Dan74 wrote:Do these specific sankharas pertain to reification which leads to a delusion of self in particular? Then when the impulse to reify, to divide experience into subject and object is gone, is that not the end of formations/fabrications that Burmese masters talk about?
Sorry I may be missing the point here (hence question marks in the above).
The specific saṅkhāra which is the origin of dukkha is craving (taṇhā): craving sensual pleasure, craving existence, and craving non-existence (kāmataṇhā, bhavataṇhā, and vibhavataṇhā). SN 56.11 Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta:
- And this, monks, is the noble truth of the origin of unsatisfactoriness: craving which leads to further existence, associated with delight and passion, seeking delight here and there; that is, craving sensual pleasure, craving existence, craving non-existence.
But before we can terminate these cravings we have to begin with the first path where we eliminate the fetters of identity view (sakkāyadiṭṭhi), doubt (vicikicchā), mistaken adherence to rules and duty (sīlabbataparāmāsa) and associated underlying tendencies. The Paṭisambhidāmagga:
- How is it that the discernment of the termination of continuance in one who is fully aware is gnosis of full extinguishment (parinibbāna ñāṇa)?
Through the stream-entry path he terminates identity view (sakkāyadiṭṭhi), doubt (vicikicchā), and mistaken adherence to rules and duty (sīlabbataparāmāsa).... This discernment of the termination of continuance in one who is fully aware is gnosis of full extinguishment....
He causes the cessation of identity view, doubt, and mistaken adherence to rules and duty through the stream-entry path.
And so on for the fetters which are terminated on the remaining three paths. These gnoses of full extinguishment (parinibbāna ñāṇas) are also called gnoses of the bliss of liberation (vimuttisukha ñāṇa-s). The Paṭisambhidāmagga:
- With the stream-entry path, gnosis of the bliss of liberation arises due to the abandoning and cutting off of:
(1) identity view,
(2) doubt,
(3) mistaken adherence to rules and duty,
(4) the underlying tendency of view,
(5) the underlying tendency of doubt.
With the once-returner path, gnosis of the bliss of liberation arises due to the abandoning and cutting off of:
(6) the gross fetter of passion for sensual pleasure,
(7) the gross fetter of aversion,
(8) the gross underlying tendency of passion for sensual pleasure,
(9) the gross underlying tendency of aversion.
With the non-returner path, gnosis of the bliss of liberation arises due to the abandoning and cutting off of:
(10) the secondary fetter of passion for sensual pleasure,
(11) the secondary fetter of aversion,
(12) the secondary underlying tendency of passion for sensual pleasure,
(13) the secondary underlying tendency of aversion.
With the arahant path, gnosis of the bliss of liberation arises due to the abandoning and cutting off of:
(14) passion for form [existence],
(15) passion for formless [existence],
(16) conceit,
(17) restlessness,
(18) ignorance,
(19) the underlying tendency of conceit,
(20) the underlying tendency of passion for existence,
(21) the underlying tendency of ignorance.
Therefore, the cessation of dukkha progresses sequentially with the cessation of very specific fetters pertaining to each of the four noble paths. The state wherein one experiences the extinguishment (nibbāna) of fetters appropriate to each path and fruition, is supramundane jhāna (lokuttarajjhāna). And this state must necessarily arise with the concomitant jhāna factors and other mental factors such as attention (manasikāra) and apperception (saññā), as well as gnosis (ñāṇa). Without the presence of these mental factors there can be no gnosis and therefore no path attainment or fruition attainment.