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There are two types of asurās. One is a type of Deva, and the other belongs to the apāyās.
- I will take a look at the suttās you quoted and make some comments later.
This is a subtle point. Those vedanā that arise in an Arahant are a manifestation of “distorted saññā.”
- An Arahant does not experience a “pure mind” while living daily life. His/her physical body formed at birth, before attaining Arahanthood. The “distorted saññā” (note that it is not defiled, i.e., does not have rāga, dosa, or moha) arises in anyone born with a physical body.
- However, when Arahants are in “Arahant-phala samāpatti” (where they experience the pure mind realized at the Arahant-phala moment), they do not experience the “distorted saññā.” While in that samāpatti, they do not experience vedanā associated with the “distorted saññā.”
- See #7 and #8 of “Saññā Nidānā hi Papañca Saṅkhā – Immoral Thoughts Based on ‘Distorted Saññā’” for details.
It could be: “Yoniso Manasikāra and Paṭicca Samuppāda” or “Citta and Cetasika – How Viññāṇa (Consciousness) Arises.”
- You can use the “Search” box on the top right to locate all posts related to “manasikara” by typing that word.
The post cubibobi referred to is: “The Infinity Problem in Buddhism.”
- I just revised it to add new links.
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Yes, that is correct in a way.
- Even saddhā (faith) is based on understanding. Therefore, it is also related to paññā. One must be able to comprehend the teachings of the Buddha.
- Both dhammānusāri and saddhānusāri must cultivate all five indriya. There is no need to specifically cultivate each separately. All five indriya will grow as one cultivates the path.
- The main task is to learn (janato) and contemplate (passato) the correct teachings until the concepts sink into the mind: ““Jānato Passato” and Ājāniya – Critical Words to Remember.”
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I listened to the first link, a discourse by Waharaka Thero. The following is the relevant summary.
1. There are three types of Buddhās: (i) Some cultivate the path to Buddhahood with “wisdom” (paññā). They are “පඥ්ඥා අධික.” (ii) Some have viriya (effort) predominant. They are “විරිය අධික.” (iii) Others have saddhā (faith) indriya predominant. They are “සද්ධා අධික.”
2. We all have five indriya or faculties: saddhā, viriya, sati, samādhi, paññā.
- Even when puthujjanas cultivates the Noble Path, they belong to two groups: Those who have paññā indriya dominant (dhammānusāri) and those who have the saddhā indriya dominant (saddhānusāri).
- See #2 of “Sōtapanna Anugāmi – No More Births in the Apāyās.”
3. Even though each Bodhisatta may have one indriya predominant, when attaining Buddhahood, they all reach the highest levels of all five indriya at Buddhahood.
- That is why all the Buddhas are equal.
- In the same way, even though puthujjanas start on the Noble Path as dhammānusāri or saddhānusāri, at the Arahant stage, they all become equal.
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I will listen to the videos and make some comments later.
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Yes. I have listened to a discourse by Waharaka Thero in which it is mentioned that some with niyata miccha ditthi (well-established wrong views) will be reborn in “specially harsh hells” outside the Solar system.
- As I remember, those will be relatively few, and most will be in the Abhassara realm.
- If we can locate that original audio from Waharaka Thero, we can look into it.
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A detailed analysis of Māluṅkyaputta Sutta and the Bahiya Sutta in “‘Diṭṭhe Diṭṭhamattaṁ Bhavissati’ – Connection to Saññā.”
Here is another way to understand the “purāna kamma” and “nava kamma” stages.
- Free will can operate only in the “nava kamma” stage. In contrast, we don’t have free will in the “purāna kamma” stage.
- This is discussed in “Free Will in Buddhism – Connection to Sankhāra.”
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My apologies! I am not sure how I missed it.
- If there is no response, please don’t hesitate to ask again.
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1. We have six sense faculties. Those for an Arahant are called “six indriya.” For a puthujjana (average human), they are used with rāga, dosa, or moha in the mind, and they are called “the six āyatana.”
- The six āyatana are usually called cakkhu, sota, ghana, jivhā, kāya, and mano without explicitly referring to them as cakkhu āyatana, mana āyatana, etc.
- For an Arahant, they are cakkhu indirya, mana indriya, etc.
2. Even though a sense event may come through one of the five physical senses, they are always registered in the mind, and the response is via mana āyatana (manāyatana).
- Thus, the responses (saṅkhāra) to any sense input in both purana and nava kamma stages arise in manāyatana. Hence, they are all ‘mano saṅkhāra.’
- However, those mano saṅkhāra in the “purana kamma” stage (without conscious thinking) are very weak, compared to those in the “nava kamma” stage. They are called “saṅkappa.”
- In contrast, those mano saṅkhāra that arise in the “nava kamma” stage, arise in javana citta (consciously), are strong.
3. So, the answer to the question: “Does mano saṅkhāra operate in both the purāṇa kamma and nava kamma stages?” is yes. But they have different strengths.
- Only those in the “nava kamma” stage can bring vipāka in future lives.
- Saṅkappa (weak mano saṅkhāra in the “purana kamma” stage) cannot bring vipāka in future lives.
Yes. It appears that you need one-to-one sessions with a teacher. I provided my input in response to your earlier comment in a different thread. As I pointed out, many people equate Nibbana to “cease existing” and thus become fearful of following the Noble Path. The solution is to fully understand that Nibbana does not mean the end of an “existing soul-type entity.” I don’t think discussing that in detail is possible in this forum.
- If you like, you can let us know the outcome of the meeting; this is a personal issue, so we understand if you don’t. I hope it will help you get on track.
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1. Yes. What Dawson called “transcendent truths” (Four Noble Truths//Paṭicca Samuppāda/Tilakkhana) are Nature’s laws.
- Those laws never change and apply anywhere in the universe at any time. They are “universal truths.”
- All Buddhas discover those laws through their efforts. Any given Buddha does not invent them; they merely re-discover the hidden truths.
- After a Buddha passes away, those teachings will be lost over the years. Then, until the next Buddha is born, they disappear.
- Some of these are discussed in “Pāramitā – How a Puthujjana Becomes a Buddha.”
2. Mundane laws apply to geographic locations, cultures, etc., as Stacy pointed out.
- They can evolve as the societies evolve. Interactions with other parts of the world can influence such changes, as we can see today.
- Since they change over time, such laws/rules/customs are not based on “universal truths.”
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I don’t know whether it’s “Vijānanti” or “Vinānanti.” I can’t find a sutta with either.
- But Pitā means father, and Mātā means mother. “Pitā ca Mātā” means “father and/or mother.”
- The rough meaning is probably “Dhamma is better than father or mother.”
Stacy asked: “Regarding Jhana, do we must stay away from all heavy sensual activities like sex, substance, etc.?”
- When following Buddha’s teachings, one must take a step-by-step approach.
- One starts living a moral life first. Staying away from sensual activities like sex comes later with an understanding of their adverse consequences. See “Is It Necessary for a Buddhist to Eliminate Sensual Desires?“
- Cultivating jhana is not necessary. See “Samādhi, Jhāna, Magga Phala – Introduction.”
Stacy asked: “I still find myself often conflicted on whether pure materialism is correct (that consciousness is an emergent property of neuronal activities of the brain) or if there is something else going on. I don’t want to adamantly reject any possibility but I’m desperate to know how it works.”
- There is an extensive series of posts in “Origin of Life.”
- I suggest scanning them to see whether any posts interest you.
