Nibbāna in This Very Life (Enlightenment)

There are, Householder, forms recognizable by the eye that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, tempting.

If a Monk does not seek excitement in them, does not welcome them, and does not remain holding to them, his consciousness does not become dependent upon them or cling to them. A Monk without clinging attains Nibbāna (Enlightenment).

There are, Householder, sounds recognizable by the ear … odors recognizable by the nose … flavors recognizable by the tongue … physical objects recognizable by the body … mental objects recognizable by the mind that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, tempting.

If a Monk does not seek excitement in them, does not welcome them, and does not remain holding to them, his consciousness does not become dependent upon them or cling to them. A Monk without clinging attains Nibbāna (Enlightenment).

This is the cause and reason, Householder, why some beings here attain Nibbāna in this very life.

Monk, if, through fading away of strong feelings towards the eye … the ear … the nose … the tongue … the body … the mind, through its fading away and elimination, one is liberated by non-clinging, one can be called a Monk who has attained Nibbāna (Enlightenment) in this very life.

(Reference: SN 35.124)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how a Practitioner attains Enlightenment through the elimination of fetter/taint/pollution of mind described as ‘sensual desire’.

The mind will experience desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, and tempting forms that the mind sees through the eyes. If a Practitioner does not long or yearn for excitement in these agreeable forms, welcome them, or remain holding on to them, then the mind can eliminate its craving/desire/attachment to impermanent conditions that are creating the impermanent pleasant feelings causing the mind to be dissatisfied (i.e. discontent). Because the pleasant feelings are based on impermanent conditions and are not permanent, the mind eventually becomes discontent or dissatisfied with the constant struggle attempting to hold on to the pleasant feelings permanently. While the mind experiences temporary pleasantness, it will eventually swing to painful feelings or feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant due to the mind basing its inner feelings on impermanent conditions.

Through the elimination of craving/desire/attachment for desirable and agreeable forms, sounds, odors, flavors, physical objects, and mental objects through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, a Practitioner will gradually eliminate all discontentedness.

The unEnlightened mind will continue to long with a strong eagerness for pleasant feelings through The Six Sense Bases and as long as the mind is seeking, welcoming, and holding on to the cravings/desires for these pleasant feelings chasing after the objects of its affection, the mind will continue to experience discontentedness including painful feelings and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant.

The mind needs to be trained to be “satisfied with what is” rather than continuously chase after the objects of its affection to experience pleasant feelings. Allowing the mind to continue to chase after pleasant feelings is to invite painful feelings and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant into the mind.

Because the conditions that create pleasant feelings are impermanent, eventually the mind will be unable to acquire those conditions to create the pleasant feelings, thus, painful feelings or feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant will be experienced.

Detailed explanation of The Six Sense Bases is available in this same book series found in the book “The Six Sense Bases” (Volume 9).