Venerable Luang Pu Buddha Isara's Dhamma Sermon on Sunday Afternoon, July 5, 2026

May you all flourish in the Dhamma and in happiness, beloved devotees who seek the path of virtue.
Today is the first Sunday of the month, with a variety of activities taking place. Among these activities is listening to Dhamma.

"Kālena dhammasākacchā, kālena dhammassavanaṃ — etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ."
Listening to the Dhamma is the highest blessing. The process of cultivating true blessings in one's life begins with listening to Dhamma, for Dhamma itself is the supreme blessing.

Why is listening to the Dhamma considered a blessing?
Because it is the way to cultivate wisdom. 
Through wisdom, one perceives suffering.
Through wisdom, one realizes the cause of suffering.
Through wisdom, one realizes that suffering can truly cease.
And, through wisdom, one knows the practice leading to the cessation of suffering.
One way to end suffering is to understand its cause.
To know the cause is to understand the origin and underlying process of suffering—to see through the deceptive nature and hidden workings of the conditions that give rise to all suffering.

As the Buddha pointed out, clinging to the five aggregates is the very root of all suffering. Clinging to the five aggregates is the source of all distress experienced through sense faculties: the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

Where do conventions come from? Who taught them?
Actually, no one teaches conventions. Even if people talk about conventions, they are not really teaching them. They merely mention them.
I, Buddha Isara, am perhaps the only one who teaches the nature of convention. The reason I teach it is that it relates to the cause of suffering. 

Convention is the cause of all suffering. 
The Buddha revealed the truth of suffering and its cause. And conventional reality is the very root of all suffering.
When the eye perceives a form, is the form a convention?
When the ear perceives a sound, is the sound a convention?
When the nose perceives a smell, is the smell a convention?
When the tongue perceives a taste, is the taste a convention?
When the body touches an object, is that object a convention?
Therefore, the root cause of all suffering comes from conventional reality.
Then who created conventions?
We ourselves are the creators of conventions.  
Learning the cause of suffering is essentially the same as learning the Buddha's teaching on the origin of suffering and the cessation of its cause. 
To end suffering, you must eradicate its cause.

All of us sitting here are merely conventions. Everyone is bound by convention. There are no exceptions.
But we become attached to conventions until they turn into suffering and distress.
We spend our lives carrying these burdens around, until we become slaves to conventions with no end in sight.
The world of conventions never gets smaller. It keeps growing day by day, as long as there is upādāna—clinging to all conventions.
This is exactly what the Buddha meant when He said, "There is clinging to all the aggregates."
But I, Buddha Isara, do not possess that level of wisdom.
To sum it up, all the aggregates belong to the realm of conventional reality.
Everything is conventional. Nothing is permanent

The question is: why is it a convention?
Because it does not truly exist; it is merely a conceptual construction. Many elements come together. We conventionally designate that one thing as this or that. People assign a name to that one thing according to causes and conditions, necessity, and practical benefits.
Therefore, how should we live in the world of conventions as people who understand its true nature?

As in a Dhamma verse I wrote 30 years ago:
Recognize sammuti (conventions) for what they are.
Understand sammuti — understand conventions.
Gain benefit from sammuti — gain benefit from conventions.
Perform one's role according to conventional designations.
Ultimately, do not become attached to what is merely sammuti—merely conventional.

This entire process of convention is the very root and origin of all kinds of afflictions: both physical and mental illnesses. It causes all kinds of illnesses.
Therefore, if we understand the nature of conventions and use them wisely.
As it is said: the wise know how to use defilements, while defilements control the foolish.
With wisdom, we can skillfully make use of conventions and defilements, creating the greatest benefit with the least waste. Live within the world of conventions and always gain benefit from it.

But whenever we are ignorant, we become slaves to defilements and become bound by conventional reality.
When we realize that everything in the external world and within ourselves is nothing but convention, there is nothing further to explain.
Husbands and wives are merely conventions.
Wealth and possessions are merely conventions.
Children and grandchildren are merely conventions.
Our fields, orchards, and farmlands are conventions. 
None of these are ultimately real.

What are the laws that govern the realm of conventional reality?
It arises, is impermanent, and is subject to suffering. All things arise, endure temporarily, change, and eventually break apart. 
That is the fundamental law governing conventional reality.
The Buddha pointed this out to us, but we have not yet truly understood it. Or even when we do understand it, our understanding is not profound. Even with clarity, we still do not truly understand it. We do not understand it deeply. We cannot apply that knowledge for true benefit.
The 84,000 teachings of the Buddha are meaningless if we fail to understand their nature as conventions. They are of no true benefit unless we understand that all phenomena appearing to us are merely conventions, names and designations created to refer to people and things.

The realm of ultimate reality is governed by the three characteristics: impermanence, suffering, and non-self — that is, all phenomena are impermanent, subject to suffering, and lack any true existence.
When it does not truly exist, there is nothing more to cling to. And whatever appears to exist is merely convention.
The sense of being, existing, standing, walking, sitting, or lying down is merely conventional designation. Nothing is ultimately real. 
How could suffering arise once we understand that everything is merely a convention?
But we continue to suffer because we mistake it for being real. We see them as permanent. We see them as ours. We see them as beings, people, selves, as "me" and "you," and as possessions. As a result, we take them upon ourselves, cling to them, and become burdened by them. We become bound to them, and they bind us. We become their slaves, and they become our masters. As a result, we burden ourselves with them and suffer.
Once we truly understand the world of convention, all forms of suffering lose their power. We can stand, walk, sit, and lie down with fearless confidence and a joyful heart, maintaining inner freedom and always abiding in complete happiness.
Therefore, we must learn and clearly understand the world of convention. 

I did not compose these Dhamma verses casually or at random. They arose from my efforts to understand the true nature of reality as it revealed itself in each moment of Dhamma practice. They arose from my direct spiritual experience of studying and realizing the Dhamma. 

The Buddha taught that wisdom gained through learning the Dhamma develops in three methods:
Sutamayapaññā — wisdom acquired through listening.
Cintāmayapaññā — wisdom gained from reflection and contemplation.
Bhāvanāmayapaññā — wisdom cultivated through practice.
Listen, reflect, and practice.
Not just listen, reflect, and then fall asleep!
Listen, reflect, and practice.
Don't fall asleep! Wake up! Try to understand it.
I don't understand you. I keep talking, and you all just fall asleep!
I'd better call it a day.
You may ask five questions.

Question: I read Luang Pu’s article posted on Facebook on May 5, 2025.  Luang Pu (you) expressed that you constantly examined yourself, asking whether, in each present moment, the mind was within the realm of conventional reality or the realm of ultimate reality. May I respectfully ask you to kindly explain this state of experience?
What is the nature of the mind that perceives conventional reality? And what is the nature of the mind that realizes ultimate reality? How do these two states of mind differ?

Answer: The mind that remains within conventional perception is clouded and obscured. It is dim and unclear.
The mind that realizes ultimate reality is like the sun at midday. 
If we compare it to the sun, the mind bound to conventional perception is like the sun at twilight. 
Have you ever seen the sun at twilight? 
The light is weak, yellowish, and fading, hovering between day and night.

Another comparison is the sun during a storm. When the sky becomes completely overcast and dim. Nothing can be perceived with clarity. This is the state of mind bound within conventional reality.

The state of mind in ultimate reality is like the midday sun—everything is seen clearly and distinctly, yet it is not scorching or harsh. Fully clear, distinctly perceived, yet gentle.
If we compare the state of mind to the sun and the moon, ultimate reality is like the sun and conventional reality is like the moon.
The problem is the moon also has moments of brightness during the waxing phase.
So, are you a waxing moon, or which phase are you in?
Are you a waning moon, or a moon whose light is fading?
And for the waning phase, we must specify which waning day it is.
So, what waning phase are you in?
The 14th night of the waning moon?
Ah, the first night of the waning moon.
Thus, the states of mind of those who dwell in conventional reality are not identical. It depends on the condition of that person’s mind and the level of wisdom they possess. Every individual differs to the extent to which their mind and insight have been cultivated.
A person living within conventional reality, whose mind is comparable to the full moon of the 15th night, is still able to perceive things clearly even amidst darkness. They are not overcome by confusion, do not fall into traps, and do not stumble along the path, because their awareness still provides light and clarity.
That is the mental state of a person whose mind is within the conventional world during the full moon.
The state of mind within the conventional world during the 14th night of the waning moon is like that of a blind person feeling their way around. There is occasional perception, but it is obscured. The mind assumes, guesses, and forms interpretations— “It might be this; it may be that.” The mind creates one illusion upon another: convention superimposed upon convention.
With a mind like a full moon, one sees things as they are, without superimposing one convention upon another. There is no need to imagine or speculate, because one sees things clearly.
But with a mind like the moon on the 14th night of the waning phase, one begins to wonder, “Is this really it? 
No... maybe not. 
Perhaps it's supposed to be like this.”
This is what we call layering one convention upon another.
After all, who creates conventions? 
It is our own mind that creates conventional reality.
When the mind cannot see clearly, it simply layers one convention upon another.
“No, that's not it. It should be like this.”
That is why it is like blind people feeling only one part of an elephant.
The one who feels the tail says, “An elephant is like this.”
Another person feels the trunk and says, “An elephant is long like this. This is what it is like.”
Another person feels the leg and says, “Wait, no... an elephant is like a pillar—it's shaped like this.”
This is what is called one convention superimposed upon another.
So, a person of wisdom like the full moon on the 15th night or like the midday sun does not layer one conceptual construction upon another. They see convention simply as convention, without adding further conceptual constructions to it.
But a person who lacks wisdom is like the moon on the 14th night of the waning phase. Their vision is unclear. They do not even understand convention for what it is, so they layer one conceptual construction upon another. They keep thinking, fabricating, analyzing, and speculating.
In the end, what should have been something direct and readily understood can no longer be grasped, because it has been buried beneath so many layers of conceptual construction. Until everything becomes fake upon fake, illusion upon illusion, endlessly piling up.
Then where does truth arise?
It does not arise at all.
This is the origin of the Shloka (Dhamma verse):
The wise know how to use defilements, because conventions themselves are a form of defilement.
The foolish, on the other hand, are controlled by defilements. 
Each of my Dhamma verses has a clear origin and a clear reason behind it. If one analyzes and carefully contemplates them, one will come to clearly understand the nature of phenomena as they truly appear both in conventional reality and ultimate reality. These verses do not speak of anything irrelevant or nonsensical.
With wise discernment, one will realize that this is simply a path to knowing reality. There is nothing complex beyond that.
Do you understand? That is all.

Question: Once we understand conventional reality, how can we enter the realm of ultimate reality?
Answer: No need to ask. Once you understand conventional reality, you will see the gateway to ultimate reality.
If you do not understand, no matter how much you ask, you will never find it.
Because the boundary between conventional reality and ultimate reality is as delicate as a lotus fiber.
In the blink of an eye, one can enter ultimate reality. 
At the same time, transcending conventional reality is not easy to accomplish for each person, each living being, each Brahma being, and each Mara....
Just now, while I was extending loving-kindness until reaching the Brahma realm, a thought arose.
“Oh, my goodness. Last night I worked until 1 a.m., did not get to sleep until 3, woke up at 5, and immediately had to rush to prepare food. Later in the morning, I had to hurry off to treat the sick. At noon, I had to rush back to bathe and be ready for the meal offering. Ah... perhaps being a Brahma being has its advantages.” (laugh)
For just a split second, while I was radiating loving-kindness in the Brahma realm, I thought: “Being a Brahma being is good.”
Then another voice echoed within: “Wait... even Brahma is still a convention. Ah, damn it. Then it’s not good after all. 
Yes, Brahma is also merely a convention. It is not good because it does not last forever. It is only that this convention lasts longer.
A convention that lasts long, a convention that lasts briefly, a convention that lasts longer or shorter, that is all it is.
Brahma is a long-lasting convention.
Human beings are a shorter-lasting convention.
Pigs, dogs, crows, and chickens are even shorter-lasting conventions.
So, because this one is so short, it cannot be good.
No, I don’t want that. It is better to be as I am now.” (laughs)
So, I concluded: “It is better to remain as I am.” (laughs)
In just a single instant of mind, while I was observing the Brahma realm, what was I watching?
I was about to enter the realm of Mara. The arising and passing away of the mind in each moment made this very clear.
“Oh, while I was contemplating the conventional reality of the Brahma level, my mind continued to arise and cease moment by moment, until it was about to enter the realm of Mara.”
What is the condition of Mara and the state of Mara’s mind?
The mind of Mara is also a convention. Seeing the mind of Mara as a convention, Mara does not exist in the body; Mara exists in the mind.
Whenever one commits evil deeds, that very condition is Mara.
Whenever one performs wholesome deeds, that condition is like Brahma or a celestial state.
Mara is unwholesomeness; celestial beings represent virtue.
In the end, who creates these conventions?
Therefore, who created Brahma?
We ourselves created it.
Who created Mara?
Our own mind created it.
So, I concluded: “It is good enough to be what I am.” (laughs)
I really thought this while I was practicing loving-kindness: “Mara is just a small thing; I (Buddha Isara) am better.” (laughs) That’s all.

Question: A nation has laws. Does conventional reality also have its own laws?

Answer: Oh, I already answered that in the previous question, didn’t I? Does conventional reality have its own laws?
(Response): It arises, remains for a time, and ceases.
There you have it. The answer has already been given. So why ask again?

Question: You taught that once we understand conventional reality, we will know and see the gap between convention and ultimate reality, and that it will appear within that gap. 
May you please kindly explain and elaborate on this again?

Answer: It is not difficult at all. It is not complicated.
When we learn and examine conventional reality, we come to see: “This is merely the designation of ‘father’.
This is merely the designation of ‘mother’.
This is merely the designation of ‘wife’.
This is merely the designation of ‘child.’
Are these conventional designations long-lasting?
They are impermanent, aren’t they?
Are they ultimate reality?
There it is—that is the answer.
Is it suffering?
When one clings to it, it becomes suffering.
Does it truly exist?
No. It is only a convention that exists within a single lifetime.
This is where ultimate reality has appeared.
While we are within conventional reality, as we learn to understand its true nature, ultimate reality becomes suddenly evident. 
When we contemplate and clearly perceive the nature of conventional phenomena, we recognize: “This is merely convention”. At that very moment, ultimate reality reveals itself.
When ultimate reality manifests and becomes fully established in a person’s mind, karmic consequences cannot affect that person.
When one abides in ultimate reality, convention cannot reach that state.
But then, when convention cannot reach it, what does that mean?
Does it mean that those who abide in ultimate reality no longer repay their karmic results?
No. They still do.
Look at the Buddha and Venerable Moggallāna. They too experienced karmic consequences.
So how did they experience it?
They experienced it because they willingly accepted it.
Like the case of Venerable Moggallāna. When they came to beat him, he flew away.
The second time, he flew away again.
The third time, he thought, “Oh, there is no point in flying away.
Even if I flee, the result of karma will still follow.
All right; I accept it. Let them beat me to death.”
Do you see? The karmic result takes effect only when one allows it to happen; when one willingly accepts the consequences of that karma.
But if one does not accept it, then it cannot take effect.
Karma consequences can reach that person when there is consent.
Therefore, the power of ultimate reality is immense.
It can obstruct the influence of karma, whether wholesome or unwholesome.
The issue is whether we have truly realized ultimate reality.
If we have, then nothing can truly harm us. That is all.

Question: While sitting, I first brought my body and mind into unity through mindfulness of the body. Then, I progressed to citta-bhāvanā—the cultivation of the mind—by maintaining an undisturbed mind. Even while seeing forms and hearing sounds, I was able to maintain a steady, unwavering mind. However, at times, painful sensations arose in my legs. At times, laziness and drowsiness also arose. I used wisdom to contemplate that these are conventions, that these feelings are impermanent. They arise, remain for a time, and cease.
I practiced this way once, twice, but by the third or fourth round I could no longer endure it and decided to sleep.
What Dhamma principle should I apply to conquer this obstacle?

Answer: You fell asleep, so why are you asking me?
Question: I want to be able to continue for longer, sir.

Answer: If you want to sleep, then sleep.
Just sleep. It is not difficult at all.
This is simply the nature of someone who still has attachment to the aggregates. Because one is not yet wise enough, not yet strong enough, and has not yet gone beyond the domination of conventional reality. It is natural.
These days, I sleep only a few hours a day. Have you ever seen me doze off while sitting? Have you ever seen me yawning and struggling to stay awake?
This is what it means to practice kāya-bhāvanā. It must be developed to this level; only then can it truly be called kāya-bhāvanā, or cultivation of the body.
If you become sore or feel pain while sitting, or if you fall asleep, feel tired, or become drowsy while working, then this cannot yet be considered true kāya-bhāvanā. True kāya-bhāvanā is when cultivation of the body leads to development and progress. Only then can it be called kāya-bhāvanā.
Bhāvanā means progress, growth, and development.
But if every time you sit, you fall asleep, how can you say that you are practicing kāya-bhāvanā?
Kāya-bhāvanā means training the body to transcend the limitations of conventional reality. That is what it means to truly attain kāya-bhāvanā.
What are the principles of kāya-bhāvanā?
Peace, safety, relaxation, and a sense of ease and lightness, right?
Then, how can it be peaceful, safe, relaxed, and at ease if you are still sleepy? You are still falling asleep. You are still in pain. You are still feeling discomfort and stiffness. How can you claim to have attained kāya-bhāvanā?
Therefore, true kāya-bhāvanā is the process of training and developing the body until it becomes strong.
I’m already 70 years old. Look at me—am I still agile? (laugh)

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