Vipassana meditation is mental training aimed at raising the mind
to such a level that it is no longer subject to suffering. The mind
breaks free from suffering by virtue of the clear knowledge that
nothing is worth grasping at or clinging to. This knowledge
deprives worldly things of their ability to lead the mind into further
thoughtless liking or disliking. Having this knowledge, the mind
transcends the worldly condition and attains the level known as
the Supramundane Plane (Lokuttara-bhumi).
In order to/comprehend clearly the supramundane plane, we have
to know first about its opposite, the mundane plane (Lokiya-
bhumi). The mundane plane comprises those levels at which the
things of the world have control over the mind. Very briefly, three
levels are recognized in the mundane plane, namely: the sensual
level (Kamavacarabhumi), or the level of a mind still content with
pleasures of every kind; the level of forms (Rupavacara-bhumi),
the condition of a mind uninterested in sensual objects, but finding
satisfaction in the various stages of concentration on forms as
objects; and lastly the formless level
(Arupavacara-bhumi), the yet higher level of a mind finding
satisfaction in the bliss and peace of concentration on objects
other than forms. These three levels in the worldly plane are the
mental levels of beings in general. Regardless of whether we
presume to call them human beings, celestial beings, gods,
beasts, or denizens of hell, they are all included within the three
worldly levels. The mind of a worldling can at any particular time
exist in any one of these three. It is not impossible. It is quite
normal. As a rule, though, it will tend to fall back naturally to the
unconcentrated sensual level; the human mind normally fails
under the influence of the delightful in colours and shapes,
sounds, odours, tastes, and tactile objects. Only on certain
occasions is it able to escape from the influence of these
seductive things and experience the tranquillity and bliss which
comes from practising concentration on forms or other objects. It
all depends on concentration.
At certain times, then, a person's mind may be located in any of
these levels of concentration. In India at the time of the Buddha
this must have been fairly common, because people who had
gone in search of the tranquillity and bliss associated with the
various levels of concentration were to be found living in forests
all over the country. At the present time such people are few, but
it is nevertheless possible for the ordinary man to attain these
levels. It someone in this world is in the process of experiencing
the bliss of full concentration on a form, then for him "the world"
consists of just that form, because he is aware of nothing else. At
that time and for that person, "the world" is equivalent to just that
one form, and it remains so until such time as his mental
condition changes.
Even though a person dwelling in any of these three levels may
have gained such bliss and calm tranquillity that he has come to
resemble a rock, a lump of earth, or a log of wood, yet grasping
and clinging to selfhood are still present. Also present are
various kinds of desire, albeit of the finest and most tenuous sort,
such as dissatisfaction with the state in which he finds himself,
which prompts him to go in search of a new state. That desire for
change constitutes karma, so such a person has not yet
transcended the worldly state. He is not yet in the supramundane
plane.
A mind dwelling in the supramundane plane has transcended the
world. It views the worldly state as devoid of essence, self, or
substance, and will have nothing of it. Dwellers in this
supramundane plane can be further classified into grades. There
are four levels of Path and Fruit, namely the levels of the Stream
enterer (Sotapanna), the Once returner (Skidagami), the Never
returner(Anagami), and the completely Perfected individual or
Arahant. The condition of these four kinds of noble individuals or
Aryans is the supramundane condition. "Supramundane" means
"above the world," and refers to the mind, not the body. The body
can be anywhere at all as long as living conditions are adequate.
"Supramundane" simply describes a mind dwelling above the
world. As for the nether worlds such as hell, purgatory, or the
places of suffering, torment, and bondage, these are out of the
question for the Ariyans
The criteria for recognizing these four levels in the
supramundane plane are the various mental impurities which
are in the course of being eliminated. The Buddha divided the
impurities in this group into ten kinds. He called them the Fetters
(Samyojana). These ten fetters bind man and all beings to the
world, keeping people in the mundane plane. If a person starts to
cut through these fetters and break loose, his mind gradually and
progressively becomes freed from the worldly condition; and
when he manages to cut through them completely, his mind
becomes completely free, transcends the world for good and
comes to dwell permanently in the supramundane plane.
Of these ten kinds of subtle mental impurities that bind us, the
first is the Self belief (Sakkaya-ditthi), the view that the body and
mind is "my self." It is a misunderstanding or misconception
based on clinging to the idea "I am." Because the average person
is not aware of the true nature of the body and the mind, he
unthinkingly regards these two as his "self." He assumes that
body and mind is his
"self," his "I." This instinctive idea that there is an "I" and a
"mine" is so firmly ingrained that normally nobody ever doubts
their existence. True, the self instinct is what makes life
possible, being the basis of self preservation, the search for food
and propagation of the species, but in this case, what we are
calling the self belief is to be taken only in its most basic sense
as the root cause of selfishness. This is considered to be the
first of the fetters, to be done away with before anything else.
The second fetter is Doubt (Vicikiccha), the cause of wavering
and uncertainty. Most importantly it is doubt concerning the
practice leading to liberation from suffering-doubt due to
inadequate knowledge, doubt as to what this subject is really all
about, doubt as to whether this practice for breaking free from
suffering is really the right thing for one, whether one is really
capable of carrying it through, whether it is really better than
other things, whether or not it really does any good, whether the
Buddha really did attain enlightenment, whether he really did
achieve liberation from suffering, whether the Buddha's teaching
and the practical method based on his teaching really do lead to
liberation from suffering, whether it is really possible for a
bhikkhu in the Sangha to attain liberation from suffering.
The root cause of hesitancy is ignorance. A fish that has always
lived in the water, if told about life on dry land,
would be sure to believe none of it, or at most only half of it. We,
immersed as we are in sensuality, are as habituated to
sensuality as is the fish to water, so that when someone speaks
of transcending sensuality, transcending the world, we can't
understand. And that which we can understand to some extent we
are hesitant about. It is natural for us to think on this lower level;
to think on the high level produces a new picture. The conflict
between the high level thinking and the low level thinking is what
constitutes wavering. If mental energy is insufficient, the low
level thinking will triumph. Doubt and wavering with regard to
goodness is something chronically present in everyone right
from birth. In a person who has been brought up wrongly, it may
be a very common complaint. We have to introspect and note the
bad consequences of this wavering, which is present to such an
extent in our work and our everyday living that we become
sceptical about goodness, truth, and liberation from suffering.
The third fetter is Superstition (Silabbatapraramasa) or
attachment to rules and rituals based on a misunderstanding of
their real purpose. Essentially it is a misguided attachment to
certain things one does. Usually it has to do with doctrines and
ceremonies. An example of this is belief in magic and magical
pratices, which is blatantly just superstition and occurs even
among Buddhists. Practice based on the belief that it will produce
magical abilities,
psychic powers, and protective forces is founded on false hopes
and is irrational. Another example is the undertaking of moral
precepts (Five Precepts, etc.) or virtuous conduct. The real
purpose of this is to eliminate mental defilements; but if we
believe that it will give rise to miraculous powers which we shall
then be able to use to eradicate the defilements, we are in fact
grasping and clinging, and so defeating our original purpose. The
practice is quite correct in itself, but if we misunderstand it and
cling to it irrationally, regarding it as something magical or
sacred, then it becomes pure superstition. Even taking upon
oneself the moral precepts, if done in the belief that it will lead to
rebirth as a celestial being, is without a doubt an example of
attachment to rules and rituals and goes contrary to Buddhist
aims. Such beliefs contaminate otherwise virtuous conduct. The
objective of the Buddhist discipline is the elimination of the
cruder defilements of body and speech as a foundation for the
progressive development of concentration and insight. The
objective is not rebirth in heaven. To have such false motives is
to soil and contaminate one's own morals with grasping and
clinging, with false ideas. Charity or adherence to moral
precepts, or meditation practice, if carried out with a mistaken
idea of their true objective, inevitaby will stray from the Buddhist
path.
Do understand that even Buddhist practice, associated with
misunderstanding because craving has come in
and taken over, bringing the expectation of mystical powers,
becomes superstition instead. This applies to even the very small
and trivial things that most of us like to indulge in, such as ritual
chanting, merit making, and the like. The ceremony of placing rice
and trays of sweets before the Buddha's image, if performed in
the belief that it is an offering to the Buddha's "spirit" and that he
will be able to partake of it, is 100 percent certain to produce
effects precisely the opposite of what the devotee is hoping for.
Behaviour that defeats its own true purpose is generally quite
common in Buddhist circles. It is foolish and irrational and results
in practices originally worthwhile and attractive becoming
contaminated with the stupidity and ignorance of the people
performing them. This is what is meant by superstition. As we can
see, this defilement has its origins in delusion and
misunderstanding. Most of us have our own ingrown beliefs in
mystical powers as a result of having been misinformed and led
astray by others. We need not go into any more detail here; but
though it may be rather disturbing, everyone ought to do some
critical self examination along these fines.
When these first three defilements, namely self belief, doubt, and
superstition, have been completely given up, one is said to have
attained the lowest level in the supramundane plane, that is, to
have become a Stream
enterer. To give up completely these three defilements is not
difficult at all, because they are just primitive qualities
possessed by primitive, underdeveloped people. In anyone who
has studied well and made progress, these three elements
should not be present; and if they are, then that person's mind
should be considered still primitive. Anyone ought to be able to
give up these three defilements and become an Ariyan. If he
can't he is still a foolish and deluded person, or, to use the best
term, a worlding (Puthujjana), someone with a thick blindfold
covering the eye of insight.
When any individual has managed to give up these defilements,
his mind is freed from bondage to the world. These three are
ignorance and delusion obscuring the truth and are fetters
binding the mind to the world. Giving them up is like rendering
ineffective three kinds of bondage or three blindfolds, then
slipping free and rising above and beyond the world, into the first
supramundane level. This is what it is to become an Ariyan of the
first degree, to attain the first level in the supramundane plane.
Such an individual is called a Stream enterer, one who has
attained for the first time the Stream that flows on to Nirvana. In
other words an individual at this stage is certain to attain Nirvana
at some time in the future. What he has attained is only the
Stream of Nirvana, not Nirvana itself. This Stream is a course
that flows fight on to Nirvana, inclining towards Nirvana just as
the water-course of a river slopes down
towards the sea. Though it may still take some time, a mind which
has once entered the Stream is certain to achieve Nirvana
eventually.
Attaining the second level in the supramundane plane implies
giving up the three fetters just mentioned, and further, being able
to attenuate certain types of craving, aversion, and delusion to
such a degree that the mind becomes elevated and only very
feebly attached to sensuality. It is traditionally held that an
individual who achieves this level will return to this world at most
only once more, hence he is known as a Once returner. A Once
returner is closer to Nirvana than a Stream enterer, there
remaining in him no more than a trace of worldliness. Should he
return to the sensual human world, he will do so not more than
once, because craving, aversion, and delusion, though not
completely eliminated, have become exceedingly attenuated.
The third stage is that of the Never returner. This grade of Ariyan,
besides having succeeded in giving up the defilements to the
extent necessary for becoming a Once returner, has also
managed to give up the fourth and fifth letters. The fourth fetter is
sensual desire and the fifth is ill will. Neither the Stream enterer
nor the Once returner has completely given up sensual desire. In
both of them there is still a remnant of satisfaction in alluring and
desirable objects. Even though they have managed to give up
self belief, doubt, and superstition, they are still unable to
relinquish completely their attachment to sensuality of which
some traces remain. But an Ariyan at the third stage, a Never
returner, has succeeded in giving it up completely, so that not a
trace remains. The defilement called ill will, which includes all
feelings of anger or resentment, has been washed out to a large
extent by the Once returner so that there remains only a trace of
ill humour to obstruct his mind; but the Never returner has got rid
of it altogether. Thus the Never returner has thrown off both
sensual desire and ill will.
This sensual desire or attachment to and satisfaction in
sensuality was explained adequately in the section on sensual
attachment. It is a chronic defilement, firmly fixed in the mind as
if it were a very part of it, of the same substance. For the ordinary
man, it is hard to understand and hard to eradicate. Anything at
all can serve as an object for desire: colours and shapes,
sounds, odours, tastes and tactile objects of any sort, kind, and
description. These are sensual objects (Kama), and the state of
mental attachment which takes the form of satisfaction in these
desirable objects is sensual desire (Kama - raga).
What we call ill will is the reaction of a mind that feels
dissatisfaction. If there is satisfaction, there is sensual
desire; it dissatisfaction, ill will. Most people's minds are subject
to these two states. There may arise ill will towards even
inanimate objects, and what is more, one can even be
dissatisfied with the things one has produced oneself, the things
that arise in one's own mind. Where there is actual hatred and
anger towards an object, ill will has become too fierce. An Ariyan
at a stage below the Non -returner has given it up to a degree
appropriate to his station. The ill will that remains for the third
grade of Ariyan to relinquish is just a mental reaction so subtle
that possibly no outward evidence of it appears. It is an inner
perturbation not revealed by any facial expression, yet present
inwardly as dissatisfaction, as irritation, or annoyance at some
person or thing that does not conform to expectation. Imagine a
person completely devoid of every form of ill will : consider what
a very exceptional individual he would be, and how worthy of
respect.
The five defilements we have just been discussing were grouped
together by the Buddha as the first to be given up. Self belief,
doubt, superstition, sensual desire, and ill will have all been
given up by an Ariyan at the third level. Because there remains
no sensual desire, this grade of Ariyan never again returns to the
sensual state of existence. This is why he gets the name "Never
returner," one who will never come back. For him there is only
movement forward and upward to Arahantship and Nirvana, in a
state having nothing to do with sensuality, a supreme, divine condition.
As for the five remaining defilements, these only the Arahant, the
fourth grade of Ariyan, succeeds in relinquishing completely.
The next defilement, the sixth of the fetters, is desire for the bliss
associated with the various stages of concentration on forms
(rupa - raga) . The first three grades of Ariyan are still not
capable of giving up attachment to the bliss and tranquillity
obtainable by concentrating deeply on forms, but they will
succeed in doing so when they move up to the last stage, that of
the Arahant. The fully concentrated state has a captivating
flavour, which can be described as a foretaste of Nirvana.
Though it differs from real Nirvana, it has more or less the same
flavour. While one is fully concentrated, the defilements are
dormant ; but they have not evaporated away entirely, and will
reappear as soon as concentration is lost. As long as they are
dormant, however, the mind is empty, clear, free, and knows the
flavour of real Nirvana. Consequently this state can also become
a cause of attachment.
The seventh subtle defilement is desire for the bliss associated
with full concentration on objects other than forms (arupa-raga).
It resembles the sixth fetter, but is one degree more subtle and
attenuated. Concentration on an object such as space or
emptiness yields a tranquillity and
quiescence more profound than concentration on a form,
with the result that one becomes attached to that state. No
Arahant could ever become fascinated by any state of
pleasant feeling whatsoever, regardless of where it
originated, because an Arahant is automatically aware of
the impermanence, unsactisfactoriness, and non selfhood of
every state of feeling. Other hermits and mystics practising
concentration in the forest do not perceive the hidden danger
in these blissful states and so become fascinated by and
attached to the flavour of them just as immature people
become attached to the flavour of sensual objects. For this
reason The Buddha used the same word "desire" for both
cases. If you think this subject over and really come to
understand it, you will be full of admiration and respect
for these individuals called Ariyans.
The eighth fetter binding a man to the world is
awareness of superiority or inferiority (mana). It is the
delusion of having this or that status relative to another.
It consists in the thought: "I am not as good as he is. I
am just as good as he is. I am better or higher than he
is." Thinking "I am not as good as.........," one feels inferior;
thinking "I am better than.........," one feels puffed up; and
thinking "I am just as good as....," one thinks along
competitive lines or in terms of getting ahead of the other
fellow. It is not pride or conceit. Not to think automatically
of oneself as better or worse than the other fellow in this
fashion is bound to be very difficult. The placing of this
defilement as number eight is probably meant to indicate that it
is hard to give up and so belongs near the end of the list. Only
the highest grade of Ariyan can relinquish it. The likes of us
naturally can't give it up. This idea that one is better than, or on a
par with, or not as good as the other fellow, comes from a
certain kind of attachment. As long as the mind is still involved
in good and bad, the awareness of inferiority, superiority, or
equality with respect to others remains to disturb it; but when it
has completely transcended good and bad, such ideas cannot
exist. As long as such ideas do remain, real bliss and
tranquillity are lacking.
The ninth fetter is agitation (Uddhacca), that is, mental unrest,
distraction, lack of peace and quiet. This is the feeling of
agitation that arises when something interesting comes by. We
all have certain chronic wishes, particularly a desire to get, to
be, not to get, or not to be, one thing or another. When something
comes by, via the eye, ear, nose, tongue, or body, which fits in
with one of our tendencies, there is likely to come about the
mental reaction, pro or con, which we call interest. If we see
something new and strange, wavering and curiosity are bound
to arise, because there are still things that we want and things
that we fear and mistrust. So the mind cannot resist, it has to be
interested in the various things that come by -at least that is how
it is with an ordinary person. If
the object in question happens to coincide with a desire of his, he
finds it hard to resist. He is likely to become interested to the
point of becoming involved, pleased to the point of forgetting
himself. It it is an undersirable object, the mind becomes
depressed so that his gratification comes to an end. This is the
nature of agitation.
The first three grades of Ariyan still have curiosity and
inquisitiveness about things, but the Arahant has none at all. His
mind has abolished all desire for anything whatsoever: it has
abolished fear and hatred, worry and anxiety, mistrust and doubt,
and all desire to know about and see things. His mind is free.
Nothing can provoke or lure him, and arouse inquisitiveness or
curiosity, simply because he has abolished partiality. It should
be realized that the existence or arising of agitation in any
situation is a consequence of some form of desire, even
including the desire for knowledge. When desire has been done
away with through realizing the impermanence, worthlessness,
and non selfhood of all things, nothing is any longer seen as
worth getting or being, and so there is no curiosity about
anything. If a boil of lightning were to strike right beside an Arahant, he
would not be interested, because he has no fear of death, or
craving for continued existence, or anything of that sort. Even if
something dangerous came along, or it something brand new
were discovered in the world, he would know no inquisitiveness
or curiosity,
because such things have no significance for him. He has
no wish to know about anything from the point of view of
what it may have to offer him. Because there is nothing
that he longs for, he has no curiosity of any kind, and his
mind has a purity, a tranquillity such as we ordinary folk
have never attained.
The tenth and last defilement is ignorance. This
covers every kind of defilement not yet mentioned. The word
"ignorance" refers to a condition of lack of knowledge, and
in this case "knowledge" means real knowledge, correct
knowledge. Naturally no creature can exist without having
some knowledge, but if that knowledge is false, it has the
same value as no knowledge. Most people suffer from
chronic ignorance or false knowledge; most of us are
benighted. The most important questions for human beings
are those that ask: "What is suffering, really?", 'What is the
real cause of the arising of suffering?", "What is real freedom
from suffering?" and 'What is the real way to attain freedom
from suffering?", If some individual has real knowledge, if
he is free of ignorance, he is reckoned as enlightened. The
totality of human knowledge is of untold extent, but the
Buddha classed most of it as not essential. The Buddha's
enlightenment encompassed only what need be known. The
Buddha knew all that need be known. The word "omniscient"
or "all -knowing" means knowing just as much as need be
known: it does not include anything non-essential.
Ignorance causes people to misidentify suffering as
pleasure, to such an extent that they just swim around in
circles in a sea of suffering. It also causes them to
misidentify the cause of suffering, so that they go blaming
the wrong things, spirits, celestial beings, or anything at all
as the cause of their pain and misfortune, instead of
rectifying the situation by the right means. The making of
vows to these spirits and celestial beings is a manifestation
of the lowest level of ignorance regarding the complete
elimination of suffering by means of eliminating the craving
which is its direct cause, The mistaken assumption that the
bliss and tranquillity or unawareness brought about by deep
concentration is the complete extinction of suffering was
common in the Buddha's time, and is still promoted in the
present day. Certain schools of thought have even come
to regard sensuality as an instrument for extinguishing
suffering, so that sects with shameful, obscene practices
have arisen right in the temples. They firmly believe that
sensuality is something quite essential, a kind of vital
nourishment. Not content with just the four necessities of
life, namely tamely food, clothing, shelter, and medicine, they
add an extra one, sensuality, making five necessities.
A person ignorant about the Path that leads to the extinction of
suffering is liable to act foolishly and be motivated by his own
desires, for instance naively relying on physical things, or on
spirits and celestial beings, just
as if he had no religion at all. Such a person, though he
may be a Buddhist by birth, is able to go to such foolish
lengths simply because the power of ignorance prevents his
being content with extinguishing suffering by way of the
Noble Eightfold Path. Instead he goes about extinguishing
suffering by lighting incense and candies, and making
pledges to supposedly supernatural things.
Every normal person wishes to gain knowledge; but
if the "knowledge" he gains is false, then the more he
"knows," the more deluded he becomes. Thus more kinds
of knowledge can blind the eyes. We have to be careful
with this word "enlightenment." The "Light" may be the glare
of ignorance, which blinds and deludes the eye and gives
rise to overconfidence. Blinded by the glare of ignorance,
we are unable to think straight and so are in no position
to defeat suffering. We waste our time with trivialities,
nonessential things unworthy of our respect. We become
infatuated with sensuality, taking it to be something excellent
and essential for human beings, something which every man
ought to get his share of before he dies, and making the
excuse that we are doing it for the sake of some quite
different ideal. The hope for rebirth in heaven is founded
on sensuality. Attachment to anything whatsoever, particu-
larly sensuality, comes about because ignorance has
enveloped the mind cutting off all means of escape. At
several places in the Texts, ignorance is compared to a thick
shell covering the whole world and preventing people from
seeing the real light.
The Buddha placed ignorance last in the list of the ten letters.
When a person becomes an Arahant, the highest grade of Ariyan,
he completely eliminates the five remaining fetters or
defilements. He eliminates desire for forms, desire for objects
other than forms, status consciousness, agitation, and
ignorance. The four kinds of Ariyan, Stream enterer, Once
returner, Never returner, and Arahant, dwell in the
Supramundane plane. The Supramundane can be recognized as
having nine aspects. The condition of the Stream enterer while
he is in the process of cutting out the defilements is called the
Path of Stream entry, and that when he has succeeded in cutting
them out is called the Fruit of Stream entry. Likewise there are
the following pairs: Path and Fruit of Once returning, Path and
Fruit of Never returning, and Path and Fruit of Arahantship, in all
four pairs. These together with Nirvana make up the nine
aspects of the Supramundane. For an individual in the
supramundane plane, suffering is diminished in accordance with
his status until ultimately he is completely free of it. When a
person once succeeds in attaining unobscured and perfect
insight into the true nature of things so that he is able to stop
desiring anything whatsoever, he has attained the
supramundane plane, his mind has transcended the worldly
condition. And when he has completely and utterly
relinquished all the mental defilements, his mind is rendered
permanently tree of all those worldly things which formerly it
liked and disliked.
Nirvana is a condition not in any way comparable to any other. It
is unlike any worldly condition. In fact, it is the very negation of
the worldly condition. Given all the characteristics of the worldly
condition, of phenomenal existence, the result of completely
cancelling out all those characteristics is Nirvana. That is to
say, Nirvana is that which is in every respect precisely the
opposite of the worldly condition. Nirvana neither creates nor is
created, being the cessation of all creating. Speaking in terms of
benefits, Nirvana is complete freedom from hellfire, scourging,
torture, bondage, subjection, and thralldom, because the
attainment of Nirvana presupposes the complete elimination of
the defilements, which are the cause of all unsatisfactory mental
states. Nirvana lies beyond the limitations of space and time. It
is unique, unlike anything in the world. Rather it is the extinction
of the worldly condition. Speaking metaphorically, the Buddha
called it the realm where all conditional things cease to be
(Sankharasamatho). Hence it is the condition of freedom, of
freedom from fetters. It is, as the end of torment and buffeting,
stabbing and chafing, from any source whatsoever. This is the
nature of the Supramundane, the ultimate. It is the Buddhist goal
and destination. It is the final fruit of Buddhist practice.
In the foregoing pages we have explained systematically the
principles of Buddhism. We have presented it as an organized
practical system designed to bring knowledge of the true nature
of things. In reality things are impermanent, unsatisfactory, and
not selves; but all creatures are attracted by things and become
attached to them simply through misunderstanding. The Buddhist
practice, based on Morality (Sila), Concentration (Samadhi), and
Insight (Panna), is a tool to be used for completely cutting out
grasping and clinging. The objects of our clinging are the five
aggregates: body, feeling, perception, active thinking, and
consciousness. When we have come to know the true nature of
the five aggregates, we understand all things so well that desire
gives way to disenchantment, and we no longer cling to any of
them.
What we have to do is lead the kind of life described as Right
Living (Samma Vihareyyum), and be full day and night with the
joy that arises out of conduct that is consistently good, beautiful,
and right. This limits aimless wandering of the thoughts and
makes it possible to concentrate and to have clear insight at all
times. Then if conditions are right, the result is disenchantment,
struggle to break loose, slipping free, or even complete Nirvana.
If we wish to hurry and gain quick results, then there is the line of
practice called Vipassana, which begins with moral Purity and
mental purity and carries right through to perfect
and unobscured intuitive insight. By this means we can
completely cut through the fetters that bind us fast to this world,
and attain the final Fruit of the Path.
This is a brief account of the whole of BuddhaDhamma from
beginning to end, including both theoretical and practical
principles, and covering the entire subject right from the first
steps to the final Fruit. The whole story ends with Nirvana. As the
Buddha said: 'All Buddhas recognized Nirvana as the highest
good." So it behoves us to practise in order to realize and attain
that which should be realized and attained. Doing this, we shall
deserve to be called Buddhists; we shall gain insight and
penetrate to the real essence of Buddha-Dhamma. If we don't
practise BuddhaDhamma, we shall only know about it and shall
lack any true insight. It rests with each of us to practise
introspection, observe and understand hisown imperfections, and
then try to root them out completely. Even if one is only half
successful, some clear understanding will result. As the
defilements are progressively eliminated, their place is taken by
purity, insight, and peace.
So I advise and beseech you to approach the subject in this
fashion. You may then succeed in penetrating to the real Buddha-
Dhamma. Don't waste the advantages of having been born a
human being and having encountered the Buddha's teaching.
Don't miss this chance to be a perfect human being.