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I realize I had not missed the point in y not’s Taryal’s question.
- Let me restate the question. Consider a Brahma exhausting its lifetime and born a human. Since Brahmas do not have sex organs, how is the sexual identity of the human is determined?
Sexual identity is loosely related to bhāva dasaka. Usually, a human born with purisa bhāva dasaka has male sex organs, but that is not necessary; see #2 of the post below. Also, All Brahma realms are “unisex.” They all have the purisa bhāva dasaka. See #8 of the post below.
- See the post “Sexual Orientation – Effects of Kamma and Gati (Saṅkhāra).”
Therefore, whether a Brahma exhausting its lifetime and born a human would have male or female sex organs is a complex issue. I guess that most will have male sex organs and even those born with female sex organs will have “purisa gati.”
- My apologies for not understanding the question. Strangely, our minds can latch onto one aspect of an issue and proceed in the wrong direction.
- Please read the above post to get a better idea of the issue. I only pointed out the main points.
“Say, a brahma dies and grasps a human bhava. Brahmas are sexless, so the prominent gender from the past, or the one of the two that ‘needs addressing ‘ the more would take precedence.”
I thought I addressed that in my comment.
- Grasping a new existence (bhava) is independent of the existence (bhava) that just ended.
Maybe I do not understand the issue/question.
Each of us has many “kamma bija” waiting to bear fruit. They could bring rebirths in different realms. Some bring rebirths in lower realms, and some in higher realms. At the moment of cuti-patisandhi (grasping a new existence), the strongest one (called “garuka kamma“) will usually be chosen automatically. If no exceptionally strong kamma bija exists, the closest one (asanna kamma) will take over.
- However, some types of kamma bija bring rebirth without exception (anantariya kamma). For example, if a human cultivates a jhana, he/she will be born in the corresponding Brahma realm (first jhana in the lowest Brahma realm, etc.) at the death of the physical body, even if there is more kammic energy left in the human bhava. Of course, anantariya kamma on the “bad side,” such as killing a parent, will bring rebirth in an apaya.
- Some kamma bija become ineffective (i.e., cannot bring rebirth) if one attains magga phala. For example, a Sotapanna will not be reborn in an apaya, even if he/she has many kamma bija capable of bringing such rebirths.
“If a sperm cell with the X chromosome wins the race, the resulting chromosome pair would be XX which would lead to female body.”
- Yes. In that specific case, only a female gandhabba will be pulled into the womb by kammic energy.
- In the other case, only a male gandhabba will be pulled into the womb by kammic energy.
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Thank you, Taryal.
- Yes. There are many such examples of “built-in” saññā, which helps those species in many cases.
- On the other hand, the built-in “distorted saññā” providing a “false sense of pleasure” is common to all living beings, which traps them in the rebirth process. Living beings in “kāma loka” receive a false/distorted kāma saññā for sensory inputs. Rupa loka Brahmās receive a false/distorted jhānic saññā and Arupa loka Brahmās receive a false/distorted arupa samāpatti saññā.
- It is essential to distinguish between the two categories.
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Excellent, Taryal!
- I am happy that our community is becoming knowledgeable in the deeper aspects of Buddha’s teachings.
Taryal wrote: “Saññā (perception) is one of the mental aggregates and is a kamma vipaka, i.e. a result of past action (kamma). According to Tipitaka, the precise details of how a kammic energy can ripen into its corresponding vipaka is only discernible to a Sammasambuddha. What we can do is get the general idea. A sentient being can’t recognize anything without having perception. A human has “manussa saññā“, deva has “deva saññā”, dog has “dog saññā” and so on..”
- That summarizes a critical aspect of our world!
1. “Saññā” (loosely translated as “perception”) is a critical concept in Buddha’s teachings. It is one of the five aggregates (or, more correctly, pancupadanakkhandha) that summarizes our sensory experience and how we respond to those experiences.
- In fact, most of our decisions are based on saññā. Only bodily contacts directly lead to feelings (vedana) of pleasure or pain/distress. All other sensory experiences (sights, sounds, tastes, smells) only lead to saññā of like/dislike, tasty/bitter, etc.; they feel the same as vedana. That is clearly distinguished in Abhidhamma.
- As I have pointed out many times, the taste of honey or the smell of a rose is a saññā and not a vedana in a strict sense. However, that difference is not emphasized in the suttas because Abhidhamma was fully developed after the Buddha’s Parinibbana.
2. The critical role of saññā becomes clear when we compare the sensory experiences of humans (manussa) with those of animals.
- Humans and animals feel the pain and pleasure in physical contact in the same way. They all feel pain if hit with a stick or injured.
- However, “manussa saññā“ is different from “animal saññā.“ Furthermore, different animals generate different types of saññā. While humans and bears like the taste of honey (they seem to give a sukha vedana), cows get a sukha vedana from eating grass. Lions get a sukha vedana when they eat the flesh of other animals, etc.. All those are examples of saññā!
3. Saññā is built into the physical and mental bodies of humans and animals, so it arises automatically. Even after attaining magga phala or even the Arahant stage, those built-in saññās remain. Thus, an Arahant would also taste honey as sweet.
- The following short video is about migrating birds, which helps explain the concept of “built-in saññā.” There are many other examples, like how ants build “mega colonies” or how dogs can find their way home if released hundreds of miles away.
- Migrating birds have a built-in saññā to trigger them to start migrating and also to provide navigation! Their bodies have built-in mechanisms (via kammic energy/Paticca Samuppada) to provide navigation. I asked Grok AI about it and it gave the following description.
Migrating birds possess a natural compass mechanism that is believed to be magnetically sensitive. Here’s a bit more detail:-
Magnetoreception: Many species of birds can detect the Earth’s magnetic field, which helps them navigate during migration. This ability is known as magnetoreception.
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Cryptochrome Theory: One leading theory suggests that birds use proteins called cryptochromes, located in their eyes, which might be sensitive to magnetic fields. When these proteins absorb light, they could become involved in chemical reactions that are influenced by the Earth’s magnetic field, thus providing directional information.
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Iron Particles: Another theory involves magnetite, a naturally magnetic form of iron oxide. Some studies have found tiny particles of magnetite in the beaks of homing pigeons and other birds. These particles might act like a microscopic compass needle, helping birds sense direction.
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Other Navigation Tools: Besides magnetism, birds also use visual landmarks, the position of the sun, star patterns, and possibly even smell to navigate.
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Therefore, migrating birds have biological systems that detect magnetic fields, aiding their remarkable navigational abilities during migration.
P.S. Another example is how ants build sophisticated “cities.” Watch the video in #10 of the post “How Character (Gati) Leads to Bhava and Jāti.” It is informative to read that post, too.
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Excellent, Yash!
In a comment above, I asked Lagrade the following to point out a similar issue regarding one of his questions:
Lagrade’s question: “If each existence represents different “person”, why should one worry about future suffering?”
- Future lives are not that different from present lives. Were you the “exact same person” when you were five, ten, or twenty years old? Did you look the same at those stages, have the same ambitions/goals or outlook on life, etc., as now?
- Whether you are worried about suffering in the coming years or not, suffering will increase as you get older (it applies to all of us). In the same way, at least according to the Buddha, suffering in future lives cannot be avoided until one cleanses one’s mind of greed, anger, and ignorance (about the true nature of the world.)
- P.S. What aspect of “Lagrade” has remained unchanged over the years to make it a specific and same exact “Lagrade”?
I have tried to explain it as simply as possible. Those are concepts that require a sufficient background.
- Hopefully, you will be able to understand it someday (or maybe even now by reading through the above discussion, including the suggested posts). I hope you will not lose interest in Buddha’s teachings.
- If you are interested in learning the fundamentals, I recommend reading from the following two sections: “Moral Living and Fundamentals” and “Living Dhamma.”
Of course, if someone else is willing to continue the discussion, please do. I don’t have the time necessary to explain this material in detail, as it is covered in posts throughout this website.
This is discussed in the following post: “Taṇhā Paccayā Upādāna – Critical Step in Paṭicca Samuppāda.”
- I have often commented that the Paticca Samuppada process starts with attachment to a sensory input (arammana) with tanha.
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“My issue with that idea is that how can there be perception of anything along with conscious ability to think and do bodily actions if there is no self in reality?”
- The innate sense of a “me” will be there (at different levels) until one attains the Arahant stage.
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“Furthermore, when an arahant realizes that there is no “me”, do they suddenly become talking corpses?”
- No. Their mind would be free of even a trace of greed, anger, and ignorance (about the true nature of the world.)
- Instead of becoming corpses, they will have the best clarity of mind.
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“By “goal”, I wasn’t referring to the ultimate goal of ending rebirth process but the understanding one needs to have in this context.”
- Without believing in the process, one cannot understand the “true nature of the world.”
- It is up to each person to believe or not believe in the rebirth process. However, Buddha’s teachings (at least the more profound aspects, like the absence of a soul) cannot be understood without a rebirth process. The laws of kamma (explained via Paticca Samuppada) operate not only in this life but also in future lives. For example, person X may kill another and be able not to get caught by law enforcement. But he will not be able to escape the consequence of that immoral deed (kamma vipaka) and being born as an animal or worse.
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“If each existence represents different “person”, why should one worry about future suffering?”
- Future lives are not that different from present lives. Were you the “exact same person” when you were five, ten, or twenty years old? Did you look the same at those stages, have the same ambitions/goals or outlook on life, etc., as now?
- Whether you are worried about suffering in the coming years or not, suffering will increase as you get older (it applies to all of us). In the same way, at least according to the Buddha, suffering in future lives cannot be avoided until one cleanses one’s mind of greed, anger, and ignorance (about the true nature of the world.)
- P.S. What aspect of “Lagrade” has remained unchanged over the years to make it a specific and same exact “Lagrade”?
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Q1. Sanna vipallasa is associated with all three “lokas.”
- “Distorted kama sanna” is associated with the realms in the “kama loka“ and leads to “kama raga.” An Anagami has removed “kama raga,” meaning they will no longer be attached to “distorted kama sanna.“
- “Distorted rupa loka sanna” (jhanic pleasures) are associated with the realms in the “rupa loka.” “Distorted arupa loka sanna” (samapatti pleasures) are associated with the realms in the “arupa loka.” An Arahant (who has cultivated jhana/samapatti) will still feel the same jhanic or arupa samapatti “pleasures,” but their minds will not be attached to them.
Q2. Yes.
- P.S. It is better to say: “..removal of the tendency to attach to sanna vipallasa is achieved through the cultivation of wisdom (panna).”
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This website aims to teach deeper aspects of Buddha’s teachings.
- Other websites and discussion forums discuss “easy-to-grasp” concepts that underlie Buddha’s teachings. There is nothing wrong with that. The danger is that most of those websites and textbooks have misleading ideas that, once grasped, are hard to remove.
- I want to use this website to preserve the deeper aspects of Buddha’s teachings.
- You may want to participate in forums that are suitable for you.
You asked: “So again: What’s called birth by the Buddha and his disciples, it’s definition?
What’s called death?
What’s called existence?
- I suggest reading the post “Bhava and Jāti – States of Existence and Births Therein.”
My apologies for not responding to your earlier comment. I did not see it.
- I had made a mistake in my earlier comment that you linked to. I just corrected it as follows:
P.P.S. (September 16, 2024): There is a critical difference between the effects of ditthi vipallasa and sanna vipallasa.
- At the Sotapnna stage, ditthi vipallasa disappears, and wrong views are removed.
- In contrast, sanna vipallasa is “built into” our mental and physical bodies. We can only train the mind to “ignore it” and “not to be fooled by it.” That happens in stages. An Anagami’s mind will still get the “distorted kama sanna” that honey is sweet, but it will not be attached to that taste. In another example, An Anagami will see the “beauty of a woman” but will not generate lust for the woman.
- But an Anagami (who has cultivated jhana/samapatti) will still be attached to jhanic or arupa samapatti “pleasures.” An Arahant (who has cultivated jhana/samapatti) will still feel the same jhanic or arupa samapatti “pleasures,” but their minds will not be attached to them.
I hope this will clarify your well-justified questions. I should have expressed my ideas better.
- I will clarify this in detail in the next post, but feel free to ask any questions.
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To Samana Johann:
What do you mean by writing: “Or would good Lal say that if one falls into a tendency like a Brahma, yet still human body, that he/she took another existence?”
- Do you understand the difference between “bhava” and “jati” for a human?
- When first grasping the “human existence (bhava),” a human gandhabba is born. It has a “subtle boy” like that of a Brahma and may have a lifetime of many thousands of years. Within that lifetime, that human gandhabba can be born with a physical human body (like ours) that lives only for about a hundred years. Therefore, each of us will probably be reborn many times (with a dense human body) for a long time until the gandhabba‘s life comes to an end.
- That is why in children’s rebirth accounts, they can recall their last past life with a dense physical body. The two births are separated by several or even thousands of years. Between two such consecutive “births,” it lives in the gandhabba state with a “subtle body” that we cannot see.
