Agony and Ecstasy
A comparative study of the five hindrances, together with the five states of concentration or mental absorption.
A comparative study of the five hindrances, together with the five states of concentration or mental absorption.
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direct communication there can be direct underst<strong>and</strong>ing. And that<br />
is love without conflict. For there is no search <strong>and</strong> no opposition.<br />
Thus, it will be clear that the aim of mental absorption is not to<br />
produce a state of trance or self-hypnosis. For, there is a heightening<br />
of intelligence <strong>and</strong> vitality which can only lead to greater lucidity<br />
<strong>and</strong> purity of action. It may not be the insight of enlightenment,<br />
but there is neither a hypnotic state of self-deception.<br />
The culmination is a suspension of thought <strong>and</strong> sensory reaction<br />
(saññā-vedayita-niroda) which is the stillness of thinking, a tranquillity<br />
(samatha) which characterises this entire exercise. Insight<br />
is not the result of this tranquillity; but peace, become absolute<br />
in the discarding of craving <strong>and</strong> hope, of clinging <strong>and</strong> fear, is an<br />
essential prerequisite for intuition to st<strong>and</strong> revealed. This discarding<br />
is the result of increasing abstraction from space to thought,<br />
to no-thing, to non-perception. Yet they do not form the threshold<br />
of enlightenment. Wisdom (paññā) which is insight may st<strong>and</strong><br />
revealed in a well-balanced mind, but is not produced by it.<br />
Imperceptible perception (n’eva-saññā-n’asaññā) is followed by<br />
the extinction of the defilements (āsavakkhaya), which is the deliverance<br />
of arahantship only when there is the realisation of the<br />
signless (animittā), that is of the non-existence of the permanent<br />
(nicca), of satisfaction (sukha), of ‘self’ (attā). Enlightenment is<br />
not an attainment of cessation (nirodhasamāpatti), which last one<br />
is the object of this jhanic exercise; but it is the cessation of becoming<br />
(bhavanirodha), which is the cessation of attainment rather<br />
than attainment of cessation.<br />
Tranquillity is for most the end of the path, for tranquillity<br />
gives security. In the enjoyment of satisfaction the mind does not<br />
want to move away. It is the end of the search, but not the attainment<br />
of the goal. As the entire path of tranquillity <strong>and</strong> its<br />
culture (samatha-bhāvanā) is aimed at this attainment of cessation<br />
(nirodha-samāpatti), it is obvious that from here on the roads will<br />
part. Not only from here on, because there is no further progress
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