In addition, it came to be known that neither the teacher nor the organisers had any selfish agenda and the meditation courses were organised with but one motto: the welfare of one and all. The course participants learned that Vipassana was a technique which actively weakened the mental defilements which were suffused with craving and aversion until they were fully eradicated. In line with a student's sincerity, the student benefitted, and benefitted immediately from a scientific technique free from sectarian beliefs.
Convinced of this simple and straightforward truth regarding the teaching, not only householders but also renunciates – ascetics, bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, priests and nuns from various sects and creeds - joined the camps in large numbers. This highlighted the fact that the teaching was not bound by any one community or sect as everyone wants to be free of anger, craving and other defilements.
So long as defilements persist, unwholesome acts are bound to occur at the verbal or bodily levels. Goodwill, compassion and empathy are unable to arise within without purity of mind. Every religious tradition promotes a life of righteous values and discipline and a mental state that is virtuous and wholesome. Vipassana shows the way to achieve this. It is unlikely that one will reach the final destination after attending just a camp or two, but a person gets the road map, the path to liberation on which he or she is able to progress, step by step.
This certainly was the reason that almost 40 ascetics and nuns from a certain sect walked nearly 150 miles to participate in a camp. However, shortly before the camp was to commence, the householder head of their sangha arrived and let loose his fury on them. He shamed them questioning how they could even think of learning the dhamma of impermanence from a householder and what's more, from one who belonged to another religion? “What will happen to our dharma!” he exclaimed.
It was very unfortunate that the leader of this particular sangha happened to be a householder who, with his financial power, controlled these ascetics and nuns. He could, if he so desired, proclaim in the community that a certain renunciate should not be given dana or bhiksha, nor shelter in the designated religious rest houses. As these ascetics were controlled in this way by this householder, it did not come as any surprise that even though these monks had walked so many miles to join the camp, they decided not to attend.
Some nuns from another religious community did join the camp. On the third evening during the discourse while explaining paññā, I said that the entire physical body and the mind are so very ephemeral, changing every moment, and changing so rapidly that one feels that it is the same body, the same being. As an example I said it is just like the flame in a lamp which rises and falls every moment so rapidly, leading us to believe that it is the same flame. Or like the electricity in a tube-light, which moves with such great rapidity that we are led to believe that it is the same current; or the river that ever flows on, giving rise to the feeling that it is the same water, but no, that water has flowed on and new water has entered the river. Similarly, life changes every moment, and we feel that it is the same life momentum. A baby is born and turns into a youth, then an adult grows old and dies. This change is occurring every single moment. When we cling to this ever-changing phenomena calling it 'me' and ‘mine', then aversion and clinging arise.
As I was expounding on this philosophy I saw that the head nun who was sitting in front was getting uncomfortable. The next day she came to me and said, “We had heard that the Buddhists are believers of the phenomena of 'reality that is changing every moment'. What's more, we had also heard that you were not like them, that you reveal the true and pure aspect of Dhamma to your students. But in yesterday's talk you put so much emphasis on this philosophy of 'ever-changing reality. It is very difficult for us to meditate in such an atmosphere." I was nonplussed.
I explained that a believer of the philosophy of 'ever-changing-reality' (kshanikvād) is one who says that there is no way out of this phenomena, as there is nothing beyond this reality that this change is constant, permanent. But Vipassana takes us to that destination that is 'ever permanent', the one that 'never changes'. She was surprised and said, “We had heard that the followers of the Buddha did not believe in the Eternal, the Unchanging. That everything for them is forever changing, ephemeral. This is the Buddhist philosophy that has been taught to us."
So I explained again that the ephemeral, the ever-changing-reality is to be known at the experiential level in order to disassociate oneself from clinging to it. This is so that one is not deluded into believing that this ever-changing phenomena is 'me', 'mine' or ‘my soul.' Equanimity will deepen with this understanding at the experiential level while craving and aversion will weaken. The more clinging towards craving and aversion weakens, the closer we move towards that which is Permanent
When the mind is full of such cloying impurities, it is impossible to realise the Permanent, Unchanging state even though that remains the goal. That state cannot be imagined, it has to be experienced and the impurity within - is the major obstruction. This teaching is to eradicate that impurity. The head nun was then reassured that the ever-changing phenomena alone was not the focus here, that the Permanent 5 was acknowledged and indeed, all effort was directed towards it. By the end of ten days she felt even further reassured. Once this apprehension was out of the way, she progressed well.
The false allegation that the philosophy of the 'reality-that changes-every-moment' exists . in the Buddha's teachings is just as baseless as the one regarding ephemeral phenomena' s or the belief that 'suffering is the sole reality. Who knows which unwise one spoke the words: “Sarvam dukham, dukham, kshanikam, - kshanikam.” - “All is misery, misery, every moment, every moment.” And then falsely quoted it as the Buddha's teaching.
When this propaganda began, it is very possible that there was no one to counter it and present f the truth as spoken by the Buddha properly; as neither the original teachings nor the Vipassanas technique were available, lost as they were. It is also possible that someone may have made feeble efforts to put forward the true picture, but when the philosophical arguments were put - forth by fierce opponents in a public arena, then a weak presenter's argument goes unheard, just - like the sound of a tiny flute trying to rise above - the din of a large orchestra.
However, these conjectures remain buried in history. Today, our country has welcomed Vipassana once again. The original, pure teachings of the Buddha are available once again. - While practicing and studying these, we must not fall prey to the false belief that the Buddha's teachings merely remain in the domain of the reality-changing- every-moment? That which is momentary, a passing reality, should never be considered as the permanent, indivisible reality, - since one would then run the risk of getting lost and confused once again. What is, must be s accepted at all times. To see anicca, the ephemeral, as nitya, the Unchanging, is to mislead oneself.
The Unchanging the ever-present-reality e beyond mind and matter, beyond the senses, will be revealed when one works with proper focus - to change the behavior pattern of the mind that has been ever submerged in craving and aversion throughout innumerable lifetimes, and learns at the experiential level the reality of anicca, the ephemeral, changing every moment. Beyond it, when the permanent reality, the Never-Changing Truth reveals itself, then alone will one accept it as such. Before that time, to consider the ever changing-reality as the permanent one is to fool oneself. Vipassana shows us the way.