Insight (5): Knowledge of Dispassion

[Full title: Insight: The Eight Knowledges (5): Knowledge of Dispassion]

43. When he sees all formations in this way as danger, he becomes dispassionate towards, is dissatisfied with, takes no delight in the manifold field of formations belonging to any kind of becoming, destiny, station of consciousness, or abode of beings. Just as a golden swan that loves the foothills of Citta Peak finds delight, not in a filthy puddle at the gate of a village of outcastes, but only in the seven great lakes (see XIII.38), so too this meditator swan finds delight, not in the manifold formations seen clearly as danger, but only in the seven contemplations, because he delights in development. And just as the lion, king of beasts, finds delight, not when put into a gold cage, but only in Himalaya with its three thousand leagues’ extent, so too the meditator lion finds delight, not in the triple becoming of the happy destiny,^[1] but only in the three contemplations. And just as Chaddanta, king of elephants, all white with sevenfold stance, possessed of supernormal power, who travels through the air,^[2] finds pleasure, not in the midst of a town, but only in the Chaddanta Lake and Wood in the Himalaya, [651] so too this meditator elephant finds delight, not in any formation, but only in the state of peace seen in the way beginning “Non-arising is safety,” and his mind tends, inclines, and leans towards that.

Knowledge of contemplation of dispassion is ended.

44. [Knowledge of contemplation of danger] is the same as the last two kinds of knowledge in meaning. Hence the Ancients said: “Knowledge of appearance as terror while one only has three names: It saw all formations as terror, thus the name ‘appearance as terror’ arose; it aroused the [appearance of] danger in those same formations, thus the name ‘contemplation of danger’ arose; it arose, becoming dispassionate towards those same formations, thus the name ‘contemplation of dispassion’ arose.” Also it is said in the text: “Understanding of appearance as terror, knowledge of danger, and dispassion: these things are one in meaning, only the letter is different” (Paṭis II 63).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The reference is to the happy destinies of the sense-desire world (human beings and deities), the fine-material Brahmā-world, and the immaterial Brahmā-world.

[2]:

For “ten kinds of elephants” of which the Chaddanta (Six-toothed) is the “best” see M-a II 25. Cf. also the description of the elephant called “Uposatha,” one of the seven treasures of the Wheel-turning Monarch (M II 173). On the expression “with sevenfold stance” (sattappatiṭṭha) Vism-mhṭ says “Hatthapāda-vālavatthikosehi bhūmiphusanehi sattahi patiṭṭhito ti sattapatiṭṭho” (Vism-mhṭ 838).