Liberation through one’s Own Efforts

Mark Wong

uțțthānenappamādena
saññamena damena ca
Dīpaṃ kayirātha medhāvi
Yaṃ ogho nābhikirati

Dhammapada 25

By sustained effort ,
earnestness ,
discipline ,
and self-control,
 let the wise  man make for himself an island which no flood overwhelms.

Trans. by late K.Sri Dhammananda, K.L

Purport:

Gotama Buddha admonished his disciples that only through the spirit of  incessant determined diligence, resolution and feverish enthusiasm in one self-cultivation will one arrive at the soteriological goal of Nibbāna. The island refers to taking internal refuge in one’s own liberated mind of pure, infinite consciousness (viññāṇa). A delivered One with the pure, infinite consciousness is  designated as  an Arahant. The enlightened mind of an Arahant   is like a high-rise  island  of secure natural sanctuary which protects the islanders from the attacks of the dire storms of the sea and the swamping of flood water which can not even drown the tall island . Nibbāna is that high island of sanctuary far above the surface of the rough, stormy  sea.  The pure, infinite consciousness is the inner Heart  of the eternal Nibbāna – that high island of sanctuary .

 A Nibbānic person is self-redeemed.  Self-redemption is spiritual consummation  of a liberated person. He  is dwelling in this inner Heart of Man in which the grasping upon of the five aggregates (pañcakkhandhā) as this is I; this is mine ; this belongs to me has ceased totally. Whoever intuitively discerns the Insubstantiality (Anattā) of the five aggregates and eliminates the self-centric ego (ahaṃakāra) through non-grasping (anupādāna) upon the five aggregates will be redeemed. He dwells  in the complete silence of the chatter of the human mind .In short, his mind is completely appeased. The sole function of religion is to appease the mind.

Of course, a Dhamma or Buddhist aspirant or practioner must course and cultivate in the three-fold training of morality (sīla), concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā) through the Nobel Eight Fold path in order to return to this inner Heart of Man. It is in the inner Heart where one finds eternal peace in the pure consciousness of an Arahant . The pure consciousness obliterates the defiled consciousness  directed and empowered by the self-centric ego. Of course, wisdom must be developed to annihilate the self-centric ego. Taking refuge in the island metaphorically connotes that one takes refuge in the complete silence of the mind. The completely appeased mind  is cankerless. One needs wisdom of insight into the phenomena-Absolute relationship to arrive at this soteriological station of spiritual life- mental purification. Mental purity purged of self-centric ego is the innate refuge of all sentient beings .