Unity through Dhamma Translated by
Ajahn Kalyano
During the course of practising, it is normal that you
experience the different conditions of the mind. You
constantly experience desires to do this and that or to
go different places, as well as the different moods of
mental pain, frustration or else indulgence in pleasure
seeking - all of which are the fruits of past kamma
(actions). All this resultant kamma swells up inside the
mind and puffs it out. However, it is the product of
past actions. Knowing that it is all stuff coming up
from the past, you don�t allow yourself to make anything
new or extra out of it. You observe and reflect on the
arising and cessation of conditions.
That which has not yet arisen is still unarisen. This
word �arise� refers to upadana or the mind�s firm
attachment and clinging. Over time your mind has been
exposed to and conditioned by craving and defilement and
the mental conditions and characteristics you experience
reflect that. Having developed insight, your mind no
longer follows those old habit patterns that were
fashioned by defilement. A separation occurs between the
mind and those defiled ways of thinking and reacting.
The mind separate from the defilements.
Your ability to experience the world through the senses
remains intact, just the same as before you started
practising insight, but the mind�s reaction to sense
impingement is to see it as �just that much�.
The mind doesn�t attach to fixed perceptions or make
anything out of the experience of sense objects. It lets
go.
The mind knows that it is letting go. As you gain
insight into the true nature of the Dhamma, it naturally
results in letting go. There is awareness followed by
abandoning of attachment.
There is understanding and then letting go. With insight
you set things down. Insight knowledge doesn�t lead to
clinging or attachment; it doesn�t increase your
suffering.
true insight
That�s not what happens. True insight into the Dhamma
brings letting go as the result. You know that it is the
cause of suffering, so you abandon attachment. Once you
have insight the mind lets go. It puts down what it was
formerly holding on to.
Another way to describe this is to say that you are no
longer fumbling or groping around in your practice. You
are no longer blindly groping and attaching to forms,
sounds, smells, tastes, bodily sensations or mind
objects. The experience of sense objects through the
eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind, no longer
stimulates the same old habitual movements of mind where
it is seeking to get involved with such sense objects or
adding on to the experience through further
proliferation.
The mind doesn�t create things around sense contact.
Once contact has occurred you automatically let go. The
mind discards the experience. This means that if you are
attracted to something, you experience the attraction in
the mind but you don�t attach or hold on fast to it. If
you have a reaction of aversion, there is simply the
experience of aversion arising in the mind and nothing
more; there isn�t any sense of self arising that
attaches and gives meaning and importance to the
aversion. In other words the mind knows how to let go;
it knows how to set things aside. Why is it able to let
go and put things down? Because the presence of insight
means you can see the harmful results that come from
attaching to all those mental states.
When you see forms the mind remains undisturbed; when
you hear sounds it remains undisturbed. The mind doesn�t
take a position for or against any sense objects
experienced. This is the same for all sense contact,
whether it is through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body
or mind. Whatever thoughts arise in the mind can�t
disturb you. You are able to let go. You may perceive
something as desirable, but you don�t attach to that
perception or give it any special importance - it simply
becomes a condition of mind to be observed without
attachment.
sense object
This is what the Buddha described as experiencing sense
objects as �just that much�. The sense bases are still
functioning and experiencing sense objects, but without
the process of attachment stimulating movements to and
fro in the mind.
There is no conditioning of the mind occurring in the
sense of a self moving from this place to that place or
from that place moving to this place. Sense contact
occurs between the six sense bases as normal, but the
mind doesn�t �take sides� by getting caught in to
conditions of attraction or aversion. You understand how
to let go. There is awareness of sense contact followed
by letting go. You let go with awareness and sustain the
awareness after you have let go. This is how the process
of insight works. Every angle and every aspect of the
mind and its experience naturally becomes part of the
practice.
The investigation and development of insight into the
Dhamma gives rise to this profound peace of mind. Having
gained such clear and penetrating insight means it is
sustained at all times whether you are sitting with your
eyes closed, or even if you are doing something with
your eyes open. Whatever situation you find yourself in,
be it in formal meditation or not, the clarity of
insight remains.
When you have unwavering mindfulness of the mind within
the mind, you don�t forget yourself. Whether standing,
walking, sitting or lying down, the awareness within
makes it impossible to lose mindfulness. It�s a state
awareness that prevents you forgetting yourself.
Mindfulness has become so strong that it is
self-sustaining to the point where it becomes natural
for the mind to be that way. These are the results of
training and cultivating the mind and it is here where
you go beyond doubt. You have no doubts about the
future; you have no doubts about the past and
accordingly have no need to doubt about the present
either. You still have awareness that there is such a
thing as past, present and future. You are aware of the
existence of time. There is the reality of the past,
present and future, but you are no longer concerned or
worried about it.
The mind completely transcends doubt. You are no longer
uncertain or speculating about anything.
The lack of doubt means you no longer fumble around or
have to feel your way through the practice. as a result
you live and act in accordance with nature. You live in
the world in the most natural way. That means living in
the world peacefully. You are able to find peace even in
the midst of that which is unpeaceful. It means you are
fully able to live in the world. You are able to live in
the world without creating any problems.
The Buddha lived in the world and was able to find true
peace of mind within the world.
As practitioners of the Dhamma, you must learn to do the
same. Don�t get lost in and attached to perceptions
about things being this way or that way. Don�t attach or
give undue importance to any perception that are still
deluded. Whenever the mind becomes stirred up,
investigate and contemplate the cause.
Awareness
When you aren�t making any suffering for yourself out of
things, you are at ease. When there are no issues
causing mental agitation, you remain equanimous. That
is, you continue to practise normally with a mental
equanimity maintained by the presence of mindfulness and
an all round awareness.
You keep a sense of self-control and equilibrium. If any
matter arises and prevails upon the mind, you
immediately take hold of it for thorough investigation
and contemplation. If there is clear insight at that
moment, you penetrate the matter with wisdom and prevent
it creating any suffering in the mind. If there is not
yet clear insight, you let the matter go temporarily
through the practice of tranquillity (samatha)
meditation and don�t allow the mind to attach. At some
point in the future, your insight will certainly be
strong enough to penetrate it, because sooner or later
you will develop insight powerful enough to comprehend
everything that still causes attachment and suffering.
(Forest Sangha
News Let ter)
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