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You are welcome, Aniduan!
– It is important to realize that these recitals should be done not as a ritual, but with understanding the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.It is the javana power in one’s thoughts (citta) that power associated kammic energies.
– That power comes from understanding those virtues, i.e., understanding the value of the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha.
– That, in turn, comes from understanding Dhamma.Christian wrote: “Buddha Pooja is practicing 8 fold Path”
Of course, that is the ultimate Buddha Pooja.
– However, it also sets the REQUIRED background for many people.Note: Pooja is usually written in English as Pūjā. So, if you do a search in Sutta Central, for example, you need to use the word “Pūjā”
The Maṅgala Sutta (Snp 2.4) starts with the verse:
“Asevanā ca bālānaṃ,
paṇḍitānañca sevanā;
Pūjā ca pūjaneyyānaṃ,
etaṃ maṅgalamuttamaṃ.Translated: “Not to associate with fools,
But to associate with the wise,
And to honor those worthy of honor:
This is the greatest good fortune.The Buddha is the highest worthy of honor, thus Buddha Pūjā is of the highest merits.
There are several suttas in “Therāpadāna” where bhikkhus and bhikkhunis had recited the merits they acquired with Buddha Pūjā done in previous lives. The following is the English translation of one of them:
“Asanabodhiya”
– It has the following verse:“In the ninety-two eons since
I planted that Bodhi back then,
I’ve come to know no bad rebirth:
that’s the fruit of planting Bodhis.”It is customary in Asian countries to go to the temple and offer flowers, incense, light candles, and recite the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha (see below). It is done before sitting down to listen to a discourse by a bhikkhu. That helps sets the right mindset.
The easiest way to do a Buddha Pūjā is to recite the Supreme Qualities of the Buddha. Of course, I normally do all three every day: Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.
– See, “Supreme Qualities of Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha”The following booklet could be very useful. It goes into detail about various types of Pūjā. Note that the word Vandanā has the same meaning as Pūjā :
“Vandanā: The Album of Pāḷi Devotional Chanting & Hymns“““…Tattha katame kusalamūlā? Alobho, adoso, amoho—ime vuccanti “kusalamūlā”. …”
That is the uddesa version of the explanation.
– It needs to be explained in niddesa (more clarification) and patiniddesa (clarification with examples) versions, as needed.
– That is what is done with verbal discourse or a post (a series of posts in the case of patiniddesa).See, “Sutta – Introduction“
Yes. That was a good idea.
I have revised #2 of “Kusala-Mula Paṭicca Samuppāda” as follows:
2. One is born in this world due to the six root causes.
– One is born in the apāyā or dugati (and also subjected to suffering even when born in good realms) due to bad gati arising MAINLY due to lōbha, dōsa, mōha. The akusala-mula PS operates when actions, speech, and thoughts occur with these three root causes; see, “Akusala-Mūla Paṭicca Samuppāda. “
– One is born in the “good realms” or sugati (and also experience mundane sense pleasures) due to “good gati” developed by acting with alobha, adosa, amoha. For example, one can engage in “good deeds” like giving, helping out others, etc., or cultivate jhāna. Those are done with mundane versions of alobha, adosa, amoha and can lead to rebirths in human, Deva, and Brahma realms. – However, they WILL NOT lead to Nibbāna, i.e., stopping the rebirth process.
– It is ONLY when one is acting with alobha, adosa, amoha (and comprehension of Four Noble Truths/Tilakkhana/Paṭicca Samuppāda) that those actions lead to Nibbāna via “Kusala-Mūla Paṭicca Samuppāda. “
– The above points are also discussed in detail in “Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means.”Tobias wrote: “I think this sentence is misleading: “… Therefore, a moral person who has not comprehended Tilakkhana, when they generate alobha/adosa/amoha would still have lobha/dosa/moha ‘on the side, not directly.” (P.S. We could say they are there as anusaya, not coming to the surface)”
There is nothing wrong with what I wrote there. But what you wrote below that is correct too.
Yes. This is a deep aspect that not many people even notice.
The best way to explain this is as follows:
1. Alobha, adosa, and amoha are sobhana cetasika (. That means they are “good cetasika.”
2. However, “lobha, dosa, and moha can be present INDIRECTLY” as long as one has not comprehended Tilakkhana, i.e., the fruitlessness/dangers in the rebirth process.
– Therefore, a moral person who has not comprehended Tilakkhana, when they generate alobha/adosa/amoha would still have lobha/dosa/moha ‘on the side, not directly.” (P.S. We could say they are there as anusaya, not coming to the surface)3. In other words, when someone not comprehending Tilakkhana does a deed with alobha, say, there is still some lobha “hidden in there.”
– That level of avijja is eliminated ONLY after comprehending Tilakkhana.4. I have explained this in the post, “Kusala and Akusala Kamma, Puñña and Pāpa Kamma”
– Please read that post carefully. What I explained above is summarized in #7 in that post.
– “(more and more) PUÑÑA kamma will automatically become KUSALA kamma. Kusala kamma are better than puñña kamma.” That happens gradually as one’s level of understanding of Tilakkhana increases.5. This is why alobha, adosa, and amoha are labeled as sobhana cetasika, and NOT kusala cetasika.
– In the same way, there are kusala/akusala citta and there is no explicit term as “punnabhi citta.”P.S. There are, of course, “punnabhi sankhara.” Those are included in sankhara that arise due to avijja as explained in the post, “Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means“.
– That point is in #6 there.P.P.S. Those punnabhi sankhara AUTOMATICALLY become “kusala-mula paccaya sankhara” (leading to Nibbana) with comprehension of Tilakkhana. See, “Kusala-Mula Paṭicca Samuppāda”
For everyone, it is a good idea to read and comprehend the three posts referred to above.
Per Lang’s comment:
Yes. That is not discussed in any text, and not EXPLICITLY discussed even in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka of the Tipitaka.
– Waharaka Thero had discussed that in a couple of discourses.Basically, the Paticca Samuppada process splits to two at the “namarupa paccaya salayatana” step.
– One set of salayatana are those of LIVING BEINGS (hadaya vatthu/pasada rupa).
– The other set leads to the arising of external rupa.But it is not necessary to understand the extra process. We just need to understand how different types of bhava (and jati) arise for a living being.
– That just depends on the particular kamma and DOES NOT belong to a “self”.I will discuss that further in the next post.
P.S. We started that discussion with the last post, “Sakkāya Diṭṭhi – Wrong View of “Me” and “Mine”
The whole idea of meditation is to contemplate.
What is the need to sit down cross-legged? Why not sit in a chair?
Of course, for those who have practiced sitting cross-legged, and can stay comfortably, that is fine.
– But there is no REQUIREMENT to sit like that.
– I have seen many people suffer trying to stay cross-legged. They cannot contemplate anything other than their discomfort!Just revised the new post of yesterday “Sakkāya Diṭṭhi – Wrong View of “Me” and “Mine” to add #9 and #10.
I just published a new post, “Sakkāya Diṭṭhi – Wrong View of “Me” and “Mine” that addresses some of the issues raised.
It is critical to understand the concept of sakkāya diṭṭhi. Please feel free to ask questions.
– It is always good to cite the bullet # that is not clear. That way, it would be easier for me to see how to address the question. Of course, that does not apply all the time.Let me provide the suttas that describe Sakkāya Diṭṭhi:
In the “Cūḷavedalla Sutta (MN 44)” Ven. Dhammadinna explains it to her former husband Visakha:
“..Kathaṃ panāyye, sakkāyadiṭṭhi hotī”ti? “Idhāvuso visākha, assutavā puthujjano, ariyānaṃ adassāvī ariyadhammassa akovido ariyadhamme avinīto, sappurisānaṃ adassāvī sappurisadhammassa akovido sappurisadhamme avinīto, rūpaṃ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṃ vā attānaṃ, attani vā rūpaṃ, rūpasmiṃ vā attānaṃ. Vedanaṃ … pe … saññaṃ … saṅkhāre … viññāṇaṃ attato samanupassati, viññāṇavantaṃ vā attānaṃ, attani vā viññāṇaṃ, viññāṇasmiṃ vā attānaṃ. Evaṃ kho, āvuso visākha, sakkāyadiṭṭhi hotī”ti.
Translated: “..how does sakkāya diṭṭhi come about?” “It’s when an uneducated ordinary person has not been exposed to the teaching of the noble ones. They have a wrong vision about rūpa (material form) in 4 ways: regard rūpa as “mine”, or “I” as rūpa, or rūpa to be “in me”, or “I” to be “in rūpa.” [My comment: Those are the ones with uccheda diṭṭhi; see my post above on January 31, 2021, at 9:13 am. These are 4 ways]. Then there are others who regard each of the mental factors vedana (feeling) … sañña (perception) … saṅkhāra ( ways of thinking) … viññāṇa (consciousness) as “mine”, or “I” as those, or them to be “in me”, or “I’ to be “in them”. [My comment: Those are the ones with sassata diṭṭhi; see my post above on January 31, 2021, at 9:13 am]. Thus they have sakkaya diṭṭhi in 16 different possible ways]. That’s how sakkāya diṭṭhi (sometimes translated as identity view) comes about in 20 ways.”
Per my posts above, it is easy to this when one can see a lifestream switching from bhava to bhava.
– When in a human bhava, one has the form of a human. And one’s “mental entities” are those in the broad category of humans.
– When born an animal, the form would be that of that particular animal. That animal would not have the “higher level of consciousness” of a human.
– Born a Deva or Brahma those would be again different.That is why those 20 views are wrong.
In each bhava, those entities arise according to causes and conditions that led to the arising of that bhava described by Paticca Samuppada: “avijja paccaya sankhara” leading to “bhava paccaya jati“.
– Apuñña abhisaṅkhāra would lead to births in the apayas.
– Puñña abhisaṅkhāra would lead to births in the human, Deva, and 16 rupāvacara Brahma realms.
– Āneñja abhisaṅkhāra lead to births in the arupāvacara Brahma realms.See the recently re-written post: “Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means” for details on different types of saṅkhāra.
The above description of Sakkāya Diṭṭhi is discussed in many suttas: “79 results for attato AND Samanupassati“
Christian: Your statements are very long. Can you break it down into short questions? As I keep saying, don’t rush into replying. Take time to read all that was discussed above.
Rebirth in an existence happens when kammic energy creates a set of NEW hadaya vatthu/pasada rupa for that existence. That is based on a particular kamma bija. There could be numerous kamma bija accumulated in previous lives. The strongest one comes to the mind in the last citta vithi.
Then a new citta vithi starts in the new existence based on the NEW set of hadaya vatthu/pasada rupa.
That is why an animal thinks differently from a human being (even if belonging to the same lifestream). The hadaya vatthu/pasada rupa combinations WILL BE different.
– That is also why there is no “I” in a real sense.
– Of course, the animal thinks “I exist” and the human thinks “I exist”. Who is the real “I” or “me”?
– On the other hand, there is a living-being saying “I exist.” We cannot deny that either.That is why it is necessary to see that all this (rebirths in the samsaric journey) is a series of events per Paticca Samuppada.
– As long as avijja is there, there will be a “living being” in some form. The problem is that in most cases, that existence is in an apaya.1. There are many ways to describe “sakkaya ditthi“, the wrong idea that EITHER there is a “me” traveling samsara OR there is nothing in “me” other than my physical body and thus
“I” will not exist after the death of this physical body.The critical point is to understand that BOTH those views are not correct.
The present life arose due to a set of actions in the past that were taken with one of those views.
As long as those views are not broken, ANY lifeform will exist in one of the 31 realms.
The problem is that most of the existence in the rebirth process WILL BE in the four lowest realms. And thus, there will be much suffering, until sakkaya ditthi is removed.
There are 10 bonds (samyojana) that keep a lifestream bound to the rebirth process. The first that needs to be removed is sakkaya ditthi.
– When that breaks, it will be followed immediately by the breaking of two more bonds (samyojana). One is to realize that following rituals is useless to progress on the path (silabbata paramasa). The other is vicikicca, any doubts about the path or in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha.When these bonds start to break one is a Sotapanna Anugami. When all three are completely broken, one would attain the Sotapanna stage.
My advice is to focus on the very fundamental process described in my above two posts. Of course, that approach would work only if one has understood the concept of gandhabba.
– One could take that process to include a set of hadaya vatthu/pasada rupa for an animal or a hell being. Which of those temporary existences (Deva, human, Brahma, animal, hell-being, etc.) is the “real me”? There is no “me” in any of them. However, there is a living being existing at each time (mostly experiencing suffering when averaged over long times).2. There are other ways to get rid of sakkaya ditthi. The key is to realize the unfruitfulness AND dangers in the rebirth process.
– Then one should focus on the Paticca Samuppada process to see the “jati paccaya jara, marana, etc (suffering)” starts with “avijja paccaya sankhara.”
– The BASIS of that avijja is the wrong idea that EITHER there is a “me” traveling samsara OR there is nothing in “me” other than my physical body and thus “I” will not exist after the death of this physical body.
– That is what was first stated in #1 above.Ask questions (if there are any) based on those two approaches. The first one is cleaner if one has grasped the concept of gandhabba.
Sotapanna Anugami: ” Yes we can discuss this approach but I think ‘Time’ should be kept out of the question because this life stream X never started!”
I do not understand that statement. The Buddha said there is no discernible beginning to the rebirth process.
– In fact, the principle of “cause and effect” (Paticca Samuppada) enforces that there cannot be a “beginning.”
– One can only end that process by cultivating panna (wisdom) eliminating avijja. That is Arahanthood and subsequent Parinibbana. The samsaric process ends there.Christian: “The question is what is that X that transmigrates from each bhava in that lifestream..”
There is NOTHING (like a soul) that transmigrates! That is a critical point to understand!
– That is why the Buddha said it is wrong to say that there is a “self”. This is called “sassata ditthi” or the view that a living being transmigrates among different realms.
– However, as long as a mind has avijja, it ACTS AS IF it is a living being. No one can deny that all of us exist. That is why the Buddha said, it is wrong to say “there is no-self” either. This is “uccheda ditthi“. This is the materialistic view that life ends at the death of the physical body.
– For details, see the first several posts in, “Views on Life.”Paticca Samuppada is just a process. As long as there are causes (avijja) AND conditions (most importantly tanha), there will be more jati (of a living being) followed by “jara, marana, soka, perideva..”
– When a given bhava ends, the lifestream grasps a new bhava at the “upadana paccaya bhava” step.
– When avijja is eliminated in ANY MIND that mind will not go through “tanha paccaya upadana” and “upadana paccaya bhava” steps. That is when the whole process ends and the rebirth process stops.Take time and think deeply about the above. Don’t rush to respond. Take a day or two.
P.S. It is kammic energy that fuels a new bhava.
– If that energy is due to a good kamma, it will fuel a “good bhava” in one of the “good realms”.
– If it is a bad kamma, it will lead to a bad bhava (and births) in a bad realm (apaya).
– There is no END to that process until one SEES the futility AND danger of it. One must also SEE that most future births are in the apayas.Those are good suggestions by Chrisitan and Sotapanna Anugami.
– There are no “formal guidelines” separately for walking meditation. I think I know why people think there are such “techniques.” Many years ago, I attended a meditation retreat where they taught “walking meditation.” One was supposed to walk slowly just putting one step in front of the other very slowly. It was an embarrassingly foolish exercise. But there were many who seriously engaged in that ritual.Any type of jhana is good.
– But the problem with anariya jhana is that people get “stuck”. They are drawn to the jhanic pleasure may not be able to go beyond that.However, there is an important point regarding jhana.
– It is impossible for one to be “attached to sense pleasures” and be able to cultivate jhana.
– Even to get anariya jhana, one must be living a life without sex and even other types of sense pleasures.
– The point here is that when one overcomes kama raga (giving preference to sense pleasures) and attains a jhana, one can clearly see the superiority of jhanic pleasures over sense pleasures.
– This is why ancient yogis were willing to go deep into the jungles to be away from sense attractions.However, when one comprehends Buddha Dhamma (Noble Truths/Paticca Samuppada/Tilakkhana) one will be able to live a normal life and gradually cultivate the path. One may not get to Ariya jhana until the Anagami stage, but one would be free from the apayas if one gets to the Sotapanna Anugami stage.
– Many people get discouraged because they cannot cultivate either type of jhana. But cultivating jhana is like learning to ride a bike. It is easier for those who had cultivated anariya jhana in recent past lives.Just forget about jhanas and follow the Path. Learn about Noble Truths/Paticca Samuppada/Tilakkhana and contemplate on them. The goal is to be free of samsaric suffering, not seeking jhanic pleasures.
– All living beings (including those in animal or niraya realms) had cultivated jhana and had been born in the highest Brahma realms many times in this beginningless samsara.1. I think this is a good opportunity to go through the process step-by-step. I will start with a lifestream X. That lifestream was in a Deva realm (thus we can call it Deva X), expired the life there, and just grasped a human existence (human bhava).
2. When that Deva X disappeared from the Brahma realm, a human gandhabba (same lifestream X) appeared in the human realm. It is a “manomaya kaya” with a hadaya vatthu and five pasada rupa. Suppose this human bhava has kammic energy to last 1000 years.
3. That human gandhabba was drawn to a womb after 10 years and thus born with a human body. Let us call that human X1. Then X1 lived with that human body for 100 years and died. During that life, he killed someone and thus gained kammic energy to support existence in a niraya (hell).
4. When X1’s physical body died, the gandhabba came out. After 10 more years, it was again drawn into a womb, and now there is human X2. This human X2 cultivated anariya jhana during this life and died after 100 years.
5. Now, X’s lifestream still has many years of kammic energy left for the human bhava. However, cultivating an anariya jhana is an anatariya kamma. It brings vipaka immediately when that physical body X2 dies.
6.Therefore, the human bhava ends, and X grasps a Brahma bhava. That means the set of hadaya vatthu/5 pasada rupa disappears and a NEW SET of hadaya vatthu/2 pasada rupa corresponding to the Brahma Bhava appears in that Brahma realm. This is Brahma X now.
7. Note that the kammic energy to get a niraya existence (while as human X1) still associated with that lifestream. However, it was not an anantariya kamma. This kammic energy still can bring a niraya existence in the future.
I will stop here for now. Let us discuss any questions up to this point.
