Reply To: Definition of Energy in Buddha Dhamma

#50030
Lal
Keymaster

Taryal: “I think I worded it a little poorly but based on above discussion, I meant to say that there is indeed an energy from the mind that is sent to the brain by the gandhabba when an individual decides to perform an action. This involves the cittas generated by the hadaya vatthu which comes from the kammic energy that created the gandhabba (and currently sustains it) but if the action is kammically neutral, it does not further create any kammic energy that can ripen in the future.”

  • Yes. What you wrote above is correct.

Regarding the other two questions:

1. First, while lobha can be translated as “greed” it means mainly the greed involving sensory pleasures available in kama loka.

  • Raga” means “prioritizing being engaged in the rebirth process.” It comes at three levels: (i) kama raga is close to lobha, (ii) rupa raga is the desire to be reborn in a rupa loka  Brahma realm by cultivating jhana, (iii) arupa raga is the desire to be reborn in an arupa loka Brahma realm by cultivating arupavacara samapatti (these are incorrectly labeled as “higher jhana” these days.
  • I think the post I recommended above, “Six Root Causes – Loka Samudaya (Arising of Suffering) and Loka Nirodhaya (Nibbāna)” explains that. Please read that and ask questions by quoting from it if something is not clear.

2. “Also, does this mean kammically neutral actions don’t create any javana citta?”

  • I think what you mean is: “Do kammically neutral actions involve javana citta?”
  • The answer is no. Javana citta are generated only for creating kammic energy that can bring future vipaka. Those involve abhisankhara
  • It may take a bit more reading to understand these finer points/issues: “Word-for-Word Translation of the Tipiṭaka.”
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