Realisation of talent abilities or tendencies

Dr. Most Venerable
Mirisse Dhammika Nayaka Thera

Concealed defilements can be called as Proclivities. The seven Proclivities that last without getting deactivated are mentioned in the ‘Anusaya Suthra’. They are the latent tendency of lust for sense pleasure the latent tendency of aversion, the latent tendency of wrong view, the latent tendency of doubt, the latent tendency of conceit, the latent tendency of lust for becoming and the latent tendency of ignorance. In simple words, they are sensuous lust, grudge, speculative opinion, skeptical doubt, conceit, craving for continued existence and ignorance .

To get away from the proclivities or to completely abandon them, not allowing them to activate as mentioned in the ‘Anusayappahana Suthra one should have the morality of genuine, pure conduct. Here, the morality of genuine conduct is referred to the eightfold path. In short, it is the completion of Sila, Samadhi, Panna: morality in bodily actions and speech, concentration and wisdom. These proclivities are deposited in the inner-most in a subtle manner. Hence, if there is no knowledge and perception on proclivities, it would be difficult to identify them, when they are in the process of becoming activated. These proclivities otherwise called defilements such as greediness, hatred, speculative opinion, skeptical doubt, conceit, craving for continued existence and ignorance are called in a state of mind, when they emerge from the inner mind to become active. In this state of mind since they cannot be recognised as defilements, flourish in the mind. Defilements such as sensuous lust are formed, when the mind gets entangled with objects such as sight, sound, order, last and bodily impressing five cords of sensuality are formed such as fulfilling what is desired, cherishing what the mind craves for and clinging on what are lovely and pleasant with lust. All these would imergs as a flame from the three door. Thoughts, body and speech. All these, pare the path to face situations such as sorrow, weeping to have painful feelings, sad, mindedness, extrem grief, and also to have a frenzeid mind. At this stage, defilements that are accumulated would transgress into actions making the moral restrains diminished. The rise of craving that engulfs you in sensual desires would bring a state of fieriness and torment, not only to you but also to your associates, leading to destruction and disaster. One would face consequences with immense grief and agony, if he indulges in defilements such as sexual misconduct, non-maintenance of chastisity, engulfing in with lusty sensual desires, filling the mind with lusty cravings, incomprehensibility of the difference between the good and the bad; moreover, the difference between the wholesome and unwholesome actions. In this manner, proclivities such as grudge would be activated when they come across different sense objects. With the help of the untrained mind while clinging deeply on the ‘Bundle of aggregates’, based on views or opinions which intensely promote concepts, thoughts and thought conceptions based on ‘I’ and ‘Mine’. One would lead to claim everything entirely only for himself. At this stage, enormous amount of conflicts as well as moral impurities would be erupted in the mind. Doubts would obstruct the way to fulfil Karmically wholesome actions. Pride can be divided into three stages such as inferiority conceit, the equality conceit and superiority conceit. In addition to these, it should be noted that there are nine kinds of conceits. Fetters such as conceit and coretenous should be eliminated at the stage of realising the Arahant hood. These fetters would bind beings to the existence of the disastrous Samsara. A simple minded person who does not have faith would always look forward to have comfort and would be glued to luxury. The above person, however much he feels intense pain and grief, he would still prefer to fulfil sense desires; in addition to that, would indulge in intense greed and uttermost lust like a worm that lives in a pile of trash.s