Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
On the topic of energy, I was thinking of how kammic energy can be converted to other forms of energy and vice versa. it seems possible in the following analysis:
The eye converts light energy to electrical energy (to go through nerves). The brain, acts as a transmitter, to convert electrical energy to “mind energy”, for us to be able to perceive the senses. The reverse is true (mind energy > electrical energy > kinetic energy to move the hand). I am quoting this example from one of Amandassana Thero’s sermons.
In this sense, would it be possible for our minds/ kammic energies to arise from other forms of energy, eg heat energy, which somehow became “defiled”? And after parinibbana, this energy reverts back to other normal forms of energy? I’m also thinking in terms of the law of conservation of energy, where in every closed system, the sum of energies must be kept constant. in this case after parinibbana, this mind energy should end up somewhere, right?
1 user thanked author for this post.
Hi Lal, i haven’t had any physical/ verbal abuse that I can recall in detail. But you’re right in saying that if we have more details in the situation, eg how it arises, what the person thinks, why their thoughts arise this way, it will be much easier to answer!
And it also becomes easier to break down to 1) what a normal person would do, 2) what a sotapanna would do, 3) what an arahant would do to facilitate understanding.
What if someone looks away from their abuser because it gives them bad memories? Is that abhisankhara still?
In this case, it is not done out of greed/ hate, but i’m not sure about the ignorance part.
Another angle to look at is fear. Fear that they will be hit again. What can we classify this under?
Thank you, i had the belief that the Nibbana can be extrapolated from niramisa sukha.
I guess it is like someone explaining colours to a blind person. The blind person can only very very minutely grasp what colours are, eg “imagine a colour when you’re angry, that is red”. But the blind person can never comprehend the concept of colours fully.
Thank you for your respones
Y Not: “The first is suffering, the second relief and the third happiness. Here, recovery from pain is not the happiness, but is essential for happiness to follow. There can be no happiness where there is pain. ”
Actually this brings up another query i have, which is “is there happiness in Nibbāna?” I have felt the cooling down, eg less agitated, less stress when unfortunate circumstances happen, less vexed with less desires, but i don’t feel “happier”, just “less unhappy”.
To give a crude elaboration, let’s say a normal person’s happiness is at -20 because there is a lot of suffering, it will work towards 0 with less suffering, that’s what i’m feeling now. “happiness” implies that it can go from 0 to a positive number, eg 10, 20. I have heard this word used by several monks, “finding true happiness”. Is it true that there is more after “absence of suffering?”
Thank you for finding it! In that sutta,
“But a meditation subject as a foundation of immersion is properly grasped, focused on, borne in mind, and comprehended with wisdom.”
“api ca khvassa aññataraṁ samādhinimittaṁ suggahitaṁ hoti sumanasikataṁ sūpadhāritaṁ suppaṭividdhaṁ paññāya.”
does this refer to formal meditation, and which type of formal meditation does it refer to?
Thank you Lal. I understand that it is not possible to trace back. But then there is the next question of : When we attain nibbana, will it be possible for the mind to become eventually defiled, like how it was pure and become defiled?
Thank you Gopinadh, Tobi, Lal and Yash.
I agree that giving would be as what you all said, to give with compassion and not expect something in return. A benefit of this would be to of course, help us towards Nibbana, but that should ideally not be the main thought behind giving. However, this may be difficult initially.
Hence, I resonate with Gopinadh, “A “discpline” which was earlier imposed from outside and had to be implemented with great care and effort, now flows naturally. If it is required it flows out, else it rests.”
Perhaps at first, it may not be easy to give from compassion itself, and one has give for the goal of attaining Nibbana. One example is that 2 weeks ago, after listening to a desana on requiring good moral conduct to condition the mind for dhamma concepts, I thought to myself: “I will give this $10 note to the next beggar I see”. This act of kindness had to be prompted intially, and the goal was to clear my mind more so than to help the person. However as we cultivate it, it will flow naturally without prompting. After giving, I felt a lightness in my chest, and a clearer mind. Hopefully if this habit is cultivated, I will give without prompting.
And thank you Tobi for taking the time to link all the posts in your explanation. My aha moment was “Metta Bhavana thus establishes a mindset to grasp Pancakkhandha of every sentient being.” Well said! I can now carry out Metta Bhavana with this angle.
I am also very grateful for everyone’s explanations here, it is my first time on this forum and I am heartened by your efforts in helping me understand!
Thank you Yash and Lal for your explanations!
1 user thanked author for this post.
Thank you Yash, Lal.
I have read the posts, and my understanding is that moral conduct and good deeds are required to attain Nibbana. Howver, it still seems that the main reason behind doing good deeds is to work towards Nibbana. Again I raise the example of Ariya Metta Bhāvana. I would think that people do it to progress, or at least start off this habit to progress on the path, more so than relieving all beings of suffering. Hence the intention becomes more of “I want to do good deeds and make my mind suitable for learning dhamma” more so than “I want to rid all beings of suffering” when doing Metta Bhāvana. Why else would people start doing Metta Bhāvana?
Perhaps another question that can help phrase this query would be: Why do Arahants still do good? Are there Arahants who do not choose to help others, they act like this not out of Lobha Dosa and Moha, they just choose not to? An example would be that an Arahant walks down a street and sees many people who needs help. Eg homeless, depressed, ignorance of dhamma, carrying heavy objects. Would he strive to help each and every of them?
1 user thanked author for this post.
