Acharya Shri S.N. Goenka ji--
This super scientist, Gotama Buddha, discovered the secret of why one becomes miserable and how one comes out of this misery. He discovered that whenever any defilement arises, it brings with it an asava, a flow of impurity. Let us understand this a little bit more.
When one is angry, or expressing any other emotion, then along with the blood flowing through the body, a biochemical flow starts. This occurrence could be glandular or non-glandular. This biochemical flow that starts with anger creates agitation that raises the level of anger, that in turn generates an increased asava or biochemical flow of impurity in the body. One can remain angry or miserable for hours in this way. No one else but oneself is responsible for this state of ignorance!
There is one more meaning of the word asava, which is addiction. One gets addicted to this feeling and justifies it by saying this anger, or any other defilement, is but a part of life, and one continues to indulge in this behaviour. For example, like a painful itch, it is unpleasant but one keeps scratching it all the same. One has become habituated to one's own misery and keeps rolling in it.
Vipassana develops awareness within us with the resolve that, "I will not indulge in this defilement that brings about such an unpleasant sensation. What then shall I do?" This very unpleasant sensation must be observed objectively, with equanimity. Then its nature will be understood. It will become clear that it makes one restless and agitated, and secondly that it does not stay forever, but arises and passes away eventually. No sensation that arises is permanent; but it is liable to destruction, liable to change. One now knows this through experience, not through some book, the Gita, or from a guru, Buddha or Mahavir. One can see that its nature is such that it is forever changing. Then what is the point in reacting to it? One understands, "If I just observe it the vicious circle of an event and reacting to it will break. Earlier, I rolled in my anger, sensual craving or arrogance for hours. Now I observe these sensations that link mind with the body." A person may begin to understand this deep connection between the two in one camp of ten days or it may take longer. This will depend on how well he or she works.
As you develop awareness and walk on the path of truth, at first the grosser sensations will arise – heaviness, pressure, pain. However, as one keeps watching, the sensations will start melting. The entire body is now just a flow of waves. While this gross heaviness too is the truth, the deeper truth is that the body is made up of tiny atoms where there is no solidity. Moreover, the atoms too arise and dissolve like waves. The body thus is nothing but wavelets. As you watch this truth, the body that felt like solid clay, has now been 'awakened'.
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