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Thank you for taking the time to point out the sections to watch in those videos, Jorg.
- I watched the first three and took a quick look at the fourth.
- I still don’t see an explanation of the “anicca nature.”
1. I think what is described here is a different concept. It is about the concept of a “self.”
- The Buddha explained that a “self” exists as long as the necessary causes and conditions exist. If those causes and conditions do not exist, then a “self” does not manifest.
- In the example of a “circle made with children holding hands,” a circle exists as long as the children are there holding hands. If they are not there or are not holding hands, there is no manifestation of a circle.
2. Anicca nature is a different concept. It leads to suffering!
- Does the above concept of the “manifestation of something” explain how suffering arises?
- That is only the starting point for explaining the “anicca nature.” For example, “suffering exists” if the root causes and conditions exist.
3. The “Ajjhattanicca Sutta (SN 35.1)“, “Bahiranicca Sutta (SN 35.4)“, and “Yadanicca sutta (SN 22.15)” have the above verse:
“yadaniccam tam dukkham, yam dukkham tadanattā” (“yad aniccam taṃ dukkham, yaṃ dukkham tad anattā“), i.e.,
“if something is anicca, dukkha arises, and one becomes helpless (anatta).” Note that “yaṃ” and “yad” have the same meaning and are used interchangeably. In the same way, “yadidaṃ” comes from “yad idaṃ.”
- We attach to sensory inputs, and we expect our actions (based on sankhara) to bring us happiness and keep us away from suffering. If that does happen, that would be of “nicca nature.” However, nature in reality is the opposite, anicca.
- The Buddha clarified (with Paticca Samuppada) that the world has an “anicca nature,” i.e., such actions are based on ignorance: “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra.” That is why “sabbe saṅkhārā aniccā” AND “sabbe saṅkhārā dukkhā.”
4. May be I missed something. Can anyone explain how those four segments explain the connection between anicca and dukkha?
- P.S. It is possible that the anicca nature (connection to dukkha) was explained at a later segment in those discourses. If so, please let me know, and I can listen to those segments or the complete discourse.
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I agree with Jaro that the discourse does not describe what “anicca” is.
- However, it does clarify that “anicca” means much more than “impermanence.”
Gad (or anyone else who saw the correct interpretation from that discourse): please let us know precisely at what time interval the correct interpretation of “anicca” is explained.
- I listened from around the 1-hour mark, as Jaro suggested.
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OK. I will take a look.
- In the meantime, I hope others will give their opinion. Does the discourse explain what “anicca” is?
Good work, Jorg.
I disagree with the following statement: “What I noticed in my life was that there are quite some people who have the ability to reflect on things logically. However, and unfortunately so, terms like “Buddha,” and “Dhamma” trigger various connotations and mostly incorrect ones.”
- Without the Buddha, nothing that any bhikkhu teaches will make sense in the long run. A Buddha is the best logician.
- I understand that you don’t mean it that way. But it could give a wrong impression.
- Explaining things entirely in English is a “good introduction” to moral living and is commendable. But advising merely to live a moral life was not the central message of the Buddha.
- On the other hand, your website does not say it is about Buddha Dhamma. Therefore, that is fine. It is about moral living and thinking logically.
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Of course.
- They can also watch an “X-rated movie” without generating any lust. They can see “beautiful people” as such (just like a puthujjana), but their minds don’t get any “pleasure” from that illusion. It’s the same with tasty food. They taste the food to be ‘”tasty” because that is how their physical bodies originated (that is explained with the “uppatti bhavanga” but it is not necessary to understand the mechanism; if one is knowledgeable in Abhidhamma that also can be understood.)
- There is no difference between that and recalling one’s own previous experiences.
They fully understand that “beauty, taste, etc.” are mind-made.
- It is like uncovering the “trick” involved in a magic show. Then one can see it is just a “trick” and the ‘magic show” will not bring any pleasure.
- However, enjoying a magic show is temporary and does not have drastic consequences. Enjoying “sensory pleasures based on distorted sanna” can be deadly. That is because people tend to engage in immoral activities (stealing, lying, sexual misconduct, and even killing) as a consequence of such “distorted sanna.” Such actions (kamma) will bring their consequences (kamma vipaka) in this life itself, and also rebirths in the apayas.
- Once fully comprehended (with the breaking of both ditthi vipallasa and sanna vipallasa), a mind will not see any value in enjoying “sensory pleasures.”
- That is why it is all about learning the true teachings of the Buddha. That knowledge (panna) itself is enough to break all samsaric bonds and attain Nibbana in this life itself. That is the same as “uncovering the pabhassara mind” by removing the layers of dirt/defilements. It all happens with the cultivation of knowledge (panna.)
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Even with the Android phone, the formatting bar appears with the Chrome browser.
- It seems the problem is ONLY with an Android phone with the Opera browser.
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It seems that the issue arises only with Android phones.
- I will look into it.
- In the meantime, use a desktop or laptop (or an iPhone) to post comments that require the toolbar. Of course, some comments may not need the use of the toolbar and, thus, can be posted with Android phones.
Does anyone have the issue of the formatting bar not loading on an iPhone?
- Mine has no problem. Please comment here or email me if it is not loading on your phone.
Yes. It may take some time to fully absorb the contents of the post “Mūlapariyāya Sutta – The Root of All Things.”
- It is indeed the “root of all things”!
Regarding Hojan’s comments: I can understand the perception that the explanation of ‘Kusala-Mul PS” seems to make sense. However, it cannot be correct due to the reasons I pointed out in my previous comment.
- Here is another way to look at it. I suggest writing out the terms in the “Kusala-mula PS.” In particular, what type of vinnana, namarupa, salayatana, and samphassa will be involved? All those terms are “reduce in strength” as a Sekha cultivates the Noble Path.
- We can focus on namarupa, for example. It is with wisdom (panna) that namarupa formation gradually decreases and eventually stops, not by engaging in any sankhara.
- In the same way, salayatana means “using indriya (eyes, ears, ..) with defilements in the mind.” “samphassa” means “defiled contacts in mind.” Defilements are raga, dosa, moha. As panna increases, such “defiled actions” gradually decrease. Arahanthood is attained NOT by nullifying kammic energies that have been accumulated but by the total “deactivation” of the “Akusala-Mula PS process.” Thus, at the moment of cuti-patisandhi, such an Akusala-Mula PS process cannot run to make a new patisandhi!
- We should probably continue that discussion under a different thread to keep issues separated if there are more questions. Please feel free to ask questions. It is not good to accept anyone’s explanations unless the explanation makes sense. Even the Buddha kept saying not to accept his explanations if they did not make sense and to ask questions to clarify unresolved issues. I am still a Sekha, and I can make mistakes.
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The formatting bar is working again.
- I will delete this thread tomorrow. If anyone still has an issue posting comments, please let me know on this thread or email me: [email protected]
It is correct to say that thiniking about chocolate can recall the “chocolate taste.”
– Even an Arahant can recall that taste. However, it is only a “DISTORTED sanna” for an Arahant. Arahant’s mind KNOWS that it is a MIRAGE and thus would not attach to it.
– For a puthujjana, that “distorted sanna” instantaneously leads to a “DEFILED sanna” and a “DEFILED vinnana”. The mind automatically adds raga and moha (for chocolate taste), and that is why it becomes DEFILED.The Buddha said that the mind is the fastest entity in the world.
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Most “haunting stories” are made up of one’s mind.
– There can be some rare cases. But those are more likely to be from petas (hungry ghosts).The best way to avoid such effects is to live a moral life and keep the household clean.
– Think about it this way. The “gati attracting similar gati” plays a role in all these situations. If the sink is not cleaned for days and food gets rotted
that attracts not only insects and bacteria but also beings in lower realms like petas (hungry ghosts).
– If one genuinely lives a moral life AND keeps the household clean, most such situations can be avoided.3 users thanked author for this post.
Yes. A gandhabba is a human without a physical body.
– When an average human dies, only the physical body dies, and the gandhabba comes out of the physical body. Unless the kammic energy fueling the human existence (bhava) is exhausted, that gandhabba will be drawn into another womb at a later time and will be reborn as a human baby.
– During the gandhabba existence, it can see, hear, and think. Thus, it can accumulate kamma via mano and vaci sankhara (with vitakka/vicara). The same ten samyojana and even anusaya are still with the gandhabba, and thus it can think just like a human, and thus will accumulate kamma with tanha. That is what is meant by “craving is the fuel.”
– It cannot accumulate “kaya sankhara” since it has no physical body.Yash asked: “Does an Anagami forget how a particular pleasure feels?”
An Anagami or Arahant would still taste the flavor of ice cream. They still get the “distorted sanna” of the flavor of ice cream or the lovely smell of a rose.
– But their minds don’t get to the next step of attaching to that and making it a “defiled sanna/vinnana.”
– Their minds have comprehended the fact that the “flavor of ice cream” or the “beauty of a person” is made up the mind according to the existence (bhava.) That is why while humans experience a “foul odor” from rotten meat/feces, a pig loves that odor and tastes it delicious too. Please read the new post carefully.“Does this affect the memory power/recalling power of the Anagami?”
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I don’t understand the first question. But the following may help.
In the second part, you wrote: “This is why I am struggling to understand the recent revision. According to it, the input term is generated by Avyakata PS. But I don’t understand how can one do stuff like walk down the stair (purana kamma) by only mano sankhara. .”
- Paticca Samuppada should not be used to describe things like walking down the stairs to the bathroom or actions like that.
- It is focused on kamma accumulation, mainly to generate kammic energy to bring about future rebirths in various realms. That is why it is “akusala-mula PS.”
The other point that could be helpful is the following:
- Each citta in a citta vithi with a specific symbol engages in a specific task.
- The presence of the seven javana cittas in a citta vithi means that the mind is engaged with that sensory input and generates kammic energy with raga, dosa, or moha.
- The presence of two tadarammana citta (T) at the end of the javanas indicates that the mind has “locked into” the sensory input. “Tadarammana” is translated as “registration,” meaning the mind has shifted from the “uppatti bhvanaga state” to take a new mindset. For example, upon hearing the news of the death of a close relative, the mind shifts to a “saddened state.” Then that mindset becomes a “temporary bhvanaga state” that could replace the “uppatti bhvanaga state” for hours or even days.
- See “Bhava and Bhavaṅga – Simply Explained!” and “State of Mind in the Absence of Citta Vithi – Bhavaṅga.”
- More references are in the new post, “Mūlapariyāya Sutta – The Root of All Things.”
