Today, the 8th waxing day of Pyatho, we will explain the 10th gæthæ of the Sutta. Særuppaµ
attano viditvæ, The bhikkhu must know what is appropriate to him, and act accordingly. What is appropriate to a monk is the duties of a monk, and he must act accordingly. Just knowing the duties will not do. Knowing must be followed by acting accordingly. That is what the Pæ¹i commentary says. What I take it to mean is that a monk must know all that is appropriate to his life as a monk. This is he must know not only vinaya, the rules and regulations of the Holy order, but also the practice of the Dhamma as well as facts of life such as, proper living, health and other things. A monk must know, besides vinaya, how to guide yogø in their practice of meditation, giving them lessons suitable to their idiosyncrasies. Then the monk must know how to live in the world properly, and how to keep his health while he is in the practice of meditation. He must know whether it is advisable to sit and meditate, or walk while meditating, so that his health is kept in shape. He must conduct himself so that his health is not impaired from continuous meditation practice. So if he is weak and tired, he must know that he should lie down and take some rest. He must look after his diet in accordance with the changing seasons. I think these are some of the things that are referred to in the Pæ¹i gæthæ as “appropriate things for living”. Then the gæthæ says, “do not ill-treat others to gain one’s benefit. One must behave properly and work to suit one’s purpose, but must not intrude upon others rights and convenience.” KNOWING THE TRUTH AS ONE SHOULD Whatever happens does happen by itself, and that is the truth. That, in fact, constitutes the Four Noble Truths. So the monk must know the truth as he should know it. What should one know? One must know the truth about misery, or dukkha Saccä. That knowing this called Pæriññæ Pa¥iveda. One must know the truth Samudaya or Samudaya Saccæ and reject lust, craving and attachment. This knowing is called Pahæna Pa¥ivedæ. One must realize the truth about cessation, or Nirodha Saccä. This knowing or realization is called Sacchikiariyæ Pa¥iveda. Then one must know the Path, or maggæ Saccæ. This is called Bhævanæ Pa¥iveda. Pariññæ Pa¥iveda. That is knowing dukkha by cognitive meditation. In other words, it is knowing the truth about misery through making notes of the incessant changes in the physical and mental structure, or rþpa and näma. It is because people do not know that these changes constitute misery, and it is because people think that these changes make for joy and happiness that they are enamoured of them, and thus desires and attachment rise in them. If a constant note of these changes is made, then nothing will be found pleasing or delightful. On the contrary these will be seen as something tiresome and terrible. So the true nature of matter and mind should be discerned and the anicca, dukkha and anatta, nature will then be known analytically. Pariññä Pa¥iveda means knowing analytically. When one knows the truth about these things, one will not hanker after them; one will reject them. And that rejection is Pahana Pa¥iveda. As one rejects lust, upædanæ (attachment or clinging to existence) will not have a chance to crop up. Because upædanæ is absent, there will be no chance of a new existence. No existence precludes jæti (birth), jaræ (old age) and mara¼a (death). Such cessation is spelled from moment to moment as meditational observation is being made. That is called tada³ga nirodha (momentary cessation). This sort of cessation is not to be looked forward to but it arrives by itself as one is into vipassanæ insight. It is important that a meditator should work to achieve such momentary cessation. Bhævanæ Pa¥iveda. When one is into meditation one has been following the eightfold Noble Path. That is Bhævanæ Pa¥iveda. One can know how one has been following the eightfold Noble Path while one is meditating. It is like this, One makes an effort to make a note of the changing phenomena, and thus one is following the path of Sammæ Væyama (Right effort). Meditation itself is Sammæ Sati (Right mindfulness). The Buddha said that the four Satipa¥¥hæna (Application of mindfulness) constitutes Sammæ Sati. During meditation the meditator gains momentary concentration. His attention is stuck upon the object of meditation. Concentration for the moment is called Kha¼ika samædhi, and that constitutes Sammæ Samædhi. Visuddhi-magga Mahä Tøkæ commentary says that without Kha¼ika Samädhi one cannot gain vipassanæ insight. As the mind is pointed to one object in concentration, one sees the truth. And seeing the truth constitutes Sammæ Di¥¥hi (Right belief). As the mind of the meditator is directed to seeing the truth, one is achieving the right purpose which is Sammä Sa³kappa. So all these five vipassanæ magga³ga, or the five of the eightfold Noble Path have been achieved by the Yogø who is into meditation. As for the three remaining of the eightfold Noble Path, namely, Sammæ Væcæ (Right Speech), Sammæ Kammanta (Right Work) and Sammæ Æjøva (Right Livelihood) can be achieved before one goes into meditation by observing the precepts. These three constitute Søla Magga³ga. While in meditation, this precept observance is not impaired. Søla (moral practice) can become more developed. So the eightfold Noble Path can be achieved by one while in meditation. There is another way to develop Søla Magga³ga. If one fails to make a note of the changing phenomena and the anicca, dukkha and anatta nature, one will be under the delusion of permanence, pleasure and self and may be disposed to tell lies, to use abusive language, to slander and make useless speech, and thus commit the sins of speech. One may also commit killing, theft and cruel acts. Likewise, one may commit sins in order to make a living. If, on the other hand, one make a note of the changing phenomena and ponder upon the anicca, dukkha and anatta nature, and act and live in the right way one will be living in accord with Sammæ Væcæ, Sammæ Kammanta and Sammæ Æjøva, or in other words, Søla magga³ga. So all the eight of the Noble Path are achieved through meditation. And that achievement is Bhævanæ pa¥iveda. Such an achievement is in effect, the achievement of Ariyæ magga and one sees the Light of Dhamma and attains the highest state of purity. That is what the gæthæ says of “Knowing the true Dhamma”. After knowing the truth about misery about attachment and rejecting attachment, walking the Noble Path of magga one comes to the realization of the ultimate state of cessation, thus achieving the ultimate purpose of attaining peace and tranquility, Nirodha Saccæ. This is knowing the four Noble Truths all together. The last line of the gæthæ, says, as usual, that the bhikkhu who has no attachment lives in this world properly. Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu! End of Part IX
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