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This is a very deep subject, Tobias.
I looked at the original Patthana Pakarana, which consists of three books in the Tipitaka.
– The pdf file that you sent has only a few pages in comparison.There are 24 conditions (paccaya) in all.
– I have described in simple terms several of those in the section, “Paṭṭhāna Dhamma”It is a good idea to read the first post there, and also to get an idea of the most important “conditions” discussed in that section.
– When I have time, I will describe other conditions as well.But this is a VERY DEEP subject. We can only get to the “surface level”.
– This is why the Buddha told Ven. Ananda that Paticca Samuppada is a deep subject.In the pdf that you posted, the author just translates Pali text word-by-word. But if you have the link to the whole translation, you can post it just for the sake of completeness. I have not seen anyone else doing even a word-by-word translation.
– I have not seen anyone who has provided an explanation (in simple terms) other than Waharaka Thero.
– He has discussed those terms in simple terms in a couple of discourses, without going to details.
– Such a simple description is enough to get the basic idea.I have restored the lost posts from yesterday by Marina and Tobias.
I also restored the last weekly post on August 22, 2020.
Hopefully, this do-over of the website will take care of some recent technical issues.
– My apologies for those who were inconvenienced.
– If any other comments at the forum are known to be missing, I can look for them too. Please send me an email: [email protected]Everything posted prior to August 18, 2020, should be fine.
I have not read the pdf that you sent, Tobias. But you have quoted the definitions from there.
The question is, what does the author mean by “contiguity condition” and “immediacy condition”?
– Has the author explained them? If so, which pages?I have explained the two terms in more detail than you quoted in my post.
– If someone can explain what is meant by the other definitions, I can look at it.
– I cannot guess what someone means by those definitions.Hello Marina,
As I advised in my previous reply on a different thread, I think you should read the following section to get some basic information about Buddha Dhamma:
“Moral Living and Fundamentals”But to provide some quick answers.
“Once an arahant passes into Nibbana, does it stop having a mind or does the mind follow its evolution and this evolution would be Nibbana? Can we properly speak of an enlightened mind?”
– An enlightened mind (that of an Arahant) is a mind devoid of greed, anger, and ignorance (about the true nature of this world). That means that one will be stuck with the rebirth process as long as one has no comprehension about the Four Noble Truths.
– When one truly understands the Four Noble Truths, one will see that there is much suffering in the future especially due to rebirths in the four lower realms. Those rebirths arise due to akusala kamma done with greed, anger, and ignorance.
– That is why it is important to understand how the laws of kamma work first.Hello Marina,
It seems that you may need to read some of the posts in the following section.
“Moral Living and Fundamentals”
Please take the time and read some posts that seem to be relevant to your questions.
– I answered your questions on gandhabba before seeing these questions. I think you should learn about the laws of kamma before getting into issues relating to gandhabba. Those are more complex issues.
– So, my advice is to focus on the above section first.Yes. Those are complex questions. I cannot answer them in even a couple of posts.
Such details can be found in the following sections:
“Mental Body – Gandhabba”
“Gandhabba (Manomaya Kaya)”I recently started a new section to discuss this in a systematic way:
“Buddha Dhamma – A Scientific Approach”You may want to scan through the above sections to see which section would best for you. Each person is different.
Hello Marina!
You asked: “I have read that the gandhabba cannot bear the energy of the arahant. So what happens to the gandhabba when the ordinary living being becomes an arahant? Is it weakened and reduced by starvation?”
Gandhabba of an Arahant cannot bear the energy of an Arahant when OUTSIDE the physical body. So, when the physical body of the Arahant dies, the gandhabba comes out and perished.
– Gandhabba, in this case, can be compared to a heater coil. As long as the heater coil (with heat on) is immersed in water, it will be fine. But as soon as it is taken out of the water, it burns.You asked: “And as the arahant passes into Nibbana, does the weakened gandhabba dissolve or is somehow reabsorbed into the mortal remains of the arahant?”
Parinibbana (attained at the death of an Arahant) and “this world” are mutually exclusive, meaning that one can either in this world or in Parinibbana.
– Parinibbana means “complete and full Nibbana.” Until then an Arahant has Nibbana but still has the physical body living in this world.
– So, at the death of an Arahant, there is nothing remaining about him/her in this world. That is why the Buddha likened that to the flame of an oil lamp extinguished.You asked: “Why is it necessary to be ordained to attain Nibbana.”
It is not necessary to be ordained to attain Nibbana. One can stay as a “householder” or a ‘layperson” all the way up to the Arahanthood.
Added part 4 of the Series to Waharaka TV transcriptions of Waharaka Thero’s Desanas listed in my post on July 10, 2020, above.
Also added part 8 of the Series to Janith Fernando’s transcriptions of Waharaka Thero’s Desanas listed in my post on June 19, 2020, above.
– Both were sent to me by Patighosa Hojan (Hojanyun). Thanks, Hojanyun!
Normally, the word moha is used to describe those who have ten types of wrong views (miccha ditthi).
– That is the strongest level of “ignorance.”When those ten types of wrong views are removed, one gets to mundane Samma Ditthi.
But one has not comprehended the Four Noble Truths (or Tilakkhana) yet.
– Thus one still has avijja, a lower level than moha.That is why the akusala-mula Paticca Samuppada process starts with, “avijja paccaya sankhara“. It ends in “the whole mass of suffering.”
To remove avijja, one must first learn them from a Buddha or a true disciple of the Buddha, of course. Then one must contemplate on what is learned, and comprehend the “anicca nature.”
– That is the “previously unheard Dhamma” until a Buddha is born.The kusala-mula Paticca Samuppada process comes into play ONLY after the comprehension of Tilakkhana.
– That process DOES NOT lead to “the whole mass of suffering”. It ends with “Dhammanam samudayo hoti” and leads to only Ariya births (i.e., as a Sotapanna Anugami or above). Whehter one is reborn a human, a Deva, or a Brahma, one WILL BE an Ariya.y not wrote: “If one admits to the reality of kamma and kamma vipaka and to opapatika births, including the apayas especially, is this not an indication of having seen, to some extent at least, the dangers in the rebirth process, and therefore has right view there? ”
Yes. That is why the Buddha said there are two types of Samma Ditthi.
– What you say in the above statement is getting to the first (mundane) version of Samma Ditthi.That DOES NOT remove the ignorance of the Four Noble Truths (embedded in Tilakkhana) that says even rebirths in the “good realms” are NOT the solution.
– The higher level of Samma Ditthi comes from that understanding.But of course, living a moral life, embedded in the mundane Samma Ditthi. is a critical first step.
As I explained to you in my email this morning, it is a concept that cannot be explained even in a single post. Please refer to what I recommended if you like to learn about it.
After you go through at least some of the Bhikkhu Bodhi’s lectures AND have read some of the posts that I recommended, you can start reading the following section on “Stream Entry”:
“Sōtapanna Stage of Nibbāna”Of course, if you like, you can start reading that section on the Sotapanna Stage now.
– Since I have no idea about your background, you may well be able to comprehend that material now.
– But if you don’t have that background, it may make more sense after you read some more basic concepts.In summary, what I mean by ”Stream Entry” is described in the posts at, “Sōtapanna Stage of Nibbāna“
To complete my explanation above:
Moha has many levels too. It starts from a totally-covered mind that does not believe that kamma have vipaka, the validity of the rebirth process, etc.
– When one has removed the ten types of wrong views, one has avijja. That means one does not realize the unfruitfulness of the rebirth process AND the dangers.
– Then at the “Stream Entry” or the Sotapanna stage, one starts comprehending the Four Noble Truths or Tilakkhana.
– Then avijja is removed in four stages of Nibbana, culminating at the Arahant stage.y not wrote: “However, it is possible for anger to be independent of hatred.”
Of course. There are many levels of dosa ranging from hatred (high end) to anger to just annoyance.
– Hatred is where one is capable of even murder. With anger one may verbally abuse or even hit. Annoyance (patigha) is lower.In the same way, there are many levels of lobha ranging from extreme greed (where one may do immoral things like rape), to kama raga (craving for sensory pleasures), to rupa raga (just to see/hear), to arupa raga (just the desire to live in this world).
You could write it that way too, Tobias.
– But dislike has origins in liking.Anicca nature comes from not getting what one craves or likes, i.e., icca (or iccha).
We attach to “things” or “situations” with anger (or annoyance) OR ignorance too. That is the true meaning of tanha: “Tanhā – How We Attach Via Greed, Hate, and Ignorance”
One may get annoyed with a fly (some can bite too!) because of its persistence.
– So, one may actually “hate the fly” for being annoying!People also get annoyed for no apparent reason too. That is due to avijja.
– Someone may just “do not like” another person (a total stranger), for no apparent reason.
– It works the other way too. Some “fall in love” at first sight!
