[Christian]

so i have heard.
evaṃ me sutaṃ—
At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, in Ambapālī’s Wood.
ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā vesāliyaṃ viharati ambapālivane.
There the Buddha addressed the mendicants:
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

“Mendicants!”
“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṃ.
The Buddha said this:
Bhagavā etadavoca:

“Mendicants, conditions cannot be maintained to one satisfaction.
“Aniccā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;
Conditions are unstable.
adhuvā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā;
Conditions are unreliable.
anassāsikā, bhikkhave, saṅkhārā.
This is quite enough for you to become disillusioned, dispassionate, and freed regarding all conditions.
Yāvañcidaṃ, bhikkhave, alameva sabbasaṅkhāresu nibbindituṃ alaṃ virajjituṃ alaṃ vimuccituṃ.

[Lal]

Christian,
Please provide a link to the Pali version when you refer to a sutta.

I looked up AN 7.66 and get a different sutta: Satta­sūriya ­sutta (AN 7.66)

P.S.
Also, please don’t copy and paste whole suttas if they are long. Just paste the relevant part and explain why it is important (if needed).

[sybe07]

In Patisambhidamagga, Treatise on Liberation, it is explained that dependend on ones abilities one will be naturally attracted to contemplating or on anicca, or on dukkha or on anatta.

Contemplating anicca is related to strong faculty of faith.
Contemplating dukkha is related to strong faculty of concentration.
Contemplating anatta is related to great wisdom faculty.

Contemplating anatta is the same as contemplating sunnata (also ToL, Patisambhidamagga).
By the way Nanamoli translated anatta as not-self, anicca as impermanence and dukkha as pain.

The effect of those contemplation is that one turns the mind away from the conditioned. Passion in regard to conditioned phenomena and states weaken. If this happens cognizance enters the signless, wishless, emptiness principle.

I think those are names for the unconditioned?

Siebe

[Lal]

Siebe wrote: “By the way Nanamoli translated anatta as not-self, anicca as impermanence and dukkha as pain.”

Those are very bad translations: “Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta“

[Christian]

Anicca Sanna is enough to attain Nibbana (AN 7.66)

Yes Siebie, those are very bad – if you can’t stop using them it will be nice :)

Anicca is enough (SN22.102)
Anicca is enough (AN6.102)
Anicca is enough (AN7.95)

[sybe07]

I have a friend who has MS. If you have that illness and you still are very passionate, still wanting/demanding that you can walk, eat everything, urinate, drink, etc. you live a nightmare. Strong Tanha makes us demanding. Becoming demanding life becomes a nightmare because reality does not listen to our demands.

Somehow she manages it to deal with the fact she cannot walk anymore, not use her right arm, not urinate (she has a catheter) etc. Recently she is only allowed to swallow drinks which are thickened, like cream-structure. Even coffee she eats with a spoon. She keeps surprising me, because she does not feel aversion to all this. She enjoys the coffee eating with a spoon. I am very glad about this. Being sick is one thing, but being in constant conflict with reality is even worse to see.

It is amasing how she deals with all this. Now for more then 20 years. I think i would have become mad or very depressed. Ofcourse that worries me, because i am of the nature of decay and loss too.

It also shows how tanha starts working against you. The stronger tanha is, the more you suffer. Tanha in essence comes down to conflict with reality.

We are happy when things are under controll and go according wish and plans. I think this is 90% of our happiness. And almost all of us become frustated when it does not.

One day one sees the danger in this demanding mentallity. One sees the danger of tanha.
Even when one does not belief in rebirth one can see how tanha is cause of suffering.

Siebe

[Christian]

This got nothing to do with with the Path – constantly reminding yourself about how somebody is sick and dying etc. will actually take away energy for practice. Buddha said it’s good from “time to time” remind oneself about faults of ourselves and others but if you focus on this too much you will lose energy that you can use to advance on the Path. Sybe you need proper teacher and guidance to be less confused and someone who will straight you up as just going around circles will not make any use for you.

Buddha explained your behavior like this AN 7.71 so try to take it to the heart so you will not end up like this AN 8.10

[Author]

Posts