If, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu’s mind has become dispassionate towards the form element, it is liberated from the taints by nonclinging. If his mind has become dispassionate towards the feeling element … towards the perception element … towards the volitional formations element … towards the consciousness element, it is liberated from the taints by nonclinging.
“By being liberated, it is steady; by being steady, it is content; by being content, he is not agitated. Being unagitated, he personally attains Nibbāna. He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’ (SN22.45)
When the body is in pain, a run-of-the-mill person thinks “I am in pain”, when unpleasant feeling arises, he thinks “I feel horrible”, he becomes discontent, he is agitated, he is suffering.
When the body is in pain, an educated disciple of the noble ones does not think “I am in pain”, when unpleasant feeling arises, he does not think “I feel horrible,” since he is freed from them, he is steady and content. By being content, he is not agitated. Being unagitated, he personally attains Nibbāna.
When the body is in good shape, a run-of-the-mill person thinks “I am in a good shape”, when pleasant feeling arises, he thinks “I feel so good”, he clings to that body, that feeling. When that body is no longer in a good shape or that good feeling ceased and unpleasant feeling arises, he becomes discontent, he is agitated, he is suffering.
When the body is in good shape, an educated disciple of the noble ones does not think “I am in a good shape”, when pleasant feeling arises, he does not think “I feel so good.” When that body is no longer in a good shape or that good feeling ceased and unpleasant feeling arises, he does not have any trouble. Since he is freed from them, he is steady and content. By being content, he is not agitated. Being unagitated, he personally attains Nibbāna.
Form is there, feeling, perception, volitional formations, consciousness are there, but one attained Nibbāna and one is not. The educated disciple of the noble ones attained Nibbāna but “his” form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, consciousness are not disappeared to the thin air. What disappeared to the thin air is that “I, my.” When the body is in pain, he understands “the body is in pain.” The body is there, but the “my body” cannot be found except just for communication purpose. When unpleasant feeling arises, he understands “there is unpleasant feeling.” The feeling is there, but there is no “I who feel.” He does not interest in that form element, he does not interest in that feeling element…He does not cling to them. Since he does not cling to them, there is no reference to “I, my”.
So where is that “I, my”? It is in Nibbāna. Where is Nibbāna? It is where there is no “I, my” can be found, where “I, my” is completely destroyed with no future arising. What is Nibbāna? It is the absence of “I, my”.
Without “I, my”, what condition can cause suffering to “I”? Without “I, my”, will I die? will I get old or sick? So, what gets old, sick and die? For an educated disciple of the noble ones, it is simply that body, that feeling, that perception,…
Do form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, consciousness require “I, my”? Without “I, my”, will they disappear in the thin air?
When there is no “I, my” can be applied to a person, there is no ownership can be applied to that person. Without any ownership, he cannot be identified. Mr. A is no longer applied since he no longer owns that name. You can call him Mr. A or Mr. B or anything else, he has no trouble with that. He is what he is. He no longer identifies with any name. He can use any recognizable name just for communication purpose, but without identification since he is nameless.
Since he is nameless and cannot be identified, is it proper to ask if Mr. A exists or not exists? How can we identify or locate a person who has no name and cannot be identified as Mr. A? Therefore, the question is indeterminable. However, this does not mean that he does not exist. It means that he is unfathomable.
When the purified mind-base is completely released from the body, earth, water, air, fire no longer has any footing to it since it has no form. It is no longer limited by the body, so it is boundless. Because it is purified energy, it is luminous all around. Since it is energy, it is indestructible, but it is not permanent. It can change from this state to another state. From resting to active and so on. It has no beginning and end. When the purified mind base does not receive any object, there is no mind-consciousness, no name-and-form. It is in its resting state. It could be what we called vinnanam anidassanam. It is free from suffering in this resting state. However, it is not Nibbāna. It is what it is. If it no longer identifies with “I, my” then it attained Nibbāna. If it still identifies with “I, my” then it is not free from suffering.
For a run-of-the-mill person, the “I, my” is tied to form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, consciousness. They are his refuge. He clings to them and identifies himself with them. If not cling to the five aggregates, he will cling to something that he does not know what it is or if it exists. He cannot let go of that clinging. He cannot function without clinging to something.