25. What is the dwelling place, the object of clinging?
By Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī
March 20, 1985
In our practice of kammaṭṭhāna (meditation), what do we have as a standard? What do we have as a measure? Regarding our kammaṭṭhāna, observe this: Among the 13 Dhutangas, which one should we take as our main foundation? For example, the practice of wearing only three robes. Nowadays, we don't even have just three — we have more than three. The practice of eating only one meal a day — that one we still partly observe, somewhat. But if we were to observe it strictly and earnestly, truly eating just one meal a day, not consuming anything else afterward — no rice porridge, no desserts, no fruits, etc. — that would be called strict observance. Eating only from the alms bowl; if food is offered outside the bowl, we don't accept it. These are the routines that serve as the measure for kammaṭṭhāna. Try to observe: among the 13 Dhutangas, which ones still remain in us?
If people don't practice kammaṭṭhāna — but kammaṭṭhāna actually exists everywhere. It exists in every single person — hair of the head, hair of the body, nails, teeth, skin — the 32 aspects are complete in every way. That itself is kammaṭṭhāna. It's just that we don't practice it. If we practice by contemplating those 32 aspects, that counts as practicing kammaṭṭhāna.
But we are monks, aren't we? We are monks and novices. We should practice with observances as our dwelling place. Soon, we won't have any observances left. The 13 Dhutangas will completely disappear. There will only be the name "kammaṭṭhāna" left, but the real kammaṭṭhāna — no one knows where it has gone.
The Buddha saw the benefit. "Dhutanga" means the practice that leads to liberation from suffering, to the removal of defilements and release from suffering. If there are no Dhutangas left, then what will serve as the means to lead us to liberation from suffering? Observe your own mind, and you will understand. Among the 13 Dhutangas, take any one of them. Observe: if you don't practice it earnestly, but only go through the motions, it won't give you its full benefit.
Take us nowadays: whether we contemplate the repulsiveness of food, or contemplate the elements of the body as described — "merely elements, not a self, not a living being, empty" — we just contemplate superficially. We see others contemplating, so we follow along. But what about our own understanding? We don't really know. Make it truly see! Make it truly see things as elements! Make it truly see them as unattractive (asubha)! But if we truly see them as unattractive, we're afraid we won't be able to eat. If we see them as mere elements, we're afraid we won't be able to eat — we're afraid beforehand. So that doesn't become kammaṭṭhāna. The Buddha saw the benefit of all these things, which is why he taught us to practice. Seeing things as elements, seeing them as unattractive through inferential contemplation (anuloma) — if we don't see them as elements or as unattractive, but at least perceive them clearly in the mind with perception (saññā), that's still good. If the counterpart sign (paṭibhāga) arises, and we truly and earnestly see maggots or rotting matter in the food, or see it as a real lump of elements — that is the arising of the counterpart sign. That is the very best. But if that doesn't happen, then at least see it inferentially, but see it clearly and firmly established in the mind.
Seeing it clearly and firmly established in the mind is far better than seeing the counterpart sign. It sees it all the time. Once you contemplate and see it clearly and firmly, you see it every time. The counterpart sign is seen only occasionally; it arises to help you see clearly. That very point is the measure of truth. It must be truly like that, it must be firmly established like that — that is the experience of the counterpart sign.
As for inferential seeing — that clear and firm seeing — it sees both the true and the not-true aspects. It sees the not-true aspect: unattractiveness and the counterpart sign must truly be like that, firmly. But from another perspective, food is just food, elements are just elements, unattractiveness is just unattractiveness. For eating, the eater is just neutral — eating doesn't matter, not eating doesn't matter. That's how it sees. The Buddha saw the danger and taught us this way, to understand this way. When you truly see like that, it's called the arising of conventional designation (sammuti-baññatti) again.
Conventional designation means designating things according to convention. Whatever way they conventionally designate, you must designate accordingly, according to the convention. Our own self is the same. This conditioned body arises entirely from conventional designations. Without conventional designations, we couldn't name anything; we wouldn't know what to call anything. See conventional designations as merely conventional designations, while we are something else — our true nature is something else. Once we understand conventional designations, we are not deluded. We don't cling to or grasp those conventions. Then we are released from the self. This is what the Buddha taught us to understand.
But to see that way, you must first have tranquility (samatha) as your dwelling place. Train in tranquility as your foundation first. Only when tranquility is heavy, firm, and fully established will you see. If tranquility is not fully firm, you cannot see. You will only see with mere perception, which does not lead to disenchantment. Whatever you contemplate, if you don't have tranquility as your dwelling place, you will become scattered and confused, with no firm foundation, no stable and lasting ground. That's why many practitioners, after practicing for a while, think they are skilled and special, but eventually they become scattered and cannot find their footing.
You must practice until tranquility is fully firm, then you can come out and contemplate. Actually, once tranquility is full, it will contemplate by itself. Whether it's insight contemplation (vipassanā) or any kind of wisdom, people want only vipassanā wisdom, thinking it is the highest and most special thing that leads to liberation. But true vipassanā wisdom is not present all the time, not continuous. The real, genuine vipassanā wisdom that accomplishes path, fruition, and Nibbāna arises only for a single moment and never arises again. What you are doing instead is inferential contemplation. For example, contemplating impermanence, suffering, and not-self — that clear seeing is actually inferential clear seeing. The genuine, crystal-clear, earnest seeing does not happen again; it doesn't happen two or three times. That is something else entirely. You must let it happen by itself. You must let go, relinquish everything, not think about anything, not take anything as an object. Only then can wisdom gradually arise, can vipassanā wisdom gradually arise. Vipassanā wisdom arises without you intending it again. It arises by itself, on its own.
Therefore, we say: train in tranquility first. However, when it comes to wisdom, you must first develop wisdom before tranquility arises. For example, when contemplating unattractiveness, elements, the aggregates, sense bases, seeing them as impermanent, suffering, not-self — that is wisdom. Wisdom arises first, then tranquility follows. When you see clearly like that, the mind can then become unified. If you don't see clearly, the mind cannot unify. That clear seeing is called wisdom. This is called "wisdom arises before tranquility." Once tranquility is fully established, then vipassanā wisdom arises — that is a different kind of wisdom. Ordinary, conventional wisdom is another thing entirely.
Not to mention tranquility — even giving (dāna), morality (sīla), and mental development (bhāvanā) from the beginning: For giving, you need wisdom to be able to give. You see that giving is good and special, that it helps all human beings to live, by sharing happiness with others. You see the benefit of sharing happiness with others. That is called wisdom. Seeing the value of giving is having wisdom, and then you can give. So wisdom arises first.
Similarly with observing precepts: the five precepts, the eight precepts. If you truly and earnestly see the danger of various evil and unwholesome actions, clearly and genuinely, that is called wisdom. Then you are able to maintain the precepts firmly and continuously.
When precepts are firm, then concentration (samādhi) can develop. If precepts are not firm, don't hope for concentration. Even if concentration arises for a moment, it will soon revert; you cannot maintain it. You must rely on wisdom — first perfect and complete the precepts. Then concentration becomes firm and unwavering. Concentration, as we said, requires wisdom — seeing the danger of various things, then letting go and abandoning them. Only then does concentration arise. Everything, without exception, arises from wisdom. The only difference is in coarseness and subtlety.
The Buddha praised wisdom as the highest thing in human beings. As practitioners, we should not aim only for that supreme wisdom. Whatever we have to practice, we practice. As one who has established faith in Buddhism, do not think that ordination is useless. Being ordained as a monk is far superior to ordinary human beings. We have the five precepts, we have the eight precepts, we have the 227 precepts. What more do we want? Some ordain for 20 or 30 rains, then disrobe and don't have a single precept left. They forget the precepts; they never think of them again. How can that be good? The Buddha taught that a person who disrobes is a dead person — dead from goodness.
You must have precepts. As a monk, have confidence in your own virtue. Have precepts as your dwelling place, at least a little concentration. Have observances and practices as your dwelling place. Whether you live with others or alone, have observances and routines. As I said earlier, the 13 Dhutangas are a dwelling place, a tool for refining defilements, reducing unwholesome states until they are completely or almost completely gone — lessened and eliminated. That is the dwelling place. If you have no dwelling place, you cannot stay. As a monk, you would be adrift, not knowing what to take as a dwelling place or object of clinging. You must have an object of clinging. At the very least, have confidence in the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Saṅgha; believe in kamma and the results of kamma; and conduct yourself within the bounds of the Vinaya, with these 227 precepts as your dwelling place.