Tonight talk (which happened to be the last one by Ven Sayadaw U Vimala at BM Buddhist Meditation for this year 08/09) is about Nibbana Sutta (full detail about this Sutta can be view at this site http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an09/an09.034.than.html). This Sutta is given by Ven Sariputta. This occasion a wanderer named Jambukhadaka asked 2 questions to the Venerable Sariputta. The first question (which most of Buddhists ask or were asked) is 'What is Nibbana'. Venerable Sariputta replied that Nibbana is the destruction of greed, hatred and delusion. Nibbana is not a place or colour or shape. A person that attained Nibbana is the one that had destroy all defilements (greed, hatred and delusion) and he will no longer undergoes any rebirth. This is an important point in that in Buddhism there is no creator god. Beings exist in form and mind due to craving (or presence of defilements). Without form and matter, there will be no worry and thus no suffering. An Arahant never had to worry about food, clothing or shelter as an Arahant no longer had craving.
The second question asked is how to reach Nibbana. The reply given by Venerable Sariputta is the Noble Eightfold Path that is Samma Ditthi, Samma Sankappa, Samma Vaca, Samma Kammanta, Samma Ajiva, Samma Vayama, Samma Sati and Samma Samadhi. With this, Sayadaw advised us practise the Noble Eightfold Path during our meditation. For example, we must have Right Understanding to achieve Nibbana when we meditate. We also should take the 5 precepts before we meditate. We must have Right Concentration and Right Mindfulness when we meditate that is the object of our meditation must be form and matter, not nothingness.
Lastly, Sayadaw advises us to have Samvega dhatu, the religious emotions. The 8 religious emotions should be contemplated and they are (1) rebirth (2) old age (3) sickness (4) death (5) suffering in four woeful states (6) suffering of previous lives (7) suffering of future lives and (8) suffering regarding the need to search for food, clothing and shelter. The constant contemplation of the samvega dhatu will ensure that we do not fall into the laziness trap and therefore had the energy to meditate.
SADHU! SADHU! SADHU!
