That is a good discussion. Thank you Dr. Chakma, Tobias, and upekkha100.
We should also be thankful to modern science for making this possible. Four people with very different backgrounds to come together and have a discussion on Buddha Dhamma!
– Thanks also to Seng Kiat for updating and keeping track of the corrections I make to the posts. It is to be noted for those who read the eBook that I revise a couple of old posts on average each week. Please make sure you have the updated version of a given post. Revision dates are there on those posts that have been revised.
Yes. Abhidhamma describes basically all processes. It is amazing how much details one can get. But we need to keep in mind that our main goal is to understand enough Dhamma to overcome suffering.
The following is a viewpoint from another angle.
Those who object to the concept of the mind being at the forefront, object that mind does not generate enough power to do bodily work (kamma).
The mind (power of the javana citta) only gets the process started. Those mind-made decisions are carried out by the brain (which is inert, just like a computer), and the energy for brain function and to move body parts come from the energy generated by the food we eat.
For example, when we wash dishes, those actions are initiated by the mind. The brain (acting like an advanced computer) gets the arms and hands and other body parts to move. It is the same with a laborer who works in a field. After few hours, he would get tried and hungry, and would need more food to continue.
It is amazing to see, how a gandhabba (mental body) that is smaller than a single cell in the body controls everything.
I have discussed this in several posts (not possible to do in a single post), and a couple are below:
Gandhabba (Manomaya Kaya)- Introduction
Citta and Cetasika – How Vinnana (Consciousness) Arises
When we really understand the importance of the mental body (gandhabba) our attachment to the physical body will fade. This physical body lasts only about 100 years, but the human gadnhabba may last thousands of years (of course will keep changing during that time).
– Once the gandhabba comes out, the physical body is pretty much like a log of wood.
– In case of a temporary exit (OBE), that physical body is kept alive by kammic energy, but cannot do any movements (because the brain needs instructions to move body parts).
One final simple example. We can warm hands if we want to by rubbing the two hands together. Where is that heat energy coming from? It is from the food we eat. However, without the mind deciding that the hands needs to warmed, that will not happen.
P.S. All sankhara have consequences (outcomes or vipaka).
Punnabhisankhara lead to good results (sense pleasures) and good births.
Apunnabhisankhara lead to bad results (bad sense experiences) and bad births in the apayas.
“Neutral” sankhara get things done (like washing dishes or going to bathroom).
Eventually, we need to stop all sankhara from arising (stopping rebirths) by cultivating panna (i.e., comprehending Tilakkhana).
– First task is to stop doing apunnabhisankhara and learn the basics of Buddha Dhamma.
– One also needs to cultivate punnabhisankhara AND learn deeper Dhamma (Paticca Samuppada, Tilakkhana, etc) too.