Unexpected Freedom

Unexpected Freedomyou have to know also how to not-have it. And when havingand not-having are the same thing then you’re free.” There’shaving with attachment and there’s having withoutattachment and there’s a big difference between the two, ahuge difference.So I would expect that an arahant could be quitearticulate in talking about tendencies of his or her mind andcommenting on their own behaviour patterns, but therewould be a very tangible sense of equanimity. They would behaving without having; they’d be having without grasping.And that’s what makes the difference.The characteristic of an arahant is that their heart iscompletely free from all tendencies of clinging. Allmanifestations of ignorance and conceit have been removed.And so according to the Buddha’s teaching all their activity isgoverned by wisdom and compassion. This does not meanthey are always perfect in all the decisions they make. Theyare only perfect in the sense that they are incapable ofbecoming caught up in any unwholesome states. TheBuddha had to reprimand one particular arahant for hisdecision to not attend the recitation of the monastic rule(patimokkha). Because he was free from all impurities ofheart, this monk figured he did not have to join with the restof the Sangha for their fortnightly gathering. From theperspective of the Buddha’s superior insight this was amisjudgement, because it could have led less realisedmembers of the Sangha to bad practice.Neither does it mean that you’ll like all thesemanifestations of wisdom and compassion. We could be inthe company of an arahant and feel thoroughly annoyed,really disliking them. They may have grown up in anenvironment where they weren’t taught proper hygiene forinstance. Or they might have bad breath, or an accent we154