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It seems that a couple of posts got deleted (including one by me) got deleted overnight.
If you are going to make a comment, please keep a copy, in case it gets deleted. We are trying to fix the problem.
The post in question is: “Pāli Dictionaries – Are They Reliable?”
In that post, in #1, it says: “Pāli does not have its own alphabet. It was a spoken language, and the Pāli Canon (Tipitaka) was first written using Sinhala alphabet around 5 BCE (two thousand years ago); see, “Historical Background“.”
So, the question appears to be: “Did the Sinhala alphabet exist 2000 years ago in the same form as today?”. It is an important question, and one can get some insights by looking into this issue.
The short answer is that the Sinhala alphabet very likely underwent CHANGES during those 2000 years.
The answer is in the post, “Preservation of the Buddha Dhamma“.
It would be better to read that whole post, but the answer to this question is under #9:“9. Another important point is that even up to the 20th century, the whole Tipitaka was written on specially prepared ola (palm) leaves. They deteriorate over 100 years or so and needed to be re-written. Even though that was a very labor-intensive process (there are about 60 large volumes in the modern printed version of the Tipitaka), it served another important purpose.
- Sinhala language (both spoken and written) changed over the past 2000 years. The need to re-write it every 100 or so years made sure that the changes in Sinhala script was taken into account; of course Pāli language has not changed at all”.
Therefore, any changes to words/alphabet would have been taken care of due to this process.
I need to revise the post “Pāli Dictionaries – Are They Reliable?” to make this point point clear.
Thanks for bringing it up.
To add to what Seng Kiat wrote:
In contemplating Paticca Samuppada backwards (“patiloma”), one starts by replacing, “jati paccaya jara, marana,…” with “jati rirodha jara, marana..nirodha”.
Then, “bhava paccaya jati” is replaced by “bhava nirodha jati nirodha”, etc.
Then one can see some key insights.
For example, if one does not do “apunna abhisankhara”, no corresponding “bad vinnana” would arise that can lead to births in the apayas.So, it is not just repeating words. One needs to “see” how bad births can be stopped from arising by stopping corresponding abhi sankhara. Of course, as one forcefully stops such abhi sankhara, one’s “bad gati” would reduce over time.
– However, it is also essential to learn Dhamma to get rid of avijja, the root cause.Sorry I missed it.
A better statement would be “respecting and making offerings to those with higher virtues has no merits”.
That is what was in the post, “Micchā Ditthi, Gandhabba, and Sōtapanna Stage“, and I have revised it in the post you referred to.
“Those with higher virtues” could be human or devas.
Of course, devas do not need our food, for example. Making offerings there is a gesture, done with good intentions.
– However, I remember listening to a desana by Waharaka Thero, where he mentioned that those food offerings can be used by higher devas to feed their underlings (there are different levels, just like in the human world).
– He mentioned that when people offer nice-smelling fruits etc, just after the offering, the aroma would be gone (if it is done right). That means the “essence” (oja) of the food has been extracted.
– However, one does not need to offer large quantities. The higher devas can make the offering to “multiply” to feed many.
– I don’t want to get into that issue right now. This is not a critical issue, but could be beneficial.
– This is just like giving (dana) cannot directly lead to magga phala, but can help set the background.But we should ALWAYS give merits to ALL BEINGS.
firewns wrote: “I see vinnana as occurring at least three times within a single PS cycle.”
You are quite right. You have thought about this carefully! Paticca Samuppada can be analyzed in great detail.
You may also want to read the post: “Difference Between Tanhā and Upādāna“.
Also think about how different types of bhava (and jati) arise due to one’s own sankhara (which of course lead to corresponding vinnana). That understanding is very important.
“Gati to Bhava to Jāti – Ours to Control”P.S. In fact, this is one way to get rid of Sakkaya Ditthi and to attain the Sotapanna stage.
– There is no “soul” or “attā” or have an “ātma”, but only a form of living being (satvā) arising due to (abhi)sankhara. When one truly comprehends that, one would have removed Sakkaya Ditthi.
– Apunna abhisankhara lead to a satvā in the apayas.
– Punna abhisankhara lead to a satvā in the “realms of human, deva, and rupavacara brahma”.
– Anenja abhisankhara lead to a satvā in the “realms of arupavacara brahma”.
– When one cultivates the Noble Path, one’s panna will grow and would be optimum at the Arahant stage. Then one one would not do any more abhisankhara. Of course, an Arahant would still do sankhara until the death of the physical body.firewns wrote: “However, suppose that the being is either unaware of, or chooses not to obstruct tanha, so that it smoothly leads to upadana without much hindrance”.
Yes. That is why it is not possible to stop the rebirth process if one is not exposed to correct Buddha Dhamma.
On other questions:
“Tanha paccaya vinnana” does take place.“tanha paccaya rupa” happens only indirectly. For example, one’s next birth (and the accompanying body) arises due to a built-up vinnana. This is a deeper aspect.
I suggest reading the following to understand what is really meant by vinnana. This is something most people do not understand. Vinnana is all about “future expectations”:
I recommend reading the posts 3 through 6 in the following section:
“Essential Buddhism”and then read:
“Viññāna – What It Really Means”It is worthwhile to spend the time and understand vinnana.
firewns asked: “How can one meditate on reducing sanna and citta vipallasa about dukkha and asubha?”
One cannot reduce sanna and citta vipallasa DIRECTLY via meditation.
Those vipallasa are reduced when one cultivates panna by getting rid of the 10 types of miccha ditthi first, and then increasing one’s understanding on Tilakkhana (mainly the anicca nature).
– So, the meditation should be on Dhamma concepts.
– You may want to listen to the set of discourses on Tilakkhana:
“Three Marks of Existence – English Discourses“Mind can play tricks.
When one really starts comprehending Dhamma (suffering and its root causes), one can start feeling it mentally and bodily. This is described in the described in the Upanisa Sutta (SN 12.23):
“..With the comprehension of suffering (i.e., the First Noble Truth via Tilakkhana) faith results; with the growth of faith, lightness of mind (pāmojjaṃ) arises; with increasing lightness of mind, joy (piti) arises; with increasing joy, lightness of the body (passaddhi) arises; with increasing passaddhi, bodily sukha arises; with increasing bodily sukha, samādhi arises; with samādhi, yathābhūtañāṇadassana (knowledge and vision of things as they really are) arises; with the knowledge and vision of things as they really are, one loses attachment to worldly things (nibbidā), followed by losing cravings for sense pleasures (viragā), and liberation (vimutti), and to the destruction of all defilements (khayeñāṇaṃ)”.
That step-by-step process takes one all the way to Arahanthood.
Just published a post on this topic confirming what I stated above:
“Attha Purisa Puggalā- Eight Noble Persons“.We can discuss any remaining issues here. No need to open a new thread.
I will try to publish one more post before taking a break. But I will be able to take part in the forum until about the 14th. Then I will be taking a few weeks off.
You are welcome, Tealer!
You said: ‘ Phala-sammāpatti I understand as saññā vedayita nirodha.”
- saññā vedayita nirodha is the phala samapatti corresponding to the Arahant phala.
- Phala samapatti for lower stages of Nibbana are different. For example, a Sotapanna could cultivate Sotapanna phala samapatti.
You wrote: “For my understanding, Magga and phala itself (and the phala-sammāpatti even more) is a special kind of jhanic experience.”
As explained in the post, “Pannāvimutti – Arahanthood without Jhāna“, one could get to magga and phala without going through jhana.
You wrote: “So even the paññāvimutti Arahat must have at least some jhanic moments.”
It is possible that a paññāvimutti Arahant may automatically get to the first Ariya jhana. I am not certain about that. Of course, he/she would be easily able to cultivate jhanas after the Arahanthood.
– However, the Abhidhamma description of any magga phala involves only a gotrabu (change of lineage) citta; see at the end of the following post for a a short description: “Citta Vithi – Processing of Sense Inputs“.You asked: “do you think that every ubhatobhāga-vimutta must be (beside paññāvimutta) also akuppā cetovimutta?”
Ubhatobhāga Arahant means one who is liberated “both ways”.
– a cetovimutti ARAHANT is, by definition, an Ubhatobhāga Arahant.
– a paññāvimutti Arahant can become an Ubhatobhāga Arahant by cultivating jhana and getting to saññā vedayita nirodha.You may be also interested in the post, “Jhānic Experience in Detail – Sāmaññaphala Sutta (DN 2)“, which was published today.
This has been explained in detail:
Thank you, Tealer, for the detailed posting.
I think it is a good idea to first see the difference between cetovimutti and pannavimutti Arahants.
– I had started writing a post on the Tapussa Sutta that explains this well. So, I was able to finish it today, and I just published it:
“Tapussa Sutta (AN 9.41)– Akuppā Cētōvimutti”We can discuss more if you have questions. Please refer to the bullet numbers in the post, if you ask specific questions on it.
upekkha100 asked: “Can someone be able to radiate boundless metta to all sentient beings to that level of a brahma, when they still have kama raga?”
You have given the answer below that too.
When one has extreme version of kama raga (abhijja), the power of the metta bhavana is the weakest. One is just reciting without much effect.
– It is stronger when abhijja is reduced to kama raga stage.
– It is even stronger when one has no kama raga, but has rupa raga and arupa raga left.
– It is stronger when only arupa raga is left.
– It is strongest when all are eliminated by removing both tanha and avijja (i.e., for an Arahant).Put it in another way, the javana power of a citta is increased as one gets rid (or at least suppresses) avijja and tanha.
– Of course, removal is better than suppression, AND removal requires the comprehension of anicca nature (Tilakkhana).P.S. “A Simple Way to Enhance Merits (Kusala) and Avoid Demerits (Akusala)“
1 user thanked author for this post.
Akvan wrote:
“This is how I have understood all this;There are two types of sotapanna anugami (Sotapattiphalasacchikiriyaya paṭipanno) based on their dominant faculty. The pragna dominant person is a dhammanusari and a saddha dominant person is a saddhanusari.
There are three types of sotapanna based on the time they will take to attain nibbana; sattakkhattuparamo, kolamkolo and ekabiji.”
I have been able to look into this a bit more, and your above conclusions are correct.
The only remaining questions are regarding the time it takes to attain the Arahanthood.
I need more time to verify, by it seems that there are no set time limits for the dhammanusari and the saddhanusari (Sotapanna Anugamis) to attain the Arahanthood.
– However, they will NEVER be born again in the apayas. So, the post, “Sōtapanna Anugāmi – No More Births in the Apāyās” is accurate.
– I will write a post, but may take some time. I am going through some medical issues.
