From Ignorance to Wisdom (Continuation from Yesterday)

Ignorance (avijjā) is a profoundly deluding dhamma. Because of it, the truth of the origin of suffering (samudaya sacca) arises; because of it, the truth of suffering (dukkha sacca) comes to be. Not knowing the truth of suffering leads to the truth of the origin of suffering, and when the truth of the origin arises, the truth of suffering follows again. Therefore, we must strive to transform ignorance (avijjā) into wisdom(vijjā). Ignorance must be cut off. The work of cutting off ignorance is the work of insight meditation (vipassanā). A monk asked the Buddha: "Venerable Sir, for one who knows how, for one who sees how, does ignorance cease and wisdom arise?" The Blessed One replied: "When one knows and sees the eye as impermanent, ignorance ceases and wisdom arises." "When one knows and sees visible form as impermanent, ignorance ceases and wisdom arises." "When one knows and sees eye-consciousness as impermanent, ignorance ceases and wisdom arises." Therefore, observe your own mind. When you observe your own mind, you see the truth of suffering in arising and passing away. Observe the mind as it arises: when seeing occurs, observe the seeing-mind; when hearing occurs, observe the hearing-mind; when smelling occurs, observe the smelling-mind; observe the mind that wants to eat, that feels itchiness, that feels pain, that feels pleasure, that thinks. When you observe, you will only see the arising and passing away of the truth of suffering. By observing, you realize within the aggregates (khandhas) that the very nature of arising and ceasing is the truth of suffering. When you see this, ignorance transforms into wisdom. Then, ignorance no longer arises. When it does not arise, formations (saṅkhāra) also do not arise, and craving (taṇhā), clinging (upādāna), and becoming (kamma-bhava) also cease to arise. Seeing the arising and passing away of suffering, ignorance no longer arises towards these aggregates. Thus, by observing every mind-state that arises in one's own mental continuum as impermanent (arising and passing away), ignorance is eradicated. If one truly knows that suffering will result, one becomes afraid of future suffering arising. Whatever mind arises – the mind to breathe in, to breathe out, to eat, to sleep – observe its arising and passing away. By observing, the arising and passing away is seen as the truth of suffering, and the seeing itself is the truth of the path (magga sacca). By observing the arising and passing away of the mind, both wisdom (vijjā) and the path (magga) arise. When wisdom arises, ignorance no longer comes. This very wisdom is the path. As it is said: "The path (magga) goes to Nibbāna" Nibbānaṃ gacchatī ti maggo). The path of wisdom leads to Nibbāna. Thus, the continuation to the future aggregate (existence) stops. Having stopped, it turns towards the cessation of craving: "With the cessation of craving, Nibbāna" (Taṇhānirodho Nibbānaṃ). Furthermore, the Buddha said: "When one knows and sees eye-contact-born-feeling as impermanent, ignorance ceases and true knowledge arises." If one observes pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral feeling, one will also see arising and passing away. Seeing arising and passing away is seeing the truth of suffering. The arising and passing away is the truth of suffering; the knowing is wisdom, the truth of the path. The ignorance arising in the present existence ceases. Therefore, observe the arising and passing away of the three kinds of feeling too. The arising and passing away is the truth of suffering; the observing is wisdom, the truth of the path. wisdom and the path arise. Having arisen, ignorance ceases, so formations (saṅkhāra), craving (taṇhā), clinging (upādāna), and becoming (bhava) also cease. At that point, the phenomena arising within this aggregate cease. The connection between sections (2) and (3) is severed. If (3) does not arise, then (4) has no cause to arise. (4) leads to birth, aging, and death. The absence of birth is Nibbāna; the absence of aging and death is Nibbāna. Therefore, if one can observe the (2nd Section) aggregates [in the present moment], the (3rd Section) disappears and the (4th Section) is not reached. Observing the mind (cittānupassanā) also leads to wisdom. Observing feeling (vedanānupassanā) also leads to wisdom. If one observes for oneself and sees for oneself, that is genuine wisdom. One will constantly see and know only the little instances of arising and passing away of suffering. This is knowing suffering because one dwells within suffering. By observing whatever arises as impermanent (arising and passing away), wisdom arises. Therefore, one must strive within the present moment (Section 2). If one strives, (Section 3) does not come, and existence ceases right within (Section 2). (Section 2) is this present life; existence ceases within this very life. By observing that this present life is lived with the truth of suffering, one sees only the truth of suffering. Seeing this, one comes to know one's own suffering. Previously, ignorance arose because one did not know the suffering that would come. Now, wisdom arises because one knows the suffering that has come. A meditator observing the mind doesn't see a lasting mind, but only sees little instances of arising and passing away. One observing feeling doesn't see a lasting feeling, but only sees little instances of arising and passing away. This is knowing the truth of suffering personally. When one knows like this, one becomes a true disciple of the Buddha who follows his teaching (sāvaka of the Sāsana). One overcomes doubt (vicikicchā); wrong view and doubt (diṭṭhivicikicchā) are abandoned. There is no more doubt like, "Is this really the truth of suffering?" (free from the threefold doubt - tiṇṇaṃ vicikicchānaṃ). Doubt is extinguished (vigatakathaṃkatho). One becomes confident (vesārajjappatto). One has personally seen the truth of suffering (aparappaccayo). Here, one becomes a true insider of the Sāsana and attains Stream-entry (Sotāpatti). This is how the Buddha taught the wanderer Saccaka. The essence is: To cease ignorance, observe arising and passing away. By observing arising and passing away, ignorance ceases. When ignorance ceases, formations (saṅkhāra), craving (taṇhā), clinging (upādāna), and kamma (bhava) also cease. When the ignorance that can be eradicated by the path of Stream-entry (Sotāpatti-magga) ceases, one truly becomes a Stream-enterer. Therefore, the most crucial practice is to prevent ignorance from arising by observing whatever mind arises in the aggregates as arising and passing away, and whatever feeling arises as arising and passing away. When ignorance ceases, wisdom and the path arise. Dr. Ashin Parami See also: http://myakyunthar.blogspot.com/?m=1