MIDDLE
WAY FOR REAL FREEDOM
Summary
of the Teaching of Thabarwa Sayadaw U Ottamasara,
Delivered
on 16th September 2012
We are used to center or pay attention to the created truth
only. All living beings, non living beings, time and place are just created
truth. All the causes and effects that we currently know are also just created
truth. Our current intelligence and knowledge are also just created truth. Our
body and current mind is also just created truth. Because of attachment to the
created truths, all our actions cannot go beyond the created truth. Our mind is
always connecting one created truth after another. All our mental actions are
concerned only with created truth.
Our goal is to use the created truths in the right way. As
long as we are using the created truths wrongly, enlightenment will not appear.
By using the created truths in the right way, enlightenment will appear. In
order to use the created truths in the right way, it is necessary to know and
contemplate the truth of created truths.
Created truths are neither to be rejected nor attached,
thinking them as reality or real importance but to use-only, to experience-only
and to know-only.
The
Truth of the created truths is :
1) To be use-only, to experience-only, to
do-only, and to know-only
(The Truth of Not Rejecting)
2) Not to be attached, focused and centered
as reality and real
importance. (The Truth of Not
Attaching)
The
Truth of Created Truths
(1) The Truth of
Not-Attaching
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(2) The Truth of
Not-Rejecting
|
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To Abandon the Centering,
To Abandon the Grasping,
To Abandon the Thinking
On the created truths as
reality or real importance.
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TO USE-ONLY
TO EXPERIENCE-ONLY
TO DO-ONLY
TO KNOW-ONLY
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“Use-only, experience-only” means using-only,
experiencing-only without attachment or without any idea of something or
someone. Use-only means using without mental centering on the created truth. In
fact, we are using the created truth all the time but there is mental grasping
and centering in all our actions.
Centering
or using with the idea of something, someone or individual is wrong. The truth
of created truths is also to be used-only and just to be reminded-only.
We are traditionally doing good deeds with our normal
understanding. Our intelligence is not perfect that is why all our understandings
are not perfect. All actions of doing good deeds must be controlled by the
middle way of remembering the truth of the created truths.
Try to
abandon the mental centering on the created truth by remembering the truth of
“using-only, experiencing-only, doing-only and knowing-only.” Try to be
Using-only, Experiencing-only, Knowing-only by remembering the truth of
“Abandoning the mental centering”.
Using-only the way is right but mental grasping on it is
wrong.
Understanding the truth of “use-only; experience-only”
intends to enable the abandoning the habit of mental centering and grasping on
our intelligence or whatever we know.
Our mind and intelligence are to be used-only and be
experienced-only but not to be centered as real importance. By reminding the
truth of the created truths, try to use the created truths in a right way. The
traditional habit of mind is the centering and grasping as reality. Continuous
remembering the truth of use-only, experience-only, do-only and know-only
intend to abandon the mental centering related on action.
Abandon
the centering; Center the abandoning.
Try to
love and remember constantly the truth of created truths “To experience-only
and Not to center as reality.”
Try to
abandon the mental centering on the created truths.
Attempt to abandon the mental centering by remembering the
truth of “use-only, experience-only”, is also to be done-only, used only but
not to be grasped. Try also to detach on the attempt for abandoning the
centering. That means to abandon the centering on enabling the abandonment or
not.
The more abandoning the mental centering on any action, the more ability of “using-only and experiencing-only. Attachment arises because of the mental centering.
The more abandoning the mental centering on any action, the more ability of “using-only and experiencing-only. Attachment arises because of the mental centering.
The less the mental centering, the less attachment, then the
power of using-only arises. The less attaching, the more power of abandoning,
sacrificing, enduring, and courage to any loss. The more power of abandoning,
sacrificing, enduring, and courage to any loss. the more detachment. In this
way, all our actions will be free from wrong understanding and right
understanding which knows the original truth will appear.
Our mind, body and our life, all are to use-only and not to
attached, centered and taken as reality or real importance. We are
traditionally using our life with wrong understanding.
Following the way is correcting the traditional mistake of
mental centering on created truths. Only right understanding can control all
our actions in the right way, then all our action and knowing will be
doing-only and knowing-only without likes and dislikes. Whatever happens, good or bad, are to be experienced-only but not to be
centered and grasped.
Rejecting and attaching to the created truth is wrong.
Reminding the truth of created truths will enable us not to reject nor attach
to the created truths.
We are traditionally using the created truth without the
right understanding. That mean we are using the created truth in the wrong way;
that’s why there is no ending. In whatever we do, whatever we know and even in
practicing meditation, there is mental grasping and centering to this method or
that method.
Helping people, keeping precepts and practicing meditation
is necessary, but in all these actions of good deeds, not forgetting the truth
of the created truths is most important. Constant awareness of the truth, “TO
USE-ONLY but NOT TO CENTER” is necessary in order to make the attachment to the
created truth less and less.
Understanding or not is also not important. To be free from
the attachment to the situation of understanding or not is important. If there
is attachment in the understanding or not, we are not using the understanding
and not-understanding in the right way.
Triple
Abandoning
1) Abandon the
centering related on any action.
2) Abandon the
centering on abandoning and not-abandoning.
3) Abandon the
centering on understanding and not-understanding.
------Teaching is over--------
by Soe Win Htut
3rd October 2012