Reply To: Post on “Phassa (Contact) – Contact With Pasāda Rupa”

#51287
Lal
Keymaster

“But for an arahant with no samyojana left, are there no subconscious thoughts?”

  • No. They don’t generate “subconscious stray thoughts” automatically. They don’t have any expectations in this world.
  • However, they can recall anything if they need to. For example, to recognize someone, one must recall past interactions with that person. When Lady Visaka visits, the Buddha’s mind automatically recalls past interactions with her and recognizes her. There is no need to think about who she is consciously.
  • But Buddha’s mind would not engage in defiled thoughts like how beautiful she is. There is no agitation of mind based on recalling who she is. No samyojanas exist in Buddha’s mind to trigger such “stray thoughts.”

P.S. I discussed some fundamental aspects in the following section: “Essential Abhidhamma – The Basics.” 

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