\section{Freedom}
Above we have claimed that {\em homo sapiens\/} is free. We can make a decision on grounds of
some considerations. These considerations, however, are being disturbed. 
In $\S 1$ we have cited Saint Augustine and Schopenhauer for this. But if we know ourselves 
sufficiently well, then we should have noticed this ourselves.
The model in $\S 2$ 
provides an adequate explanation for these phenomena, analogous to Freud's unconscious. 
Part of our consciousness is hidden by our feeling. Our behavior, however, is 
being influenced by this hidden part. Possibly it works against our conscious will. 
Therefore we
have inner conflicts. In Buddhism this hidden part of consciousness is called {\em ignorance}.
Eventually ignorance has to be eliminated by the process of purification of the mind.
Now we will continue the description of this path of purification.

\subsection*{Attachment to mysticism}
%
The remembrance of the experience of super consciousness is so strong and beautiful
that one tries to have it again, while continuing the meditation practise. In some articles 
on spirituality one can read: `This experience is so special that I want to have it 
again, at any price'. A good teacher of Buddhist meditation will point out that we have 
attachment to this experience. It is an intermediate state on the way to freedom. 
We should have distance from these experiences too, otherwise it impedes our progress.
`But cannot we enjoy it just for a little while?' the student asks the teacher. `It is
a waste of time!' is the severe, disappointing but also fascinating answer. Also in the
Christian tradition one is warned against attachment to the mystical experience. Saint
John of the Cross speaks about the `gluttony for God'. Attachment to mental states---even
if they are very elevated ones---is called `spiritual materialism'. 

\subsection*{Components of consciousness}
%
The teacher points out that observing the phenomena has to happen in a more refined way.
He presents the theory that the phenomena of our consciousness are a combination of five
components: sensory input, feeling (positive, negative and neutral), 
perception (i.e.\ classification of the input), conditioning
(that can be seen as an output of our body mind system, that is the way we behave) and 
finally awareness\footnotemark.
%
\footnotetext{In order to understand better the difference between this element
and input, the following example from
physiology is illuminating. It is known that there are people with a special kind of blindness. 
They claim that they cannot see at all. If asked, however, to point at a certain 
object---say a pencil---on a table, they are consistently able to do this correctly. 
One can say that the first four components of their consciousness 
function well, but the fifth does not.} %
Of course the knowledge of the five components of our consciousness is at first only 
theoretical. In the practise they should be perceived directly by experience. 
Work continues. At a certain moment one clearly
{\em sees\/} that the pain (caused by the sitting meditation) is not atomic but built up
from pure pain (input and feeling) combined with a reaction against it (conditioning) that
wants us to  do something about the pain. As soon as this is seen sharply, both the pain and
its  counter reaction disappear. Continuing the exercises this way one reaches a new mystical
state: {\em sublime consciousness\/}. It is as elevated as the super consciousness described
in section \ref{super}, but it hardly requires energy to maintain it. Therefore one
has the hope that this state is permanent. It is not; at a certain moment sublime consciousness
disappears. Disturbances appear again and one is not able to handle these appropriately.
The teacher is consulted. He advises to take a distance from all phenomena, not just pain and
desire as before, but also from states like the super and sublime consciousness. Finally he 
says: `While continuing to practise you should have good confidence in the theory, because 
strange things may happen. If this is the case, continue to practise, even if you feel sick.'
At this point one already has experienced several unusual phenomena. Work is continued more
with fascination than with worry.

\subsection*{Disentangling the knot}
%
Practise continues. 
Pain, distance; desire, distance; sublime consciousness, distance! One does
not feel like dissociating from this sublime state. But being obedient one does it
nevertheless. The consequences are dramatic. Sublime consciousness persists some moments. `O,
sublime consciousness; knowing' the student is observing. With this `knowing' one creates a
distance from it. Then suddenly one slides away into 
the state of nausea. `O, nausea; knowing' is the neutral
observation. After naming the state of nausea like this a couple of times, one is suddenly 
pushed up into the state of sublime consciousness. This `sliding away' and `being pushed up' 
feel like experiences known in daily life. `Sliding away' may be compared to the experience 
we have when we receive bad news that touches us personally. `Being pushed up' may be 
compared to experiencing an orgasm. After some exercising the student succeeds in undergoing
these phenomena with equanimity. All previous meditation training is being used for this.
There is a strong urge to stop this exercise. But the student keeps looking.
After a while calmness develops in spite of the fierce phenomena.
Experience proceeds as follows:
\begin{center}
sublime, knowing; nausea, knowing;\\\nopagebreak
sublime, knowing; nausea, knowing;\\\nopagebreak
\ldots .
\end{center}
The process is proceeding like a ride in a roller-coaster, but without the physical or mental
effects that one usually has in such a situation. This is because one has already practised 
enough to handle the nausea. 
The situation is like sitting in a fluctuating fierce fire, but the student is
not at all affected by it.

All the time, however, one has to intervene a short moment in
order to keep distance and not to be stuck in either the nausea or the sublime consciousness.
But otherwise one is a pure observer of the phenomena. 

Continuing the practise the following
happens. At one moment the student forgets to make this distance---from the nausea it 
was---because of some distraction. In spite of this omission the phenomena go on as follows.
\begin{center}
nausea, knowing; sublime, knowing;\\\nopagebreak
nausea, ---; sublime, knowing;\\\nopagebreak
nausea, knowing; sublime, knowing;\\\nopagebreak
\ldots .\nopagebreak
\end{center}
Apparently one does not need to take part; it goes by itself. The student 
realizes that this is better, because it requires some work 
to have to create all the time a distance using this `knowing'. Then he
withdraws himself
in order to look only. And then this happens.
\begin{center}
nausea, ---; sublime, ---;\\\nopagebreak
nausea, sublime;\\\nopagebreak
nausea, sublime;\\\nopagebreak
---, ---;\\\nopagebreak
---, ---;\\\nopagebreak
.\nopagebreak
\end{center}
The process disintegrates extremely fast. As a piece of knitwear, that falls 
apart if one pulls the right end
of wool. Also later the process would not come back. In this way the process described in
$\S 2$ is completely dissolved. By contrast to the attainment of the sublime consciousness
or the falling into the state of nausea the cessation of the process is not dramatic at all.
It is a relief, comparable to the feeling that one has after a cold, when one is able again 
to breathe through the nose. It is even a very large relief. But it is not dramatic.

\subsection*{Levels of freedom}
%
One has, however, not yet reached the end of the path of
complete purification of our consciousness. This is because---according to
the Buddhist tradition---there are in total {\em four\/}
processes that are there to be disentangled in an analogous manner. This has to be done in a
fixed order. Each of the four cessations causes an essential change in ones personality.
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{|c|l|}
\hline
cessation of process & change in personality\\
\hline
1 & elimination of {\em insecurity, belief in self\/}\\
& and {\em superstition;\/}\\
\hline
2 & dilution of {\em fear\/} and {\em desire;\/}\\
\hline
3 & elimination of {\em fear\/} and {\em desire;\/}\\
\hline
4 & elimination of {\em conceit, sleepiness, restlessness,\/}\\
  & {\em attachment to existence\/} and {\em ignorance.\/}\\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{center}
When the four processes have been eliminated one has reached so called nirvana.

The theory states that in this final state one does not have left 
any of the constituents of
consciousness. But  one keeps some kind of basic awareness that is constant and for everyone
the same.  If one has disentangled the four processes, then one is nevertheless able to
continue life. From nirvana, however, this is not possible, because no perception takes place. 
What is needed is a little bit of concentration 
using which one can create an arbitrary process of consciousness. On this it is possible to
base ones personality. Because this process is created by volition, it can easily
be dissolved at any moment in order to regain the freedom of nirvana.
