dependent liberation in AN 11.1
Jun. 10th, 2023 07:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cattasallaOne of the first suttas I put in my sutta journal--my journal where I write down particularly inspiring or interesting things from scripture--was AN 11.1. It gives one of the sequences that falls under the umbrella of "dependent liberation", a sequence of steps that go from the basics all the way to enlightenment.
It starts with ethical practice. Doing good, refraining from doing evil. That results in an absence of regret. An absence of regret leads to gladness. You start feeling glad because you generally do right and act well. That leads to joy. Or more specifically, pīti, which if you read my previous post you'll see I have some questions around what exactly that means. Pīti is refreshing and satiating, which leads to peacefulness and tranqility. This tranquility becomes the basis for happiness and well-being. That allows the mind to become collected and unified. With the disturbances of mind thus cleared out, one can see reality clearly, as it is. Once one sees reality clearly, as it is, one realized that there's nothing worth clinging to. That realization leads to a fading away of passion for worldly things. Which finally results in freedom.
I have a few thoughts on this. I mean, of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't be making a post!
First off, there's the same question as I have around the seven factors, and it's not clear to me. Is this a description of what happens specifically in formal meditation? Or is it more of a general condition of life? The terms, especially pīti, mean different things in those different contexts. I like to lean towards the idea that dependent liberation is about how you're living, and not a particular meditation session.
Ajahn Brahmali wrote a great (and short!) booklet on dependent liberation. In it he expresses the point of view that really, dependent liberation is a natural process that unfolds. One needs to simply get out of its way and it will automatically carry one to liberation.
I think there is some truth to that...that a big part of progress in the path can involve getting out of the way of natural forces being unleashed. But the idea that there's no work involved at any point, that it's smooth sailing on the way, is one I don't agree with...at least not at this point in my practice.
First of all, ethical practice takes work. One must put effort into eradicating the bad habits of unwholesome deeds of thought, speech, and body, and put effort into cultivating good, wholesome habits of thought, speech, and body. You're fighting against lifetimes of habit, so it's not going to come quickly or easily.
But even then, I don't think the path just takes off once you get your ethics right. Ajahn Brahmali states in that booklet that mindfulness will automatically arise with gladness. But that is not the case in my experience. I can certainly be glad of something--even my own virtue--but not necessarily be mindful. I mean, some degree of mindfulness is required just to re-right one's ethical orientation and habits. And in general, I find mindfulness is something I also need to work at. Not forcing myself, of course, that never works, but I guess gently encouraging it? Setting up the conditions for it. Figuring out the right way to put effort in that makes it happen, which is tricky, because the wrong kind of effort destroys it.
So in my experience, gladness, joy, tranquility, yes, these are things that arise as a natural part of the path. But ethics, mindfulness, and getting collected in samādhi are things that require effort. Of course, living an ethical and mindful life makes getting into a good samādhi much easier, to the point where it's almost automatic. And maybe as I progress in the practice it will be automatic. But it's not now.
Another major part of this is, after seeing through delusion, seeing reality as it really is, one realizes that nothing is satisfactory. Nothing is worth clinging to. Which supposedly leads naturally to a fading of passion and a natural abandonment of the unwholesome. But, in my limited experience, while this can happen, there's still habit to be overcome. I may see that some particular activity is undesirable, may even not really desire it, but still through the force of habit continue to do it. So this is another way in which effort is required. I guess arguably it's the same effort as in the ethical training, though.
One final thought I have on this. I don't think this is a one-and-done process. Maybe there is a final time it's done and everything is let go of, I don't know, I'm not enlightened. But I think this process plays out in lots of ways that are localized to particular attachments or desires, much like the four noble truths or the five ways of looking at something to let go of it. I identify a particular attachment, and work at that, and am released from it. I think the whole dependent liberation process feeds into itself.
So that's my thoughts on that topic as of now.
It starts with ethical practice. Doing good, refraining from doing evil. That results in an absence of regret. An absence of regret leads to gladness. You start feeling glad because you generally do right and act well. That leads to joy. Or more specifically, pīti, which if you read my previous post you'll see I have some questions around what exactly that means. Pīti is refreshing and satiating, which leads to peacefulness and tranqility. This tranquility becomes the basis for happiness and well-being. That allows the mind to become collected and unified. With the disturbances of mind thus cleared out, one can see reality clearly, as it is. Once one sees reality clearly, as it is, one realized that there's nothing worth clinging to. That realization leads to a fading away of passion for worldly things. Which finally results in freedom.
I have a few thoughts on this. I mean, of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't be making a post!
First off, there's the same question as I have around the seven factors, and it's not clear to me. Is this a description of what happens specifically in formal meditation? Or is it more of a general condition of life? The terms, especially pīti, mean different things in those different contexts. I like to lean towards the idea that dependent liberation is about how you're living, and not a particular meditation session.
Ajahn Brahmali wrote a great (and short!) booklet on dependent liberation. In it he expresses the point of view that really, dependent liberation is a natural process that unfolds. One needs to simply get out of its way and it will automatically carry one to liberation.
I think there is some truth to that...that a big part of progress in the path can involve getting out of the way of natural forces being unleashed. But the idea that there's no work involved at any point, that it's smooth sailing on the way, is one I don't agree with...at least not at this point in my practice.
First of all, ethical practice takes work. One must put effort into eradicating the bad habits of unwholesome deeds of thought, speech, and body, and put effort into cultivating good, wholesome habits of thought, speech, and body. You're fighting against lifetimes of habit, so it's not going to come quickly or easily.
But even then, I don't think the path just takes off once you get your ethics right. Ajahn Brahmali states in that booklet that mindfulness will automatically arise with gladness. But that is not the case in my experience. I can certainly be glad of something--even my own virtue--but not necessarily be mindful. I mean, some degree of mindfulness is required just to re-right one's ethical orientation and habits. And in general, I find mindfulness is something I also need to work at. Not forcing myself, of course, that never works, but I guess gently encouraging it? Setting up the conditions for it. Figuring out the right way to put effort in that makes it happen, which is tricky, because the wrong kind of effort destroys it.
So in my experience, gladness, joy, tranquility, yes, these are things that arise as a natural part of the path. But ethics, mindfulness, and getting collected in samādhi are things that require effort. Of course, living an ethical and mindful life makes getting into a good samādhi much easier, to the point where it's almost automatic. And maybe as I progress in the practice it will be automatic. But it's not now.
Another major part of this is, after seeing through delusion, seeing reality as it really is, one realizes that nothing is satisfactory. Nothing is worth clinging to. Which supposedly leads naturally to a fading of passion and a natural abandonment of the unwholesome. But, in my limited experience, while this can happen, there's still habit to be overcome. I may see that some particular activity is undesirable, may even not really desire it, but still through the force of habit continue to do it. So this is another way in which effort is required. I guess arguably it's the same effort as in the ethical training, though.
One final thought I have on this. I don't think this is a one-and-done process. Maybe there is a final time it's done and everything is let go of, I don't know, I'm not enlightened. But I think this process plays out in lots of ways that are localized to particular attachments or desires, much like the four noble truths or the five ways of looking at something to let go of it. I identify a particular attachment, and work at that, and am released from it. I think the whole dependent liberation process feeds into itself.
So that's my thoughts on that topic as of now.