LIGHT
If we discuss only these profound questions, you are
bound to become drowsy, so now we shall take an easy word
--namely, "light." When we speak of light, normally, we are
referring to lamplight, sunlight, electric light, or some other
kind of physical light. This is everyday language. In the Dhamma
language of the Buddha, the word "light" refers to insight,
wisdom, higher knowledge (panna). Even when the Buddha
went and sat in a pitch dark cave, there was still light in the
sense that in his mind there was the light of insight, of higher
knowledge. On a moonless, starless night, when all lamps
have been put out, it is still possible to say there is light if
there is insight and higher knowledge in the mind of the one
who practices earnestly. This is light in Dhamma language.
DARKNESS
Now "darkness." In ordinary everyday language, darkness
is absence of light, which makes it impossible to see. In
Dhamma language, darkness is lack of insight, ignorance of
the truth, spiritual blindness (avija). This is true darkness. If
a person lacking true insight were to go and sit right in full
sunlight, that person would still be in darkness, the darkness
of ignorance as to the true nature of things. This is the
difference between the meanings of darkness in Dhamma language
and in everyday language.
KAMMA
We come now to the word "Kamma" (Sanskrit, karma).
When ordinary people say, "That's kamma!" they mean
"Too bad!" Bad luck as punishment for sins previously
committed is the meaning given to the word "kamma" by ordinary
people. But in Dhamma language the word "kamma" refers
to something different. It refers to action. Bad action is called
black kamma; good action is called white kamma. Then there
is another remarkable kind of kamma which is neither black
nor white, a kamma that serves to neutralize the other two
kinds. Unfortunately, the more people hear about it, the less
they understand it. This third kind of kamma is the realization
of not-self (anatta) and emptiness (sunnata), so that the "self"
is done away with. This kind of action may be called Buddhist
kamma, the real kamma, the kind of kamma that the Buddha
taught. The Buddha taught the transcending of all kamma.
REFUGE
Consider now the word "refuge" or "support" (sarana).
In everyday language, a refuge or support is some person or
thing outside of and other than oneself which one may depend
on for help. For instance, people may depend on employers,
ghost, good luck omens, or guardian angels. Anything or
anyone other than oneself that is relied upon --this is the
meaning of "refuge" or "support" in everyday language.
HEART OF BUDDHISM
This brings us to the expression "the heart of Buddhism."
In discussions about what constitutes the heart of Buddhism,
all sorts of strange ideas are brought forward. Some people
recite this or that formula, such as VI-SU-PA.*
(VI, SU, and PA stand for Vinaya, Sutta, and Paramattha
(=Abhidhammama),
the three sections of the Tripitaka. Such sets of initials are still commonly
used for memorizing Dhamma topics, but through the influence of Mantrayana,
they are regarded by many as magical formulas. Each set is called
the "heart" or "essence" of the topic concerned.)
This sort of "heart" is everyday language, the language of stupid people.
People with no knowledge of Dhamma will just rattle off a
couple of Pali words or some other cliche and proclaim this
to be the heart of Buddhism.
EATING
Take the word "eating." In everyday language, to eat is
to take in nourishment through the mouth in the usual way.
But the eating of Dhamma language can be done by way of
eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind. Think it over. What
does the word "eat" refer to here? The eye sees a form, the
ear hears a sound, the nose smells an odour, and so on with
the remaining sense organs. This is referred to as "eating,"
eating by way of eye, ear, nose, and so on. This is Dhamma
language. For instance in Pali and Sanskrit the word
"kamabhogi" was commonly used to refer to a person who indulged
in sensuality; literally this word means simply "sensuality eater."
SLEEPING
Now the word "sleeping." When we use this word in
the sense of lying down and sleeping like a dog or cat, we are
speaking everyday language. But in Dhamma language, sleeping
refers to ignorance (avijja). Though a person may be sitting
up with eyes wide open, if ignorant of the true nature of things,
this person can be said to be asleep. This is "sleeping" in
Dhamma language. To live in ignorance of the true nature of
things, regardless of bodily posture, is to be asleep.
AWAKE
To be "awake" normally means to have roused oneself
from sleep. But in Dhamma language, it means to be always
mindful, to be always fully aware. In this condition, regardless
of whether one is physically awake or asleep, one can be described
as awake. People who practice mindfulness (satipatthana)
are always fully aware. Even if they go to sleep, they are
immediately fully aware again the moment they wake up.
When they are awake, they are awake; and when they are
asleep, they are also awake. This is what it is to be "awake"
in Dhamma language.
PLAY
" To play" in the language of the ordinary person is to
amuse oneself as do children with games, sports, laughter,
and good fun. But in Dhaama language, "to play" is to rejoice
in the Dhamma, to be joyful over the Dhamma. Even to play
with the bliss associated with the deeper stages of concentration
(jhana) was called in Pali "jhanakila" (concentration-games).
This is the "play" of the ariyans (those well advanced in Dhamma
practice). This is what "play" means in Dhamma language.
ANGEL
Next, the word "angel" (Thai nang-faa, literally,
"sky-woman"). In everyday language, this word refers to the
exceptionally beautiful female inhabitants of heavenly palaces.
They are personifications of physical beauty. But in Dhamma
language, "angel" refers to the Buddha-Dhamma. Generally
people restrict this meaning to the Dhamma written and
studied in books, but in truth it encompasses all Dhamma,
for all Dhamma a beautiful in the beginning, beautiful in the
middle, and beautiful in the end (as explained above regarding
the Sublime Way of Life). Thus, even the word "angel" has
different levels of meaning; and "angel" in Dhamma language
is the hope of all worthy Buddhists.
FEMALE & MALE
Now, let us look at the words "female" and "male."
In everyday, worldly language, these words mean the two
sexes --the female sex and the male sex. In Dhamma language,
however, they refer to the distinguishing marks and signs of
certain duties which Nature has assigned to human beings
duties which must be performed co-operatively, in partnership.
Female and male have nothing to do with the exchange and
consumption of sexual flavors. Rather, they point to the fact
that human beings must exist in the world and that the species
must not become extinct. This means that the human race
must be preserved through the duty of reproduction for as
long a time as is necessary for humanity to realize the highest
Dhamma-- nibbana. The duties called for by this necessity
must be divided between the female and male. Once the female
and male exist, they help each other to lighten their burdens
by dividing their everyday responsibilities and work, which,
when done correctly, is Dhamma practice.
MARRIAGE
From this we'll move on to "marriage." In everyday
language, everyone understands this word to mean the ceremony
that joins a woman and man according to social customs.
That's marriage in worldly terms. However, in Pali, the Ianguage
of Dhamma, the word "marriage" is samarasa, which
translates as "having equal (sama) flavor, taste, duty, or
function (rasa)" through Dhamma or in Dhamma. This means
that two people with correct wants and needs are united as
one. Physical contact between them is unnecessary, though
there may be other forms of contact, such as letter writing.
FATHER & MOTHER
Now we come to the words "father" and "mother." In
ordinary worldly language, these words refer to the two people
responsible for our having been born. But in the deeper
Ianguage of Dhamma, our "father" is ignorance (avijja) and
our "mother" is craving (tanha). They must be killed and
gotten rid of completely. For instance, the Buddha said:
FRIEND
The word "friend" in worldly everyday language refers
to a companion, someone who does things that please one.
But in Dhamma languarge, "friend" or "companion" refers to
the Dhamma, and in particular to that aspect of the Dhamma
that enables us to free ourselves from dukka. The Buddha
specifically mentioned the Noble Eightfold Path as; humanity's
supreme friend (kalyanamitta). In Dhamma language, "friend"
means the Noble Eightfold Path: right understanding, right
intention, and so on up to right concentration. This is what
"friend" means in Dhamma language.
ENEMY
An enemy in everyday language is someone whom we
hate and who is out to do us harm. But our enemy, as this
word is understood in Dhamma language, is our own
misdirected mind. Our very own mind and the misuse of it --that
is our real enemy. The misdirected mind is our enemy, not
someone outside of ourselves. The enemy that the ordinary
person has in mind is the enemy of everyday worldly language.
The enemy of Dhamma language is the misdirected mind.
The enemy exists any time that the mind is misdirected. It is
born in the mind and of the mind. With the mind well directed
and fixed on Dhamma, the enemy is absent and the friend is
there instead.
PUTRIDNESS
Now, let us ask, what is "the putrid, foul-smelling
thing"? In everyday language it may be rotten fish or
something of the sort, but in Dhamma language it is something
very different. The Buddha referred to the mental defilements
(kilesa) as putrid, foul-smelling things. Excessive desire,
self-centredness, and obsession with the ideas of "me" and "mine"
--these are putrid, foul-smelling things.
LAUGHTER
Consider, for example, laughter. The Buddha once said,
"Laughter is the behaviour of an infant in its cradle." Think
about it. We like to laugh heartily, even though it is the
behaviour of an infant in its cradle. It doesn't even embarrass us.
We like it. We go right on laughing heartily, guffawing loudly.
Why did the Buddha say that "Laughter is the behaviour of
an infant in its cradle"? Think of an infant in its cradle and
the way it lies there gurgling and grinning at you.
SINGING
Now consider singing. Singing, such as we hear on the
radio, is just like someone weeping. The ariyans put singing
in the same category as weeping. In singing, the actions of
mouth, throat, vocal chords, and tongue are just the same as
they are in weeping. But if it is a real song, the song of the
noble ones, then it is a paean of joy at having seen the Dhamma.
It proclaims the Dhamma and it proclaims satisfaction in the
Dhamma. The song of the ariyans is a paean of joy
proclaiming the Dhamma. This is true singing.
DANCING
Next, consider dancing, which is so popular. People
make a special effort to learn how to do it, and they get their
sons and daughters to learn it too. They spend a lot of money
on it. The ariyans, however, regard dancing as the antics of
madmen. You can see for yourself how closely dancing
resembles the antics of madmen, if you just compare them. No
sane person would ever get up and dance! It has been calculated
that a person hat to be at least 15% mad in order to overcome
has sense of shame to get up and dance. So dancing is the
antics of madmen.
BLINDNESS
Think it over. If we know only the language of common
people, we can't possibly understand this kind of talk. The
wise person says: "The birds see not the sky," and the foolish
person doesn't believe it. Why don't birds see the sky? Because
they are flying in the sky. The wise person says: "The fish see
not the water," and again the foolish person doesn't believe
it. It never occurs to such people that fish living in water
cannot see the water because the fish are in such close contact
with it. They know nothing about water. Likewise, earthworms
always burrowing in the earth never see the earth. And the
worms that live in a dung heap, that are born and die in a
dung heap, never see that dung heap.
WALKING NOWHERE
Here is a good exarnple of Dhamma language: "Walking,
walking, and never arriving." The average person will not
grasp the meaning. Here "walking" refers to wanting
something and going off in search of it. "Never arriving" refers to
peace, to nibbana, which remains unattainable. Nibbana is
attained by net wanting, not desiring, not hoping, not yearning.
So there is no need to walk at all; by not walking, nibbana
will be realized. Walking, walking, and never arriving. Wanting,
wanting, and never attaining. The more we want anything
--want to get this or that, want to be this or that-- the more
inaccessible it becomes. All we must do is to give up wanting
something and we get it in full, straight away.
SILENCE
In Dharnma language, it is said, "Talk is not loud; silence
is loud." This means that when the mind is well concentrated,
still and quiet, the voice of Dhamma will be heard. Again it is
said, "These things that can be talked about are not the real
Dhamma, about the real Dhamma nothing can be said."
Everything that I have been saying in this talk is still not really
Dhamma, it is still not the actual thing. My words are nothing
more than an attempt to explain how to arrive at and understand
the real thing. The real thing cannot be discussed. The
more we say about Dhamma, the further it recedes from us.
We can talk about only the method which will guide us along,
which will tell us what to do in order to arrive at the real thing,
the genuine Dhamma. So we must stop talking.
Most people are interested only in black kamma and
white kamma, bad kamma and good kamma. They take no
interest in this third kind of kamma which is neither black
nor white, neither bad nor good, which consists in complete
freedom from selfhood and leads to the attainment of Nibbana.
It wipes out every kind of bad and good kamma. People don't
understand the method for wiping out kamma completely.
They don't know that the way to put an end to all kamma is
through this special kind of kamma, which consists in applying
the Buddha's method. That method is none other than the
Noble Eightfold Path.
The practice of The Noble Eightfold Path is kamma
neither black nor white, and it is the end of all kamma. This
is kamma in Dhamma language. It is very different from the
"kamma" of immature people, who exclaim "That's Kamma!"
meaning only "Too bad!" or "Bad luck!" Kamma understood
as bad luck is the kamma of everyday language.
The "refuge" or "support" of Dhamma language is to
be found within oneself. Even when we speak of going to the
Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha for refuge, we really mean
going to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha that are to be
found within ourselves, within our own minds. Only then can
they really serve as our refuge. So these supports are to be
found within ourselves; our own efforts bring into existence
the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha within our own minds.
According to Dhamma language, one is one's own refuge.
Refuge is within oneself, not somewhere outside.
The heart of Buddhism, as this expression is understood
in Dhamma language, as the Buddha has put it, is the realization
that nothing whatsoever should be grasped at and clung
to.
"Sabhe dhamma nalam abhinivesaya."
Nothing whatever should be grasped at and clung to as
"me" or "mine." This is the heart of Buddhism as understood
in Dhamma language, the language of the Buddha. So anyone
who is after the heart of Buddhism should be very careful not
to get just the "heart" of everyday language, the language of
people ignorant of Dhamma. That sort of "heart" is likely to
be something ridiculous, laughable, and childish.
What I have said so far ought to be sufficient to enable
you to realize how a single word may have two different
meanings. An intelligent und discerning person will be capable of
considering both modes of speaking. "A wise person is one
who is careful to consider both modes of speaking." "Both
modes of speaking" means both of the possible meanings of
a word. One is the meaning the word has in everyday language;
the other is the meaning that same word has in Dhamma
language. A discerning person must consider both meanings.
as we have done in the numerous examples dealt with above.
The words we have considered so far as examples are rather
high-level terms. Let us now consider some more down-to-earth
examples. I apologize if some of these appear a little crude.
The expression "eating a woman" sounds most peculiar
in Thai. But in Pali and Sanskrit it is a perfectly ordinary
expression. To eat a woman dues not mean to carry off, kill,
cook, and eat her. It means to have sexual relations with her.
This is what is meant by "eating" in this case, and this is
what the word "eating" means in Dhamma language.
On the other hand, the Pali word "nibbhogo" (having
nothing to eat) is used to describe the Buddha and arahants
(fully enlightened beings), for they are no longer involved in
colours and shapers, sounds, odours, tastes, tactile stimuli, and
mental images. Because they are above involvement in these
six kinds of sense objects, they are people with "nothing to
eat." Get to know this broad usage of the word "eat" in
Dhamma language. It will make it easier to understand the
more profound aspects of the teaching.
In Dhamma language, the signs of the duties which
Nature has stipulated in this way are known as "female" and
"male." This isn't the lowly meaning assumed in everyday
language. We shouldn't think of female and male solely in
terms of an instinctual animal activity. Rather, we ought to
think of them as signs of the division of those duties which
can be carried out properly only in co-operation.
Marriage is possible even though the skin and flesh of
the two partners never touch. This is because their wants are
the same and their responsibilities are equal. For example,
both genuinely want to transcend dukkha using the same
principles of practice. Both persons are satisfied in the unified
Dhamma practice and in the fruits mutually desired. This is
what we call "having equal flavor" which is marriage in
Dhamma language and in Pali. The meanings of words in
Dhamma language are always as clean and pure as in this
example.
"Matram pitram hantva akatannusi brahmana."
"Be ungrateful. Kill the 'father', kill the 'mother,' and
you will attain nibbana."
Our father, the one responsible for our birth, is ignorance
or not-knowing (avijja); our mother, the other one responsibleble
for our birth, is craving (tanha). The words "father" and
"mother" in Dharnma language were given these higher
meanings by the Buddha. So the "parents" --avijja and
tanha-- have to be killed, destroyed completely, for nibbana
to be realized.
All these words that we have considered are nothing but
perfectly ordinary words selected to demonstrate the difference
between everyday language and Dhamma language. If you
think it over, you will realize that this difference is the very
reason that we fail to understand Buddha-Dhamma. We don't
understand this highest and most profound of teachings simply
because we don't know the language of Dhamma. We know
only everyday language and are unable to comprehend the
language of the nobles ones (ariyans, beings well advanced
in the practice),
The laughter of the noble ones is different. They laugh
at all compounded things (sankhara), which are impermanent
and changing, unsatisfactory (dukkha), and not-self. Because
they knew, they can laugh at compounded things and at craving,
which henceforth can do them no harm. This is the right kind
of laughter, the kind that has meaning and worth.
The dancing of the ariyans is dhammanandi. They
"dance" and jeer at the defilements, proclaiming their liberation.
They are no longer bound hand and foot, arm and leg,
Their limbs are free. They can "dance" because they are not
bound down by attachment. This is how the noble ones dance.
Lastly, "humanity" sees not the world." People living
and moving about in the world still do not see the world. If
they really saw the world, they certainly wouldn't stay stuck
in it. They would the sure to get free to the world and dwell with
the Dhamma. People who are bogged down in the world, like
worms in a dung heap, know only worldly everyday language.
They don't know Dhamma language. The reason they don't
know Dhamma language is that they are stuck fast in the
world like the worms in their dung heap, the earthworms in
the ground, the fish in the water, and the birds in the sky.
People don't know Dharnma language. Not knowing Dhamma
language, they cannot comprehend Dhamma.
This being the case, we shall leave off our comparison
of everyday language and Dhamma language. I suggest you
think it over and decide whether or not you agree with me
concerning our failure to understand Dhamma. Some of us
have been listening to sermons and lectures and expositions
of Dhamma for ten years, twenty years, thirty years, and more.
Why is it, then, that we still don't understand Dhamma, see
Dhamma, penetrate Dhamma? The reason we don't understand
is simply that we don't listen in the right way. And why don't
we listen in the right way? Because we are familiar only with
everyday language and have no acquaintance with Dhamma
language. We hear Dhamma language and take it as being
everyday language. We are just like those foolish people who
always take the word "emptiness" in its everyday sense,
completely miss the Dhamma sense, and then make all sorts
of ridiculous assertions about it.
Such are the unhappy consequences of not being familiar
with both everyday language and Dhamma language. People
in this position have not got their wits about them. They lack
discernment, the quality the Buddha was referring to when
he said:
Appamatto ubho atthe adhiganhati pandito,
Ditthe dhamme ca yo attho, yo ca'ttho samparayiko,
Atthabhisamayadhiro pandito ti pavuccati.
The wise and needful person is familiar with both modes
of speaking: the meaning seen by ordinary people and
the meaning which they can't understand. One who is
fluent in the various modes of speaking is a wise person.