All Buddhas and all creatures are nothing but one citta. Besides this citta. nothing exsist. The citta which has no beginning does not appear and can not be destroyed. It is not something green or yellow. It has no shape nor appearances. It is not included in the existence or the none existence. It cannot be considered new or old, long or short, big or small because it is beyond all limitation measurement, nomination trace and comparison.

            This single citta is the thing we face.  But if we try to give reasons to it (for example, what is it ?), we will suddenly fall into mistakes. It is like th emptiness without limitation that one can not measure.

            Only this citta is buddha. There is no difference between buddha and all creatures. It is only because all creatures are attached to material shapes, they search so for buddha-bhāva from outsides.  Their search makes them miss the buddha-bhāva. It is the way to use buddha to search for buddha, to use citta to find citta.  Even though they try their best for an aeon they cannot attain buddha-bhāva. They do not realize that if only they give up their mental formations, their eagerness for search, buddha will appear before them beause this citta buddha ; and Buddha is all living beings . This buddha, when it appears in common living beings, is not an unimportant thing and when it appears in all Buddhas, it is not great, either.

            The practice of the six paramitas the pratice of many others similar duties or the accumulation of a great deal of the wholesome are like the number of sands in the Ganges. Think well ; if we are perfect in everything based on the truth, it means that to be one citta or to be united with buddha, there is no need to try to add anything to the thing that is already perfect by practising duties which have no meaning, is there? When you have a chance to do it, do it. And when the chance passes by, just stay      calm.  If we are not absolutely aware that citta is budha and we are still attach to material shapes, to duties, to development of wholesome deeds, we still have the wrong understanding, which is not in line with that path at all.

            This citta is buddha. There is no other buddha nor other citta. It is bright and pure like the emptiness : it has no shape nor appearance at all. If we use our citta to from imaginations, It is as if we ignore the essence and then bind ourselves to materiality, which is superficial. The eternal buddha is not the buddha of attachment. The practice of the six paramitas and so many similar duties with intention to become one buddha is step-by-step practice. But the eternal buddha is not the buddha that we can attain by that kind of pratice. It is only awaking and opening ones eyes to that single citta. Then nothing attains nothing. This is the real buddha. Buddha and all living beings are only this single citta ; nothing else but this.

            Citta is like the emptiness without any confusion or any evil inside. As we can see, when the sun shines through the empty space, it illuminates the whole world because when the sun rises, it lightens the whole world . The real emptiness is not brighter. And when the sun sets, it is not darkened. The appearance of light and darkness changes one to another. But the nature of emptiness is unchangeable. So is the citta of all buddha and all living beings.

            If we regard Buddha as the appearance of purity and of enlightenment or regard all living beings as the appearance of ignorances, of darkness and of unconciousness, these thoughts,derived from the attachment to materiality, will prevent us from the supreme knowledge although we have practised for as many aeons as the sands in the Ganges. There is only the single citta. We can rely on nothing even an atom because citta is buddha.

            If we, the searcher of that part, do not open our eyes to the essence, this citta, we will blind our citta with our  own mental formations. We will search for buddha outside ourselves. We still cling to meteriality; to the practice of the blind wholesome deeds and so on. All are dangerous and it is not at all the way leading to the mentioned supreme knowledge.

            The  essence of the supreme thing, by its inner nature, is like a log or a stone without any movement. Its outside is like the emptiness without end or any obstacles. It is neither abstract nor concrete. It has no proper site, no shape and it can not disappear.

            The citta is not the citta of mental formations. It is absolutely separate. It has nothing to be concerned with materiality. So are all Buddhas and all living beings. Only if we can liberate ourselves from mental formations., we will succeed in everything.

            The real dhamma is citta.  Besides that, there is no other dhamma.  Citta is dhamma.   Nothing is citta but this.  Citta is not citta by itself.  However,  it is not non-citta. To say that citta is not citta means something that really exists.  This thing is beyond any words.  Cease all your thinking and explanation and we may say that the stream of words is suppressed and the current of citta is absolutely eradicated.

            This citta is pure buddhayoni,  which is in every human being.  All living beings which have mind and feelings all Buddhas and Bodhisattas belong to this single nature.  There is not any difference.  The difference resulting from our wrong thinking leads us to commit all kammas incessantly.

            Our nature of the original buddha,  by the supreme truth,  has no meaning of the self at all.  It is an emptiness,  being everywhere peaceful,  unmixed with anything.  It is the enlightened but mysterious peace.  And thats all.

            Come to this thing profoundly by opening your eyes to it.  The thing we face is merely that thing in full measure and in perfection.  There is nothing but this.

            Citta is buddha (the supreme thing.)  It gathers everything in itself; from the noble Buddha who attain enlightenment to the most humble creatures : reptiles and insects.  All these equally share in buddhahood and in everything that has the same essence of buddha all the time.

            If we are only able to comprehend our citta and to discover our own nature with this understanding,  there certainly is no need to search at all.

            If we really keep our citta at peace, out of any thinking even at the least movement of citta, the real citta will apppear in emptiness.  Then we will find that is has no shape.  It does not occupy any site, not even a little spot.  It is not considered exixtence or non-existence because we connot perceive these things by our sences, for citta which is our real nature is garbha or birth to which no one can give birth and which no one can destroy.

            To react to the environment, it changes itself into phenomena in order that it will be easier to name.  We name citta as sati-paññā (mindfulness and wisdom).  But when it does not react to environment, it is not sati-paññā  which thinks or creates something ; it connot be mentioned or defined as something that exists or does not exist. Furthermore, even when it creates something to answer the rules of causes and consequences, it cannot be perceived by sences : eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body-sences and mind.  If we understand this truth and develop citta in absolute peace, in the state of nothingness,  we are really going on the path of all buddhas.  Thus, we must develop citta in order to end in nothingness.

            The five evements which compose  viññāna are something empty. The four elements of the body are not composed to be self.  The real citta has neigher shape nor action.  Our original nature in something that does not begin at birth and does not end at death.  But it is absolutely the same thing.  It has no movement in its deepest part.

            Our citta and everything around us are the same thing.  If we can understand this, we will attain the enlightenment in a single moment.  Then we will  have nothing to do the three realms.  We will be beyond the mandane,  and will not be reborn.  We will only be ourselves, with no mental formations at all,  and be that same thing as the supreme being.  We will attain to the state that nothing can cause our mental formations anymore.  Thus, this is the basic dhama.

            Sammāsambodhi is the mane of the truth which indicates that all dhammas are non-self.  If we understand this truth,  what can all deceitful things do to us?

            Philosopsy is enlightenment.  Enlightenment is the original citta which has no shape.  If we understand that the doer and its subject, citta and an object, are the same thing, this truth will lead us to the deep and mystic understanding which is beyond any word.  Due to this understanding, we will be awakened to the truth by ourselves.

            Our real truth does not disappear from us even when we are misguided by ignorance.  It does not return to us when we attain the enlightenment,  either. It is the nature of bhutatathata.  In this nature, there is neither ignorance nor right understanding. It is full in the emptiness.  It is the real essence of that single citta. For this reason, how can objects that our citta forms,  both abstarct and concrete, be outside this emptimess?

            According to the basic principles, emptiness is something without any dimesion, that is, without defilement, deeds, ignorance and right understanding.  We must really understand that, in face, there is nothing : no common human beings, no buddha because in the emptiness nothing exists, not even the smallest hair which can be observable by any dimension.

            It relies on nothing. It is not attached to anything, either.  It is an impeccable beauty.  It stands by itself.  It is the supreme thing that nothing creates. It is a diamond that is beyond any evaluation. We nust distiguish the inner body by wisdom, the Noble Path, and citta.  The causes and consequences of detachment.  Then we release ourselves from debts, escaping from rebirth.       

            There are incalculable living beings and non-living beings in this universe.  In brief,  there are only 2 things : rupa and nama.  The original nama is the emptiness of the universe which pairs to give rise to ignorance and causes.  Where there is rupa, there is nama. Rupa united to nama causes the change which gives rise to time.  Rupa united to nama causes the change which gives rise to time. Rupa attracting each other makes itself move and turns around itself according to conditions.  Rupa can move only when there is nama.  Because there is the emptiness in-betwenn rūpa, so rupa can move.  Because sabhāvadhamma is in this way, everything which has life or not is subject to tilakkhana,  arising and falling away successively. They cannot stop to  remain actual. Citta and viññāna derive from the rupa and nama of the universe. It is the illusion that changes and blinds us. It change from non-living rūpa-nāma to living  rūpa-nāma, from living  rupa-nama to living rupa-nama wich possesses citta wiññāna. Then citta and viññāna separate from each other, leaving only empty nama without rūpa. This is the ultimate deceit of rūpa-nāma.

            The origin of rūpa-nma of the univese give rise to  rūpas-namas of other realms, including incalculable stars because there is no end.  The rūpas-nāmas of various realms cause rūpas-nāmas of plants.  The rūpas-nāmas of plants give rise to     rūpas-nāmas of animals that can move.  So they are called living being.  In fact. rūpa-nāma, no matter whether it has life or not, con move because it has rūpa and nama which causes reaction in itself and makes it move continually.  We connot see this change by our eyes ; so we call it non living being.  The rūpas-nāmas of plants changing into rūpa-nāma of animals form the beginning of the lives of living beings.  They also cause citta, viññāna, action, movement and deeds.

            The first living being commited only ill deeds.  Living beings ate living beings.  Then passion,  greed and ignorance arose from internal and external conditions.  Deeds which living beings committed were through their eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body-sense coming into contact with material shapes, sounds, smells, tastes and touch.

            The consequently stay, contain, are registered and are photographed in atomic- rūpas which are subtle rūpas lying latent in the emptiness. We are not able to see them by our eyes; the things which are in between eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body-sense.  When these first living beings died, only their ill deeds caused their rebirth in order that they might pay their debts.  Unfortunately, when they were reborn, they did not want to pay their debts, but accumulated more ill deeds which led them to more rebirths. Male and female living beings were born in subtle- rūpas, being attached to these 5 contacts until this life.  Beause of the ill deeds in these 5 subtle rūpas, they turn around together to beccome round atomic rūpa, standing balanced by turning around themselves endlessly and becoming the place where resides citta which is called rūpa - viññāna or inner rūpas because it comes from nama in between eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body-sence which are subtle rūpas-lying in the emptiness.  So the rūpa - viññāna lasts longer than materrial rūpa, being turned around and retained by evil deeds. No good can kill it.  Only nibbāna can destroy viññāna.

            Kammas which living beings commit, registered in subtle rūpas : eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body-sence all together are called citta. So citta has its place attaching itself to 5 viññāna which become the station of central citta, linking with outer eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body-sence which are the medias of citta.  So citta and viññāna are different. Citta is the thinker, but  viññāna is the place where citta stays and is the vehicle that brings citta to be born or to go anywhere.  Viññāna preserves subtle rūpa, the rūpa which comes from gross rūpa:  male rūpa, female rūpa, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body-sense, it is viññāna which causes the continuation of rebirth.

            When living beings die, their bodies end up at the proper age of that life. But the real life of atomic rūpa - viññāna are not also destroyed. It must be reborn in various realms according to the conditions of life cycle and changes.  The real life, the inner rūpa - viññāna which turns around itself makes  citta arise and fall away successively,  wasting for external phenomena, no matter whether they are good or bad, to come into contact.  It continues accumulation these external phenomena as the cause of the rise, the fall and the formation until ill deeds, the cause of rebirth, expire. Then life, inner rūpa or viññāna will stop turning around. Subtle rūpa, rūpa - viññāna caused by ill deeds from the first life will be destroyed, and separated from each other, being unable to maintain and scattered. As for good cittadhamma attached to viññāna it will  spread out with atomic rūpa, leaving only the emptiness which separate the space between every atomic rūpa. Thus, without atomic rūpa, this emptiness becomes pure and bright united to the emptiness, the purity and the radiance of the universe and the so-called nibbāna.

            When the Lord Buddha succeeded in establishing the Buddhist life which formed the perfect life as he wished, he, then, freed himself from vibhāvatanhā and entered aunpādisesanibbāna, that is to say, he had liberated himself from all defilements. He became entirely detached by means of aunpādisesanibbāna: firstly, he developed the deepest jhāna up to saññā- vedayitanirōdha, which is the deepest level beyond arūpa-jhāna.  At this first step, he did not end up all khandhas absolutely but solely entered it to maintain the process of nibbāna or nirōdha for the last time of his life, or to keep the path he tried to create as the model for the last time. We can call it the thing that came from his subtle sufferings which common human beings who have gross citta are not able to sence.

            Thus, the process of the development of citta up to saññā- vedayitanirōdha  was the one that only the Lord Buddha, the greatest prophet of the world, has discovered and revealed to all beings, teaching them to follow him.  After having attained this last step, he, then, returned to the first step; the first absorption and made his decision for the last time to put an end to each khandha.  Viññāna-khandha of the life and of the body had already ended long before he entered the first absorption because he must have ended up sankhara-khandha or sankhara-dhamma first, before vinnana-khandha could end after. Thus, there was not any trace remaining for that gross viññāna-khandha.

            He began again to end up first the deepest sankhārā-khandha or sankhārā-dhammā which would effect vibhava-tanha.  Then he entered the second absorption, ending up saññā- khandha and moved to the third absorption. Having ended up the deepest sankhārā- khandha or sankhārā- dhammā, he move to the fourth absorption.  There was left only the last vedanā-khandha of the life.  This is the process of the last step of absolute cessation.

            When he had absorption ending up sankhara-khandha or sankhārā- dhammā, he, then, ended up vedanā-khandha which is citta-khandha or inner nāma-khandha, that is bhavanga-citta, and went out of the fourth absorption, ending up his last citta-        khāndha or nāma-khandha. This was the way he really entered nibbāna. He did not enter nibbāna in any jhāna.  When he went out from the fourth absorption, citta-khandha or nāma-khandha ended at the same time.  Nothing was left. It means that he ended up vedāna-khandha in the state of awaken citta or the normal state of citta of human beings with mindfulness and self-awareness, without any state to blind him. It was his own perfect state.

            When his last vedāna-khandha absolutely ended, he, then, was the pure one who has neither sankhāra-dhammā nor cause, nor citta khandha or nāma-khandha.  There was left only rūpa-khandha which could not certainly have life because rūpa was not life. Without namā, rūpa was only an object. Thus were the levels of jhāna, which the Venerable Anuruddhathera observed with has jhāna-citta. It was the absolute end, the real cessation that the Lord Buddha brought about by himself.    

 

 

PHRA RAJAWUDHAJAHN

(VENERABLE AHAHN DOON ADULO)

CITTA IS BUDDHA

 

               We must distinguish the inner body by wisddom, the Noble Path and Citta, the causes and consequences of detachment. Then we release ourselves from debts, escaping from rebirth.