August 5, 2024 at 12:17 pm
#51251
Keymaster
Dosakkhayo asked: “Since nirodha samapatti is a state where citta does not arise at all, it is experiencing complete nibbana. Then what does pabhassara citta experience?”
- Pabhassara citta has ONLY the seven universal cetasika (phassa, vēdanā , saññā, cētanā, and Ekaggata, jivitindriya and manasikāra.) Furthermore, they are in their pure form and ONLY make one aware that one is alive.
- One experiences the pabhassara citta for the first time when attaining Arahant phala.
- I believe only certain Arahants can enter “Arahant phala samapatti” and experience the pabhassara citta for long durations. While in “Arahant phala samapatti,” one is unaware of what is happening in the external world and only aware that one is alive.
- “Nirodha samapatti” is very different from that. Here, no cittas arise, and it is like what happens when one is completely separated from the world of 31 realms at the death of the physical body.
The post provided by Lang above is likely to provide the above information in detail.
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Lang wrote: “At first, I thought that the pabhassara citta is supramundane (lokuttara), so I took it to mean that it was not quite a manōdvāra citta; I thought a manōdvāra citta took only a dhammmā from this world.
Searching around, I saw that it took nibbana as the object. I guess this is where the two spheres, lokiya and lokuttara, “touch”.”
I guess Lang is trying to figure out how an Arahant gets into “Arahant phala samapatti” and experiences the pabhassara citta for a long time.
- It likely happens when one focuses on Nibbana by focusing the mind on Nibbana with “‘etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ, yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānan’ti.”
- One time, Ven. Ananda asked the Buddha whether it is possible to get into a samadhi without focusing on anything in this world. The Buddha explained that, indeed, that is how Noble Persons get into various “Ariya samadhi“: “Manasikāra Sutta (AN 11.8).”
- By the way, “breath meditation” focuses on “vayo” and mundane kasina meditations focus on a clay ball (pathavi), a water bowl (apo), a fire (tejo), etc. Those are all anariya samadhi. Airyas (Noble Persons) DO NOT engage in such mundane meditation techniques. For example, a Sotapanna may be able to get into “Sotapanna phala samadhi” by focusing on Nibbana the same way as above: “‘etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ, yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānan’ti.”