The Blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus, as this body, is sustained by feeding, exists in dependence
on feeding & cannot survive without food, so are the
7 Links to Awakening also sustained by feeding, they can only exist in dependence on
feeding and they cannot survive without feeding... And what is the feeding of
the emergence of any yet unarisen Investigation and feeding the completion
by repeated praxis of any already arisen
Investigation Link to
Awakening?
This formula: There are states that
are: 1: Advantageous or Disadvantageous. 2: Blamable or Blameless.
3: Ordinary or Excellent. 4: On the Bright side or on the Dark side.
Frequently giving
careful & rational attention to them, is feeding
the arising
of any unarisen ability to investigate and feeding also for the fulfillment
of any already arisen Investigation Link to
Awakening...
And what, Bhikkhus, is the starving that obstructs the
emergence of
yet unarisen
ability to investigate
and which also hinders any ongoing
Investigation? There are,
Bhikkhus, things
that are advantageous or
disadvantageous, blamable or blameless, ordinary or excellent, and on the bright
side or on the dark side: not giving frequent, careful
and
rational attention
to them, not considering them much and often, is the starving that prevents any
unarisen
ability to investigate from arising, and also blocks any already
arisen investigation of
states link to awakening from
reaching complete fulfillment and refinement by mental development...
Comments from the classical
commentaries: Examining is the characteristic of the Investigation
Link to Awakening (Dhamma-Vicaya-sambojjhanga). Scrutiny, inspection, inquiry,
exploration, analysis,
research and repeated review is the purpose of the investigation. Interested and eager curiosity is the manifestation of this
investigating. Before, while and after doing any mental, verbal or bodily
action simply then ask yourself: Is this behaviour advantageous or
disadvantageous, blamable or blameless, ordinary or excellent, on the bright or dark side and act accordingly! Keep on refining
this crucial ethical discrimination!
Conditions helpful for the emergence of the ability to
investigate are: 1: Asking questions to yourself, and
to those you respect. 2: Clean, healthy and hygienic mental, physical and bodily
praxis. 3: Avoidance of people with reduced, and confused understanding. 4: Friendship with people with exact, and profound understanding. 5: Repeated reviewing reflection on all the deeper questions. 6: Commitment to finding out precisely why and how: Cause and
effect!
There is
investigation of external
states and there is investigation of
internal states. Both are crucial for all progress towards understanding.
Awakening is
a pure knowing, that is the result of perfect investigation!
Sources (edited extracts):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya.
Book [V:
65-6+102-8] 46: Links. 2+51: Group & Nutriments....
