Explanation of the Seventh Stage Part 4

Meeting the Buddha is like finding a pure gem, but being unable to receive the taste of the good Dhamma which gives rise to profit and gain is like intending to keep the gem for use in the next life. This is the type of demerit which is due to the conventions accepted by people of the world.

As for householders, they have no qualms about digging the soil, cutting vegetation, pruning trees or picking "Eraka Leaves". They have no feelings of guilt or fear of demerit of these things, and because they are not precepts for the householder, they have no demerit.

Thus, one who believes these things to be demeritorious, gains demerit by doing them. The reason for this is one's knowledge of what constitutes wrong action in the conventions accepted by people of the world. Therefore one ought not to be attached to the rules of behaviour which always encumber people of the world. One does not then feel blame and one remains happy and contented without expunging these faults [This is for the householder].

One should avoid continually bringing to mind and thinking about those had things which one has done in the past, because all of us are likely to do evil due to, ignorance, to a greater or lesser extent.

One should avoid thinking of the past or future, in order to free the Citta from objects which are associated with good or evil. This is the way for one who wants to go towards Nibbana; for he must give up and finish with Sensual-Becoming, Form-Becoming, and Formless-Becoming, All these becomings are within the five aggregates, so that one who lets go of the aggregates, finishes with all becoming, For one who still cannot let go of the aggregates, the process of becoming in accordance with his kamma, keeps him within the aggregates. One should therefore avoid thinking of the evil which one has done.

All things are preceded by mind.2 If the mind of one who practises is always controlled, he does not become entangled with things, nor does he tend to grasp or cling to anything, and he is satisfied with renunciation. Such a person gets rid of the four Corruptions (Asava).

The purpose of one who practises Dhamma is to finish with Becoming-due-to-Kamma so that he does not have further existence, continuing beyond this life. If one has got rid of demerit, one must then get rid of merit, for the Citta must be freed from both of them.

One who practises Dhamma is like a blacksmith who, if he has a stock of iron, can make use of it in various ways. If the iron is of a low grade, he can make a knife or an axe. If it is of medium grade, he can make a razor or the blade for a carpenter's plane. If the iron is of a high grade, he can make a metal file or a hacksaw blade. If the blacksmith beats the iron until he has eliminated all the impurities, then having done so, he will have no iron left.
The iron is analogous to the conditions in the various realms which are the conventions of animals, men, the deities, of Indra or Brahma; all of which are potential states of becoming and birth.

One who practises Dhamma strenuously, gets rid of birth and becoming, which is the same as attaining Nibbana. This is analogous to the blacksmith who gets rid of all the impurities and has no iron left.

When one has finished with becoming and birth, one has left the conventions of the world (Sammuti) ; this is called "Freedom" (Vimutti). The conventions of the world conceal freedom. The Worlds (Loka) conceal Dhamma. The Created-Aggregates (Sankhata-Khandha) conceal the Uncreated-Aggregates (Asankhata-Khandha). The Created Spheres-of-Sensation (Ayatana) conceal the Uncreated Spheres-of-Sensation. The Created-Elements (Dhatu) conceal the Untreated Elements. The created Dhamma conceals the uncreated Dhamma. The formations conceal the non-formations.

If one who practises Dhamma desires to see Dhamma, then he should unravel the Worlds, leave them and finish with them. If he wants to see the non-formations, then he should unravel the formations, leave them and finish with them; and so on.