..續本文上一頁 things out to find the truth, the truth in our own bodies and minds. But because we”re ignorant and unable to see the truth, we say that "This is me ... That”s mine." When any of these things change, we become sad, upset, and depressed. There are lots of people who become mentally ill because their thinking goes all out of bounds. ”Mental illness” here means the mental distress or turmoil we all suffer from, not necessarily the heavy mental illnesses where people lose their senses and go out of their minds. When we investigate, separating the properties and khandhas with our wisdom in this way, we”ll see that our wisdom can develop techniques and approaches capable of cutting away defilements stage by stage, until they can cut away all defilements connected with the five khandhas.

　　When we say "That”s me ... This is me," it”s because the mind and the khandhas seem to be one and the same, so we can”t tell them apart. When wisdom has analysed and investigated them through the power of the knowledge it has developed to a high level of proficiency, it can tell these things apart. It knows: "This is the body ... This is feeling ... This is memory ... This is thought ... This is consciousness." The body is the body, this thing is this thing, that thing is that -- but we”re not this or that thing. We can tell them apart and separate them out step by step, until we can separate the heart out from the defilements and effluents (āsava) that lie buried within it, and there”s nothing at all left in the heart. This is where it”s called truly ”Buddho”. The result of practising meditation, when we reach the final stage, is that the heart becomes truly ”Buddho”, just like the ”Buddho” of the Lord Buddha. This doesn”t mean the same ”Buddho” as his. Instead it means that in comparing them, the purity of ours is equal to the purity of his, but that his range as a Buddha is greater than ours as disciples, in line with the greater power of his potential and capabilities, which are issues outside the question of purity.

　　A person”s capabilities can be known by hearing his teachings. The Buddha”s knowledge has to be in line with his level, while that of the disciples is fully in line with theirs; but as for the question of purity, they are all equals. The Buddha taught: "There is nothing superior to one with no evil." From the Buddha down to his final Arahant disciple, their purity is equal, with no gradations at all. Right here is where the similarity lies. This is the result of developing the mind through meditation. We practise it step by step, removing defilements step by step until they are all absolutely gone, leaving nothing but purity. This purity is what experiences the ultimate level of happiness. There is nothing higher than this form of happiness. It”s called the highest transcendent quality, a quality transcending the world. "Transcending the world" means that it transcends the physical properties, transcends the khandhas, transcends everything. There is nothing superior to this thing that is pure. This is the fruit of meditation. The Buddha attained it before anyone else in the world in those days, and has led the way for all Buddhists who practice in his footsteps, down to those of us practising right now.

　　The Buddha taught the religion reasonably, in terms of cause and effect. We should follow in line with the principles he taught, and the effects -- the results -- are sure to appear accordingly. Where the causes exist, the results have to appear. If people practice correctly and in line with the Dhamma principles he taught, how will they not meet with the results

　　The Dhamma is a well-taught Dhamma, not an empty-handed one, so how can those who practise it not reap results

　　 When they say that the paths (magga), fruitions (phala) and …

《Tranquillity and Insight》全文未完，請進入下頁繼續閱讀…