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The Buddha spent many years in Jetavanaramaya (built by Anāthapiṇḍika, a wealthy person): “Jetavana.” Some accounts say it was more luxurious than a King’s palace. Yet the Buddha embarked on a months-long journey in his last days when he was old and was facing some health conditions; he and Ven. Ananda traveled on foot for many months living under harsh conditions.
- There is no requirement for the Buddha or bhikkhus to live in misery. There may have been a reason for the Buddha to undertake that journey in his last days.
- However, for obvious reasons, living in such luxurious residences is not advisable for bhikkhus who have not attained magga phala. That is why most temples are simple residences. Many bhikkhus (who are determined to make progress) live in simple huts in forests to avoid distractions.
I am on travel for several more days. When I return, I will try to find the sutta reference asked in the second part of the question.
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Yes. As long as one is not an Arahant, there is raga (raga anusaya) for some type of dhammā.
- In the case of rupa raga (for an Anagami), there is an expectation to “live the life of a rupavacara Brahma” even if it may not be a “craving.” For example, there is a sutta about a bhikkhu who became an Anagami and stopped cultivating the path. When the Buddha asked why, he said he knew he would attain Arahanthood in the Brahma realm.
- Buddha Dhamma also belongs to “this world.” That is why one MUST also give up any liking/craving to learn more Dhamma when close to the Arahant stage (and not before that.) There cannot be ANY overlap between “this world of 31 realms” and Nibbana; they are mutually exclusive, i.e., there is no overlap. There is also a sutta that gives the account of a person who thought he had given up all attachment to the world; when he died, he was born a Brahma and came to the Buddha to ask why that happened. The Buddha explained that he had not given up his attachment to the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha and came to visit Jetavanaramaya until the very end of his life.
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“Could rupa raga also mean raga for niramisa sukha?”
- Yes. Those who cultivate rupavacara jhana have rupa raga (and experience niramisa sukha associated with such jhana).
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“It’s taught that Anagami still has rupa raga and arupa rage, if someone didn’t cultivate jhana’s and they attained the anagami stage. Besides raga for jhanic states, are there other ways of understanding what rupa raga is or for an anagami besides raga for jhanic states, are there other rupa raga an anagami might have?”
One can remove kama raga and get to the Anagami stage without cultivating jhana. P.S. “Rupa raga” includes jhanic sukha, but is not restricted to that; “attachment to Dhamma” is also included in rupa raga.Some in the days of the Buddha could not get to the Arahant stage, because of their “attachment to Dhamma.” That is why the Buddha said one must also give up Dhamma at the end (only when close to the Arahant stage.)
- Those in kama loka have kama raga; those in rupa loka (or have transcended kama loka, like an Anagami) would have rupa and arupa raga left. Of course, many rupavacara Brhamas have NOT REMOVED kama raga but have temporarily transcended the kama loka; they will be reborn in kama loka at the end of that Brahma lifetime.
- Rupa and arupa raga are PERMANENTLY removed only at the Arahant stage. This stage is “niramisatara sukha” which is not a vedana, but “Nibbanic bliss.” See “Nirāmisa Sutta (SN 36.31).”
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Yes. That holds in most cases. Most mainstream Theravada texts have those incorrect translations. In all Sutta Central translations I link to, such incorrect interpretations exist. One must disregard those. It is almost impossible to refer to any English text without such errors.
- Also note that the full title of the above article is “The Eight Worldly Conditions: Ashta Loka Dhamma.” There “Ashta” is the Sanskrit word for “eight,” whereas the Pali word is “aṭṭha.”
- That article is by a Sri Lankan. Such “Sanskrtizied” words are also quite common in even Sri Lankan Theravada. Such was the influence of Mahayana during its peak, as I described in “Counterfeit Buddhism – Current Mainstream Buddhism.”
Glad to hear that you are making progress. Don’t worry. Once you get started, it will become easier.
Bhavanga is associated with one bhava, for example, as long as one’s rebirths are within the “human bhava” all rebirths within that human bhava (i.e., human jati) will have the same bhavanga.
- At the end of that human bhava (which may last many thousands of years) one may grasp a different bhava (Deva, Brahma, animal, etc) and then the bhavanga will switch to match that bhava. If the new one is a Deva bhava, that will have a bhavanga appropriate for the Deva bhava.
- See “Bhava and Jāti – States of Existence and Births Therein” and “Bhava and Bhavaṅga – Simply Explained!
Please feel free to ask questions if the above two posts don’t have the answers to your questions. It is important to resolve these issues before proceeding further.
The following are some basics. Hopefully, it will help you get started in answering your questions.
1. The mind is in a “neutral state” (bhavanga) when not active, for example, while you sleep or doze off after a heavy meal. It comes to an “active state” when triggered by a sensory input (arammana.)
- That can be compared to a car in idle mode (neutral) and start moving when the gear is engaged.
2. When an arammana comes through one of the five physical senses, a series of cittas (citta vithi) with 17 cittas runs through the mind. If the mind “gets attached” to that sensory input, thousands of such citta vithi flow through the mind within a few minutes.
- The Buddha summarized what is “experienced.” into five main categories: rupa, vedana, sanna, sankhara, vinnana. Here “rupa” could be one of the five types (sights, sounds, smell, taste, touch). Vedana could be sukha, dukkha, or neutral. Sanna means the recognition of sensory input. Vinnana is the overall sensory experience (and any expectation arising from that experience.)
- We only feel the “collective effect” of many such citta vithi. That is why they are rupakkhandha, vedanakkhandha, sannakkhandha, sankharakkhandha, and vinnanakkhandha. Here “khandha” means a “pile” or an aggregate because it is based on thousands/millions of citta vithis.
3. The type of vedana depends on the arammana and the person (asava,anusaya, gati). See “The Law of Attraction, Habits, Character (Gati), and Cravings (Āsavas)” and “Habits, Goals, and Character (Gati)”
- Then each person will act accordingly, generating different types of sankhara. That is “kamma formation.”
4. If the arammana (sensory input) is strong, the mind may stay in that “mindset” for a while, not going back to the “natural bhavanga” until that event wears off. For example, upon hearing about the death of a close relative, the mind may stay in a temporary “sad bhavanga state” for even a few days.
That is a very brief summary.
The following section could also be helpful: “Essential Abhidhamma – The Basics.”
- In the beginning, try to get the main ideas. Once getting started, it will become easier.
More suttas highlight the importance of getting rid of akusala to avoid rebirths in apayas:
- AN 10.211: Paṭhamanirayasaggasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net)
- AN 10.176: Cundasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net); another translation: AN 10.176: Cundasutta—Thanissaro Bhikkhu (suttacentral.net)
- AN 10.217: Paṭhamasañcetanikasutta—Bhikkhu Sujato (suttacentral.net)
I am not sure how accurate these translations are. But they should be enough to get the idea. Usually, adjacent suttas also provide more information.
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Yes. The last verse explains it. “Kāmā” is used in plural there.
- Pali (starting with Magadhi) is an ancient language. Those days, there was no written form for any language.
- Thus, there were no formal “grammar rules.”
- That is why Pali does not have an alphabet. I believe the Sinhala language was formulated based on Pali, and its alphabet was designed” for Pali sounds. In any Pali grammar book, the alphabet (primary sounds) shown there is the same as the Sinhala alphabet. See, for example, “A New Course in Reading Pali” by J. W. Gair and W. S. Karunatillake” (2009), p. xiii. As we know, the Pali Tipitaka was written in the Sinhala script 2000 years ago.
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TGS had asked: “Is kāmā the plural word of “kāma”? “
- It could be. If you give an example, I may be able to see what it means.
Yes. We wish you a fruitful journey, TGS. Hopefully, LDF will be able to make it too.
- Don’t miss to see the Ruvanveli Dagaba (stupa) in Anuradhapura (close to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi).
It would be nice to hear about your experiences upon your return.
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Yes. “kāma” is sankappa rāga.
- “kāma rāga” means cravings for sensual pleasures enjoyed with the five physical senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching mind-pleasing things.
- Thus “kāma rāga” is reserved explicitly for pleasurable experiences with “close contact”: smell, taste, and touch. Brahmas do not have kāma rāga.
- Rupavacara Brahmas don’t have “kāma rāga”; they have “rupa rāga” (sights/sounds), and arupavacara Brahmas have “arupa rāga” (only thoughts about “memories”)
See “What is “Kāma”? It is not Just Sex” and “Kāma Guṇa – Origin of Attachment (Tanhā).”
The two posts in the following link can be helpful:
“Anguttara Nikāya – Suttā on Key Concepts“
Another section that can be helpful:
“Root of All Suffering – Ten Immoral Actions“
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The following is a quick summary:
- Before comprehending anatta, one must comprehend anicca.
- Before comprehending anicca, dukkha, and anatta, one must eliminate higher levels of dosa and patigha.
- The higher level of dosa/patigha is kodha (anger). One can be born in apayas until kodha (and higher levels of greed) are removed. See “Kodhapeyyāla“
- Patigha is a much “lower level” of anger. One would not even talk harshly with patigha. It is a very lower level of anger and is “an irritation with another person.” But one can kill another person with kodha. Those with kodha tend to get angry quickly and tend to retaliate.
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I just came across the following Dhammapada verse. The description is about a person who attained Sotapanna phala while walking and contemplating:
“Dhammapada Verses 38 and 39 – Cittahatthatthera Vatthu“
“Verse 38-39 – The Story of Monk Cittahattha“
I have been unable to find a sutta with such an account.
P.S. I posted only the above comment. The thread may indicate that I made a follow-up comment; there is only one.
