Agony and Ecstasy

47
Although the hindrance of sensual desire (kāmacchanda) is foremost,
due to its pervading passion, yet it is perplexity (vicikicchā)
which has to be overcome even before the lust and hate of the senses.
And that is the effect of this first stage of absorption (jhāna) in
the ecstasy of intellectual satisfaction through discursive thinking.
Knowing the nature of the hindrance of perplexity (vicikicchā) and
the strength of speculative thought (vitakka) in counteracting this
undesirable state of indecision, it is in the heat of argumentation
that the mind becomes absorbed in its own reasoning process of
logical thinking, through advancing and maintaining a proposition,
leading to the demonstration or the proof thereof. Such proposition
to be maintained is posited in advance and is therefore called
a thesis; and with methodical reasoning the arguments are induced
to prove what has been stated.
Now, what does all this mean psychologically? A statement is
made, a statement is argued, a statement is proved. The statement
has obviously some value, mostly psychological, as it is not just a
passing thought or observation. It has value, not in itself perhaps,
but for those who want to argue the case to obtain maximum assurance.
That is the whole point of arguing: to prove that something
which is highly valued is also right and true.
Thus, one can argue about the wrongs and rights of smoking.
But the psychological fact underlying the argumentation is that one
wants to smoke for some sort of satisfaction, taste or prestige, and
at the same time wants to give up smoking for reasons of health
or economy. Not knowing the real reasons, one searches for good
reasons in argument. And as one knows in advance what is wanted
(the thesis), it should never be too difficult to find good reasons
for getting it. But the real reason for argumentation is to provide
for one’s own satisfaction good and sufficient reasons or excuses for
doing what one wants to do, for getting what one wants to get,
whether these are metaphysical proofs for the existence of God,
the beginning of creation, the continuation of Samsaric evolution,