Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
In extreme cases, a “human bhava” may end prematurely, even without doing an anantariya kamma.
- For example, if someone cultivates “peta gati” (greed) to extreme levels, their gandhabba will keep cultivating that gati when they die. Then, that “human gandhabba” may gradually change into that of a “peta” (hungry ghost.)
- I have not seen a specific account in the Tipitaka, but I remember listening to Waharaka Thero‘s discourse in which he pointed out that possibility.
The following is the explanation that I referred to in my earlier comment. I had referred to the post “The Origin of Matter – Suddhāṭṭhaka” there. Did you not read it? If there are questions, you (or anyone else) can quote any unclear statement and ask questions.
1. Yes. Our physical bodies are made to be compatible with our perceptions. We taste honey as sweet, and it is also nutritious.
- On the other hand, we taste rotten meat to be yucky, and we will also get sick if we eat it. Our bodies are not “compatible” with extracting nutrition from rotten meat.
- On the other hand, pigs like the taste of rotten meat, and their bodies are compatible with extracting nutrition from it.
2. Here is a profound point to consider: Everything in the material world is made of suddhāṭṭhaka, which are the “basic building blocks” according to Buddha Dhamma (sort of like atoms are building blocks according to science, but an atom is made of billions of suddhāṭṭhaka.)
- A suddhāṭṭhaka has eight components: pathavi, āpo, tejo, vāyo and vaṇṇa, gandha, rasa, oja.
- Anything in the material world is of all EIGHT components. However, the relative amounts of the eight components vary. For example, a stone is mostly pathavi, but it has all eight components; in a stone, pathavi dominates and all others are at low levels. For example, crocodiles eat mud and are able to extract nutrition from it.
- The “attracting qualities” (sweetness, pleasing colors, etc) in our food comes from the four components of vaṇṇa, gandha, rasa, oja. Specifically, the sweetness in honey comes from rasa.
3. As the post “The Origin of Matter – Suddhāṭṭhaka” explains, the eight components in a suddhāṭṭhaka have origins in the mind (specifically in javana cittas.) The following #9 is extracted from that post:
“9. The mind creates four types of gati (pathavi, āpo, tejo, and vāyo) due to avijjā or ignorance. We like to have possession of things made out of these units because we do not comprehend the “unfruitful nature” of such impermanent things.
- The craving for material things leads to four more gati due to taṇhā. Due to our tendency to think highly (“varnanā karanava” in Sinhala), another gati of “vaṇṇa” is created as different manifestations of the four primary bhūta of pathavi, āpo, tejo, and vāyo. Similarly, three more units of gandha, rasa, and oja are created due to taṇhā. Those correspond to our desire to be in touch with them and be “fooled” (gandha), keep them close (rassa), and re-generate them (oja).
- It will take too much space to explain these in detail, but I hope you get the basic idea. Further information at “Bhūta and Yathābhūta – What Do They Really Mean.” See #5 there, clarifying the transition from “gati” to “bhuta” to “mahā bhūta” stages.”
4. Here is the most profound point: Our physical bodies are not the primary part of us. Instead, it is the “mental body” or the “manomaya kaya” (gandhabba). The main part of the manomaya kaya is a single suddhāṭṭhaka, made of the same eight components. That is the hadaya vatthu, where our thoughts (cittas) arise.
- However, unlike inert matter like a rock, the hadaya vatthu has all our “human gati” associated with it.
- That is why we are instinctively attracted to the “sweetness of honey,” “sight of a beautiful person,” etc.
- A pig’s hadaya vatthu has all its “pig gati” associated with it.
- P.S. The ” distorted saññā” is associated with the hadaya vatthu!
- This is a deep point, but it could be helpful.
3 users thanked author for this post.
The meaning of “vow” is a “pledge.”
- According to Buddha Dhamma, things happen due to causes and conditions, not due to a “pledge.”
However, one could possibly make an effort and prepare suitable conditions to be born in a Deva realm rather than in the human realm. The first two are complex questions that I am not qualified to answer. Probably, only a Buddha can answer such questions.
- It is a matter of cultivating “manussa gati” versus “Deva gati.”
- Generally, a Deva birth is possible for those who engage in punna kamma. But one can make sure to be born in a Deva realm by attaining the Sakadagami stage, i.e., by losing kama raga to some extent.
- If one constantly thinks about the idea of remaining in the human realm to help other humans, that could possibly become a factor.
- Of course, one must be a Sotapanna to be free from the apayas; that involves the elimination of the three ditthi samyojana.
Q3: No. By definition, a Sakadagami will not be reborn as a human. They will be reborn in a Deva realm and attain a higher stage from there.
3 users thanked author for this post.
“It seems very similar to satipatthana.”
- No, it is not. It is a very superficial analysis, even though there is nothing wrong with it.
- Satipatthana leads to Nibbana. Does that analysis lead to Nibbana?
1 user thanked author for this post.
Yes. All external objects (rocks, trees, etc) are also made of suddhāṭṭhaka. Are they not?
- I would not say they are “contaminated.” In Buddha Dhamma, “contamination” refers to raga, dosa, and moha. Rocks or trees don’t generate thoughts.
- Everything in this world is made of suddhāṭṭhaka.
But this is a deeper point, which will become clear as one makes progress. Yet, if one understands that a suddhāṭṭhaka means eight components, it should be evident. In addition to apo, tejo, pathavi, and vayo, there are four more: vaṇṇa, gandha, rasa, and oja. The latter four arise due to cravings.
- I see that I forgot to mention the post where this is discussed: “The Origin of Matter – Suddhāṭṭhaka“
- Each living being “prepares” its future births. All living beings (collectively) prepare the world they live in.
2 users thanked author for this post.
No. The only way to reduce the duration of a “human bhava” is to engage in an anantariya kamma.
- Harmful anantariya kammas, including killing one’s parents, killing an Arahant, etc. (five types), end one’s human bhava when the physical body dies. Upon the death of the physical body, one will be reborn in an apaya even if more kammic energy for the human bhava remains.
- Beneficial anantariya kammas are cultivating jhana and attaining magga phala. If a jhana is cultivated, one will be reborn in the corresponding Brahma realm. If a magga phala is attained, one may be reborn in a higher realm, depending on the magga phala. For example, an Anagami will be reborn in a Brahma realm reserved for them upon the death of the physical body.
The length of ” human bhava” depends on the kammic energy responsible for it.
- So, it should not depend on the lifetime of the “physical human body,” which only depends on the environmental conditions.
1 user thanked author for this post.
Yes. The “Mahāpadāna Sutta (DN 14)“ provides the lifetimes of humans during the times of previous Buddhas, and those are correct.
- I have seen this issue in several places. Even the Tipitaka Commentaries may not be entirely accurate. Those were composed by Arahants, who are not as knowledgeable as a Buddha. In this case, they used the lifetime known to them. Also, we need to remember that these kinds of details are not connected to wisdom; they are just bits of information.
- Therefore, we must always prioritize the Sutta Pitaka over the other two Pitakas in the Tipitaka.
P.S. We also need to remember that this age limit refers to the lifetime of the physical human body. Human existence may last even for many hundreds of thousands of years, i.e., the lifetime of the “mental body” or “manomaya kaya” or “gandhabba” can be very long. During that time, one can be born with a physical human body numerous times.
3 users thanked author for this post.
Yes. That moment is also called “sappabhāsa citta” (or “paccupaṭṭhita sati“) in some suttas (especially regarding the attainment of magga phala higher than the Sotapanna stage).
- We have not discussed it yet on this website.
Everything happens due to causes and conditions.
- We all have done innumerable good and bad kamma in our previous lives.
- Kammic energies associated with them “wear out” over very long times, over many maha kappas or eons.
- They can bring their vipaka when appropriate conditions materialize. Thus, we can avoid some vipaka by avoiding “bad conditions.” In your example, the probability of getting raped increases if a girl goes out at night alone to a “bad neighborhood.”
- Some kamma (anantarika kamma) will definitely bring vipaka, without exception.
- Some kamma materialize simply because one is born with a physical body (due to a past kamma) and is subjected to natural processes. For example, most people living in an area affected by a flood or an earthquake may be killed.
- The subject of kamma vipaka is one of the four “incomprehensible things” (capabilities of a Buddha, subject of jhana, kamma vipāka, and details of the world): “Acinteyya Sutta (AN 4.77).”
P.S. Also, see “What is Kamma? – Is Everything Determined by Kamma?”
4 users thanked author for this post.
Regarding (2):
- Yes. That post is correct, Lang. Thank you for pointing that out.
- The Sotapanna Anugami stage happens at the Gotrabu moment when a puthujjana changes the lineage to the “Ariya” status.
- The “phala moment” may come later to reach the “full-pledged” Sotapanna stage.
P.S. The gotrabu stage in the jhanic process changes the lineage from the “kama loka” to the “rupa loka.”
1 user thanked author for this post.
Waharaka Thero mentioned it in a discourse a long time ago. I searched for the sutta but could not find it in the Sutta Pitaka. It could be in the Vinaya Pitaka. It is not easy to search the Vinaya Pitaka.
1 user thanked author for this post.
Yes. “upacāra samadhi” is needed to attain magga phala, and no jhānās are required. Furthermore, jhānic states are achieved in an entirely different way.
- See #13 through #16 of the post “Citta Vīthi – Processing of Sense Inputs.”
- “Google Translate” can translate the French post that Jittananto quoted, but I don’t know how accurate it would be.
P.S. Also, to reach magga phala, two more stages of Anuloma (A) and Gotrabu (G) must be accessed. For example, a Sotapanna Anugami may reach the upacāra samadhi and not go through the other two stages for a while (could be months or years) until attaining the Sotapanna phala.
1 user thanked author for this post.
Yash asked: “So this is what I am trying to ask. It only depends on the Upadana or “liking” for that act that generates kamma.”
- Yes. That is true. Most “strong kamma” occur after the “tanha paccaya upadana” stage (i.e., in the “nava kamma” stage), as we have discussed recently: “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation“
- In the “Nibbedhika Sutta (AN 6.63)“: “Cetanāhaṁ, bhikkhave, kammaṁ vadāmi. Cetayitvā kammaṁ karoti—kāyena vācāya manasā.” Here, it is essential to note that “cetanā” is “sancetanā” or “with raga, dosa, moha in mind.” With a defiled mind, one engages in defiled actions, speech, and thoughts.
P.S. Here, “. Cetayitvā kammaṁ karoti” means “one engages in kamma generation knowingly, consciously.” That happens after the “tanha paccaya upadana” stage or in the “nava kamma” stage.
1 user thanked author for this post.
