Page 104 - Extinguishment of self, in search of dhamma

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is really dif cult. Try this: Take an unburdened mind and experience that we swallow into an emptiness, instead of into the stomach. Observe: When we swallow saliva, where does it go to? Does it go into the stomach? No, correct? We only feel it moving through our throat then disappears. Whether it moves into our stomach—we do not know.
Contemplating so that we will not be attached to the taste of food is one thing. Another thing is to raise our mind into vipassana—to experience the emergence-cessation of the taste that emerges. At a more re ned level: The mind that experiences and the taste that emerges—are they one to the same, or separate? Sweetness and our mind—are they one of the same, or separate? Deliciousness and our mind—are they one of the same, or separate? Why do we experience in this way? So that our mind will be freed from attachments (upadana), freed from indulgence. But, still aware of what is good and what is bad.
If we do not perceive taste at all, then that will be problematic. If we do not perceive taste at all, when we take in a lot of salt, we will not taste the saltiness. So, this is very dangerous. We constantly eat sweet things; we do not perceive sweetness, but our sugar level already spiked. This is also dangerous. Therefore: Contemplate. Our tongue does its duty, it experiences tastes. But, indulgence in those tastes—we determine. It is up to us how much we choose to enjoy the taste of that food. It is not that we do not perceive