92. Dhamma Dwells with the World

By Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī

Dhamma must dwell with the world. Without the world, Dhamma cannot exist. Those who see Dhamma and know Dhamma are those who come to see and know the world as it truly is, and then grow weary and disenchanted with this very world. Various metals—iron, lead, copper, tin, etc.—depend on their ores to last long. Alternatively, those metals gradually transform from those ores. Similarly, pure Dhamma cannot sustain itself for long. The Noble Ones have attained Dhamma, the essence of Dhamma. When they enter Nibbāna, those Dhammas no longer appear; only the world remains—that is, conventional truths and designations.

Conventional Truth (Sammuti)

The names of people, animals, living beings, as well as trees, mountains, objects, and all tools that appear to the physical eye—the world has conventionally established them for use as symbols for mutual understanding among humans. When humans are born, they must know these things; if they don't know, they must learn. Otherwise, they won't speak correctly, cannot live in the world with others, and people will think them crazy. But those people, animals, and material objects do not possess the truth according to those conventions. In reality, they remain as their own intrinsic nature, unchanged forever. Whether the human world designates them or not, whatever is truly there remains exactly as it originally was. For example, take what is conventionally called a "person." When one examines that person, one sees nothing that is a person at all; one sees merely a lump with various shapes and characteristics. Then the human world assigns conventions based on those characteristics or according to their own preferences. But those things have no feelings whatsoever—except when people cling to those conventions as "me" and "mine." For instance, someone is conventionally named "Jew." But some people call her unclearly or mistakenly call her "Cat." She then becomes angry, thinking they insulted her by comparing her to a cat or a dog. In truth, she herself misunderstands. They said "Cat," not addressing her correctly. The correct name is "Jew." She should correct them; it's better that she is the one mistaken. This happens because of clinging to conventions as self and identity, thus creating stories and conflicts.

Designation (Paññatti)

The Buddha, whose minimal intention was for the peace of the world, therefore established designations (paññatti) on top of conventions (sammuti) to show that the humans, animals, beings, and all material objects appearing in this world, which are variously named by convention, are not truly so. In truth, they are merely a lump of elements. That lump of elements feels nothing no matter what you call it. That is, to show that the lump of elements is common property, belonging to no one, so that one does not cling to it as self, as "me" or "him." Then He explains that within our body, the four elements combine: this is earth, this is water, this is fire, this is air. Then He further analyzes it into the five aggregates (khandhas), six sense-bases (āyatanas), and eighteen elements (dhātus), in order. Those who contemplate and see these designations, even if their conceit of "I" and "mine" (asmimāna) does not completely disappear, it becomes alleviated and diminished, enough to reduce the world's tension a little, because they see the truth as it really is.

In the Abhidhamma, there are six kinds of personal designations (puggala-paññatti):

1. Khandha-paññatti – designating body and mind as the five aggregates.
2. Āyatana-paññatti – expanding the five aggregates into the six sense-bases.
3. Dhātu-paññatti – pointing out that the five aggregates and six sense-bases are just the four elements or the eighteen elements, showing that they perform their own functions accordingly.
4. Sacca-paññatti – pointing out the truth that within the aggregates, sense-bases, and elements, each has its own function and cannot perform another's function.
5. Indriya-paññatti – designating the six sense-bases as "faculties" (indriya) because they perform their regular functions.
6. Then, gathering the five aggregates, six sense-bases, four elements (or eighteen elements), truths (sacca), and six faculties (indriya), He designates them again as a "person" (puggala).

Why did the Buddha designate in such a roundabout way—first breaking a person into aggregates, etc., then reassembling them back into a person, causing confusion for learners? The answer is: In order to resolve the views of those still attached to conventional truth (sammuti) and to show them designations (paññatti) or Dhamma, one must separate the conventional self—the person itself—into aggregates, etc., and then gather those designations back into a person again, so that the view does not go beyond bounds. That is, to show that the designation is not made elsewhere; in truth, it is made on this very person, to uproot asmimāna (I-conceit) into designations, as explained above. Because designations are common to all people; no one can claim them as exclusive property. Having explained conventional truth (sammuti) and designation (paññatti), the next topic is absolute truth (sacca).

Absolute Truth (Sacca)

"Truth exists, but 'real things' do not." If we speak of ultimate truth, the conventions and designations explained above contain no "real things" at all. For example, conventions like "human," "animal," "this or that object," or "elements, aggregates, sense-bases," etc.—these conventions and designations are merely for mutual understanding within human society. In truth, the things designated do not actually correspond to those names. All humans, animals, and material objects appearing to our eyes in this world—truly, we do not know what they actually are. A child is born with a form like any other human; if we don't name him "Boy Thongdam," there would be no marker to distinguish him. But in reality, that child is not "Thongdam"—he is simply a body of flesh and skin like any other child.

The most certain thing is this: No matter what type of human or animal, once born, they experience hunger and thirst, must consume food, then sleep, wake up, reproduce, and die—every single one. All animals dislike suffering and desire happiness. This is the net of Māra (Death), and his henchmen (ignorance, craving, clinging, kamma) drive all humans into that net. The wise ones, including the Buddha, saw the danger in this matter and therefore sought a way to escape those dangers by practicing the Path, until they achieved their aspiration, finally free from the influxes (āsava). Everything explained above exists within this world. Whether anyone knows or sees it or not, those things have always been present. They are called the world's heritage. Those who like it, enjoy it. Those who are satiated, abandon it and flee.