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　　How is it possible for ignorance to arise and persist if it has nothing to depend on, no father and mother for its origin

　　 It must rely on thiti bhutam avijjaa paccaya sankhaaraa as the basis for birth, for life and existence. This can then be separated into three categories:

　　"Accompanied by enjoyment and lust, and enjoying this and that, in other words, craving for sensual pleasure, craving for being, and craving for non-being."15

　　The Lord called these the Source of Suffering. This is the Noble Truth, but what can be used to remedy it

　　 The Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering16 is all about the darkening of the heart, about a nature that agitates and sullies. Thinking in material terms, it”s as if the heart is all messed up with dirt and mud.

　　These three cravings17 that are the source of suffering are the hankering and hunger, the inability to continue at ease, the loss of peace and the ability to live alone with oneself. Craving is necessarily hungry and ravenous, with a driven restless struggling towards sensual pleasure, being and non- being. This is putting it simply and vividly, for that”s how it continually hounds and oppresses the heart.

　　The heart is unable to sustain its natural poise because these agents continually come in to upset and disturb so that it can”t find any peace. How can we remedy this

　　 The Lord taught the Noble Truth of the Path18 that begins with right view and right thought. He described this as the Way to overcome that nature or condition that is responsible for creating, through the power of craving and discontent, all the upheaval and confusion. Once anyone is consumed by desire [for something] — and it”s just the same for animals — they will openly or covertly take up the chase and, using fair means or foul, grasp hold of it. This is due to compulsive craving, ambition and insatiability; with the heart struggling after its desires through torment and suffering.

　　Why suffering

　　 Suffering because of samudaya. And it”s this cause that oppresses the hearts of all beings. By day and night, whether walking, standing, sitting or lying down, beings of all the realms of existence come under its yoke. As each train of thought goes out only to be taken under its sway, what can we do to save the situation

　　 The ”state of the art” instruments to use for the combating and the eradication of these three cravings from the heart are the eight factors of the Path. These are right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right samadhi. Nothing else can match the Middle Way of Practice.

　　This right view is the seeing of what rightly

　　 For us here now, everything is wrongly seen and goes to make up the wrong views of desire for sensual pleasure, being and non-being. This is the way that our body and heart unfailing take.

　　Why should we feel affection and love

　　 What”s the reason behind it

　　 Use mindfulness and wisdom to examine the body, which forms the immediate object of affection. We first cherish this body before being attracted to other bodies. This is where you”ll find sensual craving.19 You must get to the bottom of this and find out the reason for such love and affection. So, it”s love for the skin, the flesh, the muscles, the bones, the hair of head and body — Is that it

　　 But whether mine or whoevers”, they”re much the same. So what”s with this fondness

　　This analysis and dissection is called the right view of the Path. It”s that discerning examination that searches out the object of attachment and the reason behind it. What value does this object of attachment bring

　　 Really, instead of giving comfort, benefit and happiness, it brings a blazing fire to sear the heart with suffering and torment. It arises out of the false notion that such an…

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