Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Hello enRaiser,
You asked: “Every citta has an Object associated with it. when we meditate on breath then the object of attention is breath.. and after some time suddenly a past memory image pops up.. can one explain in terms of Abhidhamma mind-moment model?”
Abhidhamma easily explains it. It is just that the author of that paper does not understand Abhidhamma.
The basic idea is explained in: “Change of Mindset Due to an Ārammaṇa”
There are six types of “thought objects” coming through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body,and mind.
– While one is engaged in breath meditation (which is NOT a Buddhist meditation, by the way) only the mind is active. Actually, the body is active too, since one is “monitoring the breath via touch sensation.” However, since you are talking about random thoughts that come to the mind, those come in through mind: “manañca paṭicca dhamme ca uppajjāti manoviññāṇaṃ.”Please see, “Chachakka Sutta – Six Types of Vipāka Viññāna”
I am not sure how much background you have on Abhidhamma. You can take a look at the Abhidhamma section:
“Abhidhamma““Buddha Sāsana” has a different meaning from Buddha Dhamma.
– “Buddha Sāsana” refers to the geographic locations/time periods where the true teachings of the Buddha (Buddha Dhamma) are present.
– For example, the “Buddha Sāsana” of the previous Buddha (Buddha Kassapa) disappeared long before the current “Buddha Sāsana” of Buddha Gotama was established with him attaining Enlightenment. Of course, all Buddhas teach the same Buddha Dhamma/Paticca Samuppada/Tilakkhana.
– The current “Buddha Sāsana” of Buddha Gotama is supposed to last only about 2500 more years. After that, his true teachings will fade away. As we know, even now, true teachings are not widely available.It is a good question. Let me see whether I can provide a summary. Sometimes it helps to write in point form.
1. Dhamma and Dharma: Dhamma is the Pali word and Dharma is the Sanskrit word for it.
– But it is best to avoid ANY Sanskrit words in Buddha Dhamma. There is a reason why the Buddha prohibited bhikkhus from translating the Tipitaka to Sanskrit. We see the disastrous consequences of translating “anicca” to Sanskrit as “anitya.” While ‘anitya” in Sanskrit means “impermanence”, “anicca” in Pali has a much deeper meaning.2. The PRIMARY meaning of dhamma is “to bear.” Everything in this world has arisen due to causes. Those causes are dhamma (usually it is written in the plural, dhammā)
– In that sense, dhammā are “kammic energies” that are in kamma bhava. As we know such energies (kamma bhava) arise via Paticca Samuppada.3. There are “good dhammā” that can bring “good vipaka”.
– Then there are “bad dhammā” that bring “bad vipaka”, and thus they are called “adhammā”
– Thus adhammā are just the bad version of dhammā
– Note that adhammā arise due to lobha, dosa, and moha, while dhammā arise due to alobha, adosa, and amoha.4. Buddha’s unique teaching was “sabbe dhammā anattā“.
– That means ALL dhammā, including adhammā are of “unfruitful nature”.
– As we know, adhammā lead to rebirths in the bad realms and dhammā lead to rebirths in the good realms. That means all types of dhammā bind one to the rebirth process.
– That is why “sabbe dhammā anattā“, i.e., “all dhammā are unfruitful”. That includes “good dhammā” due to alobha, adosa, amoha.5. Now, Buddha Dhamma (where the dhamma is without the long “a”) is teaching or a procedure.
– Buddha Dhamma explains how one can stop creating both types of dhammā that keeps one bound to the rebirth process.
– There the Buddha comes from “bhava” + “uddha” where “uddha” means to ‘root out”. Thus “Buddha Dhamma” teaches one how to stop those bhava/kammic energies/dhammā from arising.6. It is best to disregard other definitions (at least until evaluating the soundness of the above explanation).
– For example, Dipobhasaddhamma quoted: “Having lent ear, one hears the Dhamma. Having heard the Dhamma, one remembers it. Remembering, one penetrates the meaning of the teachings. Penetrating the meaning, one comes to an agreement through pondering the teachings.” from MN 70. “Dhamma” there refers to Buddha Dhamma, so it is consistent.
– If any contradictions with the Tipitaka can be presented, I would be happy to discuss them.7. I purposefully made the explanation short to emphasize the main points. Please feel free to ask questions.
P.S. To understand #4 above, one needs to understand that puñña kamma (moral deeds) done with alōbha, adōsa, and amōha give rise to births in the human and higher (good) realms. Thus puñña kamma are necessary to get good rebirths, but not good enough to attain Nibbana. If one remains in the rebirth process, one WILL be reborn in an apaya sooner or later.
– Such puñña kamma automatically become kusala kamma upon comprehending the Four Noble Truths/Paticca Samuppada/Tilakkhana.
– Puñña kamma keep one in the rebirth process (via akusala-mula Paticca Samuppada), while kusala kamma lead to Nibbana (via kusala-mula Paticca Samuppada).
– That is a subtle point some people miss.
– See, “Kusala and Akusala Kamma, Puñña and Pāpa Kamma“Promised post just published: “Ānāpānasati – Overview”
Please post comments/questions at “Posts on ‘Elephants in the Room’”
– Start a new topic there with a question or comment.1. I think you mean the following. Just enjoying sensual pleasures is not bad in the sense that cannot lead to rebirths in the apayas. If one engages in immoral deeds (like stealing, killing, rape, etc.) in seeking sensual pleasures, those are papa kamma that will lead to such bad rebirths.
– However, as long as one has cravings for sensual pleasures, one will be reborn in the kama loka. That is from Paticca Samuppada: Rebirths in kama loka are inevitable if one cultivates corresponding abhisankhara (i.e., think, speak, and engage in actions SEEKING sensual pleasures).2. This is exactly what I discussed in the latter part of #1 above.
– As long as one has cravings for sensual pleasures, one will be bound to the kama loka.
– The danger in remaining in the kama loka is that one could be tempted to do immoral deeds if the arammana is strong enough. For example, there are many people who will not take bribes. However, if the bribe is large enough, even they could be tempted.
– That is the difference between a Sotapanna and an average human. A Sotapanna will not be tempted to engage in any apayagami actions, no matter how strong the arammana is.3. That is exactly right. It is better to say, “Trying to maximize sensual pleasures with minimal suffering is thinking like fish who tries to eat a worm from a hook. The fish does that because it cannot figure out (i.e., “see” with wisdom) there is a hook hidden under that tasty worm.”
– In the same way, one who has not reached at least the Sotapanna Anugami stage is unable to “see” with wisdom the bad consequences of craving sensual pleasures.
– So, there is a big difference between experiencing sensual pleasures and craving them. Of course, if one is constantly immersed in sensual pleasures, it is hard to even think about the bad consequences of them.Thank you, Seng Kiat.
LayDhammaFollower’s earlier comment on May 30, 2022, at 7:52 am kept moving up as the latest post. So, I just removed it.
– Necessary information to access his MindMap chart is there in the above comments.
– I am happy to see that many people are reading this link. Thanks again to LayDhammaFollower for sharing his chart. It is an inspiration to all.I have received an email from LayDhammaFollower saying that his mind map can be VIEWED without installing the software.
– You need the software ONLY to make changes to his chart, or to create your own MindMap.
– His chart (with the latest update) is at: https://pure-buddha-dhamma-mindmap.on.drv.tw/Pure%20Dhamma.html
– Accordingly, I have revised my previous comments above.OK. There have been too many posts, and I have deleted many. Thanks to Seng Kiat’s efforts (I deleted his post, some of mine, and some of LayDhammaFollower’s.)
I revised my comment in LayDhammaFollowr’s post of May 30, 2022, at 12:51 am.
Thanks, LayDhammaFollower, for sharing your work. I am impressed by the efforts. Such efforts will not go to waste. I am happy to see such motivation.
– Making notes (and keep revising them as one learns) is the best way to learn. Just reading through posts may not provide that much benefit. That is something I realized during my school days.
– I hope people will make suggestions to improve his MindMap.My main points are:
1. Each person (especially Ajahn himself) needs to see whether the experience described in that book you quote matches the description in the “Sāmaññaphala Sutta (DN 2)“.
– As the Sutta clearly describes, “One enters a jhana knowingly, and one stays in a jhana knowingly.” Each jhana is described with its unique experience.2. Even if it is a jhana, it is an anariya jhana reached via breath meditation, which is NOT the Anapana meditation that the Buddha described in the Anapanasati Sutta and many other suttas. That breath meditation was there even before the Buddha attained the Buddhahood. He learned it from two yogis in the early days before the Buddhahood and realized the futility of such anariya jhana.
– Of course, most Theravadins have been INCORRECTLY teaching this breath meditation for many hundreds of years. It is not Ajahn’s fault. Until Waharaka Thero provided the correct interpretation within the past 20 years, that was the ONLY interpretation available.
– I will write a few posts on the correct interpretation of the Anapanasati Sutta. We can discuss those posts.
– I have written a few posts (in “Bhāvanā (Meditation)“), but it seems to me that a better approach is to just describe the Anapanasati Sutta (MN 118). We all can discuss it at that time.P.S. The tendency to translate suttas word-by-word is a key problem that we are facing today. Many deep suttas need to be explained in detail. See, “Sutta Interpretation – Uddēsa, Niddēsa, Paṭiniddēsa”
– Thus “assasa” and “passasa” are mistranslated as “breathing in and breathing out.” That is a mundane translation of those words.If I were not a tihetuka I would not be able to attain any magga phala. Now, no more questions about my magga phala or jhana! I have explained enough.
It is difficult to determine whether one is a dvihetuka or a tihetuka, especially at the beginning.
– Of course, no one can determine that for another person at any point.Yes. That is correct. I am not an Anagami yet. I don’t remember the thread where I discussed that in response to someone’s question.
I see that most of your questions are about other people’s experiences. Time is better spent learning Dhamma concepts.
I forgot to point out another thing related to Tobias’ last comment above.
He quoted from the Vibhanga:
“Tattha katamo adhimokkha paccayā bhavo?
Ṭhapetvā adhimokkhaṁ, vedanākkhandho saññākkhandho saṅkhārakkhandho viññāṇakkhandho”Bhava is ALWAYS defined that way, as the four “nama aggregates.” That is the same as “viññāṇa dhātu” where namagotta and kamma bija exist.
– For example, also from the Vibhanga;
“Tattha katamo upādāna paccayā bhavo? Ṭhapetvā upādānaṁ, vedanākkhandho saññākkhandho saṅkhārakkhandho viññāṇakkhandho”.Hello, Jorg.
1. I think Ajahn is describing a kind of samadhi that he has cultivated.
– There are only four jhana that the Buddha described. In Abhidhamma the second jhana is split into two, so the number becomes five. That is just a matter of details.
– But there can be billions of samadhi. Therein lies the danger. Depending on what one is cultivating, one can get into different states of the mind. It seems to me that Ajahn has cultivated an “asañña samadhi” where he does not perceive anything. But, of course, I would not know exactly what it is.
– It is interesting to note that the experience of the lay disciple at the end of your comment seems to be also the same.
– They could be cultivating some kind of “asañña samadhi” which can be dangerous.
– P.S. It is only in nirodha samapatti (of an Arahant) that one becomes totally unaware of “this world”. That is NOT an “asañña samadhi” because one gets into that samapatti by systematically going up the ladder of jhana, getting to the highest arupavacara state (Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana) and then entering nirodha samapatti.2. One enters a jhana knowingly, and one stays in a jhana knowingly.
– One can think very clearly in a jhana (even better in a samapatti). That is the advantage of a jhana.
– If one knows what one is doing (and realizes the unfruitfulness of jhana in the end), a jhana provides the best environment for “insight meditation” (vipassana).3. The jhanic experience is described in great detail in the “Sāmaññaphala Sutta (DN 2)“
– I am not sure how good that translation is. I have not read it, at least recently.
– My explanation of the sutta is in the post, “Jhānic Experience in Detail – Sāmaññaphala Sutta (DN 2)”4. That sutta also provides a good background as well. In it, the Buddha describes to a King the benefits of the life of a bhikkhu (“The Fruits of the Ascetic Life” as the title of the English translation there correctly states).
– In the first part of the sutta, is the important background of a person giving up the lay life and becoming a bhikkhu. As I have explained in the newest post, “Rāga and Jhāna – Two Commonly Misunderstood Words” it is impossible for a layperson to cultivate Ariya jhana, unless becoming an “Anagārika.”
– The detailed description of the jhanic experience is toward the end of the sutta starting in section 4.3.2.5. Paṭhamajhāna (First Absorption)I may not have discussed the difference between kamma bhava and uppatti bhava. It could have been mentioned in some posts, but I wanted to make sure.
So, I have added #13 to the post, “Bhava and Jāti – States of Existence and Births Therein”
13. All kammic energies accumulate in the kamma bhava. Just like any other energy, it will fade away with time, even though that will take billions of years. But, of course, new kammic energies are being accrued as old energies fade.
– It is at the cuti-paṭisandhi moment (grasping a new bhava) that part of the kammic energy in kamma bhava becomes “uppatti bhava” leading to the new existence.
– As a Noble Person moves up in magga phala, less kamma bhava (i.e., accumulated kammic energy) will be able to contribute to uppatti bhava. At the Arahant stage, there will be no uppatti bhava, since an Arahant will not have any more uppatti. Even though the kamma bhava for that Arahant will be still there, it will not become a uppatti bhava.Tobias’ first comment:
There is a big difference between kammma bhava and uppatti bhava.
– Kamma bhava means kammic energies that have been accumulated over past lives. They DO NOT disappear even when one attains Arahanthod. However, energies in the kamma bhava fade away with time for everyone, just like any type of energy fades away.
– When a “specific portion” of kamma bhava is grasped at the cuti-patisandhi moment, it becomes uppatti bhava.
– An Arahant has kamma bhava, but no uppatti bhava since there is no upadana to grasp a kamma bhava.Tobias’ second comment:
We need to be careful with “adhimokkha paccayā bhavo”
– As we discussed, it comes in Kusala-mula Paticca Samuppada.
– But the same word is sometimes used in Akusala-mula PS based on patigha. In that PS, it can be stated as “tanha paccaya upadana, upadana paccaya bhava” OR “patigha paccaya adhimokkho, adhimokkha paccaya bhava.”
– When someone becomes angry, it peaks quickly, and that is what is meant by “adhimokkha” there.
– It is better to stick to the above explanation in response to the first comment. It is simpler and less complicated.
