WEBVTT 01:23.140 --> 01:28.986 Good evening everyone, welcome to our live broadcast. 01:34.812 --> 01:50.329 Today we are looking at Yungut Ranigaya Book of Fives, Sutta 48, Alabha Niyathana Sutta. 01:53.971 --> 01:55.313 Alabhania Thana. 01:55.333 --> 02:08.473 Thana is a... Thana means a place, but here it means a state or a case. 02:09.635 --> 02:11.497 Alabhania means unattainable. 02:14.302 --> 02:19.009 Un... 02:19.029 --> 02:19.810 Unobtainable. 02:21.967 --> 02:31.723 So there are five, the Buddha says There are these five 02:33.307 --> 02:37.613 unattainable states, things that are unattainable. 02:39.015 --> 03:03.128 samarne nava brahmane nava devi nava maari nava brahmanava kena jiva lokasmi By anyone in this world, by a recluse or a brahman, no matter how religious or spiritually powerful they may be, or even if they're an angel or a demon or a god, 03:06.112 --> 03:06.813 can't obtain. 03:09.977 --> 03:15.464 No matter how powerful you are, no matter who you are, certain things that we can't get. 03:29.622 --> 03:32.085 And these four are, five are 03:33.331 --> 03:42.939 In regards to things that are of a nature to get old, may they not get old. 03:44.961 --> 03:45.682 You can't have that. 03:46.723 --> 03:47.824 You can't have that. 03:50.026 --> 03:52.227 That won't come true, no matter what you do. 03:58.593 --> 04:03.237 . 04:05.984 --> 04:35.704 what is of a nature to get sick may it not get sick number three that which is of a nature to die may it not die that which is of a nature to 04:37.456 --> 04:38.517 May it not be destroyed. 04:39.018 --> 04:40.419 May it not be destroyed. 04:45.265 --> 04:45.746 Decay. 04:45.806 --> 04:47.468 That which is subject to decay. 04:47.568 --> 04:48.509 May it not decay. 04:50.391 --> 04:53.995 Nasa na dam mang ma na si. 04:54.015 --> 04:54.796 Number five. 04:56.298 --> 04:58.060 That which is subject to destruction. 04:59.081 --> 05:03.887 So kaya is more like decay or wasting away. 05:03.947 --> 05:05.168 Nasa na means 05:07.797 --> 05:14.326 destruction or nullification. 05:22.437 --> 05:34.294 The point being here, the interesting thing about this and why this is actually worth, why this is very much worth stopping at and going over is 05:42.408 --> 06:12.364 that no matter how hard we try we can't fix and we can't perfect life there are certain realities that we have to face that we'll never be able to obtain a state of being whereby we always get what we want we always have what we want we can keep what we want and only what we want and where we aren't faced with 06:14.909 --> 06:17.132 realities that are unpleasant to us. 06:20.916 --> 06:26.102 That reality is not based on our desires. 06:31.669 --> 06:36.495 So he says an ordinary person, someone who doesn't realize this, people living in the world, 06:41.183 --> 06:43.771 But for them what is subject to old age grows old. 06:43.831 --> 06:45.155 Their body gets old. 06:45.957 --> 06:48.565 Their loved ones grow old. 06:50.330 --> 06:52.476 All their possessions age. 07:02.733 --> 07:13.956 Because they don't see that this isn't part of nature, as we were talking about last night about funerals, because we're not clearly aware of this as being a part of nature. 07:13.996 --> 07:14.497 We suffer. 07:14.878 --> 07:16.200 We suffer because of old age. 07:17.563 --> 07:18.846 We suffer because of sickness. 07:18.986 --> 07:20.169 We suffer because of death. 07:21.231 --> 07:22.834 We suffer unnecessarily. 07:23.962 --> 07:34.913 We suffer based not simply on the nature of the experience, but based on our expectations and our delusions that it could somehow be otherwise. 07:35.714 --> 07:43.082 We work very hard to avoid death, to avoid old age, to avoid sickness, right? 07:43.102 --> 07:45.885 We work very hard to escape its grasp. 07:47.286 --> 07:50.830 People who are obsessed with health or obsessed with youth 07:52.818 --> 07:55.842 We work very hard, people who are obsessed with life. 07:57.744 --> 07:58.645 We fear death. 08:01.309 --> 08:11.281 Old age sickness and death is very much a part of who we are, but also with everything, whether even those things that don't actually die. 08:11.301 --> 08:18.150 They're still subject to dissolution, to kaya and nasana. 08:21.168 --> 08:29.025 We have old age, sickness, and death, but also simple dissolution, destruction, and everything we hold dear. 08:32.693 --> 08:41.472 Even besides our own body, there's nothing else that can be a refuge for us. 08:48.826 --> 08:54.373 So this really, in an ultimate sense, especially for meditators, it's working on two levels. 08:55.975 --> 09:01.242 The idea, the concept of death or the concept of losing what you hold dear. 09:01.322 --> 09:03.545 The conceptual level is clear. 09:03.605 --> 09:10.033 You can lose relatives, friends, loved ones, possessions, even your own body. 09:13.017 --> 09:14.258 But it's all conceptual. 09:14.979 --> 09:17.382 It doesn't actually describe what's really happening. 09:18.577 --> 09:43.234 because we get stuck on concepts we have this idea that somehow we can achieve a state whereby our concepts are and by concepts i mean things where the things we own can last forever it seems theoretically possible right that you should work really hard so that you get to keep everything 09:46.353 --> 09:50.942 Or you might even say, well, at least I can keep things for years. 09:55.110 --> 10:00.961 Or you'd say, well, at least I can keep things for months or days or hours or minutes. 10:02.063 --> 10:07.534 At least I have some good experiences that last and are dependable and are satisfying. 10:09.286 --> 10:18.841 Unfortunately, the underlying reality even doesn't allow for that, because the second level in which this works is ultimate reality. 10:23.529 --> 10:26.033 That death is actually something that occurs every moment. 10:28.316 --> 10:30.079 And our suffering isn't actually 10:32.033 --> 10:34.256 based on concepts. 10:34.617 --> 10:39.584 It's based on ultimate reality and our inability to see how reality is working behind the scenes. 10:42.949 --> 10:57.231 So we're unable to see how our emotions, how the objects of our emotions, the things we like and dislike, how they change so quickly. 10:58.831 --> 10:59.993 So we like something. 11:00.714 --> 11:09.248 What we really like is the experience, the feeling of pleasure, or the experience that we recognize as bringing us pleasure. 11:11.952 --> 11:13.394 But then it changes immediately. 11:13.454 --> 11:14.496 It comes and it goes. 11:16.119 --> 11:24.111 And when it changes, we're left with stress because we no longer have what we want. 11:24.752 --> 11:25.834 We don't get what we want. 11:27.147 --> 11:28.949 Or we want something that we've gotten. 11:29.529 --> 11:30.370 We wanted more. 11:31.592 --> 11:34.054 We become attached and addicted to these things. 11:42.483 --> 11:54.235 But the real reason why we can't keep the concepts of people and places and things is because the ultimate reality underneath it is changing moment by moment. 11:56.797 --> 11:58.480 This is what we really see in meditation. 11:58.700 --> 12:03.187 Not really so much about, oh dear, I will have to one day die. 12:03.247 --> 12:05.931 It's much more visceral than that. 12:06.251 --> 12:07.653 It's that I'm dying every moment. 12:08.655 --> 12:09.736 Being born and dying. 12:12.060 --> 12:16.486 Born, die, born, die, every moment. 12:16.506 --> 12:19.130 And that reality is not something that should be clung to. 12:20.993 --> 12:22.956 That there's no part of reality 12:24.455 --> 12:33.666 that gives us any reason to think that it could be a refuge or satisfaction to us, because it lasts but a moment. 12:35.688 --> 12:43.477 So this whole idea of clinging and why clinging and craving is wrong, we sometimes doubt and wonder, well, why is it wrong to like things? 12:43.857 --> 12:45.519 What would it be like to not like things? 12:47.061 --> 12:52.167 It's really a complete misunderstanding of the very framework of realities. 12:53.311 --> 12:57.074 It's nothing to do really with stopping liking things or people. 12:57.775 --> 12:59.637 Those things and people don't exist. 13:02.079 --> 13:09.445 It's about stopping to cling or concern ourself with what really is born and dies, our experiences. 13:12.448 --> 13:22.997 But either way, on both levels, it clearly works on both levels, and it's something that gives us a real 13:26.150 --> 13:33.580 shock, something that gives us some sense of alarm and should give us some sense of concern. 13:36.343 --> 13:40.949 The things that we depend upon are not dependable. 13:43.032 --> 13:53.305 Our own life, who we are, our identity, our very soul itself is subject to change, is subject to dissolution. 13:55.411 --> 13:56.212 Our very being. 13:56.252 --> 14:00.858 We are subject to death. 14:01.299 --> 14:03.061 All of our family is subject to death. 14:06.025 --> 14:15.278 So to run away from old age, to run away from sickness, to run away from death, not even the gods have the power to stop. 14:15.298 --> 14:19.984 That's a part of how nature is made. 14:21.331 --> 14:30.076 Reality is momentary experiences that constantly creating the change that we see on the conceptual level of people and places and things. 14:31.962 --> 14:34.429 So, not to belabor the point, but 14:35.827 --> 14:36.768 worth remembering. 14:36.868 --> 14:44.600 It's really a good way of understanding why, why am I working so hard to better myself? 14:45.301 --> 14:49.647 Am I trying to cultivate spiritual realization? 14:49.667 --> 15:02.425 To free ourselves from the unreasonable expectations of youth, health, life, stability, continuity, certainty, all this. 15:04.210 --> 15:06.174 Be able to deal with the truth of change. 15:08.418 --> 15:12.225 That really is the big thing that we're not able to deal with. 15:13.547 --> 15:14.309 It's really change. 15:14.349 --> 15:17.595 If everything stayed the same all the time, well, we'd get used to it. 15:19.313 --> 15:30.766 but we're constantly disappointed and our expectations are not met because of change, because of chaos, but mostly because of our delusion, simple delusion. 15:30.827 --> 15:31.567 It's kind of silly. 15:31.607 --> 15:43.241 Well, if you understood that everything changes constantly, you would never cultivate any expectation of stability or partiality. 15:44.743 --> 15:46.605 And that's really what we come to see. 15:46.645 --> 15:48.207 We simply see that 15:49.925 --> 15:53.029 Reality is chaotic. 15:53.049 --> 16:18.177 And if that is a fact of life, which it turns out to be, then we must necessarily give up expectations and our attempts to live long and be healthy and young and to keep the things that we like. 16:19.928 --> 16:28.619 Eventually we see that even liking itself is part of the problem, really the source of our problems. 16:30.362 --> 16:35.448 Because it means being partial to things that are outside of our control, ultimately. 16:36.590 --> 16:38.792 We can't stop them from changing and going. 16:42.277 --> 16:44.620 So, a good memory, a good reminder, 16:45.967 --> 16:49.612 of what ultimately circumscribes our happiness. 16:49.932 --> 16:52.436 These things cannot be changed by us or anyone. 16:54.639 --> 17:07.136 There's no practice we could do or prayer we could say that would give us eternal life, eternal youth, eternal health, eternal anything. 17:10.821 --> 17:14.286 So there you go, that's the Dhamma for tonight. 17:16.747 --> 17:23.555 I think Robin has decided not to join tonight, which is fine. 17:25.477 --> 17:31.584 Certainly, she acts above and beyond. 17:31.604 --> 17:35.108 So we'll give her a night off. 17:37.511 --> 17:40.594 But nonetheless, I have a bunch of questions, so I'll answer them. 17:56.707 --> 17:57.841 Michael, you should go. 18:06.123 --> 18:13.955 During sitting meditation of rising, falling, and practice of daily mindfulness, I began to hear and feel my heartbeat with more clarity. 18:14.035 --> 18:18.422 I'm identifying it with the mantra heartbeat, heartbeat, heartbeat. 18:18.442 --> 18:19.865 Is this a correct practice? 18:20.325 --> 18:23.951 It's not terrible, but the heart is just a concept. 18:24.011 --> 18:25.794 What you're really experiencing is a feeling. 18:26.595 --> 18:29.059 So to be more correct, you'd want to say feeling, feeling. 18:31.874 --> 18:37.544 You can also say something like beating, beating, but feeling works just as well. 18:43.054 --> 18:46.660 The experience of sitting lingers for longer than one noting period. 18:46.680 --> 18:50.026 Should I continue to note sitting until that one experience ceases? 18:51.428 --> 18:57.038 Or instead do one noting of it and move on, even if the experience hasn't ceased on its own? 18:58.233 --> 18:59.355 Yeah, just do it once. 19:00.557 --> 19:02.800 Just do it once and move on. 19:04.163 --> 19:05.044 Oh, I didn't click. 19:06.647 --> 19:07.889 Right. 19:07.909 --> 19:10.413 I was supposed to click, and it didn't work anyway. 19:16.122 --> 19:16.883 No, that's useless. 19:30.076 --> 19:35.263 It wouldn't be wrong, but it starts to get a little bit ad hoc. 19:36.425 --> 19:38.027 I'm better off to stick to the program. 19:39.510 --> 19:44.617 I wouldn't worry if there's still potential to focus on it more. 19:46.339 --> 19:48.943 Just say sitting once and then move on to the next one. 19:49.183 --> 19:52.388 But that's for that specific technique that we give to you. 19:58.342 --> 20:01.045 Noting Morse, I'm going to click this. 20:02.577 --> 20:07.543 When noting more steps in walking meditation, is it better to slow our pace in order to make the noting easier? 20:07.563 --> 20:11.969 Or should we strive to speed up the noting to match the original pace? 20:12.669 --> 20:15.793 Well, each... No, it should... 20:15.813 --> 20:18.817 I mean, the step itself will take longer, sure. 20:18.837 --> 20:21.060 But each movement should be an ordinary speed. 20:21.100 --> 20:23.002 It shouldn't be too quick or too slow. 20:23.663 --> 20:29.070 But because there's more steps in it, yeah, it will take longer. 20:29.490 --> 20:30.171 A little bit, anyway. 20:36.985 --> 20:39.068 I see you use the Internet quite frequently. 20:39.088 --> 20:43.533 Are all Buddhist monks allowed to use the Internet to a reasonable extent? 20:44.234 --> 20:47.598 It really depends on where you are and your situation. 20:48.560 --> 20:58.392 There's obviously no rule about using the Internet, though I can understand the potential desire to circumscribe access to the Internet. 20:59.493 --> 21:02.537 There's no question that it's problematic. 21:12.575 --> 21:17.548 Once Nibbana is realized, how can I be certain that I will be released from rebirth cycle for good? 21:20.034 --> 21:23.563 I'm in a depressed state, but it's as though I don't want to come back here for another life. 21:28.100 --> 21:30.643 Well, I mean, the cause of rebirth is craving. 21:30.683 --> 21:36.388 The benefit of seeing Nibbana is it reduces your craving. 21:37.489 --> 21:45.297 Because you've seen true peace, and so you crave less and less, and you're more objective and neutral, in a sense. 21:49.641 --> 21:55.187 And so that's how you know that you're not going to be reborn, is because you have no more craving left. 21:58.829 --> 21:59.610 no more desire. 22:05.298 --> 22:08.323 What is the difference between realization, awareness and judgment? 22:08.543 --> 22:12.669 How do you know that what you're saying to yourself when meditate is not a judgment of your experience? 22:16.394 --> 22:20.540 Well, judgment would be, judgment really would be adding something to it. 22:22.603 --> 22:27.090 If you say, if you feel pain and you say to yourself, pain, pain, you're not adding anything to it. 22:27.150 --> 22:27.891 It is pain. 22:29.120 --> 22:32.745 Of course, if you say to yourself, pain, pain, you're adding the dislike to it. 22:33.046 --> 22:34.448 What you're saying is, this is bad. 22:35.469 --> 22:38.394 You're not saying it verbally, but you're cultivating that. 22:38.514 --> 22:42.640 So there does need to be a certain quality to your noting. 22:43.441 --> 22:44.242 It has to be neutral. 22:45.544 --> 22:49.390 But if you were to sit there and say, bad, bad, bad, well, that would be a judgment. 23:07.409 --> 23:13.396 A couple of questions there that I'm not going to bother posting or adding. 23:13.576 --> 23:23.668 The questions here are meant to be about our tradition and for the benefit of people practicing our tradition. 23:25.590 --> 23:36.623 So the ideas are about our meditation practice or some general Buddhist principles I'm happy to discuss to some extent. 23:38.172 --> 23:43.958 But yeah, speculative or other sorts of questions, questions about other types of practice. 23:46.000 --> 23:47.202 Not really the purpose. 23:48.002 --> 23:50.305 Anyway, hope that was useful. 23:52.708 --> 23:58.354 This giving of Dhamma, a little bit of a talk every night. 23:58.734 --> 24:05.361 It's good for the meditators to hear something and to give them a reason and remind them of why they're doing it. 24:07.282 --> 24:08.350 Thank you all for tuning in. 24:09.115 --> 24:10.546 Wishing you all good practice. 24:11.513 --> 24:12.077 Have a good night.