Then it will not rain hard on that

Today is an important day, that we gather to listen to my talk on truth. What I am going to talk about is what I experienced. I have practiced it, and the result it has given me is that I have no doubts. All of you here want no dukkha (suffering), like myself I suppose. In reality, in actuality, there is no dukkha; we suffer only because we don't know it. All of you listening to my talk right now have no dosa (anger), no lobha (greed), and no moha (delusion). The origin of the mind of human beings in every nation and of every language is as such. Please set up the mind to listen, and bring it into practice.

First of all, we have to practice awareness. Most people do not understand, so they try to find calmness, but without success. I did that also. I sought calmness, but I didn't know where calmness was. Now I would like to talk about another kind of calmness. The calmness of freedom from not-knowing, because we know and because we are alert. The calmness of freedom from uncalm, of freedom from doubt, because when we practice the correct method of awareness we will know the supposition of everything there is in the world, because the awareness of ourself will bring panna (knowing).

There are four kinds of panna: knowing by memorizing, knowing by recognizing, clearly knowing and really knowing. And all these panna are in every person. Sacca means truth. There are four levels of knowing Dhamma: to know sammuti-sacca (conventional truth), paramattha-sacca (directly-contacted truth), attha-sacca (the deep truth) and ariya-sacca (the fundamentally transforming truth). And this can make anybody become a noble individual, regardless of social class or language. The first step is sotapanna, the second step sakadagami, the third step anagami, and the fourth step arahat (the four stages in the change from being hopelessly deceived to fully freed).

Now in the beginning stage of practice, we know vatthu (thingness), we know paramattha (mind touchable), we know akara (changingess). The mind will change to be ariya (noble), because we have clearly seen the source of dosa – moha – lobha (anger – delusion – greed) and then clearly known the source of vedana – sanna – sankhara – vinnana (feeling – percept – conceiving – knowingness). This is called to clearly know and to really know with nana-panna (the knowledge of full awareness-knowing) that arises from the developing of sati (awareness).

Next, we use sati to see the mind: panna will arise, and we will know the source of kilesa ("defilement", stickiness), tanha ("craving", heaviness), upadana (attachment) and kamma (action). Next, use sati to see the mind again; whatever thought arises see it immediately, and we will know the deception, know in time, know the protection and know the cure. We will know how to conquer conceptual thought. Sila ("moral conduct") will occur within our own mind.

It is not the person who observes sila, but sila observes the person. Sila means normality. Whenever the mind thinks abnormally we see the thought immediately: this is called sila observing us. People who only keep the precepts will not know this mind's occurrence. So sila is a tool to get rid of crude kilesa, to destroy dosa – moha – lobha, to destroy kilesa, tanha and upadana. Then sila appears.

Samadhi (steadiness of the mind, setting up the mind) is the tool to get rid of the median kilesa. Median kilesa is the attachment to calmness. I have done breathing meditation, which brings calmness, but it is the kind of calmness dependent upon moha. I did that because I didn't know the real calmness at that time. Now I know calmness. Real calmness is clearly seeing, really knowing and really understanding. This kind of calmness, everyone can do it when they know the source of moha. Whether you are a teacher, student, merchant or homemaker, you can do it. Everybody needs calmness, and this kind of calmness; whatever kind of work you do you still have it, because you know the source of moha.

We don't have to sit with eyes closed to get calmness, but we can have calmness in this very society. Whenever conceiving thought arises, samadhi will see it immediately. Samadhi doesn't mean to sit with eyes closed. Samadhi means setting up the mind to see our own mind, to see our own work.

Now panna gets rid of the subtle kilesa. We know the subtle kilesa when we know the source of thought whenever it arises. Whatever we do now, we have normality in speech and mind. When all these conditions gather, there will arise a kind of nana (insight knowledge) and it will break apart from the person. Only the one that practices will know. All of you sitting here now have as yet no nana, but the non-suffering and non-happiness is already there. When we don't have nana we don't know it, so we seek calmness. Now, as you are sitting here, look at your own mind. You don't have jealousy, ill will, and aggression; now your mind is indifferent, not suffering and not happy, beyond good and evil. This state is in everybody, and this is the calmness that everyone is seeking.

Somebody who doesn't know comes to teach people. A lot of people follow that person and sit with eyes closed, trying to find calmness. This is trying to get something that doesn't really exist, trying to make something that cannot be real become real. It is impossible. So that is only the state of delusion. Now we come to know the real thing. It is called upekkha (indifference, equanimity). It is our own mind. It is like something that is covered over; now, when we come to see our own mind, it will be revealed.

So we don't have to do anything with calmness, because it is already there. The only thing we have to do is know the method of practice. The method of practice is to know the movements of the body – we don't have to watch the movements of our breathing – we have to know the movements of the physical body and then see the movement of the mind.

Breathing is never glad or sad; it never hates anybody or likes anybody. What is angry is the mind that is thinking. What is pleased is also the mind that is thinking. So we come to see only this point. To see this point is to be aware of thought. In order to see thought, don't enter thought. As soon as it thinks, detach from thought, like a cat catching a rat. We don't have to teach the cat to catch rats, but whenever a rat comes the cat will get it. The clear knowing and real knowing is the same thing. Most people understand panna only as memorizing and recognizing. Very few know clearly and know really. Anyone that will clearly know and really know must make an effort always. Wherever they go they always watch thought; going to the toilet, eating food, whatever they do they look at thought. When we watch thought a lot, like a cat watching for rats, then when thought arises sati or panna will clearly see immediately. This is called panna getting rid of the subtle kilesa.

When we come to this point it is like the hidden thing is revealed, and we will know all religion, we will see with self-understanding the teaching of any religion. We will understand Hinduism or Christianity. We don't understand now because we just memorize from the texts. That is only a kind of history. Now we come to study at ourself. Reality is in us. Texts are only the words of other people. We come to see our own mind, and we will be another knowing individual.

I will stop now. Anyone that has questions can ask.

AUDIENCE: Luangpor teaches that when we go to the toilet we also watch thought. Shall we watch our walking, or shall we watch thought or what shall we watch?

LUANGPOR: Thought arises even when we do not pay attention to it. So when it arises we will see it, we will know it, we will understand it. If we pay too much attention trying to see it, it will not think. So we should practice in an indifferent, detached way. When it thinks we will know. Samadhi is also awareness. When you are aware of yourself, that is samadhi. When it thinks and you see thought, that is samadhi.

AUDIENCE: When I sit I can watch the thought, but when I walk to the toilet and intend to see the thought, when thought arises should I stop walking and see the thought or what should I do?

LUANGPOR: You don't have to stop walking, just be aware of yourself. When we are aware of ourself, that is samadhi. Whatever movement we make we will know it. Unintended thought will arise by itself. If we do not see it we will attach to it, and this is dukkha. So we come to know the cause of dukkha. Normally our mind is indifferent. It can think without dukkha, and we know that it thinks without dukkha But when we do not see thought we follow thought, we enter thought, we enter the cave, and that is dukkha. To see thought is difficult for somebody who doesn't understand, but it is easy for one that understands. To see thought doesn't concern any kind of work. We can write and when thought arises we see it. When we walk to the bathroom, or when we are bathing, and it thinks, we just see it. So we don't have to do anything with calmness, because calmness is already there. The real calmness is when we see thought.

AUDIENCE: So we don't have to stop thinking.

LUANGPOR: Right. Just watch the movement of the mind. Don't force the mind not to think, don't try to prevent or force the mind not to think, don't try to prevent or get rid of thought. Many people want to tranquilize the mind; they don't want the mind to think. That is the understanding of others. But in my view we should let the mind think. The more it thinks the more we know.

It is like when we dig a new well; the water is at first full of dirt. So we have to empty out the water, bucketful after bucketful. We don't have to stop up the hole out of which the water is flowing, but we let the water flow, as much water as possible, and we continue emptying out the dirty water. We clean the edge of the well and continue emptying out the water. We do it again and again. We do it until all the dirt is gone and the water flowing out of the hole is clear and pure. If anything were now to fall into the well we should see it and know it immediately.

So we don't have to stop the mind from thinking. Sometimes it thinks this, sometimes it thinks that, but we just see it immediately, like cat catching rat, and the more it thinks the more we empty it out. When thought arises we see it, that is the important thing.

AUDIENCE: When we sleep and when we are awake, do we watch thought in the same way?

LUANGPOR: The same. When we cannot see thought, when thought arises during the day we don't know it. At night when we dream, we also don't know it. Now, when we see thought wherever we go, when thought arises we know it. At night we sleep, and when it thinks we also know it.

AUDIENCE: I am still puzzled. Should we see thought or should we see ourselves?

LUANGPOR: They are the same. We can call it seeing thought, and we are also aware of ourself at the same time.

AUDIENCE: I would like Luangpor to explain the difference between knowing thought and seeing thought.

LUANGPOR: When we know thought we enter into thought, and thought still continues, it doesn't stop. But when we see thought, when thought arises it stops immediately. So we should practice often to see thought. There will arise nana-panna. Do it like boxers. Every boxer wants to be world champion. Boxers need to be very quick. Dosa – moha – lobha is quick in one way, sati – samadhi – panna is quick in another way. When we train sati – samadhi – panna to be very, very quick, it will be world champion, it will conquer the world. This conscious body is the world. Do we want dosa – moha – lobha or sati – samadhi – panna to rule the world? If dosa – moha – lobha rules the world, it is a world of endless sorrow, endless dukkha. If sati – samadhi – panna rules the world, it is a world of radiance and peace.

AUDIENCE: When we watch our movements and thought arises, how can we know it?

LUANGPOR: If you want to know, you have to practice yourself.

AUDIENCE: Is discovery of calmness the same as discovery of oneself?

LUANGPOR: Yes.

AUDIENCE: If we can find calmness within ourselves, how can we keep it with us all the time?

LUANGPOR: It is there all the time. What is not there all the time is not calmness.

AUDIENCE: People have kamma and kamma disturbs us. So how can we be calm?

LUANGPOR: No, not in that way. We just think ourself. Kamma just means action, not those kinds of kamma that you did in the previous life.

AUDIENCE: If we don't think about kamma then there is no kamma, is there?

LUANGPOR: Right, we don't have to think of it.

AUDIENCE: People are seeking the same thing, but why are there so many thoughts?

LUANGPOR: Because there are many different teachings, many books, much talking, so all are mixed up, and this causes suffering. This way of calmness doesn't concern studying books. It doesn't concern anything. When we read many books, or listen to many teachers, we only have knowledge for talking, so we don't have the experience of the real calmness.

AUDIENCE: How can it be there all the time?

LUANGPOR: If we add colored dye to water, people say that the water is red, or the water is black, or whatever color it is. But in reality water is colorless, and if what is not water is removed then we see it. Upekkha is the mind's natural state. It is present in everybody without exception. When somebody becomes very angry, upekkha anchors that person just like a ship's anchor and therefore they don't die of shock. When somebody becomes very, very greedy and would like to take a great deal away from others, upekkha is like a ball and chain, holding back and moderating the greed, so that it doesn't totally unbalance that person. So upekkha is already there, we don't have to seek it. It is like the sun when it is hidden by clouds. Dosa – moha – lobha, when it arises, obscures upekkha. But when we clearly see our mind, upekkha is uncovered.

AUDIENCE: Luangpor said that gladness and sadness are the same thing. How can they be the same?

LUANGPOR: They are dukkha. Gladness is one kind of dukkha sadness is another kind of dukkha. Unknowing people live with dukkha, eat with dukkha, walk and stand and sit with dukkha, sleep with dukkha, wherever they go they bring dukkha along. When they see a movie they laugh; laughter is a form of dukkha. When they meet with sadness they cry; crying is a form of dukkha. Gladness and sadness, both of them are forms of dukkha. Just so, I imagine that there are two kinds of darkness, white darkness and black darkness. When we earn a lot of money we are glad. That is dukkha. It is the white darkness. When we lose money we are sad and the mind thinks angry thoughts. This is also dukkha. It is the black darkness. But both are dukkha.

AUDIENCE: In reality there is no gladness or sadness, they just arise from moha, don't they?

LUANGPOR: Just like that.

AUDIENCE: Luangpor said that all kinds of gladness are dukkha. Is there some kind of gladness that is not dukkha, for example love between husband and wife?

LUANGPOR: All are dukkha.

AUDIENCE: How about gladness in Dhamma, or sometimes when we look at the sunshine we feel happy?

LUANGPOR: That is not dukkha, not suffering or happiness, not gladness or sadness. It is indifference, equanimity.

AUDIENCE: I would like Luangpor to explain the thing that is called love. For example, a woman and man who are going to get married.

LUANGPOR: Somebody who doesn't know dukkha will approach dukkha, and dukkha will teach its lesson.

AUDIENCE: When we see thought, it stops. So during which time do we see the three characteristics, anicca, dukkha and anatta? Do we see them when we see thought, or before seeing thought, or when we think of them?

LUANGPOR: When we think of them that is not seeing with nana-panna, it is just memorizing or recognizing. After we clearly know and really know we don't have to ask anyone.

AUDIENCE: How about the intention to do something? Suppose that somebody says something bad to us, and we have the intention to harm them.

LUANGPOR: To harm is stupid. When we know the states of suffering and of happiness, we do not want anybody to suffer. We will help all to live without dukkha.

AUDIENCE: When I am going to give money to beggar I know my thought, which is to give money. To see that thought, is that called panna?

LUANGPOR: That is not called panna, it is called knowing from memory. All of us have mind, so before doing or saying anything just look at our mind. Our real mind or real life doesn't hate anybody and doesn't love anybody. When we hate or we love, that is kilesa arising. So just come to see the mind at the beginning, and dosa – moha – lobha will be destroyed. After that, vedana – sanna – sankhara – vinnana will still be there, but they are pure and have no dukkha. Continue to see the mind. We will see kilesa. Kilesa is like gladness and sadness. When we like something and we give it to somebody, it isn't that this is not kilesa – because we like the person that we give it to, we give it with kilesa, we don't give with indifference. Phra (venerable; noble) is indifference. Phra means one that teaches others to be indifferent.

AUDIENCE: When we give charity we usually think of metta (loving-kindness) and Karuna (compassion). So where is karuna and where is metta?

LUANGPOR: Those are just words for talking. It is not Dhamma. It is social.

AUDIENCE: If we don't have metta and karuna, how can we have the motive to do good for others?

LUANGPOR: That is the beginning stage, or the foundation for ethics of the world.

AUDIENCE: In the case of Luangpor, who is trying to help us to be free from dukkha, isn't it the metta of Luangpor?

LUANGPOR: Not metta. Anybody that would like to have Dhamma, just accept it. We don't have gladness or sadness. It is like when we see someone that is drowning, we jump into the water and help them without thinking anything.

AUDIENCE: When that person sees someone drowning and helps immediately, is it the result of social ethics or is it their own nature?

LUANGPOR: It is their own nature. But when we try to help other people we don't see our mind, but the nature of the mind is already there, the indifference is already there, we never come to see it and we try some other way. That is why we don't have real calmness.