..续本文上一页the desirable, you are bound to have aversion toward the undesirable. Now it is becoming clear at the depth of the mind, where the sensations are experienced. Then wisdom starts arising with the experience: “Every time I react with craving toward the pleasant sensations, I am sowing seeds of misery, nothing but misery. I am allowing myself to be overpowered by ignorance. This is misery.”

　　Because the pleasant sensations reinforce the tendency to react with craving, actually they are misery. This is more dangerous than unpleasant sensation, which is obviously dukkha. When experiencing the unpleasant, it is easy to remember that any aversion will be harmful; one thinks, “I”d better observe, I”d better wait, I”d better remain equanimous.” But when the pleasant experience comes, one reacts blindly. Instead one should realize, “Oh, this is a dangerous situation. This pleasant sensation is also dukkha.”

　　With this realization, one starts coming out of the habit of reacting with aversion toward the unpleasant and craving toward the pleasant. Gradually one changes the habit pattern of the mind and keeps working. When many of the saṅkhāras have gone away, one starts experiencing calm, quiet and tranquil feelings.

　　What you call unpleasant sensation is no longer there. But what you call pleasant sensation also is no longer there. The pleasant sensations came like the flow of a river, or like waves on the sea, or like strong electric currents. There is no such thing happening now—just calmness, tranquillity and a very subtle oscillation. This is what the Buddha called asukhamadukkha-vedanā, neither sukha nor dukkha. It is not the so-called neutral sensation you experienced when you first started meditating. That was a superficial sensation that you eventually found boring; you developed aversion toward it.

　　But now you do not become bored; you wish to remain immersed in the experience. You think it is wonderful because it is so peaceful and quiet. And so a new danger arises. First was the danger of reacting with aversion toward unpleasant sensation, then the danger of reacting with craving toward pleasant sensation. Now there is the danger that ignorance will overpower you. You think, “Ah, this is what I wanted. I”ve got it now. This tranquil, peaceful experience is nibbāna.” In fact you are mistaken. Yes, you are nearing nibbāna, but the experience of tranquillity is still within the field of mind and matter, the sensory field.

　　If wisdom arises, one recalls, “Look, this is still not beyond mind and matter. There is an oscillation going on. There is anicca.” And this very subtle oscillation disturbs you. It disturbs the feeling of quietude, tranquillity, and you think, “Oh this is misery.”

　　Only when you realize this can you come out of suffering and experience something beyond it. Otherwise you remain stuck at this stage, as someone might become stuck with the free flow of subtle vibrations. The gross, unpleasant sensation is dukkha. The pleasant sensation is dukkha. And this subtle oscillation, which is neither pleasant nor unpleasant, this stage of tranquillity is also dukkha.

　　Then the words of Buddha become clear: “Yaṃ kiñci vediyatiṃ taṃ dukkhasmiṃ: Whatever sensation you experience is of the nature of dukkha.” You have to realize this reality. When you do, you transcend it and experience the stage of dukkha-nirodha, the cessation of suffering. Then one can say, “Pariññāta—I have explored the entire field of dukkha.”

　　And how have you explored the entire field of dukkha

　　 By exploring the entire field of vedanā. When the Buddha says that you must explore the entire field of dukkha, he also says that you have to explore the entire field of vedanā. When he says that you must walk on the…

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