..續本文上一頁oncepts of ”creature” and ”person”. All notions of ”self”, of ”creature” and ”person” will cease to be a problem the moment the defilements have been entirely dispersed. They will disappear by themselves and we will no longer pointlessly fantasize about them. While the truth remains as it actually is, bringing peace of mind and freedom from all anxiety.

　　Yet this peace shouldn”t be thought of as the Noble Truth itself — for that is concerned with suffering. It is the suffering of body and heart that is called the Truth of Suffering; the Truth of the Source of Suffering is the affair of all defilements and taints; the Truth of the Path, from right view through to right samadhi, is the instrument for the correction and eradication of defilements. The Truth of Cessation follows the steady extinguishing of suffering until the total penetrative realization of the nature of the Source is accomplished. The complete elimination of this Source — which though only existing within the heart makes up the principal culprit — together with that of the defilements is the Truth of the Cessation of Suffering.

　　The one that knows the ending of suffering through the Path”s destruction of the defilements, is the one that knows freedom.29 That was the Noble Truth and this is Freedom. This is the purified one and it is not the Four Noble Truths — for they are the means to an end and when that end is reached they naturally lose their raison d”etre, without need of coercion or force. It”s a natural consequence; just as the stairs lose their significance once we have climbed to our final goal, so traveling the Path comes to an end. Mindfulness and wisdom have accomplished their task and the heart has gone beyond — so their instrumental work in dispelling the defilements is over.

　　This is our arrival at the summit. It”s the Samana Dhamma, the supreme samana, the fourth class of recluse. The first samana we encountered in our practice was the stream-enterer, the second was the once-returner and the third the nonreturner. The fourth samana is the arahant, the Arahatta Dhamma. This is the ultimate and final achievement realized through the Path of Practice, that most penetrating and luminous of ways.

　　The four samanas are now found within the heart — "Etam mangalamuttamam", the highest blessing arises there. There”s no need to seek for it elsewhere because when the heart goes beyond all oppressive domination, to perfect purity, then that itself is the supreme blessing.

　　Whatever has been discussed here, about the four Noble Truths or the four samanas, is all found within the ”one that knows”, and nowhere else. This is the one who can uphold the four samanas through the work of emancipation, and who arrives at freedom. In brief, ”that which knows” is the one ”with absolute certainty”, in consistently being able to deal with anything that comes to awareness.

　　The defilements are capable of ruining many things but they can”t destroy the heart. Although they may be up to bringing the heart to experience hardship and suffering, they can”t possibly annihilate it. This nature is constant. It is upright and consistent, and only appears otherwise — taking on differing characteristics — because of the things it associates and involves itself with. Once shaken off and cleaned free of all stain, this nature is poised and wholly imperturbable. It”s this that people call the ”perfect fourth samana”, while in Dhamma terms it”s the Arahatta Dhamma inside the heart.

　　This heart is now wholly Dhamma. The citta30 is Dhamma; the Dhamma is citta. Whichever way you want to put it, this truth is beyond dispute. There can be no more contradictions because there are no more defilements left to agitate.

　　This is how all issues are resolved. They cease right here. Suffering ends here, …

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