Meditation Sequence (7)

The hindrance that blocks Nibbāna is wrong view (diṭṭhi). If wrong view exists, one will never attain Nibbāna. Why does wrong view persist? Because one does not understand Dependent Origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) of the aggregates (khandhas); because one does not comprehend the process of the aggregates. No matter how much one practices contemplating impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anatta), if wrong view is not abandoned, Nibbāna will not be attained. Even if one sees the arising and passing away of impermanence, suffering, and non-self, if wisdom (ñāṇa) does not remove wrong view, it cannot be attained. Therefore, the Most Venerable Mogok Sayadaw instructed: "Prioritize removing wrong view first, then practice Vipassanā." Ñātapariññā (Full understanding by knowing) must come first; only then can Tīraṇapariññā (Full understanding by scrutinizing/developing) be cultivated. Only through cultivation can wrong view and skeptical doubt (vicikicchā) be abandoned. If there is no correct understanding, know that the cultivation will not succeed. Ven. Channa practiced contemplating impermanence, suffering, and non-self for over 40 years. Because his Ñātapariññā was not purified, wrong view did not leave him, and he did not attain Nibbāna. Later, Venerable Ānanda gave him the method to remove wrong view and instructed him to contemplate arising and passing away. Only then did he attain Nibbāna. Therefore, the removal of wrong view must be prioritized. If the removal of wrong view is placed first, and the contemplation of impermanence, suffering, and non-self is placed afterward, then know that the path is correct. If the order is reversed, one will only experience fatigue; Magga (Path), Phala (Fruition), and Nibbāna will not be attained. Why is wrong view not abandoned? Because of not understanding Dependent Origination and not comprehending the cause-and-effect process of the aggregates. Not understanding the cause-and-effect process of the aggregates leads to wrong view. During the Buddha's time, at Jetavana Monastery in Sāvatthī, the Buddha and Venerable Sāriputta were residing. A monk named Yamaka did not understand Dependent Origination and did not know the Truths (saccā). Because he didn't understand Dependent Origination, he didn't comprehend the chain of cause and effect, leading him to wrong view. Not understanding Dependent Origination and not realizing the whole as the Truth of Suffering (dukkhasaccā), he clung to the concept of a person or being (puggala, sattva). Ven. Yamaka knew the Buddha's teachings, but he adopted the view that when an Arahant dies, nothing remains. He assumed that after an Arahant attains Parinibbāna (final passing), nothing exists. This implies the meaning that the Arahant has no significance after death. This kind of view is called Ucchedadiṭṭhi (Annihilationist View). Holding that "nothing remains" when an Arahant dies means assuming complete cessation, hence it is Ucchedadiṭṭhi. To explain how Ucchedadiṭṭhi arises: An Arahant also possesses the five aggregates: consciousness (viññāṇa), mentality-materiality (nāmarūpa), six sense bases (saḷāyatana), contact (phassa), feeling (vedanā). To become an Arahant, one must contemplate these with Vipassanā insight wisdom. One contemplates the same five aggregates mentioned in the second section (of the chart). Through contemplation, one sees impermanence, suffering, and non-self. How does one see this? With the Path Knowledge (Magga). Seeing with the Path Knowledge, when this mass of suffering ceases once, one attains the first Path. When it ceases completely up to four times, one becomes an Arahant. Having become an Arahant, the wisdom that contemplated has no suffering left to see; suffering has ceased. It reaches the cessation described in Dependent Origination: "With the cessation of feeling, craving ceases (vedanānirodhā taṇhānirodho); with the cessation of craving, Nibbāna (taṇhānirodhā nibbānaṃ)." When feeling ceases and craving ceases, Nibbāna appears. With no suffering left to contemplate, what does one perceive? One perceives Nibbāna. Thus, when suffering ceases, Nibbāna appears. When wisdom arises through contemplation, suffering ceases. With no suffering present, this wisdom turns towards the Truth of Cessation (nirodhasaccā). Therefore, the individual who can contemplate to cease suffering experiences Nibbāna. Nibbāna exists, so it is experienced; if it didn't exist, it couldn't be experienced. This individual, having attained the four Paths and become an Arahant, upon attaining Parinibbāna, reaches Nibbāna. They reach the existing Nibbāna. Before death, they reach it through vision. After death, they personally experience the bliss of peace (santisukha) of Nibbāna. Therefore, the view that "nothing remains" when an Arahant dies is the Ucchedadiṭṭhi view. Why? Because he does not understand that when the suffering of the cycle (vaṭṭadukkha) ceases or ends, it is Nibbāna. The whole of Dependent Origination is the Truth of Suffering (evaṃ etassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti). If one can contemplate to completely cease that suffering, if one can contemplate to completely cease section number 2 (of the chart), the wisdom turns its object to Nibbāna. Contemplating to cease completely four times like this, one becomes an Arahant. Having become an Arahant, one continuously perceives by taking Nibbāna as the object. An individual whose suffering has not yet ceased has not yet experienced it; when suffering ceases, Nibbāna is experienced simultaneously. Therefore, holding that "nothing remains" when an Arahant dies is the same as assuming Nibbāna does not exist. Hence, it is Ucchedadiṭṭhi. The reason Ven. Yamaka did not attain Nibbāna was because this Ucchedadiṭṭhi view he held blocked him. Therefore, remove wrong view first, then practice Vipassanā. Ven. Yamaka did practice Vipassanā, but because wrong view was not removed, he did not attain Nibbāna. Wrong view will only be removed by understanding Dependent Origination. The person who, in the past, was bound by ignorance (avijjā) and formations (saṅkhāra) – if they die without attaining Nibbāna – gives rise to consciousness (viññāṇa), mentality-materiality (nāmarūpa), six sense bases (saḷāyatana), contact (phassa), feeling (vedanā) in this life. This is called one layer of present result (paccuppanna vipāka). The present aggregates arise. Why do they arise? Because of past causes. It is continuous. The effect arises because the cause exists. Cause and effect are connected. If one assumes it is cut off, it becomes Ucchedadiṭṭhi. If one does not practice Vipassanā, craving (taṇhā), clinging (upādāna), and kamma (kamma) arise again in the present life. When they arise, they connect to future birth, aging, and death (jāti, jarā, maraṇa). The connecting points shown in the (Dependent Origination) wheel diagram are displayed to prevent Ucchedadiṭṭhi. They show that cause and effect are connected. If one realizes, "Ah, the great Dependent Origination of the aggregates is like this," then Ucchedadiṭṭhi is purified. Know that this purification comes from understanding the Dependent Origination of the aggregates. In the past body, ignorance and formations were performed. In this (present life), only consciousness, mentality-materiality, six sense bases, contact, and feeling appear. Ignorance and formations do not come along. Those past phenomena remain in the past; they do not follow into this present life. If one thinks those past phenomena do come along, it becomes Sassatadiṭṭhi (Eternalist View). The phenomena themselves do not come, but cause and effect are connected. If one assumes those past phenomena do not come to this life, Sassatadiṭṭhi is purified. Conversely, looking at the connecting points between the three lives, Ucchedadiṭṭhi is purified. Realizing that past phenomena do not come to this life purifies Sassatadiṭṭhi. If one thought those phenomena did come to this life, it would imply they are permanent, stable, and indestructible. Without understanding these points, if one practices, wrong view will not be abandoned, and Nibbāna will not be attained. Ven. Yamaka had Ucchedadiṭṭhi, which prevented him from attaining Nibbāna. Ven. Channa had Sassatadiṭṭhi, which prevented him from attaining Nibbāna. If one holds any conditioned phenomenon (saṅkhāra dhamma) as permanent (nicca), if Sassatadiṭṭhi is present, not to mention Sotāpatti Magga (Stream Entry Path), one cannot even attain Saccānulomikañāṇa (Knowledge conforming to the Truths). (As stated: Kiñci saṅkhāraṃ niccato passato... anulomakhantiṃ samannāgato bhavissatī'ti... netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati - "For one who sees any conditioned phenomenon as permanent... the state of being endowed with conformity knowledge... this is not possible"). Dr. Ashin Pāramī