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Thanks, Christian. I just deleted the link. I will delete the thread by tomorrow. I have deleted several within the past month.
I am not sure why someone would want to spread a virus and make life difficult for others. What is the benefit (to him or anyone else)?
I am sorry. I don’t have time to investigate these issues. But anyone who can understand the presentation in the Sinhala language is welcome to post comments.
It is OK to share email information. But if you want to keep privacy, you can send me an email asking me to forward your email address to y not. If so, please make that request with your email address specified in the text. I can forward your email to y not.
“..where you mentioned that devas cannot help humans.”
I meant to say that Devas (or any living being) cannot lead anyone to Nibbana. One has to learn the true and correct Buddha Dhamma to attain Nibbana.
– Nibbana is attained by understanding the Four Noble Truths and then following the Noble Eightfold Path.
– Understanding Tilakkhana and Paticca Samuppada will facilitate comprehending the Noble Truths.
– The First Noble Truth is to see that suffering is present everywhere in this world of 31 realms. Births in the Deva and Brahma realms can lead to less suffering, but only until that existence lasts. There is no refuge anywhere in the 31 realms. That is what is meant by the “anatta nature of this world”.Devas can help humans in some ways.
– Humans can also help Devas by offering the merits of punna kammas.I am not sure what Thanissaro Bhikkhu is trying to say.
If he is referring to the mindset of a living Arahant it could be misleading in the following way:
– A living Arahant would not generate “stressful mental feelings”. These arise due to “samphassa-ja-vedana”. Since an Arahant does not generate “samphassa-ja-vedana” his mind would be devoid of “mental stresses”.
– But even an Arahant will still feel body aches and is still subject to injuries, sicknesses, etc. We know that even the Buddha had those and Ven. Moggalana died a horrible death (beaten to death).After the death, an Arahant is not reborn. So, there would be no dukkha vedana or sukha vedana.
– That is the ultimate bliss, to be free of ANY suffering (any type of dukkha vedana).
– This is hard for many people to understand. They think “Nibbanic bliss” is a vedana. It is not. Nibbanic bliss is to be free of all suffering.
– Vedana, sanna, sankhara, vinnana, and rupa (all five aggregates) are not present in Nibbana (more correctly after the Parinibbana (death) of an Arahant).On the other hand, Thanissaro Bhikkhu could be referring to the mindest of someone who got into a jhana. I have not watched the whole video.
– Of course, jhanic states are the best types of “sukha vedana” available in this world.
– Yet, those are temporary. As long as one is in this world, suffering CANNOT be avoided.The bottom line is that any kind of “sukha vedana” one may experience via meditation SHOULD NOT be one’s goal. The goal is to stop ANY suffering, and that can be achieved only by stopping the rebirth process.
– Of course, those who attain jhanas on the way, do get such “jhanic pleasures” as a bonus.“. we can experience a consciousness (which is the deathless) which is blissful, boundless and unlimited and this consciousness is not part of the five khandas and nothing to do with the 5 aggregates.”
How can one experience anything without the five khandhas?
– Vedana is in the five khandhas.It is a good idea to write the comment in a word processor and finalize it before posting it at the forum. That way, one gets to think clearly about the question.
“cakkhusmiṁ” means “with regard to something seen”
“sati” is attention on it
“cakkhusamphassapaccayā” generation of “san” (lobha, dosa, moha) regarding what is seenIf one likes what is seen, that generates a sukha vedana (and one may crave it); if it is disliked one may generate a dukkha vedana (and rejects it); if one is not sure about what is seen (avijja) one may be confused about it (vicikicca).
The key is to learn about “samphassa”: “Search Results for: samphassa“
Your posts are OK. But as you wrote, it is better to remain silent in some situations.
– Talking about other people’s magga phala is of no use.Posts cannot be edited after about 30 minutes.
“My question is even though one may have failed to understand anicca and anatta due to wrong interpretations, but if one had faith in the Buddha and had engaged in studying and chanting
the suttas, contemplated on dhamma and the benevolence of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sanga, then they would have initiated the kusala mula paticca samuppada.”Sotapanna stage cannot be attained just by engaging in rituals like chanting etc. That only helps set the necessary background.
– Assuming so is a part of “silabbata paramasa” one of the 3 samyojana that need to be overcome to attain the Sotapanna stage.One needs to understand the anicca, dukkha, anatta nature. That means the unfruitfulness/danger in remaining in the rebirth process.
I just created a new forum, “Paṭicca Samuppāda, Tilakkhana, Noble Truths”
Ravi wrote: “Therefore, when we do not attach a value to anything, Avijja does Not arise,..”
That is true. However, “not giving value to worldly things” CANNOT be done just by willpower.
Rather, the mind WOULD NOT “give value to worldly things” once it starts comprehending the anicca, dukkha, anatta nature, i.e., that worldly things cannot be maintained to one’s expectations over long times (anicca); if one does then suffering will arise (dukkha), and thus one will be without refuge in the rebirth process (anatta).
– Of course, that is only one way to express Tilakkhana.In other words, “giving up” becomes a natural, automatic process with the true understanding of Tilakkhana.
– That is why the Sotapanna attainment will NEVER be lost. One would have understood the unfruitfulness/danger in attaching to worldly things.
– Of course, one will initially give up only immoral deeds seeking sensory pleasures. A Sotapanna would still enjoy “harmless sensory pleasures”. Giving up most sensory pleasures happens only at the Anagami stage.That is good to hear, Raj. May be I should open a new forum on Paticca Samuppada if you do have questions on it.
As I mentioned earlier, the new section is also focused on Tilakkhana and Paticca Samuppada: “Buddha Dhamma – Noble Truths, Paṭicca Samuppāda, Tilakkhana”
Thanks to TripleGemStudent for providing relevant information.
