MN 16 Cetokhila Sutta- The Wilderness In The Heart

Sutta Study 27-05-2012
Facilitated By Bhikkhuni Hasapanna

So sutta 16, Cetokhila Sutta, The Wilderness In the Heart.

Thus have I heard, on one occasion the Blessed One was living

at Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's park.

There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus".

"Venerable sir" they replied.

The Blessed One said this: "bhikkhus,

that any bhikkhu who has not abandoned

5 wildernesses in the heart and not severed

5 shackles in the heart should come to

growth, increase and fulfillment

in this Dhamma and Discipline - that is impossible.

What, bhikkhus are the five wildernesses

in the heart that he has not abandoned?

Here a bhikkhu is doubtful, uncertain,

undecided and unconfident about the

Teacher, and thus his mind does not incline

to ardour, devotion, perseverance and

striving. As his mind does not incline to

ardour, devotion, perseverance and striving,

that is the first wilderness in the heart

that he has not abandoned."

So that means the first one is they don't have

the faith, confidence in the Buddha. The teacher,

that's the Buddha so they have no faith.

It's important we have the faith but it has to come

from the right understanding. For example, someone

have doubt whether the Buddha is a special being..

Lots of people are saying it's impossible to get

enlightened so we better practice to be born in a

better place or a heavenly realm. So people say

that, some Buddhists say that! They find it's

impossible to become enlightened.

So they have doubt - whether this is beyond me,

whether the Buddha exists. They have doubt whether

the Buddha is an ordinary being and whether they can

get enlightened. So when you have doubt you will not

be inspired and you wil not arouse that energy to

practice, isn't it? Because you have doubts.

For example, something that you have no faith.

Yes? [question from audiece]

This is they have the confidence and faith in the

Buddha. We have no faith, but this faith come from

the right understanding. For example, some people

may have lots of faith in the Buddha and they think

the Buddha.. they pray to Buddha,

they pray very hard

and they believe in the Buddha, they have a very strong faith.

But it doesn't come from the right understanding, that is from

the wrong view. Maybe some people think if they have

faith in the Buddha so maybe their life, everything,

will go well for them. And then some have difficulties in their life

so they say it's not working - I have faith

in the Buddha, I pray so hard - and some misfortune still

happens to me. So this is not come from right

understanding and the mind will not incline harder.

Ardour means you have that inspiration, which gives

rise to determination. That is the energy, the noble

energy, not the kind of energy that you want to do

something you want to get something.

Later the Buddha will explain that

in terms of the Iddhipada.

This is the noble power. So for example,

someone have this wrong view of the Buddha so they

take Buddha as a God. So they have very strong faith

in the Buddha but that is not from the right view,

not from the right understanding, that is wrong view.

So then if you don't have the faith, and you have doubt,

and you're not confident that you'll be able to

put into practice, then you will not strive.

We will not persevere, isn't it? Will not. Because,

"I'm not really sure that the Buddha he himself got enlightened"

Then you will not arouse that energy to do the practice,

to put forth effort into the practice.

So this is what is meant by no faith.

Sometimes if you arouse faith, then you put forth effort.

Sometimes it's not necessary that you start with

the Buddha - that you have faith in the Buddha

and then you have faith in the Dhamma.

Sometimes it can be the other way around.

Now the second one, the Buddha said:

"Again a Bhikkhu is doubtful, uncertain, undecided

and unconfident about the Dhamma...

As his mind does not incline to ardour, perseverance,

striving, devotion... that is the second wilderness in

the heart that he has not abandoned"

You have doubt about the Dhamma, that's the Buddhist teaching,

the truth. The Dhamma always refers to the law of kamma.

So if someone has doubt, "I don't believe there is

rebirth", this law of kamma, whatever we do has no consequence.

So you will not really strive, to really

put forth effort to really live a skillful life.

So you will not have that inspiration.

For example, someone come across to the

Buddhist teaching and they say oh yeah it's

very inspiring, who said that?

Oh yeah, it's the Buddha.

Because they have the faith in the Dhamma,

the teaching, then they have the faith in the Buddha.

So it can be the other way around.

Because you listen to the Dhamma and you

feel so inspired. All of you come here and listen to

the suttas and feel inspired and then you

put forth effort to do the practice.

This is the second wilderness in the heart.

A wilderness in the heart means a barrier,

like a stump. Some translate Cetokhila as a stump.

It stop you from growing further, because if

you have this in the heart it will stop you from

going further. So if you don't have the faith,

and no confidence in the Buddha and no confidence

in the Dhamma, it will stop you because you

will not put forth effort, you will not strive.

You will not persevere to keep going because

you have doubt. If you have that it is really a stumbling

block, a barrier stopping us going further.

That is the second wilderness in the heart the Buddha mentioned.

"So again a Bhikkhu is doubtful, uncertain,

undecided and unconfident about the Sangha.

As his mind does not incline to ardour,

devotion, perseverance, and striving

that is the third wilderness in the heart

that he has not abandoned."

So for example, some people they come across

to monks or nuns and they find them very inspiring.

The way they conduct themself, they are full

of loving kindness, and they feel that when

they be with this person they become

very peaceful and very calm and they feel very inspiring.

Then they will start to put forth.. oh I would like to..

have someone right in front of them that

have this very peaceful and calm, and actually

Bhikkhu Bodhi is one of the very good example.

When he was about 10, the first monk he

met, a Vietnamese monk. And the first time he met he was very young

and was really struck by the tranquility

of this monk, very peaceful and very calm,

the serenity, and it give him a very strong

impact on his mind - he say "oh wow,

I have never seen a being like that before, a man

so calm and so peaceful".

This really had a strong impact on his mind.

And as all of you know, even this Majjhima

Nikaya, Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi

translate these suttas. So actually he actually

see a monk on the street, he didn't even know this

monk walking on the street, and he was so inspired

by how this monk is so peaceful and so calm.

And he was inspired and later he became a monk.

So sangha means those who listen to the

Buddhist teaching and put into practice to get

enlightened.

If you have the faith, the confidence in the Sangha

then you have the confidence in the teaching

and then you have the confidence in the Buddha, the teacher.

So it's not necessary to come from the Buddha

the Dhamma the Sangha. You can come from meeting some monks or nuns

in your life that really inspire you and you then start to practice.

Then you can go from the sangha to the dhamma and the Buddha.

So maybe from the Buddha-Dhamma to the Sangha or to the Buddha

So it's not necessary that you have to go

according to the sequence Buddha Dhamma Sangha.

"So again a Bhikkhu is doubtful, uncertain,

undecided and unconfident about the training.

As his mind does not incline to ardour,

perseverance, devotion and striving

that is the fourth wilderness in the heart

that he has not abandoned."

The training is not only the training rules,

for example, when the Buddha speaks to the monks

it not only refers to the training rules, the

patimoka, the vinya rules. It's only part of the sila.

So actually it's actually refers to the

whole path of practice, the Noble Eightfold Path.

That is you have to have the sila, samadhi

and panya. That is morality. So morality is the

foundation of a peaceful mind, the cultivation

of the mind. So the samadhi is not only sitting

in meditation.. To have the cultivation of the mind

the samadhi group needs to have three -

the mindfulness, stillness, calmness and effort.

The effort always refers to the four right efforts

because mindfulness itself is not enough.

You're just knowing, just mindful. So for exampe, you have unwholesome

thoughts arising, so anger, it's an unwholesome

state of mind and you're aware of that.

But because you haven't cultivated the calmness,

the stillness, you won't be able to hold yourself

and each time you think - I should have held myself!

I shouldn't do that again! We do that again because

you don't have the stillness, the calmness

to hold the mind. So actually it's not easy to

have the unreactive awareness so you need to have

the calmness, the stillness, the concentration to be

able to hold the mind and not react.

Also you need to put forth effort, that is the four

right effort to stop the mind, to have a break.

To stop the mind from going further, to stop

the mind to avoid the unwholesome states of mind

like anger, greediness, you know you stop that, avoid that.

but if it's already arisen then you

abandon this unwholesome state of mind

abandon, for example, ill-will or anger.

then you replace by a thought of loving kindness,

a wholesome thought.

then you maintain that, then this unwholesome

state of mind will not arise.

This is the four right efforts.

This three together, this mindfullness, stillness

and right effort,

if these three, they intertwine together they

become very powerful and solid.

If you have only mindfulness it snaps very easily

because it's not strong it's not powerful enough,

it's not solid.

But only with concentrations, some people try

very hard concentration but without the mindfulness.

They just focus. I remember someone told me when we were in the monastery.

and someone stay in the monastery and some of the food

goes off and this person say, "I didn't know

that the food was already off, because I just focus

on chewing chewing chewing chewing."

So I mean it's not very good, just the focus itself.

So not knowing they're not even aware what is that.

It's not wrong that we know the taste whether

it's sour or sweet. You're mindful of what you're eating.

It's not just the chewing itself.

Sometimes it become blur, no awareness,

not bright the mind, you know, just chewing chewing chewing

and then the food rotten they don't even know, they just swallow it.

You know when an unwholesome state arises you know

that if you react to that emotion it's going to

lead us to suffering. It causes harm to others

and to ourself. We know the danger of that.

We're aware of that.

And then you'll be able to put forth effort and

also you have the awareness and stillness and

calmness to hold yourself.

Your mind is strong enough to hold.

Of course it's not easy to avoid this and avoid that

But sometimes again and again lots of people

find themselves that they shouldn't have done that

but they still couldn't hold, couldn't bite back

their tongue and not say something.

So you do need that, you know, the cultivation

of the mind is not only mindfulness, it's

not only stillness, it's effort. These three

have to come together. Of course this has to be

supported by sila (morality). So morality is important,

it's the foundation for a peaceful mind.

Because if you're not, so because, if you have

done something that you know, causes harm to others

and to ourself too, isn't it, if you have done

something you feel is not quite right.

And your mind you feel go on and on and on.

It's very difficult to be peaceful, it's just natural.

It's just like the Buddha said, it's natural.

You live a virtuous life, you expect that leads to

gladness when you're virtuous person.

It's natural that you have the gladness.

When you do something good you feel good

about yourself. That is natural the Buddha, said,

whether you want it or not.

It happens by itself, it's natural, it naturally leads

you to that direction. So when you have the gladnes

then you have the peace, joy, you have the energy.

So when you have the joy you have the energy.

Then you have this happiness. That's why it's always

that happiness comes first. Before the stillness.

So you have the joy, the tranquility, then you have

the happiness, then your mind still. Why?

When you're happy then you're content, you don't go anywhere.

You're just happy to be there, you're just happy in this moment.

Why some people run away from this moment? Because they're not happy.

Usually people are restless because they're unhappy.

When someone is unhappy they're restless, the mind always wonder off.

So that's why it's important, the happiness. If you want to cultivate

a peaceful mind to develop the wisdom, happiness

actually is the pre-requisite.

This Buddhist path is actually a happy path.

You need to have the happiness first, to come first,

then only you'll be able to focus. Only through the still mind

where the insight arises from when the five

hindrances abandoned - then you have clarity of mind

then you can see things as they really are.

You see one thing leading to another.

And it happens by itself. It's not through willpower,

it's not through trying to control. You can't make it happen, it happens by itself.

So the morality is the foundation for a peaceful mind.

A peaceful mind is the foundation for development

of this wisdom. So the whole training the whole path

is referred to the Noble Eightfold Path,

that is the sila-sammadhi-panya, this whole path of practice

So if you have no confidence

have no faith in this training, the Noble Eightfold Path,

you will not strive, isn't it, you will not persevere

You will not arouse energy to do the practice, you won't.

That's why it says this is the fourth wilderness in the heart.

So if we have this wilderness in the heart, that is

a barrier, it stops us from going further to have

growth in the Dhamma.

So again the Buddha goes down to the fifth wilderness in the heart.

"Again a bhikkku is angry and displeased with

his companions in the holy life life, resentful,

callous towards them, and thus his mind does not

incline to ardour, devotion, perseverance and striving.

As his mind does not incline to ardour, devotion

perseverance and striving, that is the fifth

wilderness in the heart that he has not abandoned."

So if someone constantly has lots of ill-will, anger

towards the companion in the holy life, it's just like

for example if in the family you have lots of anger

towards you partner, you know, or maybe in your place

with your colleagues, constantly you have lots of ill-will,

you will not arouse that inspiration because your

mind is disturbed and you're obsessed with that.

Each time you come back because normally when we

have lots of anger, very easily you get depressed.

So when you depressed, the energy is really low.

Just imagine constantly your mind is obsessed with that,

you think you will have energy to practice?

To arouse energy? No, you can't because the mind

constantly you go back, thinking about, at home

this person said that, that person said that,

and that is really a stumbling block.

It really stops us from going further because we always

think that the problem is outside, but actually it's not.

The anger arises within our own mind, sometimes we think the

person made me angry, the person is the one who,

they are the one, they make me angry because of them

my suffering comes from the other person.

Yesterday I mentioned about one of the ladies

just recently she told me that when she was really

stressed out she planned

she said she really had the planning to kill her boss.

She do all the planning because

at that moment she thinks that her suffering comes from the boss.

The boss gives her too much work, and she worked till midnight

and the next morning she still takes work back home to work

till 3am. And she go back to work again and to

a point that she's completely stressed out.

She said she became depressed, lots of anger, she depressed.

She planned to kill [laugh] her. And then she

planned after killing her boss she would jump down

from the.. because she was working in Singapore

which has lots of high-rise buildings, so she

planned she'd jump down from the building, she said,

this is what she planned. And when she told her

sister, her sister said, "you're crazy",

you just change your job [laughs], why do you want to kill your boss?

But at that moment you don't.. we get stuck you know

because our mind, once our mind thinks that object

is a problem, so we get sucked in.

All we think is how bad is that person is.

Again and again, we get lost. Sometimes it's just amazing

some people commit suicide because of small thing,

because you focus on that, it manifest, and then you

become unbearable, you think that is your problem.

So your mind is there, because of anger you will not be

able to live harmoniously with your companion in the

holy life or your partner, because you have lots

of anger, you're not at ease and at peace

and that is really draining, you have no energy, you

cannot strive, you have no energy to practice because

it's really draining, especially with this unwholesome

state of mind. Your mind go in there.

That's why, if you can see the problem comes

from ourself then we can ask ourself, do I have

thoughts of loving kindness towards that person?

So if we can't, at least we can wish ourself,

that at least I have no ill-will towards that person,

that at least we take away, have a break from

going on and on. Because once we go in we're sucked in.

And then we just get lost. So when you have that you can't

arouse the energy at all, no energy, so that's why

sometimes, it goes on and on, and it disturbs the mind.

So that is the anger.

So actually in the other suttas the Buddha did

mention how to deal with this unwholesome state of mind.

Especially the anger.

Which sutta.. Actually the Buddha did mention...

In one of the suttas the Buddha did mention that there

is five steps to stop the mind. I think that is the

Vitakkasanthana Sutta - The Removal of Distracting Thoughts.

The Buddha did mention how when we have these

unwholesome thoughts, for example you have this

anger, ill-will, towards someone. So you feel like

"I'm going to strangle him!"

It's really angry. So the Buddha said then you have to

replace with a thought of loving kidness.

So after doing that, the Buddha said that's the first step

and if that doesn't work and you still want to

strangle that person then you come to the second step.

Then you reflect on the danger of that.

You know, the danger if you react and go on and on

then you do something that will hurt yourself and others.

So you reflect on the danger of that.

Then after doing that, you still very angry, you

still want to strangle that person, so the Buddha said

you go to the third step, that is you try to remove yourself

Not to pay attention on that. If you can physically

remove yourself then it's good. That is the best way.

But if you can't then you try to not pay attention to that.

Maybe pay attention to other things.

Or not to focus on that. So Buddha said that is the

third step. So after doing that, you still want to strangle

that person so you have to come to the fourth step really.

The fourth one is when you pacify the thought,

that is you use something like, you keep telling yourself

"calm down, calm down" because when you put your

attention to the noting, to the words,

like "calm calm calm", then your attention

is not on the person, isn't it?

Then on the words like "calm calm calm "

Or "make peace, make peace, make peace"

So then it's a break, then you will not go further.

Then after that, after the fourth step, you still want to strange the person!

So there is no more. The fifth one is the last step the Buddha said.

So you really have to clench your teeth.

You have to suppress yourself to not do that.

Because you're going to strangle someone!

This one you do it with awareness, it's not that you're

not knowing, you're knowing that if you go

further then you will do something that causes lots

of harm to yourself and to others.

Because you're going to harm someone, then you have

to suppress. But of course after doing the fourth step

that is the last one. But if you always do that

when anger come up, you just suppress, then it's no good.

Then you become mental habitual pattern that you're suppressing all the time.

When you suppress all the time, this will explode.

Usually if you follow instruction by the time you

go to fourth step your anger will subside quite a bit

after you try the first step not working, you try the second

the third, the fourth. Come to the fourth pretty much your

anger will subside quite a bit. So in the other suttas

the Buddha did mention.. but I just gave you the gist

of that. You can read the suttas about that.

That's why it's important if you have lots of anger

that really stop as from striving, to arouse

the energy because it's draining, you have no energy.

So that is the fifth wilderness in the heart the Buddha

said that stops us from having growth in the Dhamma to fulfillment.

Then the Buddha said:

"These are five wildernesses in the heart

that he has not abandoned."

Now the Buddha went on to say,

"What bhikkhus, are the five shackles in the heart

that he has not severed? Here a bhikkhu is

not free from lust, desire, affection, thirst,

fever, craving for sensual pleasures, and thus

his mind does not incline to ardour,

devotion, perseverance and striving.

As his mind does not incline to ardour, devotion,

perseverance and striving, that is the

first shackle in the heart that he has not severed."

So that is we're craving the sensory pleasure, that is the senses, we're attached to that.

So then the shackles mean that we're bound by that

so we cannot escape. That is the one that tie us down,

the sensory pleasure.

So for example, if our mind is constantly thinking about getting

good food, you know, all your energy is going to there

actually this energy is going out.

This kind of energy, of course, the Buddha never

denied happiness from the senses. We do have happiness.

But that kind of happiness is not the wholesome

happiness. This is unwholesome happiness.

This kind of happiness leads us to more suffering.

It won't lead us to peace.

Only the happiness within. The Buddha always encourage us

to persue the happiness within ourself.

Only that happiness within ourself, it leads to peace and calm.

Because this kind of happiness is going out,

it won't lead us to peace, to calm.

For example, you listen to a Dhamma and you're inspired

you have lots of joy after listening to the teaching.

Because this does not rely on the senses, this is within ourself

so it's not dependent on the senses but is independent,

so within yourself. So normally with the inspiration,

with the joy, that leads you to, you have the energy.

Joy is one of the factors of enlightenment, that

leads you to peace and happiness, and

then development of the wisdom.

Once again if we persue that kind of happiness

from the senses then we will be bound by that

then we will not have growth in the Dharmma.

We won't have fulfillment, we will not have progress in our practice.

So this is the first shackle that the Buddha mentions.

"Then again, a bhikkhu is not free from lust, desire,

affection, thirst, fever and craving for the body,

...as his mind does not inline to ardour,

devotion, perseverance and striving, that is the

second shackle in the heart that he has not severed."

That is, we're attached to the body.

So we're attached to this body, we think that, you know, we have this..

For example, myself, when I was young,

when I was in my twenties, I was very attached to my

appearance, you know.. I like to go to beaty salon,

I spent hours there. I even take to my eyebrow [laughs].

So I was thinking, I don't have to do it every day,

you save the problem [laughing].

This is the attachment to the body and then use lots of energy

by thinking, spending lots of time doing that.

So if you spend time there you will not arouse that energy

to strive, to practice, isn't it?

You will not persevere. You don't have the inspiration, you know?

It's just the craving, because we're attached to this body so much

attached to our appearence, we want people to praise us,

"oh you look nice", we're attached to that because

it gives us a sense of self, who we are.

So we're attached to our self, to our own body the Buddha said.

Then this is also we're bound by that

If we have that, if we haven't severed this one, the attachment

to the body, then we're bound by that

then we will not have growth in the Dhamma, we will not have progress

in the Dhamma. Then the Buddha continued:

"A bhikkhu is not free from lust, desire, affection, thirst, fever and craving for form..

As his mind does not incline to ardour, perseverance,

devotion and striving, that is the third shackle in the heart

that he has not severed."

This is more attachment to the form, form is actually referred to

attachment to other people or the things that we want

like we're craving for a new car, we craving for material things,

so we strive to get that, so that is not the right striving

this is the wrong effort.

Sometimes we strive very hard to get what we want, we strive

to get the material things, we strive to have all those enjoyments,

indulging the sensory pleasure.

So this type of striving, not to strive to get things.

Actually the striving is to stop.

So it's very difficult to stop isn't it?

So we strive to stop, and not strive to get things.

So we crave for things, material things, that is the third

shackle that the Buddha mentioned in the heart.

Then, "...that he has not severed", so this is the third shackle.

Then "Again, a bhikkhu eats as much as he likes until his belly

is full and indulges in the pleasures of sleeping, lolling and drowsing

and his mind does not incline to ardour, perseverance, devotion

and striving, that is the fourth shackle in the heart

that he has not severed."

Sometimes people like the pleasure of drowsiness,

you're just drowsy, you know, because,

this is one of the way that some people use, as a way because

it's unskillful, to face the pain in their life or the emotion,

the negative emotion, so they try to run away

by using, sometimes people, some people when they're

depressed they sleep a lot.

And this is one of the ways to escape, running away from

dealing, looking at our pain, our problem.

I remember when I was in Thailand so the place where we stayed,

is the women's section, the kutis there [???]

and one of the ladies there, she told me

how she have lots of fear, she was really terrified.

Initially she was quite okay, until one day because we had someone pass away

they cremate in the monastery and for Thai custom they

have the ceremony of washing the hands before they cremate

so she looked at the dead body, the face, [???], and then next day

with the cremation, and after a few days the family came and

collected the ashes and put into the wall.

And actually the wall is just a wall of the area where we stay

and her kuti was quite close to the wall.

After that she couldn't sleep. She was really terrified. Lots of fear.

And so one of the way she helped herself deal with her

fear, you know what she did?

She shut herself off.

She went to bed at 7, she wake up at 7.

Her mind totally shut off. She said because she can't deal with that.

This is how we sometimes like to sleep, you know, so we don't have

to look at the pain. That's why sometimes we take

alcohol or drugs because it's too painful, they can't deal with that.

So it's unskillful, so they use it as a way to run away from the

pain, the problem they have to face. Because it's painful.

It's not easy. They use this as a way to escape.

That's why it's enjoy sleeping, enjoy with the drowsiness,

because when you're drowsy you're not awake so you will not think of your problem anymore.

So this is one of the way.

So if you always do that, we're bound by that,

we will not have growth in the Dhamma,

we will not progress in our practice.

So the Buddha says, "this is the fourth shackle in the heart

that he has not severed.

Again, a bhikkhu leads the holy life aspiring to

some order of gods thus: "by this virtue or observance or asceticism

or holy life I shall become a great god or some lesser god."

and thus his mind does not incline to ardour, devotion,

perseverance and striving. As his mind does not incline to

ardour, devotion, perseverance and striving, this is the

fifth shackle in the heart that he has not severed.

These are the five shackles in the heart that he has not severed", the Buddha says.

So the fifth one is sometimes people pray to the god and they thought

they do all this practice, and they want to be born into the heavenly realm,

they don't want to be, they have no interest. So you still want

to exist, they're still craving to exist, in a heavenly realm.

So if you have that, then you're still bound by that.

One of my friends, many years ago, my Dhamma friend, she said to me that

she doesn't want to attain nibbana, that she wanted to be a god. [laughs]

She want to be born in a heavenly realm, she said.

Her main purpose of offering lots of danas,

doing all the Dhamma work, for her, her intention is to be born in heaven.

She told me, she say, I'm interested in, I only want to be

reborn in heaven so for her this is her intention, so she's bound by that.

She still want to come back. She still wants to exist.

When we want to be then we come back again and again.

So we're bound by that. So no escape. Then we will not have any

progress in the practice, or it's impossible that we have fulfillment in the

Dhamma and the discipline.

So "these are the five shackles in the heart that he has not severed."

So "bhikhus, let any bhikkhu...", so basically this explain all the sutta and now

this is the repeat, so I'll read the repeat

"bhkikkus that any bhikkhu who has abandoned the five wildernesses in the heart

and severed five shackles in the heart should come

to growth, increase and fulfillment in this Dhamma and Discipline

that is possible. What bhikkhus are the five wildernessses in the heart

that he has abandoned? Here a bhikkhu is not doubtful, uncertain, undecided

or unconfident about the teacher and thus his mind incline to ardour, devotion,

perseverance and striving. As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,

perseverance and striving, the first wilderness in

the heart has been abandoned by him.

And then again, a bhikkhu is not doubtful, uncertain, undecided or unconfident about the Dhamma...

As his mind inclines to ardour, perseverance, striving, devotion,

the second wilderness in the heart has been abandoned by him.

Again, a bhikkhu is not doubtful, uncertain, undecided or unconfident about the Sangha.

As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,

perseverance, striving, the third wilderness in the heart has been

abandoned by him. Again, a bikkhu is not doubtful, uncertain,

undecided, or unconfident about the training, and his mind inclines

to ardour, perseverance, devotion, striving, this fourth wilderness

in the heart has been abadoned by him.

Again, a bhikkhu is not angry and displeased with his companions in the holy life,

nor resentful and callous towards then, and thus his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,

perseverance and striving. As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,

perseverance and striving this fifth wilderness in the heart

has been abandoned by him.

So these are the five wilderness in the heart that he has abandoned.

So, what bhikkhus are the five shackles in the heart that he has severed?

Here a bhikkhu is free from lust, desire, affection, thirst, fever and

craving for sensual pleasure and thus his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,

perseverance and striving. As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,

perseverance and striving, this first shackle

in the heart has been severed by him.

Again, a bhikkhu is free from lust, desire, affection, thirst, fever and craving for the body.

As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion, perseverance, striving,

this second shackle in the heart has been severed by him.

Again, a bhikkhu is free from lust, desires, affection, thirst, fever

and craving for form... As his mind inclines to ardour, perseverance, devotions,

striving, this third shackle in the heart has been severed by him.

Again, a bhikkhu does not eat as much as he likes until his belly is full and

does not indulge in the pleasure of sleeping, lolling and drowsing

as his mind inclines to ardour, perseverance, devotion, striving

this fourth shackle in the heart has been severed by him.

Again, a bhikkhu does not live the holy life

aspiring to some order of gods thus, "by this virtue or observance or asceticm

or holy life I shall become great god, or some lesser god,

and thus his mind inclines to ardour, devotion, perseverance and striving.

As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion, perseverance and striving,

this fifth shackle in the heart has been severed by him.

These are the five shackles in the heart that he has severed.

So bhikkhus, that any bhikkhu who has abandoned these five wildernesses in

the heart and severed these five shackles in the heart should come to growth, increase

and fulfilment in this Dhamma and Disciple - that is possible.

So he develops the basis of spiritual power

consisting of concentration due to zeal and determined striving.

He develops the basis of spiritual power consisting of

concentration due to energy and determined striving.

He develops the basis of spiritual power consisting in

concentration due to purity of mind and determined striving.

He develops the basis of spiritual power consisting of concentration

due to investigation and determined striving.

And enthusiasm is the fifth"

So that is the Buddha saying about the iddhipada, that is the

four roots to success, the four roots to power.

This is the the Nyanatiloka explanation of this iddhipada,

iddhi means power, a magical power, and sometimes they translate

as this heroic power, because for example,

we're inspired and we arouse that energy.

The iddhipada roots to power consist of four qualities,

these four qualities indicate the root to power connected with

form by way of preparations, the root to the power constituting

the fruits of the path, namely concentration of intention.

Then you have this intention, accompanied by effort of view.

That's why sometimes when we start we have to have a little

bit of view, good view, accompanied by the effort of view.

We have this determination, so we have this

view to do the practice. That is what it means by "chanda-sammadhi",

Like for us for example, for the bhikkhu and bhikkhunis if we're not

not be able to attend the, for example, we have sangha-kamma,

we will send our consent - please my consent of

whatever you discuss, or I give my chanda.

They also translate as concentration of intention accompanied by effort of view.

So concentrations of energy, the virya-sammadhi, so the sammadhi based

on this energy that is a kind of heroic energy.

So the concentrations based on the chita-sammadhi, that is

the concentrations of consciousness,

and the concentration of investigation accompanied by

effort of view. So this is the iddhipada, so you've got to have

the desire. Someone went to Ananda, ask, you know, you've got to have the desires

to do the practice. So you've got to the have desires to abandon the desires

that lead us to rebirth. So it's not all desires that are no good.

Lots of people think that arahant is like a vegetable-person,

they have no feelings, no desires, so if you have no desires

you will not eat, you will starve to death,

if you have no desires you can't go to the toilet.

So it's not all desires that have the results, desires to do the practice.

So when you have the desires you start to arouse the energy

for example you have the desire to come here to listen,

to come here for this sutta class.

So you have these desires, isn't it? To listen to the dhamma.

Then you arouse the energy, this is the noble energy, noble power,

it's related to the fruits, to the path, it relates to the freedom,

it's the wholesome energy, it's not those kinds of energy

that we arouse to get something or to try to hurt someone,

that kind of energy is unwholesome but this is the wholesome.

We arouse the energy, you've got to arouse the energy to put forth

effort to come here. Then you have to apply the mind.

Oh yes, this is what I'm going to do - come here.

Then you investigate, you have to plan how to come here, isn't it?

This is the iddhipada, four roots to power.

So the Buddha said, "and the last one enthusiasm."

We have to have the enthusiasm, then we will be able to continue,

to have the perseverance.

It's important because we have been wondering in the samsara

countless lifetimes. That's why sometimes when we read the suttas

there is the Buddha giving the teaching to his monk, his discipline,

and no long time and they become an arahant.

And we say wow it's so easy.

So maybe for the Buddha twenty, thirty, years may be no long time.

Actually if you compare to the countless lifetimes

that we're in samsara, actually twenty, thirty years is no long time. [laughs]

So that's why you need to have the enthusiasm to keep going.

So sometimes you think were getting nowhere, have no progress

and then we put off, not to continue to practice.

It's a lifetime practice. You keep practicing.

So we need to have the enthusiasm to keep practising and this is the fifth.

So, "A bhikkhu who thus possesses the fifteen factors including enthusiasm is

capable of breaking out, capable of enlightenment, capable of attaining

the supreme security from bondage.

Suppose there were a hen with eight, ten, twelve eggs,

which she has covered, incubated and nurtured properly.

Even though she did not wish, 'ohhh that my chicks may pierce

their shells with the points of their claws and beaks and

hatch out safely.' Yet, the chicks are capable of piercing

their shells with the points of their claws and their beaks

and hatching out safely. So too a bhikkhu who thus possesses

fifteen factors including enthusiasm, is capable of

breaking off, capable of enlightenment,

capable of attaining supreme security from bondage."

This is, like, the Buddha gives the simile of the hen sitting on the eggs,

it's just like the practice. If you sit long enough, whether you want it or not,

whether you want to get enlightened or not,

it's going to happen.

You don't have to wish - may I get enlightened.

No, if you follow the teaching of the Buddha, you follow the instructions,

you forth put into practice, that is the result of that.

So the Buddha's teaching of non-self, we can't make it happen,

it happens by itself. So the hens don't have to wish - may my eggs hatch -

they'll hatch by itself whether you want it or not.

So whether you want to get enlightened or not,

you will get enlightened. So if you are following the path,

and if you're on the path, it's just a matter of time.

You just keep practicing.

"That is what the blessed one said. The bhikkhus were satisfied

and delighted in the blessed one's words."

So this is the end of the sutta.

Any questions or comments?

Yes

Man from audince: Out of these five shackles,

is there any one more important or let's say supreme?

Venerable Hasapanna: actually it's not one, or which one, is important,

it's just that some people have particular, or more strong with this.

That's why it's important when we read the suttas we know

for ourself, this is our weak point.

Maybe, we are, some people more attached to attached to the body - this

is your problem, or this is my problem.

So you put more effort. This is the area you need to work with.

Because different people have different attachments.

Different defilements. Like sometimes this is a problem to someone

then it's not a problem to another person.

This is why it's important when we read these suttas

that we check what are the areas we need to improve.

So does that answer your question?

Yeah.. so the Buddha said as long as you have these shackles you are bound by that.

Some people might not have the.. maybe the fifth one is not strong.

They totally do not, never want to become reborn in

the heavenly realm. But maybe sometimes people like to

sleep a lot. Then this is something we need to work with.

Then we have to look at which areas we always have problem with.

Then this area we have to work with, you know, to improve.

Man from audience: from that sutra we can see that

the attempt is welcome to conquer those attachments,

inferior attachments, by attachment to the practice, the Dhamma.

So is there any step in development of practice where you have

to conquer attachment to knowledge and to the practice itself?

Is there any such state, such level where you have to renounce

even attachment to the practice, the knowledge?

Hasapanna: Can you repeat again, I can't really get...

Man: So to conquer basic attachments, which Buddha talks here.

Hasapanna: what attachment you mean?

Man: those five shackles..

Hasapanna: okay okay, yeah yeah

Man: so we have to cultivate attachment to the practice,

to the knowledge, and with the help of that attachment we overcome

inferior attachments

Hasapanna: Yes that's why the Buddha says..

Man: Is there any further if someone is practising successfully

and he is making good progress, is there such situation

where the practitioner has to renounce even attachment

to the practice and to the knowledge to get to the ultimate liberation.

Hasapanna: Oh this I understand.

So yeah, someone asked me the same question, about how at the beginning

you still have that because we cannot just say let go, let go, you know.

So sometimes we're attached to the wholesome things

rather than attached to the unwholesome things.

So then we let go of the coarser happiness, the lesser happiness,

for the greater happiness. It's just like a stair, a ladder we climb up.

So we let go of that. So of course we still attach to wholesome.

Because we're not enlightened yet. Unless we're enlightened,

you still have sense of self, you still have attachment to sense of self.

But you can tell the difference, for example, after you have practised,

your sense of self become more fluid. You still have the sense of self,

you're still attached to yourself, but at least you

can see that you're happier, you're more relaxed.

You can see, you know if someone happens to take up the path of practice,

to them the sense of self is so solid, so concrete,

whatever unwholesome state they just impulsively react

and create more suffering for themselves.

But you know for yourself, for example, some situations

that in the past cause you lots of suffering, but now you're more relaxed,

and more at ease - that is the progress.

The Buddha said this is the gradual training, this will not

happen overnight. Of course we cannot say let go, let go,

lots of people try to do that, letting go.

You can't do the letting go, the letting go happens by itself.

So you just little by little, that's why it's the gradual training

for example we have to let go of the, like renounce, for example.

Why did the Buddha emphasise generosity, sila you know, sammadhi and panya?

Because generosity helps us to let go.

For example we give away the material things, that is the coarser,

coarser level, the things outside us, the material things.

Then we practice that. Then we can renounce, we can let go of that.

So when we can let go of that.. If we can't let go of the material things

we can't let go of the more subtle defilements, isn't it?

This is how it's the gradual training.

We let go of that then after we'll be able to do that,

then we practise letting go of the coarser,

then we come to more subtle ones, then we let go of our

defilements like greed, hatred and delusion.

So you cannot stop it immediately, because if you can use willpower

to stop it immediately then the Buddhist teaching

of non-self is not the truth.

It's just like for example, you have this defilment. When you react

to the defilement it's just like you kicking the wheel when you react.

So when you kick, when you react, your defilements reinforce your defilements, isn't it?

Your defilements become greater.

So when you don't react, doesn't mean your defilements go away immediately.

It's still there.

So that means you're not kicking the wheel.

But the wheel is still spinning, but the energy becomes slower.

This is how to practice. Each time the defilements kick out,

we do not react to the defilements. Doesn't mean we don't have defilements.

The defilements still there. But the energy becomes weaker.

So the more we do that, each time, then it becomes weaker, weaker, weaker

and it stops by itself. If you leave the wheel by itself it spins, spins, spins,

if you stop kicking it, it stops by itself, isn't it?

You don't have to do anything.

This is why the Buddha said about the hen sitting on the eggs.

So eventually they sow(?). Lots of people think you cannot set, abandon...

no it's the gradual training because we've been conditioned countless lifetimes.

Habitual pattern is very ingrained. So we have to retrain the mind,

direct the mind to the wholesome. Of course we're still attached to the wholesome.

So eventually, when we go beyond wholesome and unwholesome, we don't even attach

to wholesome, that is the enlightenment, that is the goal, that is the nibbana.

Of course we still have attachments, just what you said, because

we cannot just let go immediately.

It's the gradual training. Does this answer your question, make sense to you?

Any more questions, comments? Yes?

Aha, aha

The wisdom arises when the mind is still.

Because when you have these five hindrances

it clouds the mind.

When your mind is cloudy it's very simple, you don't have to have

reached the state of absorption.

For example sometimes we are confused and you really stress out

and you can't think of a way to solve your problem. So when you walk away,

you put it aside, and you make your mind as peaceful as possible,

then ah, I think how to solve the problem!

Because you don't have the clarity, so when you're confused,

don't try to make any decisions when you're confused.

You have to make your mind as peaceful as possible, your mind as peaceful as possible,

and very calm. When you're calm, you can think, isn't it? You have the clarity.

That is where when you have abandoned the five hindrances the mind is clear.

It's just like the moon is so bright, the mind is very bright, without the clouds.

But with the five hindrances, it covers the moon, and it's not bright.

The mind, that is where your wisdom arises, through abandoning

the five hindrances. When you have a peaceful mind, the wisdom arises,

the insight arises. Does that answer your question?

Any more questions?

Okay, so we finish, then we pay respect to the Buddha