..续本文上一页 object belongs to me and is myself. This is all nonsense. It”s up to wisdom therefore to follow up and straighten out the wrong idea.

　　This was why the Lord taught about the investigation with mindfulness of the body.20 Probe into it. Examine both inside and out, above and below, internally and externally. Do it thoroughly and judiciously, over and over again until you come to discern it clearly. This is the way of wisdom that is able to quash the craving and thirst of the defilements. It”s only right view and right thought can overcome and cure us of our desires, for they are factors of the Eightfold Path. And that is the Noble Truth which tames every kind of defilement. This is the way we should go.

　　You must hit hard with mindfulness and wisdom, for this is the instrument that can counter any stratagem of the defilements. Without hesitating, carefully probe into anywhere that appears dark and obscure — for that”s where the viper will be lurking. Whenever wisdom fails to follow up quickly enough, that becomes the place for the arising of the views of ”self”, of ”creature or ”person”, of ”me” or ”they”, of ”mine” or ”theirs”.

　　Wisdom must therefore penetrate to see according to the living scriptures — which are this body and mind. The truth will then be revealed and there will be no more notions about ”person”, ”animal”, ”I” and ”they”. Once wisdom has fathomed the truth the conjurations and suppositions will be seen for the fraud they really are; having been designed by those masters of deception, the defilements. Wisdom then steadily follows through with its cleanup work until everything had been dealt with.

　　The heart, long crushed under the weight of attachment, will now be freed and uplifted through mindfulness and wisdom. The ”title deeds” of ”me” and ”mine”, and the claims of territorial right, especially over the five aggregates, will be overturned. These claims have stood since birth — the flesh, the sinews and the bones, the arms and the legs. Each bodily part has been taken as ”me”. They have been declared ”me” and ”mine”, even though they know nothing about such claims. We draw up the boundaries of our own domain, and as other things impinge or intrude they give rise to unease and pain, to suffering within the heart. It”s suffering of heart, not only of body, which arises because of attraction and possessiveness in the setting out of our domain.

　　The Lord described this examination into the true state of things as ”investigating the Noble Truth,21 with wisdom and right view”. In essence, this refers to the correct view concerning the four Noble Truths — the right view about Suffering, for instance.

　　Right thought is reflection aimed at uprooting defilements. The Lord pided this into three:

　　First, the non-holding of thoughts of malice or enmity against others.22 This concerns all those defilements based in hostility and resentment.

　　Second, not thinking of being cruel to oneself or others.23

　　Third, is the thought and resolution to be free from all entanglement24 — free from delight in sense pleasures, for example.

　　There”s a natural principle that insists that before anything can go out to disturb other people, it must affect oneself first. This is where right view comes in to rectify matters, for the problem arises due to defilement-enforced wrong view. Right thought and right view coming together are like single strands spliced into a strengthened cord. They are the heart”s activity, the thinking processes, and together they become wisdom — the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the heart become one with the heart. When all eight strands combine and splice together as one, this is called the Middle Way. Ever since the time of the Lord Buddha this had formed the most fitting way to deal with the defilements.

　　Your in…

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