From: fstawit@icomp01.lerc.nasa.gov (Tawit Chitsomboon)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Sabbe Dhamma Anatta
Date: 15 Apr 92 20:28:37 GMT
Organization: ----


                   Sabbe Dhamma Anatta

     One night I was sitting in meditation outside in the open air --
my back straight as an arrow -- firmly determined to make the mind quiet,
but even after a long time it wouldn't settle down. So I thought, "I've
been working at this for many days now, and yet my mind won't settle down
at all. It's time to stop being so determined and to simply be aware of 
the mind." I started to take my hands and feet out of the meditation posture, 
but at the  moment I had unfolded one leg but had yet to unfold the other,
I could see that my mind was like a pendulum swinging more and more slowly,
more and more slowly -- until it stopped.

     Then there arose an awareness which was sustained by itself.Slowly I put
my legs and hands back into position.At the same time,the mind was in a state
of awareness absolutely and solidly still,seeing clearly into the elementary
phenomena of existence as they arose and disbanded,changing in line with their
nature -- and also seeing a separate condition inside, with no arising, 
disbanding or changing, a condition beyond birth and death: something very
difficult to put clearly into words, because it was a realization of the
elementary phenomena of nature, completely internal and individual.

    After a while I slowly got up and lay down to rest. This state of mind
remained there as a stillness which sustained itself deep down inside.
Eventually the mind came out of this state and gradually returned to normal.

    From this I was able to observe how practice consisting of nothing but
fierce desire simply upsets the mind and keeps it from being still. But when 
one's awareness of the mind is just right, an inner awareness will arise
naturally of its own accord.Because of this clear inner awareness, I was able
to continue knowing the facts of what's true and false, right and wrong from
that point on, and it enabled me to know that the moment when the mind let go
of every thing was a clear awareness of the elementary phenomena of nature,
because it was an awareness that knew within and saw within of its own
accord -- not something you can know or see by wanting.

     For this reason the Buddha's teaching, "Sabbe dhamma anatta -- All
phenomena are not self," tells us not to latch onto any of the
phenomena of nature, whether conditioned or conditionless. Form that point
on I was able to understand things and let go of attachment step by step.

     -- Excerpt from "Looking Inward", by K.KhoaSuanLuang


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     K. Khao-suan-luang is the penname of Kee Nanayon (1901-1978)
, one of the foremost women teachers of Dhamma in modern Thailand.
Following Thai tradition, she took her penname from the name of the
place where she lived: the forested hill in Rajburi province where she
had established a woman's center for practicing Dhamma. Although she
did not allow men to reside in her center, both men and women were welcome
to visit on the weekly Observance days and listen to her talks. Known for
the simplicity of her way of life, and the direct, uncompromising style of her 
teaching, she had a way with words evident not only in her talks but also
in her poetry, which was widely published.

(Another excerpt from her teaching...)

    Those who see this pure condition of Dhamma in full clarity are bound
to grow disenchanted with the repeated sufferings of life. When they know
the truth of the world and the Dhamma throughout, they will see the result
clearly, right in the present, that there exists that which lies beyond all
sufferrings. They will know this without having to ask or take it on faith
from anyone, for the Dhamma is PACCATTAM, i.e. somethings really to be
known for oneself. Those who have seen this truth within themselves will
attest to it always. 

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 Good is not truth.  Bad is not truth.  
 Truth is neither good nor bad.
..............................................................

 When the machine is in neutral, it is least effective.
 When the mind    is in neutral, it is most  effective.
	    -- Kee Nanayon
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Tawit  Chitsomboon
fstawit@icomp01.lerc.nasa.gov