Path of Freedom [Vimuttimagga]

The Five Methods 293ACQUIRING THE HIGHEST KNOWLEDGEQ. How does one acquire the highest knowledge by seeing the Truth ofill through rise and fall and through the characteristics? A. How is thedestruction of views the cause? One is able to see what he has not yet seenthrough the sign of the Truth of III. Ill pervades all (things). With thedestroying of pernicious kamma, one sees things as they are. One causes thearising of the thought which is associated with the characteristics of phenomena,and rescues the mind from pernicious kamma. Having seen thetribulation of kamma according to reality, one causes the arising of the thoughtwhich is associated with the characteristics of phenomena, and rescues themind from pernicious kamma. Here one sees ill everywhere, because onegoes to the furthest end (investigates fully).SIMILE OF THE BIRD SURROUNDED BY FIREIt is like a winged bird surrounded by a fire. Before it flies away iiitothe open sky, it is not free of subjection to fear. But when it sees the tribulationof the surrounding fire and is affected by the fearfulness thereof, it fliesaway. Thus it should be known. Here, through cause, through conditionand through arising, one becomes familiar with the sign of the arising ofconditioned arising. This being, this becomes: Owing to the arising of this(cause) the arising of this (result) is fulfilled. 1 Owing to the destruction of thecause, and of the destruction of condition: Through the seeing of this destruction,one becomes familiar with the characteristics of birth according toconditioned arising. This not being, this does not arise: Owing to the destructionof this, this ceases. 2 One can be familiar with arising, having seenits ceasing through own property and through rise and fall: One can see thearising of conditioned arising and the constructed 3 states. One can see thearising and the cessation of this and also the stability of this.FOUR STATESOne should, through rise and fall, know the four states: through oneness,diversity, non-effort and inherent nature. 4 Seeing the unbroken sequence ofthe formations, a man holds the flux 5 to be single and does not cling to theidea of multiple fluxes. He does not hold it to be same throughout, becausehe sees the destruction of it (momentarily), and because of the succession ofthe formations. He does not cling to self because by nature the formations1. Ud. 1: Imasmim sati idam hoti, imass' uppadd idam uppajjati, yadidam: avijjdpaccayasank hard.2. Ud. 2: Imasmim asati idam na hoti, imassa nirodha idam nirujjhati yadidam: avijjdnirodhasafikhdranirodho.3. Sankhata.4. Ekatta, ndnatta, avydpdra, dhammatd, Cp. Vis. Mag. 585; Vbh-a. 198-9.5. Santana.