Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Yes. I can see that. Thank you!
I uninstalled the “Tweet This!” app.
– Yes. One can always use the “share” buttons at the bottom of each page to share.
But I will Tweet each new post.
Yes. There are infinite living-beings in this world.
– Even if an infinite number attain Nibbana, there ALWAYS will be an infinite number left.“would it be correct to say there is no discernible ending to ignorance in the world? ”
There is an ending to ignorance.
– That is called Nibbana, attained at the Arahanthood.1. Like everything else in this world, cittās also arise due to causes.
– When a tempting arammana comes to the mind, cittās arise according to one’s gati. Those gati are related to one’s defilements (raga anusaya, dosa, anusaya, moha anusaya)2. Anusaya can be removed ONLY by wisdom (paññā).
– Wrong views (and corresponding wrong cittās) arise due to not understanding the root causes of suffering: raga, dosa, moha.3.When one starts understanding Buddha Dhamma, those anusaya are removed in four stages. As anusaya are removed in stages, corresponding cittās are stopped from arising automatically. That is because those defilements are the root causes for the arising of such citta.
I am not sure which post your quote came from. It is ALWAYS helpful to cite the post and relevant bullet numbers.
Also see:
Āsava, Anusaya, and Gati (Gathi)
Conditions for the Four Stages of Nibbāna
Akusala Citta and Akusala Vipāka Citta
If things are not clear, please feel to ask questions. But refer to posts/bullet #s.
I think the issue that you dealt with in the past is related to the issue that you are having now.
You wrote: “Years ago, you helped me change what I think was my gati of playing the world’s moral policeman, and always getting offended by what other people were doing wrong.”
Then you wrote: “So even though I understand intellectually that I should not be worrying about other people’s opinion of me good or bad how do I understand it on a deeper level so that instinctively it stops bothering me?”
So, you are still being bothered by other people’s actions in an indirect way. This time you are worried about their OPINION of you.
– Of course, it is human nature to be liked and praised. But we need to be realistic.
– We know that there are all kinds of people with vastly differing opinions. Some have correct opinions based on correct views/knowledge. Others have wrong opinions based on wrong views and misunderstandings.When those people, who may have wrong opinions of your views, figure out that they had looked at those issues incorrectly, they will turn around. They may even start having a high opinion of your views.
There is a good example in the Tipitaka. Vacchagotta used to visit the Buddha frequently and asked many questions. There is a whole set of suttas based on his questions.
– During the initial interactions with the Buddha, Vacchagotta was building confidence in the teachings of the Buddha. But on several occasions, the Buddha refused to answer some questions or gave answers that did not sit well with Vacchagotta. One time, he told the Buddha that he was displeased with the answers given by the Buddha.
– Yet, letter on, Vacchagotta started comprehending the correct world view, became a bhikkhu, and attained the Arahanthood.The only thing you need to worry about is whether YOUR own views are correct or not.
– Keep learning and you will build confidence.
– Then you will not be bothered by the opinions of others.For example, I know that I may offend some people when I answer questions. But I cannot just “go with the flow” and try to please others. I have to say what I see to be correct. Of course, in some cases, I would have to change my statements. Anyone can make a mistake.
– We all will make fewer mistakes as we learn more. Keep learning!Hello Nb,
Yes. I remember corresponding with you via email a few years ago.
– I am a bit busy today. I will think about how to make some suggestions.This requires a somewhat detailed explanation. I will think about how to explain it here.
– In the meantime, if others have any ideas please free to post.Yes. That was a typo. Thanks.
I just corrected it:
11. For example, one can break the addiction to drugs in a shorter time (say a month) if he has the discipline to stop taking it AND also stop thinking about it.
– If he stops taking the drug but goes on enjoying thinking about it (vaci saṅkhāra), it will not work. He may go on without using drugs for months and months, but one day, he may lose the resolve and go back to drugs.
– That happens to a lot of people addicted to different things like alcohol, smoking, or even over-eating. They may temporarily stop those activities, but months later they break them. That is because they had not stopped generating vaci saṅkhāra or engaging in upādāna for that activity.Yes. Both tanha and upadana can happen with like or dislike.
– Tanha is the initial “attachment”.
– Then one may keep thinking about it and “keep it close” (in the mind). That second step is upadana.For example, if you see someone you really dislike on the street, anger may arise in you. That is due to tanha.
– If you keep thinking about how bad he is, and his past actions against you, then you are “pulling it close” and making it worse. That is upadana.The following posts could be helpful:
Tanhā – How We Attach Via Greed, Hate, and Ignorance
The following series of posts have examples:
Paṭicca Samuppāda in Plain EnglishP.S. I just replied to question in another thread. And the post discussed there is relevant too:
Difference Between Tanhā and UpādānaTripleGemStudent asked: “Can anything related to the five aggregates be considered as the “worldly objects” you mentioned?”
Worldly things, such as the five aggregates, should be contemplated ONLY with respect to their anicca, dukkha, anatta nature, i.e., how valuing them leads one down the wrong path and to future suffering, and the unfruitfulness of them (and how eventually one becomes helpless if those are pursued).
– Again, we need to remember that the five aggregates are our memories, future expectations, and present actions. Furthermore, we need to realize that only pancupadanakkhandha are the problem, those that we attach to via greed, anger, and ignorance.
– There are other ACTIONS that we may pursue which do not belong to pancupadanakkhandha. Those do not involve attachment to this world. For example, pursuing Nibbana does not fall into that category.In contrast, one focuses on a kasina object or on the breath in anariya meditations (expecting that such procedures will lead to lasting happiness).
– Those actions are done with ignorance. They are not beneficial in the long run, and only distract one from the correct path.I am sorry. I don’t have time to read whole posts by others.
Could you quote relevant parts from those EXTERNAL posts?
By the way, the following Pali dictionary has the translation correctly:
Concise Pali-English Dictionary – A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera
“addhuva : [adj.] unstable; impermanent.”y not wrote: “All that is in the posts, Lal.”
OK. I read your comment a bit more closely.
I see your misunderstanding could be in the bolded statement: “…at the BREAKUP OF THE BODY, after death” (kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā). It is natural to imagine that his listeners could have thought of no other body involved than the present physical one – param marana – after the death of the present body (surely not of the mental body, the manomaya kaya).
– “Kayassa bheda” there does not mean the death of the physical body there. It DOES mean the breakup of the kāya that arose at the beginning of the human bhava, the manomaya kāya or the gandhabba.
– It is a common mistake to take “kaya” as the physical body in ALL cases.
– The meaning of “kāya” is a collection. The manomaya kāya is a collection of hadaya vatthu and 5 pasāda rupa. That is why it is also a kāya.Remember that “bhava paccaya jati” step refers to the birth of the manomaya kaya and NOT the birth of the physical body in the human existence or human bhava.
– Thus “at the end, “jati paccaya jara, marana” refers to the death of the manomaya kaya or the gandhabba.That is why we need to think in terms of context, as I mentioned several times in the post.
y not:
1. Birth in the human realm starts with the birth of the gandhabba.
– That “human existence” can last for thousands of years, i.e., the lifetime of the gandhabba can be many thousands of years.2. To be born with a human body, that gandhabba needs to be pulled into a womb. Then after 9 months, a baby is born.
3. That baby grows to be an adult and dies within about 100 years or so. But the gandhabba does not die. It comes out of the dead body and could stay in that state for many years until pulled into another womb.
– That leads to another birth with a physical human body, which in turn dies after around 100 years.4. That process continues until the gandhabba dies at the end of its lifetime.
5. At that point the “lifestream” grasps a new existence (Deva, Brahma, animal, hell-being, etc.)
Yes. This is a bit complex for human and animal jati, as I tried to explain in that post.
1. For Brahmas and Devas, it is simple. As explained in #5, “bhava paccaya jati” leads to just one type of jati. Then “jati paccaya jara, marana” is the end of that jati (birth) as a Brahma/Deva.
2. For humans and animals, there are “jati” within “jati.” In #6 and #7, I explained that process for humans.
– First, “bhava paccaya jati” leads to birth (jati) as a human gandhabba.
– That gandhabba is then “born with a physical human body” many times. That is the “khandhānaṃ pātubhāvo” stage, as stated in #6:
“(v) When all body parts are formed that is the khandhānaṃ pātubhāvo stage and a baby then comes out of the womb. That last stage is what we commonly call a “birth.””
– That process can happen many times for that human gandhabba.
– The “jati paccya jara,marana..” step in Paticca Samuppada refers to the death of the gandhabba.3. Of course, “jati paccya jara,marana..” step also happens to a birth with a physical human body too. That can be called “type 2 jati” where the gandhabba is born with a physical human body. After the death of that physical body, the same gandhabba can be born with different physical bodies many times.
– Thus, there will be many such “type 2 jara, marana..” for physical bodies acquired by the same gandhabba.
– But the human existence ends only with the death of the gandhabba.Please feel free to ask questions.
– Again, those additional steps are there mostly for humans and animals only.
