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Waisaka wrote: “In recent times, I have been contemplating about asankhata and sankhata; in my opinion, contemplating concepts of the Buddha’s dhamma is a form of meditation for Lokutarra understanding because that is contemplating things that are rooted in VIJJA. Beings are born in samsara because they have thoughts about worldly concepts (conditioned) in the Paticca Samuppada patterns rooted in avijja..
When continuously contemplating the concept of the Buddha’s dhamma, one will gain awareness and reduce attachment to the world so that the shackles of the mind will collapse until reaching arahanthood.
My weakness since thinking about this concept is that I became too lazy to meditate formally.”
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I revised your comment (more in the above quote) to understand your question. I recommend using word processing software, which I have also recommended to others. There are many free online software packages, such as Google Docs.
Anyway, can you describe precisely what you contemplate by giving an example for both asankhata and sankhata? I would like to understand where the issue is. Take your time and write it using the software as suggested above. Getting one’s ideas across can be difficult, and we must try our best. Otherwise, it can lead to confusion.
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Hello Saurabh, I think you have (or had) some wrong ideas about “practicing Buddha Dhamma” (like many others.)
1. “Practicing Buddha Dhamma” starts with understanding Buddha’s teachings. The “core teaching” is that the world of 31 realms is associated with unending suffering at various levels. Even though there can be long stretches of “happiness,” suffering dominates in the long run.
- The critical point is that comprehension of “Buddha’s worldview” at a preliminary level leads to the first stage of Nibbana, where rebirths in the apayas will stop.
- When one starts understanding Buddha’s teachings, one becomes a Sotapanna Anugami (meaning one is “on the way to be free from the apayas.”)
- However, “moral living” is essential to this learning process. It is difficult for a mind burdened with immoral thoughts to understand Buddha’s teachings, so you should keep up with that aspect; it is good that you are already doing that.
2. The difficult part is figuring out where to start. It varies widely from person to person. I do not know the level of understanding of people who read the website. So, one should scan the various sections and figure out “where to start.”
- I suggest scanning through the following sections first: “Three Levels of Practice,” “Living Dhamma,” and “Bhāvanā (Meditation).”
3. The following summary could help understand the fundamental axioms of Buddha Dhamma.
- The First Noble Truth points out that there is a rebirth process with no discernible beginning. Each “sentient being” endures much more suffering in the apayas than any fleeting (on the scale of the rebirth process) happiness while born infrequently in the “good realms.”
- The second Noble Truth points out that our immoral deeds are the root cause of suffering (i.e., the cause of rebirth in lower realms). Why do we engage in immoral actions? We believe/perceive that happiness is in external “mind-pleasing things” of the world (persons of opposite sex, houses, cars, money, etc.) Therefore, our future suffering is dictated by how much we are attached to “worldly pleasures.” Another way to say the same is “saṅkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā.” Thus, understanding pañcupādānakkhandhā is critical; see “Essence of Buddhism – In the First Sutta.”
(At a deeper level (which is what my current weekly posts are focused on), the belief/perception (“distorted/false sanna) that happiness is in external “mind-pleasing things” of the world is wrong. You can get there gradually and understand that aspect. ) - How our cravings for “mind-pleasing things” in the world lead to suffering is analyzed in Paticca Samuppada.
- Once one understands Paticca Samuppada, one’s understanding of the foundations of Buddha Dhamma becomes solidified, and one’s faith in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha (Nobel Persons; not all bhikkhus are Noble Persons) becomes unshakeable. That is when one attains the Sotapanna stage.
- However, that first stage of understanding is not enough to attain the higher stages of Nibbana (Sakadagami, Anagami, and Arahant). But as you correctly stated, your goal is to reach the Sotapanna stage.
4. Therefore, it is necessary to continue living a moral life (as you are doing now.) However, learning the “Buddha’s worldview” is essential to understanding how suffering is embedded in this world of 31 realms. You can also scan through the “Origin of Life” section if that approach makes sense.
- Each person is different. So, explore some of the ideas suggested above. Take your time. Feel free to ask questions as you proceed. You can ask your questions in this thread to keep track of your progress. Of course, others are also welcome to comment or ask related questions on this thread.
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“Anyways there is possibility that either this is problem due to language or maybe he is wrong here..”
- I do not think it is a wrong translation. Other people have told me the same. If someone has evidence to the contrary, please post a comment because this is critically important.
- Mr. Goenka had no idea about the true meaning of sankhara.
- The “technique” depends on a wrong concept! You should be able to figure out the rest.
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“As far as I understood Goenka’s course, sankhara means deeper remaining seeds of greed and ill will.”
- That is blatantly wrong, according to the Tipitaka!
Please read the section “What Are Saṅkhāra (Mental Formations)?” in “Mental Aggregates.”
We all wish you well, y not.
- We hope to see you back in the forum soon.
- May you also attain the supreme Bliss of Nibbana!
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What do you (or Mr. Goenka) mean by “sankharas”?
- I think we can discuss things better once I understand what you all mean by “sanskaras.”
Good summary!
We could improve on that as follows (by providing a bit more information):
avijja paccaya sankhara: One acts based on ignorance of the bad consequences of such actions (if they involve raga, dosa, moha/avijja).
sankhara paccaya vinnana: One develops corrupted expectations about the future. This includes even “moral deeds” done without understanding the anicca nature. (However, moral deeds must be done regardless since that will provide the background to understand the “anicca nature.”)
vinnana paccaya namarupa: One forms mental images of the expected outcome. This is a crucial step that cannot be summarized in a few sentences. This is where “mental energy” starts creating “subtle rupa” or “dhammā” (kamma bija) that can bring vipaka, including rebirth. See, “What are Rūpa? – Dhammā are Rūpa too!“
namarupa paccaya salayatana: One uses the sensory faculties to bring the imagined expectations to life.
salayatana paccaya phassa: While trying to bring the imagined expectations to life, one engages in corrupted sensory contact, i.e., with raga, dosa, moha/avijja.
phassa paccaya vedana: One experiences a “mind-made” sensory feeling (samphassa-ja-vedana). See, for example, “Vēdanā and Samphassa-Jā-Vēdanā – More Than Just Feelings.”
vedana paccaya tanha: One automatically clings to the corrupted sensory experience. (This may happen in the “purana kamma” stage. If it happens, the mind proceeds to the next step of upadana.)
tanha paccaya upadana: One attaches to it with free will and starts accumulating “strong kammic energies” by engaging in vaci and kaya kamma in the “nava kamma” stage. See “Purāna and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.”
upadana paccaya bhava: One forms a “state of existence.” This leads to a temporary “state of mind during life.” It also accumulates kammic energies to lead to a “new existence (bhava)” at a cuti-patisandhi moment. See “Upādāna Paccayā Bhava – Two Types of Bhava.”
bhava paccaya jati: One is born into that particular bhava. Again, that happens during a life (innumerable times) and also when a human or animal gandhabba is born with a physical body.
- I know that you understand most of the above. It is to provide further clarification for the benefit of all.
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“But now that I think about it, the Buddha never explicitly grouped the three terms together as concepts..”
- That is not correct. Anicca, dukkha, and anatta are related concepts. Many suttas point that out.
- See, for example, a series of suttas starting with “Anicca Sutta (SN 22.12).” You can scan through the suttas using the arrow at the bottom of the page. There are at least 60 suttas that point out the relationship directly or indirectly.
Thank you for describing the “Vipassana-insight technique” that you learned from the Goenka vipassana courses. You described the “vipassana aspect” as follows:
“In that technique, one has to observe/know sensations over our entire body with (as much as possible) equanimity by roaming our attention over all the parts of our body in any sequence but without missing any part. Sometimes we feel sensations on some parts and there is no sensation on other parts regardless of that our job is just to know/observe the sensations by moving mind all over the body stopping at each part for about a minute. He says there are 3 types of sensations, pleasant, unpleasant and neutral. Our job is this – to not cling to pleasant sensations and just observe and know them with equanimity(that they are impermanent and aniccha) and then move on to another body part, to not despise/dislike/hate the unpleasant sensations and just observe and know them again with equanimity and then move on to another body part, same goes for neutral sensations. This way when we observe/know unpleasant sensation with equanimity, it will carry out itself and get dissipated because we refused to react with craving or ill will towards that sensation/sankhara. Same goes for pleasant and neutral sensations, which strengthens the understanding of ‘aniccha'(nothing can be maintained as per will) as well as ‘anitya'(impermanence).”
Let me ask you the following questions:
1. Why is it called “insight meditation”? What insights does it provide? Getting an insight means understanding previously unknown aspects.
2. is it possible to experience truly “pleasant/joyful” or “unpleasant/stressful” sensations in a group session like that?
- I would think that you mostly experience a neutral state of mind, especially after starting the session with “breath meditation.”
- Some people may experience unpleasant vedana due to cramps by sitting in the same place for a long time.
- In those cases, what type of “insights” can you get?
Good suggestion. Thank you!
I added it to a new “Idappaccayatā Paṭicca Samuppāda – Introductory Posts” subsection in:
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Hello Feliks,
1. Yes. The verse you quoted is not in the Tipitaka. It is probably in one of the late Commentaries (not included in the Tipitaka).
- However, as Tobi-Wan Kenobi pointed out, that verse is consistent with the Tipitaka.
2. Tipitaka provides the foundation or axioms based on which the true nature of the world can be described.
- However, there can be many statements about the nature of the world and the Buddha’s teachings (that may not be in the Tipitaka) but are consistent with the Tipitaka.
- Thus, if a given statement (or a Pali verse) is consistent with the Tipitaka, there is nothing wrong with using it.
3. An example is #4 of the post “How Character (Gati) Leads to Bhava and Jāti.”
To quote #4 of the above post:
“A perpetual cycle that is ever-present in the sansaric cycle of rebirths is described in the following verse (it is not in the Tipiṭaka, and probably in a later Commentary, but makes sense):
“uppādo pavattaṁ, pavatta nimittaṁ
nimitta paṭisandhi, paṭisandhi gati.”
- “Uppāda” means arising. When āsava (cravings) arise due to the triggering of anusaya (hidden temptations), we need to stop that temptation and break the cycle at “pavattaṁ” (which means keeping it or going with it).
- If we go along with the temptation (“pavatta”), then it becomes a nimitta (literally a “sign”). A nimitta is a characteristic that is associated with that particular act. For example, for an alcoholic, a picture of an alcohol bottle or a bar (or where one drinks typically), or even seeing a friend with whom one drinks often, can be a nimitta; when any of such a “symbol” comes to the mind, it reminds of the drinking act and gets one in the “mood.”
Yes. That is correct.
The following is an easy way to avoid confusion between “bahira” and “bahiddha.”
1. When sense faculties (cakkhu, sota, ghana, jivha, kaya, mana) are used with defilements (raga, dosa, moha) in mind, they become “ajjhatta ayatana.”
- When that happens, the corresponding external rupas (rupa, sadda, gandha, rasa, phottabba, dhamma) become “bahira ayatana.”
2. The term “bahiddha” is usually used with the five aggregates or pancakkhandha (rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, vinnana.) These are generally pancupadanakkhandha for a puthujjana.
- They arise with a coming together of bahira and ajjhatta ayatana (for example, sota and sadda.)
- That contact leads to the arising of pancupadanakkhandha characterized by the set rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, and vinnana. In the above example of sota and sadda coming to contact, a “sadda rupa” is created in two steps involving bahiddha sadda rupa (with only distorted sanna; no attachment yet) and ajjhatta sadda rupa (with subsequent attachment to distorted sanna).
- With that bahiddha sadda rupa the mind will generate bahiddha vedana, bahiddha sanna, bahiddha sankhara, and bahiddha vinnana. If the mind attaches to that bahiddha sadda rupa, it becomes ajjhatta sadda rupa. Then, corresponding ajjhatta vedana, ajjhatta sanna, ajjhatta sankhara, ajjhatta vinnana will also arise.
3. I hope that will help remember the usage of “bahiddha” and “bahira.”
- “Bahiddha” is used with pancupadanakkhandha and “bahira” is used with ayatana.
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Question 8: Yes. Some people may think they can understand the concepts of anicca, dukkha, and anatta, as quoted.
- However, they may not understand it enough to do something about it.
- Superficially understanding them is not enough. One must strive to remove the conditions that keep one bound to the world of anicca, dukkha, and anatta nature.
- If that motivation comes at some point, that is when one has fully comprehended the anicca, dukkha, and anatta of the world. That is when one becomes a Sotapanna.
Question 9: Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva (in Hinduism) are Devas.
- I am not familiar with Bodhisatta Avalokitesvara. However, a Bodhisatta would generally be in a Deva realm until the time of being born a human before attaining Buddhahood.
- I am also not familiar with Buddha Amitabha. If it is a past Buddha (who has passed away), he would not be in any realm of the world. A Buddha or an Arahant will not be reborn in any realm of the 31 realms of the world. Remember that any realm of the world is of anicca, dukkha, and anatta nature. The idea is to attain Nibbana and be free of even a trace of suffering (dukkha.)
1. Writing helps me as much as it may help others.
- Sometimes, I think I understand some aspects of a given issue. However, when I started writing, I realized that related problems were poorly thought out.
- Furthermore, expressing one’s ideas in words (so that others can understand) is always challenging. I may not have described them in a way that some other person takes it in a wrong (different) way. I realized I should have worded it differently after reading their comments/questions.
- Thus, I advise everyone to start writing down at least a few notes/summaries. When you do that, questions may arise that need to be answered for clarification. Writing is a way of contemplation.
2. In the “Vimuttāyatana Sutta (AN 5.26),” the Buddha outlined five ways of practicing Dhamma to attain Nibbana. I highly recommend reading through the five ways.
- Of course, writing is not among them because writing was not common in those days. Writing is probably close to the method of reciting verses with understanding (@marker 4.1).
