What is the Cause of
mental Defilement & Purification?
Venerable Mahali once asked the Buddha:
But, Venerable Sir, what is the causing condition of mental defilement?
By what reason, do beings become mentally defiled & degraded?
If, Mahali, this form, this feeling, this perception, this construction &
this consciousness were exclusively suffering, immersed only in frustration,
soaked solely in trouble & if it were not also sometimes soaked in pleasure,
beings would not become enamoured with it. But since this form, this feeling,
perception, construction & this consciousness is also occasionally pleasurable,
immersed now & then in pleasure, soaked momentarily in delight & it is not
soaked only & always in pain, beings become enamoured & enthralled with it!
By being enamoured with it, they are captivated by it & obsessed with it...
By being captivated by it & obsessed with it, they are defiled & degraded!
This, Mahali, is the causing condition for the mental defilement of beings...
By this reason, do beings become mentally defiled & detrimentally degraded!
Mental Defilement veils the light of the mind by obscuring
it!
But, Venerable Sir, what is the causing condition of mental
purification?
By what reason, do beings become mentally purified & released?
If, Mahali, this form, this feeling, this perception, this construction &
this consciousness were exclusively pleasurable, immersed only in pleasure,
soaked solely in satisfaction, and if it were not also quite soaked in
suffering,
beings would not become disgusted with it. But because form, feeling,
perception,
construction & consciousness is also pain, immersed in distress, soaked in
agony,
and it is not soaked only in pleasure, beings are disgusted with it. Being
disgusted,
they experience disillusion & through this disillusion, they are mentally
purified!
This, Mahali, is the causing condition for the mental purification of beings...
By this reason, do beings become mentally purified & happily released!
Naturally the mind is pure and luminous all around!
