Excellent, Jorg. You understood!
You wrote: “There’s no actual “rupa” now in the viññāṇa dhatu. It’s a record of vedana, sañña, saṅkhāra, viññāṇa without energy.”
- Indeed!
Regarding the following part of your comment: “Regarding energy-less records (namagotta) and dhammā (kamma bīja) and the analogy provided by Lal of the flashlight and candle respectively, the following came to mind:;
Let’s say you have a phone with various apps. Some apps give you a notification. You don’t know when these notifications come in. You can’t control them in any way. Although they don’t come in randomly, they seem to do so, nevertheless.
Your analogy of an App sending a message/reminder is analogous to a kamma bija (dhammā) bringing “vipaka thoughts” is good.
- Even though we have no DIRECT control over when those can “come back,” we do have some control. Sometimes we make “suitable conditions” for kamma bija to bring vipaka.
- For example, if you go to a bad neighborhood at night, that makes suitable conditions for “getting into trouble.” If you verbally/physically abuse someone, that makes suitable conditions for getting into trouble.
- Those kamma bija are in “storage” or in “anantara.” If you make suitable conditions (samanantara), they can bring their vipaka. See “Anantara and Samanantara Paccayā.”
- However, it does not have to be that way for all vipaka. Some vipaka come whether there are suitable conditions or not. Yet, we can avoid many by “being mindful.” That also involves eating well, exercising regularly, etc.
- P.S. Good kamma bija can be induced to bring their vipaka in many ways. Many recite the “Supreme Qualities of Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha,” light candles, etc., before a meditation session. It can get one to the “right mindset.” If you treat others with kindness, that is also setting the background to bring good vipaka, etc.