Nibbāna Step By Step | Online Retreat Mar 2024

Ajahn Anan's talk guides us on the path to Nibbana, urging us to cultivate inner peace by overcoming greed, hatred, and delusion. He gently reminds us that true coolness in the heart comes not from seeking it directly but from extinguishing the causes of our suffering—ignorance and attachment to the self.

Through generosity, morality, and meditation, we can progress on this journey. Generosity brings joy and supports our spiritual community, while morality provides stability. Meditation deepens our understanding of impermanence and the absence of a permanent self. Ajahn Anan compares these practices to a tree: generosity as the leaves, morality as the bark, and wisdom as the heartwood leading to liberation.

He encourages us to practice sincerely, assuring us that even as laypeople, we can achieve profound spiritual insight. His blessing is heartfelt: may our efforts bear the fruits of Nibbana, and may we grow together in spiritual blessings.

Transcript

We can set our hearts on cultivating Samadhi because this giving rise to Samadhi it's the path that will take us to Nibbāna.

So Nibbāna is coolness and so how can we give rise to this coolness?

The thing is we don't need to give rise to coolness,

Rather we just put out the heat and when the heat has been put out already then coolness will appear.

So what is it that is hot and what are the causes for that?

Those causes are greed,

Hatred and delusion and these are the roots of all heat of the defilements.

So it's the ignorance,

The craving,

The clinging that gives rise to greed,

Hatred and delusion.

And the Buddha had contemplated as to how it is that ignorance is the cause and condition for saṅkhāras,

Its conditions to come up.

But we take that to be a matter of self and then there's viññāna,

There's consciousness,

Nāma,

Rūpa,

Physicality,

Mentality and that's all self.

And then when there is passa,

This contact that comes up,

We take that to be self as well.

And there's feeling and then there's craving,

Clinging and there's becoming and birth.

And all throughout that there is the sense of self,

All throughout these 12 steps of the paticca-samuppada.

So when the mind is deluded then it will take things personally.

So these defilements,

It takes them to be a self.

Ignorance is me.

So we come to contemplate the Dhamma and see how there are causes which give rise to these things.

So when the causes are there then that thing will appear.

When the cause has faded then that won't come up.

But then these cause and conditions come up again.

They come and then it ceases.

Then it comes up again and then it ceases.

The cause comes,

That thing arises,

The cause goes,

That thing ceases.

But when we are deluded then this will always be coming up again,

Having this appearing,

Delusion appearing,

Suffering appearing again.

When the cause for that ceases then that suffering ceases.

And so it's like this,

But then the cause comes up again,

Suffering comes up once more.

So when our minds are going through this then they don't feel coolness.

And when it gets even more and more severe then all we feel is heat.

There's no ease or coolness to the heart.

So the perfectly self-awakened Buddha,

He taught us to abandon,

To put down this clinging,

To see how all physical and mental things are not me,

So that we can enter into Nibbāna.

If one has a lot of Bāramī,

These spiritual accumulations already,

Then all it takes is just a short teaching from the Buddha and they're able to understand,

Able to contemplate and then succeed in becoming an Arahant.

That their great hatred and delusion is put down,

That their great hatred and delusion is put out and the mind can reach this stillness of Nibbāna.

But this is Nibbāna,

The Nibbāna of one that still has a body and that still has these mental factors as well.

And Arahants are like this,

They don't have the defilements but they still have to put up with the difficulty of these conditioned bodies looking after the body.

This is something which isn't good,

You see this body is suffering,

But the body is suffering but they are not suffering.

For those who have attachment however,

There's still a liking towards physical and mental things.

So the Buddha taught from the very beginning,

He taught those who aren't generous,

Who don't have a sense of giving,

Who still have a very strong sense of self,

Still have a lot of greed,

That they should be generous.

So those people who are corrupt,

Who engage in cheating and stealing,

There's just too much greed there,

That they want all of the wealth in this world for themselves.

And they try to get that in a way which goes outside of sila-dhamma,

Of this moral integrity.

That's very dangerous,

It's dangerous,

It's unwholesome,

It's agitated,

It gives rise to bad kamma.

So the Buddha taught about generosity first,

That when we get wealth then we have a portion of that which we give away,

Because life is not sure but death is sure.

And we have this belief that if we create good deeds then that truly does give rise to benefit.

That when we are generous then we experience happiness in this life and the next life.

So we're generous in a wise way,

In a way that doesn't harm ourselves or others.

We don't cheat or steal other people's wealth and then use that to give,

Because if we do that there'll only be a tiny amount of merit that we make.

So for people who have faith,

In the beginning they start off with generosity and they think,

Well why would I want to steal anyone else's wealth,

That that is just being greedy in an immoral way.

They don't want other people's wealth as their own and they are generous,

It's just a normal part of their lives.

So they do that in a consistent way and when they do it they feel this inner happiness and contentment.

They help to build monasteries,

Help to support the bhikkhus,

Bhikkhunis,

Nuns,

Various members of the sangha,

Help to offer robes and offer alms bowls and alms food,

The four requisites,

Offer the expenses for the electricity and water for the monasteries.

And so these are things that lay people can do,

That you can support the buddhasasana in this way and this is something that's really good.

For those who have a lot then they can give a lot,

Those who have a little they can give a little.

So the buddhasasana is able to be firm,

Firmly established,

Because it gets looked after well.

And then when that happens the monks receiving that support can study the theory and then put that into practice as well.

So there's both this theory and the practice and then when peace arises then that's the padivedi,

So the result,

The fruit of that,

That's coming up.

And gaining a deep understanding into the Dhamma about how all physical and mental things these are inconstant,

Unstable,

Stressful,

They're not self.

So last night there was a question that was asked about sitting in meditation and light coming up and then contemplating into this nature of instability not attaching to that and then joy arising,

A fullness of heart arising,

Right?

And so this is like the fruits of Dhanabharami arising.

You see how it does give rise to true benefit and that in one's next life things won't meet with a lot of difficulties and obstructions.

And when we do that a lot then we get the feeling that we're doing it just for the sake of giving rise to goodness.

You get the feeling that even though we may gain a lot of wealth we don't want to just hoard that or keep too much.

We use a portion of it to look after our family,

Our husband and wife,

And parents,

Children.

And there's a part that we keep as an investment,

A part that we keep for times of difficulty or illness,

And another part that we use to be generous.

And this is how a perfectly self-awakened Buddha acted as well.

In a previous life he was a farmer and one day he came upon a lot of gold.

So he separated that gold out.

One part was to be generous and then he used the other parts for other things.

So even though he was a farmer he had a lot of wisdom and he knew how to use his wealth in a way that was balanced and just right.

So when we're generous like this,

When we have a heart of generosity frequently and the heart is joyful and bright from that,

Then we don't accumulate too much wealth.

Because we realize that our minds need to be separated from all the things of this world.

So then we may think,

Well how is it that I can bring coolness,

Peace to this mind?

We may be generous already but there's still heat in the heart.

There's still greed there.

You still get angry a lot.

There can still be feelings of resentment,

Of keeping hurt feelings hurt feelings towards others.

There's ill will.

The mind can be really chaotic.

And when our mindfulness is weak then we just act following our moods.

There isn't any control over our speech or if the body or our minds are feeling quite tense and stressed then we may drink alcohol.

But then next we hear people tell us how these are dangerous things.

So we come to keep sila,

Keep precepts.

So we have this dana generosity already helping to support us and now we take up sila.

And so we have goodness of both of these levels.

This goodness of having control over our body and mind.

And this is the path that will take us to meet with coolness.

Because the benefit of sila is niputing yanti.

And so sila gives rise to coolness.

It has the benefit of giving us happiness.

It's a what they call bhogasap.

So it's a kind of wealth that others can't destroy.

Because we see the wealth of this world that it can be damaged,

Taken away by floods and earthquakes and fires.

There are many different things that can destroy it within the blink of an eye.

And now these days it's possible for someone to steal all of the money in our account in the blink of an eye as well.

So we have this sila looking after our precepts.

We listen to the dhamma.

We develop samadhi and panya as well.

And all of this is a noble wealth,

Meaning a wealth which is far away from enemies.

So,

And also the wealth that we have in this world,

We can protect that well because of the sila that we have.

So this body of ours is a great wealth for us.

And if we don't have sila,

Then a lot of harm can come to our bodies.

And if we don't have sila,

Then a lot of harm can come to our bodies.

And people these days,

They really don't have much patience or endurance.

So we need to have good sila because there's a lot of danger that can come from just one word that's slipped out of our mouths.

So there was once a very wealthy man who saw someone who was poor and said something insulting to him.

And then a lot of ill will came up in this poor person's heart and he wanted to get revenge.

He wanted to kill this person or at the very least to hurt him.

And so he knew that this rich man had a lot of faith in the Buddha.

So he burnt down the Buddha's kuti,

His dwelling,

In order to try to hurt this wealthy man.

But this wealthy man,

Instead of feeling hurt,

Was very happy because he thought,

Well now I have the opportunity to build another kuti,

Another dwelling for the Buddha,

And then I get that merit now.

So,

And this wealthy man,

He didn't tell anyone about what this poor person had done until that person was able to be open and accept that they had done something bad.

So the sila that this wealthy person had,

Had looked after him so they didn't get harmed.

So when we have this composure,

We have caution around our actions of body and speech,

Then that is sila and that is nibbana on another level.

However,

The mind is still scattered,

It's still in a state of contemplation.

However,

The mind is still scattered,

Restless.

There can still be ill will going on,

These things happening without stop.

Therefore the Buddha said that we need to cultivate mindfulness and samadhi through using meditation methods.

So observing the in and out breath,

For example.

So when we come to meditate and cultivate our minds,

We can recollect the good deeds that we've done and do that very frequently.

This good kamma that we have created just all the time in the past,

How we've helped to create stupas,

We've helped to support the Buddhasasana,

Helped to offer land for monasteries and then build monasteries,

Helped people who are going through hard times.

And all of this is goodness,

This is all merit.

But when we do merit,

We shouldn't just throw it aside,

We shouldn't just neglect it.

But rather we should think about it,

Contemplate it,

Bring it up,

Recollect that goodness frequently.

Because if we don't recollect goodness,

Our minds will recollect other things.

They'll recollect ill will,

They'll recollect anger,

They'll recollect the emotions and the things that have happened that bring chaos to our minds.

And so the mind isn't cool then,

It's full of heat.

So we should be recollecting this goodness,

The skillfulness,

The merit that we have created.

And by doing this,

We are striving and putting in our effort towards abandoning unwholesome things and cultivating skillfulness.

So the benefit of generosity,

Virtue and meditation is happiness,

Is heaven.

But it's still possible we have that happiness for the mind to also be thinking in a very chaotic way.

So the Buddha then said that we should come to practice.

And by doing so,

This is Nekamma,

This is renunciation.

But it's renunciation in the heart that we don't need to ordain as a monk,

As a nun or a novice.

So when we recollect the goodness,

The skillfulness that we've done,

We recollect the Buddha,

We contemplate the Dhamma,

This is all Nekamma,

Renunciation.

This is us taking up the holy life.

When we have a heart of kindness and compassion,

This sympathetic joy in equanimity,

And the heart will develop,

It grows higher.

It goes higher than the level of a human.

So we know we all have human bodies,

But if our minds are bright,

Then they are devas.

Then they are devas.

And you can see this on people's faces,

How they really beam with brightness.

So for some people,

When they go back to work,

They have those duties,

Then the mind becomes a human again.

Even though the work that they're doing,

It's an honest work,

But the mind can still be quite frantic.

And however,

Coming to the monastery,

They can put down those duties,

And there's this contentment,

A brightness that comes in the heart,

And the heart turns into a deva and becomes celestial.

So the Buddha said that even though we may have this happiness arise,

That that is something which is also not sure.

It's also inconstant,

It doesn't last.

It's possible for the mind to become sad again.

And the mind is bright,

But then when it meets with a particular sensation and our mindfulness is insufficient,

Then it can drop.

So we need to train so that our mindfulness and our samadhi are really firm.

So sometimes practitioners,

They can do this,

Bring the mind to a state which is very happy and still and peaceful.

And this is samadhi.

And some people are able to cultivate that to the level of a Brahma God.

But when they meet with an emotion,

And then the mind can fall again.

So the Buddha taught about suffering,

About the cause of suffering,

Its cessation,

And the path leading to that cessation.

And this path which develops our hearts so that they go higher and higher,

Closer and closer to Nibbana,

Step by step.

So we can look at our own minds and ask,

What level is my mind?

Am I firm in generosity and virtue?

If I have virtue already,

Well,

What about samadhi?

Is that firm yet?

If it's not,

Then try to do it.

And what about wisdom?

Do I have that yet?

Is there much wisdom in my mind?

Have I seen how physical and mental things are inconstant,

They're stressful,

Not-self?

Have I seen into the nature of samuddhi and vimuddhi as convention and liberation?

And something that I've spoken about many times before,

That previous I was listening to a talk by Venerable Ajahn Chah,

My mind became empty,

And I saw into conventions,

And the mind became vimuddhi,

Reached liberation.

It was this joy that arose through seeing the Dhamma.

It came up for three days and three nights,

And seeing all things in this world as Anicca,

Dukkha,

Anatta,

That these are all not-sure things,

And that no one can take anything in this world with them.

And so then I came to really set my heart firmly on the practice,

To cultivate it more,

And seeing this nature of arising and ceasing,

Seeing the breaking apart of conditioned things,

How these are not-sure things,

How the body must fall apart,

And the mind can reach this equanimity there,

That doesn't give rise to liking or disliking.

This understanding about how all things arise and cease in each passing moment,

And you can't find a self within any of it.

And so if we get to this point,

Then we see Nibbāna.

This is wisdom arising here.

So when we're cultivating this path,

We should understand that this is the way that leads us to Nibbāna.

When we cultivate Sila,

Then this is getting us closer to Nibbāna.

When we cultivate Samādhi,

This is getting us even closer.

We cultivate wisdom,

Then we're very close.

And so it's like a tree,

And that tree has its leaves,

And that,

We can compare that to generosity.

So if a tree is full of green leaves,

Then those who go under it,

Under its shade,

They feel very refreshed.

It feels very cool,

The sunlight hits the leaves,

And then the tree produces oxygen,

And we take in that oxygen.

It's not dry,

But if a tree doesn't have any leaves,

Then the sunlight just goes right through it,

And we feel hot,

Doesn't produce any oxygen.

A tree also needs its bark as well in order to keep its moisture in so that that doesn't get released.

And so that bark is Sila,

Is virtue.

And then the Samādhi is the sap wood of the tree,

And the heartwood is that of Paññā.

So the Buddha gave this example.

So when we practice,

Then we should set our hearts on the highest.

We should really have our hearts firmly set on the highest.

And trying to reach the end of suffering,

Trying to see the Dhamma.

So to do that,

We need generosity,

Virtue,

And meditation.

And we need Sila,

Samādhi,

And Paññā as well.

And then one day,

If we carry on doing this,

Then we will see that,

Even though we may still have a family,

It's not that those living with a family can't do this.

In the Buddha's time,

There were many householders who were Sotāpannas.

And so we can ask ourselves then,

Do we have a lot of greed?

Well,

We don't.

Do we want to take the wealth of others?

Well,

We don't want that.

Do we have firm faith in the Buddha and the Bodhisattva?

Well,

We do.

And do we see how kind of the nature of all conditioned things?

Can we accept that?

Can we see how that's not self?

And if we have these qualities,

Then we have the qualities of a Sotāpanna,

Of a stream-entrer.

And so when we have those qualities,

Then we make them firmer,

Give more energy to them.

And so they become firmly established,

And we don't have any doubts anymore.

So therefore,

For us,

If we're traveling on a long journey,

We need a guide to take us there,

To take us to goodness.

And when we found that guide,

We should sincerely follow him.

We should try to stay with the wise,

With people who truly know,

Both the external wise,

And the internal wise.

Both the external wise person and the internal wise person.

Those who take us to cultivate generosity,

Virtue,

And meditation,

Who can take us to give rise to wisdom.

And this is something that's important.

Sometimes people may ask,

Why is it that I'm not fully giving myself to the practice?

But we should see how the lay people,

The laymen,

The laywoman,

That they are a part of the Buddhasāsana,

A very important part,

That they support the Buddhasāsana.

And if we didn't have them,

Then the monks,

The nuns,

The novices,

Wouldn't be able to practice.

And so this is a really high duty,

That of supporting the Buddhasāsana,

A very lofty,

A very high duty.

So the Buddha,

He kind of came into this world,

And the Krubbhajans,

They have arisen already.

And they,

The Krubbhajans,

These awakened masters,

That they helped to cultivate and give rise to the members of the religion,

To train monks,

To build monasteries,

To develop people's faith.

But if they didn't get support,

They wouldn't be able to succeed in that.

And so we need people supporting the Buddhasāsana,

Both in terms of the practice and the theory as well.

And there's,

For those who can do this,

They have a lot of Barami.

And so all of this support that one gives,

This is cultivating Barami as well.

Those who do it a lot,

They have great Barami.

We can say that those who do this,

They are Bodhisattvas who have come into this world,

That they're helping to support the Buddhasāsana so that it can stay in this world for its 5,

000 years.

Whatever the case,

If we offer just one spoon of rice,

Just one bag of food that we offer Samadhi for the altricity of the monastery,

All of this is supporting the Buddhasāsana.

All of this is us walking this path of Sila,

Samadhi and Paññā until this all comes together.

So if we carry on this path,

If we have the aspiration to become a Buddha in the future,

Then we'll succeed.

If we have the aspiration to become a direct Sāvaka,

A direct awakened disciple of the Buddha,

Then we'll succeed.

If we have the aspiration to become a normal Sāvaka,

So someone after the time of the Buddha and Arahant,

Then we'll succeed in that.

And so this is due to this goodness that we're creating,

This merit,

This generosity,

This virtue,

This meditation.

So may you all carry on doing that.

May you carry on cultivating this,

These good deeds,

This good kamma,

And may this develop into the fruit of Nibbāna.

So may you grow in blessings.

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