Direct Knowing of Cessation
Tep Sastri
Hello Everyone!
It was observed earlier (12/19/2013) that yathābhūtañāna-dassana (clear knowing) is a direct knowing of the characteristics (ti-lakkhana) of "all phenomena". Also, it is well known that whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation. But, exactly, how do we clearly know that a sankhata dhamma (like feeling) is anattā?
[MN 144 Channovāda Sutta:] "Friend Channa, what have you seen (kim disvā), what have you directly known (kim abhinnāya) in the eye, eye-consciousness, and things cognizable through eye-consciousness, that you regard them thus: `This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'?"
"Friend Sariputta, it is through seeing cessation (nirodham disvā), through directly knowing cessation (nirodham abhinnāya) in the eye, eye-consciousness, and things cognizable through eye-consciousness, that I regard them thus `This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self'"
In other words it is because the deluded assumption 'me, mine, my self' is based on permanence, thus such assumption is denied when cessation is "seen".
Best wishes.
Tep Sastri
Penetration of the Teachings begins at the right discernment (yathābhūta.m sammappaññāya) of the truth about Bhūta (= born, produced; nature as the result of becoming).
Q: "Do you see, Sāriputta, that 'this has come into being'?" [Bhūtamidanti sāriputta passasīti.]
A: "One sees with right discernment, lord, that 'this has come into being.' Seeing with right discernment that 'this has come into being,' one practices for disenchantment with, for dispassion toward, for the cessation of what has come into being.
"One sees with right discernment that 'it has come into being from this nutriment.' Seeing with right discernment that 'it has come into being from this nutriment,' one practices for disenchantment with, for dispassion toward, for the cessation of the nutriment by which it has come into being.
"One sees with right discernment that 'from the cessation of this nutriment, what has come into being is subject to cessation.' Seeing with right discernment that 'from the cessation of this nutriment, what has come into being is subject to cessation,' one practices for disenchantment with, for dispassion toward, for the cessation of what is subject to cessation.
This is how one is a learner." http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.031.than.html
Best wishes.