Direct Knowledge Is the Tool for Abandoning Suffering

[Ted]

Hello everyone !


In order to help refresh your understanding about direct knowledge,
the following six points from the Suttas have been prepared.

1. Direct knowing is knowing and seeing phenomena (dhammas) as they
actually are present.

1.1 What dhammas are directly known?

"Knowing & seeing the eye as it actually is present, ... forms...
consciousness at the eye... contact at the eye ... whatever arises
conditioned through contact at the eye — experienced as pleasure,
pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — as it actually is present.
"Knowing & seeing the ear as it actually is present, ... the nose...
the tongue... the body...
"Knowing & seeing the intellect(mano) as it actually is present,
knowing & seeing ideas... consciousness at the intellect... contact at
the intellect as they actually are present, knowing & seeing whatever
arises conditioned through intellect-contact — experienced as
pleasure, pain, or neither-pleasure-nor-pain — as it actually is
present.

1.2 How is direct knowledge applied to abandon Dukkha?

"He comprehends through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be
comprehended through direct knowledge,
abandons through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be
abandoned through direct knowledge,
develops through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be
developed through direct knowledge,
and realizes through direct knowledge whatever qualities are to be
realized through direct knowledge.

"Form as a clinging-aggregate... feeling... perception...
fabrications... consciousness as a clinging-aggregate.
These are the qualities that are to be comprehended through direct
knowledge.
Ignorance & craving for becoming: these are the qualities that are to
be abandoned through direct knowledge.
Tranquillity & insight: these are the qualities that are to be
developed through direct knowledge.
Clear knowing & release: these are the qualities that are to be
realized through direct knowledge. [MN 149]

2. Direct knowledge is associated with three supranormal powers
through the fourth jhana.

"I entered & remained in the fourth jhana: purity of equanimity &
mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain. But the pleasant feeling that
arose in this way did not invade my mind or remain.

"When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished,
rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to
imperturbability, I directed it to the knowledge of recollecting my
past lives.
"When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished,
rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to
imperturbability, I directed it to the knowledge of the passing away &
reappearance of beings.
"When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished,
rid of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to
imperturbability, I directed it to the knowledge of the ending of the
mental fermentations. [MN 36]

3. Direct knowledge's supporting condition is renunciation when
"desire-passion" with regard to the following phenomena(dhammas) are
abandoned: internal and external ayatanas, consciousness, contact,
feeling, perception, intention, cravings (for forms, ..., ideas),
dhatus, khandhas.

At Savatthi. "Monks, any desire-passion with regard to the eye is a
defilement of the mind. Any desire-passion with regard to the ear...
the nose... the tongue... the body... the intellect is a defilement of
the mind. When, with regard to these six bases, the defilements of
awareness are abandoned, then the mind is inclined to renunciation.
The mind fostered by renunciation feels malleable for the direct
knowing of those qualities worth realizing." [SN 27.1 - 27.10]

4. Developed seven factors of Awakening lead to direct knowledge &
self-Awakening.

"Kassapa, these seven factors for Awakening rightly taught by me, when
developed and pursued, lead to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to
Unbinding. Which seven?

"Mindfulness as a factor for Awakening rightly taught by me, when
developed and pursued, leads to direct knowledge, to self-Awakening,
to Unbinding.

"Analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening, rightly taught by
me, when developed and pursued, leads to direct knowledge, to self-
Awakening, to Unbinding.

Persistence as a factor for Awakening... Rapture as a factor for
Awakening... Serenity as a factor for Awakening...

"Concentration as a factor for Awakening... Equanimity as a factor for
Awakening rightly taught by me, when developed and pursued, leads to
direct knowledge, to self-Awakening, to Unbinding.

"Kassapa, these are the seven factors for Awakening rightly taught by
me that — when developed and pursued — lead to direct knowledge, to
self-Awakening, to Unbinding." [SN 46.14 Gilana Sutta]

5. Direct Awakening is direct knowledge of the fourfold round with
regard to the five clinging-aggregates.


"The fourfold round in what way? I had direct knowledge of form... of
the origination of form... of the cessation of form... of the path of
practice leading to the cessation of form. I had direct knowledge of
feeling... I had direct knowledge of perception...
II had direct knowledge of fabrications... I had direct knowledge of
consciousness... of the origination of consciousness... of the
cessation of consciousness... of the path of practice leading to the
cessation of consciousness.

"For any priests or contemplatives who by directly knowing
consciousness in this way, directly knowing the origination of
consciousness in this way, directly knowing the cessation of
consciousness in this way, directly knowing the path of practice
leading to the cessation of consciousness in this way, are practicing
for disenchantment — dispassion — cessation with regard to
consciousness, they are practicing rightly. Those who are practicing
rightly are firmly based in this doctrine & discipline. And any
priests or contemplatives who by directly knowing consciousness in
this way, directly knowing the origination of consciousness in this
way, directly knowing the cessation of consciousness in this way,
directly knowing the path of practice leading to the cessation of
consciousness in this way, are — from disenchantment, dispassion,
cessation, lack of clinging/sustenance with regard to consciousness —
released, they are well-released. Those who are well-released are
fully accomplished. And with those who are fully accomplished, there
is no cycle for the sake of describing them."
[SN 22.56]

6. The highest direct knowledge (6th supranormal power) is the
complete abandonment of taints.
.
And not long after his full admission, dwelling alone, withdrawn,
diligent, ardent, and self-controlled, the venerable Seniya by
realization himself with direct knowledge here and now entered upon
and abode in that supreme goal of the holy life for the sake of which
clansmen rightly go forth from the home life into homelessness. He had
direct knowledge thus: "Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been
lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more of this to
come. And the venerable Seniya became one of the arahants."
[MN 57 Kukkuravatika Sutta]
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I hope you are now refreshed by these sutta quotes like I am.

Looking forward to read any comment from you all,

Ted.

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[Tep Sastri]

Hello Everyone!

Mental defilements are enemy number one to direct knowing of the true Dhamma!

Mental defilements stem from desire-passion (chanda-rāga) in the internal & external six bases (āyatana), consciousness, contact, feeling, perception, intention, craving, properties (dhātu) and aggregates (khandha). They obstruct and corrupt the mind, thus prevent it from achieving direct knowledge.

 

[SN 27.10, Khandha Sutta:]  "Bhikkhus, whatever there is of desire and attachment to body — that is a corruption of the mind. Whatever there is of desire and attachment to feeling... perception... mental activities... consciousness — that is a corruption of the mind.

"But when, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu has abandoned mental corruption with regard to these five, his mind is inclined towards renunciation. And a mind filled with [the thought of] renunciation is fit for realizing those things to be realized by direct knowledge."  (translator: John D. Ireland)

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/ireland/wheel107.html

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