[Eric]

If one isn’t good at calming down and keeping calm without “props” and “crutches”, is it fine to use the likes of:

• music, soundscapes, tonal drones
• watching nature
• mindful eating
• exercise
• writing, drawing

…and other indulgences in sense-pleasures as stepping-stones toward niramisa sukha? Or would that be falling into yet another “Mara-pitfall” of piling on the peleema & uddhacca?

[Tobias G]

When starting on the path the pancanivarana (5 hindrances) are still active. Therefore calming down will not be easy to do for many people. Niramisa sukha arises from understanding the wider worldview of the Buddha and tilakkhana. One cannot be forced to calmness. Learning and grasping the Dhamma will bring progress.

[Eric]

Thank you.

I’ve spent probably 10 brain-scrambling hours reading PD today, revisiting some old ones, and found it’s probably not a good idea to go out of my way but don’t sweat it too much yet.

Starting out. Yeah. I’m still looking for the mundane Path, so you’re definitely right.

[Eric]

“Niramisa sukha arises from understanding the wider worldview of the Buddha and tilakkhana. One cannot be forced to calmness. Learning and grasping the Dhamma will bring progress.”

Oh, so I had it wrong: I thought I first had to calm down (mostly via moral living), then get niramisa (via formal sitting meditation), THEN I could start learning and grasping Dhamma. Alright, guess I still haven’t collected enough signposts yet. =)

[Lal]

Eric said: “Starting out. Yeah. I’m still looking for the mundane Path,..”.

I am glad to hear that honest assessment. Not many people are willing to admit that, and I can see that they just go around in circles.

Let me add to the statement by Tobias to make it a bit better; the additions are in bold (I am sure he meant this part too):
“Niramisa sukha arises from understanding and living according to the wider worldview of the Buddha and tilakkhana. One cannot be forced to calmness. Learning and grasping the Dhamma and living a moral life according to the Dhamma will bring progress. As one learns deeper Dhamma, one’s sila or moral conduct will get better and the niramisa sukha will increase too.”

Let me expand a bit more.

The root causes of ALL kinds of sufferings are associated with dasa akusala. But there are various levels of them. One needs to start dealing with the strongest ones first.

Those are the ones that one does with the bodily activities and speech, which I call “the big eight”. These are discussed in “2. The Basics in Meditation“.

It is useless to try to comprehend deeper aspects like Tilakkhana, until one’s mind can see that such actions and speech can lead to a high level of stress in the mind. Those actually have origin in abhijja (excess greed) and vyapada (excess anger), and micca ditthi (10 types of wrong views) in one’s mind.

When one controls those bad actions and speech, abhijja and vyapada will GRADUALLY REDUCE from one’s mind. When one learns Dhamma and contemplate on them, wrong views will be corrected too. It may take some time. (But most people want to see the results right away, JUST by reading posts at the website. That is unlikely to happen).

I am not speaking to anyone specific, because I do not know the mindset of each person. Each person would know whether he/she is committing immoral actions/speech, AND what types of micca ditthi one has; micca ditthi can be removed only by learning and contemplating, not by sheer will power.

The “cooling down” (or niramisa sukha) will be proportional to how much of a load has been removed from one’s mind. One may not even realize, but dasa akusala are burden to the mind. Most times, one will realize it only when one gets rid of that burden. Then one can look back and realize the “cooling down”. For example, a laborer working out in the hot sun may have done it for years without really feeling how hard that work is. But if he gets a job inside an air-conditioned office, he will now see the suffering that he went through all those years.

In any case, this “basic foundation” is exactly what the Buddha explained to the young Rahula bhikkhu (who had become a bhikkhu only recently) in the Ambalatthika Rahulovada Sutta that you referred to under the topic, “Instructions to Rahula – Ambalaṭṭhikarāhulovāda Sutta“.

Please read my post under that topic, which I just posted. I was glad to see that answer to this question could be found in that sutta, which you yourself referred to.

[Eric]

“When one controls those bad actions and speech, abhijja and vyapada will GRADUALLY REDUCE from one’s mind. When one learns Dhamma and contemplate on them, wrong views will be corrected too. It may take some time. (But most people want to see the results right away, JUST by reading posts at the website. That is unlikely to happen).” “In any case, this ‘basic foundation’ is exactly what the Buddha explained to the young Rahula bhikkhu…”

Ahh, I think I get it now: repeated reflection is the starting point, read and contemplate (during formal meditation sessions?) posts from the website, and calm/niramisa will show itself like a cat must be gently and often repeatedly coaxed? Thank you all so much for your clarifications! I’m going to get plenty of practice reflecting on all those out-of-nowhere inner arguments & flare-ups — and if need be, summon fear of Niraya to help in the banishment process.

[Tobias G]

Exactly. Reading/contemplating. But I suggest not to read for 10 hours. Just read a few posts in a quiet time and think about it. It will sink into the mind and sooner or later niramisa sukha follows.

[Embodied]

Eric,Lal,

@Lal said “One may not even realize, but dasa akusala are burden to the mind. Most times, one will realize it only when one gets rid of that burden. Then one can look back and realize the “cooling down”.”

I was someone quite inclined (gathi) to harsh verbal conflits ,kind of : “ha you dared to say that, now listen to this…” and the exchange could last for more then a while, well, it’s thanks to a better understanding of Tilakhanna that i succeed(ed) in overcoming such tendency, and even transform it into a source of “cooling down”.
I found myself remaining calm whilst observing the “burning” in my interlocutor’s mind-heart and found myself ending the whole conflict with a simple “whatever”.

krgds

[Author]

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