Visākha and Dhammadinnā (3)

After becoming a bhikkhunī (fully ordained nun), Dhammadinnā was practicing and striving in the Dhamma at the nunnery. Because she came from a prominent family, was the wife of a wealthy merchant, possessed a reverential appearance, and had great past merit and virtue, she had an exceedingly large number of acquaintances, friends, and devotees. She had no free time even when going on alms round, and while at the nunnery, she had a constant stream of visitors. People came to pay respects, make offerings, invite her, and request her presence, so her time was spent receiving and conversing with these four types of visitors. She had almost no time to practice meditation. She was suffering the burden of her prominence. In truth, since she had become a bhikkhunī out of a desire for the Dhamma, she did not delight in or crave this prominence; she saw it as a danger. Therefore, to escape this burden of prominence, she requested meditation instructions from her teacher (a senior bhikkhunī) and left with fellow bhikkhunīs for a remote forest grove to strive in meditation. This was to practice meditation peacefully and quietly in the forest region. Venerable Dhammadinnā was also someone with mature perfections (pāramī), and her desire to attain the Dhamma was extremely intense. Thus, after striving diligently for just seven days, she successively attained the stages of Stream-enterer (sotāpanna), Once-returner (sakadāgāmī), Non-returner (anāgāmī), and finally became an Arahant (arahatta). She was not an ordinary Arahant, but one endowed with the fourfold analytical knowledge (paṭisambhidā-patta arahant). When one becomes a paṭisambhidā-patta arahant, even without having studied the scriptures, one automatically becomes knowledgeable and proficient. Thus, having successfully completed her monastic duties and attained liberation, she returned to Rājagaha city. The wealthy merchant Visākha heard that Bhikkhunī Dhammadinnā, who had gone to the forest to meditate, had not been gone long and had now returned. He became anxious, fearing she might have returned because she wanted to disrobe. Since the king himself knew she had ordained, disrobing would bring shame and disgrace. Furthermore, as he had a duty to care for her if she disrobed, Visākha worried intensely about the possibility of her leaving the monastic life. He did not know she had attained the path and become an Arahant and was returning as such. Therefore, thinking it would be rude to go to the nunnery and ask directly, "Did you come back because you want to disrobe?", he decided, "It would be better to ask questions about the Dhamma. From her answers, I can gauge whether she has truly attained the Dhamma or not." So he asked her question after question. "Venerable Dhammadinnā, what is 'sakkāya'?" (Personality, the existing body, the five aggregates subject to clinging). "Dāyakā Visākha, 'sakkāya' refers to the five aggregates subject to clinging (pañcupādānakkhandhā). It is simply the five mundane aggregates." Based on this answer, understand that the five mundane aggregates are called sakkāya. They are the manifestly existing five aggregates. Ultimately, it is mind and matter (nāma-rūpa) itself that constitutes sakkāya. Therefore, no matter whose aggregates they are, they are merely mind and matter. This mind and matter is called sakkāya in another way. Sakkāya itself is not at fault. The fault arises solely from the view (diṭṭhi) of 'I' clinging to that sakkāya. Wrong perception, wrong view (diṭṭhi) regarding sakkāya leads to diṭṭhi. Matter (rūpa) itself is not at fault; the fault lies in perceiving matter as 'I'. Similarly, mentality (nāma) itself is not at fault; the fault lies in perceiving mentality as 'I'. This is diṭṭhi. The five aggregates of mind and matter are sakkāya. The perception of them as 'I' is diṭṭhi. Combined, they become sakkāya-diṭṭhi (personality view, the view of a truly existing self). It is not sakkāya that sends one to the lower realms; it is the wrong perception, wrong view, wrong belief (diṭṭhi) regarding sakkāya that sends one to the lower realms. Therefore, sakkāya is not a fearful thing; diṭṭhi is the fearful thing. Diṭṭhi is perceiving matter (rūpa) as 'I', feeling (vedanā) as 'I', perception (saññā) as 'I', mental formations (saṅkhāra) as 'I', and consciousness (viññāṇa) as 'I' within the five aggregates (khandha), the sakkāya-phenomena. It is the mixing of sakkāya and diṭṭhi. Therefore, it is crucial that sakkāya and diṭṭhi do not mix. Not only must one prevent one's own diṭṭhi from mixing with one's own bodily sakkāya, but it is also vitally important to prevent one's diṭṭhi from mixing with the bodily sakkāya of others. If they mix, for example, if a parent's diṭṭhi clings to a child's sakkāya, or a child's diṭṭhi clings to a parent's sakkāya, that too becomes sakkāya-diṭṭhi. Parents are merely the five-aggregate sakkāya-phenomena. However, we habitually cling with diṭṭhi, thinking "my mother, my father". Children are also merely the five-aggregate sakkāya-phenomena. However, we habitually mix with diṭṭhi, thinking "my son, my daughter". Therefore, if one suffers, the other inevitably grieves. They inevitably burn with anguish. The arising of such sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair (soka-parideva-dukkha-domanassupāyāsa) happens solely because, mixing the diṭṭhi-view with the sakkāya of the five aggregates, we establish them as "mine, belonging to me". If there is no perception or assumption of "mine, belonging to me," one can learn to live in a way that calms and alleviates mental suffering. If help is needed, help; if something needs doing, do it; but do not let sorrow and worry arise over sakkāya aggregates that do not truly belong to oneself. One learns to live without excessive elation when things go well, nor excessive dejection when they do not. Ultimately, sakkāya-diṭṭhi arises because of ignorance when the aggregates appear. For example, when a sensation of stiffness or tightness (tension) arises in the body – the wind element (vāyo-dhātu) manifesting – if one hasn't heard the Dhamma of the noble ones and lacks understanding, one thinks, "I am stiff, I am tight," and makes the wind element itself into 'I'. This causes sakkāya-diṭṭhi. If one has heard the Dhamma of the noble ones, one knows it is merely a disturbance of the wind element. Because it is not mixed with 'I', sakkāya-diṭṭhi does not arise. Similarly, when heat or cold arises, we perceive the fire element (tejo-dhātu) itself as 'I', thinking "I am hot, I am cold." When bodily movements occur, we cling to the wind element as 'I', thinking "I am moving, my flesh is trembling, maybe I'm about to have a stroke?" When urinary issues arise ("I am retaining urine," "I am urinating too much," "I am sweating profusely"), we perceive the water element (āpo-dhātu) itself as 'I'. In this way, perceiving matter as 'I' leads to sakkāya-diṭṭhi. When feeling (vedanā) arises without recognizing it as such, thinking "I am itchy," "I am in pain," "I am aching," we make the feeling itself into 'I', causing sakkāya-diṭṭhi. Without recognizing perception (saññā), thinking "I remember that," "I am forgetful," we make perception into 'I'. Without recognizing the mental formation aggregate (saṅkhārakkhandha), thinking "I am sleepy," "I am drowsy," we make sloth and torpor (thina-middha) into 'I' (though it is part of the saṅkhārakkhandha). Without recognizing the consciousness aggregate (viññāṇakkhandha), thinking "Don't disturb my mind," we make consciousness into 'I'. Without hearing the Dhamma of the noble ones, whenever ultimate realities (paramattha dhamma) arise, one inevitably falls into such 'I'-clinging, sakkāya-diṭṭhi. To eradicate sakkāya-diṭṭhi, one must clearly see with wisdom: "The five aggregates, mind and matter phenomena, are not mine (netam mama), not my self (n'eso hamasmi), not what I am (na m'eso attā). They do not act according to my will or preference. They arise and cease merely according to their own nature." For example, when the wind element sensation of stiffness or tightness arises, if one reflects, "This is not mine, not my self, not what I am" (netaṃ mama, n'eso hamasmi, na m'eso attā), sakkāya-diṭṭhi falls away. When feeling arises, one should also be able to reflect, "This is not mine, not my self, not what I am." Whether intention (cetanā) arises, sloth and torpor (thina-middha) arises, or any type of consciousness arises, one must strive to perceive it as "This is not mine, not my self, not what I am." One must learn to see it as impermanent (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and not-self (anatta). The condensed meaning is arising and passing away (udayabbaya). By seeing arising and passing away, the 'I'-clinging, sakkāya-diṭṭhi, falls away. It is necessary to reflect: "This is not mine, not my self, not what I am. It is merely a phenomenon (dhamma) arising and ceasing." Only then will sakkāya-diṭṭhi be eradicated. (To be continued.)