3. Grasping after Sense Desires. This means that one does not want to let go of pleasures of the senses.
The gross types of sense desires lead one to kill beings and to steal property, etc.
Satisfaction with the human or heaven states of existence, due to which one, abstains from evil is the subtle type of sense desires.
4. Grasping after Self. In other words, attachment to animals or people, women or men, good and evil, to they and us, to groups or societies, to sects, to demerit and merit, to Indra or Brahma. Whatever we become attached to in all the realms comes under the heading of grasping after Self. If one let go of grasping after Self, then all other things are cleared away and cease. This is because they are all within oneself: in other words, within the five aggregates. So that if one has let go of one self, which means that one lets go of the aggregates, there is then no need to let go of anything else. This is like felling a tree; if one has cut it off at the roots, there is no need to cut off the branches and twigs which will die of themselves.
The Buddha explained at the end of each section of the Discourse on The Setting up of Mindfulness (Maha Satipatthana Sutta), that the body exists, feelings exist, mind exists, and mental objects exist, just sufficient for the maintenance of Understanding (Nan& #3642;a) and Recollection.
You should train yourself so that craving and views no longer arise, and so that you grasp after nothing in the world. The purpose of this being, as said by the Buddha, so that the Citta may gain freedom. As given in one of the texts, which deal with the nature of freedom:
“Yesam Sambodhi AngesuSamma Cittam Subhavitam,
Adana PatinissaggeAnupadaya Ye Rata,
Khinasava JutimantoTe Loke Parinibbuta.”1
This means; “One whose Citta is firmly established in supreme wisdom, who grasps at nothing and who finds joy in renuciation ; his corruptions are destroyed, his understanding is radiant, he is cured of craving and he has finished with the round of becoming in the worlds.”
These are the four types of grasping:
1. The Path of Stream Attainment (Sotamagga) ... eliminates.
a) Grasping after magic formulae and rituals entirely.
b) The gross types of grasping after views.
c) The gross types of grasping after sense desires.
2. The Path of Once Returning (Sakadagami Magga) ... eliminates the same factors as the Path of Stream Attainment, and weakens the remainder.
3. The Path of Never Returning (Anagami Magga) ... eliminates.
a) Grasping after magic fromulae and rituals.
b) Grasping after sense desires.
c) Grasping after views of the gross and medium kinds, but there still remains the subtle aspect of this grasping.
4. The Path of Arahat ... eliminates all the remaining types of grasping.
EXPLANATION OF THE SIXTH STAGE
Why is the sixth Stage necessary ? Because of grasping (Upadana), for until this is overcome, one’s training is not finished, But when one has, got rid of grasping, one has come to the end of the practice.
If grasping remains, becoming still takes place, and consequently one still comes to birth. Birth, which is followed by old age, sickness and death, is like a fire which is kept going by it’s fuel; the fuel being the kamma which gives rise to becoming (Kamma Bhava). Grasping feeds the fire with it’s fuel, and we ourselves seize hold of the fuel. We seize hold of ourselves; no one else can seize hold of us, and because we do not want to lose birth and becoming, we cannot let go, and so cannot attain Nibbana.
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