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“In order to enter the Stream one MUST experience Nibbana, going beyond mind and matter and entering in the state of Nirodha where all the senses (including the mind) stop working.”
I thought only Anagamis and Arahant could achieve that. Never knew to attain stream entry requires such a high standard of achievement.
“generate more compassionate thoughts and engage in compassionate activities like giving.”
So long a person is still attached to the 5 khandhas, however strong the moral deeds he has done, will still bound him to the rebirth cycle. But of course, he is increasing his chances of securing more favourable rebirths from his moral deeds. It is however, a risky investment because we cannot always be so lucky to be reborn under favourable conditions where there is a chance to encounter Buddha Dhamma and continue with the spiritual practice. The safety net then would be to strive hard and attain stream entry in this very life.
Hi y not,
I think thoughts of something that we like are still worldly thoughts that chain us to kamaloka relentlessly. I would think of those vacī sankhāra as a prelude to the arising of mental sustenance that eventually follows for our cravings to feed on.
Think of it as reaping your own Kamma Vipāka for some unwholesome kamma you had done in the past. You could have done the same thing onto those colleagues in past lives. On the other hand, spread goodwill to them. Not because they deserve it. It’s just that we need to cultivate our good will. That is more important than anything else.
Hi Yeos,
Was referring to the contemplation on the contemplation on the ephemeral nature of the fireworks. Yes, we have to balance our practice well in order to arrive at our spiritual goal safely.
Hi Yeos,
I think your post is lost in transit.
Yeos wrote:
@Johnny_Lim ” It is our inability to maintain the sense experience consistently the way we want it to be and the helplessness towards this whole sense experience that is the problem”Helplessness only when one attempts to “crystallize” what’s happening according one’s preferences ? Which is to say according one’s clingings ? Otherwise there will be no dukkha. Because you see it’s fine to say “Anicca : we can’t maintain anything according our satisfation” but it’s even finer to understand WHY. Same goes for “anatta: …and then we become helpless (because of anicca according puredhamma).
It’s not wrong to feel satisfied as much as we are aware that human satisfaction it’s fragile feeling – like any other feeling.
I enjoyed the fireworks as much as i already forgot it – both the fireworks and the joy i already forgot them.
Again it’s clear that to define Anicca and Anatta in only one way it will impoverish the understanding of both. Because both have alot of facets and both are commutable – since (as the Buddha said) “everything is mind wrought”.
I would reckon it’s easier to appreciate Anicca and Anatta on sense inputs which have a resonance with our gathi. Of course this contemplation is only one aspect of Tilakkahana.
A recent overseas trip has inspired me to contemplate deeper on Tilakkhana. What strikes me is that the allure of fireworks doesn’t really lie in its permanence (or impermanence). We all know the most beautiful part of fireworks display is the climax. But without udayavaya, the climax alone is not that captivating. Suffice to say, without the accompanying rising and perishing moments of the fireworks, the climax cannot shine. Imagine a fireworks display with only the climax. Think of it like a static television display. It just lacks the visual impact. We often find fireworks captivating because its most precious moment doesn’t last – Scarcity makes the heart grow fonder. What we think is precious will always be held dear to our heart. So how can something that is so ephemeral bring us perceived happiness if Anicca is translated to impermanence in this regard? The issue here is not so much about permanence or impermanence for it is just a property of every phenomena. Our deluded nature thinks that our overall sense experience values permanence just as much as impermanence. An arahant and a normal being watching the fireworks display will not have the same feeling and mental states even though the beginning till the end of the fireworks display arises out of conditions. It is our inability to maintain the sense experience consistently the way we want it to be and the helplessness towards this whole sense experience that is the problem. Not surprisingly, Anicca and Anatta! However much we cling to the view of our dukkha arising from permanence or impermanence, we can’t absolutely reason out what exactly is the problem. Also, we cannot say the precious moment of the captivating fireworks is due to the conditions that give rise to the fireworks. Otherwise, the arahant would feel exactly like the normal being does (emotions and unwholesome mental states are often evoked). The tail end of the fireworks viewing experience has ramnants of solitude and emptiness. No matter how delightful a sense experience can be, there is always a shadow of dukkha lurking at the back of our perceived happiness so long we are engulfed in the fog of delusion.
Sharing a very nice Youtube video that illustrates the Anicca nature in a very educational way – The Living Body – Our Extraordinary Life
Imagine we are sitting in meditation in a room. Outside is raining heavily. We have a healthy hearing system; there is sound coming from the pouring rain; there is a non-vacuum environment for sound to propagate to our ears; and we are attentive to the sound of the pouring rain;
Whether we like the sound of the pouring rain or not is immaterial. When the above conditions are met, hearing consciousness arises – without us making a wish or praying for it to happen. If we do not like the sound of the pouring rain when we are meditating, and if the conditions are there for it to happen, no matter how we wish or pray for the sound to go away is of no use. We are never in control of the situation. One can say we can mute the sound by closing the doors and drawing thick curtains over the windows. But that is just a follow up action. We are just following up this unsatisfactoriness by devising something to alter the outcome of the situation so as to lessen our suffering. The sound of the pouring rain outside which causes distraction to our meditation remains an indisputable fact. On the other hand, we might like the sound of the pouring rain outside so much so that we cling on to it and hoping that it will continue for as long as our meditation session lasts. But it didn’t. Dissatisfaction sets in. Whether we like the sound of the pouring rain or not, the 5 aggregates that arose when we are mentally engaging in that sound are not going to last forever. When we crave for the sound because we like it so much, we suffer when it ended so quickly. When we dislike the sound so much because it is a distraction to our meditation, we suffer in another way. The key is to see consciousness arising when suitable conditions are fulfilled. When conditions are not there for things to happen, no matter how much a person wish and pray, it ain’t going to happen. And when conditions are fulfilled for things to happen, no amount of wishing and praying are going to make it go away. We are never in control. But we like to think we are in control. That’s a delusion. There is only the arising and perishing of conditions to manifest phenomena. What about our volitions to tweak and alter situations to our liking? They are also conditions in this whole matrix of suffering.
Hi y not,
It could be the case of bad kamma vipaka being largely attenuated by a stronger kamma. e.g. attainment of Magga Phala. Considering the case of Venerable Aṅgulimāla who had to suffer bodily abuse because of his evil deeds. Had he not attain Arahantship, his kamma vipaka could be much much worse. People who practise well on the path might still experience bad kamma vipaka in the form of illness and other inconveniences. This is the only logical explanation I could think of.
“I don’t say that intentional deeds that have been performed and accumulated are eliminated without being experienced.”
If there is no suitable condition to facilitate a kamma vipaka, then one would not be able to experience the kamma vipaka even though the cause is still out there. For example a person who has attained the Sotāpanna fruition would never be reborn in the woeful states. There is a stark difference in wearing out a kamma vipaka and being able to experience one.
“The first three verses seem to indicate that once a cause is created the effect must follow invariably…”
If all kamma vipaka done by a person must be experienced by that person, then this spiritual path is not possible to practise. Also, it’s detrimental to one’s view on laws of kamma.
“I only want to share the experience that craving, greed, urge can be very very strong and hard to resist. Some people who are alcoholist must not drink any alcohol, not even in a bonbon, because somehow this triggers an uncontrolable urge. It is like one becomes totally obsessed.”
On the same note, many people nowadays are so obsessed with wifi access and marrying to their mobile phones. Cut oneself off from these stuffs for a day and see how our kilesas are suffering from withdrawal symptoms. I know of someone who cannot be away from his mobile phone for even a minute! Hobbyists forums are also another vice to avoid. They are highly toxic and addictive. The same goes for other social media content. I suppose boredom is an unwholesome state of mind that requires proper mental cleansing. Fortunately we have Buddha Dhamma to help us out in this aspect.
