Hi,
In my opinion and understanding of Dhamma, the Path only uproots inner unvoluntairiness, compulsiveness, fettering. The thinking, grasping, me and mine making, ways of speech, conceiving, passion, acting that arises in a habitual compulsive way. It is caused by a subconscious starting chain of reactions. Like a mental snowball effect. Instinctive, reactive of nature, overwhelming and blinding. Out of force of habit. Slavery, unfreedom, fettering.
This determined system is governed by avijja and tanha. It is like a blindly and blinding ruling process. It is described by Paticca Samuppada which can be applied to this very life and over many lifes. In both cases it describes a determined unfree development.
I believe when avijja and tanha ceases this determined system is brought to a halt. The mind is now without compulsiveness, inner floods, drifts, freed.
But what does this mean? Does it mean that the mind is now without an ability that: emotions can arise, thoughts, conceivings, mental proliferation can happen, imagination, reasoning, passion, plans, intentions, me and mine making?
I do not believe so. What ends is unvoluntairy me and mine making. What ceases is instinctive grasping at phenomena as me, mine, my self. But, i believe (it shows, i feel) that does not mean that a Buddha is without any thought of me and mine. If a Buddha makes a trip he also knows and sees ‘i will become tired’. If he starts teachings, he images: ‘if nobody will understand me, that will be tiresome for me’.
He also still has a sense of a future me who will get to reap the consequences.
Such thoughts are normal and do not illustrate that a Buddha is totally without all ideas of me and mine. But i believe this situation is very different from an instinctive unvoluntairy me and mine making of khandha’s. It is, as it were, a liberated me and mine-making.
But i do not think a Buddha has totally no clue or ideas of me and mine anymore. I believe this is a misinterpretation and also is really impossible. Being without any ideas of me and mine…think about it…it cannot be wise! It leads to much suffering because it is childish. Like a child who does not yet see and understand that deeds will have consequences he/she will get to feel.
I also believe a Buddha can still become impatient or loose temper, like a good and loving parent also can with a child that again again does not listen and makes the same mistakes and a mess. To call somebody a fool is i believe a sign of this. But this is not the same as becoming angry as result of triggered anusaya and a result of reactiveness.
Liberation is, i believe, not some fixed state without any thought about me and mine, without any ability to become emotional or passioniate, without any conceiving, imagination, but all these things are freed from being unvoluntairy and compulsive, part of a determined system. I believe that is what it means to be freed of tanha and avijja.
I also believe this the meaning of the unconditioned. The conditioned refers to the compulsive process, the slavery, fettering. The determined system. Like one sees and knows that animals are just conditioned to show certain behaviour again and again. This is the nature of the unfree mind. It is rigid. Not pliant, not easy to apply, overwhelmed. It is ruled by blind and blinding processes. This is no judgement about these animals or humans.
I feel there are just different way in which conceiving, imagening, thinking, emotions, passion, speech, actions can arise. And i think it is most reasonable to assume that only the unvoluntairy way, the compulsive way, the habitual and determined way things arise, ceases. Avijja and tanha supports this determined system. With the unconditioned this determined system is brought to a halt.
The idea that a liberated mind cannot have any ideas of me and mine in regard to the khandha’s, show never any impatience, have no passion at all, i think is not oke. The uprooting of anusaya, asava, avijja and tanha is like cutting of the determined system, the slavery, fetters. Not about inability.