The Story of Mae Pata

 There was once a rich man's daughter named #Mae_Pata. In ancient times, this wealthy man had a son and a daughter. Being wealthy, didn't he have slaves? Yes, he had slaves, including Kodasa.

Living and working together, as the old saying goes - like pots touching pots, or ropes getting tangled with ropes - isn't that how they described it?

Living together, they developed loving-kindness towards each other, and Mae Pata ended up eloping with him. About five years passed, and they had two sons. After five years, they thought their parents' anger would have subsided.

Her parents deeply loved their daughter, you see. When they thought the anger had subsided, they decided to return. As they were approaching their town, near nightfall, there was strong wind, heavy rain, and an earthquake. When dawn came, feeling cold, they searched for firewood to make a fire.

He mistook a snake for firewood and grabbed it. The snake bit Kodasa, and he died. After his cremation, she had to return with her two sons. The boys were very sweet and lovable little ones.

There was still a river separating them from their destination. The water was chest-deep. She left the older son on one bank and went to carry the younger son across first. She told the older son, "Wait for mother to come back, don't try to cross."

When she was returning for the older son, halfway across the river, a hawk swooped down and grabbed the younger son. In panic, she raised her hands and shouted. Seeing this, the older son thought she was calling him and entered the water. He was swept away by the current and drowned.

She lost her younger son to a hawk, her older son drowned, and Kodasa died from a snake bite - three deaths. #Her_mind_was_becoming_disturbed. She headed toward the town. Just ahead, she met a lay devotee.

Didn't she ask about the smoke rising ahead? Didn't he ask, "Don't you know about last night's strong winds, heavy rain, and earthquake?" She said she knew. Then he told her, "Your father, mother, and brother died when their houses collapsed. They're all dead."

Her mother dead, father dead, brother dead - three more. On the other side, her two sons and husband - six deaths in total, all in one day. #Mae_Pata_went_mad.

She didn't know how to dress properly, didn't know when to eat or sleep. Half-dressed, she wandered from village to village, town to town. Wasn't she wandering aimlessly through pure villages?

The Lord Buddha, looking into his omniscient wisdom network to see who would attain enlightenment the next day, saw Mae Pata. #She_would_realize_Nibbana. Like glowing embers covered in ash. The teaching pavilion was prepared, with over forty thousand people attending.

They didn't start the ceremony because Mae Pata hadn't arrived yet. A lay devotee saw her again and said, "Hey, mad woman! Look north at the large pavilion. The Buddha is about to give a teaching." Didn't he advise her to go listen to the Dhamma?

Hearing the sound of Buddha and Dhamma, she went straight there with focus. When she reached the pavilion, people wouldn't let her in because she was barely clothed. They pushed her away. The Buddha heard this.

When he looked up, didn't he see Mae Pata? Didn't he call out, "Dear daughter Mae Pata, come to the Buddha's presence"? Then no one dared push her away. When she entered, a lay devotee, seeing her inappropriate state, removed his headdress and gave it to her. She wrapped it around herself to listen to the Dhamma.

"Dear daughter Mae Pata, seeing you brings tears to my eyes. What happened to you?" Didn't he ask? Didn't she tell about her husband's death? About her two sons' deaths? About her parents' deaths? About her brother's death? #She_couldn't_help_but_cry.

She lived with Kodasa for over five years. He never struck her with a stick or hand, not even harsh words, you see? That's how much he loved her. Their sons were beautiful, with perfect features, so sweet and lovable.

Her parents treasured her like a ruby in their palms, cherished her deeply. Remembering all this, how could she not cry? #You_cry_because_you_don't_understand_if_you_understood_you_wouldn't_cry. "How could I not understand, Lord? I know about my husband, my parents, my sons," didn't she reply?

The Buddha said, "Your wishes have been fulfilled." Shouldn't we examine what wishes these were? Long ago, during the time of Buddha Phurmutara, their house was robbed by six thieves who caused them great suffering.

She had wished that before attaining Nibbana, she would see these thieves die before her eyes. #Weren't_her_wishes_fulfilled? Now, her parents were those thieves, Kodasa was a thief, her sons were thieves, her brother was a thief. Wasn't it clear her wishes had been fulfilled?

#When_she_saw_them_as_thieves_did_she_still_cry? She stopped momentarily, but would cry again when thinking about it later. Then the Buddha taught about the aggregates (khandhas), sense bases (ayatana), elements (dhatu), and noble truths (sacca).

#In_the_five_aggregates_isn't_there_rupa_khandha? Looking at rupa in detail, aren't there earth, water, fire, and air elements? The four great elements, right? Wasn't Kodasa just four elements? Her parents just four elements? Her sons just four elements?

Where there are four primary elements, aren't there four secondary elements - color, smell, taste, and nutritive essence? The visible form element for eyes, the smell element for nose, the six tastes for tongue - sweet, sour, spicy, salty, bitter, astringent.

Didn't he teach that the body's growth is the nutritive essence element? Four primary and four secondary elements make eight elements total, right? Are humans, devas, and brahmas anything other than these eight elements? Was Kodasa anything other than these eight elements?

When these eight elements contact each other, doesn't sound arise? The nine types of derived material phenomena. Are humans, devas, and brahmas anything other than these nine elements? When forming aggregates, doesn't this become rupa-khandha? When two forms contact, doesn't consciousness arise? Visual consciousness arises, right?

Isn't visual consciousness a mental phenomenon (nama)? Aren't the eye-sensitivity and visible form material phenomena (rupa)? #These_are_the_two_nama_and_rupa. When expanded, they become the five aggregates, right? Didn't the Buddha teach this? When taught, one understands the benefits and drawbacks of the aggregates.

The Buddha said, "Dear daughter Mae Pata, thinking it's Kodasa, look through the wisdom spectacles I give you." When looking through the wisdom spectacles, was it Kodasa or just visible form? Were they her sons or just visible form? Were they her parents or just visible form? Was it her brother or just visible form?

With ordinary eyes, one sees Kodasa, two sons, parents. But with wisdom spectacles, one only sees form, right? Didn't he teach that form aggregate is like a water bubble? #When_one_sees_and_knows_this_way_aren't_love_and_hate_released?

Didn't he instruct, "Thinking it's Kodasa, try kissing, try tasting"? When tapping, do you find Kodasa or just sound? When tapping thinking it's your sons, do you find sons or just sound? When hitting thinking they're your parents, do you find parents or just sound? Do you find your brother or just sound?

When kissing thinking it's Kodasa, do you find Kodasa or just smell? Kissing thinking they're your sons, do you find sons or just smell? Do you find parents or just smell?

When tasting with the tongue, do you find Kodasa or just salty taste? Do you find sons or just salty taste? Do you find parents or just salty taste? You only find taste-form aggregate, right?

From head to toe, the whole body, didn't he instruct, "Thinking it's Kodasa, try touching"? Do you find Kodasa or just hardness and softness? Hardness is earth element, softness is earth element. Are they sons or earth element? Are they parents or earth element? Is it brother or earth element? #You_only_find_hardness_and_softness.

Then, is the knowing of hardness and softness a self or body consciousness? Isn't body consciousness nama? Aren't hardness and softness rupa? These are the two: nama and rupa. Is Kodasa anything but nama and rupa? Are sons anything but nama and rupa? Are parents anything but nama and rupa? Is brother anything but nama and rupa? #You_only_find_nama_and_rupa.

Doesn't material form change and perish? Doesn't consciousness know and perish? Do you find nama-rupa or do you find non-existence? Didn't he teach that non-existence is impermanence and knowing is the path? Isn't this worth examining?

When finding nama-rupa, doesn't the wrong view of self as human or deva fall away? When knowing impermanence characteristic and suffering truth, doesn't craving die? When craving dies, doesn't clinging fall away? The sensual and becoming taints cease.

When finding nama-rupa, wrong view and ignorance cease. Don't the taints of wrong view and ignorance cease? Don't all four taints end? When they end, doesn't the truth of origin die? Doesn't the cycle of aggregates end? #Isn't_this_taught_as_the_truth_of_cessation? Mae Pata became a Stream-enterer.

Then the Buddha called out, "Hey, mad woman Mae Pata!" She replied, "Lord Buddha, your disciple is not mad!" Didn't the audience call them mad? Mae Pata alone called the forty thousand in the audience mad.

"That's not proper to say," he said. Look at how they dress and eat - silks and fine clothes, you see? While you have barely anything to wear. Someone without proper clothes shouldn't speak so, right?

"I have a sarong and blouse," she said. Didn't he ask where she got them from? From the time of Buddha Padumuttara, she made an aspiration that in Gotama Buddha's dispensation, she would have the five precepts as her blouse and sarong. Through that prediction, her five-precept sarong and blouse remain steadfast.

Didn't he ask where she got her shawl? From Buddha Padumuttara's time, she aspired that in Gotama Buddha's era, she would wear the eight precepts as a shawl. Through that prediction, she wears the eight precepts as her shawl. #Four_times_a_month.

Didn't he ask where she got her flowers? From Buddha Padumuttara's time, she aspired that in Gotama Buddha's era, she would wear three flowers. Through that prediction, she wears the three refuges - Buddhaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi, Dhammaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi, Saṃghaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi as three flowers.

The silks and fine clothes of today's audience can be destroyed by water, burned by fire, stolen by thieves, or confiscated by the government. But can anyone take what Mae Pata has? How satisfying is that!

#Didn't_he_instruct_her_to_continue_striving? When she continued practicing, didn't she progress from Stream-enterer to Once-returner? From Once-returner to Non-returner? From Non-returner to completing the monk's task (Arahantship)?

Mae Pata completed the monk's task in one sitting of Dhamma teaching. #When_finding_true_Dhamma_didn't_her_madness_disappear? People who go mad while practicing today do so because they haven't found true Dhamma. Doesn't Mae Pata prove that finding true Dhamma cures madness?

#We_need_to_turn_wisdom_toward_the_aggregates. Don't we need to know the aggregates, the truths, dependent origination? We can only abandon what we understand.

In practical experience, do you see or hear what this monk is saying? Doesn't ear-consciousness arise? Before sound contacts ear-sensitivity, can you point to where that consciousness exists?

It only arises when two forms contact. #Is_it_a_solid_thing? #Does_it_have_shape? If not shape or form, #doesn't_it_exist_as_a_nature? When hearing ends, doesn't it cease? When it ceases, do you find sound or impermanence? Do you find hearing consciousness or impermanence? Do you find nama-rupa or impermanence?

Don't you find the characteristic of impermanence as the truth of suffering? Isn't the characteristic of suffering taught as the truth of suffering? Isn't the characteristic of non-self taught as the truth of suffering? #Now_you_truly_know_it's_suffering. Knowing this, do you still want such aggregates in the future? You don't cling to present aggregates, will you ask for future ones? Strive to reach this stage.

#When_truth_is_known_doesn't_falsehood_disappear? When the truth of suffering is comprehended, doesn't the ignorance of wrongly perceiving human, deva, or brahma happiness cease? When ignorance ceases, does craving come? Does clinging come? Does kamma come? Don't the three types of dependent origination break - craving-dependent origination, clinging-dependent origination, kamma-dependent origination? Doesn't the cycle of aggregates end? #Isn't_this_taught_as_the_truth_of_cessation?

Understanding Sassata (Eternalism) and Uccheda (Annihilationism) Views in Buddhism

 It's rare to find people who truly understand the Five Precepts. Isn't this worth contemplating?

How should we contemplate? Throughout history, many Buddhas have appeared, and in every village and town, aren't there monks giving the Five Precepts as part of Buddhist practice?

Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī - should we kill or abstain? Hmm - we should abstain. #We_must_abstain, remember? Isn't this taught everywhere? Think about it.

Let's think again. When monks travel for missionary work, don't people investigate what the monks eat? #Don't_they_ask_what_the_Maunglae_Sayadaw_eats? They do investigate.

They say he eats gourd leaves, pumpkin, tender vegetables, and such fruits and vegetables. Don't they mention these? They do. So, don't people then search for these foods that monks eat? They do.

Some also ask, "What does your teacher like to eat?" Don't they say he likes eggs? Don't they then look for eggs?

They say he likes chicken soup. Don't they then search for these, #because_it's_what_the_monk_likes? Don't they search? Yes, they do.

Look here - isn't it taught that liberation from the three cycles (kilesa vaṭṭa, kamma vaṭṭa, vipāka vaṭṭa) leads to Nibbāna?

Also consider conventional truth again. Consider ultimate truth as seen by wisdom. Don't we need to distinguish between concepts and ultimate reality?

Doesn't Mogok Sayadaw teach in his recordings that mixing conventional and ultimate truth is more painful than being struck by lightning? Think about this.

Well, if we eat vegetarian food and fruits, don't we develop #attachment_and_craving? We enjoy it. "This gourd leaf curry is good, today's coffee is nice" - don't we become attached? Isn't this craving?

With meat and fish too: "The fried egg is good, today your pork curry is well-cooked" - don't people say this? Don't they enjoy it? #Craving. Isn't the nature of craving the same in both cases? Yes, it is.

So when someone likes pork, chicken, or eggs, don't they have to search for these? #When_searching_consider_whether_it_leads_to_killing.

Well, if you eat vegetarian food and fruits, does the person who has to search for these foods incur the kamma of killing? Think about this too.

Isn't it taught that we should be "sutavā ariyasāvako" (well-informed noble disciples)? #Don't_speak_one-sidedly.

Consider also the Goṇasurā Dīpanī text written by Ledi Sayadaw, who wrote about seeing both sides of pariyatti and paṭipatti (theory and practice).

Look from the conventional truth perspective and from wisdom's ultimate truth perspective. Isn't this worth contemplating? When they say the monk likes something, they have to search for it. When eating meat, don't they have to search for meat? Don't the people who search for animals for our consumption #create_unwholesome_kamma? They do.

Now, the craving for fruits and vegetables - yes, they have physical life, but does it incur the kamma of killing? Living beings have both physical and mental life. #It_incurs_killing_kamma. No, it doesn't. Yes, it does.

Isn't "Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi" (I undertake the precept to abstain from killing) included in the traditional giving of precepts? Doesn't it say we must abstain? Think about this, do you understand?

Then, in some places I've heard - well, I'm not sure if it's true or not, I wasn't there when the monk came - but that village had read Ledi Sayadaw's text.

After reading it, they avoided a lot. When they avoided these things, some people who liked certain foods couldn't eat them anymore.

Then they say, "Well, we didn't kill them ourselves. You didn't kill them either. This is paṃsukūla (already available food)," don't they say this?

Then the devotee replied, "In that case, Venerable Sir, let's set aside the precept about killing," do you hear?

Include the other precepts. They say they'll avoid as the venerable ones teach. Think about this too. Hmm, isn't this worth studying?

This is conventional truth - avoiding killing based on the concept of life, soul, and permanent existence.

🌺Eternalism (Sassata) / Annihilationism (Uccheda)🌺

Isn't eternalist view considered wholesome? Isn't it taught as meritorious wholesomeness? But with annihilationism, believing there's no next world, they think "I'll kill if I want to eat."

When one commits unwholesome actions... If there's no next world, wouldn't people commit cruel unwholesome acts? Because there are no consequences.

With no next world, there are no consequences, so they won't even worry about five cents. #Won't_do_good_deeds. Since there's nothing to receive the results. Without consequences, don't they commit cruel unwholesome acts?

Consider this about eternalism and annihilationism. Isn't this worth contemplating? We need to understand these two views. Annihilationists commit greater wrong, eternalists lesser wrong, understand?

The eternalist greatly fears killing beings. They're afraid of doing wrong deeds, but they dare to do good. #They_fear_unwholesome_acts.

The annihilationist doesn't do good deeds, understand? They commit cruel unwholesome acts. When meeting the Buddha, between annihilationists and eternalists, annihilationists are easier to liberate, understand?

Because they're absolute, you see. When meeting the Buddha and the Sangha, #they're_easier_to_liberate. Eternalists are harder to liberate.

Isn't it worth asking why those with more good deeds are harder to liberate? Speaking as a farmer, when you have fields, don't you plant mango trees, eucalyptus trees, durian trees around?

#You_still_want_to_eat_what_you_plant, understand? You still want to eat what you planted. Don't you want to eat? You still want to eat what your children offer. The food from children.

Or the merits from giving (dāna) and morality (sīla) you've done. You still want to enjoy these results, understand? That's why liberation is difficult. Isn't this worth considering? #Annihilationists_don't_have_these_attachments. Isn't this worth studying?

Without meeting the Buddha or his disciples, annihilationists go straight to lower realms. #To_Avīci. Eternalists cycle between human and deva realms.

Because they have many good deeds. But for Nibbāna, they're harder to liberate, understand? They still want to enjoy the results of their giving, their morality. Isn't this how they are?

Farmers too still want to eat from plants they grew. #They're_not_satisfied_if_they_can't_eat_what_they_planted. Study this too. Isn't this worth contemplating deeply?

"Understanding Kammassaka Sammādiṭṭhi: The Right View of Kamma Ownership" (ကမ္မဿကတာ သမ္မာဒိဋ္ဌိ - ကံကိုယုံကြည်နားလည်ခြင်း)

 In terms of conventional truth as seen by consciousness, isn't it taught that we must believe in kammassaka sammādiṭṭhi - the right view of ownership of kamma - the two principles of unwholesome and wholesome actions? From killing to drinking intoxicants, from killing to wrong view - when these are committed, is it wholesome or unwholesome?

Isn't it taught that due to unwholesome kamma, the results immediately after death are hell, animal realm, peta realm, or asura realm? Is this happiness or suffering? Isn't this frightening?

From abstaining from killing to abstaining from intoxicants, from abstaining from killing to abstaining from wrong view - when these are observed, is it unwholesome or wholesome? Isn't it taught that due to wholesome kamma, the results are human realm and six deva realms? Is this suffering or happiness? Isn't it taught that we must believe in kamma?

The five types of Right View:
1. Kammassaka sammādiṭṭhi (Right view of ownership of kamma)
2. Jhāna sammādiṭṭhi (Right view of absorption)
3. Vipassanā sammādiṭṭhi (Right view of insight)
4. Magga sammādiṭṭhi (Right view of the Path)
5. Phala sammādiṭṭhi (Right view of Fruition)

Aren't these five types of Right View mentioned in the Mogok Sayadaw's recordings? We must believe in kamma. Think about it.

From killing to drinking intoxicants, from killing to wrong view - when committed, it's unwholesome. When abstained from, it's wholesome. Let's contemplate this...