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#4: “So, I am beginning to think that I am also guilty of focusing on the deeper aspects of Buddha Dhamma.”
Don’t say that. You’ve done a great job. I’m sure that everyone who visits here knows it.
#5: “In my previous post, I advised learning the Paticca Samuppada process. But even before that, one needs to understand the terms involved there. What do the terms avijja, sankhara, bhava, jati, etc., represent?”
And another question from the mail: “Do you understand the difference between “phassa” and “samphassa”?”
I saw these questions and then I understood what was wrong. I never asked a question or tell about Paticca Samuppada in the forum or mail. That’s why lal didn’t know how much I understood. Also, I mentioned that I did not achieve any maggaphala before. Therefore, reasonably, lal would have advised me to learn the Paticca Samuppada.
I got infected with the coronavirus eight days ago. The first time I had a high fever, I felt like I could actually die. I suffered from a severely high fever of 103℉. I had been taking a rest with medicine brought from a nearby hospital while self-quarantining at home. Now, I am totally fine. Through this experience, I have clearly seen the dangers of staying in the human realm. I know that I can’t be free from this pain as long as I keep accepting vatthu kāma.
Anyway, I would like to focus more on what lal was going to say in the above post, so let me give you a brief answer. I did my best to understand the Paticca Samuppada. And I certainly attained sotapanna anugami now. But I am not sure whether I am sotapanna.
+) I can tell the difference between “phassa” and “samphassa” to you. Phassa is just contact between “six rupa” and “five pasada rupa and hadaya vatthu”. Samphassa means phassa with “san”. So it occurs through six ayatana.
#6: “I would like to hear your thoughts on the above. Each person is different, and it would help to get an idea of their background first.”
First of all, I don’t remember whether I said my age or not. Maybe I told lal by mail that I am 22 years old. I am 21 years old man from South Korea. The reason I said I was 22 years old before is because of the East Asian age reckoning. I grew up in a Catholic family. But I wasn’t devout because I couldn’t understand their doctrines logically. In 2019, I tried to join the sangha. But the group was Mahayana. I realized that their teachings were different from what I had studied. So I returned to lay life. At this time, I didn’t even know that there is Theravada Sangha in South Korea.
Anyway, I had a lot of thoughts about the direction of Pure Dhamma. Some of the prejudices against Budda sasana have not yet been addressed on this site. Let me list a two things.
1. Buddhism was influenced by Hinduism(Brahmanism more precisely). I think I saw this briefly covered in some posts. For example, Arōgyā Paramā Lābhā.. In Korea, many scholars and the general public think that Buddhism is a religion created by criticizing Hinduism. So it would be helpful to write about this topic, as far more people have this misunderstanding than we think.
2. Everyone has Buddha-nature. In Korea, it is not well known how exceptional the appearance of Buddha is. Because they think everyone has Buddha-nature. I think it would be appropriate to add a few paragraphs to the existing post(Key Problems with Mahāyāna Teachings) rather than writing a new post on this point.
So, these are what I came up with right after I was asked. I think we should continue to think about this problem in the future. It would be good to open a new thread to discuss this topic.
As far as I know, information within viññāṇa dhātu is preserved in a completely different way than in the material world(rūpa lōka). So I deduced the generation and preservation of information from Dhamma. Let’s start with a point we already understood.
For example, someone is happy after eating the cake. It took three things for this sensory event to happen. (i) arammana (the cake), (ii) one’s gati and anusaya, (iii) phassa (contact). In other words, these three pieces of information came together to create new information that someone is happy after eating the cake.
It can be summarized as follows: Existing information is required for any new information to occur.
It is also why there is no traceable origin in samsara. No matter how far back, there is still information.
Yes, now we know. But how is it possible? What is the mechanism of preservation of information?
First, we need to know that information includes three things: Rupa, Citta, and Cetasika. So, sankata is basically a variety of forms of information.
Sankata(information) is divided into two categories. The active one, the inactive one. The critical point is that additional energy is required for any information to activate.
Rūpa(including dhammā) means activated energy. So, anidassana/appaṭigha rūpa can turn into anidassana/appaṭigha nāma. But anidassana/appaṭigha nāma can not turn into anidassana/appaṭigha nāma.
From this, the following conclusions can be drawn.
Rūpa loses energy over time. The record of information is a naturally occurring process of it. The registration and preservation of information is not a process of consuming additional energy. It does not conflict with the above proposition(Existing information is required for any new information to occur).
Because the above process refers to information with energy(New Information), and the below process relates to information that remains as a result of the process of energy disappearance(Remaining Information).
Therefore, it can be seen that the two ways of generation of information(NI and RI) are all in one direction. It also explains that time flows in one direction with Dhamma’s words.
So, the question ‘What is the mechanism of preservation of information?’ is changed like that ‘how anidassana/appaṭigha rūpa(dhammā) turn into anidassana/appaṭigha nāma?’
Let’s think about it this way. When a bullet is fired from the gun, it will move in a parabolic trajectory. In this situation, the motion of the bullet is rūpa. And the trajectory of the bullet is namagotta. (Of course, the bullet is inert. But I hope this example can convey my thought.) The fired bullet will continue to move until it loses its power. When it loses all the power, the halt of the bullet is also registered in namagotta. Therefore, there is no need for any particular registration process. It happens naturally. As if it doesn’t take any registration process for a bullet to fly away.
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Please let me know if there is anything wrong with this thought.I hope this will be the last question on this subject. Can anidassana/appaṭigha nāma turn into anidassana/appaṭigha rupa(dhammā)? In other words, can a record losing energy have energy again by generating kamma bija or meeting the proper conditions? For example, bringing back a shocking memory that one forgot before. In this case, does the dhammā not return, but a new dhammā adds?
Anidassana, Appaṭigha Rupa Due to Anidassana Viññāṇa
In #12
“Put it another way, dense rupa (experienced by the five physical senses) are localized, but the nāma category (vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, viññāṇa) is NOT localized. In between such dense (sappaṭigha) rupa and anidassana/appaṭigha nāma, there are anidassana/appaṭigha rupa (dhammā.)
Both nāma and dhammā are not localized and are included in viññāṇa dhātu. See, “What are Rūpa? – Dhammā are Rūpa too!”–
Is anidassana/appaṭigha nāma the namagotta? If so, could you tell me how anidassana/appaṭigha rupa(dhammā) can turn into anidassana/appaṭigha nāma?–
I think I’ve been making Lal exhausted with my meaningless questions lately. I’m sorry.“Not many people can understand the details of Avyākata Paṭicca Samuppāda. As I have stated before, it is not necessary to understand those details if one can understand the basic two types: Akusala-mula PS and Kusala-mula PS (origin of suffering and stopping it).”
I’d appreciate your input on it. It helped me a lot.
I already know all three of them. What I want to hear is a mechanism that can explain how Arahant can use abhiññā powers despite he/she can not make a javana citta.
Javana of a Citta – The Root of Mental Power
#13
“Finally, These javana cittā have the power to produce suddhāṭṭhaka, the fundamental building blocks of rupa.”So, Cūḷapanthaka Thero’s iddhividha is based on the javana citta that can produce suddhāṭṭhaka.
But, Arahant can never have javana citta. That’s why the question arises.
Perhaps I had mistakenly extended that Arahant cannot generate javana citta related to akusala to not be able to generate all javana citta.
Or, it may not be this. Anyway, I know something is wrong, but I don’t know what’s wrong.
I’d appreciate any help or advice you can give me.
with metta.
I am writing now because I have something that comes to mind after reading your answer. Perhaps I’ll make a new thread.
OK. Then I’ll change the question this way. I would like to know the mechanism when Arahant do kiriya.
This is what I made as a prototype. I hope my intentions are conveyed.
vijja (instead of avijja) – kiriya? (instead of sankara) – nana (instead of vinnana)- ? (instead of namarupa) – six indriya (instead of six ayatana) – phassa (instead of samphassa) – vedana (instead of samphassa-ja-vedana) – ? (instead of tanha) – ? (instead of upadana) – ? (instead of bhava) – ? (instead of jati) – ? (instead of jaramarana …)
What words should be instead of the bold question marks?
Phassa (Contact) – Contact With Pasāda Rupa
Phassa (Contact) comes in the middle of the Paṭicca Samuppāda (PS) process. However, PS processes start with “salāyatana paccayā phasso” or “an āyatana making contact.” That contact is between a rupa and one of the six āyatana (cakkhu, sota, gandha, jivhā, kāya, mano.) At the fundamental level, a rupa makes contact with the mind via one of the five pasāda rupa or directly with the mind (hadaya vatthu.)
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Indriya and Āyatana – Big DifferenceAnother way to state the difference is to say that when kamma vipāka brings us sense inputs, the sense faculties act as indriya. Following that we MAY deliberately use sense faculties to generate new kamma; then they work as āyatana. […] 12. Thus only Arahants use their sense faculties as indriya ALL THE TIME.
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Here is what I don’t understand. Life goes on after attaining Arahanthood. I know that Arahant still senses the world. So, there will be contact between a rupa and one of the six āyatana for Arahant too. But, as you said, “Arahants use their sense faculties as indriya ALL THE TIME”. I understand that the former context is somewhat different from the latter. However, if the two are compatible without contradiction, there must be at least a meaning to explain both in āyatana. I guess that there is a word showing the meaning of salāyatana of Arahant like kiriya(the kamma-free act of Arahant). Is there a word like Salindriya?Loka Sutta – Origin and Cessation of the World
“The rupakkhandha includes one’s sensory faculties and any “rupa” ever experienced.”
Ok. I have misunderstood the concept of rupakkhandha.
But I ask you a question to be sure.
In this context, sensory faculties mean ayatana. Right? Or include indriya too?
Dosakkhayo compiled the following figure:
I pressed the wrong button while writing.
“The Buddha defined rupa as ALL those that can provide a sensory experience (viññāna.) Therefore, dhammā that we experience with the mind are also a type of rupa. [……] It is essential to realize that rūpakkhandha is all mental. [……] rūpakkhandha are “mental impressions” of rūpa and NOT the rūpa out there.”
I am still looking for the key criterion to distinguish between nāma and rūpa. Why rūpakkhanda is not nāma? I am asking this question because rūpakkhanda was not mentioned.
Lal wrote in the forum:
“1. Nāmaloka (viññāṇa dhātu) consists of the four mental aggregates: vedanakkhandha, saññākkhandha, saṅkhārakkhandha, and viññāṇakkhandha.”And also wrote above:
“Rūpakkhanda (except for the paccuppanna or current moment) is preserved in nāmalōka as namagotta. It is just a record, without any energy.”If I understand correctly, there are atita rūpakkhanda, anāgata rūpakkhanda, atita vedanakkhandha, paccuppanna vedanakkhandha, anāgata vedanakkhandha, atita saññākkhandha, paccuppanna saññākkhandha, anāgata saññākkhandha, atita saṅkhārakkhandha, paccuppanna saṅkhārakkhandha, anāgata saṅkhārakkhandha, atita viññāṇakkhandha, paccuppanna viññāṇakkhandha, and anāgata viññāṇakkhandha in nāmalōka as namagotta.
So only paccupanna r̄upakkhanda among the pañcakkhandha doesn’t belong here.
I’d like to know why the paccuppanna rūpakkhanda excepted.
Difference Between Physical Rūpa and Rūpakkhandha
“The Buddha defined rupa as ALL those that can provide a sensory experience (viññāna.) Therefore, dhammā that we experience with the mind are also a type of rupa.”
I am still looking for the key criterion to distinguish between nāma and rūpa. Why rūpakkhanda is not nāma? I am asking this question because rūpakkhanda was not mentioned.
Lal wrote in the forum:
“1. Nāmaloka (viññāṇa dhātu) consists of the four mental aggregates: vedanakkhandha, saññākkhandha, saṅkhārakkhandha, and viññāṇakkhandha.”And also wrote above:
“Rūpakkhanda (except for the paccuppanna or current moment) is preserved in nāmalōka as namagotta.”If I understand correctly, there are atita rūpakkhanda, anāgata rūpakkhanda, atita vedanakkhandha, paccuppanna vedanakkhandha, anāgata vedanakkhandha, atita saññākkhandha, paccuppanna saññākkhandha, anāgata saññākkhandha, atita saṅkhārakkhandha, paccuppanna saṅkhārakkhandha, anāgata saṅkhārakkhandha, atita viññāṇakkhandha, paccuppanna viññāṇakkhandha, and anāgata viññāṇakkhandha in nāmalōka as namagotta.
So only paccupanna r̄upakkhanda among the pañcakkhandha doesn’t belong here.
The post wrote: “It is essential to realize that rūpakkhandha is all mental. [……] rūpakkhandha are “mental impressions” of rūpa and NOT the rūpa out there.”
And lal wrote: “Rūpakkhanda (except for the paccuppanna or current moment) is preserved in nāmalōka as namagotta. It is just a record, without any energy.”
I’d like to know why the paccuppanna rūpakkhanda excepted.
