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It is just he is saying stuff. Can you or he answer the following questions:
1. Where is the evidence? Do they show the brain scans?
- If the brain scans show no activity, he is experiencing an “asanna state” where one does not feel anything.
- That is not Nibbana or nirodha samapatti.
2. Does he say he is an Anagami or Arahant?
- Does he say he has lost “kama raga“? For example, can he watch an adult movie without getting sexually aroused?
“The teacher is Anagami, probably.”
- How can an Anagami get into nirodha samapatti?
- One must be an Arahant to get into nirodha samapatti.
Can you provide the time stamps in the video where he gives evidence that he can get into nirodha samapatti?
- More importantly, where (what time in the video) does he talk about what is meant by nirodha samapatti?
I guess all those are discussed in the second video.
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Taryal: “These days when I hear such news like rape case in India, mass shooting in USA, etc., I just say “Well, that’s sad. Let’s move on.” Is there a better way of reacting?”
- No. You are right. That is the nature of this world.
- The Buddha described eight “worldly conditions/situations” (aṭṭha lokadhammā) that everyone (Ariyas or anariyas) encounters: Gain and loss, fame and disgrace, blame and praise, pleasure and pain.
- While an anariya may be exhilarated by four of them and saddened by the other four, Ariyas understand that is the true nature of this world and are not as affected. An Arahant is entirely unaffected by any of them.
- See “Dutiyalokadhamma Sutta (AN 8.6).”
Of course, we should have empathy for those who are suffering. But we must also understand that suffering (or joy) comes due to causes and conditions.
- What is critical to understand is that some “bad outcomes” can be avoided by being mindful, i.e., by ensuring not to facilitate conditions that can bring “bad kamma vipaka” to materialize. But some are unavoidable, and we must learn to ‘bear them” with a neutral mind.
- In the same way, one must do one’s best to create conditions for “good outcomes.” One must also enable others to strive for and reach “good outcomes.” (All in a mundane sense.)
- Those unaware of Buddha’s teachings try to blame others for their situations. It is not possible to make “everyone the same.” That is why socialism/communism failed in every country it was tried on.
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In extreme cases, a “human bhava” may end prematurely, even without doing an anantariya kamma.
- For example, if someone cultivates “peta gati” (greed) to extreme levels, their gandhabba will keep cultivating that gati when they die. Then, that “human gandhabba” may gradually change into that of a “peta” (hungry ghost.)
- I have not seen a specific account in the Tipitaka, but I remember listening to Waharaka Thero‘s discourse in which he pointed out that possibility.
The following is the explanation that I referred to in my earlier comment. I had referred to the post “The Origin of Matter – Suddhāṭṭhaka” there. Did you not read it? If there are questions, you (or anyone else) can quote any unclear statement and ask questions.
1. Yes. Our physical bodies are made to be compatible with our perceptions. We taste honey as sweet, and it is also nutritious.
- On the other hand, we taste rotten meat to be yucky, and we will also get sick if we eat it. Our bodies are not “compatible” with extracting nutrition from rotten meat.
- On the other hand, pigs like the taste of rotten meat, and their bodies are compatible with extracting nutrition from it.
2. Here is a profound point to consider: Everything in the material world is made of suddhāṭṭhaka, which are the “basic building blocks” according to Buddha Dhamma (sort of like atoms are building blocks according to science, but an atom is made of billions of suddhāṭṭhaka.)
- A suddhāṭṭhaka has eight components: pathavi, āpo, tejo, vāyo and vaṇṇa, gandha, rasa, oja.
- Anything in the material world is of all EIGHT components. However, the relative amounts of the eight components vary. For example, a stone is mostly pathavi, but it has all eight components; in a stone, pathavi dominates and all others are at low levels. For example, crocodiles eat mud and are able to extract nutrition from it.
- The “attracting qualities” (sweetness, pleasing colors, etc) in our food comes from the four components of vaṇṇa, gandha, rasa, oja. Specifically, the sweetness in honey comes from rasa.
3. As the post “The Origin of Matter – Suddhāṭṭhaka” explains, the eight components in a suddhāṭṭhaka have origins in the mind (specifically in javana cittas.) The following #9 is extracted from that post:
“9. The mind creates four types of gati (pathavi, āpo, tejo, and vāyo) due to avijjā or ignorance. We like to have possession of things made out of these units because we do not comprehend the “unfruitful nature” of such impermanent things.
- The craving for material things leads to four more gati due to taṇhā. Due to our tendency to think highly (“varnanā karanava” in Sinhala), another gati of “vaṇṇa” is created as different manifestations of the four primary bhūta of pathavi, āpo, tejo, and vāyo. Similarly, three more units of gandha, rasa, and oja are created due to taṇhā. Those correspond to our desire to be in touch with them and be “fooled” (gandha), keep them close (rassa), and re-generate them (oja).
- It will take too much space to explain these in detail, but I hope you get the basic idea. Further information at “Bhūta and Yathābhūta – What Do They Really Mean.” See #5 there, clarifying the transition from “gati” to “bhuta” to “mahā bhūta” stages.”
4. Here is the most profound point: Our physical bodies are not the primary part of us. Instead, it is the “mental body” or the “manomaya kaya” (gandhabba). The main part of the manomaya kaya is a single suddhāṭṭhaka, made of the same eight components. That is the hadaya vatthu, where our thoughts (cittas) arise.
- However, unlike inert matter like a rock, the hadaya vatthu has all our “human gati” associated with it.
- That is why we are instinctively attracted to the “sweetness of honey,” “sight of a beautiful person,” etc.
- A pig’s hadaya vatthu has all its “pig gati” associated with it.
- P.S. The ” distorted saññā” is associated with the hadaya vatthu!
- This is a deep point, but it could be helpful.
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The meaning of “vow” is a “pledge.”
- According to Buddha Dhamma, things happen due to causes and conditions, not due to a “pledge.”
However, one could possibly make an effort and prepare suitable conditions to be born in a Deva realm rather than in the human realm. The first two are complex questions that I am not qualified to answer. Probably, only a Buddha can answer such questions.
- It is a matter of cultivating “manussa gati” versus “Deva gati.”
- Generally, a Deva birth is possible for those who engage in punna kamma. But one can make sure to be born in a Deva realm by attaining the Sakadagami stage, i.e., by losing kama raga to some extent.
- If one constantly thinks about the idea of remaining in the human realm to help other humans, that could possibly become a factor.
- Of course, one must be a Sotapanna to be free from the apayas; that involves the elimination of the three ditthi samyojana.
Q3: No. By definition, a Sakadagami will not be reborn as a human. They will be reborn in a Deva realm and attain a higher stage from there.
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“It seems very similar to satipatthana.”
- No, it is not. It is a very superficial analysis, even though there is nothing wrong with it.
- Satipatthana leads to Nibbana. Does that analysis lead to Nibbana?
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Yes. All external objects (rocks, trees, etc) are also made of suddhāṭṭhaka. Are they not?
- I would not say they are “contaminated.” In Buddha Dhamma, “contamination” refers to raga, dosa, and moha. Rocks or trees don’t generate thoughts.
- Everything in this world is made of suddhāṭṭhaka.
But this is a deeper point, which will become clear as one makes progress. Yet, if one understands that a suddhāṭṭhaka means eight components, it should be evident. In addition to apo, tejo, pathavi, and vayo, there are four more: vaṇṇa, gandha, rasa, and oja. The latter four arise due to cravings.
- I see that I forgot to mention the post where this is discussed: “The Origin of Matter – Suddhāṭṭhaka“
- Each living being “prepares” its future births. All living beings (collectively) prepare the world they live in.
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No. The only way to reduce the duration of a “human bhava” is to engage in an anantariya kamma.
- Harmful anantariya kammas, including killing one’s parents, killing an Arahant, etc. (five types), end one’s human bhava when the physical body dies. Upon the death of the physical body, one will be reborn in an apaya even if more kammic energy for the human bhava remains.
- Beneficial anantariya kammas are cultivating jhana and attaining magga phala. If a jhana is cultivated, one will be reborn in the corresponding Brahma realm. If a magga phala is attained, one may be reborn in a higher realm, depending on the magga phala. For example, an Anagami will be reborn in a Brahma realm reserved for them upon the death of the physical body.
The length of ” human bhava” depends on the kammic energy responsible for it.
- So, it should not depend on the lifetime of the “physical human body,” which only depends on the environmental conditions.
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Yes. The “Mahāpadāna Sutta (DN 14)“ provides the lifetimes of humans during the times of previous Buddhas, and those are correct.
- I have seen this issue in several places. Even the Tipitaka Commentaries may not be entirely accurate. Those were composed by Arahants, who are not as knowledgeable as a Buddha. In this case, they used the lifetime known to them. Also, we need to remember that these kinds of details are not connected to wisdom; they are just bits of information.
- Therefore, we must always prioritize the Sutta Pitaka over the other two Pitakas in the Tipitaka.
P.S. We also need to remember that this age limit refers to the lifetime of the physical human body. Human existence may last even for many hundreds of thousands of years, i.e., the lifetime of the “mental body” or “manomaya kaya” or “gandhabba” can be very long. During that time, one can be born with a physical human body numerous times.
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Yes. That moment is also called “sappabhāsa citta” (or “paccupaṭṭhita sati“) in some suttas (especially regarding the attainment of magga phala higher than the Sotapanna stage).
- We have not discussed it yet on this website.
Everything happens due to causes and conditions.
- We all have done innumerable good and bad kamma in our previous lives.
- Kammic energies associated with them “wear out” over very long times, over many maha kappas or eons.
- They can bring their vipaka when appropriate conditions materialize. Thus, we can avoid some vipaka by avoiding “bad conditions.” In your example, the probability of getting raped increases if a girl goes out at night alone to a “bad neighborhood.”
- Some kamma (anantarika kamma) will definitely bring vipaka, without exception.
- Some kamma materialize simply because one is born with a physical body (due to a past kamma) and is subjected to natural processes. For example, most people living in an area affected by a flood or an earthquake may be killed.
- The subject of kamma vipaka is one of the four “incomprehensible things” (capabilities of a Buddha, subject of jhana, kamma vipāka, and details of the world): “Acinteyya Sutta (AN 4.77).”
P.S. Also, see “What is Kamma? – Is Everything Determined by Kamma?”
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Regarding (2):
- Yes. That post is correct, Lang. Thank you for pointing that out.
- The Sotapanna Anugami stage happens at the Gotrabu moment when a puthujjana changes the lineage to the “Ariya” status.
- The “phala moment” may come later to reach the “full-pledged” Sotapanna stage.
P.S. The gotrabu stage in the jhanic process changes the lineage from the “kama loka” to the “rupa loka.”
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