U PUN
By U Ba Than
Translated by Ba Thet Gyi
Once there was a problem with
Pakhan Sayadaw. He overheard Sayadaw U Asapha of Mandalay
Monastery, said the Pakhan Sayadaw was preaching nibbana
as a-bhava and he was very hurt about it. He wanted to face
Sayadaw U Aspha ,either in Mandalay Monastery of at Pakhan
Monastery or any where so as to enable him to straighten
and clarify this matter. One day, U Pun went to the Pakhan
Monastery and was informed about this tiff.
U Pun requested “Sayadaw, Please do not go anywhere to talk about this
matter. Please discuss
with me first. What I want to tell you is nibbana is neither a-bhava nor
sa-bhava. Do you accept my statement?”
Pakhan Sayadaw :- “ I
will only accept if it is sa-bhava nibbana,”
U Pun :-“In
that case I will ask you some questions. Is the nibbana dhamma
free of Opposites or not?”
Sayadaw. “ It is free of opposites.”
U Pun :-“ sa-bhava
is the opposite of a-bhava? If they are the opposites, then
it is clear that nibbana is neither sa-bhava nor a-bhava” That
is the reason I said not to go and argue about it. I will
explain in another manner. Sa-bhava is nibbana, and so is
a-bhava. Sa-bhava is the dhamma of nature and no one can
claim the ownership. If you have this type of knowledge,
will you still have the tanha and upadana? If you don’t
have it, will there be anymore bhava?” Pakhan Sayadaw. ”There
wouldn’t be any bhava.
U Pun :- “ If
you do not have anymore bhava, where will you be?” Pakhan
Sayadaw “ It will be nibbana.”
U Pun :-“Á-bhava
is something you do not have. It is something that does not
happen. If you have this sort of wisdom, will there be anymore
of the attachment or clinging? When there ain’t any
clinging or attachment, will there be any continuation bhava”
Pakhan Sayadaw :- “ There
will be no more continuation of bhava.”
U Pun :-“ When
bhava does not continue, then it is nibbana. Please try and
observe from which aspect I was looking. I was considering
from the cause and effect. That is the reason why I said
you needn’t go and argue with U Asthapha any more.”
* * * * * *
In the mid fifties Kyaukkyi
Sayadaw , was invited to give Dhamma discourses for five
nights at the town Dhamma Hall. His way of teaching was by
effacing the signs to show the absolute truth (paramatha).
I went there to discuss Dhamma with him. There were about
thirty people in the dhammayone. The the Sayadaw challenged
me “Do you dare to pull the hands of the woman here?”
U Pun :-“The
first thing to consider is not whether I dare to pull the
hands but first you have to show me what is the woman.” When
Sayadaw didn’t indicate anything, I continued” In
that case I needn’t pull the hands, do I ?”
Sayadaw pointed his fingers and said.” There are three statues of Lord
Buddha in
Dhamma hall. Do you dare to climb up on to the heads of the statues? If you
dare not just say so.
U Pun :-“ Have
the forms (rupa) ceased to exist in you? If the form has
not disappeared then every time you have to pay respects.
If the form has disappeared, then as there is no form I do
not have to climb. ”
Sayadaw :- “ After
the death of a person, it will become a person. Do you accept
that?”
U Pun :-“ What
dhamma did you preach last night?”
Sayadaw :- “ I
preached the dhamma of nibbana attainment.”
U Pun :-“ You
needn’t preach that dhamma for when a person dies and
he will become a person again. Where is that nibbana for
him to attain?”
Saydaw :- then
introduced me to four of his dhamma kahtika (preacher)disciples
and went into his room. In the course of out conversations,
I asked “ Was the discourse of Sayadaw any good?” They
replied. “ Yes very good.”
U Pun :- “ Were
you firmly attached to this very good dhamma?” They
replied “ Yes “
U Pun :-“You
all are with attachment to begin with. Sayadaw came and give
you some more to be attached with. If you have so much of
these attachments, how can you ever be free? In reality the
Sayadaw came to give you knowledge and wisdom, but not the
attachments, accept the wisdom but not the attachments.”
Soon after that, I heard a hearty laugh of Kyaukgyi Sayadaw from the direction
of his room.
* * * * * *
At one time there came two elderly persons. I thought they came to see my daughter,
a doctor, for consultation. When I asked, they replied that they would like
to meet U Pun. I replied that I am U Pun and invited them in.
Two men :- “ We
would like to discuss the dhamma nibbana.”
U Pun :-“There
is nothing to discuss about the nibbana dhamma.” When
they heard that, they looked very vacantly in dejection.
Then I continued” You cannot discuss the nibbana dhamma,
but we can discuss the dhamma of the means to attain nibbana.” Two
men “ Please let us discuss the about the means.”
U Pun :-“ The
cigar that I am smoking is the dhamma of the means for attaining
nibbana.”
Two men were very surprised and said” I had been studying dhamma assiduously
for the last thirty years and I have never heard anything like what you have
said. Please do explain.”
U Pun :-“ Please
answer my questions and the means will be in your answers.
Now, you see this cigar. How does it become this cigar?” Two
men. “It is rolled in tobacco leaf.”
U Pun :-“Where
do you get the tobacco leaf?” Two Men “From the
tobacco plant.
U Pun :-“How
do you get the tobacco plant?” Two men didn’t
answer and requested U Pun to explain.
U Pun :-“To
have a tobacco plant, you need four elements. First, the
seeds. Secondly, the earth. Thirdly, the farmer and lastly
the weather. Let us say we leave out the seeds, will there
be any tobacco plant?” Two man “ It will be impossible.”
U Pun :-“ If
there is no soil?”
Two men :- “ Cannot
be done.”
U Pun :-‘Leave
out the farmer?”
Two man :- “ Nothing
doing.”
U Pun :-“If
we leave out the weather, it will be the same. No tobacco
plant. The tobacco
cannot thrive by itself. That was the reason Lord Buddha preached the anatta
dhamma. If you know about the anatta dhamma, which is the means to nibbana.
One day I went to the house
of U Hla Khin, who was a very good dhamma friend of mine,
and his wife and daughter asked “ Lion Cave Sayadaw
says “ to put the mind as mind is”. Is it possible?” U Pun :-“ Leave
the possibility aside. Try it yourself.”
U Hla Khin’s
wife :- “ I had tried it. It could not be
done.”
U Pun :-“ It
is true that you cannot do it. It is also true that Lion
Cave Sayadaw can do it.” U Hla Khin”s wife. “ I
do not understand. It became more confusing.”
U Pun :-“ Let
me ask you a question. Your husband, U Hla Khin, had spent
sixty thousand kyats to built that dhamma sala. Isn’t
that true?” U Hla Khin’s wife “ Yes, that
is true.”
U Pun :-“ I
couldn’t afford to spend that much money to build one.
Isn’t it true?” U Hla Khin’s wife. “ Yes,
that is also true.”
U Pun :-“ Well,
let us think it all over. Your husband had the money to build
the dhamma sala. I couldn’t afford to build one. Lion
Cave Sayadaw had the wisdom and was able to see where you
haven’t. If you want to be able to practice ‘ to
put the mind as mind is ‘ like Lion Cave Sayadaw you
have to follow his instructions. |
