The Great Discourse on the Wheel of Dhamma

anicca by noting every instance of seeing, hearing etc.

"Magga sacc@ is the path to be developed" means development by noting each phenomenon of seeing, hearing etc. Similarly "samudaya should be eliminated" means craving should be put away by contemplating on the truth of suffering. "Nirodha saccd should be realized" means that after fully understanding the truth of suffermg, through comtemplation and developing the vipassand magga, ultimately nirodha saccG will be realized.

When the Buddha told them how he came to know what should be known by developing the middle path also called the eightfold path, his audience could understand that they too would come to know what should be known by developing the middle path. It is just like a person recounting how the disease he was suffering from was cured of by taking a certain effective medicine. Persons having the same disease wil realize that they could also cure their disease by the same medicine.

The Buddha's audience at that time was made up of people who were already accomplished in pdramis to attain higher knowledge by hearing the first sermon of the Buddha. They were in a position to understand what he meant. Accordingly, it could be taken that they contemplated on the truth of suffering at the moment of occurrence, developing vipassana ndna in successive stages, and ultimately realized Nibbana by means of the four ariya magga.

There is no doubt that the good people forming this audience could also, by contemplating on the truth of suffering, by taking note of the phenomenon of rising and vanishing, come to know the four truths as they should be known and realize the higher knowledge of the Arivan path and fruttion.

Understanding the sermon in the manner | have just explained, one of the audience at the first sermon of the Blessed One, the Venerable Kondanna, noting all the phenomena of hearing, knowing, feeling of devotion and pleasure, feeling glad, touching, seeing that appeared to him at the time of nsing, developed vipassana magga and realized sotdpatti path and fruition. How he

realized them will be the subject of our discussion later.

Eighteen crores of Brahmas likewise achieved similar realization. According to Milinda Pali text, innumerable kamdavacara devas also meditated in a similar way and attained the higher knowledge of the ariya path and fruition. Because all the beings who were developed sufficiently to receive the dhamma had attained higher knowledge and because he had completely covered all the dhammas he should teach, the Blessed One brought his sermon to conclusion with closing words just quoted above. The reciters at the first Council had recorded this account of the termination of the sermon and how the group of five Bhikkhus were gladdened by the sermon in these words:

RECORDS OF THE SANGHAYANA, THE FIRST GREAT COUNCIL

Idamavoca Bhagava, attamand pancavaggiya Bhikkhu

bhagavato bhdasitam abhinandunti.

Thus spoke the Blessed One, starting with "dve me, Bhikkhave, antaé pabbajitena na sevitabba” and ending with “nathi dani punabbhavoti,” and the group of five Bhikkhus greatly rejoiced, welcomed the words of the Blessed One with delight.

Then the Theras of the first Council also recorded how the Venerable Kondanna attained the higher knowledge.

Imasaminca pana veyyakaranasamin bhannamdne

Gyasamato Kondannassa virajan vitamalam dhammacakkhum

udapadi .... yam kinci samudaya dhammam, sabbam tam

nirodha dhammam ti.

"It is worthy of special note that: While this discourse was being expounded or has just been expounded, the dustless stainless eye of dhamma otherwise sofdpatti magga ndna arose to the Venerable Kondanna," Everything that has the nature of arising has the nature of ceasing." Briefly, this record stated that the Venerable Kondanna became a sofdpanna, a stream-winner by attainment of sotdpatti path and fruition. When did it happen? He attained it while the Blessed One was "expounding the discourse." This is the

precise translation of the grammatical tense as given in the text, namely, bhanamdne, bhaniyamGne. The Saratta Dipani sub—commentary reproduced the same tense. But Patisambhida commentary preferred to take the perfect tense, past tense proximate to the present tense, bhanite, meaning ‘after being expounded.’ We have similarly rendered it as ‘has just been expounded.’

HOW THE VENERABLE KONDANNA ATTAINED HIGHER

KNOWLEDGE WHILE LISTENING TO THE DISCOURSE

The Venerable Kondanna could have developed the Eightfold Path and attained the ariya magga phala while the Blessed One was enunciating on the Middle way otherwise the Eightfold Path during the discourse. When he heard about the four Noble Truths too, he could have contemplated on it to know what should be known and attained the higher knowledge of magga phala. Especially when he heard that the truth of suffering should be fully comprehended and magga should be developed, it is very probable that he would contemplate on the truth of suffering otherwise the upadanakkhandhas and by developing the vipassand magga, attained the higher knowledge of sotapatti path and fruition.

As for contemplating on suffermg, by noting the sound of dhamma at every ‘instant of hearing it, he would come to know the reality as it is and the nature of anicca, dukkha and anatta and in this way developed the Eightfold Path. When deep appreciation for the meaning of the discourse arose, it could be contemplated upon. Devotional appreciation of the dhama and for the voice that delivered it could be noted too as it occurred. Rejoicing that came after appreciation, the thrill of joy, piti, that accompanied it could all be contemplated upon. It is quite probable that piti was taken as an object for contemplation. It was mentioned in the P4li texts that, at the moment when the mind was feeling fit and prepared, soft and tender, free from hindrances, elated and exultant, full of faith and devotion, hearing the discourse on the four truths, many had attained to higher knowlcdge. The eightfold path could also be

developed by taking note of what is taking place in the body, the Sensatons of sufferings or pleasure felt in the body, and by contemplating on the act of paying respectful homage to the Buddha.

Seeing, hearing etc mentioned above with respect to the n@ma and rupa presently arising are not just pannatti, mere terms or names; they are paramattha dhammas, ultimate realities which actually exist, which actually occur. Upddanakkhandhas are such realities. The dukkha saccd which should be fully comprehended is also .a_ reality, paramattha dhamma. When, in accordance with the teaching that dukkha sacc& should be fully comprehended every phenomenon is noted, dukkha saccd is fully comprehended through understanding the nature of anicca, dukkha and anatta. On each occasion of understanding in this way, craving which may arise because of the notion of nicca, sukha.and atta gets eliminated having no opportunity to arise. This is then momentary abandonment of samudaya.

Delusion or ignorance with respect to the object under contemplation together with kilesd, kamma and vipdka that may arise in connection with it vanish and come to cessation too with each noting. This is momentary cessation achieved with each noting by virtue of having accomplished it. It goes without saying that vipassana maggas are bemg developed at each moment of observation. In this way by noting what was seen, heard, etc the Venerable Kondanna developed vipassand which knows the four Truths as it should be known and attaied the Sotdpanna path and fruition while he was listening to the discourse on Dhammacakka; in other words he became a sotdpanna by realizing the sotapatti magga and phala just at the end of the discourse. HOW MAGGA NANA IS DUST-FREE AND STAINLESS

The sotdpanna ndna attained by the Venerable Kondanna was praised in the sutta as being dust-free and stamless. It would be profitable to consider how this sof@ponna ndna was dust-free and stainless. Saratta Dipani sub-commentary states: It is dust free being free from the dust and dirt of raga, lust which would lead *o

the nether worlds; stainless being free from defilements of ditthi and vicikiccha. This is a figurative description of kilesds which are eliminated by sotdpatti magga. But Patisambhidé magga commentary considers both dust as well as defilements as rdga etc. Lust, rdga, tends to conceal, to cover up and hence is likened to dust. Again, lust is likened to impnrities or defilements because it spoils or brings destruction.

Another consideration arises here: Does “being free from dust and defilements" mean (a) arising of the eye of dhamma otherwise magga ndna unaccompanied by dust and defilements; or (b) not hindering or interfering with magga ndna so that Nibbana could not be seen ? Magga, however, has no association with kilesds. It is obvious, therefore, that it has no reference here to unaccompaniment of dust and defilements. Thus "bemg free from dust and defilements" should be understood in the sense of. ‘not hindering or interfering with magga ndna so that Nibbana could not be seen."

This is how hindrance is overcome: whilst’ ditthi and vicikicch@, which should be eliminated by sotdpatti magga and raga which leads to the nether world, remain m force, in spite of vipassana «meditation, Nibbana is not seen yet by means of sotdpan n@na. It is just like the inability to see because of the cataract in the eye. But when vipassand nGna becomes fully accomplished and strengthened, the ditthi, vicikicchd and raga which would lead to the nether world would get weakened; they can no longer hinder so as not to see the Nibbana, just as the layer of cataract which gets thinner can no longer completely cover up the eye sight. Then sotépannd magga ndna can see through and realize the Nibbana. Such capacity to perceive through and realize the Nibbana is described as “being free from dust, virdga; free from stains, vitamala.”

Magga ndna eradicates only after vpassand has done its utmost to elimmate.

The above interpretation falls into conformity with the figurative description of the "eye of dhamma" and with the expositions

in the Visuddhimagga and Mahatika which state that supramundane magga ndna eradicates without remainder only those kilos which have been weakened to the utmost by the mundane vipassana nana.

MAGGA NANA EVOLVES OUT OF VIPASSANA NANA

It should be especially noted here that supramundane magga ndina does not come forth from nowhere. As successive consciousness arise out of preceding consciousness, magga nana can also be said, by way of unity, to have arisen out of vipassand ndna. Thus defilements such as ditthi, vicikicchd etc which have been debilitated by the power of vipassand ndna can no longer keep the Nibbana hidden from view. "By being dust-free and stainless" is meant this inability of rdgas etc to keep the Nibbana hidden any more.

Brahmayu sutta of Majjhima Panndsa describes the three lower maggas as dhamma cakku, the eye of dhamma. In the Cularahulovada sutta of Upari Pannasa, all the four paths and fruitions are described as the eye of dhamma. When, therefore, these higher attainments are stated to be “dustfree and stainless," it means that kama, raga and vydpGda are so weakened by virtue of vipassana nana that they could not keep the Nibbana hidden from view. We have taken the trouble of delving deeply into these points so as to make it easily comprehensible that ariva magga ndna does not arise out of nowhere, but evolves only from vipassand nana by virtue of sufficing conditions m nature, pakatupanissaya.

The question arises then: How does this dhamma cakkhu otherwise the soft@patti magga ndna arise? This ndna arises by perceiving that "every thing that has the nature of arising has the nature of passing away." There are two modes of perceiving in this manner. At the moment of developmg udayabbaya nana, seeing the phenomenon of origination and instant dissolution, realization comes that what arises passes into dissolution. This is perception by means of vipassan@ ndina. When sankharupakkha ndina is fully established while noting the continuous process of dissolution of rupa a ndma, a stage is reached when (volitional activities of) nama; rupa

and sankhdras appears to get dissolved into a state of complete cessation. This is perceiving the peaceful bliss of Nibbana by actually realizing it, when all the phenomena of constant arising come to complete cessation. This is perception by means of ariya magga nana.

The eye of dhamma otherwise called sofdpatti ndna is developed by the second kind of perceiving. For this reason, attainment of sotdpatti magga is clearly indicated when all volitional activities of ndma and rupa get dissolved into a state of complete cessation. Once realized by sotdpanna nana, the knowledge that perceives that "everything that arises gets dissolved" remains firm, unshakeable. Hence, Cularahulovada Sutta describes the realization of all the four magga ndnas in the same words. "The dust-free, stainless eye of dhamma arose: everything that has the nature of arising has the nature of passing away."

All ndma rupa cease when Nibbana becomes the object of magga nana.

Quoting Culaniddesa commentary which states: "By means of sotdpatti magga, four consciousnesses..connected with wrong view. ditthigata sampayutta, and one consciousness accompanied with doubt, vicikicchdsahagutta, these five akusala consciousnesses come to cessation,” a certain person is going round teaching and writing attempting to refute the statement "At the moment of sotapati path and fruition, all ndmarupa sankhdras are perceived to have ceases." He seems to hold that "sotdpatti path and fruition has as its object only the cessation of the five akusala consciousnesses brought about by sofdpatti magga. "This is a very wrong view for the simple reason that Nibbana is not partial cessation of akusala; nor cessation in parts of ndma rupa dhammas. As a matter of fact, Nibbana means complete cessation of three vatfas namely, kilesa, kamma and vipdka, complete cessation of all nama rupa sankhdras, all compounded things. Thus to the question "what has ariya magga as its object ?" the reply would be that it has Nibbana as its object and Nibbana is, as just explained, complete cessation of all condi-

tioned ndma and rupas. Thus the assertion, "At the moment of attainment of sotdpatti path and fruition, one perceives only the coming into cessation of the sense-object known as well as the knowing mind,” is a factual statement of what is actually observed.

A careful study of Ajita sutta in the Parayana vagga on which the exposition was given in the said commentary to Culaniddesa Pali text, will reveal the statement therein: "At this peace of Nibbana all ndma rupa cease." Furthermore, if questioned, "Is Nibbana which is the object of sot@patti magga the same Nibbana which is the object of the higher maggas ?”, the answer would be "Yes, the same, there is no difference." Were sotdpatti magga to have the five akusala consciousnesses as its object and the other maggas to have as their objects the cessation of respective consciousnesses they have eradicated, the objects of four maggas would be four different Nibbanas. There is, however, no such difference and itis obvious therefore that all the four maggas have as their objects the one and only Nibbana.

For these reasons we have stated above "That sotdpath magga must have as its object only the cessation of the five akusala consciousness" is a totally wrong view.

We have digressed from the main discourse to make some critical remarks about certam wrong assertions. We must now come back to the original topic by recounting the meaning of the Pali text:

"While this discourse was being expounded or has just been expounded, the dust-free stamless eye of dhamma otherwise sotdpatti magga nana arose to the Venerable Kondanna, "Everything that has the nature of arising has the nature of ceasing."

WAS NOT MAGGA NANA ATTAINED

BY APPRECIATION OF THE DISCOURSE ?

Here is a point for argument. Is it not a fact that in the passage just quoted, there is no mention of the Venerable Kondanna engaging in the practice of vipassand ? It mentions only that the eye of dhamma or soldpatti magga was developed while the Blessed One was expounding the dhamma or just finished expound-