Mind Like Fire Unbound / Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff)

(cont.)
‘One who is dependent has wavering. One who is independent has no wavering. There being no wavering, there is calm. There being calm, there is no desire. There being no desire, there is no coming or going. There being no coming or going, there is no passing away or arising. There being no passing away or arising, there is neither a here nor a there nor a between-the-two. This, just this, is the end of stress.’


Ud 8:4

‘Sensing a feeling of pleasure, he [a person who has reached the goal: This is the continuation of MN 140, quoted in Chapter Three] discerns that it is fleeting, not grasped at, not relished. Sensing a feeling of pain…. Sensing a feeling of neither pleasure nor pain, he discerns that it is fleeting, not grasped at, not relished. Sensing a feeling of pleasure, he senses it disjoined from it. Sensing a feeling of pain…. Sensing a feeling of neither pleasure nor pain, he senses it disjoined from it. When sensing a feeling limited to the body, he discerns that “I am sensing a feeling limited to the body.” When sensing a feeling limited to life, he discerns that “I am sensing a feeling limited to life.” He discerns that “With the break-up of the body, after the termination of life, all that is experienced, not being relished, will grow cold right here.”


‘Just as an oil lamp burns in dependence on oil & wick; and from the termination of the oil & wick—and from not being provided any other sustenance—it goes out unnourished; even so, when sensing a feeling limited to the body, he discerns that “I am sensing a feeling limited to the body.” When sensing a feeling limited to life, he discerns that “I am sensing a feeling limited to life.” He discerns that “With the break-up of the body, after the termination of life, all that is sensed, not being relished, will grow cold right here.”


‘Thus a monk so endowed is endowed with the highest resolve for discernment, for this—the knowledge of the ending of all stress—is the highest noble discernment.


‘His release, being founded on truth, does not fluctuate, for whatever is deceptive is false; Unbinding—the undeceptive—is true. Thus a monk so endowed is endowed with the highest resolve for truth, for this—Unbinding, the undeceptive—is the highest noble truth.


‘Whereas formerly he foolishly had taken on & brought to completion (mental) acquisitions, he has now abandoned them, their root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising. Thus a monk so endowed is endowed with the highest resolve for relinquishing, for this—the renunciation of all acquisitions—is the highest noble relinquishing.


‘Whereas formerly he foolishly had greed—as well as desire & infatuation—he has now abandoned them, their root destroyed… not destined for future arising. Whereas formerly he foolishly had malice—as well as ill-will & hatred—he has now abandoned them…. Whereas formerly he foolishly had ignorance—as well as delusion & confusion—he has now abandoned them, their root destroyed, made like a palmyra stump, deprived of the conditions of development, not destined for future arising. Thus a monk so endowed is endowed with the highest resolve for calm, for this—the calming of passions, aversions, & delusions—is the highest noble calm. “One should not be negligent of discernment, should guard the truth, be devoted to relinquishing, and train only for calm.” Thus it was said, and in reference to this was it said.


‘“He has been stilled where the currents of construing do not flow. And when the currents of construing do not flow, he is said to be a sage at peace”: Thus it has been said. With reference to what was it said? “I am” is a construing. “I am this” is a construing. “I will be” is a construing. “I will not be”… “I will be possessed of form”… “I will not be possessed of form”… “I will be percipient”… “I will not be percipient”… “I will be neither percipient nor non-percipient” is a construing. Construing is a disease, construing is a cancer, construing is an arrow. By going beyond all construing, he is called a sage at peace.


‘Furthermore, a sage at peace isn’t born, doesn’t age, doesn’t die, is unagitated and free from longing. He doesn’t have anything whereby he would be born. Not being born, will he age? Not aging, will he die? Not dying, will he be agitated? Not being agitated, for what will he long? It was in reference to this that it was said, “He has been stilled where the currents of construing do not flow. And when the currents of construing do not flow, he is said to be a sage at peace.”’


MN 140

Ven. Sāriputta: ‘And how, my friend, is a monk’s mind well-composed by means of awareness? “My mind is without passion”—his mind is well-composed by means of awareness. “My mind is without aversion”…. “My mind is without delusion”…. “My mind is not subject to passion”… “to aversion”… “to delusion”—his mind is well-composed by means of awareness. “My mind is destined not to return to states of sensuality”… “to states of form”… “to formless states”—his mind is well-composed by means of awareness.


‘Even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the visual range of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away. And even if powerful sounds… aromas… flavors… tactile sensations…. Even if powerful ideas cognizable by the intellect come into the mental range of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away.


‘Just as if there were a stone column, sixteen spans tall, of which eight spans were rooted below ground, and then from the east there were to come a powerful wind storm: The column would not shiver nor quiver nor quake. And then from the west… the north… the south there were to some a powerful wind storm: The column would not shiver nor quiver nor quake. Why? Because of the depth of the root and the well-buriedness of the stone column. In the same way, my friend, even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the visual range of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released… etc…. his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged.’


AN 9:26

Everywhere


the sage


independent


holds nothing dear or undear.


In him


lamentation & selfishness


like water on a white lotus


do not adhere.


As a water bead on a lotus leaf,


as water on a red lily,


doesn’t adhere,


so the sage


doesn’t adhere


in connection


with the seen, the heard, or the sensed;


for, cleansed,


he doesn’t construe


by means of the seen, the heard, or the sensed.


In no other way


does he wish for purity,


for he neither takes on passion


nor puts it away.


Sn 4:6

This radical freedom—unattached to sensation, untouched by the power of passion, aversion, & delusion—is the Unbinding experienced in the present life.


Sister Pāṭācārā:


Washing my feet, I noticed


the


water.


And in watching it flow from high


to


low,


my heart was composed


like a fine thoroughbred steed.


Then taking a lamp, I entered the hut,


checked the bedding,


sat down on the bed.


And taking a pin, I pulled out the wick:


Like the flame’s unbinding


was the liberation


of awareness.


Thig 5:10

 

(cont.)
End Notes
Becoming (bhava): States of sensuality, form, & formlessness that can develop from craving & clinging, and provide the condition for birth on both the internal & external levels.


Binding (vāna): Related terms (cf. nibbāna—nibbuta) would be vivaṭa, open; saṅvuta, closed, restrained, tied up; & parivuta, surrounded. See PTS Dictionary, *Varati and *Vuṇāti.


Brāhman: The brāhmans of India have long maintained that they, by their birth, are worthy of the highest respect. Buddhists borrowed the term, ‘brāhman,’ to apply to those who have attained the goal, to show that respect is earned not by birth, race, or caste, but by spiritual attainment.


Effluent (āsava): Four qualities—sensuality, views, becoming, & ignorance—that ‘flow out’ of the mind and create the flood (ogha) of the round of death & rebirth. Alternative translation: fermentation.


Factors for Awakening (sambojjhaṅga): The seven qualities, developed through jhāna, that lead the mind to Awakening are (1) mindfulness, (2) analysis of phenomena, (3) persistence, (4) rapture, (5) serenity, (6) concentration, & (7) equanimity.


Fetters (saṅyojana): The ten fetters that bind the mind to the round of death & rebirth are (1) identity views, (2) uncertainty, (3) grasping at habits & practices, (4) sensual passion, (5) irritation, (6) passion for form, (7) passion for formlessness, (8) conceit, (9) restlessness, & (10) ignorance.


Hindrances (nīvaraṇa): The five hindrances that prevent the mind from gaining concentration are (1) sensual desire, (2) ill will, (3) sloth & torpor, (4) restlessness & anxiety, and (5) uncertainty.


Kinsman of the Heedless: An epithet for Māra.


Māra: The personification of evil & temptation.


Nāga: A term commonly used to refer to strong, stately, & heroic animals, such as elephants & magical serpents. In Buddhism, it is also used to refer to those who have attained the goal.


Stress (dukkha): Dukkha, which is traditionally translated in the Commentaries as, ‘that which is hard to bear,’ is notorious for having no truly adequate equivalent in English, but ‘stress’—in its basic sense as a strain on body or mind—seems to be as close as English can get. In the Pali Canon, dukkha applies both to physical & to mental phenomena, ranging from the intense stress of acute anguish or pain to the innate burdensomeness of even the most subtle mental or physical fabrications.


Such (tādin): An adjective to describe one who has attained the goal. It indicates that the person’s state is indefinable but not subject to change or influences of any sort.


Tathāgata: Literally, ‘one who has become real (tatha-āgata)’ or ‘one who has truly gone (tathā-gata), ‘an epithet used in ancient India for a person who has attained the highest religious goal. In Buddhism, it usually refers specifically to the Buddha, although occasionally it also refers to any of his disciples who have attained the Buddhist goal.

 

(cont.)
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