..续本文上一页ing; vimutti — a mind released from the mundane; santi — peace of heart; paramam sukham — the ease that is ultimate bliss.

　　C. Images

　　These are of two sorts:

　　1. Uggaha nimitta: images as they are first perceived.

　　2. Patibhaga nimitta: adjusted images.

　　Images of either sort can appear at certain mental moments or with certain people. When the mind becomes still, uggaha nimittas can appear in either of two ways:

　　— from mental notes made in the past;

　　— on their own, without our ever having thought of the matter.

　　Uggaha nimittas of both sorts can be either beneficial or harmful, true or false, so we shouldn”t place complete trust in them. If we”re thoroughly mindful and alert, they can be beneficial. But if our powers of reference are weak or if we lack strength of mind, we”re likely to follow the drift of whatever images appear, sometimes losing our bearings to the point where we latch on to the images as being real.

　　Uggaha nimittas are of two sorts:

　　a. Sensation-images: e.g., seeing images of our own body, of other people, of animals, or of corpses; images of black, red, blue or white. Sometimes these images are true, sometimes not. Sometimes images arise by way of the ear — for example, we may hear the voice of a person talking. Sometimes they arise by way of the nose — we may smell fragrant scents or foul, like those of a corpse. Sometimes images are sensed by the body — the body may feel small or large, tall or short. All of these sensations are classed as uggaha nimittas. If the mind is strong and resilient, they can act as a means for the arising of liberating insight. If our powers of reference are weak, though, they can turn into corruptions of insight (vipassanupakkilesa), in which we fall for the objects we experience, believing them to be true. Even when they”re true, things that are false can mingle in with them — like a man sitting under the open sky: When the sun shines, he”s bound to have a shadow. The man really exists, and the shadow is connected with him, but the shadow isn”t really the man. Thus, we”re taught to let go of what”s true and real; things that are untrue will then fall from our grasp as well.

　　b. Thought-images: When the breath is subtle and the mind is still and unoccupied, things can occur to it. Sometimes we may think of a question and then immediately know the answer. Sometimes we don”t even have to think: The knowledge pops into the mind on its own. Things of this sort are also classed as uggaha nimittas. Sometimes they may be true, sometimes false, sometimes mixed. You can”t trust them to be absolutely true. Sometimes they”re true, and that truth is what leads us to fall for them. For example, they may be true about three things and false about seven. Once we”ve placed our confidence in them, even the false things will appear true to us. This is one way of giving rise to the corruptions of insight.

　　So when sensation-images or thought-images arise in one way or another, you should then practice adjusting and analyzing them (patibhaga nimitta). In other words, when a visual image arises, if it”s large, make it small, far, near, large, small, appear, and disappear. Analyze it into its various parts and then let it go. Don”t let these images influence the mind. Instead, have the mind influence the images, as you will. If you aren”t able to do this, then don”t get involved with them. Disregard them and return to your original practice with the breath.

　　If a thought-image arises by way of the mind, stop, take your bearings, and consider exactly how much truth there is to the knowledge it gives. Even if it”s true, you shouldn”t latch onto what you know or see. If you latch on, to your knowledge, it”ll become a corruption of insight. If you latch on to your views, they”ll become a form of attac…

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