[Amin]

Hello everybody,

This is a Dhamma sermon delivered by Venerable Deegoda Dhammadassi to a group of Dhamma practitioners. It focuses a lot on Asmimana and also touches on things like Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta, and Paticcasamuppada.

Some of the questions that were sent:

1. Is it possible for anyone below an Arahant to experience an uncontaminated Citta (Pañcakkhandha)?

For example, let’s consider an ordinary person experiencing a visual event:
When light reflects off an object and reaches the physical eye, it triggers a chain reaction. This reaction generates electrical impulses, which travel through the optic nerve to the visual cortex of the brain. The brain processes these signals into a form the mind can comprehend, then transmits them via Cakkhu Pasāda. This results in the arising of a Citta, which includes fractions of Rūpa, Vedanā, Saññā, Saṅkhāra, and Viññāṇa. At this moment, a fraction of visual experience occurs.

However, for anyone below an Arahant, due to Avijjā (ignorance) regarding the true nature of reality (Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta), a false sense of self (“I”) is added to this experience.

This creates the illusion of an “I” that is experiencing the sight.

Is this correct? If so, does that mean all our experiences are always contaminated by ignorance? In other words, do we always experience Pañcūpādānakkhandha rather than Pañcakkhandha?

In this context, how does a Sotāpanna perceive the sense of “I”?

Here’s the video: The Tower of Nibbāna
And here’s the transcription: The Tower of Nibbāna

Feel free to check it out and share any thoughts!

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Yash RS

[Lal]

I have been traveling the whole day and just saw Amin’s post. I have not watched the video.

• A puthujjana has never experienced pañcakkhandha (which is free of defilements). It is also called pabhassara citta.
• It is pañcaupadanakkhandha that arises for a puthujjana with any sensory input. Then they always attach to it in the “purana kamma” stage with at least avijja.

I would like to see this discussed. It is a critically important issue.

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Amin, Yash RS

[Amin]

Sorry for the unintended restriction on the PDF file. I’ve removed it now, so everyone should be able to download and view it.

Google drive

Drop box

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Yash RS

[Yash RS]

I have read the transcription till page 13. It exactly addresses what we need to focus on.

Also the Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta meaning is the same as interpreted by Jethvanarama Buddhist monastery. It says things are based on causes and conditions, that’s why we cannot keep them the way we want. This is how expectation arises as we “fix” that effect as an entity and perceive essence in it.

The thero has perfectly explained all that and how all the three are interconnected.

Thanks Amin for this valuable piece of Dhamma.

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Amin

[Yash RS]

I have read the whole pdf and it has answered the Asmi Mana part very clearly. That John example was very good.

Thanks again Amin for this valuable piece of Dhamma 

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Amin

[Lal]

Amin asked:

“However, for anyone below an Arahant, due to Avijjā (ignorance) regarding the true nature of reality (Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta), a false sense of self (“I”) is added to this experience.

This creates the illusion of an “I” that is experiencing the sight.

Is this correct? If so, does that mean all our experiences are always contaminated by ignorance? In other words, do we always experience Pañcūpādānakkhandha rather than Pañcakkhandha?

In this context, how does a Sotāpanna perceive the sense of “I”?“

______

The “distorted saññā” makes one think certain sensory inputs are “valuable/enjoyable,” i.e., they are of icca, sukha, and atta nature.

• That leads to the following three results: (i) one attaches to it with tanhā thinking, “this is suitable to be mine” (etaṁ mama), (ii) One generates a sense of “me/mine” or asmi māna (esohamasmi), and (iii) One generates the wrong view or “diṭṭhi” that such things are beneficial.
• A  Sotapanna only removes the third one, specifically sakkāya diṭṭhi.
• The next one to be removed is tanhā, which is removed in three stages. Kāma tanhā is lessened at the Sakadāgāmi stage and removed at the Anāgāmi stage. Rupa tanha and arupa tanha are removed at the Arahant stage.
• The last one to be removed is asmi māna, which is the sense of a “me/mine.” That is removed only at the Arahant stage.

See “Etaṁ Mama, Esohamasmi, Eso Me Attā’ti – What Does It Mean?” and “Fooled by Distorted Saññā (Sañjānāti) – Origin of Attachment (Taṇhā).”

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Amin

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