[Lal]

I am transferring my following comment from another thread here because it relates to the new post, “True Happiness Is the Absence of Suffering.”

It is necessary to understand the sequential approach for recovering the “pabhassara citta” (i.e., get to Nibbana).

We need to fully understand it (by further discussions and via future posts) before discussing kama guna, etc, and how to get to the Anagami stage; see below.

One way to look at the step-by-step process of recovering the “pabhassara citta” is the following. 

1. That “pabhassara citta” is covered by layers of defilements of raga, dosa, and moha (similar to a gem in the ground may be covered with layers of dirt.)

• We must remove those layers of dirt gradually to get to the “pabhassara citta.” 
• One way to look at it is to use the ten samyojana as ten layers of dirt.

2. The first three layers on the top of the gem correspond to three samyojana of sakkaya ditthi, vicikicca, silabbata paramasa. 

• Removal of those three layers is done ONLY by comprehending Four Noble Truths/Paticca Samuppada/Tilakkhana.
• One must learn the correct versions and fully understand them. A massive amount of raga, dosa, and moha is removed from the mind by UNDERSTANDING the correct worldview. This is the FIRST STEP.
• That will free a mind from rebirths in the apayas. 
• One becomes a Sotapanna upon removing those three layers or the three samyojana.

3. The second step involves two layers of kama raga and patigha.

• Those layers are removed by practicing what is learned in #2 above. That is practicing Anapanasati/Satipatthana.
• That is the hardest SECOND STEP. 
• A Soatapanna has to go through the Sakadagami stage and then get to the Anagami stage. That will make a mind free of rebirths in kama loka (apayas, human realm, and six Deva realms) completely.  An Anagami can be reborn only in a rupavacara Brahma realm.
• Anariya yogis cultivate anariya jhana and are reborn in Brahma realms (by skipping the realms in the kama loka) ONLY in the NEXT rebirth. But they do that without breaking ANY of those five samyojana involved in #2 and #3. That means they don’t REMOVE defilements (raga, dosa, moha) but only SUPPRESS them temporarily. So, they can be reborn in the apayas in the future, i.e., they are not released from the apayas.
• Understanding kama guna and getting rid of them (and thus becoming free of rebirths in the kama loka) happens in this SECOND STEP. 

4. Last five of the ten samyojana are removed at the Arahant stage. Then the mind will be free of rebirths in the arupavacara Brahma realms, also. That is the THIRD STEP.

5. Therefore, it is essential to get through the first step before being ABLE TO cultivate Ariya jhana. It is useless to cultivate anariya jhana.

• The key to getting through the first step is to remove sakkaya ditthi, the first samyojana. That will automatically remove the other two: vicikicca and silabbata paramasa.
• Removal of sakkaya ditthi means comprehending the anicca nature. 
• I highly recommend re-reading the recent post mentioned at the top of the comment. That is the basis of a series of new posts where I will discuss another way to understand the “anicca nature” of this world and remove sakkaya ditthi.

6. Even for those who may have gotten to the Sotapanna Anugami/Sotapanna stages, understanding the new series will be helpful in making further progress, i.e., how to cultivate Ariya jhana and remove the two samyojana of kama raga and patigha.

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Gad

[Lal]

I have revised the post “Dasa Samyōjana – Bonds in Rebirth Process” because it is related to the above comment.

• Please feel free to ask questions/make comments on both of those posts. I plan to write more posts with this new approach; hopefully, that will provide more insights, especially regarding the “anicca nature” of this world.
• Buddha Dhamma can be explained in many different ways. I believe this approach could make it easier to grasp the concept of anicca (and dukkha and anatta as well.)

1 user thanked author for this post.

Gad

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