[Tobias G]

There seems to be an error in # 13:

“…Asati just means keeping the mind ways away from bad thoughts that involve greed, anger, ignorance. …”

I think it must be “Sati just means keeping the mind ways away from bad thoughts that involve greed, anger, ignorance. …”

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[Lal]

Thanks, Tobias.

I revised the whole post and #13 was revised as follows:

– One must keep the attention (sati) on “good things”  and remove attention away (asati) from “bad things”  too while keeping the “sati mindset.”
– By the way, there is no “asati” cetasika or a “bad mental factor”; it has only the ordinary meaning. Asati means keeping the mind away from any ārammana or any “thought object.”
– Asati means “not being focused on a given thought object”. There is ONLY one meaning for asati.

Let me know if it is still unclear.

P.S. It is critical to understand sati/asati. Also, see, “Imasmim Sati Idam Hoti – What Does It Really Mean?“.

“Imasmim sati idam hōti, imassa uppādā idam uppajjati; imasmim asati idam na hōti, imassa nirōdhā idam nirujjhatī ti”. This is a famous phrase that appears in most suttas that describe Paticca Samuppāda (Dependent Origination).

Unless we focus our mind on a certain defiled thought object (ārammana), we will not generate bad sankhara and thus bad kamma. In fact, this is why all living beings are able to cultivate jhana and get to the brahma realms when the Earth is destroyed at the end of this aeon. All “mind-pleasing objects” will get gradually destroyed. Nothing to get attached to!
– So, this is important in order to understand the Agganna Sutta, and the current series of posts on the “Origin of Life“.
– Of course, this only SUPPRESSES defilements; they remain as anusaya. That is why all those beings get back their “bad gati” when the Earth is re-formed and “mind-pleasing objects” re-appear on the Earth.

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