikkhu, to be near him. The Blessed One waited until Vakkali's faculties were ripe and then found the means of converting him. He asked Vakkali what was the use of admiring this rotten body of his? He who sees the dhamma body sees the true Buddha. But Vakkali was displeased and went to throw himself off from a precipice in remorse. But the Blessed One sent forth a radiant image of himself so that Vakkali was overwhelmed with bliss, and immediately attained the supernormal faculties, flying through the air to pay his respects to the Blessed One.
"Again, the Blessed One knew how some have good inclinations and dispositions and others adverse. That some can be corrected and others cannot. That some have faith and wisdom and some have not. Knew that some can be converted and others cannot. Only those with right understanding can be converted, not those with false beliefs.
"Okasa loka. This implies the world of elements, which the Blessed One knew clearly. That is, knew how space bore up water, bore up earth, bore up all the six planes of heaven, bore up the sixteen planes of the brahma world, and the four planes of the Arupa-Brahma world. Knew that from the earth up to the first plane of heaven the distance is 42,000 yojanas, and the life span in that plane nine million years at the most. Knew that each plane up the distance was the same, that is, 42,000 yojanas. But from the sixth plane to the first brahma plane is 5,508,000 yojanas, and so on for each plane up to the highest arupa-brahma plane. He knew that the life span of each plane differs, right up to the highest plane where the maximum span is 80,000 kalpas.
"As for the extent of the elements themselves, the Blessed One knew that the extension of the earth element is 240,000 yojanas, the water element 480,000 yojanas, the fire element 960,000 yojanas, the air element 1,920,000 yojanas, and the consciousness element 3,840,000 yojanas. As for the space element, there is no end to measuring it because it reaches out to the other world spheres all around, downwards to Lokanta, and upwards to Nibbana.
"Now these elements are only those which belong to the world sphere which is called Okasa loka. As for the elements which go to form the five grasping groups of personality, they are refined a thousand times and more, and come from a different source.
The elements which go to form the five groups of personality are distilled from a force which is established in the centre of the six elements of which the world-sphere consists, commensurate in scope. There are seven stages or forces at work here. The first centripetal force distills the crude elements and leaves only the refined residue. The second force distills the refined residue a step more, until its refinement augments. This goes on until the seventh stage is reached, the refined residue of which is pushed down into the threefold world-sphere by the centripetal force itself as it wheels around. This refined residue collects in the world-sphere accordingly and serves as the material from which the five aggregates of personality are formed.
"The rebirth entity first enters the father and then the mother, and is attracted to the ayatana of the womb by the centripetal force active there, after which the elements are left to do their work, until the child is born. It is from this human base that the other forms, of deva, of brahma, of arupa-brahma and Dhammakaya, are through a refinement technique processed.
All this and more the Blessed One knew about the world. And this is what is implied by the fifth virtue of Lokavidu. One who knows the world.
"Anuttaro purisa dhamma sarathi. This implies that the Blessed One was a tamer of the untamed. That is, knowing the natures of people he was able to teach them accordingly, and bring their understanding into the right path. As in the case of Uruvela Kassapa, whom the inhabitants of Rajagaha respected as a great ascetic.
"When the Blessed One, after having preached his first sermon at Isipatana and converted others there, made his way to Gaya and to the grove of Uruvela, he came into Kassapa's camp where there lived the leader and his five hundred disciples. The Blessed One requested permission to stay with them for the night, but was told by Kassapa that a dangerous serpent lived in those parts. The Blessed One said that it did not matter and retired to the spot to sleep. In the middle of the night, however, the Naga serpent began to spout its poison at him. The Blessed One subdued the serpent and displayed it to Kassapa. But Kassapa, however, was not impressed. This was because Kassapa considered himself an Arahatta, which the Blessed One told him he was not. The Blessed One continued to display a great number of miracles. He told Kassapa that his ascetic practices were not the way to Nibbana. Eventually, Kassapa was converted, and his two other brothers with their following, numbering 1003 in all.
"This is what is implied by the sixth virtue of Anuttaro purisa dhamma sarathi. One who is the tamer of the untamed.
"Sattha devamanussanam. This implies that the Blessed One was a teacher of gods and men. For not only did the Blessed One teach men but it was also his custom to teach devas at night. This is noticed in the Mangala Sutta, which he delivered after the devas asked him what was the best (to be done in the world) and offering the highest bliss.
"This is what is implied by the seventh virtue of Sattha devamanussanam. One who is a teacher of gods and men.
''Buddho. This implies one who is awake like a lotus in full bloom. The Blessed One before his enlightenment, as he was developing insight with great vigor of mind, was like a lotus which had yet to bloom. It was only on Visakha day, the day of his enlightenment, that the lotus met the dawn in full bloom. Also in the beginning of this world cycle, five lotuses appeared on the newly risen earth. The great Brahma of the Suddhavasa plane when he saw this, immediately realized that in this world cycle five Buddhas would arise on earth to teach. This is why he exclaimed: Na, Mo, Bud, Dha, Ya.... Namo Buddhaya which signifies the Buddha Kakussandha, Buddha Konagama, Buddha Kassapa, Buddha Gotama, and Buddha Metteya.
"This is what is implied by the eighth virtue of Buddho. One who is awake like a lotus in full bloom.
"Bhagava. This implies One who breaks the wheel. The Blessed One broke the wheel, of birth and death, of ignorance, of desire, of attachment, and of causation. These turn like a wheel flinging all around to birth and death, unable to escape the three-fold world, which is the sensual sphere, the form sphere, and the formless sphere of life. The Blessed One broke this wheel, and attained release.
Again, Bhagava implies dispensing. That is, with the enlightenment, full knowledge became his. With full knowledge such as this he dissected and analyzed all elements and dhammas into categories in detail, and made them known.
"This is what is implied by the ninth virtue of Bhagava, One who breaks the wheel....
"Svakkhato bhagavata dhammo
Sanditthiko akaliko ehipassiko opanayiko
Paccattam veditabbo vinnuhi ti."
