Page 18 - Dhamma Practice

12
continue to be wrong. But, if we know what we are doing is wrong, then we could easily correct this.
Practicing vipassana is similar to doing research. That is why it is called “Dhamma Vijaya” (Dhamma Investigation). For example, why do we contemplate the inflate-deflate phenomenon? We do it to study, research and understand in order to see the true reality of the physical and mental phenomena. When we say that the physical and mental phenomena consistently emerge and cease—how do they emerge and cease? We always hear that the physical and mental phenomena are impermanent. They consistently emerge, exist, and cease. But, how do they cease? This is important. As long as we do not see that the physical and mental phenomena emerge and cease, we will continue to believe that they belong to “us”. They never belong to other people, right? When we are in pain, it is “our” pain. When we ache, it is “our” ache. Never do we consider that these aches and pains are just natural conditions.
How do we unburden our mind or extinguish the feeling of “self”? Do we know how to separate the physical and mental phenomenon? What is the physical phenomenon and what is the mental phenomenon? Anyone is unclear on how to do this? The characteristics of the physical phenomenon or the mental phenomenon emerge within us every day. However, we simply are not aware of these characteristics or do not understand them.