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It is a long sutta and needs to be read in the context.
- I will read the sutta and comment later today.
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Excellent work, Taryal.
- I took a quick glance, but I need to take the time to read it. I hope others will do the same and provide comments.
Thank you, Waisaka!
- This website has posts suitable for people with different levels of understanding. The current series of weekly posts may not be understandable to some, but my goal is to preserve what I have learned for future generations.
- For beginners, the following sections could be a good start: “Three Levels of Practice,” “Living Dhamma,” and “Bhāvanā (Meditation).”
- After reading some posts in those sections, one can explore other sections. Each person is different and may understand Buddha’s teachings at different levels. That is why this forum is a good resource. One can ask questions regarding posts in any section, and others can share their experience/knowledge. One can also make comments to get input from others.
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It is not impossible for a Sotāpanna to kill a human, but it is unlikely (i.e. unless it becomes absolutely necessary.)
- There are only six deeds that a Sotapanna is absolutely incapable of: Killing one’s parents or an Arahant, injuring a Buddha, following another teacher other than the Buddha, etc.
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Yes. Thank you. I revised the translation as follows:
“Bhikkhus, what you intend or plan (based on your underlying tendencies or anusaya), help grow that anusaya and become a support for the kamma viññāṇa.
When one focuses on an ārammaṇa (with an expectation/intention), kamma viññāṇa becomes established.
When that viññāṇa is established and grows, that can bring rebirth into a new state of existence in the future.”1 user thanked author for this post.
I live in the United States, and you are likely to be in a different time zone. So when I replied, it was not one o’clock in the morning for me.
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” You share that anicca is not impermanence but ”Nothing in this world can be maintained to one’s satisfaction (anicca).” What is the difference between that quote and impermanence?”
- Impermanence means “not stable, subject to change and eventual destruction.” The way you are looking at it, you are probably thinking about an object (inert or living). Of course, everything in this world (inert or living) is impermanent. But that is just one manifestation of the anicca nature.
- Anicca means much more than that. It is a statement about the “nature of the world.” For example, those who do not comprehend the anicca nature seek happiness in worldly pleasures.
- If interested, read about different aspects of anicca nature here: “Anicca – True Meaning.”
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More on anatta nature: “Anatta – A Systematic Analysis.”
- Buddha’s teachings are much more profound than many today perceive them to be. It takes an effort to understand the deeper meanings of words like anicca, dukkha, and anatta.
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Question 7: Many people are scared of poking with a needle. Some are not. I don’t think you need to worry about that.
Regarding Question 1, I should clarify my answer to provide a better visualization.
1. The amount of “matter” in a Brahma‘s “body” is much smaller than that of a tiny ant or even a virus/bacteria. That is correct.
- However, in a given Brahma realm, each Brahma would have “identifiable features,” just like we can see the difference between any two people.
- Even though a “Brahma body” has very little “matter,” it could spread over a sizeable spatial dimension.
- For example, when the Buddha visited Baka Brahma, he went there not in his “human body” but only in his “mental body,” which is as subtle/fine as a “Brahma body.” See “Brahmanimantanika Sutta (MN 49).”
- Therefore, I did not mean that a Brahma is smaller than a virus or bacteria in “geometrical size.”
- Other realms are very different from the human or animal realms that we can “see.”
2. There is a sutta (I forget the name) in which Ven. Sariputta (or Ven. Moggalana) describes an encounter with a particular Brahma. He says that Brahma‘s body is extended over a large area.
- Only those with supernormal powers (iddhi powers) can “see” such subtle “bodies.”
3. To get an idea of what I am talking about, please read “Gulliver’s Travels” by Jonathan Swift. I read that book when I was small but still remember Gulliver’s encounters with giants and miniature humans.
- Even Gulliver’s experiences do not provide the correct visualization but could help get some idea.
Welcome to the forum, HugoZyl!
Question 1: A Brahma has no physical body like ours, a tiny ant, or even a virus/bacteria. A Brahma has only a “mental body” that cannot be seen with our eyes. Of course, that is hard to imagine for us.
Question 2: I don’t understand the question. Yes, it is possible that he intended to look at the camera. Is there anything wrong with that? It is likely that you equated “intention” with “tanha.” The Pali word tanha means “intention with greed/anger.” There can be “intention” without greed/anger, as in that specific case, to teach others.
Question 3: The “true nature of this world” is an understanding. It may not be possible to describe it in words unless one goes into a long explanation. I think the person in question was on his deathbed, i.e., close to dying. There was no time to have a lengthy discussion.
Nice work! A good description of the fundamental concepts.
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I have not read Atthasālinī, Buddhaghosa’s commentary on the Dhammasangaṇī.
- But, in general, I do not trust Buddhaghosa’s Commentaries based on my reading of his “Visuddhimagga.” See “Buddhaghosa and Visuddhimagga – Historical Background“and “Buddhaghosa’s Visuddhimagga – A Focused Analysis.”
The sequence of events on Abhidhamma‘s development (listed in the comment) is generally correct.
- There is nothing more than those steps mentioned in the comment above.
- I don’t think discussing any of his Commentaries would be beneficial.
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Yes. Any of the key suttas would do.
- The main point is realizing the unfruitfulness and danger of being trapped in the rebirth process.
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Yes. It is a vital sutta, and I plan to write a post after further clarifying the “purāna kamma” stage.
- Understanding the “purāna kamma” stage means understanding how one’s mind initially attaches to a sensory input automatically (i.e., without conscious thinking) due to “distorted sanna.” Here, avijja does not need to be “active”; it plays a role via “upanisa paccaya” as long as the relevant anusaya/samyojana has not been removed from the mind.
- Thus, it happens via “upanisa paccaya.”
I have explained the essential aspects in my comment on January 6, 2024 at 2:20 pm above.
- However, a clearer explanation of the sutta will be possible after a few more posts.
- Please remind me in several weeks in case I forget.
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That is correct.
- Further details in “Sōtapanna Anugāmi – No More Births in the Apāyā.” See #4.
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Thank you, Dosakkhayo.
- It also depends on the specific people in question. I guess that Taryal’s grandparents would have some ideas about kamma/kamma vipaka, but their ideas/understanding could be improved.
- It is best to start from a level of understanding they have and build up on that.
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I realize I had not missed the point in y not’s Taryal’s question.
- Let me restate the question. Consider a Brahma exhausting its lifetime and born a human. Since Brahmas do not have sex organs, how is the sexual identity of the human is determined?
Sexual identity is loosely related to bhāva dasaka. Usually, a human born with purisa bhāva dasaka has male sex organs, but that is not necessary; see #2 of the post below. Also, All Brahma realms are “unisex.” They all have the purisa bhāva dasaka. See #8 of the post below.
- See the post “Sexual Orientation – Effects of Kamma and Gati (Saṅkhāra).”
Therefore, whether a Brahma exhausting its lifetime and born a human would have male or female sex organs is a complex issue. I guess that most will have male sex organs and even those born with female sex organs will have “purisa gati.”
- My apologies for not understanding the question. Strangely, our minds can latch onto one aspect of an issue and proceed in the wrong direction.
- Please read the above post to get a better idea of the issue. I only pointed out the main points.
