5. แสงธรรม 1 Saeng Dhamma
The Buddha’s Words
พุทธสุภาษิต
อจริตฺวา พฺรหฺมจริยํ อลทฺธา โยพฺพเน ธนํ
ชิณฺณโกญฺจา ว ฌายนฺติ ขีณมจฺเฉว ปลฺลเล ฯ (๑๕๕)
เมือยังอยูในวัยหนุมสาว ไม่ทาตัวให้ดและไม่หาทรัพย์ไว้ พอถึงวัยแก่เฒ่า
่ ่ ่ ํ ี
พวกเขาย่อมนังซบเซา เหมือนนกกระเรียนแก่ จับเจ่าอยูรมสระทีไร้ปลาฉะนัน
่ ่ิ ่ ้
Having led neither a good life, nor acquired riches while young,
they pine away as aged herons around a fishless pond.
7. แสงธรรม 3 Saeng Dhamma
THE THINGS
WE CLING TO
by Buddhadasa Bhikkhu
http://www.viet.net/~anson/ebud/budasa-handbook/budasa03.htm
THE THINGS WE CLING TO the world we shall concentrate on the world of living
W hat are we clinging to? What is our handhold?
What we are clinging to is the world itself. In
Buddhism the word “world” has a broader connotation
creatures, in particular man, because it is man that hap-
pens to be the problem. In man these five components
are all present together: his physical body is the mate-
than it has in ordinary usage. It refers to all things, to rial aggregate; his mental aspect is divisible into four
the totality. It does not refer just to human beings, or aggregates, which we shall now describe.
celestial beings, or gods, or beasts, or the denizens of The first of the mental aggregates is feeling (vedana),
hell, or demons, or hungry ghosts, or titans, or any par- which is of three kinds, namely pleasure or gratification,
ticular realm of existence at all. What the word “world” displeasure or suffering, and a neutral kind, which is nei-
refers to here is the whole lot taken together. To know ther pleasure nor displeasure, but which is a kind of feeling
the world is difficult because certain levels of the world nevertheless. Under normal conditions feelings are always
are concealed. Most of us are familiar with only the present in us. Every day we are filled with feelings. The
outermost layer or level, the level of relative truth, the Buddha, then, pointed out feeling as one of the compo-
level corresponding to the intellect of the average man. nents which together go to make up the man.
For this reason Buddhism teaches us about the world The second component of mind is perception (san-
at various levels. na). This is the process of becoming aware, similar to
The Buddha had a method of instruction based on a waking up as opposed to being sound asleep or uncon-
division of the world into a material or physical aspect scious, or dead. It refers to memory as well as aware-
and non-material or mental aspect. He further divided ness of sense impressions, covering both the primary
up the mental world or mind into four parts. Counting sensation resulting from contact with an object by way
the physical and the mental together makes a total of of eye, ear, nose, tongue, or body, and the recall of pre-
five components, called by the Buddha the Five Ag- vious impressions. Thus one may be directly aware of
gregates, which together go to make up the world, in an object as black or white, long or short, man or beast,
particular living creatures and man himself. In looking at and so on, or one may be similarly aware in retrospect
8. แสงธรรม 4 Saeng Dhamma
by way of memory. feeling as being a self, because there is no one who does
The third mental aggregate is the actively thinking not like delightful sensations, especially tactile sensations
component (sankhara) in an individual-thinking of doing by way of the skin. Ignorance or delusion blinds a person
some thing, thinking of saying something, good thought to all else. He sees only the delightful object and grasps at
and bad thought, willed thinking, active thinking-this is it as being a self; he regards that object as “mine.” Feel-
the third mental aggregate. ing, whether of pleasure or displeasure, is truly a site of
The fourth component of mind is consciousness suffering. Spiritually speaking, these feelings of pleasure
(vinnana). It is the function of knowing the objects per- and displeasure may be considered as synonymous with
ceived by way of eye, ear, nose, tongue and the general suffering, because they give rise to nothing but mental
body sense, and also by way of the mind itself. torment. Pleasure renders the mind buoyant; displeasure
These five aggregates constitute the site of the four deflates it. Gain and loss, happiness and sorrow, amount
kinds of clinging explained in the fourth chapter. Turn in effect to mental restlessness or instability; they set the
back and read it again, and think it over so that you un- mind spinning. This is what is meant by grasping at feeling
derstand it properly. You will then realize that it is these as being a self. We should all do well to have a closer
five aggregates that are the object and handhold for our look at this process of grasping at feeling as being a self,
grasping and clinging. A person may grasp at any one of as being “ours,” and try to gain a proper understanding
these groups as being a self according to the extent of of it. Understanding feeling as an object of clinging, the
his ignorance. For instance, a boy who carelessly bumps mind will be rendered independently of it. Feeling nor-
into a door and hurts himself feels he has to give the mally has control over the mind, luring us into situations
door a kick in order to relieve his anger and pain. In that we regret later on. In his practical path to perfection
other words, he is grasping at a purely material object, or arahantship, the Buddha teaches us repeatedly to give
namely the door, which is nothing but wood, as being a particular attention to the examination of feeling. Many
self. This is attachment at the lowest level of all. A man have become arahants and broken free from suffering by
who be comes angry with his body to the point of strik- means of restricting feeling to simply an object of study.
ing it or hitting himself on the head is grasping and cling- Feeling is more likely than any of the other aggre-
ing in the same way. He is taking those body parts to gates to serve as a handhold for us to cling to because
be selves. If he is rather more intelligent than that, he feeling is the primary objective of all our striving and
may seize on feeling, or perception or active thinking, activity. We study industriously and work at our jobs in
or consciousness, at any one of these groups as being a order to get money. Then we go and buy things: uten-
self. If he is unable to distinguish them individually, he sils, food, amusements, things covering the whole range
may grasp at the whole lot collectively as being a self, from gastronomy to sex. And then we partake of these
that is, take all five groups together to be “his self.” things with one single objective, namely pleasurable
After the physical body, the group next most likely to feeling, in other words delightful stimulation of eye,
be clung to as being a self is feeling pleasurable, painful, ear, nose, tongue and body. We invest all our resourc-
or neutral. Let us consider the situation in which we find es, monetary, physical, mental, simply in the expecta-
ourselves, entranced with sensual pleasures, in particular tion of pleasurable feeling. And everyone knows well
delectable sensations, caught up heart and soul in the enough in his own mind that if it weren’t for the lure of
various colors and shapes, sound, scents, tastes and tactile pleasurable feeling, he would never invest study, work
objects that we perceive. Here feeling is the pleasure and and physical energy in the search for money. We can
delight experienced, and it is to that very feeling of pleas- see, then, that feeling is no small matter. A knowledge
ure and delight that we cling. Almost everyone clings to and understanding of it puts us in a position to keep it
9. แสงธรรม 5 Saeng Dhamma
under control, makes us sufficiently high-minded to re- of pleasurable feeling in much cruder ways than we do.
main above feelings, and enables us to carry out all our To know the nature of feeling, in particular to know that
activities far better than we otherwise could. In similar feeling is not a self at all and not something to be clung
fashion even the problems that arise in a social group to, is, then, of very great use in life.
have their origins in pleasurable feeling. And when we Perception, too, can easily be seized on as being a self
analyze closely the clashes between nations, or be- or “one’s self.” The average villager likes to say that
tween opposing blocs, we discover that there too, both when we fall asleep, something, which he calls the
sides are just slaves to pleasurable feeling. A war is not “soul,” departs from the body. The body is then like a
fought because of adherence to a doctrine or an ideal log of wood, receiving no sensation by way of eye, ear,
or anything of the sort. In point of fact, the motiva- nose, tongue or body. As soon as that something has re-
tion is the anticipation of pleasurable feeling. Each side turned to the body, awareness and wakefulness are re-
sees itself making all sorts of gains, scooping up benefits stored. A great many people have this naive belief that
for itself. The doctrine is just camouflage, or at best a perception is “the self.” But, as the Buddha taught, per-
purely secondary motive. The most deep- seated cause ception is not a self. Perception is simply sensation and
of all strife is really subservience to pleasurable feel- memory, that is, knowing, and is bound to be present
ing. To know feeling is, then, as long as the body contin-
to know an important root ues to function normally. As
cause responsible for our soon as the bodily functions
falling slaves to the mental become disrupted, that thing
defilements, to evil, to suf- we call perception changes
fering. If this is how things or ceases to function. For
are in the case of human be- this reason true Buddhists
ings, the celestial beings are refuse to accept perception
no better off. They are sub- as a self, though the aver-
servient to pleasurable feel- age person does choose to
ing just as are humans, and accept it as such, clinging to
more so, though they may suppose it to be something it as “myself.” Close examination along Buddhist lines
better and finer, more subject to free will than is the reveals that quite the opposite is the case. Perception
human variety. But even they are not free from crav- is nobody’s self at all; it is simply a result of natural
ing and attachment, from the fascination of delectable processes and nothing more.
sensations received by way of eye, ear, nose, tongue, The next possible point of attachment is active think-
body and mind. Still higher up at the level of the gods, ing, intending to do this or that, intending to get this or
sensual delights necessarily have been discarded com- that, mental action good or bad. This is once again a
pletely; but even this does not bring liberation from manifestation of the arising of strong ideas of selfhood.
another kind of delight, the pleasure associated with Everyone feels that if any thing at all is to be identified
deep concentration practice. When the mind is deeply as his self, then it is more likely to be this thinking ele-
concentrated, it experiences pleasure, a delightful sen- ment than any other. For instance, one philosopher in
sation to which it then becomes attached. Although recent centuries had a naive philosophy on the basis
this has nothing to do with sensuality, it is pleasurable of which he proclaimed: “I think, therefore I am.” Even
feeling nevertheless. Animals lower down the scale philosophers in this scientific age have the same ideas
than human beings are bound to fall under the power about “the self” as people have had for thousands of
10. แสงธรรม 6 Saeng Dhamma
years, maintaining that the thinking element is the self. way is a mechanical process which happens of its own
They regard as the self that which they understand to accord, automatically. There are some who maintain
be “the thinker.” We have said that the Buddha denied that this is the “soul,” the “spirit,” which moves into
that either feeling or perception might be a self. He also and out of the mind and receives stimuli by way of
rejected thinking, the thinking aspect of the mind as a the eye, ear, nose, tongue and body, and consider it
self, because the activity which manifests as thought is to be “the self.” Buddhists recognize it as just nature.
a purely natural event. Thought arises as a result of the If a visual object and an eye complete with optic nerve
interaction of a variety of prior events. It is just one of make contact, seeing will take place and there will arise
the aggregation of assorted components that makes up visual consciousness. And there is once again no need
“the individual,” and no “I” or “self” entity is involved. for any self whatsoever. When we have analyzed the
Hence we maintain that this thinking component is de- “being” into its components, namely body, feeling,
void of selfhood, just as are the other aggregates we perception, thinking and consciousness, we find no part
have mentioned. which might be a self or belong to a self. Thus we can
The difficulty in understanding this lies in our inad- completely reject the false self idea and conclude that
equate knowledge of the mental element or mind. We nobody is or has a self at all. When one ceases to cling
are familiar only with the body, the material element, to things, no longer liking or disliking them, this indicates
and know almost nothing about the other, the mental, that one has perceived that those things are not selves.
nonmaterial element. As a result, we have difficulty un- Rational thinking is sufficient to convince one that they
derstanding it. Here it can only be said that the Buddha cannot be selves; but the result is only belief, not clear
taught that “the individual” is a combination of the five insight of the sort that can completely cut out cling-
aggregates, physical and mental. Now, when the event ing to them as selves. For this very reason we have to
we call thinking takes place, we jump to the conclusion study and examine the five aggregates on the basis of
that there is “someone” there who is “the thinker.” the threefold training and develop sufficient insight to
We believe there is a thinker, a soul, which is master be able to give up clinging to this self idea. This practice
of the body or something of the sort. But the Buddha with respect to the five aggregates serves to develop
rejected such entities completely. When we analyze clear insight and eliminate ignorance. When we have
“the individual” into these five components, there is completely eliminated ignorance, we shall be able to
nothing left over, proving that he consists of just these see for ourselves that none of the aggregates is a self,
components and that there is nothing that might be none is worth clinging to. All clinging, even the kind that
“his self.” Not even thinking is a self as the average man has existed since birth, will then cease completely. It is
commonly supposes. essential, then, that we study thoroughly the five ag-
Now the last group, consciousness (vinnana) is sim- gregates, which are the objects of the self conceit. The
ply the function of becoming fully aware of objects Buddha stressed this aspect of his teaching more than
perceived by way of eye, ear, nose, tongue and body. any other. It may be summed up very briefly by saying:
It is no self either. The organs simply take in the color “None of the five aggregates is a self.” This should be
and shapes, sounds, odors, tastes and tactile objects considered a key point in Buddhism, whether one looks
that impinge on them, and as a result consciousness of at it as philosophy, as science, or as religion. When we
those objects arises in three stages. In the case of the know this truth, ignorance-based grasping and clinging
eye there arises clear consciousness of the shape of the vanish, desire of any sort has no means of arising, and
visual object, whether it is man or beast, long or short, suffering ceases.
black or white. The arising of clear consciousness in this Why is it, then, that we normally don’t see these five
11. แสงธรรม 7 Saeng Dhamma
aggregates as they really are? When we were born, we had tion, thinking and consciousness. On examining these
no understanding of things. We acquired knowledge on the closely we find they all have one property in common,
basis of what people taught us. The way they taught us namely emptiness. Each is empty of what we refer to
led us to understand that all things are selves. The power as “its self.” Earth, water, wind and fire, looked at prop-
of the primal instinctive belief in selfhood, which is present erly, are seen to be empty of selfhood. It is possible for
right from birth, becomes very strong in the course of time. each one of us to see anything and everything as empty
In speaking we use the words “I, you, he, she,” which only in this sense. This done, grasping and clinging will have
serve to consolidate the self idea. We say: “This is Mr. X; no means of arising and any already arisen will have
that is Mr. Y. He is Mr. A’s son and Mr. B’s grandson. This is no means of remaining. They will dissolve, pass away,
So - and - so’s husband; that is So - and - so’s wife.” This vanish entirely, not a trace remaining. So there are no
way of speaking serves simply to identify people as selves. animals, no people, no elements, no aggregates. There
The result is that we are, none of us, conscious of our are no things at all; there is only emptiness, emptiness
clinging to selfhood, which increases daily. When we cling of selfhood. When we don’t grasp and cling, there is
to something as being a self, the result is selfishness, and no way suffering can arise. One who sees all things as
our actions are biased accordingly. If we were to develop empty is quite unmoved when people call him good
sufficient insight to see this idea as a deception, we would or bad, happy or miserable, or anything. This is the fruit
stop clinging to the ideas of “Mr. A and Mr. B, high class of knowledge, understanding, and clear insight into the
and low class, beast and human being,” and would see true nature of the five aggregates which makes it pos-
that these are nothing more than terms which man has sible to give up completely those four kinds of unskill-
devised for use in social intercourse. When we have come ful clinging. In summary, everything in the whole world
to understand this, we can be said to have dispensed with is included within the five aggregates, namely matter,
one sort of social deception. When we examine the whole feeling, perception, thinking and consciousness. Each of
of what goes to make up Mr. A, we find that Mr. A is sim- these groups is a deception, each is quite devoid of
ply an aggregation of body, feeling, perception, thinking selfhood, but has the seductive power to induce grasp-
and consciousness. This is a rather more intelligent way of ing and clinging. As a result, the ordinary person desires
looking at things. Doing this, one is not deluded by worldly to possess, desires to be, desires not to possess, desires
relative truth. not to be, all of which only serves to produce suffer-
It is possible to carry the process of analysis further ing, suffering which is not obvious, but concealed. It
than this. For instance the physical body can be divided behooves every one to utilize the threefold training in
up rather crudely into the elements of earth, water, morality, concentration and insight, and eliminate delu-
wind and fire; or it can be analyzed scientifically into sion with respect to the five aggregates completely and
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and so on. The deeper we utterly. A person who has done this will not fall under
look, the less we are deceived. Penetrating below the the power of the five aggregates and will be free of suf-
surface, we find that in fact there is no person; there fering. For him life will be unblemished bliss. His mind
are only elements, physical and mental. Looked at in will be above all things for as long as he lives. This is the
this light, the “person” disappears. The idea of “Mr. fruit of clear and perfect insight into the five aggregates.
A and Mr. B, high - class and low - class” dissolves.
The idea of “my child, my husband, my wife” vanishes
away. When we look at things in the light of absolute The End
truth, we find only elements: earth, water, wind and
fire; oxygen, hydrogen and so on; body, feeling, percep-
12. แสงธรรม 8 Saeng Dhamma
Samadhi
in Buddhism
by Ven. Prayudh Payutto
Lecture delivered at Wat Dhammaram, Chicago, U.S.A. on May 6, 1996
A s I have learned from different sources,
people in the West have shown an in-
creasing interest in Buddhism and particularly in
likely be the one of the Quakers. When the Quak-
ers come to a meeting, they sit quietly, calmly,
and if someone experiences some thoughts, he
samadhi. For this reason I feel it necessary for us will stand up and tell the people at the meet-
to have a clear comprehension of the subject and ing what his thoughts were. Still, this cannot be
would like to talk about samadhi in a general way compared to our practice in Buddhism because
today. Let us start by taking a look at the vocabu- the two are far different. When the scholars who
lary related to the subject. The Pali terms have studied Buddhist scriptures through English trans-
been loosely translated as follows: lations and those of other English speaking Bud-
bhavana: meditation or, more faithfully, de- dhist communities decided to use a word more
velopment precise than meditation, they came up with the
samadhi: concentration word concentration. When we use the English
kammatthana: subjects of meditation; medi- word concentration, we have a clearer concep-
tation exercises tion. In whatever we do, like when we study, our
We frequently hear the word meditation be- mind has to concentrate. When we say concen-
ing used for samadhi. But it does not really con- trate, we mean the mind has to focus on one
vey the actual meaning. People use it out of lack point. 1f we do not concentrate, it will be difficult
of understanding and habit. I have talked with to understand the subject. The meaning of the
an American professor who taught Buddhism in word concentration is closer to that of the Pali
America. He said that there was no practice of term samadhi. Bhavana means development in
samadhi in the West in the same sense as in Bud- reference to the mind. When translated literally,
dhism. The closest kind of such a practice would it has the meaning of growth, cultivation. When
13. แสงธรรม 9 Saeng Dhamma
our mind does not have a wholesome quality, we when it is tranquil, smooth, and strong, when it is
develop it; this is called bhavana. The develop- focused on one point. When the mind is centered
ment of anything of a wholesome nature is called on one object, it stays with the object-stable,
bhavana, like developing faith, loving-kindness, at ease, not distracted, not agitated; it is firmly
samadhi, wisdom, understanding, and so forth. grounded. When it contemplates, it stays with the
The word meditation is loosely used to stand for object and no other thoughts can arise. If we put
bhavana. But it has to be understood that these it in a general term, it is when the mind is at the
are simply words that we use to explain. When place where we want it to be. When put in a
we talk about bhavana or development of the technical term, it is when the mind is one-point-
aspects of the mind and wisdom, it is sometimes ed. That is to say when the mind is anchored
also called kammatthana. There are two main on one point, it stays with the object and is not
kinds of meditation: distracted or lost. When the mind can stay with
1. Tranquillity meditation (Samatha-bha- the object of its choice, it is called samadhi. If we
vana) and want to really understand samadhi well, I sug-
2. Insight meditation ( Vipassana-bhavana). gest that we do not spend too much time on the
Tranquillity meditation is aimed at developing in- meaning, but rather, we will place emphasis on
ner peace which calms the mind in order to attain the benefits. When we look at the benefits, we
samadhi. Insight .meditation cultivates wisdom will see the meaning more clearly as well. There
which will enable us to see the true nature of life are three important, beneficial characteristics of a
and the world, to see that all compounded things concentrated mind. We shall look at these major
are impermanent-they appear, proceed, and dis- benefits as outlined in Buddhism:
solve. They cannot remain static in their original 1. A concentrated mind is a mind that has
form; they have to follow the metamorphic proc- power; it has a lot of energy.
ess and evolve according to cause and condition. 2. A concentrated mind is lucid-like clear wa-
The knowing of this truth is called insight. ter. As it is calm, it enables us to see things with
clarity. This second point is conducive to wisdom.
The Correct Way of Practicing Meditation 3. The third benefit follows as a result of
Now, let us take a closer look at samadhi the first and second benefits. When the mind
which means-when interpreted in a simple way is calm with nothing to disturb it, to confuse
the state of a steadfast mind. We remember it, the mind is at ease, stable, not agitated. It
well Samma Samadhi in the Noble Eightfold is in a peaceful state. Such a mind is happy.
Path (Ariya-atthangika-magga). A Samma Samadhi Therefore, people with a concentrated mind
means Right Concentration. The mind is steadfast are calm and so they are happy. This is also a
14. แสงธรรม 10 Saeng Dhamma
desirable quality. “0 Bhikkhus, the development of Sama-
These are the three main characteristics of a dhi, when well-cultivated and regularly prac-
concentrated mind. We can see here the purpos- ticed, will conduce to a happy life here and
es of practicing samadhi. Let us examine more now. What does this mean? 0 Bhikkhus, when
closely each beneficial characteristic to deter- free from desires, free from all unwholesome
mine which one has the benefits that the Buddha states, one enters the First Absorption.. ., the
wants us to pursue. Second Absorption.. ., the Third Absorption.. .,
1. Mental Energy The following is an analogy and the Fourth Absorption..”
by the Buddha:
“Like a river springing from the mountain
in a long stream, its swift current drifts away
anything that it can carry along. If we close
up the openings on both sides of the river,
the current in the middle will not spread out,
wobble, or go off its course. It will flow speed-
ily and will carry along with it whatever it can
sweep away . . .”
This saying of the Buddha is aimed at show-
ing the benefits of using mental energy to fortify
the strength of wisdom. But generally people like This benefit is also sought after by many peo-
to use mental energy to perform miracles only. ple especially in the present day societies where
When meant for this use, mental energy can be emotional problems prevail. In a society which
developed to be very strong. Some people in the has its structure based on competition, strug-
West find interest in parapsychology. They per- gles for benefits cause stress to people. People’s
form experiments in psychokinesis to show that minds become tense and in time suffering arises.
a concentrated mind can influence the motion It is true that the more a society is materially de-
of a remote object. It can also make the person veloped, the more people in that society suffer.
look at one point far away and have clairvoyance, When people suffer, they want to find release
or hear remote sounds and have clairaudience. and they find the way of Samadhi from Buddhism,
Some people are interested in this kind of benefit Hinduism, and yoga in the East. They turn to Sa-
that is derived from Samadhi. madhi as a means to happiness and tranquility, a
2. Happiness and Tranquility The Buddha solution to the troubled mind.
exhorted the monks (bhikkhus): 3. Clear mind and Development of wisdom
15. แสงธรรม 11 Saeng Dhamma
Here is another analogy by the Buddha: obtain in Buddhism. Now that we have reached
“0 Bhikkhus, like a water reservoir that is some understanding, let us investigate the sub-
clear, not muddy, a person with good eye sight ject further to see the underlying purposes of the
standing on the shore will see snails, mollusks, practice.
stones, and pebbles, even fish that are swim- 1. Samadhi for Mental Energy
ming or lying still in the reservoir. Why is this Many people are interested in the mental
so? It is because the water is not muddy. Like- energy aspect of Samadhi, in psychic power and
wise for the Bhikkhus, with a mind that is not marvels. If Samadhi were good for these only,
muddy, they will know what is beneficial for Buddhism would not have been born. In India,
themselves, beneficial for other people, and they had a long history of experience in this; the
beneficial for both parties. They will be able to practice of yoga existed before Buddhism. The
realize a superior intuitive attainment beyond Buddha went to different yoga masters before
a normal person’s capability. This is nanadas- his Enlightenment; he practiced Samadhi and at-
sana (vision through wisdom) which can lead a tained the highest realm of jhana (absorption).
person to become a noble being...”
The foremost benefit of Samadhi is a clear To be Continued
mind. When the mind is lucid, it sees what it
wants to see with clarity. This is related to wis-
dom-a mental phenomenon. Samadhi is a quality
of the mind. We practice Samadhi to bring seren-
ity to the mind. When the mind is serene, it is
clear. When it is clear, it is conducive to wisdom.
Wisdom can be put to full use and this will ena-
ble us to see things with clarity. Many people can
remember well what the Buddha said: “Samadhi
to yathabhutam pajanati.” This means that he
who has a steadfast mind will see things clearly
as they are. When Samadhi is developed, insight-
the ability to see the truth-will follow. Samadhi โรงเรียนวัดไทยฯ ดีซี ภาคฤดูรอน โดยคณะครู
้
is a foundation, an aid, a supporting factor, a tool อาสาฯ จากจุฬาฯ และน้องๆ นักเรียน ร่วมอนุรกษ์
ั
to develop and increase wisdom. This benefit is ประเพณีไทย จัดงานแห่เทียนเข้าพรรษา ประจำาปี
sometimes overlooked and precisely, this is the ๒๕๕๓ เมือวันที่ 25 กรกฎาคม 2553 ทีผานมา
่ ่่
most important goal, the benefit that we aim to
16. แสงธรรม 12 Saeng Dhamma
Why Are We Here?
By Ajahn Chah
http://what-buddha-taught.net/Books/Ajahn_Chah_Why_are_we_here.htm
T his Rains Retreat I don’t have much strength,
I’m not well, so I’ve come up to this moun-
tain here to get some fresh air. People come to visit
it. At birth we bring old age, sickness and death along
with us.
So this is why the Buddha said khaya vayam, the
but I can’t really receive them like I used to because decline and dissolution of all compounded things. All
my voice is just about had it, my breath is just about of us sitting here in this hall now, monks, novices, lay-
gone. You can count it a blessing that there is still this men and laywomen, are without exception “lumps of
body sitting here for you all to see now. This is a bless- deterioration.” Right now the lump is hard, just like the
ing in itself. Soon you won’t see it. The breath will be lump of ice. It starts out as water, becomes ice for a
finished, the voice will be gone. They will fare in ac- while and then melts again. Can you see this decline in
cordance with supporting factors, like all compounded yourself? Look at this body. It’s aging every day ... hair
things. The Lord Buddha called it khaya vayam, the de- is aging, nails are aging...everything is aging!
cline and dissolution of all conditioned phenomena. You weren’t like this before, were you? You were
How do they decline? Consider a lump of ice. probably much smaller than this. Now you’ve grown
Originally it was simply water...they freeze it and it be- up and matured. From now on you will decline, fol-
comes ice. But it doesn’t take long before it’s melted. lowing the way of nature. The body declines just like
Take a big lump of ice, say as big as this tape recorder the lump of ice. Soon, just like the lump of ice, it’s all
here, and leave it out in the sun. You can see how it gone. All bodies are composed of the four elements of
declines, much the same as the body. It will gradually earth, water, wind and fire. A body is the confluence of
disintegrate. In not many hours or minutes all that’s earth, water, wind, and fire, which we proceed to call a
left is a puddle of water. This is called khaya vayam, person. Originally it’s hard to say what you could call
the decline and dissolution of all compounded things. it, but now we call it a “person.” We get infatuated
It’s been this way for a long time now, ever since the with it, saying it’s a male, a female, giving it names,
beginning of time. When we are born we bring this Mr., Mrs., and so on, so that we can identify each other
inherent nature into the world with us, we can’t avoid more easily. But actually there isn’t anybody there.
17. แสงธรรม 13 Saeng Dhamma
There’s earth, water, wind and fire. When they come everything with it... and yet they’re scared of it.
together in this known form we call the result a “per- This shows how out of touch people are with them-
son.” Now don’t get excited over it. If you really look selves. How pitiful! They’re always looking outwards,
into it there isn’t anyone there. at trees, at other people, at external objects, saying
That which is solid in the body, the flesh, skin, “this one is big,” “that’s small,” “that’s short,” “that’s
bones and so on, are called the earth element. Those long.” They’re so busy looking at other things they
aspects of the body which are liquid are the water never see themselves. To be honest, people are really
element. The faculty of warmth in the body is the fire pitiful. They have no refuge.
element, while the winds coursing through the body In the ordination ceremonies the ordinees must
are the wind element. learn the five basic meditation themes: kesa, head
At Wat Ba Pong we have a body which is neither male hair; loma, body hair; nakha, nails; danta, teeth; taco,
or female. It’s the skeleton hanging in the main hall. Look- skin. Some of the students and educated people snig-
ing at it you don’t get the feeling that it’s a man or a ger to themselves when they hear this part of the or-
woman. People ask each other whether it’s a man or a dination ceremony...”What’s the Ajahn trying to teach
woman and all they can do is look blankly at each other. us here? Teaching us about hair when we’ve had it
It’s only a skeleton, all the skin and flesh are gone. for ages. He doesn’t have to teach us about this, we
People are ignorant of these things. Some go to know it already. Why bother teaching us something we
Wat Ba Pong, into the main hall, see the skeletons... already know?” Dim people are like this, they think
and then come running right out again! They can’t bear they can see the hair already. I tell them that when
to look. They’re afraid, afraid of the skeletons. I fig- I say to “see the hair” I mean to see it as it really is.
ure these people have never seen themselves before. See body hair as it really is, see nails, teeth and skin as
Afraid of the skeletons... they don’t reflect on the great they really are. That’s what I call “seeing” -- not seeing
value of a skeleton. To get to the monastery they had in a superficial way, but seeing in accordance with the
to ride in a car or walk... if they didn’t have bones how truth. We wouldn’t be so sunk up to the ears in things
would they be? Would they be able to walk about like if we could see things as they really are. Hair, nails,
that? But they ride their cars to Wat Ba Pong, go into teeth, skin ... what are they really like? Are they pretty?
the main hall, see the skeletons and run straight back Are they clean? Do they have any real substance? Are
out again! They’ve never seen such a thing before. they stable? No... there’s nothing to them. They’re not
They’re born with it and yet they’ve never seen it. It’s pretty but we imagine them to be so. They’re not sub-
very fortunate that they have a chance to see it now. stantial but we imagine them to be so.
Even older people see the skeletons and get scared... Hair, nails, teeth, skin... people are really hooked
What’s all the fuss about? This shows that they’re not on these things. The Buddha established these things
at all in touch with themselves, they don’t really know as the basic themes for meditation, he taught us to
themselves. Maybe they go home and still can’t sleep know these things. They are Transient, Imperfect and
for three or four days... and yet they’re sleeping with a Ownerless; they are not “me” or “them.” We are born
skeleton! They get dressed with it, eat food with it, do with and deluded by these things, but really they are
18. แสงธรรม 14 Saeng Dhamma
foul. Suppose we didn’t bathe for a week, could we They don’t examine suffering. The heart is the impor-
bear to be close to each other? We’d really smell bad. tant thing. The Buddha taught to find a refuge within
When people sweat a lot, such as when a lot of peo- your own heart: Attahi attano natho -- “Make yourself
ple are working hard together, the smell is awful. We a refuge unto yourself.” Who else can be your refuge?
go back home and rub ourselves down with soap and The true refuge is the heart, nothing else. You may try to
water and the smell abates somewhat, the fragrance depend on other things but they aren’t a sure thing. You
of the soap replaces it. Rubbing soap on the body may can only really depend on other things if you already
make it seem fragrant, but actually the bad smell of have a refuge within yourself. You must have your own
the body is still there, temporarily suppressed. When refuge first before you can depend on anything else, be
the smell of the soap is gone the smell of the body it a teacher, family, friends or relatives.
comes back again. So all of you, both laypeople and homeless ones
Now we tend to think these bodies are pretty, de- who have come to visit today, please consider this
lightful, long lasting and strong. We tend to think that teaching. Ask yourselves, “Who am I? Why am I here?”
we will never age, get sick or die. We are charmed and Ask yourselves, “Why was I born?” Some people don’t
fooled by the body, and so we are ignorant of the true know. They want to be happy but the suffering never
refuge within ourselves. The true place of refuge is the stops. Rich or poor, young or old, they suffer just the
mind. The mind is our true refuge. This hall here may same. It’s all suffering. And why? Because they have
be pretty big but it can’t be a true refuge. Pigeons no wisdom. The poor are unhappy because they don’t
take shelter here, geckos take shelter here, lizards take have enough, and the rich are unhappy because they
shelter here...We may think the hall belongs to us but have too much to look after.
it doesn’t. We live here together with everything else. In the past, as a young novice, I gave a Dhamma
This is only a temporary shelter, soon we must leave discourse. I talked about the happiness of wealth and
it. People take these shelters for refuge. possessions, having servants and so on... A hundred
So the Buddha said to find your refuge. That male servants, a hundred female servants, a hundred
means to find your real heart. This heart is very im- elephants, a hundred cows, a hundred buffaloes...a
portant. People don’t usually look at important things, hundred of everything! The laypeople really lapped it
they spend most of their time looking at unimportant up. But can you imagine looking after a hundred buf-
things. For example, when they do the house cleaning faloes? Or a hundred cows, a hundred male and fe-
they may be bent on cleaning up the house, washing male servants...can you imagine having to look after
the dishes and so on, but they fail to notice their own all of that? Would that be fun? People don’t consider
hearts. Their heart may be rotten, they may be feeling this side of things. They have the desire to possess...to
angry, washing the dishes with a sour expression on have the cows, the buffaloes, the servants... hundreds
their face. That their own hearts are not very clean of them. But I say fifty buffaloes would be too much.
they fail to see. This is what I call “taking a temporary Just twining the rope for all those brutes would be too
shelter for a refuge.” They beautify house and home much already! But people don’t consider this, they
but they don’t think of beautifying their own hearts. only think of the pleasure of acquiring. They don’t
19. แสงธรรม 15 Saeng Dhamma
consider the trouble involved. you know it, night falls.” Just because of this “Beats
If we don’t have wisdom everything round us will me!” They’re neither here nor there, content with just
be a source of suffering. If we are wise these things a “beats me”... sitting among the branches of the ber-
will lead us out of suffering. Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, ry tree, gorging themselves with berries... “Beats me,
body and mind...Eyes aren’t necessarily good things, beats me...”
you know. If you are in a bad mood just seeing other When you’re still young you think that being single
people can make you angry and make you lose sleep. is not so good, you feel a bit lonely. So you find a part-
Or you can fall in love with others. Love is suffering, ner to live with. Put two together and there’s friction!
too, if you don’t get what you want. Love and hate Living alone is too quiet, but living with others there’s
are both suffering, because of desire. Wanting is suf- friction.
fering, wanting not to When children are small
have is suffering. Wanting the parents think, “When
to acquire things... even they get bigger we’ll be
if you get them it’s still better off.” They raise
suffering because you’re their children, three, four,
afraid you’ll lose them. or five of them, thinking
There’s only suffering. that when the children
How are you going to live are grown up their bur-
with that? You may have den will be lighter. But
a large, luxurious house, when the children grow
but if your heart isn’t up they get even heavier.
good it never really works out as you expected. Like two pieces of wood, one big and one small. You
Therefore, you should all take a look at yourselves. throw away the small one and take the bigger one,
Why were we born? Do we ever really attain anything thinking it will be lighter, but of course it’s not. When
in this life? In the countryside here people start plant- children are small they don’t bother you very much,
ing rice right from childhood. When they reach seven- just a ball of rice and a banana now and then. When
teen or eighteen they rush off and get married, afraid they grow up they want a motorcycle or a car! Well,
they won’t have enough time to make their fortunes. you love your children, you can’t refuse. So you try to
They start working from an early age thinking they’ll give them what they want. Problems...Sometimes the
get rich that way. They plant rice until they’re sev- parents get into arguments over it...”Don’t go and buy
enty or eighty or even ninety years old. I ask them. him a car, we haven’t got enough money!” But when
“From the day you were born you’ve been working. you love your children you’ve got to borrow the mon-
Now it’s almost time to go, what are you going to take ey from somewhere. Maybe the parents even have to
with you?” They don’t know what to say. All they can go without to get the things their children want. Then
say is, “Beats me!” We have a saying in these parts, there’s education. “When they’ve finished their studies,
“Don’t tarry picking berries along the way ... before we’ll be right.” There’s no end to the studying! What
20. แสงธรรม 16 Saeng Dhamma
are they going to finish? Only in the science of Buddhism with you later on.
is there a point of completion, all the other sciences Now I’m just letting you know about these things...
just go round in circles. In the end it’s real headache. If the suffering that arises from within, that arises with-
there’s a house with four or five children in it the par- in our own bodies. There’s nothing within the body
ents argue every day. you can depend on. It’s not too bad when you’re still
The suffering that is waiting in the future we fail to young, but as you get older things begin to break down.
see, we think it will never happen. When it happens, Everything begins to fall apart. Conditions go their nat-
then we know. that kind of suffering, the suffering inher- ural way. Whether we laugh or cry over them they just
ent in our bodies, is hard to foresee. When I was a child go on their way. It makes no difference how we live
minding the buffaloes I’d take charcoal and rub it on my or die, makes no difference to them. And there’s no
teeth to make them white. I’d go back home and look in knowledge or science which can prevent this natural
the mirror and see them so nice and white...I was getting course of things. You may get a dentist to look at your
fooled by my own bones, that’s all. When I reached fifty teeth, but even if he can fix them they still eventually
or sixty my teeth started to get loose. When the teeth go their natural way. Eventually even the dentist has
start falling out it hurts so much, when you eat it feels as the same trouble. Everything falls apart in the end.
if you’ve been kicked in the mouth. It really hurts. I’ve These are things which we should contemplate while
been through this one already. So I just got the dentist we still have some vigor, we should practice while
to take them all out. Now I’ve got false teeth. My real we’re young. If you want to make merit then hurry
teeth were giving me so much trouble I just had them all up and do so, don’t just leave it up to the oldies.
taken out, sixteen in one go. The dentist was reluctant Most people just wait until they get old before they
to take out sixteen teeth at once, but I said to him, “Just will go to a monastery and try to practice Dhamma.
take them out, I’ll take the consequences.” So he took Women and men say the same thing...”Wait till I get
them all out at once. Some were still good, too, at least old first.” I don’t know why they say that, does an old
five of them. Took them all out. But it was really touch person have much vigor? Let them try racing with a
and go. After having them out I couldn’t eat any food for young person and see what the difference is. Why do
two or three days. they leave it till they get old? Just like they’re never
Before, as a young child minding the buffaloes, I going to die. When they get to fifty or sixty years old
used to think that polishing the teeth was a great thing or more...”Hey, Grandma! Let’s go to the monastery!”
to do. I loved my teeth, I thought they were good “You go ahead, my ears aren’t so good any more.”
things. But in the end they had to go. The pain almost You see what I mean? When her ears were good what
killed me. I suffered from toothache for months, years. was she listening to? “Beats me!” ... just dallying with
Sometimes both my gums were swollen at once. the berries. Finally when her ears are gone she goes
Some of you may get a chance to experience this to the temple. It’s hopeless. She listens to the sermon
for yourselves someday. If your teeth are still good but she hasn’t got a clue what they’re saying. Peo-
and you’re brushing them everyday to keep them nice ple wait till they’re all used up before they’ll think of
and white...watch out! They may start playing tricks practicing the Dhamma.
21. แสงธรรม 17 Saeng Dhamma
Today’s talk may be useful for those of you who young and healthy? Now with the breaths coming fit-
can understand it. These are things which you should fully you go up and say, “Mother...Buddho, Buddho!”
begin to observe, they are our inheritance. They will Why waste your time? You’ll only confuse her, let her
gradually get heavier and heavier, a burden for each go peacefully.
of us to bear. In the past my legs were strong, I could People don’t know how to solve problems within
run. Now just walking around they feel heavy. Before, their own hearts, they don’t have a refuge. They get
my legs carried me. Now, I have to carry them. When angry easily and have a lot of desires. Why is this? Be-
I was a child I’d see old people getting up from their cause they have no refuge.
seat...”Oh!” Getting up they groan, “Oh!” There’s al- When people are newly married they can get on to-
ways this “Oh!” But they don’t know what it is that gether all right, but after age fifty or so they can’t under-
makes them groan like that. stand each other. Whatever the wife says the husband
Even when it gets to this extent people don’t see finds intolerable. Whatever the husband says the wife
the bane of the body. You never know when you’re won’t listen. They turn their backs on each other.
going to be parted from it. what’s causing all the pain Now I’m just talking because I’ve never had a fam-
is simply conditions going about their natural way. ily before. Why haven’t I had a family? Just looking at
People call it arthritis, rheumatism, gout and so on, the this word “household” [4] I knew what it was all about.
doctor prescribes medicines, but it never completely What is a “household”? This is a “hold”: If somebody
heals. In the end it falls apart, even the doctor! This is were to get some rope and tie us up while we were
conditions faring along their natural course. This is their sitting here, what would that be like? That’s called
way, their nature. “being held.” Whatever that’s like, “being held” is like
Now take a look at this. If you see it in advance that. There is a circle of confinement. The man lives
you’ll be better off, like seeing a poisonous snake on the within his circle of confinement, and the woman lives
path ahead of you. If you see it there you can get out of within her circle of confinement.
its way and not get bitten. If you don’t see it you may When I read this word “household” ... this is a
keep on walking and step on it. And then it bites. heavy one. This word is no trifling matter, it’s a real
If suffering arises people don’t know what to do. killer. The word “hold” is a symbol of suffering. You
Where to go to treat it? They want to avoid suffering, can’t go anywhere, you’ve got to stay within your cir-
they want to be free of it but they don’t know how to cle of confinement.
treat it when it arises. And they live on like this until Now we come to the word “house.” This means
they get old...and sick...and die... “that which hassles.” Have you ever toasted chilies?
In olden times it was said that if someone was The whole house chokes and sneezes. This word
mortally ill one of the next of kin should whisper “household” spells confusion, it’s not worth the trou-
“Bud-dho, Bud-dho” in their ear. What are they go- ble. Because of this word I was able to ordain and not
ing to do with Buddho? what good is Buddho going disrobe. “Household” is frightening. You’re stuck and
to be for them when they’re almost on the funeral can’t go anywhere. Problems with the children, with
pyre? Why didn’t they learn Buddho when they were money and all the rest. But where can you go? You’re
22. แสงธรรม 18 Saeng Dhamma
tied down. There are sons and daughters, arguments ing in the city, take these words and consider them...
in profusion until your dying day, and there’s nowhere “Why was I born? What can I take with me?” Ask your-
else to go to no matter how much suffering it is. The selves over and over. If you ask yourself these ques-
tears pour out and they keep pouring. The tears will tions often you’ll become wise. If you don’t reflect
never be finished with his “household,” you know. If on these things you will remain ignorant. Listening to
there’s no household you might be able to finish with today’s talk, you may get some understanding, if not
the tears but not otherwise. now, then maybe when you get home. Perhaps this
Consider this matter. If you haven’t come across it evening. When you’re listening to the talk everything
yet you may later on. Some people have experienced is subdued, but maybe things are waiting for you in the
it already to a certain extent. Some are already at the car. When you get in the car it may get in with you.
end of their tether...”Will I stay or will I go?” At Wat When you get home it may all become clear...”Oh,
Ba Pong there are about seventy or eighty huts (kuti). that’s what Luang Por meant. I couldn’t see it before.”
when they’re almost full I tell the monk in charge to I think that’s enough for today. If I talk too long this old
keep a few empty, just in case somebody has an ar- body gets tired.
gument with their spouse...Sure enough, in no long ________________________________________
time a lady will arrive with her bags...”I’m fed up with Notes:
the world, Luang Por.” “Whoa! Don’t say that. Those 4. There is a play on words in the Thai language
words are really heavy.” Then the husband comes and here based on the word for family -- Krorp krua --
says he’s fed up too. After two or three days in the which literally means “kitchen-frame” or “roasting
monastery their world-weariness disappears. circle.” In the English translation we have opted for
They say they’re fed up but they’re just fooling them- a corresponding English word rather than attempt a
selves. When they go off to a kuti and sit in the quiet by literal translation of the Thai.
themselves, after a while the thoughts come...”When’s
the wife going to come and ask me to go home?” They The End
don’t really know what’s going on. What is this “world-
weariness” of theirs? They get upset over something
and come running to the monastery. At home every-
thing looked wrong...the husband was wrong, the wife
was wrong...after three days’ quiet thinking...”Hmmm,
the wife was right after all, it was I who was wrong.”
“Hubby was right, I shouldn’t have got so upset.” They
change sides. This is how it is, that’s why I don’t take
the world too seriously. I know its ins and outs already,
that’s why I’ve chosen to live as a monk.
I would like to present today’s talk to all of you
for homework. Whether you’re in the fields or work- อนุโมทนาบุญกับคณะจัดดอกไม้ คุณพวงทอง-คุณตุ๊ก-คุณอู๊ด
