The Paticca-Samuppada View

Arhata: Fully enlightened

All 10 fetters are extinguished.

6. Craving for existence in the world of pure form.
7. Craving for existence hi the world of non-form.
8. Pride
9. Restlessness
10. Ignorance and delusion

The arhata are outside of the scope of dependent co-origination. They must deal with super conscious states of being.

Jhanic experiences are the 6th and 7th barrier. The bliss, the joy, of the highly concentrated states of consciousness is seductive. The achievement is intoxicating and energizing. The illusion can take 2 forms:

1. Pride's Opposite (8th barrier): "I am not enlightened because I have not had jhanic ecstasies." Or "I am not enlightened because I am not in a permanent state of jhanic ecstasy", or
2. Pride (8th barrier): "These states are enlightenment." "Because I have experienced these states, I am enlightened."

The arhata sees clearly that jhanic experiences are just as impermanent as non-jhanic experiences. That as far as enlightenment is concerned, jhanic experiences are irrelevant. Jhanic ecstasies are simply transitory experiences like everything else except liberation (nibbana). Pride is also transparent as just another emergent bubble of consciousness. [Jhanic experiences are summarized well in Tranquility & Insight by Amadeo Sole-Leris. Briefly, deeply concentrated states of meditation have specific and well-documented characteristics: rapture (thrills and chills, floating, even levitation), bliss (profoundly peaceful happiness), equanimity (vast imperturbability (right concentration) with penetrating (right) insight and precisely effective (right) action). There can also be paranormal powers: telekinesis, teleportation, walking through walls & on water, etc.]

Jhanic experiences can be unique to the individual hence it is always good to have an experienced friend to assist. Because jhanas are often misunderstood as enlightenment, objective external interpretation can really be helpful. My first experience of piti or rapture started in the base of my spine somewhat like being slowly engulfed by rising cool water. The cool sensation kept rising until it hit the top of my cranium & "splashed" laterally like a fountain. When the coolness washed over my eyes I started weeping for joy. It continued for roughly 30 minutes. My beard & shirt were drenched. When I got up to start walking meditation I could not contain the need to dance so I wandered off to a quiet place in the pine forest & did improvised Tai Chi with the sun light & shadows. Jhanic experiences specifically drew me into vipassana practice but the experiences are not enlightenment.

Restlessness and ignorance are the 9th and 10th fetter. Maya's last ditch effort to overcome the Buddha involved the tremendous power unleashed by the sense of freedom at the edge of existence (i.e. the moment before enlightenment in the movie The Little Buddha). The Buddha encountered "armies" of mental objects presenting themselves as subpersona or "I am" phenomena. Liberation is characterized as defeating 1000 armies of 1000 warriors. That sounds impossible but the missing part in the image is "one-by-one." One need only note the emergent mental phenomenon before thinking "I am" or "this is" who I am.

Simply noting the birth of an object in consciousness and recognizing it as a wave on the Ocean of Sunnata (Emptiness) is enlightenment. Pain may be present, blissful pleasure too, but no self solidifies hence no suffering. The Ground of Being predominates. Mental activity plays out without karmic mental adhesions (rebirths or wrong view of a subpersona being the permanent I).

According to Pali cannon, the Buddha could resolve 10²¹ mind moments in the wink of an eye, p. 36 The Meditative Mind. That is another versions of 1000 armies or 1000 warriors. I prefer the mathematical expression: the limit of 1/x as x goes to zero. Both 10²¹ and 1000x1000 are finite. The limit of 1/x as x goes to zero is infinity. The last nightmare to be overcome is the concept of liberation as finite or as an achievement. The profound beauty of the dharma is it continues to unfold forever. The serious practice of mindfulness does not have dimensions. No matter how fine the resolution of mind moments (as x goes to zero), it never reaches zero, the limit of 1/x continues on forever. When it is clear that the fractal nature of dharma unfolds forever, the 10th fetter, ignorance, has ended.

Take all that I’ve said with a grain of salt. It is probably too simple & too logical. The Buddha said, "Come & see." He did not say, "Here it is." I’ve never read anything like the foregoing synthesis. It is the picture that I see in response to the Buddha’s invitation, "Come & see for yourself."