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Things to think about:
1. Do all beings have DNA? Brahmas in 20 realms (and most likely Devas in 6 realms) don’t have DNA. Even human or animal gandhabbas don’t have DNA. So, trying to sort out things by looking at DNA is not a good idea.
2. All lifeforms ALWAYS have a manomaya kaya. That manomaya kaya defines/determines not only the realm of existence but even minor variations within a given realm. For example, no two humans are the same.
3. The total number of “beings” in our cakkavāla centered around the Earth remains constant, except when Arahants attain Parinibbana at their death and leave this world.
4. By the time this cakkavāla is destroyed, all beings in the realms below the pabhassara Brahma realms migrate to that pabhassara Brahma realm. But the realms above that are not destroyed.
5. When the Earth is re-formed, most of those Brahmas in the pabhassara realm migrate back to Earth. Then their “old gati” gradually come back and over billions of years they are reborn in various realms. Of course, those gati keep changing too. Nothing is fixed.
6. Births are always according to gati, not according to DNA.
- You wrote: “There are similarities between the birds and extinct flying dinosaurs.”
- Birds and dinosaurs are two different species. Their manomaya kaya (or gandhabba kaya) are different. Birds did not “evolve” from dinosaurs. The fact that dinosaurs went extinct possibly due to a meteor impact which made conditions unsuitable for their survival. As the Earth recovered, conditions became suitable for “bird gandhabbas” to be born with physical bodies. Even now, there could be some “dinosaur gandhabbas.” But conditions are not suitable for them to thrive.
- In the same way, humans and apes have different gati. Darwin’s “evolution theory” is already showing signs of weakness. Evidence is emerging that humans have lived much earlier than believed at the time of Darwin.
I suggest re-reading the post “Buddhism and Evolution – Aggañña Sutta (DN 27)” with those facts in mind.
Yes. Your craving for smoking can easily be broken since it is not an addiction yet.
Regarding your statement, “The Pleasure vanishes away. Of little taste and utility- Alpa Swada -Anityata (Dhammapada 186).”
- Alpa Swada in Pāli is “appassada” or “appa” “assāda” where “appa” means “little” and “assāda” is (mind-made) pleasures.”
- That verse is discussed in “Dhammapada Verses 186 and 187.”
In the “Dutiyayodhājīva Sutta (AN 5.76)” the Buddha says: “‘appassādā, āvuso, kāmā vuttā bhagavatā bahudukkhā bahupāyāsā, ādīnavo ettha bhiyyo” OR “‘Reverend, the Buddha says that sensual pleasures give little gratification and much suffering and distress, and they are all the more full of drawbacks.”
- While some people crave smoking, most people do not like the smell. Thus, it is mind-made, i.e., a basic example of “distorted saññā.”
- See “Fooled by Distorted Saññā (Sañjānāti) – Origin of Attachment (Taṇhā)” and “Mūlapariyāya Sutta – The Root of All Things“
- You can contemplate the ādinava (health issues) of smoking and give it up.
- That is an easy thing to give up compared to other cravings.
“Speaking with doubt” is not that appropriate.
- “mosavajjañca kathaṅkathā” is better expressed by “resort to lies and gossip with ignorance.”
- We must realize that dictionaries were written by (well-educated) puthujjana like Rhys Davids, who were “scholars” but had no magga phala.
“Is it correct that one writes duk(k)ha vedanā with two k when it relates to physical pain? My understanding is that physical suffering is dukha and the suffering from which we can free ourselves with Buddha Dhamma is written dukkha.”
- Yes. That is correct.
Dukha and sukha vedana are felt by the physical body (“sārīra.”) Dukha vedana is usually written as dukkha vedana, per your explanation.
- adukkhamasukha vedanā comes from “adukkha asukha” (rhymes like “adukkhamasukha”) or “not painful or pleasant.”
- All other vedana (somanassa and domanassa) are mind-made. Pleasant ones are somanassa, and unpleasant ones are domanassa.
- For example, the sight of an attractive person provides only an adukkhamasukha vedanā. However, due to “distorted sanna,” the mind generates a somanassa vedana. For example, animals don’t see any beauty in a woman. They become joyful when they see whoever takes care of them.
- The same holds for sounds, tastes, smells, etc. As we discussed, we don’t like the taste or smell of rotten meat, but pigs like them.
- However, physical pain is common to all. It is real and not “mind-made.” Of course, on top of that, we may generate additional domanassa vedana!
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Thank you for providing the two essential references on Ven. Sariputta attaining Arahanthood.
- I had not thought about this before, but it appears that Ven. Sariputta was an ubhtovimutta Arahant. The translations seem to be correct.
- Note that in the first sutta that Gad cited (Anupada Sutta), it was the Buddha who described how Ven. Sariputta attained Arahanthood and simultaneously got to nirodha samapatti.
- So, Ven. Sariputta attained the ubhtovimutta Arahanthood while listening to the discourse delivered to the wanderer Dīghanakha, per the second sutta, Dīghanakha Sutta. This sutta only says Ven. Sariputta attained Arahanthood, but does not provide details. The details are in the first sutta.
Note that Ven. Culapanthaka also attained ubhtovimutta Arahanthood while contemplating Buddha’s instructions. The whole sequence can happen very quickly. That is why the Buddha stated that the subject of jhana is incomprehensible (acinteyya) for anyone other than a Buddha.
- See “Acinteyya Sutta (AN 4.77).” Four things are fully comprehensible only to a Buddha: “knowledge base of a Buddha and the subjects of jhāna, kamma vipāka, and the world (universe).”
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1. “Nirodha samapatti” is not possible for all who has cultivated the 4 jhānas and the 4 arupavacara samapatti. Just because one has cultivated the 4 jhānas and the 4 arupavacara samapatti that does not mean they can get into “nirodha samapatti.“
- “Nirodha samapatti” means to experience the “full Nibbana” (for up to seven days) before the death of the physical body.
- That is the main point.
2. Anariya yogis can cultivate the 4 jhānas and the 4 arupavacara samapatti. But they cannot get to “nirodha samapatti.“
3. “Nirodha samapatti” is possible only for “cetovimutti Arahants.“
- A “cetovimutti Arahant” is an Arahant who has cultivated the 4 jhānas and the 4 arupavacara samapatti.
5. A “pannavimutti Arahant” is an Arahant who has NOT cultivated ALL of the 4 jhānas and the 4 arupavacara samapatti. They may not have cultivated even a single jhana.
- They also cannot get to “nirodha samapatti.“
Please read the post “Samādhi, Jhāna, and Sammā Samādhi” (especially #10) carefully to understand the above.
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Regarding rrkk01’s question above:
It is correct that gandhabba is also made of matter. In fact, a gandhabba is made of the smallest elements of matter called “suddhatthaka.”
- Contrary to mundane thinking, sometimes “lighter things” are more stable than heavy things. For example, anything dense, like rocks and even metal, can be burned at high enough temperatures. However, even at such high temperatures, air molecules are not burned.
- In another example, dense things like metal sheets can be cut by saws or laser light. However, air molecules cannot be cut like that.
A gandhabba can be created ONLY by kammic energy and destroyed ONLY by the mechanisms I mentioned earlier.
- The essence of a gandhabba is the hadaya vatthu (seat of the mind) and five pasada rupa. Those are very special entities because it is not that bit of matter, but they also have the following unique capabilities:
- A hadaya vatthu is the ONLY entity in this world that can generate thoughts (citta). Five pasada rupa are the only things in this world that can detect sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touch sensations.
- Our eyes, ears, etc., only bring signals from the external world into the physical body, and the brain only processes such information. Then, those signals are transmitted by the brain to the gandhabba. Hadaya vatthu of the gandhabba receives those signals via the five pasada rupa and, in turn, generates citta (thoughts) in response. See “Brain – Interface between Mind and Body“
P.S. All existences (lives) start with a manomaya kaya (“mind-made body”) with a hadaya vatthu and up to five pasada rupa.
- There is no “gap”, i.e, a lifestream ALWAYS has a manomaya kaya. For example, if a human existence ends with the death of a human gandhabba, and if the next existence is in the animal realm, then an animal gandhabba is born at the moment that human gandhabba dies.
- The manomaya kaya is called a gandhabba only in the human and animal realms. That is because only in those two realms that dense physical bodies arise subsequently based on that gandhabba.
- In the Deva realms, the gandhabba kaya arises together with the physical body. Devas have less dense physical bodies compared to humans. They also have five pasada rupas like humans.
- The rupa loka Brahmas have a hadaya vatthu and two pasada rupa. Thus the structure is similar to that of a human gandhabba, but only with two pasada rupa. They are not called gandhabbas because they don’t make subsequent physical bodies based on that manomaya kaya.
- The arupa loka Brahmas have a hadaya vatthu but no pasada rupa. Thus, it has only the mind.
- The hadaya vatthu is also present in the asanna realm. But it is entirely trapped in a physical body with no “doors” to the external world, i.e., no eyes, ears, mouth, tongue, or nervous system to sense the touch. Also, there is no brain to bring in memories.
Make sure to understand this basic picture. Keep asking questions if anything is unclear.
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I am not certain whether it is the following post that Lang had in mind, but it discusses that issue about the asañña realm.
A traumatic event probably strongly affects the gandhabba‘s mental state. That may manifest in the new human body.
- Some people who had died by drowning in their previous lives get terrified when seeing a large body of water and are scared of swimming.
- Some chronic headaches have been cured by “life regression therapy.” Google that and see.
“Gandhabba can be destroyed, but not forever. Rather, they can get dismantled by powerful beings and then accumulates again at some point in the future.”
- A gandhabba cannot be “destroyed” by any “powerful being.”
- When getting a “human existence” a “human gandhabba” is born and can live for many thousands of years. That gandhabba will be pulled into the womb of a woman and be born a baby to grow into a human. When that human dies within hundred years or so, the gandhabba does not die. It comes out of the dead body. It can be pulled into another womb and that process can go on until the lifetime of the gandhabba ends.
- The only way that gandhabba can die before the end of its lifetime is as follows. If a human carrying that gandhabba commits an anatarika kamma then when that human physical body dies the gandhabba will also die.
- See “Ānantarika Kamma – Connection to Gandhabba.”
“..even if you get “annihilated”, you will be born again sometime in the future, maybe it will take eons (billions and billions of years) for it to happen,..”
- There is no gap between lives. When a human gandhabba dies, it will reborn in one of other realms or in the realm immediately.
- See “What Reincarnates? – Concept of a Lifestream“
“.. this practice is in fact very useless since it results in being reborn as “immaterial things” “
- A lifeform (human, animal, Deva, etc.) cannot be reborn an “immaterial thing” like a rock. Rebirths are ALWAYS within the 31 realms. See “What Reincarnates? – Concept of a Lifestream“
“Samsara is truly a giant cosmic horror story.”
- That is true!
Tobi asked: “I would be interested to know what you think of this parable of hell”
The hell is real. No parable is needed to explain it.
- Rebirths in hell (niraya) result due to immoral deeds done by attachment to “made-up” sensory pleasures or “distorted saññā.”
I asked Grok (Elon Musk’s AI) to explain the “Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.” The following is its explanation:
“Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is a story about a group of people who are chained inside a cave, facing a wall. They have been there since birth and can only see shadows of objects passing by behind them, which they believe to be real. One day, one of the prisoners is freed and is able to turn around and see the actual objects. He realizes that the shadows were just a poor representation of reality.
The freed prisoner then leaves the cave and discovers the real world outside, full of sunlight and colors. He realizes that the world he knew inside the cave was just a limited and distorted version of reality. Excited about his discovery, he returns to the cave to tell the others, but they don’t believe him and even threaten to kill him if he tries to set them free.In this allegory, the cave represents the world of appearances and the limited knowledge we have through our senses. The prisoners represent people who are trapped in their limited understanding of the world, and the shadows represent the distorted view of reality that they have. The journey out of the cave and into the real world represents the pursuit of true knowledge and understanding, which can be difficult and uncomfortable, but ultimately leads to enlightenment.”I think Grok explains the “Plato’s Allegory of the Cave” well.- From the early days of philosophy, people have wondered whether we experience the “true nature of the world.”
- “Plato’s Allegory of the Cave” is one such attempt. Of course, all philosophers can do is try to make guesses. Only a Buddha can figure out the “true nature of the world.”
Tobi is correct to point out the connection to “distorted saññā.”
- We are trapped in the endless rebirth process due to the “distorted saññā,” i.e., what we experience is not a true representation of the external stimuli that come in through our senses.
- The Buddha also explained how that “distorted saññā” arises and how to overcome the tendency to attach to it.
- See “Mūlapariyāya Sutta – The Root of All Things” and “Fooled by Distorted Saññā (Sañjānāti) – Origin of Attachment (Taṇhā)” among other posts in “Sotapanna Stage via Understanding Perception (Saññā).”
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There is a danger in trying to explain “pancakkhandha” in terms of “things” in the external world.
- Think about this: “Rupa” in rupakkhandha does not refer to “external objects made of atoms and molecules.” Of course, they arise due to things in the external world.
- “Rupa” in rupakkhandha refers to “mental impressions of external rupa.”
- Also, “rupa” in the external world can be solid objects (which we can see) and also sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. See “Difference Between Physical Rūpa and Rūpakkhandha.”
I have made some revisions to the post “Samādhi, Jhāna, and Sammā Samādhi,” which I rewrote yesterday.
