..續本文上一頁as they are now for us. But by grasping and attaching to, we establish conditions and causes for the accumulation of defilement in our hearts.
The Lord Buddha and his arahant disciples formerly had defilements — just like us now — so why was it possible for them to uproot them
The body is the same, the five aggregates are the same, yet they could release their attachment whereas we can”t. Why
We don”t seem able to understand, yet how was it that they were able to gain realization
Why can”t we also comprehend
The heart is present, and mindfulness and wisdom can be built up in each aspect, according to whatever angle we wish to take up for examination.
This body, which exists right with us here now, is something that can be known and understood. When we say that the heart can”t depend on itself, what it all comes down to is that it needs to depend on the body. Moreover, it not only relies on the aggregates but also holds to them as being self. There! We depend on them and unashamedly uphold them as self. What about that then
Even with some measure of shame, they inevitably must be held onto because comprehension is still lacking, and without it any possibility of letting-go. So, it is quite correct to say that we”ve been shameless and we need to admit to our stupidity. From here, we must endeavor to develop some cleverness that will see these things and let go of them through the strength of our own efforts.
So, for once, let”s get down to the facts. These things follow the principles of nature and remain as they are they, whereas we exert ourselves to pull them in as our-self. Now that is going to make problems because it goes against the truth of things. To be in line with the facts you have to investigate to see according to the truth about them. Repeatedly examine and keep on investigating until you can understand. Once you understand, you won”t have to order the mind to let go. It will let go on its own because these things are poisonous and harmful to us, owing to our own attachment. There are certainly no benefits in this attachment. If there were any merit or advantage, the Lord Buddha would have told us to grasp hold — but then, such advice would not be needed as the heart would have already involved itself. It is that attachment that is the truly poisonous and harmful thing.
Even though those things may be dangerous to us, we still seize and bring them close in. We hold them by making the assumptions that, I”m like this, I”m like that; they are me; they are mine. The trouble arises right there with these assumptions and notions based in delusion.
None of these aggregates have any meaningfulness in themselves. They exist, in truth, in the same way as trees and mountains and such like. We are conscious of their various aspects and this makes it the affair and concern of the heart. Once dead we can”t be aware of them, which shows that it”s all mixed up with the heart. If we are here, there is no happiness; if we go, there”s no contentment; if we grasp hold, there”s no peace. And this goes on and on and on. How exasperating and vexing this can be.
This heart is totally filled with delusion. Whatever aspect it exposes, there is nothing but delusion and harmful attachments. We murmur that, ”the heart can”t depend on itself” and so has to go and hang onto this thing or that. Our investigation through wisdom is carried forth so that we can understand this whole situation. Then we can push away, press on out, disentangle and steadily attain to self-reliance.
We give other things a complete looking over and can manage to understand them. We look at building, homes, women, men, animals and material things. We can tell whether they”re good or bad, valuable or not, worth keeping or not — yet why can”t we realize this about …
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