Only When It Reaches Emptiness (Suññata)

The Most Venerable Mogok Sayadaw taught: “The phenomenon that ought to exist within the aggregates (khandhas) is sammādiṭṭhi (right view). The phenomenon that ought not to exist within the aggregates is micchādiṭṭhi (wrong view).” Therefore, we must strive to cultivate abundant sammādiṭṭhi within the aggregates. We must strive to reduce micchādiṭṭhi as much as possible, thin it out as much as possible, and ultimately eradicate it completely. The reason we revolve endlessly in saṃsāra—aging, sickening, dying, and being reborn again and again—is solely because the phenomenon that ought not to exist (wrong view) remains within the aggregates. If only the phenomenon that ought to exist—sammādiṭṭhi—were present, we could bring an end to aging and death. It is precisely because we do not know the phenomenon that ought to exist within the aggregates, nor do we know the phenomenon that ought not to exist, that we cannot escape the cycle of aging and death and remain trapped in the long rounds of saṃsāra. Within the aggregates, the existing phenomena are merely the arising and passing away of impermanence (anicca), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and non-self (anatta)—as stated: “All conditioned things are impermanent (sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā); all conditioned things are unsatisfactory (sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā); all phenomena are non-self (sabbe dhammā anattā).” There exist only the natures of mind and matter (nāma-rūpa dhammas). Perceiving these mind-matter phenomena as “I,” “he,” “man,” or “woman” is the intrusion of the phenomenon that ought not to exist. It is distorted, erroneous knowledge. This is what is called micchādiṭṭhi. To state it more precisely: it is sakkāyadiṭṭhi (personality view). Any diṭṭhi (view), if it is wrong view, is by nature the phenomenon that ought not to exist. When diṭṭhi enters, diṭṭhupādāna (clinging to views) follows. Kamma governed by diṭṭhi also follows. When kamma comes, the truth of the suffering of birth (jāti-dukkha-saccā) inevitably follows. To eliminate diṭṭhi, one must listen to the Dhamma of suññata (emptiness). Teachings that penetrate the truth of aggregates (khandha), sense bases (āyatana), elements (dhātu), and dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) are called the Dhamma of suññata. To clarify: the aggregate of form (rūpakkhandha) is suññata because it is devoid of person or being. Similarly, one must understand feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), mental formations (saṅkhāra), and consciousness (viññāṇa). The sense bases (āyatana) are also called suññata because they are not a person or being. The same applies to elements (dhātu), truths (saccā), and dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda). If one does not hear or understand these teachings on khandha, āyatana, dhātu, saccā, and paṭiccasamuppāda, diṭṭhi will not be uprooted—this is the unvarying rule. Therefore, it is crucial to hear and understand the Dhamma of suññata. One must clearly comprehend that suññata means the fading away of “I” and “mine.” If one does not hear or understand the Dhamma of suññata, the diṭṭhi that leads to the lower realms will not be abandoned. If diṭṭhi is not abandoned, one will only revolve between higher realms (sugati) and lower realms (duggati). One will not reach Nibbāna. The Buddha also taught that there are those who, having observed precepts (sīla) even once, experience the human and deva realms repeatedly and finally attain Nibbāna in their last life. This, however, is taught only by way of conventional truth (sammuti saccā). If one clings to the notion that “this same person” goes to the human/deva realm and “this same person” attains Nibbāna, one will not realize suññata. One must understand that this is taught by way of conventional truth and then contemplate from the perspective of ultimate truth (paramattha saccā) to realize suññata. If one cannot see thus, the clinging to personhood will arise, and diṭṭhi will persistently take hold. If suññata is not understood, know that sakkāyadiṭṭhi has not been uprooted. For example: the youth Jaṇussoṇi, by observing the precepts once, repeatedly experienced happiness in the deva realm (sugati), and finally became an arahant. If one does not understand suññata, one might think “the same person” transmigrated—thus falling into sassatadiṭṭhi (eternalism). If one perceives, “He observed the precepts, he went to the deva realm, he attained Nibbāna”—taking it as a person or being—that is diṭṭhi. In reality, this is taught only by way of conventional truth. The truth is: there is no person or being; there is only the arising and passing away of impermanent, unsatisfactory, non-self mind and matter (nāma-rūpa). Only when one understands this and realizes suññata does one penetrate ultimate truth. Without realizing suññata, sakkāyadiṭṭhi is not uprooted; without uprooting sakkāyadiṭṭhi, Nibbāna is not reached. Know that sakkāyadiṭṭhi obstructs the path (magga) and fruit (phala). Consider the example of the frog-deva: if one thinks the frog in the animal realm is the deva now become a deva, that is sassatadiṭṭhi. In truth, the mind-matter (nāma-rūpa) of the animal-frog ceased right there in the animal realm. When reborn in the deva realm, new deva mind-matter arose. The deva is not the animal. One must penetrate to see only mind-matter, and further understand that this mind-matter itself is merely the nature of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, non-self—arising and passing away. Only then does the notion of person/being vanish, and the nature of suññata is realized. When the diṭṭhi that ought not to exist within the aggregates disappears, the sammādiṭṭhi that ought to exist will arise within them. Venerable Dr. Ashin Pāramī