Buddhism In Daily Life

by Nina van Gorkom

published by zolag.co.uk

Chapter 14

Factors of the Eightfold Path

Questioner: It is important to cultivate wholesomeness, not only in our actions and speech but in our thinking as well. It is, however, impossible to think wholesome thoughts all the time because we have accumulated many defilements. When we think of the virtues of the Buddha there are at those moments wholesome thoughts, but we cannot continually think of wholesome things; we cannot help it that unwholesome thoughts arise many times during the day. How can we stop unwholesome thinking?

Nina: When we recollect the Buddha’s virtues and when we are grateful for the Dhamma he taught out of compassion for the world, it is a condition for wholesome thinking. We could visit the four holy places: the place of the Buddha’s birth, of his en-lightenment, of his first sermon and of his final passing away. In visiting those holy places we give expression to our deep confidence in his teachings and our gratefulness for the Dhamma which even after 2500 years can still help us now, at this very moment. The holy places remind us not to be neglectful of mindfulness; they are conditions for many kusala cittas.

When there are kusala cittas there are at those moments no conditions for unwholesome thinking, but it is not eradicated. Only by the cultivation of the eightfold Path, which is the develop-ment of insight, will unwholesome thinking eventually be erad-icated. In the development of vipassanå there can also be mindful-ness of thinking which is unwholesome. We may not like to be mindful of unwholesome thinking, but it is a reality, it arises, and thus its characteristic can be investigated. The Four Applications of Mindfulness or satipaììhåna include all realities. If we understand that there isn’t anything which cannot be object of mindfulness, we will gradually realize that all phenomena are only nåma and rúpa. Thus, when unwholesome thinking appears why can it not be known as only a type of nåma? When paññå knows the charac-teristic of this reality more clearly, there will be less inclination to.132 • Buddhism in Daily Life take it for self. So long as we are not yet arahats unwholesomeness is bound to arise. It can only be completely eradicated when one has attained arahatship.

Question: I learned that “right thinking” or “sammå-saùkappa” is one of the factors of the eightfold Path. Is sammå-saùkappa thinking of nåma and rúpa?

Nina: Sammå-saùkappa is the cetasika, mental factor, which is “vitakka” or “thinking”. Vitakka is usually translated into English as “applied thought”. The characteristic of vitakka is different from what we mean by the word “thinking” as we use it in conventional language. Vitakka performs a specific function when it accompanies the citta. The Visuddhimagga (IV, 88) states about vitakka:

...It has the characteristic of directing the mind onto an object (mounting the mind on its object). Its function is to strike and thresh... It is manifested as the leading of the mind onto an object.

Vitakka accompanies many cittas but not every citta. It arises together with the citta and falls away with the citta. When vitakka accompanies akusala citta it is also akusala, and when it ac-companies kusala citta it is also kusala. When vitakka accompanies the citta with right understanding (sammå-diììhi) and right mind-fulness (sammå-sati) of the eightfold Path it is called sammå-saùkappa, right thinking, of the eightfold Path. When there is right mindfulness of a nåma or rúpa which appears through one of the six doors, sammå-saùkappa hits or “touches” the nåma or rúpa which is the object of mindfulness so that sammå-diììhi can investigate that object in order to know it as it is. When right understanding has not been developed yet, we may doubt whether the reality which appears is nåma or rúpa. When there is seeing which is nåma there is also visible object which is rúpa, but only one reality at a time can be object of mindfulness. It is the function of sammå-saùkappa to “touch” the reality appearing at the present moment so that right understanding can investigate its character-istic. Right understanding needs right thinking in order to investi-gate the characteristics of nåma and rúpa and to see realities as they are. Thus, sammå-saùkappa is indispensable for the develop-ment of right understanding. If we understand the function of.Factors of the eightfold Path • 133 sammå-saùkappa, it is clear that sammå-saùkappa is not thinking about nåma or rúpa.

Question: Can sammå-saùkappa destroy wrong thinking?

Nina: Sammå-saùkappa arises together with the citta which is accompanied by right mindfulness and right understanding. It directs the citta in the right way towards the object of mindfulness and at that moment there cannot be wrong thinking. After the moment of mindfulness, however, wrong thinking or thinking which is akusala can arise again, but if one continues developing the eightfold Path it will eventually be destroyed.

Question: I heard someone say that in order to develop mindful-ness one should stop thinking. Is this a right method?

Nina: How could we prevent ourselves from thinking? Through-out our life objects are presenting themselves through the senses and through the mind-door. Cittas which think of these objects are real. Why can there not be mindfulness of thinking? Otherwise we will not see that it is anattå, not self. The moment we try to control thinking it has fallen away, it already belongs to the past. When there is awareness of a characteristic of nåma or rúpa, there is at that moment no clinging to a concept of self who tries to stop thinking or to control sati in other ways. Awareness of whatever reality appears, that is the development of the eightfold Path.

Question: We have spoken already about sammå-diììhi, sammå-saùkappa and sammå-sati, but there are eight factors of the eight-fold Path. Could you tell me which are the factors of the eightfold Path?

Nina: The eight factors are:

Right understanding, sammå-diììhi

Right thinking, sammå-saùkappa

Right speech, sammå-våcå

Right bodily action, sammå-kammanta

Right livelihood, sammå-åjíva

Right effort, sammå-våyåma

Right mindfulness, sammå-sati

Right concentration, sammå-samådhi.134 • Buddhism in Daily Life Question: What are the functions of right speech, right bodily action and right livelihood?

Nina: They are three sobhana cetasikas, beautiful mental factors, which abstain from wrong speech, wrong bodily action and wrong livelihood. They are the factors which are síla or morality. Right speech is abstaining from wrong speech, which is lying, slandering, rude speech and idle talk. Right action is abstaining from wrong bodily action, which is killing, stealing and sexual misbehaviour. Right livelihood is abstaining from wrong livelihood, which is wrong bodily action and wrong speech committed for the sake of earning a living.

Question: How can I abstain from wrong speech? I find that when I am with other people who speak in an unwholesome way I am inclined to do the same.

Nina: So long as we are not yet arahats we will still speak in an unwholesome way. But the Buddha’s teachings can be the condition for us to have less akusala in our life. When people speak in an unpleasant way about others or when they complain about dis-agreeable things which happen in life we may be inclined to follow their example. But through the study of the teachings and the development of satipaììhåna we will realize more often when there are akusala cittas. Gradually we can learn to abstain from wrong speech. We may have compassion for those who speak in the wrong way, we may try to help them to have kusala cittas instead of akusala cittas.

Question: We may know this in theory, but I find the practice of the teachings very difficult. I have spoken the wrong words already before I realize it.

Nina: Through the development of right understanding habits and accumulations can gradually be changed. But there is no self who could change habits and accumulations. The right under-standing of the Dhamma and the application of the Dhamma in one’s life are conditions for change. Then we can prove to ourselves that the Buddha’s teachings are the truth; and our confidence in the teachings will be deeper.

Question: Can you give an example of right action?

Nina: When we are inclined to kill an insect which is stinging us, but then, instead of having aversion, we abstain from killing, we are observing síla. It is not self who abstains, but the cetasika.Factors of the eightfold Path • 135 which is right action performs its function.

Question: I know of someone who says that he cannot help killing. When an insect bites him it is his reflex to kill it. Is the development of right understanding a condition for abstaining from wrong action?

Nina: Right understanding of nåma and rúpa conditions us to realize more often the danger of akusala and the benefit of kusala. At the moment of mindfulness of a reality which appears through one of the six doors there is kusala citta. Kusala citta cannot be accompanied by dosa, it is accompanied by adosa. Adosa is non-aversion or lovingkindness. Right understanding can gradually be the condition that kindness and compassion arise more often. We will be more inclined to think of the happiness of other beings. Should we cause insects to have pain, should we destroy their lives?

Question: When one develops right understanding of the eightfold Path do the sobhana cetasikas of right action, right speech and right livelihood destroy wrong action, wrong speech and wrong livelihood?

Nina: The development of right understanding is a condition for more wholesomeness in our life, but akusala cannot be erad-icated immediately. There are at times conditions for abstaining from unwholesome actions and unwholesome speech, but, when enlightenment has not been attained síla is not enduring. When we are in difficult situations we may kill and we may lie. The sotåpanna, the person who has attained the first stage of enlight-enment has no more conditions for committing akusala kamma which can cause an unhappy rebirth. He has no more conditions to transgress the five precepts. However, he has not eradicated all kinds of unwholesomeness. He has eradicated wrong bodily action, and as regards wrong speech, he has eradicated lying, but he has not eradicated the other kinds of wrong speech. He has eradicated wrong livelihood, he cannot commit wrong action or wrong speech for the sake of earning a living. Thus we see that the development of right understanding will bear directly on our action and speech in daily life.

When the citta is not lokuttara citta, supramundane citta which experiences nibbåna, the three factors of right speech, right action and right livelihood arise one at a time, depending on the given.136 • Buddhism in Daily Life situation. When we abstain from wrong action, we do not abstain at the same time from wrong speech. At the attainment of enlight-enment, however, all three factors arise together while they accompany the lokuttara citta which experiences nibbåna. They perform at that moment their functions as Path factors which is the eradication of the causes of misconduct as to speech, action and livelihood. Latent tendencies to defilements are eradicated so that they do not arise anymore. Defilements are progressively eradicated at the different stages of enlightenment and it is only at the final stage, the stage of the arahat, that all kinds of akusala are completely eradicated.

Question: Can there be awareness of nåma and rúpa while we abstain from unwholesomeness?

Nina: There can be the development of right understanding in any situation, no matter whether we have akusala cittas or whether we abstain from akusala. We gradually learn that there is no self who has kusala citta or akusala citta, but that these types of citta arise because of their own conditions. Through the development of right understanding síla will become purer because one will realize that it is not self who observes síla.

Question: So long as one has not become a sotåpanna the ob-serving of the five precepts which include abstaining from wrong bodily action and from lying cannot be enduring. There will be situations that one will transgress them. As regards wrong liveli-hood, for some people it is very difficult to abstain from it. I heard of someone who has no choice but to kill chickens in order to earn a living for his family. Every day he has to kill, but he says that he performs dåna, generosity, in order to compensate for his killing. Can he compensate in that way?

Nina: We cannot compensate for bad actions by good actions, because every deed brings about its appropriate result. The killing, which is akusala kamma, may cause an unhappy rebirth, even if we perform good deeds as well.

Question: But this person cannot earn a living in any other way. He used to have another kind of business but he could not earn enough money to take care of his family. Some people have no choice; they have to do wrong actions for their livelihood.

Nina: Nothing in life happens without conditions. One’s accumulated defilements cause one to have a profession by which.Factors of the eightfold Path • 137 one is involved in killing animals or trading in arms or alcoholic drinks. These professions are wrong livelihood; they are conditions for akusala kamma. It is sati which could, one day, make a person change his profession which is wrong livelihood. People may think that it is impossible to change their profession, but if there is the development of right understanding of realities there will be con-ditions for earning one’s living without having to perform akusala kamma. As we have seen, the sotåpanna has completely eradicated the tendency to wrong livelihood.

Question: What about people who are not trading in the things you just mentioned, but who are what we call “in business”? I would think that if one is to make a profit one cannot always be telling the truth. Should business-men change their profession in order to be pure in their livelihood? I know someone who was formerly in business but changed his profession. He now works for a newspaper because he sees this profession as an opportunity to serve other people better.

Nina: We cannot say that someone should or should not do

particular things, because whatever we do in life is dependent on

conditions. There is no self who makes a choice, there are cittas

arising because of their own conditions. People who are in business

may perform akusala kamma, as for instance, when they are

dishonest and harm other people in the way they make their

profit. But they can have kusala cittas too. They may abstain from telling lies even though they know that this will cause them to have less profit. Thus, at different moments there are different conditions for akusala cittas and for kusala cittas which arise. Question: What about a professional soldier? Can he ever have right livelihood?

Nina: He can have akusala cittas and kusala cittas at different moments. When he kills others he performs akusala kamma, but he may also perform wholesome deeds.

In the Sutta of the Highest Blessings (Mahå-Maògala Sutta, Sutta-Nipåta, Khuddaka Nikåya) we read among others about the following blessing: “Supporting mother and father, cherishing wife and children, and peaceful occupations—this is the highest blessing.”

Soldiers, however, can and should cultivate kusala kamma too. We read in the Gradual Sayings (Book of the Eights, Ch II, § 2,.138 • Buddhism in Daily Life Síha, the general)) that Síha the general visited the Buddha and gained confidence in him. We read:

Then the Exalted One preached a graduated discourse to Síha, the general, that is to say: on almsgiving, the precepts and on heaven. He set forth the peril, the folly and the depravity of lusts and the blessedness of renunciation.

And when the Exalted One knew that the heart of Síha, the general, was clear, malleable, free from hindrance, uplifted and lucid, then he revealed that teaching of Dhamma which Buddhas alone have won, that is to say: Dukkha, its coming-to-be, its ending and the Way. Just as a clean cloth, free of all stain, will take dye perfectly; even so in Síha, the general, seated there, there arose the spotless, stainless vision of Dhamma: that whatsoever be conditioned by coming-to-be all that is subject to ending...

The commentary to this sutta, the “Manorathapúraùi”, explains that Síha became a sotåpanna.

Question: I think that those whose profession is government service have more conditions for pure livelihood. They do not have to think about making a profit for themselves.

Nina: They may have many akusala cittas; they may have conceit, or they may think of their own success. It all depends on the individual. When we have chosen a profession, it shows that we have accumulations for that profession. That profession is part of our daily life. During our work we can develop mindfulness and right understanding of nåma and rúpa. When we have more un-derstanding of the Dhamma we can help other people to understand it as well, and thus we serve society in the best way, we contribute to peace in the world.

Question: But can someone who has to think of money all day be aware of nåma and rúpa?

Nina: Do you handle money during the day?

Question: Yes, it is part of our normal way of life.

Nina: Should you not be aware of realities when looking at money? Do you think that there is anything which is not included in satipaììhåna?

Question: When I look at money visible object appears through the eyes. When I touch it hardness or softness may appear through.Factors of the eightfold Path • 139 the bodysense. But if I were aware only of those realities and did not know the value of the banknote I would be poor very soon. Even though I believe that awareness is very useful, yet I consider it to be a different section of life. I lead two kinds of lives: my life of awareness which I lead mostly at home, when I am alone, and my business life in which I have to be practical.

Nina: Do you think that the Buddha said that there are times one should not be mindful? He exhorted people to be aware, no matter what they were doing.

Question: But awareness is not always practical. For instance, when I am opening the safe in my office I have to remember the numbers of the combination-lock. If I were aware only of hardness, motion or visible object, I could not open the safe. I thought that only absolute realities, nåmas and rúpas which appear one at a time through the six doors are objects of mindfulness. I thought that there cannot be mindfulness while one is thinking of concepts. Nina: Why can there not be awareness when you know the value of a banknote or when you remember the numbers of the combination-lock on the safe? At such moments there is thinking of concepts, but is thinking not a reality? Are there moments that there are not nåma and rúpa? I agree that you have to be practical, but does that mean that there cannot be awareness at the same time?

The Buddha’s teachings are very practical. The Buddha gave

many practical guidelines for laypeople so that they could lead a

life of goodwill and benevolence in their social relations. He advised

them on the means for both their material welfare and their

spiritual welfare. We read in the Gradual Sayings (Book of the

Eights, Ch VI, § 4, Longknee, the Koîiyan) that, while the Buddha

was staying among the Koîiyans, at Kakkarapatta, Longknee (also

named “Tigerfoot”) visited the Buddha. He asked the Buddha

whether he would teach Dhamma to people like him, who are

householders indulging in sense pleasures. He would like the

Buddha to teach him what would lead to happiness here on earth

and to happiness in the world to come. The Buddha said that four

conditions would lead to advantage and happiness here on earth,

namely, alertness, achievement in watchfulness, good company

and the “even life”. As to alertness, he should be deft and tireless

in his work, he should have an inquiring turn of mind into ways.140 • Buddhism in Daily Life

and means, and be able to carry out his job. As to “accomplishment

of watchfulness”

, we read:

What is the accomplishment of watchfulness? Herein, Tigerfoot (Vyagghapajja), whatsoever wealth a householder is in possession of, obtained by dint of effort, collected by strength of arm, by the sweat of his brow, justly acquired by right means–such he looks after well by guarding and watching so that kings would not seize it, thieves would not steal it, fire would not burn it, water would not carry it away, nor ill-disposed heirs would remove it. This is the accomplishment of watchfulness...

As to good company, the Buddha said that he should consort with those who are full of faith, virtue, charity and wisdom, and try to be likewise. As to the “even life”, we read:

... Herein a clansman while experiencing both gain and loss in wealth, continues his business serenely, not unduly elated or depressed. He thinks: “Thus my income, after deducting loss, will stand (at so much) and my outgoings will not exceed my income”...

We read that there are four channels for the flowing away of amassed wealth: “looseness with women, debauchery in drinking, knavery in dice-play and friendship, companionship and intimacy with evil doers.” The Buddha explained that there are four condi-tions for happiness in the world to come: achievement in faith, namely, confidence in the Buddha, achievement in virtue, that is, abstaining from ill deeds, achievement in generosity and achieve-ment in wisdom.

The Buddha would not teach anything which is not practical and beneficial. There should be awareness not only of realities which appear through the five sense-doors, but also of realities which appear through the mind-door. When we are thinking of concepts, there can be awareness of thinking. Can you help knowing the value of a banknote? Is knowing this a reality?

Question: Yes, it is a reality.

1 Here I use the translation of the Wheel Publication no. 14, Buddhist

Publication Society, Sri Lanka.

Nina: Anything which is real can be object of mindfulness..Factors of the eightfold Path • 141

Some people think that there should be awareness only of some

particular kinds of nåma and rúpa, such as seeing and visible

object. They think that knowing what something is, as for instance,

knowing the value of a banknote or knowing whether the traffic

light is green or red, is not included in satipaììhåna. Don’t you

think that unnatural? I have heard of someone who, while he is

developing insight, believes that he cannot recognize his friends

or his parents. If one cannot recognize anything while one is

“mindful” it means that one could not be aware during one’s

daily activities. It means that if one were to drive a car and be “mindful” at the same time, one would not know when the traffic light is green and when it is red. That is not the right path.

Recognizing something is a reality as well, it is a type of nåma which recognizes something, it is not self who recognizes. The development of the eightfold Path is the development of right understanding of all realities of our daily life.

Question: I still do not see how one can lead one’s daily life while one develops vipassanå. I have heard that it is forbidden to take alcoholic drinks while one develops vipassanå.

Nina: No one can force another person to abstain from drinking, nor can one force oneself, since it is not self who indulges in drinking or abstains from it, but nåma, arising because of conditions. It is not self but sati which keeps someone from drinking. When sati has been accumulated more it is a condition for gradually becoming less attached to drinking. However, only the ariyan can observe the five precepts perfectly. Since at the attainment of enlightenment all tendencies to wrong bodily action and to the wrong speech which is lying were eradicated, it has become his nature to observe the five precepts. People who are not ariyans may transgress them. For example, when there are conditions it could happen that we kill in order to protect our lives. However, if one learns to develop satipaììhåna, it will gradually lead to changing one’s way of life and to refraining from akusala kamma. Question: Thus, mindfulness can bring about what I would con-sider a miracle, a transformation in character, is that right?

Nina: People would like to change their characters but they do not know how to do it. Would you like to see a change in your character for the better? Is there a way? Everything occurs because of conditions. The condition for a change in one’s life is vipassanå,.142 • Buddhism in Daily Life the right understanding of realities. However, a sudden transfor-mation of character cannot be expected. People can see for them-selves that while they develop the eightfold Path they come to know more and more their defilements, also the subtle ones.

When there is less ignorance of the realities of one’s life it means

that there is already a gradual change in one’s character, even

though enlightenment has not been attained..• 143

Chapter 15

Right Effort

Questioner: Awareness arises when there are conditions. We cannot make awareness arise at will; awareness is anattå. It would seem, therefore, that we cannot make an effort to have awareness. I know, however, that right effort, in Påli: sammå-våyåma, is one of the factors of the eightfold Path. What is the characteristic of right effort?

Nina: Sammå-våyåma or right effort is the cetasika which is effort or energy, in Påli: viriya. The Visuddhimagga (XIV, 137) states about viriya:

Energy (viriya) is the state of one who is vigorous (víra). Its

characteristic is marshalling (driving). Its function is to consolidate

conascent states. It is manifested as non-collapse. Because of the

words “Bestirred, he strives wisely” (Anguttara Nikåya II, 115

) its proximate cause is a sense of urgency; or its proximate cause is grounds for the initiation of energy. When rightly initiated, it should be regarded as the root of all attainments.

Viriya is a type of nåma but is it not true that we take it for self? There are different kinds of viriya. There is viriya which is akusala and there is viriya which is kusala. There is viriya with dåna, viriya with síla, viriya in samatha and viriya in vipassanå, which is right effort of the eightfold Path (sammå-våyåma), and all these kinds of viriya have different qualities.

Sammå-våyåma of the eightfold Path arises together with sammå-diììhi, right understanding and sammå-sati, right mindfulness.

1 Book of the Fours, Ch XII, § 3, The goad. The Buddha uses a simile of horses

which are stirred by a goad. Evenso a person may be stirred to develop right understanding. Some people are already stirred when they hear about someone else who is ill or dead, while others are stirred when they see it themselves, or when their own relatives are ill or dead, or when they themselves suffer from painful feelings.

The development of vipassanå is not merely being mindful of.144 • Buddhism in Daily Life

realities, without investigating their characteristics. The character-istics

of nåma and rúpa must be thoroughly investigated over and

over again until they are understood as only a nåma or only a

rúpa, non-self. Sammå-våyåma is an indispensable factor for the development of right understanding, because much courage and perseverance are needed for the investigation of realities in order see them as they are. Sammå-våyåma is the strength and vigour which arises each moment when there is awareness of a nåma or a rúpa and understanding of the reality which appears is being developed.

Question: You said that when sammå-diììhi investigates a char-acteristic of nåma or rúpa which is object of mindfulness there is also sammå-våyåma at that moment. But when there is very little awareness should we not make an effort to have more?

Nina: One may try to force the arising of awareness and try to “catch” the reality of the present moment, but then one does not know what sati is. Someone may take his attachment to sati for sati. It is true that right awareness can be developed, but this does not mean that one can force its arising. The factor which can condition its arising is understanding how vipassanå is to be de-veloped. If we know what the object of sati is: the nåma or rúpa which appears now, through one of the six doors, sati can arise and thus right understanding can gradually develop. When a citta with right mindfulness arises, there is at that moment right effort as well. Effort in vipassanå is the strength or energy which is needed to investigate the reality which appears in order to under-stand it as it is, but we should remember that this effort is not self. Right effort of the eightfold Path supports and strengthens right mindfulness and right understanding.

Question: I have heard that the right effort of the eightfold Path

is the effort of the “middle way”. However, it is very difficult to

walk the middle way. If we make too much of an effort there is

the notion of self again and if we make no effort at all we are

lazy and heedless. I do not know how to walk the right way.

Nina: If we think in terms of making too much or too little

effort, then we do not realize that effort is nåma and not self. We should not confuse sammå-våyåma of the eightfold Path with what we in conventional language usually mean by “effort” or “trying”. We do not have to think of making an effort, because.Right effort • 145 when there is right mindfulness there is at that moment sammå-våyåma as well. Sammå-våyåma arises for example when there is right mindfulness of seeing, hearing, thinking, visible object or sound which appears now. At such a moment there is courage and strength to be mindful of the reality which appears in order to develop a clearer understanding of its characteristic.

Question: When sati does not arise we cannot force its arising. Does this mean that nothing else can be done but waiting for the arising of sati?

Nina: We should not waste our life and spend it in heedlessness. Thus, we should not neglect any way of kusala for which there is an opportunity. Dåna, síla, samatha and vipassanå are different ways of kusala we can apply ourselves to. When sati of vipassanå does not arise, we should not be lazy with regard to the other ways of kusala, because at the moments we do not develop kusala, we act, speak and think with akusala cittas and thus we accumulate akusala time and again.

We should not neglect the way of kusala which is studying and considering the teachings. If we study the teachings and often consider what the Buddha taught about nåma and rúpa there are conditions for the arising of sati at any moment.

Question: When there are akusala cittas an effort should be made for kusala cittas. The person who develops samatha and the person who develops vipassanå will make an effort for kusala in different ways. Is that right?

Nina: Samatha is the development of calm by means of a suitable meditation subject. The kusala citta which applies itself to samatha is accompanied by right effort, sammå-våyåma, but this kind of effort is different from sammå-våyåma of the eightfold Path.

Sammå-våyåma in samatha supports the citta which develops calm in order to temporarily eliminate akusala cittas. Sammå-våyåma of the eightfold Path supports the citta and the accompanying mental factors, when there is right mindfulness of whatever reality appears, in order that it will be known as it is, as non-self. When there is akusala citta, it can be realised as a type of nåma, arising because of conditions, not self.

It is important to know what one is developing, samatha or vipassanå. When people say that they develop vipassanå but do not want to be aware of akusala cittas, they are not on the eightfold.146 • Buddhism in Daily Life Path. Most people are afraid of gross defilements, but does one realize the danger of latent tendencies which have been accumu-lated? Latent tendencies are dangerous; they are a condition for akusala cittas to arise; they are the condition for us to be born again and again. Vipassanå is the only way to eradicate all defile-ments and also the latent tendencies. Therefore, vipassanå is the highest way of kusala.

Question: Are there many moments of mindfulness needed before there can be a clear understanding of realities?

Nina: In the beginning there cannot be a clear understanding of nåma and rúpa. We often mention the words nåma and rúpa but we should keep in mind that these words denote realities which can be known through direct experience in our daily life. Seeing, hearing or thinking are nåmas which can be directly known when they appear. Visible object, sound or hardness are rúpas which can be directly known when they appear. We still think of a self who sees, hears or thinks, but what we take for a person are in fact many different elements which can be known one at a time.

Hearing is only an element, a type of nåma which experiences

sound. Hearing cannot experience any other object. Through mind-fulness

of hearing when it appears we will learn that not a self

hears, but that hearing hears. When sound appears sound can be

the object of mindfulness; there is at that moment no thought of

the sound of a voice or the sound of a particular thing. When

there is mindfulness of sound, its characteristic can be investigated

and this is the way to know sound as it is: a rúpa which is

experienced through the ears, not a thing which belongs to a

person, not a “self”. Most of the time there is forgetfulness of realities. At the moment sati arises there is mindfulness of one reality at a time, a nåma-element or a rúpa-element.

Right understanding of nåma and rúpa can only develop at the moment there is mindfulness of their characteristics as they appear through the six doorways. Each moment of developing right un-derstanding is extremely short, it arises and then falls away im-mediately.

In the beginning there will be only be a few moments

of sati and then there are bound to be countless moments of

forgetfulness of realities. Many moments of sati are needed in order that the characteristics of nåma and rúpa can be investigated, but this should not make us discouraged. A moment of right.Right effort • 147 mindfulness is never lost, it conditions mindfulness again, later on. It is inpredictable when sati will arise, because it is anattå, non-self. The development of satipaììhåna is the only way to have less ignorance of realities. If we really see the danger of ignorance it can be a condition for the arising of sati and then there is right effort as well.

It is important to know the difference between thinking about nåma and rúpa and the paññå which directly knows the character-istic of the nåma or rúpa which appears. We may think that we know nåma and rúpa from direct experience, but is there a clear understanding of their different characteristics? Do we know al-ready through direct experience the difference between the char-acteristic of nåma and the characteristic of rúpa? We have learned that nåma is the reality which experiences something and that rúpa is the reality which does not know anything, but now we should know their different characteristics through the direct ex-perience, in being mindful of them. So long as there is doubt about the difference between nåma and rúpa, there cannot be a clear understanding of them.

Question: I think that I can experience the impermanence of

seeing. I know that it has fallen away when other phenomena

appear. When, for instance, there is hearing it is clear that seeing has fallen away.

Nina: Knowing impermanence by way of thinking is not the same as the direct understanding of the arising and falling away of realities. It is difficult to realize this. During the time we call in conventional language a “moment” there are countless cittas arising and falling away, succeeding one another. If one has not cultivated right understanding to a high degree the impermanence of cittas cannot be realized.

Question: I see that it is important to know impermanence through direct experience in order to eliminate wrong understanding of realities. How can I ever be quick enough to know the impermanence of cittas?

Nina: This can never be known so long as there a concept of self who tries to take hold of realities. Only paññå can realize the nåma or rúpa appearing at the present moment.

Question: What can be known by direct experience when one has only just begun to develop insight?.148 • Buddhism in Daily Life Nina: There can be mindfulness of a characteristic which appears through one of the six doors. But there cannot yet be a precise knowledge of nåma and rúpa. Someone told me that he assumed that everybody knew the difference between nåma and rúpa; for example, between the nåma which experiences sound, hearing, and the rúpa which is sound. He was wondering how anybody could have doubts about it. However, we should know the difference between theoretical knowledge and the paññå which has direct understanding of realities. Only when paññå has been developed in vipassanå can it have a precise knowledge of the reality which appears at the present moment.

Question: There are many phenomena arising at the same time.

In what order should I be aware of phenomena?

Nina: It is true that there are many phenomena arising at the

same time. For example, our body consists of many different

rúpas which arise and fall away. The rúpas which are solidity, cohesion, temperature and motion always arise together and fall away together. But only one characteristic can be experienced by citta at a time, because citta can have only one object at a time. Thus, when the citta is accompanied by sammå-sati, right mindful-ness, there can be mindfulness of only one reality at a time.

When we say that hardness appears or presents itself it means that hardness is the object which citta experiences at that moment. If sati accompanies the citta, then sati has the same object as the citta; it is mindful of that object. When there is mindfulness of the characteristic of hardness, paññå can realize it as only hardness; it is not a body, not a self, it is only a kind of rúpa which is experienced through the door of the body. It is beyond control what the object of awareness will be. There is no rule which tells us of which phenomena there should be awareness and in which order.

Direct understanding of realities by being mindful of them is not the same as theoretical knowledge of them, but theoretical knowledge of nåma and rúpa is a helpful foundation for the development of vipassanå. When we read the suttas we notice that the Buddha spoke time and again about understanding nåma and rúpa which appear through the six doorways. We read for example in the Kindred Sayings (IV, Saîåyatana-vagga, Kindred Sayings on Sense, Third Fifty, Ch V, § 146, Helpful) that the.Right effort • 149 Buddha said to the monks:

I will teach you, monks, a way that is helpful for nibbåna. Do you listen to it. And what, monks, is that way? Herein, monks, a monk regards the eye as impermanent. He regards objects, eye-consciousness, eye-contact as impermanent. That pleasant, unpleas-ant or neutral feeling experienced, which arises by eye-contact–that also he regards as impermanent.

He regards the ear... the nose... the tongue... the body... He regards mind, mind-states, mind-consciousness, mind-contact as impermanent. The pleasant feeling or unpleasant feeling or neutral feeling... arising therefrom,— he regards that also as impermanent.

This, monks, is the way that is helpful for nibbåna.

Would thinking about realities as impermanent lead to nibbåna? We cannot become detached from the concept of self merely by thinking. Only the paññå which directly understands the charac-teristics of nåma and rúpa which appear at the present moment can see them as they really are, as impermanent and non-self. If we mistakenly think that we know the truth already we are not able to understand the real meaning of this sutta. Why would the Buddha time and again stress that the eye, seeing-consciousness and visible object, that all realities appearing through the six doors are impermanent? In order to remind people to be aware of nåma and rúpa, so that one day they would see realities as they are.

Question: I find it difficult to know from direct experience the difference between the nåma which experiences sound and the rúpa which is sound. How can I ever know the difference between nåma and rúpa unless I make an effort? Or would it be better in the beginning to ignore the difference between nåma and rúpa, such as hearing and sound, and rather know different characteristics of rúpa which appear through the bodysense?

Nina: All nåmas and rúpas which appear through the different doorways should be known. We should not select any particular kind of nåma or rúpa as object of awareness. That would not be the right path. Hearing can be known and sound can be known as well, they are both realities which each have a different character-istic.

We cannot, however, have a clear understanding of realities

within just a short time. The characteristics of nåma and rúpa are.150 • Buddhism in Daily Life

clearly distinguished from each other when the first stage of insight-knowledge

is attained. Even this stage, which is only a beginning

stage, cannot be attained unless there has been mindfulness over

and over again of nåma and rúpa. Could we say that we know

already different kinds of nåma and rúpa as they appear through

the different doorways? Are we no longer confused as to the

doorway through which an object is experienced?

Question: No, I certainly cannot say that.

Nina: How could there be a precise knowledge of realities when their characteristics are not yet known from direct experience, as they appear one at a time through eyes, ears, nose, tongue, bodysense and mind-door? All these considerations help us to realize how little we know. If we wrongly assume that we know realities as they are we cannot develop right understanding. But when we see how little we know we are more truthful and then we may be able to begin to develop right understanding.

When right understanding develops we begin to realize the difference between theoretical knowledge of realities and the paññå which directly knows the characteristics of phenomena when they appear one at a time. We realize that a few moments of awareness are not enough; that we need to be mindful of nåma and rúpa countless times in order to become more familiar with their char-acteristics.

In that way a more precise knowledge of nåma and

rúpa can be developed.

Question: In the Visuddhimagga, in the definition of effort, it is said that its proximate cause is “a sense of urgency” or “grounds for the initiation of energy”. What can urge us to be mindful now?

Nina: The Buddha pointed out that it is a matter of urgency for us to develop right understanding of realities; he encouraged people to be mindful, at any time and any place. He pointed out the sorrows of past lives, of the present life and of the lives in the future which will occur if one has not made an end to rebirth. In the Theragåtha (Vajjita, Canto II, 168) we read about Vajjita who attained arahatship. The text states:

A traveller I these long, long ages past,

And round about the realms of life I’ve whirled;

One of the many-folk and blind as they,.Right effort • 151 No ariyan truths had I the power to see.

But earnestly I strove for light and calm;

And now all shattered lies the endless way.

All future bournes abolished utterly,

Now comes never more rebirth for me.

We do not know how long we will be in this plane of existence nor whether we will be able to develop insight in the next life. When we read in the scriptures about birth, old age, sickness and death, and about the dangers of rebirth, we can be reminded to be aware of realities now, at this moment. When we see that mindfulness now is urgent and that it should not be put off, it can help us to be less neglectful.

Sammå-våyåma, right effort, is an indispensable factor of the eightfold Path; it supports and strengthens right understanding and right mindfulness. One needs vigour and courage to be mindful without delay and to consider and investigate the characteristics of nåma and rúpa untiringly, so that right understanding can grow. Realities such as seeing, visible object, hearing, sound, feeling or thinking appear countless times during the day, yet often there is no mindfulness but forgetfulness of realities. If there is no mindfulness now, will there ever be the wisdom which sees things as they are?

Question: You say that thinking about the dangers of rebirth

will remind people not to be heedless. I doubt whether it is

helpful to be frightened by the thought of hell.

Nina: All of the Buddha’s teachings are most valuable. That is

why we should continue reading the scriptures. For different

situations in life we will find in the teachings the right words

which will encourage us to be mindful. Often we are heedless and forgetful of realities, but when we read about the danger of rebirth in hell it reminds us to continue to develop right under-standing.

We should not be frightened by the thought of hell–that

is akusala. But we should remember that only if vipassanå is

developed and enlightenment is attained will we escape the danger of an unhappy rebirth.

When we see the extent of the defilements we have accumulated

and are still accumulating, we can be urged to develop right

understanding now, at this moment..152 • Buddhism in Daily Life.• 153