Observe Only the Mind to Uproot Wrong View

A monk requested the Buddha to explain how to abandon identity view (sakkāya-diṭṭhi). The Buddha then gave a brief teaching: "Viññāṇaṃ aniccato jānato passato sakkāyadiṭṭhi pahīyati" – "When one knows and sees consciousness as impermanent, identity view is abandoned." When a greedy mind arises, observe the greedy mind. When an angry mind arises, observe the angry mind. When a deluded mind arises, observe the deluded mind. When a wholesome mind arises, observe the wholesome mind. Observe every single mind that arises. In the continuum of an ordinary person (puthujjana), only ordinary mind states will arise. The essence of the teaching is that if one observes whatever mind arises and sees its arising and passing away, identity view is abandoned. If one observes, with the insight knowledge that accords with truth (saccānulomika-ñāṇa), all arising mind states until their arising and passing away is seen, one can abandon identity view. Similarly, if one observes feeling (vedanā) and sees its arising and passing away, identity view is also abandoned. When one observes the mind and sees its arising and passing away, the four types of perceptual distortion (diṭṭhi-vipallāsa) are abandoned. The four diṭṭhi-vipallāsas are: mistakenly perceiving impermanence (anicca) as permanence (nicca); mistakenly perceiving suffering (dukkha) as happiness (sukha); mistakenly perceiving non-self (anatta) as self (atta); and mistakenly perceiving unattractiveness (asubha) as attractiveness (subha). If one wants wrong view (diṭṭhi) to be quickly uprooted, one must observe the mind. If greed arises, observe its arising and passing away. If anger arises, observe its arising and passing away. Whatever mind arises, observe its arising and passing away. If, through observation, one sees arising and passing away, the path (magga) is realized. That path can abandon the four types of diṭṭhi-vipallāsa. The Venerable Mogok Sayadaw explained how to observe the mind as follows: "For those without mindfulness, it is difficult to uproot wrong view. For those who are aware, they must observe their own mind's arising and passing away. (Yes, Venerable Sir). One must observe one's own mind's (arising and passing away, Venerable Sir). Observe the arising and passing away. (Yes, Venerable Sir)." "Yes, therefore, for ordinary people, a greedy mind will come, an angry mind will come, a deluded mind will come. Won't they come? (They will come, Venerable Sir). What about envious minds (issa)? (They will come, Venerable Sir). Ah, even if a mind of envy towards others arises, what should one do with it? (Observe its arising and passing away, Venerable Sir). That is the envious mind; observe this arising and passing away. (Yes, Venerable Sir). What if a stingy mind (macchariya) arises again? (One must observe its arising and passing away, Venerable Sir). Observe all of them! (Yes, Venerable Sir). Ha, let me say one last thing. If a mind wishing to slander others arises (Observe its arising and passing away, Venerable Sir). If a mind wishing to be happy arises again (Observe its arising and passing away, Venerable Sir). If a mind wishing to laugh arises (Observe its arising and passing away, Venerable Sir). If a mind wishing to cry arises (Observe its arising and passing away, Venerable Sir). Just observe all of them. (Yes, Venerable Sir). Thus, when you observe, you see arising-passing. The observing is the Path (Magga). (Yes, Venerable Sir). What dies is the Wrong View (Diṭṭhi). (Absolutely true, Venerable Sir). Do you understand? (Yes, we do, Venerable Sir). Arising-passing is impermanence (Anicca), the observing is the Path (Magga), what dies is the Wrong View (Diṭṭhi). (Yes, Venerable Sir). Identity View (Sakkāya-Diṭṭhi) is uprooted. (Absolutely true, Venerable Sir)." If one can observe in this way, seeing arising and passing away, one can abandon wrong view. Identity view is uprooted. The four diṭṭhi-vipallāsas are uprooted. It is only crucial to watch the arising mind with mindfulness and wisdom. The Venerable Mogok Sayadaw named wrong view (diṭṭhi) the "seed of hell." This is correct. It is because of wrong view that one falls into the lower realms (apāya). Therefore, he sometimes also called it the "root the lower realms." If this wrong view can be eradicated completely, the four lower realms have nothing to do with you anymore. One should fear having the "seed of hell," wrong view, in one's belly more than one fears hell itself. If the seed of hell, wrong view, is no longer in one's belly, there is no reason to be reborn in the lower realms. Therefore, the Venerable Mogok Sayadaw advised, "So, if you wish to remove the seed of hell, observe your own mind." The observing wisdom is the developing Path (Magga). That Path destroys the defilement of wrong view. The mind will just keep arising, one mind moment after another. One only needs to watch this arising mind with mindfulness and wisdom. The previous mind arises and passes away. The subsequent mind knows that the previous mind has arisen and passed away. This knowing itself is wisdom. It is the wisdom of the Path. It refers to the mundane path wisdom. This wisdom is also called the knowledge that accords with truth (saccānulomika-ñāṇa). It is the wisdom that is in accordance with the Truth. It can also be called insight wisdom (vipassanā-ñāṇa). Every living being lives with just one mind at a time. Therefore, it is not the norm for two minds to arise simultaneously in one person's continuum. Thus, at any one time, only one mind will arise. One only needs to watch this single arising mind with mindfulness and wisdom. If one watches it, the wisdom (magga) that knows the mind's arising and passing away will be present. If this observing Path is present, no other mind gets a chance to arise. At that moment of the Path mind arising, it can be said that one is living with the Path. The Venerable Mogok Sayadaw praised such a person as a "Path-person" (magga-puggala) encouragingly. Therefore, if one wants to become a Path-person, one simply needs to watch every arising mind until the Path insight into arising-passing is achieved. If one lives with the Path in this way, wrong view is uprooted. When wrong view is uprooted, the seed of hell is no longer in one's belly. If the seed of hell is not present, hell, or the lower realms, cannot manifest. Therefore, the point is: don't fear hell; fear only having wrong view. Thus, observing arising and passing away to uproot wrong view is done with the wisdom of development (bhāvanā). Wrong view can be uprooted by the wisdom of understanding (ñāṇa) and also must be uprooted by the wisdom of development. Finally, it is also important to uproot it completely with the wisdom of eradication (pahāna-ñāṇa). Uprooting wrong view by observing arising and passing away is uprooting through development. By repeatedly developing with the Path, seeing arising-passing as impermanence, wrong view is repeatedly uprooted. When one is not developing, wrong view can come back. One has not yet reached the stage of being truly at ease. However, if one keeps working on uprooting it through development, when the developmental wisdom matures, the true Path will arise. If one is consistently observing any arising mind until its arising and passing away is seen, the developmental wisdom has set in. It is the knowledge that accords with truth (saccānulomika-ñāṇa). Whatever mind comes, any mind that comes, as soon as it falls under one's wisdom, only arising and passing away is seen. When one sees this, decide: "It is just the suffering of arising, the suffering of passing away." Adjust the wisdom to see it as "the suffering of arising, the suffering of passing away." The wisdom will mature until one sees, "I don't want this suffering of arising and passing away anymore." As the wisdom matures and ripens, all the previous arising and passing away ceases. No mind comes under the wisdom anymore. At that time, one no longer sees the suffering of arising and passing away. Suffering has ended. "The cessation of suffering is Nibbāna. (Yes, Venerable Sir). What sees it is (the Path wisdom, Venerable Sir)." These are the original words of the Venerable Mogok Sayadaw. When this wisdom arises, the seed of the lower realms, the seed of hell, wrong view, is utterly uprooted and gone, never to appear again. Since wrong view never appears again, one never falls into the lower realms again. "Observe until you see arising-passing. Observe until you detest arising-passing. Knowing arising-passing as the Truth of Suffering (Dukkha Saccā), observe until it ceases," instructed the Venerable Mogok Sayadaw. When one observes until it ceases, simultaneously, the Truth of Suffering (Dukkha Saccā) ceases, and the Truth of Origin (Samudaya Saccā), which has wrong view as its latent tendency (diṭṭhānusaya), also ceases. The moment one fully comprehends it as the Truth of Suffering, suffering ceases, and the Origin, rooted in the latent tendency of wrong view, is also ceased because the Path cuts through the middle. The eightfold Path, like a sharp sword, cuts through the middle; when it is applied, suffering is severed and falls away. Wrong view, the Origin, is also severed and falls away. Therefore, wrong view is only completely uprooted by the Eightfold Path. When uprooted by the five path factors (in development), it is only temporarily uprooted. If it is temporarily uprooted again and again, when one is not developing, wrong view can still come back. However, one must primarily work on temporary uprooting through development. By repeatedly practicing temporary uprooting, when the practice becomes frequent and the wisdom matures, the five path factors will become complete as eight factors, and at that time, it will be uprooted by the wisdom of eradication. First, one must work to uproot wrong view through understanding. Then, one must work to uproot it through development. While working on the developmental practice, if one reaches the stage of abandonment, one becomes a Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna). The wisdom that realizes Stream-entry is the supramundane Path wisdom. When that Path wisdom arises, the body (the five aggregates) from before vanishes, and the wrong view from behind vanishes. The body was just arising and passing away. One no longer sees arising and passing away. Subsequently, wrong view is also nowhere to be found. That Path comprehends the Truth of Suffering fully and abandons it. It also abandons the defilement of wrong view. The Path abandons these two. As soon as it abandons them, wrong view is eradicated root and branch, never to rise again. Thus, one becomes "catūhi apāyehi vippamutto" – "freed from the four lower realms." Venerable Dr. Ashin Parami