The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library

1. Ignorance causes kamma formations.2. With the complete cessation of ignorance without remainderkamma formations cease.Ignorance is impermanent, kamma formations are impermanentand so on for the other factors of Dependent Origination.He discerns Dependent Origination in this way both internallyand externally, and also in the past, present, and future.This is only a very brief outline of the development of theknowledge of arising and passing away of formations.Ten Imperfections of InsightAs the meditator applies these methods and his insight becomesstronger it is at this stage that the ten imperfections of insight canarise.The ten imperfections are: light, insight, joy, tranquillity,happiness, confidence, effort, mindfulness, equanimity, andattachment. Of these ten those from insight to equanimity arewholesome mental states and are not themselves imperfections,but they can become the objects of unwholesome states if a meditatorbecomes attached to them. When a meditator experiences any ofthe ten imperfections of insight he needs to contemplate each ofthese as impermanent, suffering, and not-self, so that he does notbecome attached to them. By doing this he is able to overcome theattachment and desire that may arise with those states and continueto make progress.Knowledge Of Dissolution Of FormationsAfter the meditator has developed the knowledge of arising andpassing away of formations his insight concerning formations issteadfast and pure. Then he has to develop the knowledge ofdissolution of formations (bhaºga –Œöa). To do this he stops payingattention to the arising of formations and only pays attention to thew 43