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Very interesting. Thank you!
Yes. Even after the cremation of other Arahants, such “indestructible dhatu” are found and venerated.
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Thank you! You have summarized the anicca, dukkha, and anatta nature well.
But keep contemplating the suffering endured by all living beings. That is the true Metta Bhavana and that will make your mind calmer.
– I had similar feelings in the early days too. I was quite frustrated that my friends could not see the “danger”. But, then I realized I had also not realized that during all this time in the rebirth process.Thanks, Seng Kiat and Lang for the comments.
The main point is that this chart requires explanation since it is not the standard version of the “patiloma Paticca Samuppada” or the “Paticca Samuppada in reverse order.”
– In particular, there is no saddhā, etc in Paticca Samuppada. Also, the connection between “dukkha” and “saddhā” must be explained. One needs to understand that the root cause of dukkha is attachment to sensory pleasures. That understanding leads to “saddhā“.
– Therefore, the chart does explain HOW the “patiloma Paticca Samuppada” process takes place. One must understand how dukkha arises to have that “unbreakable faith/conviction” or “saddhā“. That happens at the Sotapanna Anugāmi stage.I don’t think it is an arbitrary number.
– Why does a citta vithi have 17 cittās instead of 16 or 18? That is not arbitrary. That is the nature of those things (dhammatā).
– Some such phenomena do not have to have explanations.Yes. Your interpretation is correct.
I have not recently read the sutta. But it is likely that Chieftain Pāyāsi believed in a soul and he wanted to see a soul coming out of a dying person.
Buddhist Interpretation:
If a human dies and there is more kammic energy left in the human bhava, then the gandhabba would come out. Of course, even then that gandhabba cannot be seen by the naked eye.
– If that human was at the end of human bhava, then nothing will come out of the dead body if that human is reborn as a Deva or Brahma. In that case, a Deva or Brahma will be born in the appropriate Deva or Brahma realm simultaneous with the death of the human.
– If rebirth is in the animal realm, then an animal gandhabba will come out of that dead human body.I figured out why they made that chart.
1. It seems to be based on the “Upanisa Sutta (SN 12.23).”
– The English translation there may not make it clear. That is again the root problem with word-by-word translations.
– The key verse in the sutta is “Kā ca, bhikkhave, saddhāya upanisā?
‘Dukkhan’tissa vacanīyaṁ.” It is translated there as “I say that faith has a vital condition. And what is it? You should say: ‘Suffering.’
– That word-by-word translation is not enough. Faith arises when one understands the root causes of suffering! That happens at the Sotapanna Anugami stage. Then one can start following the Noble Path and attain Nibbana. The subsequent steps are listed in the sutta.
– I have briefly explained the main idea embedded in the sutta in #4 of “Origin of Life – There is No Traceable Origin.”2. The same problem is there with the chart. It does not explain how “conviction” is related to “suffering.”
– In #1 above, saddhā is translated as “faith” and not “conviction.”3. Let me know if the explanation is not sufficient.
Note: Please don’t reply to a specific comment, because that reply gets “hidden” like yours. Just reply below the last comment. You can quote from a specific comment made earlier.
P.S. I had commented on the sutta in #1 in a earlier discussion. The following is that comment:
When one really starts comprehending Dhamma (suffering and its root causes), one can start feeling it mentally and bodily. This is described in the Upanisa Sutta (SN 12.23):
“..With the comprehension of suffering (i.e., the First Noble Truth via Tilakkhana) faith results; with the growth of faith, lightness of mind (pāmojjaṃ) arises; with increasing lightness of mind, joy (piti) arises; with increasing joy, lightness of the body (passaddhi) arises; with increasing passaddhi, bodily sukha arises; with increasing bodily sukha, samādhi arises; with samādhi, yathābhūtañāṇadassana (knowledge and vision of things as they really are) arises; with the knowledge and vision of things as they really are, one loses attachment to worldly things (nibbidā), followed by losing cravings for sense pleasures (viragā), and liberation (vimutti), and to the destruction of all defilements (khayeñāṇaṃ)”.
That step-by-step process takes one all the way to Arahanthood.
Yes. In the Western world, the emphasis is on the body, not the mind.
– In Buddha Dhamma is exactly the opposite: “Manōpubbangamā Dhammā..“That is exactly right. Glad you understood. It is a step-by-step process to get to the Arahanthood.
– Most people cannot even imagine how the perception of “me” can go away. So, that is the wrong starting point.
– One first needs to get the “correct view” at the Sotapanna stage. That “correct world view” is confirmed at the Sotapnna phala moment. Every effort needs to be made to understand the Four Noble Truths/Paticca Samuppada/Tilakkhana to get to that stage. it is not that the world does not offer “pleasurable things.” But the problem is that if one attaches to them, that WILL lead to future suffering. It is hard to see that because most of that suffering comes in future lives!
– Then, to get rid of the saññā vipallasa at the Anagami stage and to get rid of the even deeper citta vipallasa at the Arahant stage, one must contemplate that “correct world view” of anicca, dukkha, anatta repeatedly, especially when one is “drawn back” to sensory pleasures.Good question. From the way you phrased it, I can see that you understand the main idea behind sakkāya diṭṭhi.
– But the keyword there is diṭṭhi.
– Sakkāya diṭṭhi is the wrong view that there is a “soul-like entity” in the rebirth process, i.e., that there is something permanent that goes from life to life.Even after you SEE that there is no such “soul-like entity” you have the PERCEPTION (saññā) of “me” and “mine”.
– That WRONG saññā REDUCES AT THE Anagami stage and GOES AWAY only at the Arahant stage.
– In fact, there are THREE types of “vipallasa”: diṭṭhi, saññā, and citta.
– Both saññā, and citta vipallasa go away at the Arahant stage with the elimination of avijja and mana. So, “mana” (sometimes called “asmi mana”) is the “perception of a “me” and it is harder to remove than sakkāya diṭṭhi.
– See, “Vipallāsa (Diṭṭhi, Saññā, Citta) Affect Saṅkhāra”Also, if you have not read the revised post on “Sakkāya Diṭṭhi – Wrong View of “Me” and “Mine”” please read that too.
See, “Anagārika”
P.S. As I explained in a recent comment, I started living an Anagarika life a couple of years ago. But I don’t wear white clothes, etc., It is all in mind.
Sexual misconduct involves practices that are considered unethical by society.
– That includes obvious actions like having an affair outside marriage, rape, incest, sex with children or animals, etc.
– Avoiding such practices is the first requirement in Buddha Dhamma.See, “Is It Necessary for a Buddhist to Eliminate Sensual Desires?” and “Craving for Pornography – How to Reduce the Tendency“
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Hello Yash,
I just made a comment on a similar issue in the following thread: “Meditation Techniques”
My comments there are fully applicable to your situation as well.
– Instead of angry thoughts discussed there, yours are lustful thoughts.
– So, instead of metta Bhavana being suitable for that case, it is asubha Bhavana that would apply here. That means contemplating the bad (long-term) consequences of engaging in sensual activities.Of course, if one is married, one does not need to abstain from sex. There were many Sotapannas who lived moral family lives during the time of the Buddha. Vishaka and Anāthapiṇḍika were the two foremost lay disciples of the Buddha who lived family lives. Both were Sotapannas.
– If one wants to avoid any sexual activities and work toward the Anagami stage, the issue of how to deal with the family situation must be addressed first.Hello Tobi,
Yes. I can see how “scars from the past” can affect one’s mindset. I can suggest a couple of actions.
1. You need to take your mind off those memories as quickly as possible. That must be done whether you are in a formal meditation session or while engaging in other activities.
2. It is unlikely that you recall such memories while you are seriously focusing attention on any kind of task, whether it is work-related or engaging in a sports activity.
– So, try to engage in such activities as much as possible. If you are in formal meditation, quickly turn your attention to metta Bhavana or a dhamma concept.
– Stray thoughts can be dangerous as I explain next.3. Most people take every effort to avoid immoral actions by speech or actions. There are 4 akusala kamma done with speech and 3 done with actions, as you probably read in the post on the BIG EIGHT: “2. The Basics in Meditation”
– It seems to me that I need to make it about BIG NINE. I need to emphasize the problem of “vaci sankhara”.4. Actions involve “kaya sankhara” and speech involves “vaci sankhara.” Both types of those become abhisankhara if they involve lobha, dosa, moha. Those are immoral speech and actions.
– However, CONSCIOUS thoughts (even if speech or actions not involved) also generate vaci abhisankhara. They can be as harmful as abhisankhara done with speech. In other words, speaking out or just “talking oneself” with lobha, dosa, moha thoughts both are harmful to a similar extent.5. I have tried to explain that in the post, “Correct Meaning of Vacī Sankhāra”
– You may also want to read the post on sankhara: “Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means”6. Therefore, it is VERY important to stay from silently engaging in generating angry/lustful thoughts. Many people tend to do that because they think “I am not hurting anyone.” But that is not true. You are hurting yourself!
– You can see that clearly in the face of someone who is angry but is not acting out or even not saying a word. But you can see the anger in the face.
– The same is true for someone “enjoying lustful thoughts”. They spend hours “coming up with various actions” that they would like to engage in. That is as bad as engaging in such activities! Furthermore, when such thoughts become strong, one may be forced to take action.7. What I discussed above is a key component of Anapanasati/Satipatthana Bhavana. Of course, most people don’t realize that. They spend hours and hours just focusing on their breath or some such nonsense.
I have re-written most of the post, “Sakkāya Diṭṭhi – Wrong View of ‘Me’ and ‘Mine’”
Please post if anyone has questions/comments.
– Thanks again to Jorg. My goal is to have all posts on the website be self-consistent and also consistent with the Tipitaka.
