Just don't allow any egoistic consciousness, that's the meaning of "death" in Dhamma language. Without anything masquerading as "I" and "mine," where can suffering take place? Suffering can only happen to an "I" and its "mine". So you see, possessing "I" and "mine" is the heart of suffering. Should there be some happiness, as soon as clinging comes in the happiness becomes painful, yet one more way to suffer.
         Ignorant people are always attaching to something; they don't know how to live without clinging to "I" and "mine." As a result, even beneficial things are converted into causes of suffering. Happiness is turned into pain; goodness is turned into pain; praise, fame, honour and the like are all turned into forms of suffering. As soon as we try to seize and hang on to them, they all become unsatisfactory, painful, and ugly. Among good and evil, virtue and sin, happiness and unhappiness, gain and loss, and all other dualistic pairs, suffering inevitably happens whenever we attach to either pole of onc pair or another. Clinging to one pole also traps us in its opposite partner.
         When we are intelligent enough not to cling or be attached to any form of dualism, then we will no longer suffer because of thaese things. Good and evil, happiness and suffering, virtue and sin, and the rest, will never be painful again. We realize that they are merely natural phenomena, the ordinary stuff of nature. They all are naturally void and so there is no suffering inherent in any of them.
         These are the consequences of not having an ego, of not having any "I" and "mine" in the mind. Outwardly, we may say "I" and "my" according to social conventions, but don't let them exist in the mind or heart. As St. Paul said, "Let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those that mourn as though they weren't mourning ... and those who buy as though they had no goods."
         Externally,we should behave the same as others do; eat like they eat, work like they work, and speak like they speak. Speak in their people language: "this is my house, this is mine." There's nothing wrong in using these words when necessary, but don't let the mind fall for them. Leave such words outside, don't let them into the mind, don't believe them. We ought always to train ourselves this way, that is "mouth is one and mind another." The mouth says one thing, but the heart knows otherwise.
         Actually, this phrase is usually an insult used to condemn liars and conmen, not something to be encouraged. In the end, however, it can be turned around and applied to a person who really practices Dhamma, that is, whose external behavior conforms with worldly conventions but whose internal reality is another story. While the external expressions actually take place, they don't manifest in the mind. We call this, "mouth is one and mind another" or "external and internal do not correspond." A behavior that we used to condemn and try to abandon because of its dishonesty and crookedness becomes the most noble and excellent form of speech. Sometimes Dhamma language seems rather strange!
         To be honest in both mouth and mind, that is, speech and thought, is people language, not Dhamma language. Ordinary people demand that our words honesty reflect our thoughts, but when it comes to the Dhamma language of the Buddha, we practice in the manner called "mouth is one and mind another." In other words, the outside appears one way, while the inside is the opposite. Outwardly, in our speech and actions, we may possess all the things that others possess, but in the mind we possess nothing. Inwardly, we are broke and bankrupt, without a penny to our names. So please remember this saying - "mouth is one and mind another" - in its Dhamma language meaning of course, not in the people language understanding. Please give it some thought.
         Another common teaching concerns humility. The Buddha taught us not to boast or show off and Jesus Christ emphasized this point even more. There are many pages in the Bible concerning this subject. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us to do our religious practices - such as praying, giving, charity, and fasting - in secret so as to not let others to see (Matt. 5-7, especially 6). If it's something we want others to see, that means we want to show off, which is attachment. If we apply his teaching to our Buddhist pratices, such as when we keep the special precepts on the observance days (uposatha), we shouldn't dress up or powder and perfume ourselves. Don't let anyone know we are keeping the special precepts, just keep them strictly. Jesus stresses this point in many ways, both in this sermon and elsewherc. When offering prayers to God, fasting, or practicing austerities, don't let othcrs see. If we wish to give alms or make a donation to charity, do so secretly; don't let others know who the giver is. Jesus teaches us to do everything without any one knowing. In other words, his aim is to teach non-attachment. This kind of practice destroys selfishness and overcomes sin.
         Buddhists should be able to understand this principle of giving without letting anyone know; giving in this way will destroy the giver's self-centeredness much more than public giving. As you know, we like to say, "sticking gold on the image's back." This saying can be interpreted in two ways. As understood by foolish people, this should never be done, because sticking gold leaf on the back of an image won't gain one any honour, reputation, or other benefits*. (*. In Thailand, putting small squares of gold leaf onto Buddha images and other respected objects is a popular form of making merit. According to popular Thai belief, by affixing gold leaf to the eyes, mouth, forehead, cheeks, etc., of a Buddha image, the one who affixes it will be reborn in her next life with beautiful eyes, mouth, forehead, cheeks, etc., just like those of the image decorated with gold. At the same time, her merit making is seen by all.) On the other hand, wise people take the words "sticking gold on the image's back" to mean something good, because one doesn't receive any recognition, praise, status, or honor from the act. One hasn't traded the goodness of the act for any worldly benefits. Thus, one makes more merit than if one were to stick the gold on the front of the image.
         Here we see that the teachings of Christianity and Buddhism are the same; they have the same meaning, namely, to destroy attachment. We should do all religious duties and practices without others knowing. In the end, it's like they don't exist any more and we don't exist either. There's no good, no evil, no virtue, no sin, no happiness, no suffering, and, finally, not even any religion. This is the highest level of religion.
         Now, let us consider the fact that non-attachment, the highest Dhamma, is something wonderful, priceless, and extraordinary. It's the heart of every religion. It's the essence of Dhamma. If there is a God, it can only be found right here in non-attachment.
         Non-attachment, the highest Dhamma, is wonderful precisely because anyone seeking it need not invest anything. No money, gold, or jewels are needed, not even a single penny. According to people language, nothing can be obtained without an investment. If they listen to people language, those who wish to gain merit, goodness, or whatever must pay in money, silver, and gold, or invest their labor. If they listen to Dhamma language, however, the reality is quite different. The Buddha said that Nibbana is given free of charge. Nibbana - the coolness and peace experienced when there's no attachment - doesn't cost a penny. This means that we can practice for the sake of Nibbana without spending any money along the way. Jesus said what amounts to the same thing. He invited us to drink the water of life for which there is no charge. He said this at least three times. Furtber, he called us to enter eternal life, which means to reach the state where we are one with God and therefore will never die again.
         "Let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price" (Rev. 22:17). This call of Jesus is identical to what is taught in Buddhism. The Buddha said that the Noble Path of Liberation, the Liberating Results, and Nibbana are free of charge, no monetary investment is required. We live according to the Noble Eightfold Path, which means we give up this, give up that, and keep giving up things until everything is surrenderd. Give up everything and take nothing back. Don't receive any payment and we won't have to pay anything: we will realize what is called "the Noble Path, the Liberating Results, and Nibbana." We can taste the flavor of Nibbana without paying a penny.
         We spend a lot of money trying to buy Nibbana, but the money just get in the way. It's like investing money in order to win a palace in heaven: the two have nothing to do with each other. In fact, they are incompatible. If we want to give charity, it should be solely for the sake of others. Nibbana is our first concern and requires no money.
         Why do we make donations then? Not for ourselves, of course, but to help our fellow human beings so that they may also reach that which requires no financial investment. So, we contribute money to build temples and schools, we develop methods of teaching, and we publish books in order to help our fellow human beings to travel on the right path, to travel toward that which is obtained without payment - Nibbana. Those of us who intend to earn merit with their gold and silver should please think in this way.
         If those who intend to invest their money for so-called spiritual rewards don't reconsider, they will incur losses rather than make profits. Not only will they fail to make a profit, they won't even be able to recover their investment. And when therc is no profit and no breaking evcn, there is only loss. To act that way goes contrary to the words of the Buddha who said, "It's free." Jesus also said that it's free.
         Jesus added further that what "you received without pay, give without pay" (Matt. 10:8). It seems that the Buddha never said quite the same thing, but we can say, from the implications of his teaching, that he could easily have spoken these words. If something is obtained for free, we ought to pass it on for free,too. Don't be unwilling or reluctant. Don't go taking advantagc of people by claiming favors or hinting that they'll benefit by helping one in such-and-such a way or implying that students owe a debt of gratitude to their teachers. All of that is inappropriate. When we get somcthing for free, we must give it away for free. Therefore, as the loftiest of all things, the Dhamma of each religion is something to be obtained for free. Once we have got it, we are obligated to pass it on to our fellow human beings for free, also. Don't try to wheedle any benefits out of it in return.
         When we make contributions to religious causes, they are for a particular purpose, which has no bearing on our realizing Nibbana. Such contributions are meant to be instrumental in helping people who don't yet see the way to be able to find it and eventually arrive at that which is given away for free to everyone. In the end, they also will obtain that precious thing which is obtained for free, without any obstacles.
         If we look carcfully, we will see that the pinnacle, the most excellent of things, which we get for free, is called "Nibbana" (as well as by many other names). Jesus called it "Life." This state in which we currently exist is death. Because everyone is dying, they don't reach God, they don't reach the Ultimate. Yet, if we follow the teachings of Jesus we are born again at once. After dying for so long, we need to be reborn. When we are born anew, we are born into eternal life, which is true life. The Buddha spoke in the same fashion. He said that we don't realize that this existence is like being dead, that is, that it's suffering. We must make the required knowledge, we must awaken into a new world, newly born. Then there will be no more suffering. To understand this is a fundamental principle.
         Up until this realization, we were dead, that is, full of"I" and "mine." Always living under the burden of ego and egoism is death. Because of "I" and "mine," we died over and over again. Now we are reborn into eternal life, the life of Nibbana, the deathless life, the immortality in which all "I" and "minc" end. The word "reborn" here comes to means a life without ego, free of "I" and "mine." This is the true life which can never die. The five aggregates (khandha), the basic processes of life, are now pure, the body and mind are free of attachment and selfishness. Prior to this, the five aggregates, the body-mind process, were continually being grasped at and clung to by means of "I" and "my" and were always stained by these corrupt attachments. That continuous "I" and "mine" was death.
         When the polluting desires and attachments are completely gone there is a new birth in the world of the Noble Ones. "Rebirth in the world of the Noble Ones" is a people language exprcssion. In Dhamma language, we speak of "quenching it." Quench the "I" and the "mine"; quench ego and its selfishness. Then there's nothing. There remains only supreme voidness, which is Nibbana. So says Dhamma language.