"To regard as 'permanent' what is actually
impermanent is the distortion of perception, distortion of mind, distortion of view.
"To regard as 'fulfilling' what is actually
disappointing...
"To regard as 'personal' what is actually
impersonal (
anatta)...
"To regard as 'attractive' what is actually
unattractive is the distortion of perception, distortion of mind, distortion of view. These are the four distortions of perception, distortions of mind, distortions of view.
The Undistorted  |
| The Buddha distorted to reflect iridescent colors on drilled metal surface |
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| Psychedelic (-william/flickr.com) |
"There are
four non-distortions of perception, non-distortions of mind, non-distortions of view. What are the four?
"To regard as 'impermanent' what is actually impermanent is the non-distortion of perception, non-distortion of mind, non-distortion of view.
"To regard as 'disappointing' what is actually disappointing...
"To regard as 'impersonal' what is actually impersonal...
"To regard as 'unattractive' what is actually unattractive is the non-distortion of perception, non-distortion of mind, non-distortion of view.
"These are the four non-distortions of perception, non-distortions of mind, non-distortions of view."
"Perceiving permanence in the impermanent, fulfillment in the disappointing, self in the impersonal, attractiveness in the unattractive -- beings, brought to ruin by wrong-view, become imbalanced, go out of their minds.
"Bound by
Mara's noose, from that noose [snare, threat of death] they find no rest. Instead, beings continue wandering on, going to rebirth and death.
"But when Enlightened Ones arise in the world and bring light into the world, they proclaim the Dharma [the path to liberation] leading to the cessation of disappointment (dukkha, suffering).
"When those with wisdom (insight) listen, they regain their senses and see the impermanent as impermanent, the disappointing as disappointing, the impersonal as impersonal, and the unattractive as unattractive.
"Undertaking right-view, they go beyond all disappointment and unhappiness."
The Perversions explained
Ven. Nyanatiloka, Buddhist DictionaryThe "perversions" or "distortions" are four, which may be either:
- of perception (saññā-vipallāsa)
- of consciousness (citta-vipallāsa)
- or of views (ditthi-vipallāsa).
What are they? The four are seeing or regarding:
- what is impermanent (anicca) as permanent;
- what is painful (dukkha) as pleasant (or happiness-yielding);
- what is without a self (anattā) as a self;
- what is impure (ugly, asubha) as pure or beautiful'' (A.IV.49).
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| Ah, is that how I was seeing things? |
"Of the distortions, the following are eliminated by the first path-knowledge (stream-entry,
sotāpatti): the distortions of perception, consciousness, and views, that the impermanent is permanent and what is not a self is a self; further, the distortion of views that the painful is pleasant, and the impure is pure.
By the third path-knowledge (non-returning,
anāgāmitā) are eliminated: the distortions of perception and consciousness that the impure is pure.
By the fourth path-knowledge (full-enlightenment,
arahatta) are eliminated the distortions of perception and consciousness that the painful is pleasant" (
Path of Purification, Vis.M. XXII, 68).
What FIFA has imposed on Brazil is a kind of soccer that is nearly unrecognizable. So it is heretical to the people who have over the course of more than a century made this sport into a national religion.
