02. On Birth and Death

Phra Nirōdharaṅsī Gambhirapaññāvisiṭṭha
Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī
Wat Hin Mak Peng, Si Chiang Mai District, Nong Khai Province

The Root Cause that Produces Suffering and the Extinguishing of Suffering

In this world, apart from form and name – that is, body and mind – what else is there? Even happiness and suffering: apart from bodily suffering and mental suffering, what else and where else could there be? When these two things arise, if they do not abide in this body and this mind, it is not known how or where they could abide. It is the same with the mind. If a person does anything to escape from suffering, if they do not escape from this body and this mind, what benefit would it be? But suffering has power over the teachings of all teachers and masters. Suffering is what molds a person into a human being, makes them diligent and industrious, enables them to rely on themselves, and makes them the best of teachers to instruct others. Suffering is a guide that leads a person to stand on their own feet. Suffering is a magnet that draws a person to create goodness and beauty, such as giving donations, observing precepts, etc. Suffering is a measure of happiness, like mercury is a measure of temperature. Those with much or little happiness must use suffering as a measure for comparison. Those who hate suffering and dislike suffering are like those who have no mercury. Those who like suffering and love suffering are like those who have mercury but do not use it to measure. Those who develop jhāna and the five hindrances must use this mercury as a measure. The body and mind are the foundation of the world (i.e., suffering). Wise people take up this suffering and investigate it until they understand the matter of suffering together with its root cause, then let go of all those sufferings through proper wise means, attaining the Path, Fruition, and Nibbāna. All of them started their journey from this very body and mind (i.e., suffering).

One can see the body and mind as separate domains only when the mind has attained jhāna-samādhi.

The mind is something that cannot be found as a self. Only when it joins together with the body does it manifest its activities to be apparent to the eyes of others. The mind is a conditioned reality that no one can point out or describe, but it knows itself. When it sends itself out through the various senses, such as through the eye-faculty, it is called "mind" (citta). When it receives the reflected light of forms that strike the eye-faculty, it is called "consciousness" (viññāṇa). When it grasps that form and holds it, that is called "object" (ārammaṇa). If pleasure, delight, or displeasure arises, that is called "feeling" (vedanā). If there arises a desire for it to remain that way forever, or a desire for it not to be that way again, that is called "craving" (taṇhā). The names of this mind are many, given according to the characteristics it displays. The names conventionally given here are only a small part according to the understanding of the writer. Those who know may call it by more names and make more conventions, or may call it by names different from these. What has been presented is enough to understand that regarding mind, consciousness, object, and feeling – before they are classified as defilements, when they reach the realm of craving – it is then that the mind becomes dark and defiled. What are called "defilements" (kilesa) and "craving" (taṇhā) must arise in dependence on the sense-object sphere, with forms, sounds, etc. Therefore, mind, consciousness, object, and feeling alone do not yet produce defilements. Only when reaching the stage of craving do defilements arise. The teaching about the 1,500 defilements and the 108 cravings is classified according to this very line. All that has been explained here, if the mind has not yet attained jhāna-samādhi to first suppress external objects and separate them from the mind, then no matter how accurately we remember the names and terms for defilements, we will never see the real face of defilements, because defilements are also a conditioned reality. Only when the mind, well-cultivated, separates itself from material phenomena, only then can the mind correctly know defilements themselves. When someone understands the defilements of the mind in this way, they can purify them. As for the body, which is material element, no matter how much you cleanse it, the mind remains as dirty as before. At best, when the mind is well purified, the bodily postures and actions become more refined.

When the body and mind join together, they can perform any kind of action without exception, according to whatever the mind commands. But the result of actions, called vipāka, that the two perform together – as long as they remain together, they together receive and experience it. When the physical form breaks up and the body dies, it goes off and sets up its own camp, becoming earth, water, fire, and wind according to its nature. Then the mind alone receives the karmic inheritance, like a fruit, such as a durian. When it ripens and falls from the tree without saying goodbye to the tree, it gets the seed and the ripe, fragrant, sweet flesh, then it goes. When the seed is not withered or rotten, it goes to create another tree and fruit, growing again. The mind is just the same. When the body breaks up and dies and no longer perceives anything, the mind alone bears the burden of the results of actions. These results of actions are what lead the mind to be reborn in this or that realm, as in the Buddha's saying: "Beings are owners of their actions" – the mind creates whatever action; "heirs of their actions" – that very mind which created the action will receive its results; "born of their actions" – actions give birth; "related to their actions" – actions are the clan of birth; "dependent on their actions" – actions are the mind's refuge, or the mind relies on actions as its course.

The Mind That Will Be Reborn in the Sense-Sphere Realm

Form and name, or body and mind, are the dwelling place of sense-desire defilements. If the mind is still endowed with sense-desire defilements, it must inevitably come back to cling and be reborn in this sense-sphere realm. The sense-sphere realm is the center of all realms. Those who will be reborn in the six heavens of the happy sense-sphere destinations, for example, must come and accumulate provisions from here. Those who will go to the realms of misery, such as the animal realm, must also come and accumulate evil actions here. Even those who attain the Path, Fruition, and Nibbāna must come and accumulate their perfections here as well. The sense-sphere realm is a delightful and pleasing place for those not yet satiated or satisfied with sense pleasures. Hence it is named the "five strands of sense pleasure": forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangible objects. These five provide benefits to those who still need and desire them. But the wise person, seeing the danger in these five strands of sense pleasure, becomes satiated, satisfied, and wearied, renouncing and abandoning them, as explained in the "Dangers of Sense Pleasures" section.

The mind that delights in and clings to the sense-sphere realm is pleased and satisfied with the five objects such as forms. Whatever actions it performs, it hopes for results in terms of these five objects. As long as body and mind together create wholesome actions pertaining to the sense-sphere, the results they receive are also experienced together. When the body lasts its full lifespan and then dies, if the results of those actions are not exhausted, the mind continues to bear the burden. Actions become the guide leading the mind to be reborn in a destiny that is a sense-sphere realm. Thus the Buddha's saying: "Kamma distinguishes beings" – meaning that the actions beings have performed will distinguish them according to their power. One cannot decorate oneself according to one's own liking. One who investigates and sees in this way should therefore create only good actions that will lead to the happy realm one desires, before that opportunity arrives.

The Body Breaks Up and Dies, But the Mind That Still Has Defilements Does Not Die

When the body and mind are still normal, they can work together in every case. Only when one side or the other is damaged or impaired do they cease to work together, because the communication link is broken. This communication link, in medical science, is called "cells," such as brain cells that order thinking and send various signals, etc. In Buddhism, it is called "sensory faculties" (pasāda), such as the eye-faculty that sees forms, the ear-faculty that hears sounds, etc. But sometimes doctors also call people with abnormal thinking "having deteriorated nerves." Nevertheless, mind-cultivators or meditators firmly believe that when a person dies, the mind leaves the body and no longer acknowledges or works together with cells or faculties. The cells or faculties then have no effect at all. Even though warmth may still be present, cells or faculties might still appear, but there is no guarantee because the perceiving mind is gone. We can observe this from newly dead animals – there is still warmth, and their nerves or blood vessels may still twitch. This shows that cells or faculties are still working, but the pulse or breath is weak and no longer apparent.

All this explanation is to show that cells or faculties are not the mind that receives those contacts. It is the mind that perceives those contacts, and it does not yet produce any defilements. Only when craving and clinging arise, as explained, do defilements arise. Therefore, even though cells or faculties perform actions together with the mind, as long as they remain together they experience the results of those actions together. When cells or faculties become impaired and cannot work together with the mind normally, and the body breaks up and dies, the results of those actions are received by the mind alone. Then those results (vipāka) become a guide leading the mind to be reborn in that or that place. As for cells or faculties, which are material elements, they cannot disintegrate and escape from this sense-sphere earth. After disintegrating here, they go on to form again elsewhere.

The noble ones who are skilled in entering jhāna, fully controlling the mind to remain in the jhāna factors, can enter the cessation attainment (nirodhasamāpatti) and remain for days. Coarse breath does not appear to exit through the nose – this is called the cessation of in-and-out breathing, but they are not dead. All parts of the body remain normal, but all feeling is gone. The subtle breath that pervades the entire body still exists. Even though cells or faculties may still be working, the mind no longer participates in perception. So we can conclude: as long as form and name, i.e., body and mind, are normal, they work together. Sometimes the mind decides to abandon the body, and does so, but the body does not acknowledge it, as mentioned. And sometimes the body cheats the mind – it's not easy either. Out of nowhere, a person might die of shock, be run over by a car, die in a plane crash, have a stroke, etc., all sorts of things, even though the mind had no issue with the body. It's strange. Before body and mind come to live together, they were not acquainted. When they part ways, they don't say anything to each other, having had no issues at all, and neither feels any regret for the other. They part and that's that. If that is so, then what is it that causes suffering and distress when ill or near death? The Buddha said: That is the defilements. The mind brings defilements and stores them in the mind. People then regard the mind as defilement. If the mind itself were defilement, who could purify the mind? The mind is not defilement; defilements are not the mind. But the mind receives contact (phassa) arising from the sense-bases, such as eye seeing form, etc., and then grasps it in the mind, giving rise to attachment, delight, or aversion, anger, displeasure – thus making the mind clouded. Because that other thing is the cause, it is called "defilement." The four elements, the five aggregates, the six sense-bases are conventional realities (paññatti-dhamma) that tell us that such-and-such a thing has such-and-such a name and such-and-such a function. The mind is what grasps these conventional realities as "me" and "mine." When conventional realities perform their functions, the mind then considers itself to be the one performing those functions, thus understanding its own mind as defilement. The essential nature of lead remains lead as before. Even if it is mixed with gold, when the gold is removed, lead must remain lead as before. The body is material element; the mind is mental phenomenon (nāma-dhamma); saṅkhāra is the activity of the mind that thinks and concocts material phenomena into a vehicle for a period of time. When no longer necessary, it abandons them in their original place. The great artist saṅkhāra creates the world endlessly, tirelessly. Therefore this world is vast and immeasurable. The writer knows that he is not an anatomist or biologist. What he has explained is only his own opinion for the benefit of meditators' mental objects. It may be wrong or right. He therefore asks forgiveness from all knowledgeable ones on this occasion. If there are errors, please kindly add corrections or give further light; the writer expresses his gratitude here.

Karma-sign (kamma-nimitta) and Destiny-sign (gati-nimitta) as Leaders to Rebirth in That Destiny

The product produced by the body and mind acting together is called "kamma." The result of kamma that will lead to further results has no findable self, but it appears only in the heart of the doer. Sometimes it may manifest through body and speech in certain cases. For example, a person who made a career of killing pigs without any shame, when their body deteriorates and they are about to die, may exhibit signs indicating the evil kamma they performed – such as crying out in a pig's voice, showing reactions like a dying pig, or making gestures of killing pigs and announcing it for others to see, without intending to do so, but it happens spontaneously. This is a manifestation of the results of the kamma they performed, only so that those who see can infer close to the truth. But the actual kamma and its results, no one else sees or knows except the doer themselves. This kamma is explained in the Dhamma Section, Chapter 2, of the Dhamma curriculum for the second level, where there are twelve types. But here I will not bring that to explain again, as it is well explained there. Here I will explain only the kamma-nimitta and gati-nimitta, which are the messengers of the Lord of Death (Yama). Whoever does good or evil kamma, whether in secret or openly, do not think that Yama's messengers do not know or see. They follow and know and see every single opportunity.

Before a person's body breaks up, when the mind has let go of the body and no longer feels anything, an image arises and appears only to that person's own mind, whether they intend to look or not. That image, to give a simple comparison, is like a vision in a dream. That vision will manifest the results of the kamma we have done in the past. Sometimes we may have forgotten it long ago, but it appears for us to see and recall. For example, we once built a hall or monastery, offered a Kathina robe, etc. That gift object will appear for us to see. But this vision will be more beautiful, splendid, and marvelous than what we actually did, to the extent that when we see it, we feel rapture and immense joy beyond comparison. Then the mind will focus and seize that nimitta as its object, producing exclusively happiness called "sagga" (heaven). Those who have made merit will see the results clearly with their own mind at this time. At this point, the mind is no longer involved with the body. Whether the body aches, breaks, or dies, the mind does not perceive it at all. The teaching states that when a being dies, the mind abandons the body first, then the body dies later. But at birth, form arises first, then the mind later enters the conception. What is meant here is that the perceiving mind, which took over from cells or faculties, no longer appears there. But cells or faculties can still work, as mentioned, because warmth remains. This warmth arises from the breath or diaphragm. As long as the diaphragm still moves, breath still pervades various parts of the body, and faculties or cells still appear. But the breath is so little that it cannot sustain life normally, and the perceiving mind that took over from cells or faculties no longer appears, so that is called "death."

Now, when the mind receives happiness through the mind-door (manodvāra) devoid of cells or faculties as described, it is an immeasurable happiness. Therefore, the teaching states that the happiness of those who have made merit and are reborn in heaven is supreme happiness, and they experience that happiness for eons. If we compare the lifespan of the Cātumahārājika heaven beings with humans, one hundred human days and nights become one day and night for them, and their lifespan lasts for tens of thousands of years. To compare, we might infer that happiness there is like the happiness experienced while dreaming. That happiness is very great because it does not use cells or faculties together – it is purely mind-made happiness. The happiness of noble ones who enter the cessation attainment is similar. Conversely, those who did evil kamma will have their kamma-nimitta arise at the same time, but it will be a matter of unbearable torment because the kamma repays them. Even if the physical torment is such that the body would disintegrate and rot away, they still do not die. The teaching compares the lifespan of hell beings: one hundred days and nights of the Cātumahārājika heaven beings become one day and night for hell beings, and they also live for tens of thousands of years. Why is that so? Because suffering is fierce and hard to endure, and no one desires it. Even though suffering may be little, it has great weight. What has been explained is called "kamma-nimitta." While alive, the mind works together with cells or faculties, and saṅkhāra concocts and performs those actions joyfully. But when the body breaks up and dies, the cells or faculties relinquish their duties. The kamma that was done together then appears to the mind, which receives the inheritance alone. Then that kamma-nimitta becomes the commander leading to rebirth in that destiny according to its power and nature.

That is not all. By the power of kamma, a destiny-sign (gati-nimitta) also arises, which leads the doer of that kamma to be reborn in that place, arising in sequence with the kamma-nimitta itself. It yields results of happiness or suffering similarly, but it shows the condition or location where one is about to be reborn, inducing the mind to be pleased and inclined to take hold even more firmly. For example, those who have made merit, such as giving donations as mentioned, will see the place where they will be reborn or enjoy the benefits as a delightful, secluded place, complete with the accessories of the merit they made, but far more marvelous than what they actually did. When they see it, their mind is overwhelmed with rapture. Sometimes someone may point out that those things and that place are the benefits of the merit you have made, or there may be people coming to receive and escort them with honor. As for the destiny of evil kamma, it is the opposite – it produces unimaginable, unbearable suffering.

These two nimittas, the kamma-nimitta and the gati-nimitta, when they arise and appear to the mind, the doer of the kamma can recall all the past kamma they have done in the past. If they see good kamma together with a good nimitta as witness, they will be extremely joyful and delighted. If they see evil kamma together with an inauspicious nimitta, the mind will be depressed, distressed, and suffer many times over. All that has been explained here occurred in the time of the Buddha, and even nowadays we often hear about it. Those interested will have some good understanding of this matter. Sometimes these two nimittas appear in either order – the kamma-nimitta may arise first, then the gati-nimitta later, or vice versa. Whichever arises first, they lead to the same destination.

These two nimittas are like the honest, righteous, and just police officers of Yama, spying everywhere at all times. No matter who does good or evil kamma, whether in secret or openly, these two will know and see it all. No one can hide, conceal, or make excuses. And the one who is more honest, righteous, and just than even these police officers is one's own mind – that is the first. Some people may understand that good and evil kamma a person has done give results in this very life – for example, doing good kamma leads to praise, honor, rewards, etc.; doing evil kamma leads to punishment, torture, execution, imprisonment, etc. – and that there are no future results. That is the annihilationist view (ucchedadiṭṭhi), which holds that there is no next life and that merit and kamma have no results. This is a grave danger to the truth of the Buddha's teachings. In Buddhism, it is held that those who do good or evil kamma still have defilements, and thus there are still planes of existence. Those defilements themselves are the guides leading to rebirth in those planes, where one experiences the remaining results of kamma. Receiving results of kamma, whether good or bad, in the present life is only a small portion of the results. Those who develop rūpa-jhāna focus on the nimitta of a form that appears as a kasiṇa at the mind as their object, leading to rebirth in the fine-material realm (rūpa-bhūmi). Those who develop arūpa-jhāna focus on the voidness that is the object of that jhāna as a nimitta and object, leading to rebirth in the realm of mere voidness. The fine-material realm is a plane with subtle form, not using ordinary cells or faculties like us humans, but it is a form of the mind. Those who attain it know this well. Ordinary people like us, talking too much about it only gets confused and pointless. Even more so with the formless jhānas, which are beyond our ability to infer. The more we infer, the more we go wrong.

In summary, nimittas are the leaders for those who still have defilements, leading them to rebirth in that destiny. Those who attain rūpa-jhāna and arūpa-jhāna still fall into the same category. Some may think that only when near death should one recall a good nimitta to be led to a happy destination. Do not think that – it is a waste of time. It is just an excuse for the heedless. In each life, a person creates more evil kamma than good. Even each day, if we were to offset them, normally without any special events, the bodily, verbal, and mental actions of each individual have far more misconduct than good conduct. Then when near death, wouldn't it be even worse? Even those who cultivate merit and recollect the benefits of goodness as anusati at all times, even in sleep and dreams, see such nimittas – that still does not mean they are completely free from suffering. It is merely a way to reach a happy destination.

The Way to the Extinction of Becoming and Birth

Becoming and birth are the seats of the mass of suffering. All sufferings are piled up on those who still have becoming and birth. Becoming and birth can arise only dependent on those who still have defilements, which pair with nimittas to lead to rebirth in that place. Those who wish to extinguish becoming and birth must strive so that these two nimittas do not arise when death approaches. We cannot decorate the two nimittas according to our wishes; they occur according to the merit, kamma, and defilements each person has accumulated, as described.

Question 1. If that is so, what should we do so that nimittas do not arise when death approaches?

Answer: When we are born and sink into the mass of sufferings in the terrifying jungle of defilements, and see the results of evil kamma that are extremely horrifying – that's enough. Then we cultivate only good kamma that yields happiness as its result, until we are satiated and satisfied with the happiness that good kamma gives. Then we abandon that happiness, not deludedly intoxicated by taking it as "me" or "mine" in a serious way. This is called abandoning both good and evil because one is full and satisfied with all desires. Then the two nimittas will not arise.

Question 2. What if one is not yet satiated with both kinds of kamma?

Answer: Then one must continue to create good kamma, but do not create more evil kamma. Because we have already created much evil kamma, whose results remain to be stored and disposed of.

Question 3. If life continues, and one does neither good nor evil kamma, then what will one do and how will one live?

Answer: As long as life continues, there must be movement. Movement is kamma. But let there be no evil kamma; let there be only good kamma. Because good kamma is easy for a good person to do, but hard for a bad person. A good person doing good kamma without desiring any return – even if they do good kamma, it is not called "kamma" but "mere action" (kiriyā). Therefore, before the Buddha extinguished becoming and birth – that is, attaining omniscience – he accumulated perfections for countless lives, such as the perfection of giving, etc. Finally, when his perfections were fully satiated, he abandoned this world that is founded on kamma, extinguished it, and left no remaining seed.

Human beings are one species among the animals existing in this world. At the same time, every type of being hates suffering and struggles to find happiness according to their own desires. But the happiness they want may not be the same, because of differences in their status and level. That hope and desire itself is what attracts them to love this world, which is full of a mass of suffering, making them forget those sufferings temporarily, and then they see this world as happiness. The commonality among these beings, apart from having birth, aging, sickness, and death, is that they all have suffering and happiness as constants, as well as sleeping, crying, and laughing to relieve gloom. The important thing is reproduction, to leave an inheritance for other people and other animals, to perpetuate the suffering of this world, or perhaps to create a nest of future suffering for themselves as well. All beings, once born, miss the target of their own purpose. Especially humans, we miss greatly – we have unstable desires. When we get what we desire, instead of being satiated and satisfied, we are still not satisfied. What we get becomes unsatisfying again. It is always hungry, never full. Therefore, humans are far busier and more suffering than other animals. Even though there are strict rules, regulations, and orders, it is hard to keep them in place. At the same time, what the heedless rarely consider is that old age and death are quietly sneaking up behind. Whenever they get the chance, they will pounce, crush, and fling mercilessly. Humans are far more intelligent and sharp than other animals, but it is a pity that instead of using that sharp intelligence to create happiness and prosperity for themselves and others, they use it to create suffering and trouble for themselves, other people, and other animals. They are not as sharp as the spines of a durian, which exist only for self-protection – but don't touch it, and don't go near the tree when it falls.

Humans are more vicious than all the rest. They are born to destroy the world. Starting from reproducing humans so that they can die. When too many are born and can't keep up, they think of destroying and slaughtering each other. When using the weapons inherent in each person to destroy each other isn't fast enough to meet demand, they think of creating more dangerous weapons to kill by the hundreds and thousands. Whoever says humans are born to develop the world is not telling the truth. In truth, they develop prosperity only for themselves and their own small circle, or only for the places they want. But that destroys other people and other places, causing trouble and leveling them completely. In this era, those who are born seeking happiness for themselves and their own circle are satisfied, and they are jealous of others, not allowing them to be born again. Selfish people view Buddhism in a negative light, saying it teaches people to stay put and not progress. The Buddha, who gave rise to the religion, saw the deterioration of the world with his clear wisdom, then renounced his own happiness in every way for the benefit of worldly beings. Relying on his great compassion, he set his heart to help, teaching and instructing teachable beings to practice as those who sacrifice, following his pair of feet.

Those who are not deluded and practice following his teaching will attain happiness and prosperity for themselves and others. He is truly called one who was born to develop this world with mindfulness, which is the desire of all living beings.