[Anonymous]

Hālo,

In the post “The Origin of Matter – Suddhāshtaka” it discusses how kammic energy is cyclical as opposed to “a Big Bang where everything “popped up” all of a sudden”.

If everything here is recycled substance (a sankata colored by the defiled/covered mind by the means of valuing or devaluing), how is it that a kammic energy fades away if everything is cyclic?

For example, a normal person colors (generates sankhāra/samphassa) when a kamma vipāka (which is kammic neutral) appears to make new kammic energy. So, in the case of an Arahant b/c they don’t do any coloring, how is it that an energy (suddhāshtaka) can fade away if everything is cyclical? Does cyclical only apply to sankhāra?

Also, where does the “1000 fold” bad or good kammic energy come from upon repayment/kamma vipāka arising? If we only personally put in “x” amount of energy into the akusala/kusala bucket, who’s putting in the other 999%

Another question that pops into mind, if an Arahant isn’t generating any energy to keep the gandhabba in existence, what is? Is it other people? I read about a person that seems to be a pacceka Buddha, said to followers as his body was decaying rapidly, “it is all of you that is keeping me alive”. Is this right?

Much metta!

[Lal]

1. “In the post “The Origin of Matter – Suddhāshtaka” it discusses how kammic energy is cyclical”.

-That is not correct. Kammic energy is NOT recycled. That kammic energy can bring vipaka, and based on those vipaka, we do NEW kamma and create NEW kammic energy. So one could accumulate many such kamma beeja during a given life. That is why the rebirth process does not end for a normal human.

2. “Also, where does the “1000 fold” bad or good kammic energy come from upon repayment/kamma vipāka arising? If we only personally put in “x” amount of energy into the akusala/kusala bucket, who’s putting in the other 999%”

– All that is said in that post (or any other post) is that a seemingly “small” kamma actually may have vipaka that SEEMS TO BE disproportionate; but actually it is not disproportionate.
– For example, we may think that killing a human by shooting once with a gun, could not bring vipaka where one will be subjected to suffering in the apayas for millions of years. But that is how kamma/kamma vipaka work. The javana power that arise in a mind is responsible for that. In order to kill a human, a lot of hate must arise in a mind. This is why kamma is a subject that is acinteyya (not fully understandable) by a human other than a Buddha.

3. “Another question that pops into mind, if an Arahant isn’t generating any energy to keep the gandhabba in existence, what is?”

– The physical body of the Arahant (and the gandhabba within that body) arose due to a past kamma (i.e., a kamma beeja that was created in the past). The physical body and the gandhabba will be kept alive by that previous kammic energy.
– For a normal human, another existing kamma beeja will initiate a new bhava (and new jati), when the kammic energy for the current human bhava runs out. Then that energy will support potentially many births during that bhava, until that energy runs out, and so on. It is never ending process until Parinibbana.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much, Lal! No wonder why my apple this morning was black at the core. I’m paying attention to those images again…”obstacles”! See my post below.

Sädhu, Sädhu, Sädhu!

[Anonymous]

BTW, the “colored recycled substance” came from an image shown to me while meditating this morning. The most significant realization I got from this is the worthlessness of it all and how “the nature” entices one down a slippery slope to commit dasa akusala.

This morning “the nature” served up an apple that was rotting from the core outward. It was blackest at the core (rotten seeds, haha). In a moment of samphassa >> akusala mula PS cycle, I showed it to my roommate and unmindfully said “I’m not getting my apples from XYZ grocery store anymore”. Thus, committing pisunāvācā (slandering) before even noticing.

The nature may be neutral, but in this world full of old “colored recycled substance” (i.e., tasty worms and not so tasty worms), when you compare apples to apples, “the green” and “the RED” are the same. Here lies the the danger and vicious downward spiral that we are faced with here in these 31 realms of suffering.

More and more, I’m seeing the value of silence, simplicity and heedfulness which are continually increasing the determination to get out of here.

Much metta!

[Author]

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