Monday, May 10, 2021

Post # 66: Asavas – The Mental Defilements that perpetuate Samsara - Part 1

These are long standing underlying fermentations and taints that fabricate feelings, emotions, sensations, responses which condition grasping perpetuating Samsara.  

We have been discussing so far how we get entrapped in the unsatisfactory samsaric cycle and this post and the one to follow will culminate this discussion with references to Asavas perpetuating Samsara and how we engage in activities that lead to the eradication of Asavas and complete cessation of suffering with the realization of Nibbana.

References to Asavas by Buddha is found in many of the suttas and in particular in the Sabbāsava Sutta of Majjhima Nikāya, the Middle Length Discourses of the Thripitaka (Pali Cannon). 

Noble Bhikkhu Ananda describes the occasion thus at the first Buddhist Counsel- ‘So I have heard’ - when the Blessed One was living at Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park where he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus I shall teach you a discourse on the restraint of all the taints. Listen and attend closely to what I shall say.” Buddha’s words that followed are in the Sutta (discourse in the Pali Cannon- Sutta Pitakaya)

Bhikkhu Bodhi the scholar monk from US referring to many suttas in this regard and in particular quoting the 26th Sutta, the Ariya Pariasana Sutta in the Majjhima Nikaya and Sabasava Sutta elaborates the background and the particular motivation for the Bodhisattva to embark on this quest. From what I gathered from listening to Bhikku Bodhi I will attempt to outline as best as I can the essence of what Bhukku Bodhi discoursed.

As a Bodhisattva (Buddha before attaining enlightenment), he endeavored to discover the true nature of phenomena and answers to the many unsatisfactory issues confronting him. The Buddhist texts in particular refers to the incident  when he was on his way to the pleasure gardens for his morning outing saw a very  old  man, feeble etc. and struggling along to walk. His mind in a contemplative mood at the time started to ask the questions; why is this aging and suffering? Is this a phenomenon common to everyone including me? What is its cause? Is there a way out?

Bodhisattva in particular reflected on the situation as follows. Taking Bhukku Bodhi’s articulation as I recall thus - “I a person like me living in the refinement of palace life, enjoying the exuberance of youth. I a person like me subject to aging and not beyond aging; it is therefore unbecoming of a person like me not to be mindful of aging, why and how aging happens; is there a way out? If so I must seek this out and come and help all these people suffering from old age”.

Thus the background and the particular motivation for the Bodhisattva to embark on this quest.

As a free thinker one could ask the question, did not the Bodhisatta see an old man before and not do this analysis before and why only now, creating doubt about the authenticity of the whole Bhodisatta episode. It takes a fateful moment for a common incident to trigger such speculative reaction. History is replete with many such examples, most prominent of which we can review is the incident where Sir Issac Newton discovers the phenomenon gravity. The episode goes on to say that when Newton was sitting under an apple tree he saw a fruit falling, the observation of which led to his analytical speculation of a force attracting the apple down resulting in its fall to the ground. No doubt Newton would have seen apples fall many times before, but in this fateful moment of contemplative frame of mind he made this discovery.

Bodhisattva also made a similar speculation when confronted with a sick person and a dead body. The fourth apparition that confronted him in these events was his seeing an ascetic, having left the household life and was in search for a way out from this unsatisfactory way of life. Buddha in a discourse to the monks in the Ariya Pariasana Sutta described his experiences in this quest which spanned six years.

Bodhisatta episode also includes his articulation of his experiences during that night in meditation where he attained Awakening or Buddhahood.

At the age of 29 years, the Prince Sidahrtha (Bodhisatta), renounced the Royal Palace as well as the Royal inheritance. Accompanied by his faithful aid Channa, he crossed River Neranjana leaving the kingdom behind. There he shaved his hair and attired saffron clothes.  

Thereafter, Ascetic Siddhartha being a penniless wanderer retreated to the woods in search of a permanent solution for the eternal suffering of beings. At first, he became a novice under spiritual Sages, Alara Kalama and Uddakaramaputta. Within a brief period, he attained the states advocated by them. These were the highest stages in worldly concentration then existed. Not being satisfied with such achievements he politely bade farewell and left them..

He realized that his spiritual aspirations were more advanced than what he had achieved. He was seeking the highest, the complete cessation of suffering. For a period of six long strenuous years, he practiced extreme austerities and mortifications that were followed by other truth seekers of the time, which lasted until he became almost a physical wreck. Before that his was a life of luxury in the king’s palace. Thereupon he advocated the Middle Path, neither luxurious life nor self-mortifications.

Alone in sylvan solitude, the Bodhisattva determined to concentrate on deep truths. The Bodhisattva expressed, “strenuous and indomitable was my energy, my mindfulness was established and unperturbed”.

Thereafter, he settled down under the shade of Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. In solitude, his mind became clear and one-pointed. He asked himself- Who am I? Where did I come from? Did I have a previous life, if so who was I? Who were my parents, where did we live etc. He argued that if these were so he should be able to recall from memory such experiences. He probed into the deepest recesses of his mind by applying himself to concentrated mindfulness. He concentrated on “In and Out” breathing (Inhale and Exhale Method, “Ana Pana Sati”)

During the First Watch of this night, his thoughts tranquillized, purified, cleansed, and free from lust, impurity, pliable, alert, steady and unshakable.

He could recall in his mind his varied past cycle of births (Pubbe Nivasanussati Gnnana). .

In the second watch of the night he contemplated similarly on the disappearance and reappearance of other beings. Then, he perceived that ‘beings’ disappearing from one state of existence and reappearing in another are caused by their actions (Kamma).  (Cutiupapata Gnnana).

In the third watch of the night he reflected on the “Comprehension of the Cessation of Corruption”. He realized avidya (ignorance) leads to corruption. He analyzed how corruption arises and how they can be eradicated. (Asavakkaya Gnana).

By developing insight meditation (Vipassana), his insight was ignited when the mind was well composed by freeing the mind of these impurities, or corruptions or taints.  He realized that his mind was liberated from the taints -which he described as  seeking pleasure (Kama Asava), seeking of fresh becoming (Bhawa Asava) and seeking eradication of Ignorance (Avijja Asava).

Thus the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Cannon refers to how Asavas took their due place in his teaching. In the Abbidhamma Pitaka of the Pali Cannon, there is also a reference to a fourth Asawa- Ditti Asava (Of wrong view).

Please read Post # 67 for the description on how to eradicate Asavas

 


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