Excitement is Clinging One with Clinging is Not Liberated

Here, Monks,..

One seeks excitement in form, welcomes it, and remains holding to it.

As a consequence of this, excitement arises.

Excitement in form is clinging.

One seeks excitement in feeling, welcomes it, and remains holding to it.

As a consequence of this, excitement arises.

Excitement in feeling is clinging.

One seeks excitement in perception, welcomes it, and remains holding to it.

As a consequence of this, excitement arises.

Excitement in perception is clinging.

One seeks excitement in volitional formations (choices/decisions), welcomes it, and remains holding to it.

As a consequence of this, excitement arises.

Excitement in volitional formations is clinging.

One seeks excitement in consciousness, welcomes it, and remains holding to it.

As a consequence of this, excitement arises.

Excitement in consciousness is clinging.

With one’s clinging as condition,

existence [comes to be];

With existence as condition, birth;

With birth as condition,

aging-and-death, sorrow, grief, pain, displeasure, and despair come to be.

Such is the cause of this whole mass of discontentedness.

(Reference: SN 22.5)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how clinging to The Five Aggregates arises excitement (i.e. pleasant feelings). If the mind welcomes and remains holding on to The Five Aggregates, it is not liberated. The mind is still craving existence and will continue to exist in The Cycle of Rebirth.

The Five Aggregates are what makes “a being, a being”. A living being will have all five aggregates, also known as “elements” or “collections”.

The Five Aggregates

Form: the physical body.

Feelings: results of experiences in the mind through The Six Sense Bases.

Perceptions: a belief or opinion based on how things seem.

Volitional Formations: choices or decisions that are made.

Consciousness: the mind.

It is when the mind “clings” or “holds on” to The Five Aggregates that the mind experiences continued discontentedness. Observing the impermanent nature of The Five Aggregates, a human being can “let go” no longer experiencing discontentedness due to “holding on” to The Five Aggregates experiencing constant rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth.

Due to clinging to The Five Aggregates and a being coming into existence, the mind will experience discontentedness.

All unEnlightened beings will experience discontentedness.

Discontentedness: Gotama Buddha describes three feelings as discontent. The goal of these Teachings is to eliminate discontentedness of mind providing the mind a permanent place to reside in Enlightenment.

• A pleasant feeling (happiness, excitement, elation, thrill, exhilaration, euphoria, etc.)

• A painful feeling (sadness, anger, frustration, irritation, annoyance, guilt, shame, fear, stress, etc.)

• A feeling that is neither painful-nor-pleasant (boredom, loneliness, shyness, displeased, uncomfortable, unsatisfied, etc.)

It is craving/desire/attachment that causes the mind to experience discontentedness.

Craving/Desire/Attachment/Wants/Expectations/Grasping/Holding/Clinging: a mental longing for something with a strong eagerness. The mind pulling in a direction for objects of its affection.

Not only does craving cause discontentedness but craving is the fuel that leads to rebirth. If there is craving/desire/attachment in the mind, a being will experience rebirth.

The unEnlightened mind will seek pleasant feelings chasing after the objects of its affection. The unEnlightened mind will pull in the direction of the objects of its affection and if it gets what it “wants”, the mind experiences temporary pleasant feelings. If the mind does not get what it “wants”, it will experience painful feelings. Many times the mind does not know what it “wants” and will experience feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant.

Craving/desire/attachment keeps the mind in a continuous cycle of discontentedness never being able to find peace or be at ease because it is constantly chasing after something experiencing pleasant feelings, painful feelings, and feelings that are neither painful-nor-pleasant.

With the mind holding on to existence, a being will continue to experience discontentedness and discontentedness in future existences within The Cycle of Rebirth due to the craving/desire/attachment in the mind for continued existence. If there is birth, there is going to be discontentedness.

The mind also can have “craving for extermination” or death. This would be a being who is interested in death through suicide or other destructive conduct. If the mind has craving/desire to eliminate life, the mind is not in the middle and will experience discontentedness and rebirth due to this craving.

All craving/desire/attachment will produce discontentedness in the mind. There is no such thing as a wholesome craving/desire/attachment.

Letting go of The Five Aggregates, the mind can be liberated from its constant discontentedness in The Cycle of Rebirth.