This is also possible

It is possible to give up hurting when the world is full of people who hurt others

It is possible be friendly with the whole world when the whole world is full of people with anger

It is possible to feel calm when the whole world is very busy

It is possible to give up taking other beings lives when the whole world is full of people who takes the lives of other beings

It is possible to not take what is not yours when the whole world is stealing from others

It is possible to protect your self from wrong sexual conduct when the whole world is sexually misconducting

It is possible to tell the truth and speak the truth and speak only believable words when the all others are speaking lies

It is possible to not take any intoxicants when all others are taking them

It is possible to do good things when all others are doing bad things

It is possible to calm your mind when all others are busy with jumping from one thought to next

It is possible to clean your mind when all others are dirtying their minds

It is possible to give up everything when all others are accumulating everything

It is possible to help others when all others are only helping themselves

This is possible

The possibilities for mankind have been endless. As we can see now the possibilities are increasing every day. But with all those possibilities we have forgotten some basic things about life it self. For example our life had become so hectic that we have completely forgotten that we are growing old. We have completely forgotten any moment our death is a possibility. And we go through life as if we will never die. Its so absurd that our life has become so busy. With increased amount of money we should have been more and more content. And by that we should have been more and more happy. But the opposite  had been happening now. The more you have the more you not content. And with non-content more unhappiness. Sorry state this is.

Bit here there is a formula given for life. Be more content with what you have now and be happy with what you have now. Don't ten to be content And happy in future. But be content And happy now. Today this moment.

Be happy and content with your life now and every moment here onwards. I am not stating not to try to earn more. You should try to earn. But be happy and content this moment. Because you may have to give up every thing in the next moment if you die. So its ok you try and earn and set the stage to earn more. But don't make it your sole objective.Your sole objective should be what ever i have or have not i am happy now. I am happy in this moment. I live my life to the fullest of happiness in my mind now and not when i have one million or ten million.

Advice of all buddhas - Sabba paapassa akaranan

Do not do all evil
Do good
Clean your mind
This is the advice of all buddas

This all though taken literally this shows the body of damma in it mainly it explains the eight fold path that lead to cessation of suffering(dukka niroda gamini patipada).

The first sentence SABBA PAPASSA AKARANAN do not do wrong refers to the sila or in other words samma waca right words,samma kammanta right actions and samma aajiva right livelihood.

KUSALASSA UPASAMPADA Do good (though the correct translation should be create skills)refers to the samadi skanda of the path which are samma wayama right effort, samma sati right mindfulness and samma samadi right concentration.

And the third line of the verse SACITTA PARIYODAPANAN or clean your mind refers to the pragna skanda of the path or in other words samma ditti right view and samma sankappa right concepts.

When I was walking yesterday i was contemplating on this and not only desire does not arise when contemplating but you get the understanding that this is the path.

Further i was thinking the path is eight fold yes but at this given moment what should be my practice since my sila is protected and being mindful then in this moment what should be my practice. Then i was contemplating on dukka. What is dukka? Form is not dukka but grasping of form is dukka. Feeling is not dukka but grasping of feeling is dukka. Perception is not dukka but grasping of perception is dukka. Sankara or intention is not dukka but grasping of intention is dukka. Conciousness is not dukka but grasping of Conciousness is dukka.

This is because if form is dukka then arahats are also in dukka. Because until the death arahats also have form feeling perception intention and Conciousness. But the arahats does not have the grasping. Therefore no dukka for arahats.

So if your sila is protected what should be the path or what should be the practice at this moment. It should be to identify form as form and its impermanence. If we can be mindful of impermenence of form we will not be attached. Since form is impermenence nothing will be there to be attached. So we will be detached. If detached then no grasping. If no grasping then that's the cessation of dukka if that's the cessation then that is the path. What is the path?

Being mindful of impermenence of form
Being mindful of the impermenence of feeling
Being mindful of the impermenence of perception
Being mindful of the impermenence of intention
Being mindful of the impermenence of Conciousness

That is how you clean your mind. Being mindful of impermenence.

SABBA SANKARA ANICCATI
YADA PANGNAYA PASSATI
ATA NIBBINDATI DUKKE
ESA MAGGO VISUDDIYA
Meaning
If a person sees from wisdom that all that arises are impermenent this is the path to be completely cleansed{to cessation of dukka.}.

Budusaranai

What is kama

Sankappa raago purisassa kamo
Nethe kamayani chitrani loke

Sankappa raago purisassa kamo
Tittanthu chitrani thathewa loke
Atheththa deeraa vinayanthi chandan

This is the pali verse given in the kama nidana sutta in anguttara nikaya 3(as per my memory)

This states that kama means the conceptual liking that is in the mind of a person
And there is no kama in the varietyfilled world

Ans kama means the liking that exist in the mind and the effortful wise persons will distroy or stop the liking which is in the mind.

In the sutta lord budda explains that a desciple should know the pleasure of kama(assaada) and should know the bad effects resulting from kama(aadeenawa) and should also know how to get away or free from kama (nissaranaya).

And with regard to pleasure of kama lord budda explains that the pleasure is if you see a young beautiful girl at that moment of seeing a person get a pleasent feeling that is the pleasure. Then about the bad effects are given as many for example like that girl growing old and then dying then the corpse getting decayed all these are adeenawa. Then getting freed from kama is eliminating the liking.

So to eliminate the liking one needs to be mindful at the time of arising of the desire. And at that moment such person should see the aswada adeenawa and nissarana at that moment. In another sutta lord budda says that if one is mindful he is detached. Then if a person is not mindful such person will be attached.

Meditation - Bawana

When we hear the word meditation we get an idea that we need to sit in a specific posture and try to concentrate on a meditation object like breathing. This is just only part of the whole practicem of bawana. And Bawana consist of two parts samatha and vipassana(Meaning calm and insight). And both of these can be practiced through out the whole day in your day. Now if for example if we consider samath, my practice of samatha in my daya to day activities specially walking and cleaning I keep on repeating a word like impermenence. So that my mind will scatter with all the thoughts that arise. So when I walk I repeat the word "impermanence" with every step I keep.

If you take vipassana  when walking I normally think of the 4 dathu (Patavi apo thejo vayo or hardness, fluidity, heat and air). And conside all that i see, hear, taste, smell, touch and think as they are all made out of these four elements.

The four padanas or great trying

As per anguttara nikaya section 4 there are 4 padana or greatest trying

1. Pahana padana i.e. Trying to eliminate defilements that had arose
2. Sanwara padana. Trying to protect the mind from new defilements arising
3. Bawana padana. Trying to generate new skills of doing good
4. Anurakkana padana trying to protect and increase the skills that had already arose

Four intentions

There are four intentions preached by lord budda in angular nikaya section of fours(chathukka nipatha). Those are,

1. Black intentions that gives black results
2. White intentions that gives white results
3. Black and white mixed intentions that gives mixed result of black and white and
4. Intentions that are Neither Black nor white which does not result in either black or white results

Its very important to understand these four since in our day today life we normally have only the first 3 intentions stated above.

That is bad intentions good intentions and mixed intentions. But the fourth type of intentions that are given above can only be preached by a budda.

The black or bad intentions are intentions that are based on loba dosa moha or attachment aversion and foolishness .

And white or good intentions are based on aloba adosa amoha non-attachment non-aversion and non-foolishness.

Black and white mixed intentions are intentions that cause mixed results like having intentions of giving some thing with bad expectations. We see this often in life like giving some thing to a girl who we like. This kind of giving creates mixed results.

My main objective is to discuss the 4th type of intentions which are the intentions that can purify our minds

ice breaker

dear toast masters

i am lakshman perera and today i am going to give you a glimpse of how i achieved my objective of becoming a chartered accountant.

I was the last child of a family of four all males. And we were a family who had a very small income. And my mother was divorced when i was five. And my father had to put me in the college hostel for the next 11 years.

And i had to work in the father's shop when i was doing my Advance levels in commerce stream. And i passed a levels with two b's 1c and 1s.

Then after a levels father stopped funding me and only 20 rupees per day was given to me for working in the shop. I did all sorts of things. I was a lorry driver then a whole sale fish seller then a coconut buyer and seller and then went into a bicycle business.

And all did not work out. And again started working fir fathers shop for 20 rupees per day and then after working in the morning at fathers shop i was working as a driver.

Then one day one of my best friends named sanjeewa. I was working in the shop and i saw him on a Friday it was and he was in a good suit well dressed i asked him where he is headed to.He replied he is going for chartered classes. I did not know what it was but i said to him to wait and that i will also come with him. And that was the start of my tertiary education. And here i am now a qualified chartered accountant and delivering a speech in front of a professional audience. With a humble start and a big amount of perseverance.

Over to you tm

the six sense bases

The six sense bases. That is eyes, ears nose tongue body and mind. When we think of permanence of the sense bases we should know that there are two ways of doing the meditation on sense bases.
The first method is the method that we are currently doing.
We keep on thinking that
eye is permanent
ear is impermanent
nose is impermanent
tongue is impermanent
body is impermanent
mind is impermanent
And we keep on saying it over and over again and the most dangerous thing is that we think that this is the method stated in sutta and which was taught to ven Rahula by Lord Buddha himself. And to some extent this is true.
But there is a problem in doing the meditation on sense bases like that. That is we think that eye is impermanent And nose is impermanent etc but after and even during the meditation if we hear a sound (say for example of a bird) then for us that is not only a sound just heard but we quickly identify from which direction the sound came and from what bird etc. So even though we are doing the meditation on impermanence on the sense bases and the impermanence of the objects we hear a sound and that sound come from a bird and we can open our eyes and see the bird and may be even touch the bird etc in essence we see permanence. We see today the same bird we saw yesterday. We see the same things we saw yesterday or past or we see permanence.
So there is an error in doing the meditation on sense bases like that.
So what is the other method of seeing the impermanence of the six sense bases?
Let’s take the same example of you sitting for meditation and your eyes are closed and you hear a sound. When you hear the sound you get to know that it’s the sound of a parrot or a crow. And now you see the picture of a crow in your mind its colour its size etc.
Now when we look closer to these events you initially hear a sound and at the moment of hearing the sound there is nothing happening rather than hearing the sound. That is the sound meet the ear and ear consciousness arise and when those three gets into contact you hear the sound. But as soon as you hear it just contact arising and passing away.
But as soon as you hear then you identify that sound is from a parrot. Now how does that parrot come from where does thought of a parrot arise? The thought of parrot arise in the mind. It is not arising from the eye because the eyes are still closed and no objects are taken from the eyes at this moment.
So in this case as soon as ear and sound and ear consciousness arises and passes away then the mind and a thought is arising to continue the picture and gives a parrot. And then we may want to see the parrot and we open our eyes and see the parrot. And likewise the arising of another sense base will happen or occur and this is how our sense bases continue in existence. When one sense base arises and passes away another sense base is born. And this happen every moment.
So how to stop the continuation of this ongoing arising of sense bases? This is where we have to be mindful about the arising and passing away. When you hear the sound then the ear arises and passes away and sound arises and passes away ear consciousness arise and pass away. Impermanent. No parrot. Parrot is a lie created from the mind. Which keep us pushing us toward the existence.

Damma as a object for contemplation and concentration

I remember the samma ditti sutta preached by ven sariputta in majjima nikaya.

Some bikkus comes and ask ven sariputta that people talk about the right view ,what is this right view?

Ven sariputta explains that if a person knows what is unskill (akusala) and knows the cause of the unskill. And he knows the skill and knows the cause of skill such person is a person(ariya srawaka or desciple of lord budda )  with right view and his view is direct and he will have unshakeable faith in damma and he will be a person who had come ti the path of damma

Effort and effortlessness

<p>I have heard that most people who is trying to meditate is making a a very strong effort to keep the mind in one object. But it should be emphasised that before one is trying to establish proper concentration one has to know a little about how the mind work. </p>
<p>We know about what objects mind can think of. And a person's mind can think of millions of objects in one day. But if we categorize what the mind can think of it can be divided to six types of thoughts. Those are <br>
1. The things that we have seen in the past or currently seeing or that we will be seeing in future<br>
2. that we have heard or hearing or that will hear <br>
3. that we have smelt or that is smelling or that will be smelling in future<br>
4. that we have tasted or currently tasting or will be tasting <br>
5.that we have touched currently touching or will be touching in future <br>
6. the things that we have thought or that is currently thinking or will be thinking in future </p>
<p>these are the types of things that the mind can concentrate on. or in other words the things that we understood(identified) or understanding(identifying ) or that will be understanding(identifying ) in future. </p>
<p>In meditation time we close our eyes and try to concentrate. When our eyes are closed we will not be seeing anything from our eyes. But what we have seen before and what we like or dislike to see in future may come to the mind. Hence like we are watching a movie on the screen we will be seeing a continuous set of images sounds words thoughts etc.</p>
<p>And the mind will keep on hopping from one thought to another and one object to a another like a monkey that jumps from one branch to the next. </p>
<p>So as beginners of meditation we want to stop this monkey hopping from one branch to the other.</p>
<p>Lord budda had given a great simile for this. </p>
<p>There are six animals. Those are a dog,a snake a crocodile a fox a bird and a monkey. And these six tries to go to six places. <br>
Dog wants to go to village <br>
Monkey wants to go to the tree<br>
snake wants to go to the earth hole<br>
Bird wants to fly to the sky <br>
crocodile wants to go to the river<br>
and fox wants to go to the cemetery.</p>
<p>But all these six animals are tied in one rope. So the animals. tries hard to go the place that each want and pulls in six directions. And in this case the moment that one animal is stronger it pulls all other animals in the direction that it want to go.</p>
<p>This simile is given to see our own selves. We also have six untamed animals. Those are eyes ears nose tongue body and mind.

And this each organ pulls us on the direction that organ's object.  And the sense organ that is powerful at a given moment wins over the others. Say for example when we are listening to a song our ear is more powerful than others and we concentrate on hearing.

Hence when we sit for meditation our mind becomes the powerful organ and others become dormant. Now at this moment the mind want to keep on hopping from one thought to another.

What the lord budda advices to be mindful. Mindful of one object of meditation. Being mindful of the object is like tying the six animals to one pole. The pole is the mindfulness object. The rope that ties the animals to the pole is the mindfulness itself.

why one cause for five grasping groups

when we think the four noble truths and the first noble truth of suffering or in other words five grasping groups.

so there are five groups and one cause. desire.

and the cause of desire is feeling as given in dependent origination.

so five groups arising from one cause desire. desire arises from feeling. feeling arises from contact. contact arising from sense bases. sense bases arising from name and form. name and form arising from consciousness. consciousness arising from intentions. intentions arising from ignorance.

why five groups and one cause? is a difficult question to answer. but we know that there are ten causes defilements  for existence in sansara or continuation.

it should be noted that if we do not have desire then all the actions that we do whether good or bad will cease.

maha sihanada sutta majjima nikaya

this sutta is an eye opener for us all and to understand the qualities and skills of a samma sambudda

feel of pain and uncared for from wife and child

I felt a huge pain inside me when the child shows no interest in me. And the child and wife went in the car leaving me alone. All attachment lead to sorrow and non attachment will completely save you from all sorrow and suffering.

The form feeling perception intention and conciousness are all impermanent and the attachment to all these things creates suffering and cessation of attachment will completely eliminate suffering.

its very difficult to endure the feeling of departure of the persons you like. and some people go to extremes like murder or suicide because of these difficult feelings which is a great pain for the bearer of the pain.

and we should never give effect to such pain for any person in every possible way. but these things happen. thats the truth of life and attachment . in the case where we are void of attachment all these sorrow and pain will be ceased.

Translation of sila sutta sermon given by Ven Pitigala Gunarathana

(Total duration of the file 01 hour 02 minutes and 21 seconds)

The sila sutta english translation from metta.l the 10th Sutta is sila sutta
alternate location: sila sutta english translation by metta.lk
File can be downloaded from sila sutta - sinhala sermon

Namo thassa bagawatho arahatho samma sambuddassa
 
Today we have selected sila sutta as the topic , which is a discussion between Ven Sariputta and Ven Kottitha both are two arahats. 

This sutta explains many things that will be helpful for us and that will be very important for us. And from this the practice that a person who is a seeker of the path has to follow is explained.

When Ven Sariputta and Ven Kottitha were staying at the isipathanarama in baranas city, on one day when Ven Sariputta came out of niroda, Ven Kottitha comes and question him as follows.

Ven Sariputta what does a bikku who is protecting the sila should wisely contemplate on to become a stream enterer?

And Ven Sariputta replies that the bikku who protect sila should wisely contemplate on the five grasping groups as to impermanent, as suffering, as decease, as a big defiled ball of flesh in his own body, as an arrow that has got stuck, as a painful thing or a trouble, as a non ease, as belonging to others, as something that break and vanishes, as empty, as non self. And if a such bikku who wisely ; contemplate as such then he will attain fruit of stream entry.

And when Ven Sariputta replied Ven Kottitha praised and again questioned as follows.
Ven Sariputta what should a stream enteror should wisely contemplate on if he is to achieve the fruit of once returner?

Then Ven Sariputta replies that the bikku who is a stream enterer should wisely contemplate on the five grasping groups as to impermanent, as suffering, as decease, as a&#160; big defiled ball of flesh in his own body, as an arrow that has got stuck, as a painful thing or a trouble, as a non ease, as belonging to others, as something that break and vanishes, as empty, as non self. And if a such bikku who wisely contemplate as such then he will attain fruit of once returner.

And again Ven Kottitha praise Ven Sariputta and ask again what does once returner should contemplate wisely to attain the fruit of non returner?
And again Ven Sariputta replies as same that such bikku should wisely contemplate on five grasping groups as impermanent etc.
 
And again Ven Kottitha gives praise and asks what does a non returner should wisely contemplate to achieve the fruit of a arahat? And Ven Sariputta replies that such bikku should also wisely contemplate on the five grasping groups as to its impermanence etc.
 
And again Ven Kottitha gives praise and ask what does an arahat have wisely contemplate on. Then Ven Sariputta replies that he have nothing to be done and he had done everything that should have been done. But for the sake of happiness and joy of Nibbana in the cessation such arahat also will contemplate on the five grasping groups as impermanent etc.(10.08)

what we introduced above is the general meaning that is given by the sutta. The advice the ven Sariputta gives is that about the wise contemplation that should be practiced and developped by starting from a person who is protecting sila to an arahat.

The things that we are accustomed to which four bases of mindfulness,four types of efforts, four skills, five organs,five powers, seven things to fill to achieve nibbana and the eight fold path all these 37 bodipakshika damma or 37 elements of damma practice toward achieving nibbana is given by one word by ven Sariputta as Yonisomanasikara or wise contemplation.

This sila sutta is a sutta that gives the whole path to cessation in one word.

sometimes you may doubt whether is this is the same as what is taught by lord budda also.

to eliminate this doubt we have a sutta from majjima nikaya preached by lord budda himself,that is the 2nd sutta in majjima nikaya which is sabbasawa sutta.( 12.00)

In that sabbasawa sutta lord budda preached that the ending of defilements is preached only to persons who KNOWS AND SEES WISE CONTEMPLATION AND UNWISE CONTEMPLATION.And further lord budda explain that for those who don't know and don't see the wise contemplation AND UNWISE CONTEMPLATION he does not preach ending of defilements.

And further lord budda explains that if a person is unwisely contemplating then it will result in arising of new defilements that did not exist and development of defilements that currently exist.

And if a person contemplate wisely then it will result in non arising of defilements that had not arose and reduction of defilements that had arose.

Therefore lord budda also had explained how all defilements will cease from WISE CONTEMPLATION.

Hence there is no difference between the preaching of lord budda and the preaching of ven Sariputta. Its the same preaching by both.

Ok then what is wise contemplation? And what is unwise contemplation?

Contemplating or thinking wisely or intelligently  is wise contemplation. Thinking unwisely or unintelligently  is unwise contemplation.

When you intelligently contemplate it will develop kusal or skills. it will develop worldly skills  and skills that will lead to get out of worlds as well.

If engage in unwise contemplation it will develop akusala or unskillfulness and it will prolong the existence.

Therefore to be saved from unskillfulness or akusala you have to get rid of unwise contemplation.

If you want to develop skillfulnes then you should engage in wise contemplation.

What is unwise contemplation and how does unskillfulness develop from it?

Will take a small simple example and investigate it and see. We will try to understand this damma on how a normal person see this.

A person sees a flower. And he sees it as a beautiful flower. He thinks and contemplates as "this is a beautiful flower". The person who is thinking about the beautiful flower who is contemplating on the beauty of the flower thinks that "its not enough to see the flower from this distance and thinks he have to get closer and see it."
 
So he determines and with determined thoughts he relaxes his body and move his body and walks his body and goes towards the flower.

Now going near the flower is insufficient for him. Now he wants to touch the flower. Now he is employing or using his body by strengthening his thoughts.  And touches the flower. And touching also is not enough for him. Now he wants to kiss the flower. And he gets closer and kisses the flower. Oh this flower has a very good smell. Now he got the thoughts that the flower is beautiful and has a good smell. And as soon as he get those thoughts he thinks if i also can have this kind of flower or this kind of plant so that i also can get a flower. Now he gets thoughts of abijja or stronger and badly needless or greatest desire to have it. When such stronger desire arise and thinks that he also wants it then he thinks of getting it owned. Now he thinks if i ask the owner of this flower if he is also a stingy person then that person will think that he cannot give this was found by incurring many difficulties.

What happens when stronger desire comes to a person? Then aversion will arise. Cannot give this flower. If he cannot give I will take by hook or by crook. So the aversion or thoughts of going against or working against may arise. (17.49)

And at least at this moment if the knowledge of bad actions and their effects did not come to the mind, if the worldly right view did not arise in him which shows him the bad subsequent results of thoughts of attachment and thoughts of aversion, then instead wrong view will arise in him.

Anguttara nikaya section 3

Namo thassa bagawatho arahatho samma sambuddassa

Today morning i read Anguttara nikaya section 3 ananda waggo which explain a good set of damma. I remember the last sutra in that section. Its about the skill of a samma sambudda to send messages to the other worlds.

Ven ananda asks lord budda that he had heard that a sraawaka of a earlier samma sambudda had a skill to give messages to sahassri loka daathu. This is a world system that the light of our sun can reach its maximum distance. And it says that in this world system there are 1000 suns and 1000 moons etc. And that sraawaka can send messages to the end of such system.

And Ven ananda asks lord budda to what distance the samma sambudda can send messages to. Lord Buddha explains that the distance he can send messages are endless and cannot be quantified. And Ven ananda persistently asks the question for third time as well.

Then lord budda answers Ven ananda about the distance.

The interesting point is not the distance. But Ven ananda asks how such messages are sent. And lord Buddha's answer is an eye opener to tadays scientists.

Lord Buddha explains the method as he sends a light signal first and then he sends the message.

Science only recently discovered sending messages by light but that also very small distances. But consider 2600 years ago sending messages to very distant parts of the universe by lord Buddha by using light is really amazing. And this is another clue that with such skill lord Buddha may have frequently used such skill to preach damma to loka daathu as well. And if there are Buddha sasana in those distant places i would not be surprised.

But there is one thing that any one may question. Can it be true. Well that question can only be answered only by a person who had become firm in his damma practice.

The person who is firm in his practice will understand that there is no possibility for a lie in a samma sambudda's life. And the damma had not changed and still exist in tripitaka as preached by lord Buddha.

May all of you attain nibbana.

Damaging words and empowering words

I had a argument yesterday with a close relative. And I thought I was correct because I thought my idea was empowering people hence what empowers is good.

But to my almost surprise I got caught in a heated argument with regard to the exactly opposite idea.

When looking back it was a bad empowering argument. Why ? Because i was giving my view and the other giving exactly opposite idea.

Finally I stopped the argument by turning on the radio. Luckily it was a damma sermon and the damma sermon relaxed me to a great extent. And then it came to my mind how Much of a cooling effect can damma have. All heated arguments were over and damma remained.

Damma saved me on the spot by stopping the heat.

May all of you come to damma

Translation of satipattaana sutra sermon given by ven pitigala gunarathana

Namo thassa bagawatho Samma sambuddassa
(this is a translation by me of the sermon given by ven pitigala gunarathana thero on satipattaana sutra in sinhala language,please note that this is a 3hour long sermon and I would translate it little by little as and when time permits me)


Dear most venerable Maha sanga,
Dear damma friends,  
   Today is the full moon poya day of the nawam month.  
This day is a venerated day due to many important things had happened on this day in the history of budda sasana.  
This day is the first day that vinaya paatimokka was expositioned by lord Buddha.  
And this was the first day that a great gathering of sanga was taken place.  
And further there had been a sorrowful event that had occurred on this too which is giving up of age by lord Buddha on the request of the mara and lord Buddha making a statement that from three months from this date that lord Buddha will reach Parinibbana at the city of Vishala near the chapaala chethiya.  

So this great day which great things have happened in the this history of sasana, all of you good people have observed eight precepts or the ten precepts from the early morning on.  
Dear all good people if we want make this seela more meaningful then we should add more knowledge to our existing knowledge of seela.  

"Ariyassa bikkawe seelassa ananubodaa appativedaa ewamidan bikkawe deegamaddanan; sandavithan sansaritan mamanchewa thumhakancha"(a pali verse from anguttara nikaya,section 4)  
Lord Buddha preached that"Bikkus you and me have travelled in this sansara for such long time due to not knowing this aarya seela and not practising this aarya seela."(the meaning of the pali verse )  
The lord Buddha who preached that sutra and the sanga who listened to that sutra understood or came to know such aarya seela ended their existence in the sansara. But you and me who have not understood the aarya seela and not practiced aarya seela are still continuing in the existence of sansara.  
Therefore our attention should be given to that direction. And should be concerned about it. Therefore we have to search and know how to develop seela.   
The method we have understood as seela and our practice has been to take the precepts by saying that we will not commit these and these wrong things and will keep away from these wrong things. And when those precepts break we again and again take those precepts. That is all what is there; to Our seela practice and seela development.we have taken precepts for 10,20,30 or 40 years and that is all we have done.  
And if asked how much of seela had developed or if asked how seela was developed sometimes we can be without any answer for those questions. If that is the case then the aarya view or the right view regarding aarya seela may not have got added to our lifestyle and our practice. Today our objective is not to discuss about seela practice but there is point that is relevant to seela practice.Today we decided to explain the satipattana meditation and I think that its relevant to explain seela as per the satipattana sutra itself.

 Satipattana sutra is a sutra that most people know by heart and that is mostly used by most people. But a truth should be said about it that is eventhough we all discuss about satipattana or try to practice satipattana meditation, as per my knowledge as per my feeling and as per my understanding as even at today no proper explanation had been given to Satipattana Sutra.Therefor all at present should give their attention to that.

We are about the celebrate the 2600 years pass-away from lord buddhas attainment of the enlightenment. Before celebrating such 2600 years we will have to search what is attainment of sambudattawa(attainment of enlightenment by Buddha Gauthama). What was the damma that Lord Buddha gauthama realised before 2600 years.  
"Sukaa Saddamma Deshana"(a pali verse)


We are celebrating the birth of damma which is gave the biggest happiness to the world.  
What is this damma we are celebrating?  


If we did not understand correctly what are the four noble truths,what are the seven factors that need to be filled for the attainment(bojjanga), what is the eight fold path and if we did not uncover those things correctly then it will not be a real or correct celebration.


About four noble truths,about the path,about nibbana not only in our country but even in the world there are different different views that does not match to each other.  
A person says explain that this is nibbana, this is the nibbana , this is the path to nibbana, this is the four noble truths, it had not matching with another persons explanations of those.  
And another person explain those in another place very much differently. When we go to another place then it again different from other views.  


Completely different views that does not match each other with regard to same damma that lord Buddha realised. Therefore we have been compelled in this context to have a fair doubt regarding all the different views.


When lord Buddha visited kalama village, the residents of kalama reminded that every person who come to this village says that they are sarwagna or knower of all things. And he is the person who have realised everything.and they say that this is the damma and this is the path and his followers are real followers of damma. And they say that they have the correct path. But what these different people says are completely different with each other. Therefore we believe that truth cannot be two truths or facts should be one.  
So if each of these persons views are different we have a doubt as to which one which view is correct.


And lord Buddha said that doubt is fair by all means."dear kalama residents it is correct you have doubted where you have to doubt. And said that doubt is fair."  


Therefore today also we have to have such a fair doubt and before we take anything to our minds as correct, we have search and find whether what we take and what we practice is correct. And we have to start such search with this celebration of the 2600 years anniversary of the lord Buddha's enlightenment.  


Therefore you have to have balanced view about this damma and without having extreme views and inquire about damma.  


If we say that today in our country there is no Buddha srawaka, then that statement also is not completely wrong. Because today we have srawaka of different different persons. And some say that we are srawaka of that bikku or another bikku. And we listen to sermons of that bikku only.only that bikku says the correct damma. Likewise there is process that goes on in our country which is process that give up the teacher that initially preached damma andgiving up the sasana and going behind Bikkus and lay preachers.


Therefore we don't need to be disciples of any person. We all have to be srawakas of the lord Buddha. We have to become Buddha srawaka. This is the way and this is the place that we can be correct srawakas. This was explained because to give you an idea on to which direction we have to give attention to with this 2600 anniversary of attainment of enlightenment of lord Buddha.  


Therefore the damma that was realised by lord Buddha that can be actioned and a very noble course of actions was preached by way of the satipattaana sutra.


The actions that is given by the satipattaana sutra belongs to the path that lead to cessation of suffering. The satipattaana sutra can be defined or introduced as the path or the path that lead to cessation of suffering. This sutra is a very fantastic sermon.  


In this sermon initially the answers or the results that can get from the action or process stated in the satipattaana sutra.  
"Sattaanan visuddiyaa,soka pariddawaanan samathikkamaaya   
Dukkadomanassanan asthangamaaya gnaayassa adigamaaya nibbanassa sachchakiriyaaya " these results can be got if this path is followed.  


How long will it take to get this results?  
At the end of the sutra it is explained that a minimum of 7 days and a maximum of 7 years. Within 7 days and 7 years these results can be taken.
Next the lord Buddha states that if to receive these results or receive these fruits where should a person go to.  
we have to very mindful and skillful when listening to this damma. This may be a very familiar thing but there is an unfamiliar thing also is there in it.


First advice: "aranyagathowa rukkamulagathowa sunyaagaaragathowa" in here the place to go is stated. To receive the results stated initially a person should go to a place like this. To a jungle, to a root of a tree or an empty building.   
There times that a person's own house becomes a empty.  


Then second advice: its about the sitting posture. Go to a place like above stated and sit like this.  
"niseedathi pallankan aabujithwaa"  
Keeping your torso straight and legs folded. The 2nd advice was about the posture.  


3rd advice: this is the place we have missed. This is the place we have forgotten.   
"Parimukan satin upattapethwa". Be mindful about/around the mouth. This is the place that we want to emphasise today.   
3rd advice: "Parimukan satin upattapethwa" keep your mindfulness around your mouth.


4th advice : " so sathowa assasati sathowa passasati, deeganwa assasantho&amp;#160; deegan assasaameeti pajanathi,deeganwa passasantho deegan passasaameeti pajanathi." and accordingly it is stated.
Now in here is the place that   We have to give our attention.  
This is the evidence that we have to state that there is no proper explanation given to the satipattaana sutra yet.  

"Satin upattapethwa" being (already) mindful. So according to the sutra the lord Buddha's states about being mindful before stating about breathing in(inhaling ) and breathing out(exhaling).
After being mindful only lord Buddha states about inhaling and&amp;#160; exhaling.
"so sathowa " meaning already being mindful about it, ALREADY BEING MINDFUL ABOUT IT then inhales exhales.
Dear good friends think wisely. Being already mindful inhaled and exhales.   
So lord Buddha stated about being mindful in the 3rd advice."Parimukan satin upattapethwa"
But now as soon as we sit for the meditation, we try to keep our mindfulness on inhaling and exhaling. Now look at this and compare with lord Buddha's sermon. And see whether there is something missed.  
Hence this may also be the reason why we may not be getting results,isn't it?  
We have not understood the lord Buddha's advice. If we miss one place it is missed completely. We cannot go foreword by missing the most important message that is given from that missed advice.  
Satin upattapethwa" what results from keeping mindfulNess as such?  
There is only one process /procedure that is there in this whole satipattaana sermon.
That is stopping the defilements that had not arose, clearing the defilements that had arose, effecting the arising of good things that had not arose, developing the good things that had arose, this four noble efforts are the things that should be used in all these meditation objects(in satipattaana sutra)
These activities will not bear fruit if you do not carry out the process correctly. We have to do the meditation or contemplate on the objects so as to get the results that lord Buddha had preached.  
We may be able to use satipattaana in some way or anyway but doing satipattaana somehow will not give the results that is expected that is stated in the sutra.
  To get the results that is stated in the sutra we cannot practice satipattaana according to how we like or according how we want it to be done. Doing satipattaana according to another persons view will not give the results. To get the results satipattaana should be done as preached by the lord Buddha himself.  
What is the first result that is stated or expected from doing satipattaana practice?
"Sattaanan visuddiyaa""Sattaanan visuddiyaa" this satipattaana is intended to make beings pure or clean.   
Hence when we start satipattaana when we begin satipattaana it should be an activity that make us clean.   
What is the meaning of "visuddiyaa"?  
"asuddi visuddi"  
"suddi asuddi pachchattan" in here it is stated as cleanliness and uncleanliness.
  Without going to uncleanliness (asuddi) it should take us or keep us in cleanliness(visuddi). And the satipattaana meditation process should be able to bring us to cleanliness and it should keep us at clean state also.
  Dear good people if we use the words kusala(good thoughts words and deeds) and akusala (bad thoughts words and deeds) we may easily comprehend the meaning.
  How do we fall into akusala or asuddi? How do we not fall into akusala or asuddi and how do we come into kusala and visuddi? We should have already heard these and know these things.   
We reminded before that satipattaana meditation belongs to the noble truth of path(to cessation of suffering). Path means the thing that should be done. "kruthya",activity that should be done or actions.  
  We have heard and read of "satya,kruthya,krutha"(truth,action to be done, actions that's done or completed)
  "Krutha" means the state that you have ended the things that had to be done.completed. That is have seen the noble truth of suffering clearly. And have eliminated three noble truth of cause of suffering. And have realised the noble truth of cessation of suffering.and have completed the path to cessation of suffering. Everything finished. An arihat.
  We can arrive at that by seeing clearly the noble truth of suffering, and eliminating the cause of suffering and realising the cessation and developing the path to cessation of suffering. And this event is called "kruthya" activity or actions that need to be done.  
  We cannot come to the path in this sasana without the earlier knowledge of truth "satya".
  Without the knowledge of truth   
(satya gnana) we cannot come to the actions(kruthya - activity)  
Dukka satya satya gnana (true knowledge on the noble truth of suffering)  
Samudaya satya satya gnana(true knowledge on the noble truth of cause of suffering )  
Niroda satya satya gnana (true knowledge the noble truth of cessation of suffering)  
Marga satya satya gnana (true knowledge of the noble truth of path for the cessation of suffering)
  By also knowing suffering and also knowing cause for suffering also knowing the cessation of suffering also knowing the path to cessation of suffering. And for such person who knows those and who knows this is the way to end the suffering will only come to the actions or kruthya thing to be done.  
This knowledge of the suffering, cause, cessation and path is the thing that is named as right view(samma ditti). This is the place where it is explained as what is right view."Kathamanchawuso samma ditti"(in pali)
  Therefore when we come to the path we should have listened come to know and learned about association of noble friends,hearing right damma,right and wrong contemplations.  
"Jaanatho" by knowing you should be knowing about those.  
For person who does not know just because that satipattaana was in a text book such person cannot develop satipattaana.  
A detailed knowledge should be available before practice of satipattaana.  
For the person who completed that pre knowledge any of these words are are not difficult.  
  Now dear good friends think as to how the mind, words and deeds come to cleanliness without making them unclean. Why because this process of activities starts from there.   
"seele patittaaya naro sapanngo  
Chittan pangnancha bawayan   
Aathaapi nipako bikku  
So iman vijataye jatan"  
(this is a pali verse from sanyukta nikaya,jata sutra, I think in dewatha sanyukta)
  How this entanglement of existence is to be unknotted was explained that way(as given in this verse)  
Based On the seela foundation only you have to develop mind and wisdom. Hence the when we say that we develop satipattaana then seela must have already be complete. The precepts should have become complete to develop satipattaana.  
  When we say seela you good friends will be thinking of the precepts that should be protected.   
No no let the precepts be there. Don't be concerned or interested about those precepts. There is one place in this satipattaana meditation where all those precepts will be protected. That is the object of mindfulness. The object of mindfulness protects our seela or precepts.  
  You will be amazed on how this meditation object makes your seela complete.   
I will remind you on how that happens.  
  Good friends you know about akusala wrong thoughts words and actions. Volition thought words and deeds and wrong livelihood akusala seela.  
  If a person says the precepts and take the precepts that is not keeping out of akusala. To prevent akusala, then cause for akusala should be searched.  
  What is the cause or reason for akusala? The answer should be given as the mind. Reason for akusala is the mind.  
"Manasaache paduttena" the mind that is polluted. The mind that is polluted is the cause if akusala.
  What is a polluted mind?   
If the mind is with attachment(lobe) if the mind is with aversion (dosa) if the mind is with unwiseness (moha) then its a polluted mind.  
If we think speak or act(do) things with a lobe dosa moha mind then cleaning of thoughts words and deeds will not happen. You will not get cleanliness but you will only get uncleanliness. You will find only akusala in that case and you will not find or get cleanliness or kusala.
Therefore you cannot eliminate akusala without eliminating the akusala mind.
Why does our mind get unclean or akusala?
I don't like that my mind to be with lobe dosa moha.
Why does our mind becomes unclean(akusala)?
There is a cause for that too. It does not automatically happen without a cause. There is a reason or cause for that.
The cause for akusala mind is akusala thoughts(akusala kalpanaa).
"Kama vithakka, vyaapaada vithakka, vihinsa vithakka"thoughts of sensual pleasure,  
thoughts of hate and thoughts of harming.  
If these akusala thoughts arising in the mind, then the mind that give rise to those thoughts are akusala minds.
Therefore the mind becomes kusal or akusal according to thoughts that arise in the mind.
A basin of pure water becomes impure when a little dirt or dust or faeces get added and then its value diminish or valueless.
If some tasty thing or a good medicine were added to the pure water then it becomes more valuable.
As accordingly the mind also will be kusala or an akusala mind based on what get added to the mind.  
Hence only thoughts get added to the mind. There are 3 types of thoughts. Kusala , akusala and awyaakrutha.  
If akusala thoughts or akusala ideas are arising in the mind then such mind is an akusala mind.  
Now you cannot eliminate akusala without eliminating loba dosa or moha mind.
   Vvvvv  
   The akusala characteristics of loba dosa moha cannot be eliminated until akusala ideas(akusala kalpanaa )are eliminated.  
   Akusala ideas also does not arise without a cause. It does not automatically arise without a reason. There is a reason,a cause not it to arise.
   Why does akusala arise in our minds? Why does akusala kalpanaa arise in our minds? What is the reason what Is the cause for that. If we are developing seela or if we have developed seela we should already have answers for these questions. Because you cannot complete seela without knowing these.
Hence there is a cause for akusala kalpanaa  also. That cause is akusala sangna (akusala perception or akusala identifications). Those are 3 Kama sangna (things that you identify that causes desire or lust) vyaapaada sangna( things that you identify that causes anger in you) vihinsa sangna (things that you identify that causes you to harm).
If these sangna is arising in the mind until then akusala vithakka will arise in mind. If akusala vithakka arises in a mind such mind is an akusala mind.
If mind is an akusala mind
"manasache paduttena basathiwa karothiwa" all activities that are done by a polluted mind are akusala activities.
So if we want to give up akusala side and want to come to kusala side, and want to have aarya seela , just saying the precepts and giving  promises is not sufficient.He have to develop his knowledge upto this point and should go forward by knowing this cause and effect relationship and know the process of eliminating the akusala sangna(akusala identifications).
Now if we stop arising of this akusala sangna (akusala identifications) then uncleanliness or asuddi will be dropped.
If akusala sangna does not arise in the mind then akusala vithakka will not arise. If akusala vithakka does not arise then mind will not be akusala. If the mind is not akusala all volitional deeds words and livelihood also will not be akusala.
Then if you want to get rid of uncleanliness to get out from asuddi  and want to get into cleanliness to get into visuddi then this akusala sangna should be ceased.
We should have a process of ceasing akusala sangna. The primary stage of what we call meditation should at least start with this knowledge. And should start here. You should not meditate thinking that Just because every one is meditating I also should meditate.
The knowledge should at least reach here.
If these sangna if arising its a development of akusala side, and will not lead to reduction of akusala.
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If the akusala is to be reduced and the kusala to be developed the akusala sangna should be identified and these should be suppressed so as to these Will not arise anymore.(36.25)
"akusalaanan dammaanan anuppaadaaya"(36.28)
You have to take care So as to these akusala sangna perceptions or identifications will stop arising.
There should be a way to cease the akusala sangna that arises.
To effort to stop any akusala that had not arose yet and to stop any akusala that had arose, this is how the akusala side is stopped by practicing four types of effort.(sathara samyak padan viriya).
Now we should be able to stop any akusala sangna that is kama (sensual pleasure seeking identifications) vyaapaada( anger identifications ) vihinsa (harming identifications) that had not arose yet.
we have to know how to cease or stop any akusala sangna if any such arise.