Lal

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  • in reply to: glimpsing Nibbana #21838
    Lal
    Keymaster

    Being conscious means generating thoughts (citta).

    We lose consciousness (i.e., do not generate thoughts) under the following conditions:
    – Deep sleep
    – While being unconscious either due to a traumatic injury or under anesthesia.

    In addition, an Arahant can DELIBERATELY get into nirodha samapatti for up to 7 days, where again no thoughts are generated.
    – In order to get into nirodha samapatti, one must go through the four rupavacara jhana first, and then successively go to higher arupavacara jhana up to the highest, the “neva sanna na sanna” state. From there, an Arahant can make a determination on how long to stay in nirodha samapatti and get into it. (other yogis may be bale to get to the “neva sanna na sanna” state, but CANNOT get in to nirodha samapatti).
    – Just like while being unconscious in the above mentioned “mundane situations”, the physical body of an Arahant in nirodha samapatti is kept alive by kammic energy.

    Attaining Nibbana (or the Arahanthood) does not mean losing thoughts. One just will not generate any DEFILED thoughts; this is also called saupadisesa Nibbana.
    – That is called “vinnana nirodha”, where vinnana is a defiled mindset, where defiled thoughts may be generated.
    – However, when the physical body of an Arahant dies, another birth in the 31 realms does not happen. Thus thoughts (citta) cease to exist PERMANENTLY and the Arahant merges with the Nibbana dhatu (element) or attains anupadisesa Nibbana.
    – Two types are Nibbana were discussed here: “Reply To: Nibbana, not of this world?“.

    I think that summarizes all possibilities for “ceasing consciousness”.

    in reply to: glimpsing Nibbana #21835
    Lal
    Keymaster

    Tien wrote: ” it’s all black, no self-talking, no feelings, no everything, it’s very hard to explain by words, it not mere black but there is something to it and I can’t know what inside of it because I wouldn’t know anyway (there is no senses operate while this state happens.”

    Do you really “see the blackness during that whole time” or does it just flashes black and then you are out until you “come back”?
    – In other words, does it remain black during the “out time”?

    in reply to: gandha + abbha — utuja or karaja? #21822
    Lal
    Keymaster

    They are both called karaja kaya. However, karaja kaya of a gandhabba is MUCH FINER. A normal human cannot see a gandhabba.

    When a gandhabba enters a womb, it sheds the fine karaja kaya due to aroma absorption that grew while waiting for a womb. P.S. Of course, the material discarded is too fine to be noticed by anyone; finer than dust that we can see.

    A new karaja kaya starts when the gandhabba merges with the zygote in the womb:
    Buddhist Explanations of Conception, Abortion, and Contraception“.

    P.S.
    Tobias asked: “But the aroma “inhaled” is utu, right? It comes from “external”.”

    No. utu does not mean “external”. It means “due to change”. Utuja kaya arises due to the “transformation” of the cittaja kaya. It is really the energy in the cittas transformed to an “energy field”.
    – It is also called the “aura body” or “aura field”.

    in reply to: gandha + abbha — utuja or karaja? #21820
    Lal
    Keymaster

    The post is: “Manomaya Kaya (Gandhabba) and the Physical Body

    The “fine physical body by inhaling aroma” is NOT part of the utuja kaya.

    It belongs to the fourth kaya, the karaja kaya. It is a fine form of karaja kaya. Our karaja kaya is much more dense.

    The utuja kaya is more like an “energy field” surrounding the body. It arises due to cittaja kaya.
    – Basically citta arise in our minds and are immediately gone. Part of the javana energy created by cittas are converted to the utuja kaya.
    – Brahmas have only those three kaya: kammaja, cittaja, and utuja.
    – So, a new human (or animal) gandhabba is “born” at the cuti-patisandhi moment with those three kaya. Then with time, it will get a bit more dense by “inhaling” aroma. Here, “inhaling” does not imply they have noses. It is more like absorption.

    in reply to: Akasa dhatu vs vinnana dhatu #21814
    Lal
    Keymaster

    Questions by upekkha100:

    1) Everything in this entire world is essentially energy (whether it is mano rupa or rupa rupa)?

    2) Everything is either mano rupa(below sudastaka) or rupa rupa(at/above sudastaka)?

    3) Mano rupa is precursor. All rupa rupa started out as mano rupa before condensing to rupa rupa?

    Yes to all.
    – It is significant to note that Einstein proved that matter and energy are the same. They are related by his famous equation: E = mc^2.

    It is also important to realize that mano rupa are created by vinnana.
    Vinnana is different from other nama: vedana, sanna, sankhara:
    Introduction to Citta, Vēdanā, Saññā, Sankhāra, and Viññāna

    More detailed analyses at:
    Viññāna Aggregate

    This is why, “Nibbana is attained via stopping the arising of vinnana (vinnana nirodha)”.
    – That is explained in that subsection given in the last link.
    – It is also discussed in the post: “Viññāna (Defiled Consciousness)

    in reply to: Pathama Metta Sutta (AN 4.125) #21813
    Lal
    Keymaster

    VERY IMPORTANT CORRECTION!

    upekkha100 wrote:” Sotapanna Anugami are one of the 8 Ariyas and part of the 4 pairs of Ariyas. I was under the impression that all Ariyas would have avecca pasada.”

    Very good point. I should have been more careful. Thank you, upekkha100!

    It seems that the Sotapanna Anugami is NOT FREED from the apayas, but it merely says “does not go to apayas”. I have revised my previous post with the following addition:

    It is important to see that there is a difference between those with magga phala (1-4) and the last two types of Sotapanna Anugamai. It seems that the last two are not really FREED from the apayas. It seems to mean that they merely will not go to apayas at the end of this bhava.
    For each of the 4 magga pahala:
    “Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo parimutto nirayā parimutto tiracchā­na­yoniyā parimutto pettivisayā parimutto apāya­dugga­ti­vini­pātā.”
    “..That man is entirely free… from the apayas.”
    For the last two types (Sotapanna Anugamai):
    “Ayampi kho, mahānāma, puggalo agantā nirayaṃ agantā tiracchā­na­yoniṃ agantā pettivisayaṃ agantā apāyaṃ duggatiṃ vinipātaṃ.”
    “..That man does not go to the apayas”.

    in reply to: vottapana #21807
    Lal
    Keymaster

    Yes. The state of mind at that moment affects the decision made at the vottapana citta:
    State of Mind in the Absence of Citta Vithi – Bhavanga

    in reply to: Udayavaya (Udayabbaya) Ñāna – Introduction #21802
    Lal
    Keymaster

    You may want to read the post: “Difference Between Tanhā and Upādāna

    in reply to: Root Cause of Anicca – Five Stages of a Sankata #21785
    Lal
    Keymaster

    firewns wrote: “I guess this is the bodily part of what is meant by giving up attachment to the Buddhadhamma in order to attain Nibbana.”

    That is right.
    “Attachment to Buddha Dhamma” is not a craving. It is “chanda”, one of the four iddhipada: chanda, citta, viriya, vimansa.

    That “chanda”, comes from understanding of the unfruitfulness (and dangers) in attachment to worldly things (thus extending the rebirth process, where most births are in the apayas).

    Now, some people confuse “chanda” with “kamaccandha”. The latter is one of the five hindrances (panca nivarana) that “cover the mind”.
    Kamaccandha is “kama” + icca + andha, or “blinded by attachment to sense pleasures”.

    Therefore, when one understands the key concepts of Buddha Dhamma, one’s mind will give up kamaccandha AND cultivate chanda (the desire to attain Nibbana and stop future suffering from arising).

    in reply to: Root Cause of Anicca – Five Stages of a Sankata #21782
    Lal
    Keymaster

    firewns said: “For example, the links in paticca samuppada (which is the ultimate dhamma niyama) can operate only under suitable conditions,.”

    This is the key.
    – Those CONDITIONS are related to one’s mindset.
    – A more defiled mindset triggers many paticca samuppada (PS) cycles.
    Each PS cycle ends up in suffering.
    – As one purifies one’s mind (by engaging in true Anapana/Satipatthana), those CONDITIONS will slowly reduce and eventually cease to exist.
    – That is when one attains the Arahant stage. No more suffering after that.
    – But it is step-by-step process.

    That is a very brief summary.

    As I mentioned in the topic, “Akasa dhatu vs vinnana dhatu” a little while ago, the essential steps are in the “Essential Buddhism” subsection.

    in reply to: Akasa dhatu vs vinnana dhatu #21780
    Lal
    Keymaster

    Siebe wrote: “Now i am reading about space-element which is said to be unconditioned, always existed. For me this is new. 
    Now i am reading about space-element which is said to be unconditioned, always existed. For me this is new”. 

    This is the key problem. Getting stuck in a set of words like ‘unconditioned”. One needs to have a basic understanding of what causes suffering.
    – Buddha Dhamma is all about removing the causes for future suffering.
    What causes suffering is attachment to “things” in this world. But not all “things” make us attach to them.
    – Those “things” that we attach to have a finite time of existence, and even during that time of existence they change unexpectedly (viparinama nature). Those are also called sankata.

    Instead of trying to analyze concepts that cannot be grasped, one should start at a level that one can understand.
    – Akasa dhatu and vinnana dhatu are at the very fundamental level; vinnana dhatu is different from vinnana. Everything in the world is condensed into just 6 “entities”: patavi, apo, tejo, vayo, akasa dhatu, vinnana dhatu.
    – Trying to understand those is like trying to understand quantum mechanics without understanding basic mechanics, say Newton’s laws.
    All those 6 elements will always be there. That does not mean they do not undergo change.

    Those 6 elements, by themselves, do not make us suffer. When we attach to “things” that arise in the world starting with those 6 elements, that is when we create future suffering for ourselves.

    Understanding of more complex things comes only after understanding more basic things. I really hope everyone will carefully read all the posts at the new “Essential Buddhism” section. If one cannot understand those posts, then talking about more complex subjects is just a waste of time.

    Siebe wrote: “I have many problems, kilesa’s, greed, hate, delusion, fear. Nothing i do not have..”
    That is where you should start. My recommendation to you or anyone else is to read carefully the posts in the above section AND follow them: “Essential Buddhism“. How to get rid of kilesa’s, greed, hate, delusion, fear, etc is described there.

    Anyway, I have spent enough time on this topic. Unless I see a comment that is worthwhile responding to, no point in spending more time answering “philosophical questions”.

    in reply to: Akasa dhatu vs vinnana dhatu #21776
    Lal
    Keymaster

    Siebe’s questions:

    ” i am curious how one can experience infiniteness?”

    If and when I experience it, I will try to explain it.

    “Is there a difference between a certain vinnana (for example sota-vinnana) and vinnana-dhatu? Is there a relationship?

    Of course there is. It is like asking whether there is a relationship between patavi dhatu and a tree or house.

    “I understood vinnana is something that conditionally arises and ceases, dependend for example on sense-contact. Is vinnana-dhatu not something that arises and ceases?”

    The problem here is that you (and many others I have seen at the Dhamma Wheel forum), just use terms without trying to understand the real meaning.

    For example, when you say, “vinnana is something that conditionally arises and ceases, dependend for example on sense-contact.”, that is a lot of words without much essence.

    Try to understand (and express in your own terms) what happens in the case of such an event.
    – Say, you see something or someone, say X. How does that “seeing event” happen? What are the steps? What falls on the retina (at the back of your eye) is an upside-down image of X. How does the mind “see X”?
    – If you really want to understand that, you need to read the subsection: “Citta and Cetasika“.

    You can ask questions from those posts, if you really want to understand the details. But those details are not needed to make progress on the Path.
    – What is critical is to avoid dasa akusala or immoral deeds (miccha ditthi being the most important), and to cultivate kusala (moral deeds).

    in reply to: Akasa dhatu vs vinnana dhatu #21775
    Lal
    Keymaster

    Christian: Do you experience clearly the transition from Ākāsānancāyatana to Viññāṇañcāyatana? Is it possible to describe that?

    in reply to: Akasa dhatu vs vinnana dhatu #21765
    Lal
    Keymaster

    Siebe,

    In the Brahmajala Sutta, the Buddha was referring to brahmins with wrong views on whether the WORLD is finite or infinite (which is different from Ākāsa dhatu).

    Akasa dhatu and vinnana dhatu are both infinite and one needs a good knowledge of Abhidhamma or the ability to experience it to verify for himself/herself.

    In any case, I think this discussion is not very fruitful. One can believe whatever one wants to and it would not make much of a difference for progressing on the Path. If and when one can get to arupavacara jhana, one will be able to experience Ākāsānancāyatana and Viññāṇañcāyatana.

    Please do not post any more on this issue of whether akasa dhatu or vinnana dhatu is infinte or not. That would be a philosophical and speculative discussion.

    If Christian would like to, he can share his experience.

    in reply to: Sutta Learning Sequence for the Present Day #21754
    Lal
    Keymaster

    Yes, Lvalio. Strong life events can trigger recalling or at least getting the mindset of past such experiences. Sometimes one may not recall that event from a past life, but one may get the “mental impact”.

Viewing 15 posts - 3,256 through 3,270 (of 4,121 total)