Freedom from Subtle DefilementsIn this case, it means subtle defilements which absorb and slightly cover our minds.“Lotuses Have leaves that a drop of water cannot cling to Likewise, those who can attain Nirvana will have the minds That Subtle Defilement cannot stay in them.”What is a mind that’s free from Subtle Defilements?In this case, it means subtle defilements which absorb and slightly cover our minds. It causes the mind to lose its radiance. If we don’t really notice it, we will never see it.Minds that are free from subtle defilements mean a condition of the mind that can absolutely uproot all the defilements, both gross and subtle ones. They will never be able to grow back. This cause the mind of an Arahant.Classification of DefilementsThere are three major families of defilements which are greed, hatred, and delusion. Each group has its own levels, starting from a really gross one like trash, medium size like powder or really subtle like small dust. Some of them are so small that they cannot be recognized as defilements. They are as follows:1. Greed Group:Is the desire for objects such as people, animals, things, or emotions. It starts from the grosser levels to the subtle to the subtle ones as follow:- Open Covetousness: This is a desire for something so strong that we can no longer keep the desire to ourselves such as robbery or stealing.- Discrete Covetousness: This is the desire for something which is strong, but not so strong that you cannot conceal it such as the desire for other people’s property.- The Desire for things in a Dishonest Way: Even though we have this desire we can conceal the desire to ourselves.- Wanting to obtain things by unscrupulous earnings: such as want to be rich, but instead of working, the person turns to gamble or tries to earn money in a way that will destroy his/her reputation or credibility.- Wanting in excess of one fair share: This is greed which gets out of hand to the point one loses one’s consideration for others. For example, if the person has food with others, he/she might get all the food for himself/herself without thinking of others.- Lust: This is being attracted sexually to other gender. It is a desire for sexual pleasure both through voice, smell, taste, touch and mind-object.- Grasping for the Form Realms: This is when you still have some attraction for the pleasures of the form absorptions. It is for the ones who meditate until they attain the first absorption or higher.- Grasping for the Formless Realms: This is an attraction for the pleasures of the formless absorption. It is for those who meditate until they can attain formless absorption.
Lust, grasping for the form and formless realms are considered to be subtle defilements which is small dust of the Greed Group.2. Hatred Group:They are hatred, thoughts of destroying or expression of aggression towards others who make one being angry. There are both gross and subtle defilements which are:- Vengefulness: This is anger, grudge, unforgiving feelings or the wish to destroy others that is so strong that it can be carried over from ones past existence into this life and next life. The example is the case of venerable Thevathat who was vengeful towards the Lord Buddha from his previous life until the life that he met the Lord Buddha.- Directed Anger: This is the thought of destroying r harming others such as killing, kicking, insulting, burning somebody’s house, discrediting others etc.- Undirected Anger: This again is also a kind of anger but only a thought, not yet thinking about putting anger into real actions.- Irritability: This is only the feeling of friction in one’s mind. It’s not an anger but irritability.Irritability is considered to be a subtle defilement which is small dust in Hatred Group.Therefore, we should be careful and continue to do good deeds,practice meditation with great effort.3. Ignorance Group:This is a delusion or drunkenness of mind which causes us not to know the difference between what is good or bad. This doesn’t include the lack of worldly knowledge because one can be well educated and might have many degrees or graduate certificates. Thus, if that person doesn’t know what is good or bad or what should and should not be done, that person is considered to be in this group. The delusion comes in the following varieties:- Wrong View: It is the belief that good is evil is evil and evil is good such as not believing in the debt of gratitude to our parents, there is no merit or sin, this life or next life don’t exist.- Delusion: This is delusion which obstructs our understanding of the difference between right and wrong.- False View of Individuality: This is the view that our individuality is real such as our body is real and truly belongs to us.- Doubt: This is doubt in practicing meditation, as whether the Law of Karma really works or not or if we practice meditation, we will destroy all of our defilements for real or not.- Adherence: This means being caught up in superstitious rites and rituals such as believing in fortune tellers, spirit worship or believing in other forms of superstition.- Conceit: Assuming ourselves to be superior to others or being conceited.- Absent-mindedness: This is restlessness of mind. The mind cannot stand still or completely focus on something.- Ignorance: This is the lack of the true Knowledge such as where we are coming from; why we are here or where will we go when we die.The defilements from false view of individuality to ignorance are subtle defilements of the Ignorance Group.In conclusion, we have the three groups of subtle defilements and there are ten of them in total which are:1. False View of Individuality2. Doubt3. Adherence4. Lust5. Irritability6. Grasping for the Form Realms7. Grasping for the Formless Realms8. Conceit9. Absent-mindedness10.IgnoranceThese ten defilements are called Ten Fetters.Stream-Enterers can let go False go False View of Individuality, Doubt and Adherence. They won’t have any doubt about the Triple Gem as for Once-Returners, they can let go the first three fetters, just like Stream-Enterers but the other fetters are less serious.For Never-Returners, they can let go two more fetters which are Lust and Irritability.Only Arahants can let go the whole Ten Fetters and really have undisturbed, pure minds.The levels of damage characteristics of the three different defilement groups1. Desire has the characteristic of not being very damaging but requiring a long time to recover from its negative effects. For example the love between husband and wife: Husband and wife love each other. There’s nothing against them living together. However, if they start to cheat on each other, that’s another case. The damage of the desire is not really serious, but takes time to cure the damage. If they love each other but never have a chance to see or meet, they will be really sad and tortured. Sometimes when both of them die, their love still lingers to the next life. It’s really difficult to stop this kind of feelings.2. Hatred and anger are very damaging but it doesn’t take long to recover from them. For example, when someone gets angry, that person can kill another person. Sometimes it’s so bad that one can kill one’s own parent which is considered to be the most terrible sin of all. However, when the anger is decreased, if that person gets an apology from the one who makes him/her angry, he/she might forget about it and the anger will soon be gone.3. Ignorance has the character of being very damaging and also it takes a long time to remedy its action. Those who don’t know the true Dhamma con lead them to great damage and make them commit lots of sin and finally go to hell. We must be born and reborn over and over again in the circle of life and death because of ignorance. One who doesn’t know what is right and what is wrong takes more time to be recoverd from ignorance. Some even have to wait for the Lord be reovered from ignorance. Some even have to wait for the Lord Buddha to guide them. However, in the worst case, they cannot get away from ignorance even after hearing the Lord buddha’s teachings.Things we should doWe should be aware that these tree families of defilements can develop and grow. For example, somebody may be not greedy at first. However, when they are tempted by honor or benefit, they may feel greedy and are willing to commit sins. Someone at first may be a calm person but if they get stimulated quite often. Their anger can be stronger until they become hot – tempered or easy to be irritated. There may be some people who are good people. They may doubt a little bit about sin and merit but are still ordinary people. However, when they hang out with bad people, it’s possible for them to have false view, not believe in merit and sin, refuse the belief of hell and heaven or even think that parents have no gratitude towards them.Therefore, we should be careful and continue to do good deeds, practice meditation with great effort. One day when our mind stands still we will reach an inner wisdom, the Noble Truths, and can attain Nirvana and finally can get rid of all the defilements from our minds, which will turn us to be Arahants and experience the great happiness in the end.“Those who can get rid of Greed, the Greed will be away from their minds just like a drop of water that falls from lotus’s leaves. Those who can get rid of Hatred and Anger, the Hatred will be gone like a ripe palm fruit that falls from its tree. Those who can get rid of lgnorance, the Ignorance will be gone just like the darkness that is driven away by the light of the Sun.”" /> " /> " /> " /> " /> " /> " /> " /> " /> " /> " />
Freedom from Subtle Defilements
[ 9 ธ.ค. 2554 ] - [ 18266 ]
Desktop Version
