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Connection to Gati – Simple Example
8. For example, when person X generates potent hateful thoughts about a person, X could be in the mindset of an animal. At that moment, X may even behave like an animal, hitting and clawing at that person if things get out of hand. Even if X does not act physically, he will have that “animal-like” mindset.
At that moment, X generates a gati (character) corresponding to “bhava,” or existence similar to an animal. That, in turn, leads to grasping a corresponding “bhava.” Then “bhava paccayā jāti” can lead to a similar “jāti” or birth at that time, i.e., X will behave like an animal.
There, X generated a corresponding “bhava” in his mind because he got “bonded” to that situation via compatible thoughts, i.e., he developed a corresponding “bhava” in his mind. Results (effects) correspond to causes: it is the principle of causality or “cause and effect.” If X keeps cultivating that “gati” or habit, corresponding kinds of “bhava” and “jāti” in future lives are inevitable.
Strong feelings under such conditions create subtle energies called “kammic energy.” That energy can build up over time to generate a subtle/fine “manomaya kāya” corresponding to a new existence (bhava.)
My question: Suppose X still has the kammic energy to live 1000 years as a human and he attaches himself to the unwholesome state of mind of an animal and maintains it until death. Will this Kamma Bhava lead to an animal’s Uppatti Bhava??
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Yes. If his mindset does not change before the end of the human existence of 1000 years, he is likely to be born an animal.
- However, changing one’s gati within that time is entirely possible.
- If suitable conditions appear, one can change gati in a very short time. Angulimala’s “killer gati (mindset)” was removed within a few hours of meeting the Buddha.
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Thank you for this clarification, sir.
- I now understand more clearly what Lord Buddha meant by “it is extremely rare to grasp and hold human bhava”. Even though one can be reborn as a human several times within one bhava, the majority of people develop Kamma bhava, which leads to Uppatti Bhava of the 4 apayas during their Jathī (They commit Anantariyas Papa Kammas and hold destructive mental states). This is why when we are puthujunas, we must be very careful with our states of mind. When one becomes a Sotāpanna, the Kamma Bhava, which leads to the Uppatti Bhava of the 4 apayas, is eliminated.
- When one becomes a Sakadāgāmi, the Kamma Bhava, which leads to the Uppatti Bhava corresponding to the realms below the deva realms, is eliminated.
- When one becomes an anagami, the Kamma bhava which leads to the Uppatti Bhava corresponding to the Kāma loka is eliminated.
- When one becomes an arahant, one will experience Kamma bhava but it will not generate any Uppatti Bhava which leads to the 31 realms. All Kamma Bhava is destroyed during Parinibbāna.
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Jittananto wrote: “When one becomes an Arahant, one will experience Kamma bhava but it will not generate any Uppatti Bhava which leads to the 31 realms. All Kamma Bhava is destroyed during Parinibbāna.”
1. An Arahant does not generate kamma bhava.
- Kamma bhava is generated while engaging in a kamma with raga, dosa, or moha.
2. Furthermore, an Arahant does not belong to kama bhava, rupa bhava, or arupa bhava. Also, note the difference between kamma bhava and kama bhava.
- For example, an Arahant born with a human body will be at the “kama dhatu” stage and not get to “kama bhava.”
- When that Arahant gets into a jhana, his mind stops at the “rupa dhatu” stage and does not progress to “rupa bhava.”
- When that Arahant gets into an arupa samapatti, his mind stops at the “arupa dhatu” stage and does not progress to “arupa bhava.”
3. The following chart has a lot of information, including #1 and #2 above.
Please feel free to ask questions. These are somewhat technical issues, but resolving them will help you understand the concept of “distorted sanna ” and related concepts.
4. P.S. Let me give the following examples to get you all to think about and fully understand:
- Consider an Anagami who has not cultivated jhana. Since he has removed kama raga, his/her mind will not go beyond the bahiddha vinnana in kama dhatu and enter the ajjhatta vinnana in kama loka.
- Next, consider an Anagami who has cultivated the first jhana, for example. While not in that jhana, his/her mind will similarly stay at the bahiddha vinnana in kama dhatu. When in the jhana, his/her mind will go beyond the bahiddha vinnana in rupa dhatu and enter the “rupa loka.”
- In another example, consider a “human Arahant” who has cultivated the first jhana. When in the jhana, his/her mind will not go beyond the bahiddha vinnana in rupa dhatu and enter the “rupa loka.” It will stay in the bahiddha vinnana in rupa dhatu while in the jhana.
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Very good!
The connection to the chart is given in the “Dutiyabhava Sutta (AN 3.77)“: “Kāmadhātuve pakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho kāma bhavo paññāyethā”ti?
- The Buddha asks Ven. Ananda, “If, Ānanda, there was no kamma took place, would it be possible for the kāmadhātu to ripen (expand) and transition into kāma bhava?”
- The answer was “no.”
In the above chart, the sensory input makes the mind fall into kama dhatu. It automatically gets the “kama sanna.“
- However, the mind would automatically generate “mano kamma” (“kāma saṅkappa” or “mano sankhara“) ONLY IF it attaches to that kama sanna. That must happen for the mind to enter kama bhava.
- Since an Arahant or an Anagami has removed kama raga, their minds WILL NOT enter kama bhava.
That was briefly explained in #10 of “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation” which I quote below.
10. The “Sanidāna Sutta (SN 14.12)“ points out the general sequence of steps involved in kamma accumulation based on any sensory input in kāma loka. We discussed that in the post “Upaya and Upādāna – Two Stages of Attachment.”
- “Kāma dhātuṁ, bhikkhave, paṭicca uppajjati kāma saññā, kāma saññaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma saṅkappo, kāma saṅkappaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāmacchando, kāmacchandaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma pariḷāho, kāma pariḷāhaṁ paṭicca uppajjati kāma pariyesanā.” OR “Attachment to kāma dhātu leads to kāma saññā, attachment to kāma saññā leads to kāma saṅkappa, attachment to kāma saṅkappa leads to kāmacchanda..and so on to kāma pariyesanā.“
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