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Hello Gad. Don’t worry. Your English is improving, and we can get the idea you are trying to convey.
The analogy is not bad.
- However, a simpler version could be the following: Suppose someone buys a car expecting it to bring happiness by allowing visits to various places of interest. So, he is joyful and drives around to many such places. But, then, he runs out of places that he can reach by car. As you pointed out, he can no longer use it for his enjoyment because there are places (say overseas) that he cannot get to with the car. Finally, the car breaks down without fulfilling his desires.
- Anything of “seemingly of value” in this world is like that. It will not fulfill one’s expectations in the end. Unless we make progress on the Noble Path, we all will die after doing many activities that don’t leave us with any tangible benefit.
It is good to contemplate such analogies. That will help the “idea of anicca, dukkha, anatta nature” of anything in this world sink into one’s mind.
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The following are two good books to start:
- “Pali – Buddha’s language,” by Kurt Schmidt
- “Pali Primer,” by Lily De Silva
Following are two more resources online:
- “Concise Pali-English Dictionary
A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera” (my favorite dictionary) - “Learn Pali” (I have not looked at this site carefully; it seems to be good)
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Just like “cakkhu dhātu” evolves into “cakkhuviññāṇa dhātu,” “mano dhātu” evolves into “manouviññāṇa dhātu.”
- The first five (cakkhu, sota, ghāna, jivhā, kāya) are active (in addition to mano) in the kama loka and rupa loka.
- None of the first five are present in the arupa loka; it has only the mind (mano.)
Similarly, in arupa loka, the mind is triggered by dhammā and develops into “manouviññāṇa dhātu.”
- Of course, it is also triggered by the five physical senses in kama loka; for example, “Cakkhuviññāṇadhātuyā uppajjitvā niruddhasamanantarā uppajjati cittaṁ mano mānasaṁ hadayaṁ paṇḍaraṁ mano manāyatanaṁ manindriyaṁ viññāṇaṁ viññāṇakkhandho tajjā mano dhātu.”
Yes. “sabba dhammesu” refers to that.
- I will start a new series to discuss that in detail after finalizing a post or two on “kama guna.” Please hold further questions until then.
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What you should do is encourage anyone to learn Buddha Dhamma.
- Whether anyone can even be a Sotapanna depends on that person’s abilities.
- Each person will make progress in their own way. Of course, one may become a Buddha if one cultivates all the requirements; that usually takes a long time, certainly not within this life or even within this eon (Maha Kappa) because the next Buddha to appear (Buddha Maitreya) is already in the Tusita Deva realm.
- But there could be a few Bodhisattas in the process of fulfilling those capabilities.
This idea that anyone can be a Buddha, like Buddha Gotama, is a Mahayana idea. See “Key Problems with Mahāyāna Teachings.”
Yes. Some gati (habits) do not have associated defilements. Arahants may have those.
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1. As I understand, you experienced a relationship breakup at the age of 17. Yes. That could have made you subconsciously think about the “anicca nature.”
2. Regarding this possibility: Yes. You could have had “Buddhist gati” to some extent at the time of birth, but it could have been “overtaken” by strong miccha ditthi anusaya.
3. Yes. One can have many gati. There can be “lobha gati,” “dosa gati,” “gati for liking a certain sport,” “gati to be attracted to a certain political view,” etc.
- However, the Buddha described only five broad categories of gati that lead to five broad categories of rebirth: Hell (niraya), the animal realm, the ghost realm, the human realm (manussa,) and the Deva realms. Here the six Deva realms and the higher Brahma realms are collectively called the “Deva realm.”
- All types of gati fall into one of those five “major gati.“
- See “Gati Sutta (AN 9.68).” The translator does not understand “gati,” but in this case, the title gives the correct idea.
- Those gati are removed gradually as one progresses on the Noble Path. An Arahant would have no gati left.
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It is correct that, in general, births are according to one’s gati.
1. One possibility is that you probably did not have the “Buddhist gati” at the time of your birth.
- It is possible that something happened around age 17 to change your gati.
- There are others too who are born into one religion but adopt another later in their lives. Some life events can change one’s destiny!
2. Another possibility is that you may have had “Buddhist gati” at the time of your birth, but a strong kamma vipaka overcame that effect.
3. A third possibility is that even though your “Buddhist gati” did not match the family, there may have been another strong gati that did match!
As you wrote, these are complex issues.
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Good work!
I will discuss some of those suttas in the upcoming posts. It is critically important to grasp some fundamental concepts to get a self-consistent picture. That is why I stopped revising a couple of posts on kama guna. It is necessary to discuss some relevant issues first.
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Hitting a child will not necessarily bring “bad kamma vipaka.”
- As always, it depends on one’s INTENTION.
- Hitting a child for a wrong action of the child (to discipline the child) will not bring “bad kamma vipaka.”
- However, one must be careful not to generate anger. Take a moment to reflect on the situation; it is not a good idea to act with anger. Also, explain to the child why he is being punished, and why he should not engage in such “bad actions.”
Using foul language is definitely not good. We must try to control our anger.
- If someone offends you, first try to figure out why they are doing it. It could be for a legitimate reason (that you are unaware of.) If you have done something wrong to offend that person, it is best to apologize.
- If you are convinced that you have not done anything wrong, it is still better to avoid confrontations. Some people do have bad intentions; one must ALWAYS try NOT TO associate with such people. Trying to retaliate will escalate the situation and will bring more harm to both.
See my comment #45773 in:
- Hatred cannot be overcome by more hatred, i.e., retaliation.
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The “sweetness in sugar,” etc., comes from “kāma saññā” and NOT from “kāma guna.” I will explain that in upcoming posts. Thanks for pointing this out, LDF!
- LDF’s comment is embedded above, #45806.
- I just revised my comment #20422.
Thank you.
It is an old post that needed more revisions. I updated it: “Expanding “Consciousness” by Purifying the Mind.”
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1. The Wikipedia article “Sanātana Dharma” says: “Sanātana Dharma refers to the “eternal” truth and teachings of Hinduism.
2. Buddha Dhamma is also an eternal Dhamma: It describes the world’s true nature. In the above verse, one such truth is that “That Dhamma (Buddha Dhamma with non-hatred or loving-kindness) accomplishes the end of ‘san’“ as I explained above.
3. Many of the teachings in the Vedas are mundane versions of the Buddha Dhamma taught by Buddha Kassapa, who appeared before Buddha Gotama. Of course, all Buddhas teach the same Paticca Samuppada Dhamma.
- As I have mentioned previously, many “Buddhist concepts” existed (in watered-down, mundane form) when Buddha Gotama was born. His mother had taken the “eight precepts” on the day the Buddha (Bodhisatta) was born.
Lang asked: “Under number 12, we have the phrase “sīti bhavissanti“, meaning “will be fully cooled down“. Does bhavissanti break down to “bhava” + “anti“?”
- It is a bit different.
- A related word is “bhavissati” meaning “bhava” + “assa” usually referring to “staying in a certain way” or “to live accordingly.”
- “bhavissanti” is plural.
- Of course, “sīti” means “cooled-down state,” another synonym for Nibbana.
“sanantano” in the above verse differs from “santana,” which is not a Pali word.
“santanano” can be interpreted as “leading to the end of “san” (i.e., “san” + “anta” where “anta” means “end”). Here “sanantano” means “end of ‘san’ is accomplished with“
Thus, the verse can be translated as follows:
“Hatred is never appeased by hatred
It is appeased only by loving-kindness
Non-hatred leads to the end of “san” (“san” + anti” rhymes as “sammanti“)
That Dhamma (Buddha Dhamma with non-hatred or loving-kindness) accomplishes the end of ‘san’“
To attain the ability to generate genuine and automatic “non-hatred,” one must understand and follow the “anicca nature” of this world. Mere adherence to “non-violence” as a “sila” cannot achieve genuine and permanent “non-hatred.” In other words, only the “Ariyakānta sila” of a Sotapanna Anugami or above can have the basis of that mindset.
I went through the following two posts carefully. Both of them need to be rewritten. I have trimmed the content in the two posts until I rewrite them.
Kāma Guna, Kāma, Kāma Rāga, Kāmaccandha
Kāma Guṇa – Origin of Attachment (Tanhā)
- Thanks to TGS and Lang for pointing out the issues.
