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of understanding. Why do we not understand? This is because we rarely observe. We do not contemplate according to reality. We contemplate using deduction, not using observation and experience. To contemplate according to reality is called “Dhamma Investigation” (Dhamma Vijaya).
As we see the natural conditions of reality here— how do we feel? In the old days, they used the phrase: “How do you understand this question?” Is the physical body permanent or impermanent? Does the physical body claim itself be “us”? Is the physical body material (atta) or non-material (anatta)? Non-self in the sense of there is no “us”. There is no “us” means there is no materiality (atta), no self. We still use the word “us” but we need to switch between supposed conventions (sommuti) and the truth.
The nature of the mind—is it stationary and always resides inside, or can it move around? This mind is not always inside our body, right? The mind goes to experience all phenomena that emerge. The nature of the mind is to act as the experiencer of conscious phenomena. For example, as you look at me, your mind moves to me, experiences around me, knows what I am doing, correct? But, when you focus back to your sitting body, the mind moves quickly back into the body. When you look at me again, the mind moves to me. The mind does not reside in the body but reside wherever the phenomena emerge.