..续本文上一页d on in, we see that these notions are all false. The genuine truth is that these bodies aren”t pretty or beautiful. They”re nothing but repulsive. When they fall apart, what are they

　　 When they fall apart, earth is earth -- because earth is what it already was when it was still in the body. The properties of water, wind, and fire were already water, wind, and fire when they were in the body. When the body falls apart, where do these things ever become gods and Brahmas, heaven and nibbana

　　 They have to be earth, water, wind, and fire in line with their nature. This is how discernment investigates and analyzes so as to see clearly. This is how we use clear-seeing discernment to clear away the things obstructing and distorting our vision. Now there”s no more such thing as being constricted or blocked. Our discernment, if we use it, has to be discernment all the day long.

　　Wherever discernment penetrates, it sees clearly, clears away its doubts, and lets go, step by step, until it lets go once and for all from having known thoroughly. Once it has investigated blatant things so as to know them clearly, where will the mind then go

　　 Once it has investigated blatant things and known them clearly, it”s as if it has completely uprooted the blatant defilements that have planted thorns in different objects, such as our own body. So now where will the defilements go

　　 Will they fly away

　　 They can only shrink inward to find a hiding place when they are chased inside and attacked by mindfulness and discernment.

　　Feelings, labels, thought-formations, and cognizance: These are simply inpidual conditions by their nature, but they are under the control of defilement. Defilement is the basis from which they spring, so it has to regard itself as being in charge. It uses labels to make them defilement. It forms thought-formations so as to make them defilement. It cognizes and takes note so as to make these things defilement. However many feelings arise, it makes them all defilement. Defilement can”t make things into Dhamma. It has to be defilement all the day long. This is how it builds itself in its various branches.

　　So. Investigate on in. Slash on in. Feelings of pleasure and pain: They exist both in the body and in the mind. Feeling isn”t defilement. If we look in line with the principles of nature, it”s simply a reality. The assumption that ”I”m pained” or ”I”m pleased” -- delusion with pain, delusion with pleasure, delusion with feelings of indifference in the body and mind: These things are defilement. The assumptions and delusions are defilement. When we really investigate inward, the various feelings aren”t defilement; these four mental phenomena aren”t defilement.

　　Once we”ve spotted our assumptions and construings, they retreat inward. The feelings that still exist in the body and mind, even though they aren”t yet thoroughly understood, are still greatly lightened. We begin to gain an inkling of their ways, step by step. We”re not deluded to the point of complete blindness as we were before we investigated. Whichever aspects of feeling are blatant and associated with the body, we know clearly. We can let go of bodily feelings. We can understand them. As for feelings remaining in the mind, for the most part they”re refined feelings of pleasure. We know and let go of them in the same way when the path gains power. These feelings of pleasure are like fish in a trap: No matter what, there”s no way they can escape getting cooked. They can”t swim down into large ponds and lakes as they used to. They can only sit waiting for their dying day. The same holds true for the refined feeling of pleasure -- which is a conventional reality -- within the heart. It can only wait for the day it will be disbanded as a convention when the ultimate ease, whic…

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