namarupam aniccam,
namarupam dukkham,
namarupam anatta:
"Physical and mental phenomena are inconstant, physical and mental phenomena are stressful, physical and mental phenomena are not-self." To investigate in this way is termed the path to arahantship.
Once clear insight arises right at the heart, physical and mental phenomena disband simultaneously with Right View, and in that instant one reaches the ultimate quality — the Unconditioned — which knows no arising or passing away. The ten fetters are shattered without leaving a trace. Starting with the sixth fetter, these are:
6. Passion for form (rupa-raga): attachment to the sense of form; contentment, for example, with the objects that can act as the basis of rupa jhana.
7. Passion for formless phenomena (arupa-raga): attachment to non-physical phenomena: contentment, for example, with feelings and moods of pleasure and well-being that one has previously experienced.
8. Conceit (mana): construing oneself to be this or that. Arahants have put such assumptions aside. (They don’t assume themselves).
9. Restlessness (uddhacca): obsessive thinking.
10. Unawareness (avijja): delusion, dullness, ignorance, immersed in physical and mental phenomena.
All ten of these fetters have been dispersed from the heart of an arahant.
To make a focused investigation using one’s discernment, seeing the disbanding and dissolution of physical and mental phenomena in the same terms as all fashioned things, i.e.,
sabbe sankhara anicca,
sabbe sankhara dukkha,
sabbe dhamma anatta:
"All fashionings (physical and mental phenomena) are inconstant, all fashionings are stressful, all qualities (physical and mental qualities) are not-self;" to focus on these things as the basic danger in all three levels of existence; to see the three levels of existence as masses of burning embers, incinerating all those who are engrossed in them; to bring virtue, concentration, and discernment to bear in this way exclusively on physical and mental phenomena: This is the path to arahantship. And at that very moment physical and mental phenomena disband along with the noble path — i.e., Right View — and the ten fetters are shattered: This is the fruition of arahantship.
The tasks of virtue, concentration, and discernment are completed, the teachings of the Lord Buddha fulfilled. There is no longer any attachment to the paths or their fruitions, nor is there any attachment to the Unconditioned. All that remains is what is there on its own: disbanding. That is to say, mental states involved with the five aggregates have disbanded; mental states involved with virtue, concentration, and discernment have disbanded — because when virtue, concentration, and discernment converge on the level of physical and mental phenomena the first time, the first noble attainment is reached; the second time, the second attainment is reached; the third time, the third; and the fourth time, the fourth. When the qualities of virtue, concentration, and discernment are brought together in fully mature form, the mind is released from physical and mental phenomena through the power of discernment, in line with the teaching,
paññaya paribhavitam cittam
sammadeva asavehi vimuccati:
"When the mind has been matured through discernment, it gains complete release from all mental effluents." The mind is able to let go of physical and mental phenomena. Physical and mental phenomena are not the mind; the mind isn’t physical and mental phenomena. The mind isn’t virtue, concentration, and discernment.
sabbe dhamma anatta:
The mind doesn’t identify any quality as itself, or itself as any of these qualities. It simply is — deathlessness. This is called disbanding because passion, aversion, and delusion have disbanded completely. There is no more becoming for the mind, no more birth, no more involvement with the elements, aggregates, and sense media, and — unlike ordinary run-of-the-mill people — no longer any intoxication with any of these things. As a passage in the Canon puts it:
mada-nimmadano — no longer intoxicated with the three levels of existence;
pipasa-vinayo — no longer thirsting for sensual pleasures;
alaya-samugghato — involvement with the aggregates has been withdrawn, leaving the aggregates free to follow their own natural state;
vattupacchedo — the cycle through the three levels of existence has been cut absolutely;
tanhakkhayo — craving is done with;
virago — passion is done with;
nirodho — unawareness has disbanded without leaving a trace;
nibbana — the mind is freed from its shackles and bonds.
The Deathless is reached. Birth, aging, illness, and death are eliminated. Ultimate, unchanging ease is attained. The aggregates disband without leaving a trace, in line with the synopsis of dependent origination: "Simply with the disbanding of this unawareness — with no trace of remaining passion — fashionings disband... consciousness (with regard to the six senses) disbands... physical and mental phenomena disband... the six sense media disband... sensory contacts disband... the three kinds of feeling disband... the three kinds of craving disband... the four kinds of clinging disband... becoming disbands... birth disbands... aging, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair all disband and no longer appear as stress."
The mind is Dhamma, free from effluents, because it has gained insight into all fashioned things. It is released from all unawareness, craving, and clinging, and has cut all ten fetters. This is the fruition of arahantship. Those who have reached this level have completed the religion. They have no more defilements or cravings; no one has anything further to teach them. Even the Buddha himself doesn’t have it within his power to formulate any further instructions for them. This is why they are said to have completed the religion. If you were to describe their virtues, they would be infinite.
Arahants are classified into four groups:
1. Sukha-vipassako: those who have gained "dry" release through the power of insight, having developed the bare minimum of concentration before attaining the knowledge that does away with mental effluents (asavakkhaya-ñana) and gaining release. They have no other powers or skills.
2. Tevijjo: those who have attained the three skills —
a. Pubbenivasanussati-ñana: the ability to remember their own past lives.
b. Cutupapata-ñana: the ability to see living beings as they pass from death to rebirth.
c. Asavakkhaya-ñana: the knowledge that does away with the effluents of defilement.
3. Chalabhiñño: those who have attained the six intuitive powers —
a. Iddhividhi: the ability to display supernormal powers.
b. Dibba-sota: clairaudience.
c. Cetopariya-ñana: the ability to know the thoughts of others.
d. Pubbenivasanussati-ñana: the ability to remember previous lives.
e. Dibba-cakkhu: clairvoyance.
f. Asavakkhaya-ñana: The ability to do away with mental effluents.
4. Patisambhidappatto: those who have mastered the four forms of acumen —
a. Attha-patisambhida: acumen with regard to meaning.
b. Dhamma-patisambhida: acumen with regard to mental qualities.
c. Nirutti-patisambhida: acumen with regard to linguistic conventions.
d. Patibhana-patisambhida: acumen with regard to expression.
These are the different classes of arahants. It’s not the case that they are all alike. Those who have attained release through dry insight have developed insight meditation more than tranquillity. Those who attain the three skills have developed tranquillity and insight in equal measure. Those who attain the six intuitive powers have developed two parts tranquillity to one part insight. Those who attain the four forms of acumen have developed three parts tranquillity to one part insight. This is why they differ from one another. (Tranquillity here refers to the eight levels of jhana). If you want detailed discussions of these various attainments, see the discussions of the three skills, the eight skills, and the four forms of acumen given after the section on jhana. The skills mentioned on this level, though, are all transcendent, and are completely apart from the corresponding mundane skills.
