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Hello Christian,
Can you show evidence from the Tipitaka that cultivating jhanas is needed to attain magga phala?
There are over 70 suttas in the “Sotāpatti Saṁyutta” that repeatedly state the four “measures” that one can use to determine whether one has attained the Sotapanna stage of Nibbana.
The series of suttas start with “Cakkavattirāja Sutta (SN 55.1).”
The English translation there is sufficient to get the basic idea. That first sutta starts by saying that an Emperor who controls all the countries on Earth (rājā cakkavattī) does not even come close to a Sotapanna who is free of births in the apayas.
Those suttas repeatedly state the “four possessions” of Sotapannas that make them free of the apayas.
P.S. I realized later that the English translation in the above link does not explain TWO keywords: “aveccappasāda” and “Ariyakanta sīla.”
– Those REQUIRE the comprehension of the Four Noble Truths/Tilakkhana/Paticca Samuppada.
– That is explained in the post, “Sotapatti Anga – The Four Qualities of a Sotāpanna.” See #4 there.#1. Yes. That is correct.
#2. I am not sure what you mean by “transcendental” kusala-mula p.s.
– There is one kusala-mula P.S.
– A Kusala-mula P.S. will be in effect ONLY when one does kusala kamma. That means no one below that Sotapanna Anugami stage can be engaged in Kusala-mula P.S.
– All others engage only in punna kamma. Those are “good, moral deeds” done by anyone without comprehending the Four Noble Truths/Tilakkhana/Paticca Samuppada.
– The same deeds would become kusala kamma if they are done with the comprehension of the Four Noble Truths/Tilakkhana/Paticca Samuppada. Note that even Noble Persons (Sotapanna Anugami through Arahant anugami) will not be engaged in kusala kamma all the time.
– An Arahant will not be engaged in either kusala-mula or akusala-mula P.S.
– Please read the posts referred to in my previous post too.1. Lang (cubobi)’s explanation is right, except for the following: “Like you said, an arahant still engages in kusala sankhara, which does not bring kamma vinnana.”
An Arahant would not generate either akusala sankhara or kusala sankhara.
– The first is obvious. The second is because an Arahant does not have any defilements to remove. “Kusala” means to “get rid of defilements.” See #11 of “Kusala and Akusala Kamma, Puñña and Pāpa Kamma”2. To further clarify, we can take the following question from the TripleGemStudent: “If I was to connect an Arahant’s Kamma vinnana to P.S. Is that Arahants would only carry out sankhara’s (or Kamma vinnana) based on the avyakata or kusala-mula (transcendental) P.S. Is this correct?”
– An Arahant generates sankhara but NOT abhisankhara.
– Such sankhara are generated ONLY via avyakata P.S. As mentioned above, kusala-mula and akusala-mula PS do not apply to an Arahant.3. An avyakata P.S. does not have the “avijja paccaya sankhara” step.
– Sankhara (not abhisankhara) is generated when an arammana comes to the mind via one of the six senses. That happens, for example, via “cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjāti cakkhu viññāṇaṃ”
– That cakkhu vinnana is a vipaka vinnana and not a kamma vinnana.
– The relevant sankhara are those arising together with that vipaka vinnana.
– See, “Chachakka Sutta – Six Types of Vipāka Viññāna”P.S. Another set of sankhara may arise if the Arahant speaks or take actions according to the arammana.
– For example, suppose the Arahant is asked to explain a Dhamma concept. That request comes to the mind as a vipaka vinnana through the ears (sota vinnana), which would have associated vedana and sanna; those are the automatic “mano sankhara” associated with that sota vinnana.
– Now, the Arahant will start speaking. That happens with javana citta. But those vaci sankhara are completely devoid of lobha, dosa, moha, and thus are NOT abhisankhara.
– See, “Avyākata Paṭicca Samuppāda for Vipāka Viññāṇa.”
– I wrote that post sometime back. So, let me know if it is not clear.You wrote: “although sensual pleasures directly do not creates suffering, when they are experienced, there is chance that we might attach to them. I am afraid of such attachment.”
That is a concise way to put it.
1. The easiest way to see the “mechanism” is to see what happens at the Anagami stage.
– An Anagami may experience sensory pleasures that MATERIALIZE as “good kamma vipaka,” but their mind WILL NOT attach to such pleasures. Of course, they WILL NOT engage in INTENDED “pleasure activities” like sex.
– That is because their minds have truly “seen/realized” the bad consequences of rebirths even in human and Deva realms (realms in kama loka above the apayas.)2. In the same way, a Sotapanna/Sotapnna Anugami WILL NOT engage in apayagami deeds even under the most tempting conditions.
– This is not something that can be easily tested, like whether one is an Anagami or not.
– As I have explained before, one quick way to check whether one is an Anagami is to watch an adult/X-rated movie. If no sexual urge arises, it is quite likely that one is an Anagami. Of course, a medical condition could also be responsible for that, so one must be careful.3. Another, and a better, way is to use Paticca Samuppada. See, “Paṭicca Samuppāda – “Pati+ichcha” + ‘Sama+uppāda’.” The following is a brief summary (you may know this, but for the benefit of others).
– Paṭicca = paṭi + icca; here, “paṭi” is bonding, and “icca” (pronounced “ichcha”) is liking. Thus, Paṭicca is “bonding to something willingly” or “getting attached to something through a liking for it.”
– This bonding depends on one’s gati (habits and likings), which in turn are due to deep-seated āsavas (cravings). Note that “gati” is pronounced as “gathi.”
– Samuppāda = “sama” (same or similar) + “uppāda” (generation), i.e., an existence (bhava) of similar quality or kind. Thus samuppāda means leading to existence or experience corresponding to defilements that made one attach to the situation (ārammaṇa) in the first place.
– Putting all that together, we see that when one is engaging in certain activities (via likings for them), births in realms where such activities present are INEVITABLE.
– For example, if one can be sexually attracted to another person, then one will likely generate relevant abhisankhara (related to thoughts, speech, and actions) accordingly. That means “bhava” and “jati (births)” in the “kama loka” will take place. Only an Anagami or an Arahant would have overcome such births. For that to happen, one would have not only “seen that mechanism” but ALSO would have comprehended the mechanism at a deeper level. One “sees” the mechanism when the “ditthi vipallasa” is removed. But the deeper understanding comes when “sanna vipallasa” and “citta vipallasa” are also removed. See, “Vipallāsa (Diṭṭhi, Saññā, Citta) Affect Saṅkhāra”
– However, to get to the Sotapanna Anugami stage, one just needs to remove diṭṭhi vipallāsa. That means one would have understood how different types of (abhi)sankhara generated via different levels of avijjā (“avijja paccaya sankhara“) lead to CORRESPONDING bhava and jati (births) in various realms.
– If that understanding is true, then one is likely to be a Sotapanna Anugami. That also means one would have “seen” the anicca nature of engaging in apayagami actions. Such a mind WILL NOT and CAN NOT be forced to apayagami actions. No willpower is needed to avoid apayagami actions. One needs to remove sanna vipallasa and citta vipallasa (in stages) to progress above the Sotapanna stage.
– Again, there is no easy way to do that test. But that is the principle. In fact, the Four Noble Truths, Tilakkhana, and Paticca Samuppada are inter-related. If one understands one of them, one would understand the other two as well. See, “Paṭicca Samuppāda, Tilakkhana, Four Noble Truths”That is a long answer. But I wanted to give a general answer that could be helpful for anyone.
P.S. Please read and understand the relevant posts suggested above before asking more questions. Answers to most questions are there in those posts. If something in those posts is not clear, please feel free to cite the post and bullet numbers and ask questions.
Hello LayDhammafollower,
Even though no one but a Buddha can know the state of another person’s mind, it is possible that you could be a Sotapanna Anugami or getting close to it.
1. It could be helpful to broaden your understanding to the long-term, i.e., the samsaric scale.
– You are looking at this human world and seeing the suffering EXPERIENCED by humans. You may be seeing a contradiction because some people may not EXPERIENCE much suffering even until death (for example, a healthy, wealthy individual dying from a sudden heart attack.)
– However, the SUFFERING that the Buddha referred to was NOT the suffering one experiences now, but CAUSES FOR FUTURE SUFFERING.
– In fact, the recent post discussed exactly that: “Noble Truth of Suffering- Pañcupādānakkhandhā Dukkhā.” You may want to read that subsection too: “Paṭicca Samuppāda During a Lifetime”
– Thus, even that person who “lived happily and died a sudden death” likely accumulated more causes for future suffering. Unless he were at least a Sotapanna Anugami, he would have enjoyed the sensory pleasures and strived to seek more such pleasures. Such efforts only lead to more future suffering.
– The Buddha never said that there are no sensory pleasures in this world. There is no problem in experiencing sensory pleasures. The problem is to ATTACH TO such sensory pleasures and to engage in activities that will prolong the rebirth process. In fact, Deva realms have much more pleasures than we could ever imagine. Even though they have much longer lifetimes as well, those “pleasurable lives” INEVITABLY come to an end, and then they will also end up in the four misery realms (apayas) at some point. That is why we need to look at the “big picture.”
– The article that you referred to at the end only has a very narrow focus. It is possible for life on Earth to be severely affected in many ways, not only by environmental issues. For example, a comet impact can wipe out most of life on Earth, and there is emerging evidence that such events happened in the past.2. You wrote: “but, I still feel like something is missing from my understanding. I feel like I have incomplete understanding. I do not know why but it is case. I still cannot give up on craving to everything.”
– It is very likely that one would NOT lose ALL cravings for sensory pleasures even at the Sotapanna stage, not just Sotapanna Anugami stage.
– “Cravings” are at different levels. A Sotapanna Anugami loses cravings ONLY to the extent that they WILL NOT do apayagami actions based on cravings. Only at that Anagami stage would one lose all cravings for sensory pleasures in the “kama loka.” That is why a Sotapanna or a Sotapnna Anugami will be reborn in the higher realms of “kama loka.” An Anagami would not be reborn in the “kama loka.” See, “Is It Necessary for a Buddhist to Eliminate Sensual Desires?”3. You wrote: “I feel like my not having achieved magga phala might have to do something with kammic obstructions.”
– It is also possible that you can overcome any such effects. It may just need a bit more effort.Regardless of the stage of magga phala, one should always be respectful to the parents.
– Getting a physical human body is not easy. There are so many humans trapped in the gandhabba state waiting to be born with a human body. Our parents provided that opportunity for us, and we should be grateful.Of course, anyone at or above the Sotapanna Anugami stage is a Noble Person, and everyone else has not transcended the “satta” (or “satva“) state and can be reborn in the animal realm or the other three lowest realms.
The picture is still not right.
Let me summarize some general rules.
1. Devas in the six realms and various Brahmas in 20 realms have things differently. They don’t have separate gandhabbas. They die with the same “body” that they are born with, i.e., there is one birth (jati) within that existence (bhava).
2. Humans and animals share a different mechanism. They can be born (jati) with dense physical bodies many times during that existence (bhava).
3. The rest of the realms are in the apayas, and can have either #1 or #2.
Let us focus on the mechanism for human/animal realms. That is what you are trying to model.
4. As an example, suppose a Deva exhausts the life in that realm and is born a human. When Deva disappears from the Deva realm, a human gandhabba appears in the human realm (at that moment).
5. That gandhabba may have a lifetime of many thousands of years. The lifetime of the human realm (human existence) is not fixed, unlike some Deva and Brahma realms.
– On the other hand, the lifetime of a physical human body is around 100 years.
– So, there can be many births with physical bodies for that human gandhabba.
– That is to say: there are multiple births (jati) for a given human/animal existence (bhava).
– There is only one birth (jati) for a Brahma/Deva existence (bhava).
– This point needs to be understood.6. So, in the example of #4: Suppose the human gandhabba has a lifetime of 10,000 years.
– After born a human gandhabba, it may not be pulled into a womb for many years. Once getting into a womb, a baby will be born and that is a human birth (jati).
– Let me emphasize: Human gandhabba defines that human existence. It is the same gandhabba that will be born with different human PHYSICAL BODIES many times within that long time.7. Therefore, when that first human physical body dies (let us say after 100 years), that gandhabba still has many more years to live. So, it will come out of that dead physical body and wait until pulled into another womb.
– That process will continue until the lifetime of that “human gandhabba” is exhausted after 10,000 years.8. At that time (i.e., after 10,000 years), the “human gandhabba” will die. If it is inside a physical human body, then of course, that physical body will die too.
– That is when it will “grasp a new existence (bhava),” i.e., the cuti-patisandhi moment in the last citta vithi happens at that time.
– So, it could get into another existence (bhava) at that time.9. There are a few exceptions to the above steps for a human gandhabba (#6 through #8):
– That human MAY commit an “anantariya (or anantarika) kamma” while in a physical human body (like us now). There are “good anantariya kamma” like attaining a magga phala or attaining a jhana. There are “bad anantariya kamma” like killing a parent or killing an Arahant.
– In either case, the physical human body can “bear” that new state arising due to the anantariya kamma. However, as soon as that physical body dies, the gandhabba state will die too, i.e., even if more time (of the 10,000-year lifetime) is left, that gandhabba will die and switch over to an existence dictated by the anantariya kamma.
– For example, if that human had attained the Anagami stage of magga phala, a Brahma in a realm appropriate for that Anagami stage will be born. If that human had attained a jhana, a Brahma in an appropriate Brahma realm would be born. If that human had killed a parent, then existence in an apaya would be grasped.Let us make sure to get these “fundamentals” right. Please refer to the bullet number(s) and ask questions if not clear.
P.S. I don’t have Facebook or other social accounts (other than the puredhamma Twitter account: @puredhamma1). If you have a pdf of the article “Why Am I Who I Am?” please post it here or send it to me: [email protected]. Otherwise, please don’t worry about it. Thanks.
Hello Dipo,
1. Yes. I also did quite a bit of that many years ago. I still try to keep up with it just to see their progress. They have not made any progress since then.
– Colin McGinn, Thomas Nagel, and David Chalmers are philosophers who have realized that consciousness cannot arise in the brain. Chalmers famously coined the term “hard problem in consciousness” (how can matter give rise to mental phenomena).
2. There is a trace of matter that DOES give rise to consciousness, and that is the hadaya vatthu that I mentioned above. That unimaginably small “seat of the mind” (much smaller than an atom in modern science) is created by kammic energy.
– What they call Artificial Intelligence (AI) is just fancy computer programs. As someone said, it is AI without the “I” (intelligence). They can get things done faster, but there will NEVER be a “conscious robot.” For example, how can the feeling of pain or joy arise in a machine? That is the “hard problem of consciousness.”
– That hadaya vatthu also has a finite lifetime. But before it dies, enough kammic energy to generate many more such hadaya vatthu (corresponding to different realms) are created by javana citta that arise in hadaya vatthu. Those can be called “kamma bija” or seeds for future hadaya vatthu
– In the last citta vithi of a hadaya vatthu, one of those kamma seeds is grasped and becomes “active,” and the lifestream continues. Only an Arahant would not grasp any kamma seed. That is how the rebirth process comes to an end.
– That is a very brief description. Abhidhamma describes that in great detail.3. The problem is that none of those philosophers know that such a description exists. Even if someone told them, I don’t know whether they will be receptive to spending time learning Abhidhamma.
– Abhidhamma is the ultimate theory of the mind.4. However, one can attain Nibbana without learning Abhidhamma. If the basic concepts of the Four Noble Truths/Paticca Samuppada/Tilakkhana are understood, one can become a Sotapanna and then make further progress. Those three approaches get one to the same understanding.
Finally, I am sorry to hear about your medical condition. You seem to be coping well. I, too, live a simple life.
Hello Dipo,
In my opinion, reading the works of Roger Penrose, etc., in the present day to Aristotle, Plato and Socrates will not clarify the origin of consciousness. The bottom line is that consciousness CAN NOT arise from inert matter. But, of course, each person is entitled to whatever they want to do.
Dipo asked: “But, I must ask what sources do you rely on for deciphering the true meaning of the Pali language?”
1. The question should be, “But, I must ask what sources you rely on to learn Buddha Dhamma?”
– Learning Buddha Dhamma cannot be equated to learning Pali. One can be an expert in the Pali language and be totally ignorant of the teachings of the Buddha. Tipitaka suttas are in summary form. They MUST BE explained in detail. That is why the current word-by-word translations are mostly useless. Not only are they useless, but they lead to confusion. I have referred to one post that I wrote on that, but I regularly point out more examples in my posts.
– As I explained, I learned Buddha Dhamma from Waharaka Thero. I learned the Pali language on my own. It does help a lot that the Sinhala language is very similar to Pali.
– At some point, it would be very beneficial to learn Pali. Once one has a basic understanding of Buddha Dhamma, it is easier to learn Pali.2. Learning the Pali language and learning Buddha Dhamma are two different things.
– If one needs to learn Buddha Dhamma from the Tipitaka, then one needs to learn Pali.
– However, even if one is an absolute scholar of the Pali language that DOES NOT mean he/she will have a good understanding of Buddha Dhamma by reading the Tipitaka. One MUST learn the basics of Buddha Dhamma from the Buddha himself or a true disciple of the Buddha who has attained a magga phala.
– Think about it this way: Suppose there is a person who has excellent knowledge of English and German languages. If he is not a scientist, will he be able to translate a science textbook from English to German?
– That is the current situation in translating Tipitaka Pali suttas to English. Most of the translators have no understanding of Buddha Dhamma. They translate Tipitaka texts word-by-word (using unreliable dictionaries). That only leads to confusion. That is apparent in any online discussion group like Dhamma Wheel or Discuss & Discover.3. One NEEDS TO be able to learn Buddha Dhamma from a Noble Person who has UNDERSTOOD Buddha Dhamma to some level.
– Of course, the critical issue is determining whether a given translator has such qualifications.
– The only way to sort out good teachers from bad ones is to check whether their teachings are self-consistent AND always compatible with the Tipitaka.
– The latter measure cannot be used until one learns the Pali language. But anyone should be able to see the inconsistencies WITHIN most of the English translations. I have given many examples.
– I always encourage anyone to point out any inconsistencies within my website. There could be (and have been) minor errors, and I have been able to fix them.4. So it is good to have some knowledge of Pali. If one has a good knowledge of Pali, one would be able to check for the inconsistencies with the Tipitaka on one’s own.
– I have already stated that translations at Sutta Central and also Pali Text Society (PTS) have many inaccuracies. TamilCube does not have Pali resources, to my knowledge. It has Sanskrit, but the Buddha prohibited using the Sanskrit language to convey Buddha Dhamma. That is because Sanskrit has some words like anitya and anatma that many people equate with anicca and anatta (they sound similar but have very different meanings).
– A Pali dictionary that I use is “Concise Pali-English Dictionary“. This also has some errors.5. Now, let me give some posts on a few Pali keywords to look up if you are interested:
– Tanha: “Kāma Tanhā, Bhava Tanhā, Vibhava Tanhā”
– Sanna: “Saññā – What It Really Means”
– Sankhara: “Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means”
– Please feel free to ask questions.I was going to suggest some posts for Dipo to read on the terms in Paticca Samuppada (sankhara, vinnana, etc.). Then I saw that Lang has commented on your questions about arammana. So, let me comment a bit more on that first. I will suggest those posts on the other Pali words tomorrow.
Dipo quoted:
“New Concise Pali English Dictionary
ārammaṇa: neuter basis, starting point (for producing or initiating activity), footing; basis of meditation; object, object of consideration, sense-objectPTS Pali English Dictionary
Ārammaṇa: neuter primary meaning “foundation”, from this applied in the following: senses: support, help, footing, expedient, anything to be depended upon as a means of achieving what is desired, i.e. basis of operation, chance Snp verse 1069 (= ālambana, nissaya, upanissaya Cnd.132); Pv.4:1 (yaṁ kiñc’ ārammaṇaṁ katvā) ārammaṇaṁ labhati (+ otāraṁ labhati) to get the chance SN.ii.268; SN.iv.185; condition, ground, cause, means esp. a cause of desire or clinging to life, pl. -ā causes of rebirth (interpreted by taṇhā at Mnd.429), lust Snp verse 474 (= paccayā Snp-a.410), Snp verse 945 (= Mnd.429); Kp-a.23; Dhp-a.i.288 (sappāy˚); Pv-a.279
***
This is a good example of the problem we are facing today. Those dictionaries were written by the early European scholars who tried their best to interpret the vast Pali literature they came across in Sri Lanka and other Asian countries in the early 1800s.
– At that time, Buddha Dhamma (Buddhism) was in a very bad state as I described in “Elephant in the Room” – Direct Translation of the Tipiṭaka.”
– Those European scholars learned Pali (and Sanskrit) from the locals. As I mentioned, there were no bhikkhus or any other scholars with good knowledge of Buddha Dhamma or Pali.
– Thus, SOME of the explanations in the dictionaries that you quote are not quite correct. For example, they translate “vinnana” as “consciousness.” But “vinnana” can have different meanings depending on the context. I will give you some posts to read tomorrow.
– P.S. It was Waharaka Thero (my late teacher) who provided correct interpretations of those words. How can we know that they are the correct interpretations? They lead to self-consistency within the Tipitaka. There are many inconsistencies with other interpretations/translations, as I pointed out in MANY posts, including the above-mentioned post. Also see, “Parinibbāna of Waharaka Thēro.”Arammana is another word that is not translated correctly. As I try to emphasize, it is better to learn the Pali word’s meaning and use it rather than trying to translate it. Many Pali words CAN NOT be translated as single English words: Anicca, anatta, sankhara, vinnana…etc.
– Arammana is simply a sensory input that grabs your attention. It can come through one of the five physical senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body touch) or the sixth one, the mind (memory recall.)
– The best way to find relevant posts on a word(s) is to use the “Search box’ labeled “Enter Keyword” on the top right. I did that, and here is the result for “arammana”:
“Search Results for: arammana”
– The very first post is a good one to start. Scan through others also and get a feel for it. Feel free to ask questions if not clear.I appreciate your effort, Dipo. Thank you, Lang, for providing valuable input.
It is just that I have been somewhat frustrated with another discussion forum recently. I have been trying to explain certain problems with the current status of Buddha Dhamma. Most texts in English are quite wrong. But even the moderators at that forum seem to be incapable of seeing the obvious problems in English translations. See “Distortion of Pāli Keywords in Paṭicca Samuppāda.”
Anyway, I will think about how to clarify certain concepts relevant to the present discussion in more detail and provide links to some more relevant posts.
– Dipo: In the meantime, please read up on the posts that I referred to earlier and the ones that Lang mentioned. We appreciate your efforts and will do our best to help. As you realized, it is important to understand some basic concepts that have been misinterpreted for so long. It is not your fault.“So, then if I understand you correctly, in the case of Angulimala, his previous life strong arammana, which negatively influenced his kamma, became washed away by the fact that he was able to overcome very strong avijja, ..”
I don’t think that makes any sense. You are not taking the time to read and understand what I write.
The key issue is how a hadaya vatthu arises for a given existence. It is explained in Paticca Samuppada (PS):
1. A hadaya vatthu for a future existence arises due to a specific kammic energy created in this life or previous lives. Let us take my hadaya vatthu.
2. When I die, my gandhabba (with hadaya vatthu) will come out of my physical body. Then it will wait in that gandhabba state until pulled into a matching womb, and I will be reborn to have a different human body. That process will continue until the lifetime of my hadaya vatthu is exhausted.
3. At that point, the last citta vithi from this hadaya vatthu will run, which will be focused on an arammana corresponding to the STRONGEST kamma from my past.
– Suppose I had killed another human being. That arammana would give rise to an existence in an apaya (one of the four lowest realms). But my mind WILL NOT grasp that bhava (existence) IF I have attained a magga phala. If I did not have a magga phala, then the mind would AUTOMATICALLY grasp that existence. That is the “upadana paccaya bhava” step in Uppatti PS.4. I would have killed that human either in this life or a previous life (of course, this is just an example) via (abhi)sankhara that arose due to avijja: “avijja paccaya sankhara” in PS.
5. Of course, I would have done that ONLY IF there was a strong arammana that induced strong greed or anger (with avijja) at that time.
– That is why I have explained that the PS cycle does not start at “avijja paccaya sankhara.” One starts acting with avijja ONLY IF one gets attached to an arammana.
– I have tried to explain that in the recent series of posts: “Paṭicca Samuppāda During a Lifetime.”
– That description is for Idappaccayātā Paṭicca Samuppāda. But the sequence of events is the same for grasping an “uppatti bhava” or a brand new existence in another realm. Idappaccayātā Paṭicca Samuppāda explains “temporary bhava” grasped during a lifetime.6. The bottom line is that brand new hadaya vatthu can ONLY be created by kammic energy.
– An Arahant’s mind would not grasp any existence (bhava) within the 31 realms. Thus, in Arahant’s last citta vithi, the Uppatti PS STOPS at the “upadana paccaya bhava” step. Thus, the next two steps (“bhava paccaya jati” and ‘jati paccaya jara, marana, soka, ..”) would not arise either. That is the end of suffering in the rebirth process.Hello Dipo,
You wrote: “In February 2022 an article was published in Nature containing the first line:
“Understanding how consciousness arises from neural activity
remains one of the biggest challenges for neuroscience.”My Comments:
1. That would be THE challenge IF one is working on the HYPOTHESIS, that consciousness MUST arise in the brain.
– There is ABSOULTELY NO EVIDENCE for this HYPOTHESIS.2. However, Buddha Dhamma is BASED ON the HYPOTHESIS that consciousness can arise ONLY in a hadaya vatthu created by kammic energy. As we know, hadaya vatthu is the key element in a gandhabba.
– As I have explained, in Buddha Dhamma, the brain plays a role, but consciousness DOES NOT arise in the brain.
– That is CONFIRMED by rebirth accounts by children all over the world. In recent years, EVEN MORE STRONG evidence has emerged from accounts of Nead-Death Experiences (NDE):
“Near-Death Experiences (NDE): Brain Is Not the Mind”
– These accounts show that, (i) there can be consciousness without a brain (NDE accounts), and (ii) consciousness can propagate through different lives (rebirth accounts) while the brain is limited to just one life.3. Thus, one HYPOTHESIS from #1 and #2 above must be incorrect.
– There is no way for both to be true.I would like to hear your thoughts.
