5. Bhanganupassananana (Knowledge of Dissolution)

This yana is the wisdom that sees only the falling away of rupa and nama. The yogi sees the dissolution of the five khandas, both inside (citta) and outside (object). For example, sitting rupa is perceived to be falling away and nama that knows sitting rupa is falling away too.

This phenomenon, never seen before, produces a sense of awe and fear in the yogi. This wisdom is strong enough to uproot moha (wrong view) with atapi, sati, and sampajanna. The felling of falling away is so powerful that the yogi concentrates only on it, and pays no attention to the arising. This wisdom that sees the dissolution of rupa and nama has a frightening impact on the yogi, because he realizes that everything in the world is insubstantial and disappears the moment it appears.

The wisdom of this yana will destroy vipallasa (perversity of perception) – the type called nicca-vipallasa, the wrong perception that the body and mind are permanent. When this wisdom is reached, the yogi will feel that this is correct practice, and will not want to do incorrect practice.

This yana is the first step of eradication (pahana-parinna) of kilesa (see Fig. 3-1) which continues up until the last yana ( magga-nana). Kilesa is beginning to be pulled out, kilesa that one has been saturated in by many passages through samsara-vata (rebirth in samsara).

There are eight benefits to this yana:

1.    Realizing there is no pleasure in any future becoming. 2.    Seeing there is no pleasure in this life, because it is realized that this life is dukkha. 3.    Development of a stronger desire to end suffering 4.    In the case of a monk, leads to a desire to have simple requisites. 5.    Also gives the monk a strong desire to follow the vinaya. 6.    Makes the one who reaches this yana incapable of breaking the precepts. 7.    The practitioner becomes easy to please in terms of needs, is slow to anger if incited, is patient with other people’s defilements, and is not bothered by disturbances, such as loud noises, etc.