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I understand your frustration.
- The issue is that the audience has a wide range of understanding. Some are just starting, some others could be at the Sotapanna stage, and many are in between. So, it is difficult, if not impossible, to write a post that satisfies the whole audience.
- The current series of posts (“Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta – New Series”) is the hardest, since it tackles the deepest aspects of Buddha’s teachings. At that level, one cannot teach without using Pali words, because many Pali words do not have a single corresponding word in English.
- You can look at posts in the following sections. They address fundamental aspects: “Moral Living and Fundamentals” and “Living Dhamma.”
- Also, look at Bhikkhu Bodhi’s YouTube videos. They are not fully compatible with this website, but one can get a good idea of the fundamentals, as I recall (I have not watched one in recent years). See, for example, “Bhikkhu Bodhi: Introduction to Buddhism Series.”
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Anyone who is not an Ariya (at least a Sotapanna Anugami) is a puthujjana. So, most of the ‘Buddhists’ today are probably puthujjana, because they are not at least Sotapanna Anugami. But they are likely to be more ‘moral’ compared to others.
- Even for a puthujjana, not all sensory inputs lead the mind to the nava kamma stage. Most of the things we encounter (for example, looking out of the window while riding a bus) do not lead the mind to attach to them. Those sensory events stop at the pūrana kamma stage even for a puthujjana.
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Moving to the ‘purana kamma‘ stage happens depending on the number of samyojana that remain intact. In the following, we will consider a human in kama loka.
- A puthujjana enters the ‘purana kamma‘ stage with all ten samyojana intact. Thus, the likelihood of getting to the ‘nava kamma‘ stage is high.
- A Sotapanna enters the ‘purana kamma‘ stage with seven samyojana intact. Thus, a Sotapanna’s mind will still move in the “Aniccaṁ vipariṇāmi aññathābhāvi” direction. However, the likelihood of reaching the ‘nava kamma‘ stage is lower, since he has three fewer samyojana intact. A Sotapanna’s mind does not attach with the three ditthi samyojana (i.e., with ‘wrong views’). That is why a Sotapanna is incapable of doing ‘apayagami kamma.’
- An Anagami will not enter the ‘purana kamma‘ stage even though he has five samyojana intact. An Anagami has eliminated the five samyojana that bind one to the kama loka; therefore, he will not generate ‘kama sankkappa‘ to attach to the ‘kama sanna‘ in the ‘kama dhatu‘ stage. Thus, an Anagami‘s mind will stay in the ‘kama dhatu‘ stage. See, for example, “Upaya and Upādāna – Two Stages of Attachment.”
- The above statements (for an Anagami) also hold for an Arahant, of course. In addition, an Arahant‘s mind will not enter rupa loka or arupa loka either, since it has eliminated all ten samyojana. See “Loka and Nibbāna (Aloka) – Complete Overview.”
I recommend reading those posts carefully. Feel free to ask questions. This is what is needed to become a Sotapanna.
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Jaro wrote: “Sankhara-Dukkha: The ceaseless effort and strain we invest in trying to recreate the causes and conditions of pleasure. – Among these, Sankhara-Dukkha is considered the most dangerous form of suffering.”
- Yes. Sankhara-Dukkha applies to every sensory input for a puthujjana.
- The mind of a puthujjana gets into the kama loka with any sensory input and at least generates kama sankappa in the ‘purana kamma‘ stage. Even if the mind does not proceed to the ‘nava kamma‘ stage, subtle/weak kamma are done with kama sankappa.
- That is a clear expression of ‘anicca nature’ and can be seen in the following chart.
- “Aniccaṁ vipariṇāmi aññathābhāvi” nature is associated with all sensory inputs for a puthujjana.
- If one comprehends that fact, one can become a Sotapanna Anugami.
- I discussed that in several posts. For example, “Sotapanna Anugāmi and Anicca/Viparināmi Nature of a Defiled Mind” and “First Stage of Ānāpānasati – Seeing the Anicca Nature of ‘Kāya’ .”
P.S. It is called Sankhara-Dukkha because of the ‘sankhara generation’ in panupadanakkhandha accumulation (or equivalently, the initiation of Paticca Samuppada process.)
- “Avijja paccaya sankhara” is how kamma accumulation (a Paticca Samuppada process) starts.
- That starts automatically in the ‘purana kamma‘ stage with the automatic generation of kama sankappa.
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The suttas you quoted are two of a series starting with “Pañcamacchariya Sutta (AN 5.254)” which state the five kinds of extreme greed (macchariya).
- I would translate the five as, “extreme greed for dwellings, family lineage (if born in a ‘high class’ or wealthy family), expensive material possessions, praise and respect from others, and (sharing one’s knowledge of) Dhamma.”
It is a good idea to look at the series of suttas starting with the above.
- The next sutta (AN 5.255) says one must give them up to live a spiritual life.
- The subsequent suttas state one cannot attain any jhanas or magga phala if one doesn’t give them up.
- That makes sense, doesn’t it?
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I have rewritten an old post:
“What is Suñyatā or Suññatā (Emptiness)?“
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One’s number of teeth has absolutely nothing to do with the ability to attain a magga phala.
- Buddha’s teachings are focused on the mind, not the physical body.
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The Buddha said when the mind becomes empty of greed (rāga), hate (dōsa), and ignorance (mōha), it becomes empty of those defilements: “rāgakkhayō Nibbānan, dosakkhayaō Nibbānan, mohakkhayō Nibbānan.” The ’emptiness’ is complete when the mind has attained full Nibbāna, i.e., at Arahanthood.
- That is the emptiness (suñyāta) in Buddha Dhamma. It is regarding defilements.
- I will make a further comment when I have some time.
The following description in the summary provided by Chat DeepSeek in SengKiat’s above comment provides a good summary. Still, the connection to raga, dosa, and moha is not made. While AI bots can provide excellent summaries of existing translations, the translations must be good to start with to get the correct interpretation.
- “The Cūḷasuññata Sutta is the Buddha’s step-by-step guide for a meditator to progress through ever-subtler states of concentration, using the method of “emerging and entering” to recognize how each state is “empty” of the previous one, culminating in a shift to the “signless” concentration and a final abiding in the ultimate emptiness that is the liberation of the mind—a state empty of defilements but fully aware of the dependently-arisen sensory world.”
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The following are two publications that discuss the fact that objects inherently do not have colors:
“Color realism and color science“
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The following are two videos that explain the phenomenon of ‘terminal lucidity in dementia patients.’
It turns out that science cannot explain it. I am not sure whether Buddha’s teachings on the gandhabba (explained in my above comment) can explain it either.
- May be the arising of strong ‘javana cittas‘ in the gandhabba can make it possible.
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Sādhu! Sādhu!! Sādhu!!!
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1. As Abid stated, it is critical to understand the roles of the gandhabba (our mental body), the physical body, and the brain (which serves as the bridge between the mental body and the physical body).
- The mental body is more important than the physical body in the long term. A human gandhabba born at the cuti-patisandhi moment can live for hundreds to thousands of years. Within a given “human bhava,” there can be many repeated births as a human with a human body; see “Bhava and Jāti – States of Existence and Births Therein.”
- On the other hand, it is important to keep the physical body healthy to understand Buddha’s teachings and to make progress toward Nibbana in this life. Thus, it is critically important to eat healthy and exercise regularly to maintain a healthy physical body.
2. A vital part of the physical body is the brain. The mental body receives sensory information from the external world through the brain. For example, visual information comes into the physical body via the eyes and are processed by the brain before being sent to the mental body (gandhabba).
- We can think of the gandhabba being trapped inside the physical body. It is completely shielded from the external world by the physical body. All information from the external world enters the physical body through the six ‘doors’: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, the nerves of the physical body, and an organ in the brain (unknown to science yet) that receives our memories stored in the vinnana dhatu.
- All those signals are first processed by the brain to convert them to types of signals that the seat of the mind (hadaya vatthu) located in the gandhabba.
- Thus, if the brain does not function properly, the gandhabba would not fully ‘experience the external world.’
- This is why it is critically important to keep the physical body and the brain in good condition!
3. The brain consumes roughly 25% of all the energy we get from food. That should tell you how important the brain is.
- That is why we need to eat well to get the nutrients the body needs to move, and, even more importantly, for the brain to work properly.
- In addition, it is also important to keep the brain active. Many neural connections in the brain will lose their function if not regularly used. Many people these days just watch TV or movies the whole day, sitting on a couch. That is bad for the physical body and the brain. The physical body needs physical exercises, and the brain needs ‘mental exercises.’
- The best mental exercises for the brain are to engage in learning Buddha’s teachings. Abid has confirmed that for himself. Even solving crossword puzzles is better than watching TV/movies.
4. The above ideas are discussed in many posts throughout the website.
- One could start with the posts in the following section: “Brain and the Gandhabba.”
- The following video is from the post “Gandhabba in a Human Body – an Analogy” in that section.
5. Abid wrote: “This must be similar to OBE reports of people who were blind being able to see. It must be the gandhabba.”
- The following account provides a real-left account to confirm that.
- In some cases, people are born with the cakkhu pasāda rūpa in good condition, but the optic nerve (or the physical eye itself) may be damaged. In that case, they cannot see because the brain is not receiving signals from the eyes.
- But if the gandhabba can come out of the body, it can see by itself. The following video clearly illustrates this situation.
P.S. I see that Abid has posted a comment while I was writing mine. I will see whether I can add anything else regarding his following comment:
“The interesting part is that when dementia patients are close to dying at the late stage of dementia, they experience “terminal lucidity” where they suddenly regain the abilities they lost, even after the massive brain damage that has occurred. For example, they can go from previously non-verbal to speaking again and also recollect all the memories they lost briefly.”
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Sorry. I have not had much time to think about it as I am traveling. I just did a search to find more about it.
- Dementia typically begins with subtle symptoms that develop slowly and gradually worsen over several years, progressing through stages from mild cognitive impairment to severe decline. Early signs often include memory lapses, difficulty concentrating, or challenges with familiar tasks, which may go unnoticed at first.
- Have you done any medical screening to confirm? It could be due to memory loss or to other factors affecting attention.
- I will think about it a bit more and post some comments later.
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Objective and Subjective Reality Within the World
Objective reality refers to the existence of facts, events, or phenomena that are independent of individual perceptions, beliefs, emotions, or interpretations. It is the “world as it is,” verifiable through empirical evidence, scientific methods, or consensus among observers, regardless of personal biases. For instance, the laws of physics (like gravity pulling objects toward Earth) or historical events (such as the date of a specific battle) are part of objective reality because they can be measured, observed, and replicated without relying on anyone’s subjective viewpoint.Subjective reality, on the other hand, is shaped by an individual’s personal experiences, senses, cultural background, emotions, and cognitive processes. It represents how someone interprets or feels about the world, and can differ widely between people even when they encounter the same objective facts. For example, two people might witness the same sunset—one finds it breathtaking and romantic, while the other sees it as ordinary or melancholic—highlighting how subjective reality filters objective stimuli through personal lenses.The key distinction between Objective and Subjective realities lies in universality versus individuality: objective reality aims for consistency and independence from individual minds, often tested through logic or evidence, while subjective reality is inherently personal, fluid, and influenced by context. Philosophers like Immanuel Kant have explored this divide, suggesting that we can never fully access pure objective reality because our perceptions are always mediated by subjective faculties. In practice, the two often intersect—science seeks to approximate objective truth, but human understanding remains partly subjective.__________Objective and Subjective Reality Within the World – Per the Buddha’s Teachings
Subjective reality is based on Saññā (Sañjānāti): Within the human realm, subjective reality is how each person reacts to kāma saññā (innate perception/feelings arising automatically). For example, upon seeing the same person, X, different people respond differently: a friend of X will perceive X as a ‘good friend,’ a foe of X will perceive X as ‘dangerous,’ and someone who has not had any interactions with X will have a neutral mindset.Objective reality is based on Viññāna (Vijānāti): Within the human realm, the motion of inert objects can be explained via scientific studies. Here, people’s emotions based on kāma saññā do not directly come into play. Therefore, it is possible to obtain logical outcomes within the ‘framework of the world’ (as prepared via Paticca Samuppada).____________Ultimate Objective Reality Is Described by Paticca Samuppada
The ultimate objective reality is described by Paticca Samuppada. The rebirth process of the living beings and the external environments they live in are fully described by Paticca Samuppada. The worldview of the Buddha (the real nature of the world) is described by Paticca Samuppada. The Four Noble Truths and the Three Characteristics of Nature (Tilakkhana) are embedded in Paticca Samuppada.- One begins to comprehend the Buddha’s worldview at the Sotapanna Anugami stage. This is ‘pajānāti.’
- How the (distorted) saññā causes one to be trapped in the rebirth process is fully understood at the Anagami stage, after cultivating Satipatthana. However, understanding the basic concepts involved in Satipatthana could also make it easier to reach the Sotapanna Anugami stage.
- The understanding of the ultimate truth (paramatta sacca) is at the Arahant stage. This is ‘abhijānāti.’
Also see “Cognition Modes – Sañjānāti, Vijānāti, Pajānāti, Abhijānāti” and #1 of “Colors Are Mind-Made (Due to Kāma Saññā) ” to better understand the three categories above.
- The above is a summary. Please feel free to ask questions.
__________
Comments Regarding Jaro’s Post
1. In his post Jaro stated: “While reading your post, Lal, I found myself wondering what a rūpa truly feels like — objectively, unfiltered, and free from mental contamination.”
- Yes. No one experiences ‘real rupa’ out there in the world. What we experience is a ‘made-up’ version prepared by the mind.
- For example, as I expalined in the post “Colors Are Mind-Made (Due to Kāma Saññā),” the external world does not have any colors. Foods do not have tastes; sounds, smells, and body touches are all made-up experiences (in ultimate reality).
- However, this fact must be used with care. This is why the Buddha said grasping his Dhamma is like grasping a venomous snake. Unless you grab a snake close to its head, it will bite you. In the same way, we must learn to ‘live within the mundane ultimate reality’ while grasping Buddha’s teachings with wisdom. See “Reply To: Anxiety and Panic attacks after 2 years – what is wrong with me?“
2. In his post Jaro stated:
“In the Mūlapariyāya Sutta, the Buddha says:
“Pathaviṁ pathavito sañjānāti.”
This statement reminds me of an anecdote from my school days.
In a chemistry class, our teacher explained that all the atomic nuclei of a steam locomotive could fit into a matchbox — which, however, would be incredibly heavy, since almost all the mass of an atom is concentrated in its nucleus. The rest consists almost entirely of empty space.
You’ve also touched on this topic beautifully in one of your posts.”- Yes. We think a stone (or even a diamond, the hardest substance) is very solid. But they are mostly empty space!
- See “Saññā Vipallāsa – Distorted Perception” for details. I think this is the post Jaro referred to.
- As Jaro stated next (“And yet, despite knowing this, the ground beneath my feet and the objects I use daily feel solid, stable, substantial. They don’t feel like mostly empty space. There seems to be a profound gap between physical reality and direct perception”), we truly feel a stone or a diamond to be solid. That perception is built in!
- Even those bhikkhus for whom the Mūlapariyāya Sutta was delivered could not grasp that. That is stated at the end of the “Mūlapariyāya Sutta (MN 1).”
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1. Yes. It is relatively rare to encounter an Ariya (Noble Person at or above the Sotapanna stage). Just think about the fact that Buddhists are a minority as far as religions are concerned. Furthermore, those who have exposure to Theravada Buddhism are a fraction of that, and most of them follow incorrect versions attributed to Buddhaghosa, etc. See the relevant posts in “Historical Background.”
- I am not aware of any living Arahants at this time. Even the number of Sotapannas could be relatively few.
- I have declared myself free of the apayas (per my understanding). It is permitted by the Buddha; see #11 of “How Does One Know whether the Sōtapanna Stage is Reached?”
2. Regarding your question: “Another question is that, I also read on access to insight website in the sutta about stream-entry that one who is sotapanna or on the way to becoming sotapanna (sotapanna anugami) don’t give gifts outside sangha is that correct?”
- No. That is not correct. It is always good to give, especially to those who are in need. Even Arahants do.
3. Regarding your question: “My another following question is that, why many people such as many from suttacentral website and dharma wheel or some other sites are of a general opinion that puredhamma site is distorting buddhist teachings?”
- I used to participate in the Dhamma Wheel forum, but I have stopped.
- I will never again seek to engage in debates with others. Those who are interested can read my website and ask questions to clarify any unclear points.
4. You wrote: “My understanding is that this earth cannot survive without the presence of arhats or ariyas so ariyas are definitely present.”
- Yes. The Buddha told Ven. Ananda, that his Buddha Sasana will disappear from the world when there are no living Noble Persons (at least Sotapannas).
- See #12 of “Four Conditions for Attaining Sōtapanna Magga/Phala.”
5. In your last post, you asked: “my another following question which could be somewhat personal is, how does one reduce the attachment to one’s own body?”
- Attachment to one’s body and anything in the external world is ultimately due to the mind-made ‘kama sanna.’
- This is a deep subject that I have discussed over the past two years.
- Recent posts are in “Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta – New Series” section. The older posts started with roughly 9/16/23 in “New / Revised Posts.”
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