Biodata of Bro. Teoh Kian Koon

Bro. Teoh graduated from University of Malaya in Civil Engineering in 1979. He has been a spiritual practitioner cum ‘Meditator’ since 1971. Since his retirement in 2001 from his Engineering career, he has been sharing his understanding and experiences of the Dhamma with those who are keen in their search for true happiness, peace and liberation from birth and death and all mental suffering. With these understanding it is hoped that they can become more virtuous, nobler, and wiser so that they can be a blessing to all. He gives dhamma talks, holds and conducts meditation classes & retreats and weekly Dhamma classes at various meditation centres, Buddhist societies and places that invite him.

For more details of Bro. Teoh’s dhamma activities and his Kalyāṇamittaship grouping please visit his dhamma website at: http://broteoh.com

1 Preface

It is Brother Teoh’s sincere wish that Dhamma friends, spiritual practitioners, seekers of truth, and cultivators will be able to make use of the enclosed dharma transcript notes to develop a better understanding of the Buddha Dhamma as taught by the Buddha so that they may progress along the path of dhamma to become more virtuous, nobler, and wiser human beings to be a blessing to all of humanity and the world.

As these notes were mostly compiled based on a transcript from the recording of his Thursday dhamma class (dated 11.7.2019); the text is aligned as closely as possible to the colloquial speech in the talk. However, some editorial amendments have been made to the text without detracting from the essence of the talk to make it more readable with lesser colloquial connotations. With this, it is hoped that readers can accordingly adjust themselves to better understand its true meaning and intent. A good way to do this is to listen to the recordings first before reading the transcript notes.

To listen to the recording (audio file:https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-190711.mp3) or you can visit our http://broteoh.com website under Repository of Dhamma material to view the YouTube video. Alternatively, go to Appendix to look for the appropriate links to download them.

YouTube: What is the Difference between Awareness & Consciousness? https://youtu.be/swePGfKx6as

2 Acknowledgement

It is the donors’ sincere intentions that these dhamma transcript notes be shared with those who are interested and have the affinity to receive them. I would like to take this opportunity to thank and rejoice in the generosity and wholesomeness of all those Dhamma friends or Kalyāṇamittas who have donated and helped in the transcription, formatting, proofreading, pāli words editing, publishing etc. to make this free distribution of dhamma dāna possible.

Special thanks should be accorded to Brother Beng Lim, Sister Alicia Cheong, Sister Chow Mun Yuen, Sister Lim Poh Ghim and Sister Han Poh Cheng who had volunteered and taken the initiative to help prepare the initial draft transcripts for my subsequent editing thereby enabling this dhamma transcript book to be printed.

By the power of all these wholesomeness, may all beings be well and happy, free from all mental and physical sufferings and dangers and may there be love, peace and joy - deep within their hearts. And may it also pave the way for there to be causes and conditions for all dhamma friends who have donated or helped in one way or another to realise their good and noble wishes/aspirations soonest possible.

With Metta always,

Brother Teoh Kian Koon

(Dated: 18th June 2023)

3 What is the difference between Awareness and Consciousness? (Dated 11th July 2019)

3.1 Pre Pūjā chanting

Greetings by Bro Teoh: Today is 11th July 2019, Thursday class. Let us compose our mind and develop the saddhā, vīriya and sati to commence our pre-Puja chanting now. …………. End of Puja chanting.

3.2 Awareness-based Meditation

As usual, we will have our half an hour of awareness-based meditation. We will turn off the lights and you can proceed with your meditation. Just relax the body and mind and maintain some form of attention, then we can commence our half an hour of awareness-based meditation. Always remember ‘awareness-based meditation’ is to enable us to develop the awareness within. So, we just silence our mind, relax the body and mind, and maintain awareness. Just do that, no need to know or do anything because the knowing and doing are always by the thoughts. Make your mind alert, attentive, and aware. Just aware. Whatever arises, “aware, finish”. No need to continue with the thinking or mental stirring or proliferation of thought process. Just aware,silence; aware, silence; to develop more and more moments of awareness. Then allow the “awareness” to become your main activity. Meaning your mind is most of the time just aware. Whatever object of awareness (can be your heartbeat or any vibration within your heart area) you use to anchor your awareness, rest there. Later, when all these activities and movements have become very subtle and very still, there is nothing for you anchor your awareness to. During that time, you just stay around the heart area. Or if you are using your breathing (Ānāpānasati) as your object of meditation, then stay with your Ānāpānasati to develop awareness of the in and out breath. Meaning maintain the awareness, just aware like what the Buddha said, ‘breathing in aware, breathing out aware’. Whenever the mind wanders off, bring it back and develop this training of your awareness until this breath becomes very subtle and very still.

It is the same whether you start with the object of meditation or you straight away start at your heart area or wherever you can place your awareness, you just stay there. Those of you who are familiar with the rising and falling of the abdomen can also do the same, you can stay there (at the abdomen) and maintain awareness there. Those are the activities to anchor your mind, to allow your mind to stay there. But finally, you must return to your heart. If that's the case, you might as well go to the heart straight away. But for those who do Ānāpānasati, you don't worry. Ultimately, the Ānāpānasati will take you down to the heart area, because the in-breath will take you down to the heart and from the heart, it will develop the movement outwards.

When you can stabilizeyour awareness (sati), your mind will start to become different. You will have no more thought. You are only aware. When you are just aware, you are not thinking. And because you don't think, you become very quiet, very peaceful, and very still. That's how you can experience pīti, sukhaṃ and finally passaddhi (thetranquillity andstillnessof mind).When everything has become very quiet, very still and very subtle, don't do anything, just stay at the heart area, stay there. The mind is now a free mindwithout any movement of thought, nothing. Then let it stay there until the mind enterssati. You must develop it until the awareness nature within is very stable, very still, and clear until like no more movement of thought, no more saṅkhāra activity. Everything is very quiet, very still. That is your true mind, your meditative mind, your silent mind, your awareness nature within. That is the one you need to realize. Without that, you cannot realize the first hallmark of Master Hui Neng (the 6th Patriarch). Master Hui Neng said, ‘you must realize the first hallmark of no thought: 無念的境界 (Wú niàn de jìng jiè). 無念 (Wú niàn) means without thought’. Then, inquire: ‘without thought, who are you? What are you’? You will understand when you reach that state. That is why the initial training to be aware is very important. Spend time on it, stabilize it. Then you will progress in your meditation. Okay, now I will let you meditate on your own. I will now set the alarm so that you can have the 30 minutes of awareness-based meditation.

The four supports (Relax, Aware, maintaining Awareness and Trust) for awareness-based meditation are very important. Allow your body and mind to be completely relaxed.Relax means don't do anything, be at ease, let things be. Whatever arises, just aware. Because you are relaxed, all your stress, tensions and whatever tightness and unrelaxed part within your physical and mental, they will slowly adjust itself and settle downtoreach a state of still relaxation and be at ease. Meaning, you are truly relaxed. When you are truly and completely relaxed, it means there is nothing troubling you. Your mind is at peace, your physical body is without stress, without tension. When that physical body is so relaxed until you are completely without anytension or stress, that is your meditative body, and mind that is just aware and at ease. There is nothing to trouble the mind. You can just let things be and the “awareness nature” stabilize. This awareness nature is your true mind, your inner (or true) nature, and your meditative silent mind. That “awareness nature” is very important and you must stabilize and realize it. Okay now I will let you meditate on your own for 30 minutes. Ting! x3 (End of 30 minutes of awareness-based Meditation).

3.3 Post Meditation Dhamma sharing

You can now slowly, and mindfully come out of the meditation. Try to maintain whatever inner peace, inner calmness, and inner awareness that you have developedfor as long as you can. These are the mind states you need to live life and to develop the daily mindfulness (awareness), to be aware throughout the day, leading to Heedfulness.

3.3.1 Dhamma sharing by Brother Teoh on the topic: What is the difference between Awareness and Consciousness?

Bro Teoh: This question/topic is very good. What is the difference between Awareness and Consciousness? Understanding these two terms is very important. How many of you understand? Nobody understands? Cannot be, after such a long period of sharing? Anybody wants to try answering it (based on what you all have learned)? Yes! Sister Eng Bee.

Sis Eng Bee:Brother Teoh, this is just based on whatever I understand.

Bro Teoh: You should understand, don’t worry, just answer based on what you understand then it should be correct.

Sis Eng Bee:When one is conscious it doesn’t mean he is aware. He may be conscious in the sense that he can hear, he can see, he can feel the tactile sensation and whatever, but it doesn’t mean that he is mindful or aware. He could be in a dreamy state.

Bro Teoh: Very Good! Yes, he could be heedlesslythinking or rattling off the thought process, etc. Thank you and Sadhu!

Bro Adam:Bro Teoh we can still have awareness even though we are unconscious, right? For example, when we are in a hospital on the operating table, we can be aware of our surroundings even though we have been put to sleep under anaesthesia.

Bro Teoh: Are you sure you can? When you are unconscious you are knock off. What you have heard is an out of the body experience (OBE). OBE means the consciousness has come out of the body. When the consciousness comes out, they can see, can hear, etc. they are like aware but when they speak, the human beings cannot hear or see them. That one, the mind has come out so is different. What Sis Eng Bee is trying to explain is based on the normal meaning of these words.

You see, as human beings we have this conscious moment in life. What does conscious of life mean? It means you are not asleep. You are not in the unconscious or subconscious sleeping modes. But people who meditate they can go into the sleeping mode yet maintain awareness inside. That is possible but you must be very good. You must have very stable mindfulness. That’s why, just now I ask you, when they sedate you, are you sure you can be aware? If you can, I will Sadhu you because that one very few people can do.

3.3.1.1 Understanding Awareness nature within

This inner awareness is an awareness that is within your nature, which can be aware of outside, aware of whatever that goes on within your form and mind. So, there is this inner awareness.

Awareness has two stages. First stage of awareness is just the normal worldly awareness which is from within or inside. You are aware of whatever that is going on. But most people are not aware because when their thoughts arise, they are lost in thought, and no longer aware. But if you have developed this training of the mind to be aware, you are always with your true mind and your inner awareness is very stable and very different. Very, very different. That one, can be aware of your thinking, your mental process, your consciousness, your whatever movements - whether physical or mental movements or even nature’s movements. This type of awareness has two modes, first is the specific phenomena awareness mode. It is just aware of the phenomenon, - means the awareness and the phenomenon move as one. The other one, is the awareness that is completely silent inside. It is a silent inner awarenesswithout a centre. We call it a spacious awareness. Your awareness becomes one with nature, the oneness nature. It has merged into the surroundings. It is just a oneness nature because there is no centre from which it will dwell. It has merged with the oneness. So those are the two modes of Awareness.

The second stage of awareness is the much more refined spiritual awareness borne of the supramundane mind.

3.3.1.2 The real meaning of Sati

Awareness is equivalent to Sati. The real meaning of SATI is to be in a state of awareness before the knowing. When you are mindful (aware), - that pure awareness before the knowing, is SATI. This is the reason why a lot of people fail to understand what consciousness is? Consciousness comes from the word conscious. When you become conscious, it means you are not in the sleeping mode. Then after you wakeup, you become conscious. Conscious of what? Conscious of life, isn’t it? Because you start to live life, you start to be in activities. So, you are conscious of life, conscious of living. And you have these senses in your body that can allow you to be conscious of what you see, what you hear, smell, taste, tactilely feel and think. So, these six senses bases can give rise to their respective six types of sense door consciousness.

3.3.1.3 Nine (9) Types of Consciousness as taught in Mahāyāna

In the Mahayana tradition they are taught the nine (9) types of consciousness. But the usually taught and discussed, are only the 8 types of consciousness. And because of this, Mahayana teachings are like very impressive. They will impress you with these 8 types of consciousness. They always start with the 6th consciousness (第六识) then the 7th consciousness (第七识) & and the 8th consciousness (第八识). But for Theravada we only know of one-word, Viññāṇaṃ and consciousness is always defined as viññāṇaṃ. But this word is very deep in its meaning. That’s why when it comes to the aggregates of mind the Buddha always use these Pali words: vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇaṃ (to refer to Feelings, Perceptions, Mental states or Formations and Consciousness respectively).

3.3.1.4 Understanding Mano, Citta and Viññāṇaṃ

There is another Pali word CITTA. So, what is the difference between Viññāṇaṃ and Citta. Then there is another Pali word MANO. When the Buddha taught Dhammapada verses 1 & 2 he always used the Pali word, Mano and said, ‘Mind is the forerunner of all things. Mind is chief. When mind arise, all things arise. Mind-made are they’. So here Mano is mind, the mundane or thinking mind.

Then when it comes to the four foundations of mindfulness, the Buddha used the word, ‘Cittānupassanā’ and what is Cittānupassanā? Mindfulness of what? Yes! mindfulness of content of consciousness. So, this Citta, is basically your thoughts and it arises afterthe contents of consciousnesswent in. This Viññāṇaṃ, if you check the 12 links of the Paṭicca Samuppāda (or the Law of Dependent Origination) teaching, - the first two links are Avijjā paccaya Saṅkhāra, then Saṅkhāra paccaya Viññāṇaṃ - this is the one, this Viññāṇaṃ is the 3rd link. This one is just the pure viññāṇaṃ (consciousness) without the contents yet. Once the content goes in, it becomes ‘Viññāṇaṃ paccaya Nama Rūpa’, - this Nama Rūpa is the thought, the mental 5 aggregates of form and mind. This is the one the Buddha is interested in. In the Paṭicca Samuppāda teaching this Nama Rūpa is what the thought is all about. When you input the contents of consciousness, this viññāṇaṃ becomes conditioned into the 5 aggregates of form & mind. This Viññāṇaṃ, which is the pure consciousness, will become the thought once the content of consciousness goes in. Reason why, the Buddha says, ‘in the seeing there is only the seeing consciousness. No one to see asyet’. The egoic mind hasn’t come in yet. At this stage the contentshaven’t gone into the viññāṇaṃ. So, what is happening is, due to ignorance or dependent on ignorance i.e., wanting to know, wanting to understand and experiencewe start to think. Then, what is thinking? Saṅkhāra activities are thinking. Thinking means you establish contact with the brain. Can you understand? When you think, you trigger off contact with the brain, then like the physics experiment analogy, what happen? The light bulb (or Mental consciousness) will light up, right? So, this Viññāṇaṃ is mental consciousness without the contents as yet. Then from here through your perceptions and brain’s conditionings, you input the contents of consciousness through your saṅkhāra activities – then with your views, your opinions, your conditionings etc., you react and stir your mind. All these create kamma via karmic consciousness. This Citta, the thought has the content of consciousness, and this content can be wholesome or unwholesome, dependent on the mental intention, and this is what kamma is all about. But in Theravada tradition they tend to use these words Citta, Mano and viññāṇaṃwithout much understanding regarding their differences. Most cultivators can’t understand their differences. Sometimes they inter use these three words without proper (clear) understanding.

So, the Mahayana teachings explaining the various 9 types of consciousness is very good. For Theravada tradition they only know this one equivalent word, Viññāṇaṃ. But if cultivator can understand the true penetrative teaching of the Theravada tradition, then they can also understand this Mahayana teaching because essentially there is no difference. Basically, it is just understanding how the 5 aggregates of Form and Mind can also give rise to the 8 types of consciousness as taught in Mahayana.

The first 5 types of consciousness are relatively easy to understand. They are your 5 types of main physical sense door consciousness. You have your 5 physical senses, right? You have the eye which can give rise to seeing consciousness. So, seeing, hearing, smelling, taste and touch or tactile consciousness are the first 5 types of consciousness. Then what is the 6th consciousness? It is Saññā (perception). What happens is when your eye sees something, initially like what the Buddha says, ‘In the seeing there is only the seeing consciousness. No one to see as yet’. That is the pure consciousness. Like the light bulb analogy used in the Physics experiment, the light bulb just lights up upon contact of the battery, the bulb, and the switch. This lighting up of the bulb is a natural phenomenon. It is like makes us conscious of what we see, hear, and smell etc. This is the pure consciousness without its contents.

This pure seeing or perception, is like in the case of a new-born baby, whose brain has got nothing; it cannot input any content because there is no conditioning, no views, no opinions, no learning as yet. So, this is the pure mental consciousness that just arises naturally. After that what do human beings or you do? Take for example, when you are looking at that painting or the Buddha image over there. Unless your mindfulness (or sati) is very stable, you cannot be at-the-moment of pure seeing before the perception. Can you do that? Very few people can do that. Because the moment you see, you will perceive (as you are so conditioned).

And how do you see? You label through words, through concepts and ideas. Hence you never really see. If you really see (seeingthings as they are) via the direct seeing, that thing has no word. That is the pure or direct seeing of an enlightened (awakened) being.

That is the reason why the Buddha said, ‘In the seeing there is only the seeing consciousness, no one to see as yet’. Then the perception comes in, you start to perceive. So, the 6th consciousness is perception. This perception links all the first five consciousness together with the brain. They are all connected to the mind which is the common denominator. So, when the mind perceives, this sixth consciousness arises, and perception is the aggregate of mind that brings the external forms into mind. And this external form is the sense data. At the moment of perception that is the 6th consciousness. After that what happened? Because we have this brain (with its views, opinions, and conditionings, etc.) it will cause the mind to stirdeludedly because this brain (before you are enlightened) is still egoic. This egoic mind is the 7th consciousness which is also the discriminating mind. After you perceived what happened? Your brain, your memories, with its conditionings,views,opinions, and belief system, etc., they will come out and act. And because you are not enlightened yet, this mind is egoic, hence it is discriminative. It will develop discrimination of likes and dislikes, pleasant and unpleasant reactions of mind. That is how the mind stirs, via creating mental hindrances of sensual desires (your likes) and ill-will (your dislikes). Every moment of consciousness when you see something your mind tends to stir, because there is preference (borne of your likes and dislikes, pleasant and unpleasant reactions of mind). So, if throughout the day, at every moment of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, tactile and the thought process you react and stir your mind, then what happens? You are creating mental hindrances all the time. Until it becomes habitual. This is what habitual tendencies are all about. When habitual tendencies develop it becomes latent. We call it latent tendencies or Anusaya in Pali. Very latent, like automatic. Immediately you see, straight away you will react. It is like reflex action (happening so fast) because you are so conditioned. So, this 7th consciousness is the one that creates karma. You create karmic during this time, but the intensity depends on the full movements, which is the 8th consciousness. This 8th consciousness, the Mahayana call it the Alaya or storehouse consciousness - storing up all the karmic accumulations.

This 8th consciousness is the resultant of the 7th consciousness because this 7th consciousness is like an ‘organ’. Why is it termed the ‘organ’? It is because the perception that brings in the external sensedata can trigger off the 8th consciousness. But this one even though it is the ‘organ’ (brain), it is also the one that creates the discriminative views. This egoic and discriminative mind is basically your mundane mind. They call it an ‘organ’ - is for you to develop understanding. So, the perception brings in the external sense data, then upon contact of the mind triggers off the 7th consciousness and the thought (the 8th consciousness). Have you heard of mental concocting – via saṅkhāra - saññā (saññā is perception and Saṅkhāra is mental activity or thinking). The moment you perceive you think, the moment you perceive you think. So, you create a concoction of the mind all the time. This is what happens, and these 6th, 7th, and 8th consciousness move very fast. Unless you are mindful you cannot see them. But when you have the stability of mindfulness, you can be at-the-moment of consciousness (viññāṇaṃ). You can even be at-the-moment of content of consciousness when it is input and forming this Nama Rūpa, you can see them. The whole Citta (the thought) you can see them. Then, before you stir your mind via your views, opinions, and conditionings you can also be aware (of all these mental movements). That is how you can come to understand why the unenlightened living beings ‘act according to memories. And why actingaccording to memories is not acting at all’. Because that is the only instrument they know how to act with. Most of you act through what? Your views, opinion, knowledge, and memory, isn’t it? That is the only instrument you know but after you have understood the Dhamma, the Truth you're supposed to have wisdom and Dhamma understanding. That is why you must act according to Dhammaunderstanding and wisdom (following the dhamma way) and that is trueaction. But how many of you can act that way? Hardly any, because most cultivators’ first and second turnings wisdom, the initial wisdom (yoniso manasikāra) is not stable yet. It cannot comeout and prompt them to act wisely. Instead, one straight away retrieve from memories and act based on what? Your fear, your phobia, your worries, your anxieties, your delusions, your selfishness, etc., via your egoicmind which is deluded and discriminative. You will start to see all these at the beginning of your cultivation. And when your stability of daily mindfulness comes to be, you will see all these moreclearly. Then you will naturally start to straighten your views to act according to wisdom and you will not do all those foolish and deluded things anymore because all these doings bring about the wrong thoughts. And what are my wrong thoughts? Thoughts thatconditioned fear, worries, anxieties, sorrows, lamentations, insecurities, etc. and all these are sufferings. That’s how wrong thoughts make you miserable.

3.3.1.5 Three (3) Types of Right views

Reason why in the teachings, the Buddha said, you must have right thoughts following the Noble Eight-fold Path (N8FP) borne of right views. What are these right views? It is Right understanding borne of wisdom. Reason why you ‘need to act according to rightunderstanding and wisdom’ leading to true action. Which means you act following the Noble Eight-fold Path. Starting with the right view and right understanding you act and there are three major areas of right views or right understanding.

They are:

1. Right understanding or right views with regards to the law of kamma (Kamma niyāma). That is how the advice of the Buddha comes about, how his teachings come about and how the precepts he taught come about and how the N8FP and the whole of his other teachings come about.

2. Then the second right view is right view with regards to how you function as a human being, following the Paṭicca Samuppāda, termed Citta niyāma. The nature's order of mind, how the mind functions following the 12-links or the Paṭicca Samuppāda teaching of the Buddha and

- The third one is the right view with regards to the essential Dhamma, all of Truth, and the Dhamma that Buddha teaches, which is termed Dhamma niyāma.

So, these three right views of Kamma niyāma, Citta niyāma and Dhamma niyāma are very powerful and very important right views or Truths.

These 6th ,7th and 8th consciousness are nothing more than our 5 aggregates of form andmind. The moment the 6th consciousness arises, it is still pure perception, no discrimination yet. But the moment you act according to following your views, opinions and conditionings and belief system then your egoic and discriminative mind surfaces. This is where all the problems start. This is where all the wrongthoughts, the discrimination and stirring of the mind happen. These reactions and stirrings of the mind arise because this one isstill unenlightened, hence without wisdom. But the moment you are enlightened, even as a Sotāpanna you will have the right understanding. The first three fetters of self-delusion, doubt and attachment to rites and ritual are already severed. They already know that this form and mind is not real, not a permanentunchanging entity that you can cling on to, grasp on to and hold on to as the ‘Me’ and the “I”, because this Ego (the egoic mind) has been attenuated, until like it has the understanding that there is nobody inside there. It will then also understand Anicca, Dukkha & Anattā. That’s why when you are a Sotāpanna (1st stage of sainthood) you are already safe. But there are still other fetters that can affect them because the Sotāpanna, still have sensual desires, ill will and aversion, but not strong. The moment they realized Sakadāgāmī (the 2nd stage of sainthood), their sensual desire and aversion are attenuated, with very little left. That is why the moment they become Anāgāmī (the 3rd stage of sainthood) sensual desires and ill will are completely rooted out. Then during that time, the last5 fetters they still must work on it until finally the last fetter, Avijjā (Ignorance) also gone. The last 5 fetters are: attachments to form and formless jhāna, Mana (minor conceit), restlessness of mind, and Avijjā. The moment all these last five fetters are rooted out, this discriminative mind no more because it has awakened and the 5 aggregates of form and mind will become pure aggregates, no more grasping (or upādāna) khandha. Do you know what pure aggregate is? Pure because it is non-grasping, no more egoic mind to grasp and cling at feelings, cling at what you perceived and cling at mental activities or saṅkhāra (mental states) that are being conditioned into. Then whatever you become conscious of (through your 8th consciousness) you will not be deceived because of your awareness, and wisdom. Then you will know how to act, and you will know how to input the pure content of consciousness.

These are the 8 types of consciousness the Mahayana teaches. They are just the 5 aggregates of form and mind, Nothing more. The 6th consciousness is the saññā aggregate. The 7th consciousness is the saṅkhāra aggregate. The egoic mind, the discriminative mind is basically saṅkhāra, mental activities or mental concocting. This mental concoction is very active, when you are heedless. Before you develop the ability to be aware and mindful you cannot see all these because they act very fast, split seconds you already get angry, become emotional and you want to hit out at others.

3.3.1.6 Importance of Heedfulness

That is the reason why when the Buddha taught Sati he emphasized on heedfulness. Without heedfulness you cannot deal with life. You are unable to understand life. To understand life, you must be heedful. And to be heedful there are two parts: Dhammapada verse 23 said, “The constantly meditative, ever mindful and steadfast one (meaning if one keeps to these two practices), one will realize the Supreme born-free Enlightenment,Nibbāna” - means assured of enlightenment in the here and the now. As the saying goes, ‘the heedful never dies whereas the heedless are as if dead’ (Dhammapada verse 21), also expressed the same. Then he said, “Heedfulness is the path to the deathless,” – it means you will have eternal life, you will never die ignorant, hence no morerebirth due to Avijjā. Imply you will eventually realize Arahantship (the 4th stage of sainthood) and beyond. So, this part, ever mindful and constantly meditative (means constantly cultivating Noble Eight-Fold Path) is what Heedfulness is. When you combine these two, you are heedful amid life. You must be heedful,not only when you are in a retreat, in formal meditation but also while in the midst of life. Not only your daily mindfulness (sati) must be very stable, but you must also have clear comprehension as well. That’s the reason why it is mentioned in the teaching, your Satisampajañña (mindfulness and clear comprehension) must also be very stable.

3.3.1.7 Avijjā Sutta

In the Avijjā Sutta, it is clearly stated that this Sati Sampajañña is step 5 of the 10 steps leading to enlightenment. The Buddha mentioned this in the Avijjā Sutta, you can go to our website (@ broteoh.com) and check, it is all there. There are 10 steps for you to follow to develop the cultivation so that you can realize enlightenment in the here and the now. And the first three steps, all Kalyāṇamittas, will have. What is the first step? Yes! To have noble friends or Kalyāṇamittas (spiritual/Dhamma friends)! If you’re part of our Kalyāṇamittas, how can you not have Dhamma friends? You surely have a lot, and there are two types of Kalyāṇamittas. One is just ordinary or normal Dhamma friends who walk the path of Dhamma to cultivate and progress along the path of Dhamma. The other one is Dhamma friendswho have Dhamma and that one is more difficult to find. As mentioned by Sister Eng Bee just now, ‘these noble friends who have the Dhamma, they can really guide and teach you. They can show you the way’. So, this first step to having dhamma friends is very important. All Kalyāṇamittas will have this attribute.

Then the Second step also you all will have. Why? Because if you have Kalyāṇamittas, you will know when there are Dhamma sessions or classes. Like our case, we have our Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday weekly classes, right? Then when we have Dhamma talks in the temple and other places, you all will be notified. So, having the opportune time to constantly listen to the True Dhamma is step two and this listening to the True Dhamma is a very important step because from this step 2, you get to develop step 3 and step 4. What is step 3? Should be very easy, isn’t it? After you have listened to the True Dhamma what will happen to you? No, no, your practice of course, you will carry on separately. But when you listen to True Dhamma, what do you develop? Yes! 1st and 2nd turnings wisdom leading to faith in the Buddha and his teachings. 1st turning wisdom is Suttamāyāpaññā - wisdom borne of hearing the sutta (discourses of the Buddha). So, if you keep listening to the true Dhamma, you will continuously straighten your views, right? That’s how you develop Suttamāyāpaññā. Then if you are still not so sure of the teaching, what must you do? The Buddha said, you must reflect, contemplate, and inquire into them, - like why did the Buddha say all these? Like the First Noble Truth’s 8 realities. You should go through them one by one. Why did the Buddha said, ‘birth is suffering? Old age, sickness and death are also suffering’? How can I understand them? - I need to reflect, contemplate, and investigate it to see whether it stands up to investigation or not. This is the 2nd turning wisdom termed cintamāyāpaññā. But most of us nowadaystend to associate birth with joy. Looking forward to being a grandparent or to being a daddy or mummy, then looking forward to the full moon day. You only think of the good things, but you never think of problematic things arising when there are complications during the birth process.Not all birth processes are smooth sailing. There can be complications. Sometimes the complication can be very traumatic. If the complication is such that the doctor comes out and asks you which one you want to save, the mother or the child? I can tell you such a test is not easy to pass. Of course, you can request the doctor to save both, but the doctor will tell you I will try my best, but you must decide, otherwise it will be very difficult. Especially so when the birth is an unusual birth, they call it Breech, where the leg comes out first, not the head. When there is a complication, they must do something, but nowadays they can have caesarean birth. They can cut open the womb and take it out. But if it's choked inside there for too long, not enough oxygen and the mother doesn’t have enough strength or energy to push, it can die inside. That’s why the doctor must act fast, and they will do whatever they can.

So, when there is complication only do we understand why birth is suffering? Then we can contemplate and reflect further, the moment there is birth what follows? Old age, sickness, and death, right? So, the Buddha is correct, Birth is truly suffering. Birth is not what you think. If you don't have the wisdom to accept the reality of the moment, then suffering will arise because birth, old age, sickness, and death, all these are 1st noble truth’s realities, common to all humanity. If you live life long enough you must confront them and whether you suffer or you don't suffer depends on your wisdom, your Dhamma understanding to understand all these. That’s why the five daily contemplations of the Buddha are very important. The Buddha said, you must reflect and contemplate that ‘this body of mine is of the nature to grow old, get sick and die for it has not gone beyond old age, sickness, and death. For itgoes the way of nature and it is non-self, dependent originating, condition arising, not a permanent unchanging entity, hence not me and I must not cling on to it via saying this is me, this is I and all these can be mine’. If I attach and cling to this body what happens? I will worry about it getting old, sick, and dying and I will suffer because I believe this is ‘Me’, this is the ego, the personality. But instead, this one is just a vehicle and tool, karmically conditioned out for you to come to this existential world to use, so use it wisely and not be deluded by it.This body is only elements, has got noknowing, and it goes the way of nature, so, how can it be you and moreover these elements are always in a state of flux, dependent originating and condition arising, following nature’s conditions. Similarly, you can see how these 5 aggregates of form and mind (the human being), with its life force animating you into a human being is also dependent originating, hence not a permanent unchanging entity.

With awareness-based meditation you will see and understand all these in the meditation. That’s how the Buddha’s mind freed. Remember the Buddha saw the four signs and he left the palace in search for enlightenment. To seek answers to the problems of old age, sickness, and death. The fourth sign is a holy man, a Samaṇa. That is why he chose to go the spiritual way to meditate. When he meditates and realizes this Law of dependent origination, the paṭicca samuppāda, he realized the form and mind is not a permanent unchanging entity, hence nothim and his problem is gone or no more. Birth, old age, sickness, and death have got nothing to do with him. It pertains to the form and mind – the human being. With this wisdom he went into cessation and realized nibbāna and his true nature within. That is how he frees. So, this is the understanding that can unfold.

3.3.1.8 The 3 turnings wisdom and yonisomanasikāra

When you listen to the True Dhamma you will develop a lot of contemplative wisdom via constant contemplation, reflection, and investigation. When it stands up to investigation your Faith becomes very strong. Faith in the Buddha and his teachings is step 3. Listening to the True Dhamma can bring about the 1st and 2nd turnings wisdom. With these 1st and 2nd turning wisdom cultivated, your understanding will start to stabilize, and you become very confident. You can assimilate all these understandings into your nature. That is how yonisomanasikāra, the initial wisdom borne of 1st and 2nd turnings wisdom of Suttamāyāpaññā and cintamāyāpaññā come to be. When this wisdom stabilized you will have this yonisomanasikāra, initial wisdom. Then the next time when you fall sick, get old and about to die that understanding will surface to let you understand that this form and mind is impermanence, dependent originating and condition arising, hence not a permanent unchanging entity. Not you, non-self, and empty. This understanding straight away will free you because you clearly understand that ‘this body is not me; it goes the way of nature. It will grow old, get sick and die’. So let it be. When conditions are like that, things will be like that. Just acceptthat reality and you will be free.

3.3.1.9 Five (5) Daily contemplations

That is why the first three of the five daily contemplations that the Buddha said, ‘this body of mineis of the nature to grow old, get sick and die for it has not gone beyond old age, sickness and death’ is very important and every day you must reflect and contemplate upon them. The 4th contemplation is ‘separation from your loved ones and prized possessions’. Separation will occur because these are all dependent originating entities or phenomena.Dependent on the conditions they arise. When the conditions cease to be they cease to be. That’s why they will separate from you one day. Even when you are still around, you may think you own them but when your breath stops, your identity will be erased, and you still will be separated from them. Separation from loved ones, your prized possessions, and the things that you hold onto dearly will happen because this is a reality which you can’t escape. When it happens, if you have the Dhamma you can accept what happens because all these are dependent originating and conditions arising entities within the phenomena world of consciousness. They arejust phenomena arising and passing away, following nature’s law. And they have the universal characteristics of impermanence, leading to suffering (I.e., when you attached and cling on to them you suffer because they are impermanent, hence ‘empty and non-self’, not what you think). All these understandings will surface, and this wisdom will free your mind. This is how you develop clear penetrative understanding. Then every time you see something this wisdom will surface: ‘He is just the way he is. The world is the world.When conditions are like that, things will be like that’. It will not stir your mind anymore. Even if he says something very abusive,very hurtful, and difficult for most people to endure. With your understandingyou can still accept him for what he is, and you can still have compassion and love towards him.

Like Jesus’s sayings, “Forgive him, for he knows not what he is doing”. Because he is what he is. Deluded people do deluded things. Angry people say angry things. Abusive people say abusive things. They are just the way they are. And if I have this understanding borne of Yonisomanasikāra I can come to terms with reality, I can accept him as he is, then I am at peace. But I still must act. It doesn’t mean that I don’t act and let him do what he likes. If I can apply the Noble Eight-Fold Path understanding with the right view, then I don’t get angry, I don’t stir my mind or react to what happened then he will not become violent. If you can say, ‘I am sorry, if I have caused you any misunderstanding I really would like to apologize’. The whole scenario will be different, right? Instead, if you try to justify and argue with him, you can get into big trouble. So why not develop the right speech and the right action to resolve it amicably via saying, ‘If I had caused you any misunderstanding or harm, I would like to sincerely apologize. I am sorry and thank you for your kind understanding’. The moment you start to apologize he will also tone down and say don’t worry, small matter, I am also at fault and the matter gets resolved amicably. Otherwise, if you hit his ego, he is going to be more and more angry because chances are he doesn’t have Dhamma understanding. You don’t expect him to be like an angel, ever ready to forgive you. So, all these are part and parcel of how one can apply the teachings.

The Buddha said, after you have listened to the True Dhamma you can reflect and contemplate to develop the 1st & 2nd turnings wisdom. Then you put it to test, and if it stands up to investigation, Step 3 (of Avijjā sutta) which is Faith in the Buddha, and his teachings will be established. Then step 4 is when you have the initial wisdomYonisomanasikāra. When you have Yonisomanasikāra, do you know what will happen to you? You become less reactive amidst life because of this initial wisdom. After that you will not heedlesslystir or react to sense experience like before. That is how you develop more equanimity. You will have more understanding to be more at peace with whatever arises within your mind. That is how you can have more and more moments of silence, more and more awareness, leading to more and more space between thoughts. That is how your daily mindfulness can be stabilized. Without Yonisomanasikāra the Buddha says, step 5 which is Sati Sampajaññacannot happen. You need to have the spiritual faculties to develop the step 5’smeditative mind (Sati Sampajañña) and this meditative mind needs to realise the wisdom, the initial wisdom borne of listening to the True Dhamma and the contemplative reflection on the Dhamma. This initial wisdom is yonisomanasikāra and when this wisdom stabilizedstep 5 is established, then steps 6 and 7will follow. Do you know what step 6 is? Step 6 is Sense restraint. When your initial wisdom developed, your Sati Sampajañña (daily mindfulness with clear comprehension) becomes stable, then you can see your defilements, your evil roots of greed, hatred, and delusion. You can see them all. What constitutes evil you will also understand. Then you can follow the advice of the Buddha to avoid all evil, do good and purify the mind.

How does one avoid all evils? - Keep the precepts. How does one keep the precepts? – By reciting and cultivating: ‘I undertake the training rules to abstain from all these: killing and causing harm to fellow living beings, lying, committing sexual misconduct, etc.’  Clearly seeing the danger of breaking precepts via contemplating, who will kill, who will harm? - Violent people, angry people, deluded people, and selfish people with all the 3 evil roots. You can see your subtle craving, subtle desire, subtle ego manifesting, via wanting to be right, wanting to argue. So, all these you will start to see them.

3.3.1.10 Three evil roots and meaning of Anusaya, Āsava and Kilesa

Kilesa are normal defilements. Anusaya are negative habitual tendencies i.e., Defilements that have become habitual. These movements from your anusaya inside can be very latent, always waiting to erupt. These are āsava (very strong defilements), which are very latent and very active inside. Have you all heard of these pāli words: Kilesa, Āsava & Anusaya? All these come about because during your daily life, you don’t havedaily mindfulness, you are not heedful, you are heedless, and heedlessness gives rise to all these mental hindrances that make your behaviour so negative and habitual. These develop into habitualtendencies which can be very latent. When it became very latent inside - it is like this Āsava hidden inside waiting for conditions to arise, to erupt and shoot out. Eckhart Tolle calls it the ‘pain body’- meaning ‘Emotional negativity’. When nobody disturbs you, it is dormant, not active. But when people step on your tail or toe that ‘pain body’ is triggered off. That is why we call it the ‘pain body’ or in pāli we call it Āsava (very strong defilements). All these are very active and latent said the Buddha. So, without daily mindfulness and initial wisdom developed you cannot deal with sense experiences having such defilements. At every instant of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, tactile and thought process youcannot cope or handle because they move so fast, it is like they all arise simultaneously. When you come out to live life, you must act, you must see, you must make decisions, and everything move so fast and if you don’thavemindfulness, you cannot be at the moment of seeing, hearing, smell, taste and tactile consciousness to understand what is going on. You have no time to think. Moreover, thinkingwill not help you understand. What you need is wisdom and understanding. That is why this initial wisdom is spontaneous. It will come out and prompt you to develop the understandingspontaneously thereby enabling you to act with understanding following the Dhamma way. You no longer act with delusionand ignorance via memories. You will act with Noble Eight-FoldPath. You will have the right view to accept the reality of the moment first. Then your mind cannot stir. There is clarity of mind. Then you know what your optionsare and how to resolve issues or things amicably. You will also know how to give rise to the right speech, right thought, right action, and you will liveyour life according to the right livelihood. But before that, you must constantly train your mind via diligently cultivating the four right efforts; to abandon the wrong thoughts, wrong speeches and wrong actions that had arisen. Then later when your initial wisdom stabilizes, you can give rise to the 2nd right effort to prevent them from arising. When you can prevent them from arising, it means you already havesense restraint which is step 6 of the Avijjā sutta. You will come to know, these are wrong thoughts that condition your evil roots to make you evil, thereby causing you suffering. Then straight away the wrong thoughts willsubside because of your wisdom borne of the initial wisdom. When you can have senserestraint it means your precepts will be in order by then. You will not make mistakes anymore. That is why Buddha said, after this step 6, step 7 will arise. And what is step 7? It is the three ways of right conduct. You will have this ability to act correctly, and these right speeches, right actions, and right thoughts will always be with you. That is why these first 7 steps of the Avijjā sutta are very powerful.

3.3.1.11 Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmī, and 4 Foundations of Mindfulness

The Buddha said, if you had finished these first 7 steps you are at least a Sotāpanna if not a sakadāgāmī because after step 7 is Step 8.Step 8 is the cultivation of the Fourfoundations of mindfulness. And do you know what these four foundations of mindfulness cultivation are all about? It always starts with what? Yes! ‘After overcoming covetousness & grief then only you can start to cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness. So, without steps 6 and 7 cultivated, do you think you can overcome covetousness & grief? If you can’t even have sense restraint, you cannot have the 3 ways of right conduct, then how can you overcome covetousness & grief? No way! - that is why after that only you can go into the four foundations of mindfulness cultivation. And after you have the first 7 steps cultivated, the four foundations of mindfulness cultivation will be very easy. It’s like you just breeze through because the following trainings are already there: the initial wisdom, daily mindfulness, and clear comprehension, are all so stable already. That is why, all the words that the Buddha mentioned under the four foundations of mindfulness cultivation I understand, and I know what those things are, not according to what most books try to explain to you through their commentaries. Nothing to do with all those thought-based noting, training, and doings. It is the awareness that is aware. In Kāyānupassanā, vedanānupassanā, cittānupassanā and dhammānupassanā, the Buddha always said, ‘mindfulness of the body in the body internally and externally’.Do you know what these are? Internally means within your own kaya the four postures with all its movements and activities, Sati Sampajañña, the daily mindfulness you can be aware internally. You can see all these activities. That’s why kāyānupassanā is to train your mindfulness to stabilize it. Then after that when you can be mindful within, you can also be mindful of outside or externally. That is why at that time nobody taught me. I also hadn’t heard of all these types of sutta at that time. But somehow, I can see my awareness, especially my specific phenomena awareness – it is always with all the phenomenon that moves. Then I saw one Char Kueh Teow (frying rice noodles) guy and I was so amazed like I was inside him doing the Char Kueh Teow. All his actions and movements are like my mind and awareness is inside him doing all those things. That is externally, then feeling also same. You can feel and sense people’s feelings outside, you can sense their contents of consciousness. They have become one. All these are possible because your sensitivity of mindfulness, your wisdom and your understanding are there. Then you can also feel nature, the energy within nature and the great being’s nature you can also feel them. You can draw from them and people who are cultivating they draw from your nature, and you can know they are around. Their nature is everywhere. That is why these great beings’ nature they are ever radiating for the cultivators of the way.

When you start to cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness, that is step 8 of the Avijjā sutta. The Buddha says, during step 8, you will start to experience the 7 factors of enlightenment. They keep on arising when you have done it correctly - in accordance with what he taught you. Meaning you are on the right path.

3.3.1.12 Dhammānupassanā

When it comes to Dhammānupassanā, there are 5 categories of practices. The first category is mindfulness of the 5 mental hindrances of mind. And these mindfulness of the 5 mental hindrances you will clear veryfastbecause your daily mindfulness is already there. Then you can understand why the Buddha says there are 5 ways to overcome unwholesome thoughtslike the 5 mental hindrances. The first way is to think of the direct oppositewholesome thought - which is still thought-based, that one you can skip. The second one is to think of the consequences and the danger of allowing this unwholesome thought to continue.Because this is a wrong thought, an unwholesome thought with evil roots, it will make you evil. So, you must decide to abandon them. The third way is the meditative way, where one just silentone’s mind and maintain awareness within. When there is restlessness, sensual desires, sloth and torpor, ill-will and doubt in your mind, no need to do anything. Just silence your mind and be with it. The Buddha gave the analogy of the pool of water – can you remember? He asked Ananda to collect the water for him. Initially, the first two times water was milky - why? Because the bullock cart passed by, stirred the water hence was not fit for drinking. But at night he went again, the water was cleared. He took the water back with joy and the Buddha asked him what he had learnt. The Buddha later explained to Ananda - when the bullock cart did not go across and you let it settle out long enough, what will happen? The sediments all settle down, so clear water can be collected. Your mind is the same. Its original state is stillness, tranquility, and awareness. Therefore, all these so-called anger, hatred, emotions, saṅkhāra activities, feelings, perceptions, consciousness, etc. are not intrinsic because they are dependent originating mental phenomena.Meditate to find out. When you see something, why did you get angry, become emotional, restless, or let your sensual desires arise? Can you just silence your mind and stay with it then find out what happens? The mind will settle down, because these are dependent originating mind states - it needs conditions for it to continue to be angry or continue to be lustful or agitated. But because you silent your mind and don’t do anything, just let the awareness be. Then what happened? - when the supporting conditions are no longer there, they will all settle down and cease. Initially, the saṅkhāra will start to slow down, the emotions, etc. all will slow down, and disperse then you will realize the true mind again thereby realizing the original mind, the silent mind, theawareness nature within. Then you realize there is peace, there is tranquility, there is stillness, there is no more agitation, no more stress. Then you come to understand like what the Buddha said in the sutta, ‘you will come to know how the un-arisen sensual desire or ill-will comes to be’. That is, through one of your senses because before you get angry there was no anger, right?Then how did you get angry? When people say something, you don’t like or you recall or see something that makes you unhappy, your mind stirs. So, it is through one of your senses. That is why ‘you will come to know how the un-arisen mental hindrance comes to be’. Then when you meditate via the 3rd way and the 4th way to trace theorigination factors and then retrospectively reverse it. You will develop the understanding to understand, ‘how these arisen mental hindrances cease to be when you don’t do anything except via maintaining just an awarenesswithin’. So, finally ‘when you get to know how the un-arisen one arises and how the arisen one ceases – it means you know how to free your mind’.

After you have wisdom and understanding, you can straighten your views. Then ‘you will come to know how in the future this mental hindrance will never arise again in you’. That is what the Satipaṭṭhāna sutta cultivation is all about. That is how you should meditate. Not according to what you had read via the commentaries without proper understanding. Meditation must be done with understanding.

You just silence your mind and maintain awareness then later through daily mindfulness you develop mindfulness of the six internal sense bases and six external sense bases. After you have developed the mindfulness of the 5 mental hindrances, you move on to do the mindfulness of the 5 graspingaggregates ofform and mind to see all these aggregates of Rūpa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra and viññāṇaṃarising and disappearing very clearly. Then you can be at the moment of feeling, at the moment of perception, at the moment of saṅkhāra activities before it starts to concoct and move, before it even stirs, reacts or thinks. It is like slow motion inside there, it cannot move. Your mindfulness and wisdom are so stable it can just stay there. I can still remember, at the moment of contact it just stayed there. It didn’t move. That is why, ‘when they tell you, upon contact feeling arise’, - don’t believe but investigate it because only when you release it (the awareness) then feeling arise, then the content of consciousness went in’. If you lack wisdom at-the-moment of sense experience, feeling will condition craving straight away. You cannot cut at feeling. Without wisdom you cannot cut, you cannot free. You cannot stop that movement: - from feeling to craving, it is as if it is automatic. That is how I came to realize, ‘without this yonisomanasikāra wisdom and understanding you cannot act, you totally cannot act’.When you have them, this wisdom just comes out and prompt you and straight away frees you.That is how feeling becomes pure feeling and you can laugh at it. You know it cannot move already. That is why the whole cultivation is so different. These mindfulness of the 5 aggregates of form and mind cultivation you will also go through.

After that you move on to cultivate mindfulness of the six internal and sixexternal sense bases. This is the 4th way to meditate to overcome unwholesome thoughts. This is how you trace the origination factors. How anger comes to be, how fear comes to be, how the restlessness of mind comes to be, how sensualdesires, ill will and doubt, come to be. When you stay with it with pure awareness, it will cease to be. Then you start to understand the Dhamma. You start to understand how this form and mind is like the physics experiment analogy, - how upon contact it triggers offconsciousness via nature’s law. Then the input of the content of consciousness determines your kamma, via the mental intentions input. All these you will start to see. Then you start to understand. When you understand all these, the next mindfulness training within the Dhammānupassanā category of cultivation is cultivation of Mindfulness of the 7 factors of Enlightenment. This is step 9 of the Avijjā sutta. When you cultivate this, - the 7 factors of enlightenment keep on arising. Because by then, you would have finished cultivating Kāyānupassanā, Vedanānupassanā, Cittānupassanā, then now Dhammānupassanā - you have come almost the full way. The last one you haven’t done is mindfulness of the three turnings of the four Noble Truths. But before these three (3) turnings of the four Noble Truths cultivation, you must have reflected and contemplated while constantly listening to the true dhamma. That implies you have done part of the mindfulness of the 3 turnings of the four noble truths already. Then when you cultivate the four foundations of mindfulness it is all about direct seeing with the silent mind via Bhāvanā māyā panna. That one is very penetrative. That is the reason why by the time you move into Dhammānupassanā you would have understood all those words and instructions of the Buddha.

3.3.1.13 Seven (7) factors of Enlightenment

Then the 7 factors of enlightenment keep on arising. Sati, Dhammavicaya, Vīriya, Pīti, Passaddhi, Samadhi & Upekkhā., all these will arise. Then you know you are on the right path. You know you are destined for enlightenment. That’s why step 10 of the Avijjā sutta is Enlightenment in the here and now. So, this Avijjā sutta has all the needed cultivation components (10 steps) very clearly highlighted.

Do you know what is Avijjā? Avijjā is ignorance. So, the Buddha purposely spoke this sutta, the Sutta on ignorance. He starts out with the ignorance cycle explaining how you fall initially then how on the enlightenment cycle you can reverse it. That’s why you must go through all these practices and cultivation. The Buddha said, ‘Kalyāṇamittaship is 100% of yourholy life’. This is what he told Ananda. At first Ananda told him, ‘It is only 50% of the holy life’, but he said to Ananda, ‘no, Kalyāṇamittaship is 100% of your holy life’. Because without Kalyāṇamittas, I too realized you cannot find this way. All the great beings are your great Kalyāṇamittas (especially the Buddhas and the Bodhisattas), without them you cannotfind the way. Without the SammasamBuddhas, and the Sāsana, it is not easy unless you are a Bodhisatta with the vows. Otherwise, when the sāsana window is no more, you cannot find the way. Only very few which they called the Pacceka Buddhas can. And these Pacceka Buddhas also must have cultivated before, otherwise they cannot become Pacceka Buddhas. They become Pacceka Buddhas during non-sāsana time. So, these are the understandings.

I will have to finish off the 9th consciousness,which I haven’t explained. The 8thconsciousness, - arises and passes away every moment. After a sense experience arises, you perceive with the 6th consciousness. Then this 7th consciousness, which is the egoic and discriminative mind will make mental concocting inside. That one is like your ‘internal organ’. That ‘organ’, upon contact triggers off the 8th consciousness and this is the Alaya consciousness that has all these contents, which have karmic implications. But when you have wisdom, this egoic and discriminative mind is no more. Do you know why? Because saṅkhāra has become pure aggregate. No more grasping. That is why it is no more egoic, no more discriminative. Then the 8th consciousness becomes pure consciousness. There is no more greed, hatred, and delusion. That is why the Arahant has no more ignorance. That is why for them no more avijjā to condition rebirth consciousness, they will die realizing parinibbāna. They will not take rebirth borne of ignorance. This 8th consciousness they called it the Alaya consciousness or store house consciousness because they want to widen the scope. Indirectly it is just your karmic consciousness. As far as I understand, there is no suchthing as the Alaya or 8th consciousness. There is only karmic nature. And everything is recorded in thekarmic nature and that karmic nature is the one that conditions rebirth via Kamma niyāma and decide on your kamma.

That is the reason why the Buddha said, the moment you are born, ‘you are born of your kamma, heir to your kamma, conditioned and supported by your kamma and you are what you are because of your kamma’.So, when it comes to kamma you must be very careful. You cannot play a fool with it because the moment you are born it follows you. I.e., you are heir to everything that karmic nature had accumulated. This is the reason why if you don’t take care of kamma, Kamma can never take care of your life because your life depends almost entirely on kamma and you are born of it, heir to it, conditioned and supported by it, and you are what you are because of the karmic nature. So, do take care of the karmic nature.

And how does one take care of the karmic nature? Cultivate the 10 steps of the Avijjā sutta (or at least until step 5). When you hit step 5, steps 6 & 7 are automatic (or is a natural consequence). Step 6 is sense restraint - it means your precepts are well kept already, and your karmic nature is well taken care of. Then step 7 is the three ways of right conduct; it means you are on the rightful path already. The right view leading to right thought, right speech, right action, and right livelihood will be there. And coupled with your four right efforts which you have cultivated earlier, it can help you develop step 7. Otherwise, you cannot have the 3 ways of right conduct. So, all these are linked and the whole teachings are also linked.

Then the last one that the Buddha taught is the 9th consciousness. This one is very easy to understand. What is it? When you go through nibbāna, this 9th consciousness is by right not a consciousness. But they call it consciousness because they don’t have a clear understanding. They sometimes call it your true nature, your Buddha nature. But this is the unconditioned, so it is not a consciousness, the word used is wrong. That is why sometimes people get so impressed by Mahayana, because they said, ‘Theravada, has only one type of consciousness, but we have nine’. Then they will ask you, do you know what is 第六识, 第七识, 第八识? - spoken in mandarin. They are just the 6th consciousness, 7th consciousness, and 8th consciousness. It is just the same as the five aggregates of form and mind as explained by me earlier. Nothing more than that.

3.3.1.14 The collapse of the Mundane mind

Do you know why I can understand all this? It is because when my mindfulness became so stable,I saw all these movementsinside my mind. I saw them all. When your stability of mindfulness and wisdom are so established, your mind can be at-the-moment of contact, moment of feeling, and it does not move. And you can investigate it. At that moment it does not move because there is no more ignorance. And all those craving forces that caused the movements also no more. That is why it cannot move. Then later when they become pure aggregates it’s even more amazing. One will inquire, ‘How come inside there, it is like no mind. No movement at all. Everything is so fine’. Then I realized, this is the supramundane mind. The mundane mind had collapsed.

The mundane mindcollapsed because the wisdom energy within is so fine and pure. The vibration is so fine, then this mundane mind (which is too gross to exist) will collapse, - like a layer of consciousness just drop off completely. And when it drops off, it Is like the sky, suddenly, all the clouds, and everything that obscure the sun ray from penetrating is no more. Then what happens? The sun rays penetrate, right? Our nature is the same. When the mundane mind collapses, I realize this pure nature shines forth. It’s like there is no more of this gross mundane mind, with its images and the saṅkhāra mind states to obscure. I.e., no more of those gross form (or rūpa) thoughts, and mental formation, etc. are like completely cleared and gone. What is left is just a very fine supramundane mind which is like no mind.

3.3.1.15 The nature shines forth

When this nature shines forth, that time I felt very different, and my nature was so amazed. How come it is like that? Suddenly, I can see everything, despite nothing having changed. And now everything is so clear. The Sati, the nature shines forth. Then it’s like no need to cultivate mindfulness or awareness anymore because that nature has shine forth. You are fully aware, and this is what Master Hui Neng called, ‘the mind that has no dwelling’. It doesn’tdwell anymore. It is that nature that shines forth. That is why it is very different. When that thing happens, I can still remember - I sat there alone for three to four days and I was telling my wife how come it is like that….’Truth is everywhere in the midst of life and nature. Why can’t you see. For those who see they always see. Every moment and every instance the 3 universal characteristics of nature are there. Everything is so clear’. That happened in 1989, now it is 2019, so how many years ago, 30 years ago right? Now I only have the chance to explain. Before, people could not understand.

But don’t worry, please don’t go, and look for all this. Your time will come. You can never understand until you have gone through all these cultivations. But for most of you - because the kalyāṇamitta force is very strong sothings can move very fast and that is the reason why a lot of you all now can understand these sharing of mine much better now.

In fact, the ability to understand all these is not easy. It means you must have had your past cultivations. You must have your pāramī and because of that, this life is not a problem at all, and it is quite easy for you all to develop the requisite understanding.Do listen to the recordings, - the video, the audio recordings and later withthe transcript, you can read them, reflect, and contemplate on them then you will become beautiful. You should learn to write them down to confirm your understanding. It is going to be very beautiful. Okay I think we stop our sharing here.

3.3.2 The End – closing puja

Okay so we shall end our today’s sharing. Let us rejoice one more time. Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu! Then we will end after chanting the closing puja. End.

3.3.3 Message by a Kalyāṇamitta who helped in the transcript.

Most grateful to Brother Teoh. Yes, the above transcript sharing is truly beautiful. The below quote by Brother Teoh is most beautiful:

‘Be mindful & aware all the time, just don’t stir your mind anymore and let things be, then all the defilements which are non-intrinsic will settle down by itself naturally to reveal the truth. This clarity will reveal the true nature of everything inside and outside leading to True peace and wisdom within’.

With Metta always, Brother Beng Lim

4 Appendix

4.1 Audio, whiteboard and YouTube links:

Audio: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-190711.mp3

Whiteboard notes: https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Teoh-Thu-190711.jpg

YouTube: What is the Difference between Awareness & Consciousness? https://youtu.be/swePGfKx6as

4.2 Outline short notes

This below short notes were prepared to help others better understand what had been shared.

Outline Short Notes for Brother Teoh’s 11 July 2019 Dhamma Talk

What is the difference between consciousness and awareness?

1. Sister Eng Bee shared that when one is conscious of life it does not mean one is also aware of life. Conscious means you can be conscious of what you see, hear, tactilely feel, taste, smell, and think, but one might be heedless. Awareness means being aware from within, aware of whatever that goes on within our form and mind. For those who meditate well, they can go into their sleeping mode and still be aware within while the body rests or sleeps.

2. There are two types of awareness. The first type is the normal specific phenomenon awareness, whereby one is aware of what is going on. Most people are not aware because they are lost in thought most of the time. But when you are aware, you are with the true mind. You are aware of thoughts, content of consciousness, the bodily movements, mental movements, and nature’s movements. This is the Specific phenomena awareness, whereby one’s awareness and the phenomena are one or move as one. The other type is the silent spacious awareness without a centre (spacious awareness). This awareness becomes one with nature leading to the oneness nature.

3. Awareness is the same as sati. Sati is the pure awareness before the

4. Conscious means when you are not in the sleeping mode. When you wake up, you become conscious; conscious of life itself. You have senses in your body and because of that you can be conscious of what you see, taste, hear, smell, tactilely feel and think. Dependent on these 6 sense doors consciousness there must be the 6 sense bases. And these 6 sense bases give rise to the 6 types of corresponding sense door consciousness. Reason why the Mahayana tradition teaches 9 types of consciousness. In Theravada tradition, there is only one word for consciousness i.e., Viññāṇa.

5. There are 3 Pali words used to denote mind and they are: mano, citta andviññāṇa. There are differences among them. Mano is often used in Dhammapada verses 1 & 2: ‘Mind is the forerunner of all things, mind is chief (this mind is mano), mind-made are they. If one speaks or acts with an evil mind, 'dukkha' will follow him just as the wheel follows the hoof print of the ox that draws the cart’. In the 4 foundations of mindfulness (Satipaṭṭhāna) sutta, there is this mindfulness of the citta (cittānupassanā) e., mindfulness of content of consciousness where the word citta is used as meaning the content of consciousness. Whereas in the Law of dependent origination or Paṭicca samuppāda teaching, the 3rd link is saṅkhāra paccaya viññāṇa followed by Viññāṇa paccaya nāmarūpa. Here viññāṇa is the pure consciousness, one of the 4 mind aggregates before the input of the content of consciousness. When the content of consciousness goes in, it becomes nāmarūpa (which is your 5 mental aggregates of form and mind or thought). Hence Citta is your 5 mental aggregates of form and mind, which is your thought.

6. Initially, ‘in the seeing, there is only the pure seeing consciousness and there is no one to see’. This is your direct seeing, seeing things as they are, before the stirring of mind. But due to ignorance, upon contact of mind with brain the mind will stir. Then through wrong perceptions, views, opinions, and conditioning, you input the content of consciousness with the evil roots, thereby creating the karmic consciousness (wholesome and unwholesome). This is acting according to memory.

7. The first 5 consciousness are seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching or tactile consciousness. The 6th consciousness is saññā or perception, connected to the mind which is the common denominator needed for the arising of all these consciousness. When the mind perceives, this 6th consciousness The 7th consciousness arises due to the egoic or discriminating mind with its views, opinions, conditioning, belief system,memories, etc. This egoic or discriminative mind creates mental hindrances of likes and dislikes causing the mind to stir constantly while living life. These mental hindrances give rise to habitual tendencies leading to latent tendencies (anusaya). The 7th consciousness creates karmic consequences. As for the 8th consciousness, it is the Alaya consciousness, the store house consciousness of karmic accumulations. It is the result of the 7th consciousness that act as a mental organ. Perception brings the external form or sense data into mind. So, upon contact of this external sense data with the mind, and the mental organ (7th consciousness), the mind consciousness (which is the 8th consciousness) arise.

8. When you have stability of mindfulness, you can be at the moment of contact, feeling and perception, activity of mind, consciousness, or content input. You can see them clearly. Human beings normally act according totheir memories. But with dhamma understanding, one acts according to wisdom and understanding borne of the 1st and 2nd turnings wisdom (Yonisomanasikāra). Right views are important. Wrong thoughts make one miserable. After straightening one’s view, you can then act according to understanding and wisdom following the noble eightfold path.

9. Understanding Kamma niyāma, Citta niyāma and dhamma niyāma (the 3 important spiritual laws) are needed for the arising of right views and

10. For the Ariya, there is no more discriminative mind, their aggregates of mind are non-grasping. There is no more egoic mind to cling anymore. Due to awareness and wisdom,one can input pure content of consciousness.

11. Dhammapada verse 21: Heedfulness is the path to the deathless; heedlessness is the path to the dead. The heedful do not die whilst the heedless are as if dead. Dhammapada verse 23: The constantly meditativeand ever mindful, he or she will realize the supreme born-free enlightenment (Nibbāna).

12. In the Avijjā sutta, there are 10 steps leading to liberation and step 1: is to have dhamma friends to cultivate together. Dhamma friends who can guide, counsel, motivate, encourage, and help show us the way. Great beings’ natures (those of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas) are true great dhamma friends. Step 2: listening to the true dhamma. Step 3: having faith in the triple gem. Step 4: Having initial wisdom and wise attention at the moment of sense experience, Step 5: sati sampajañña (Mindfulness and clear comprehension). Step 6: is sense restraint. Step 7: is the 3 ways of good conduct. Step 8: Cultivating the 4 foundations of mindfulness can then be cultivated with ease, giving rise to Step 9: the 7 factors of enlightenment keep arising. You then know you are on the right path. Step 10: Enlightenment in the here and the now. To understand Avijjā sutta better please listen to my below YouTube video and view my below pdf download:

{Avijjā Sutta: https://youtu.be/lRATrIbuROs (YouTube video)

https://broteoh.com/wp-content/uploads/Avijj%C4%81-Sutta.pdf (pdf download)}

13. After listening to the dhamma, you should inquire, reflect, and contemplate into the 3 turnings of the 4 noble truths. When you contemplate and is able to see how the dhamma stands up to investigation, - there is strong faith in the Buddha and his teachings. You then stabilize your understanding and assimilate this understanding into your nature leading to the arising of Yoniso manasikāra borne of the 1st and 2nd turnings wisdom. This understanding will surface when you confront sense experiences borne of the 1st Noble Truth’s 8 realities. This understanding liberates you. With this yonisomanasikāra, you become less reactive, your mind stirs less,have more equanimity, is more at peace withwhatever arises, have more moments of silence and awareness and morespace between thoughts.

14. The 5 daily contemplations are very important. Our body is of the nature to grow old, fall sick, and die for it has not gone beyond old age, sickness and death; separation from loved ones and prized possession when conditions cease to be; and finally, ‘we are born of our kamma, the owner of our actions, heir to our kamma, condition and supported by our kamma and we are what we are because of our kamma’.

15. Anicca, dukkha and anattā are the 3 universal characteristics of nature, inherent in all component things (phenomena). With this right understanding, you can confront any issues in life with wisdom, understanding and You need mindfulness and wisdom or wise attention at the moment of sense experience. The initial wisdom that you had cultivated will prompt you to act following noble eightfold path, with right view etc.

16. Original mind is tranquil and just aware. All the negative emotions and saṅkhāra mind states are not intrinsic When the sensual desires etc. arise, silence your mind and your mundane thinking mind will slowly settle down on its own through knowing that they are all condition arising phenomena. Thus, just silence your mind and be with it, then all these emotions borne of wrong thoughts will slow down and you will realize your silent, true mind with awareness within. No more agitation, but only tranquillity and stillness. With this, you will be able to witness how the arisen mental hindrance cease to be. You can then meditate on mindfulness of the 6 internal sense bases and the 6 external sense bases to trace the origination factors and retrospectively reverse it. With this, you will know how the un-arisen mental hindrance of sensual desire come to be. It comes through the senses e.g., hearing, seeing, or recalling something that triggered it. Then you know how to free your mind. With this wisdom and right view, you will also come to know how in the future these mental hindrances will not arise anymore. This is part of the satipaṭṭhāna dhammānupassanā cultivation.

17. Be mindful of the mental hindrances that arise. Be mindful of the 5 aggregates of form and mind. With sati sampajañña, at the moment of sense experience, mindfulness is so stable that you can be at the moment of contact even before the content of consciousness (borne of mental stirring) is Without wisdom, upon contact, feeling will arise to condition craving.With wisdom (yonisomanasikāra) feeling will remain as pure feeling. Then this pure feeling would not be conditioned into craving. With mindfulness of the 6 internal and 6 external sense bases cultivated, you will come to know how fear, anger, restlessness, sensual desire, ill will, doubt, etc. arise. These mind states will all cease when you just stay with it.

18. With wisdom, there is no more egoic mind. Saṅkhāra becomes pure The 8th consciousness becomes pure consciousness, free of the 3evil roots of greed, hatred, and delusion. Thus, the reason why Arahants don’t have rebirth consciousness when they die. All karmic imprints are recorded in one’skarmic nature. Thus, Buddha said, ‘you are born of your kamma, heir to your kamma, conditioned and supported by your kamma and you are what you are because of your kamma’. Reason why you need to take care of kamma as your life depends entirely on it.

19. The 9th consciousness is Nibbāna (your true nature, your Buddha nature which is the unconditioned).

20. The pure wisdom energy is so fine that the mundane mind will eventually collapse and then the supra mundane mind from within will shine forth. No more mundane mind’s gross saṅkhāra to obscure the true mind. This supramundane mind is the ‘mind that has no dwelling’ as taught by Master Hui Ning. When the nature shines forth, Mindfulness become automatic, and the 3 universal characteristics of nature is clearly seen at all times even while in the midst of life. For those who sees, they will always see this truth.

21. Brother Teoh encourages kalyāṇamitta to listen to the audio files and watch the video on the website (com) and the links provided above for a clearer comprehension. Also, to read the transcript (when it is available) and constantly reflect upon them to develop the clear understanding.

(Above short notes prepared by Sister Chong Phey Yuen)

Table of Contents

Biodata of Bro. Teoh Kian Koon

1 Preface

2 Acknowledgement

3 What is the difference between Awareness and Consciousness? (Dated 11th July 2019)

3.1 Pre Pūjā chanting

3.2 Awareness-based Meditation

3.3 Post Meditation Dhamma sharing

3.3.1 Dhamma sharing by Brother Teoh on the topic: What is the difference between Awareness and Consciousness?

3.3.1.1 Understanding Awareness nature within

3.3.1.2 The real meaning of Sati

3.3.1.3 Nine (9) Types of Consciousness as taught in Mahāyāna

3.3.1.4 Understanding Mano, Citta and Viññāṇaṃ

3.3.1.5 Three (3) Types of Right views

3.3.1.6 Importance of Heedfulness

3.3.1.7 Avijjā Sutta

3.3.1.8 The 3 turnings wisdom and yonisomanasikāra

3.3.1.9 Five (5) Daily contemplations

3.3.1.10 Three evil roots and meaning of Anusaya, Āsava and Kilesa

3.3.1.11 Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmī, and 4 Foundations of Mindfulness

3.3.1.12 Dhammānupassanā

3.3.1.13 Seven (7) factors of Enlightenment

3.3.1.14 The collapse of the Mundane mind

3.3.1.15 The nature shines forth

3.3.2 The End – closing puja

3.3.3 Message by a Kalyāṇamitta who helped in the transcript.

4 Appendix

4.1 Audio, whiteboard and YouTube links:

4.2 Outline short notes