The Destruction of Excitement

Seeing rightly, he experiences the fading away of strong feelings.

With the destruction of excitement comes destruction of craving;

With the destruction of craving comes destruction of excitement.

With the destruction of excitement and craving, the mind is said to be well liberated.

(Reference: SN 22.51)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how a Practitioner “seeing rightly” is aware of “strong feelings”. Observing the arising of pleasant feelings (happiness, excitement, elation, thrill, exhilaration, euphoria, etc.), a Practitioner will need to cut off and let go of the pleasant feelings. In doing so, one will eliminate craving.

With the elimination of pleasant feelings and the associated craving that caused the pleasant feelings, “the mind is said to be well liberated”.

A liberated mind is free of strong feelings, it is Enlightened.