Where to Look for Dhamma

Only when you know where the Dhamma is will you know where to look for it. The Dhamma exists within the body. Therefore, you should look within the body. Because you know it exists within the body, if you look within the body, you will find the Dhamma there. So, if you want to look for the Dhamma, instead of running around here and there, I give you the answer: look within the body, search within the body. Searching within the body means simply observing the physical body. Observe it, and while doing so, watch your breath gently and steadily. Various sense impressions will contact as they please, and thoughts will arise as they wish. You must observe and watch these thoughts that arise in this way. For example, when you open your eyes, a seeing-consciousness arises. Observe, be mindful, and apply energy to see: is this seeing-consciousness something that has existed before, or has it just now arisen? You will find that this seeing-consciousness has arisen just now due to sense contact. A mind that has just arisen is a presently arising mind, a present-moment mind. As soon as this mind arises, immediately follow it with mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. The moment the seeing-consciousness arises and then ceases, know it immediately. When the seeing-consciousness arises, immediately follow that seeing-consciousness with mindfulness and wisdom. When you follow it, you will see that the seeing-consciousness ceases to exist. If you see both its arising and its cessation, then the observing Dhamma sees that this seeing-consciousness is merely a phenomenon that arises and passes away. Is it 'I' who sees? No, it is not 'I' who sees; the seeing-consciousness sees and then the seeing-consciousness ceases. So, the seeing-consciousness is the arising and passing away (the object), and the observing is the path (magga). The observation becomes the Vipassanā Path. This is the Dhamma. If you do not observe the arising Dhamma, the seeing-consciousness, then upon seeing, desire, clinging, and kammic formations (tanhā, upādāna, kamma) will follow. These three phenomena are present-resultant phenomena. They are the consequences of not mindfully observing the presently arising mind-body (nāma-rūpa) in the present moment. In other words, they also become causes for future existence, so they can also be called the three future causes. If future causes arise, the future results—birth, aging, and death (jāti, jarā, maraṇa)—cannot be stopped from coming. When a seeing-consciousness arises, if you observe that very moment of arising, then tanhā, upādāna, and kamma do not follow but cease. The three future causes cease. Because the three future causes cease, after death, the three future results—birth, aging, and death—do not come but cease. These are the benefits of observing and contemplating. Birth, aging, and death are simply the Truth of Suffering (dukkhasaccā). Fearing that this dukkhasaccā will come, when a seeing-consciousness arises, you must contemplate its arising and passing away. The seeing-consciousness that arises due to the coincidence of conditions arises and passes away right now. You will see that it is neither 'I' who sees nor 'he' who sees; you will perceive that the seeing-consciousness sees and then the seeing-consciousness ceases. Therefore, regarding the arising seeing-consciousness, do not perceive it as 'I' or 'he'; make it appear as impermanent (anicca). Since it is impermanent, simply know it as impermanent. So, when a seeing-consciousness arises, contemplate its arising and passing away. If you don't contemplate it, tanhā, upādāna, and kamma will follow. After death, you will get birth, aging, and death. When you hear a sound, a hearing-consciousness arises. Also observe that arising hearing-consciousness; you will see that it arises and vanishes right now. If you don't contemplate it, the thought "I hear," "I see" arises, and wrong view (diṭṭhi) attaches to the mind. But if you contemplate, you understand that it is not 'I' who hears; the hearing-consciousness hears and then the hearing-consciousness ceases. Thus, the wrong view of 'I' regarding the hearing-consciousness is removed. Therefore, understand that observing every arising mind in this way is like killing wrong view. So, if a smelling-consciousness arises in the nose, also observe that presently arising smelling-consciousness. As you contemplate that it is not 'I' who smells, but the smelling-consciousness that smells, and that it is merely the smelling-consciousness that ceases, understanding arises. When a eating-consciousness arises, know that it did not exist before but has arisen just now. As you follow it with wisdom according to your understanding, the eating-consciousness will also demonstrate its arising and passing away. It will reveal its nature of impermanence. Look clearly to see that the eating-consciousness thinks and then merely ceases. If you think, "I am eating," then wrong view is attached. But when you are contemplating and know that it is not 'I' who eats, wrong view automatically dies. When itching or painful mind-states arise, know that they are not minds that existed before but are minds that have just arisen. If you observe, you will know that it is not 'I' who itches, but the itching-consciousness that itches, and that it is merely the itching-consciousness that ceases. When you know this, wrong view is removed. Now, if you observe all arising minds, you will not find a single permanent mind. You only find minds that arise and cease, appear and disappear. So, all arising minds are just arising and passing away. Arising and passing away is merely the Truth of Suffering. If a pleasant mind arises on the body, just observe it. You will see that this mind arises now and ceases now. For example, a gentle breeze blows, and a cool, pleasant mind arises. This mind did not pre-exist. It is a mind that arises now due to the contact of the breeze and the body. When you look at this mind, it also ceases to exist and vanishes. It is not permanent. You will understand that it is not 'I' who is cool, nor 'he' who is cool, but the cool-consciousness, the pleasant-consciousness, the good-consciousness that is cool. You will see that this very consciousness ceases. At the moment of such seeing, wrong view cannot attach. Craving (tanhā), clinging (upādāna), and kamma regarding this mind also do not follow. The three future causes are cut off. When the causes are cut off, the resultant phenomena of future existence—birth, aging, and death—the future mind-body, are also cut off. When a greedy mind arises, if you look at it mindfully and intently, you will see that greed arises as greed and then ceases. It cannot transition into clinging and kamma. Therefore, when a greedy mind comes, also contemplate its arising and passing away. If a angry mind arises, contemplate its arising and passing away; then the anger is the arising-passing (object), and the contemplation becomes the Path (magga). If a skeptical mind (vicikicchā) arises in the mind, contemplate its arising and passing away. If a distracted mind arises, observe it to see its impermanence. If an non-greedy mind arises, contemplate its arising and passing away. If a loving-kindness mind (non-aversion) arises, just contemplate its arising and passing away. In summary, simply contemplate the arising and passing away of whatever mind arises. If no mind seems prominent for contemplation, then contemplate the arising and passing away of the life-sustaining mind. The life-sustaining mind is also called the 'home-making' mind. It is the mind that exhales the breath and the mind that inhales the breath. Simply remember it as the outgoing mind and the incoming mind. Mentally note and contemplate the arising and passing away of the mind that causes the breath to go out and the little mind that causes the breath to come in. If you keep contemplating every arising mind, you will master the method of contemplating the mind. This practice of contemplating whatever mind arises is called Cittānupassanā (Contemplation of Mind). By contemplating the mind in this way, you see that every arising mind is impermanent and keeps vanishing. Thus, you can conclude that the mind is impermanent. The perception of 'my mind' also fades, so wrong views of self (atta-diṭṭhi) and permanence (nicca-diṭṭhi) are abandoned. If you want to quickly abandon wrong view, just keep watching every arising mind. Every mind that arises in your body will be seen to arise and then cease. The understanding will follow that whatever arises and ceases is impermanent, and it ceases because it is impermanent. You will know that an impermanent mind arises and that it is merely the impermanent mind that ceases. While you are knowing the true nature of impermanence, the wrong view of permanence (nicca-diṭṭhi) and the wrong view of self (atta-diṭṭhi) regarding 'my mind' will be abandoned. This is the Dhamma that appears from observing the body. This is the Dhamma found by looking with wisdom at the Dhamma present within the body. If you do not contemplate, then following the arising mind will come tanhā, upādāna, and kamma. The future causes, the conditions for future existence, will come. Then, you cannot avoid the future resultant Dhamma of suffering, the future mind-body. However, if you can continuously contemplate every arising mind without missing the present moment, then the future causes are cut off, and the wisdom that contemplates cuts off the future mind-body, preventing it from arising. Therefore, practicing Vipassanā is cutting off the future continuum of mind-body. Since the future mind-body is the Truth of Suffering (dukkhasaccā), it is Vipassanā that cuts off this resultant dukkhasaccā. Ven. Dr. Ashin Pāramī