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“In the midst of so much enjoyment, would the non-Ariya devas simply spend their entire existence enjoying sense pleasures and neglect to cultivate the path?”
Yes. Most of them would not even think about samsaric suffering, since they see very little suffering. We can get an idea about a rich, powerful, and healthy human. Would he/she have time to even think about such things. They will be busy with enjoying sense pleasures and making more money.
“Even given the fact that they may have accumulated infinite merits in their infinite existences,..”
No living being has an infinite existence. Their lifetimes may be very long in terms of our time scale that we are used to. However, even the lifetime of an arupavacra brahma (which can be many aeons), is a just a blip the samsaric time scale.
“Even in the human realm, we can imagine that some rich and powerful humans believe that suffering is only for the disadvantaged poor. They do not realize how much suffering there is, until they are severely old or sick and it is too late.
Quite true.“I am fascinated that devas and even brahmas would believe in the merits of learning and practising Dhamma. It does not seem very likely to me that they would think so..”
There are many devas/brahmas with lower stages of magga phala, below the Arahant stage. They are certainly interested in listening to Dhamma, if it is correct Dhamma (They will know the difference too). Furthermore, there could be many who are Sotapanna Anugami, and would be very much interested. They also discuss among themselves.“Do all devas and brahmas have supernatural powers?”
The term “supernormal powers” is again relative to our (human) capabilities. Each bhava has its own capabilities and drawbacks. For example, owls can see at night, but humans cannot. That could be called a supernormal power for an owl. How do some birds fly many thousands of miles during seasonal migrations? That is a “built-in” capability for them that humans do not have. There are many examples like that.
-The ability to travel long distances in short times is another characteristic of deva and brahma bhava. Not only them, but also human gandhabbas can travel at high speeds too (they have fine bodies that allow that); however, they cannot travel to deva/brahma realms, they can travel only within the human realm.Again, we can only speculate about some of these things. But we do know that devas/brahams came to see the Buddha, because many such incidents are described in the Tipitaka.
Just to remind, the basic process of cultivating paramita to become a Buddha is discussed in the post, “Paramita and Niyata Vivarana – Myths or Realities?“.
Each jati can be traced to back to the types of (abhi)sankhara that one cultivates. The difference between a Buddha and a Paccekabuddha can be traced back to their thought processes (abhisankhara).
A Buddha (rather a Bodhisattva) is determined to find the truth about this world, thereby find the way to stop the samsaric suffering AND to help others to be free of suffering.
– On the other hand, one who is to become a Paccekabuddha just wants to find the truth about the nature of this. He may not even be thinking about how to stop the samsaric suffering (of course I am not certain about that). But that seems to make sense.We also need to realize that those terms of Buddha and Paccekabuddha may not even not known to those persons while they are fulfilling paramita. They just proceed based on their “gati“. The ultimate result is based on the particular gati cultivated.
– In this context, the term Buddha was known when the Gotama Buddha (price Siddhartha) was born, simply because there were three other Buddhas before him, and the Vedas transmitted the vague concept of a Buddha (and definitely the term Buddha).
– In most Maha kappas (world cycles), there is only one Buddha (or none), and in these cases, the term Buddha becomes known only after the Enlightenment of that Buddha.
– So, even though we think that a person would start cultivating abisankhara (gati) SPECIFICALLY to become a Buddha or a Paccekabuddha, that is not correct. Even those terms may not be known in 99% of the time. One may need to think about this a bit to realize my point.In this context, a Paccekabuddha probably does not even use that term to describe himself. He may even teach Dhamma to others, but may not be capable to communicating the right way or to explain the what he has grasped. As we know, it is very hard to comprehend (and also to teach) the “anicca nature”. Only a Buddha (and those who have comprehended that particular way of teaching) can do that.
– Also, providing food to those who come asking for food is not necessarily done with an expectation of something (in this case teaching) in return. We may have a visualization of a Paccekabuddha dressed in a yellow robe, but in reality, a Paccekabuddha could be just wearing normal (but not fancy) clothes. One could mistake him for any other person asking for food.
– Another possibility is that due to the high moral status of a Paccekabuddha, people may be automatically motivated take care of him. They of course would not even know that he is a Paccekabuddha (or even about what that term means; remember that a Paccekabuddha is born only when there is no Sammasambuddha in the world).I am of course speculating on some these, but that is what makes sense to me.
Even though it may first appear to be make it more complicated, vinnana is related to kamma beeja. It is the defiled consciousness or vinnana that creates kamma beeja: “Viññāna – What It Really Means“.
This is a critical point that only a few people understand. It is astonishing to see that some equate vinnana with Nibbana.
Yes. Those 18 entities pretty much cover everything in this world.
By cakkhu it is really meant the cakkhu pasada rupa. However, the physical eyes are needed to get the image to be sent to the cakkhu pasada rupa. So, one could contemplate the anicca nature of both. Especially at the beginning, it is easier to see the anicca nature of the physical eyes. No matter how hard we try, if we live long enough, it will be hard to maintain vision at the level that we experience when we are young.
– The same is true for other five senses. Regarding the mana indriya, the brain starts to go bad too as we get old, and that affects vision, hearing, etc too.
– And any of these physical components (physical eyes, ears,..brain) can be damaged at any time.1 user thanked author for this post.
Whether it is a tihetuka or a dvihetuka human bhava is determined at the cuti-patisandhi moment that initiates the human bhava, and then it lasts to the end of that human bhava. Therefore, all human births (jati) are within that bhava.
So, in a way, practicing Dhamma is as important if one has a dvihetuka bhava. One could make conditions for the next bhava to be tihetuka.
Of course, it is not possible to determine whether a given person has a dvihetuka or tihetuka bhava.
Akvan sadi: “If there is a method leading to nibbana it has to start with listening and comprehending the sa-dhamma, as one does not have the ability to comprehend the sa-dhamma by himself…”.
That is correct.
Just to point out “sa-dhamma” is really “sath-dhamma” (or correct dhamma), which rhymes as “saddhamma” and thus is called “saddhamma“; see, “Saddhamma Sutta (AN 10.191) AND Saddhamma Sutta (AN 10.147)” in the post: “Dasa Akusala/Dasa Kusala – Basis of Buddha Dhamma“.One of the requirements for Sotapanna phala is “listening to saddhamma” by an Ariya or a Noble person.
Hello Akvan,
“For example if one tries to kill an animal but the animal does not die than the panathipatha kamma patha is not created. However with the thoughts, intentions and actions one makes towards killing that animal, kamma is created. So can this mean that different kamma patha are created for/at those different stages of planning etc.?”Kamma patha basically means “kamma is complete” and the full effect of the kamma will be applied.
– However, each step makes a contribution. So, even if just the first step took place, a vipaka due to that step will apply; but that is not called a “kamma patha“.
– The full effect of the kamma will apply only if all the steps are complete, i.e., only if it becomes a “kamma patha“.For example, suppose one sees a snake and decides to kill it. He gets hold of a heavy stone and crushes the snake. But it turns out that it was a toy snake. So, now only 3 steps are complete; a snake was actually not killed. Thus it does not become a “kamma patha“, but vipaka due to the completed steps will apply.
Yes. Physical as well as mental characteristics could be carried over in some cases. A common occurrence is when a person dies due to getting shot, the bullet wound piercing on the skin is visible when one is reborn human just after that (within the same bhava); sometimes even birthmarks and facial features are carried over.
I think there are some accounts here: “Evidence for Rebirth“.
Also, see: “Abnormal Births Due to Gandhabba Transformations“.
Yes. This is a common wrong view. I have a relative, who is a physician, and tells me that if she is to be born a dog, then it is that dog who will suffer, and not her.
– I have heard basically the same argument from several others, most of them are scientists!In this regard, there are some pretas (hungry ghosts) who naturally remember their past lives as a part of their kamma vipaka. They know exactly what they had done to be born a preta.
– I don’t remember the name of the sutta, but one time Ven. Sariputta was approached by a female preta. She told him that she was his mother in a previous life, and asked for his help in getting out of her suffering. Ven. Sariputta confirmed her account and did help her.Alay asked: “If a human develops skills (such as languages, music, sport etc…) in this life and is reborn in the animal realm, does the gandhabba carry any of these “skills” to the next life?”
Yes. Such skills are maintained as one’s gati. Of course they manifest only when one is reborn again in the human realm. An animal cannot display musical talents, if we are talking about musical talents. However, it is possible that the animal may have liking to listen to music, for example.
“Let’s say after many, many life times as an animal, this being is reborn as a human. At this point, would this human still have the ability to be more proficient with the skills that he/she excelled in a past life?”
Yes. That is exactly right. That is why we have heard so much about “child prodigies”: A little kid who can play piano like a pro, a child who can pickup advanced mathematics easily, etc.
Sutta AN 1.277 states that “no two Buddhas (Samma Sambuddha) can appear in the world at the same time (without time separation) in a given “world cycle” (for example, during the lifetime of our Solar system).
There have already been four Buddhas (including Buddha Kassapa and Buddha Gotama) during this Maha Kappa (age of our Solar system), and Buddha Maitreya will also appear before this Maha Kappa comes to end. But this is extremely rare; normally there can be many successive Maha Kappa without even a single Buddha.
The relevant verse is :” “Aṭṭhānametaṃ, bhikkhave, anavakāso yaṃ ekissā lokadhātuyā dve arahanto sammāsambuddhā apubbaṃ acarimaṃ uppajjeyyuṃ. Netaṃ ṭhānaṃ vijjati.”
Translated: “Bhikkhus, no two Buddhas can appear in the lokadhatu (world system) at the same time, i.e., without a gap (anavakaso).
The goal of a Buddha is to stop the rebirth process (to stop future suffering). So, of course it was a made-up story by the early Mahayanists that all past Buddhas can re-appear. That is against the very foundation of Buddha Dhamma.
There are two two aspects to this issue:
- I have seen Samma Samadhi described this way in a few other suttas too.
- On the other hand, there are many accounts in the Tipitaka where people attained various stages of magga phala just by listening to a single desana by the Buddha.
So, here is my explanation.
After “completing” Samma Samadhi, one goes through two more stages to attain the Arahanthood: Samma Nana and Samma Vimutti.
It is said that “atthangehi samannagato Sekha, dasa angehi samannagato Arahant” or “one completing the eightfold Path is a Trainee (Sekha), one who has completed the 10 steps is an Arahant“.
The description in terms of jhanas holds when Samma Samadhi is “complete” or almost complete and when one has attained the fourth Ariya jhana. As discussed in the subsection referenced below, one is at least an Anagami when attaining the fourth Ariya jhana.
There are two ways one can become an Arahant: Pannavimutta or cetovimutta.
– A pannavimutta Arahant may attain the Arahanthood without going through jhana (like those who attained Arahant phala while listening to their very first desana). However, once the Arahantohood is attained, all four rupavacara jhana are automatically attained. In some cases (like minister Santati and Culapanthaka Thero), even iddhi (supernormal) powers are attained with the Arahanthood. In the case of Santati (who was wearing royal robes and was riding an elephant), he attained Arahanthood just listening to a single verse by the Buddha. He was about to die and the Buddha asked him to show evidence to others that he had attained Arahanthood. Santati obliged by leaping up and burning himself with tejo kasina at the moment of death.
– A cetovimutti Arahant goes through the jhanic states and attains Arahanthood after completing both rupavacara and arupavacara jhana.Therefore, either way, one completes Samma Samadhi (attaining the four rupavacara jhanas), before attaining the Arahanthood.
These are discussed in the section: “Samādhi, Jhāna (Dhyāna), Magga Phala“.
An agitated mind is receptive to more disruptive events (to bring more bad kamma vipaka). Try to calm the mind by thinking about good things (things you like, friends/family you can talk to, etc), and try to engage in small acts of kindness to others. It will help more than you think.
Another thing could be listen to some chantings:
“Sutta Chanting”
Many people do that before going to bed in order to calm the mind and have a restful sleep.Rajitha asked: “Does the Kamma Patha completion have any relevance here – or not needed?”
Kamma patha is completed during a kamma. For example, in killing a living being four conditions must be met to make it a kamma patha: living being exists, plan made to kill it, plan carried out, living being is killed due to that action.
As you can see, many types of abhisankhara (thoughts in the mind) are generated in those steps. All those contribute to the energy in the kamma beeja. As each step is completed, more energy is added. Then when the living being ends dead, the “kamma or the deed is complete” and it becomes a potent kamma beeja.
Even if only the plan is made and it does not proceed beyond that, there will be some kammic consequences for that part.
Rajitha said: “Gathi I believe is a synonym for Kamma.”
That is not correct. Kamma will contribute to making a new gati or to strengthen an existing gati.
For example, a teenager who may not have a “drinking gati” or a “gati for liking to drinking”, may be persuaded by bad friends to start drinking. Those kamma (drinking, thinking about drinking and associated activities), will help build a new gati for the teenager. Of course, it is possible that he may have that gati from previous lives.
– The more the teenager drinks and thinks about associated activities, that gati will grow.Of course, a strong kamma patha like killing a human may start a new gati of a “killer”.
