The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library

w 44passing away and ceasing of formations.At this stage he does not see the arising of formations, thestanding phase of formations, the sign of individual formations, orthe causes of the origination of formations, but because of the powerof his insight knowledge he only sees the passing away and ceasingof formations.Discerning the passing away and ceasing of formations he seesthem as impermanent (anicca).Discerning the passing away and ceasing of formations assomething fearful he sees them as suffering (dukkha).Discerning that formations are without essence he sees them asnot-self (anatta).The meditator discerns the five khandhas, in the past, present,and future both internally and externally and seeing only the passingaway and ceasing of them he applies the three characteristics oneat a time.At the time when a meditator takes matter as an object and seesit passing away and knows that it is impermanent; this knowledgeof impermanence of an object is called insight knowledge.At this stage the meditator also discerns once the passing awayand ceasing of that insight knowledge. This means that while heis practising insight meditation at this stage and he is discerningmatter and mentality he then:Takes matter as an object and sees the momentary passing awayand ceasing of that matter and sees that with insight knowledge asimpermanent and then he sees the passing away and ceasing ofthat insight knowledge and sees that with a second insight mind asimpermanent.Then he takes mentality as an object and sees the momentarypassing away and ceasing of that mentality and sees that with