Tobias G

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  • in reply to: Thai Forest Tradition #14934
    Tobias G
    Participant

    All these great teachers seem not to realise the true meanings of anicca, dukkha, anatta. For that reason they cannot grasp the message of the Buddha and they make things complicated.

    (By the way I remember that Lal said, an Arahant hardly smiles/laughs. But these monks do smile on many photos.)

    in reply to: On Satipatthana #14815
    Tobias G
    Participant

    Hi Embodied, one has to be always aware of the thought stream and should note any part of the pancakkhandha that pops up (seeing, smelling,..touching, feeling,.. ).
    If akusala vinnana arises, stop and note it as something that comes automatically due to one’s gathi/asavas. Stop the wheeling process and do not go deeper into that vinnana. Observe it with sati (~ moral mindfulness and understanding of the tilakkhana) and finally discard it. That is not easy at the beginning, especially if one gets offended by someone. With time the gathi changes and one monitors automatically every “event”.

    in reply to: Do Family Members Share The Same Mental Plane? #14742
    Tobias G
    Participant

    Lal wrote: “Is it possible that you were actually out there in space, with the gandhabba body?

    Indeed it felt so real. But I cannot confirm an OBE. This was just one experience. Maybe it happens again and I can investigate more what happens.

    in reply to: Confirmed Arahants? #14719
    Tobias G
    Participant

    Hello Rhys,
    I want to encourage you to learn the pure Dhamma as presented here on the website. When you reach a certain level of knowledge and understanding you will start feeling niramisa sukha, the cooling down. As you proceed on the path dhamma will guide you and there is no way back. One feels the validity of the Dhamma and pieces fall into place. If one works diligently with an open mind, the stream entry is guaranteed.

    Tobias

    in reply to: Do Family Members Share The Same Mental Plane? #14718
    Tobias G
    Participant

    I can also report a “seeing event” like Lal had with the “whirlpool”. At night I woke up and suddenly found myself in outer space surrounded by flower blossoms and turning around. That was such a beautiful moment, full of love and silence. The “seeing” was very clear, much better than dreaming. Then the scene changed to seeing stars at the firmament and they also started rotating fast. I could focus on the scene and thus see more details how they turn. This evolved again to another turning green cloud of stars, which I could focus again and the observation of crystal clear movements was possible.
    I guess such an event can happen due to cleansing the mind. There was never such an event in my life before learning Dhamma.

    in reply to: Sīla, Samādhi, Pannā to Pannā, sīla, Samādhi #14628
    Tobias G
    Participant

    How can a being get a birth in a good realm when the “main gathi” includes aggression or anger or “creating conflicts” like the asura devas?

    in reply to: Thilakkhana I #14512
    Tobias G
    Participant

    As we still maintain a housholder life there is the struggle with the “ignorant surrounding”. The people close to us cannot see the futility of this life or the whole existence. Sometimes this fact is very annoying and the pull to seclusion becomes stronger. Everyone with samma ditthi can see others craving and suffering. When in metta bhavana the wish comes to the mind, to take all the helpless beings with me across the stream to the far shore.

    in reply to: Gandhabba and Cloning #14365
    Tobias G
    Participant

    Hi Mahendran,

    I think I can answer a few questions:

    If the conditions are not good enough the gandhabba does not enter or will leave the womb.

    The matching criterion is the matching gathi of both parents.

    Bhava means there is kammic energy for a certain existence, e.g. as an animal. The bhava lasts until that energy is spent.

    The gandhabba contains the kammic or bhava energy, wether the gandhabba is inside a physical body or not. Thus kammic energy is always needed to sustain the bhava. Even if the gandhabba cannot find a womb and has to stay in paralowa the kammic energy would run out within a certain time span.

    in reply to: FORMAL PRACTICE I #14246
    Tobias G
    Participant

    Yes, while doing Dhammavicaya one will have a break to breathe out and relax. Vicaya is the investigation and requires effort and thus a moment of silence inbetween helps to reach a balance between work and silence. All together it is the “washing out” of defilements.

    in reply to: FORMAL PRACTICE I #14240
    Tobias G
    Participant

    Formal (sitting) meditation could be:
    – homage to the Buddha (namaskaraya), recite the 3 Refuges (tisarana) and the Panca Sila
    – bojjanga meditation (contemplation about a Dhamma concept and the tilakkhana with reference to real life situations)
    – adinava meditation to reduce lobha/raga (see the disadvantages of acting with dasa akusala and indulging in sense pleasures)
    – metta meditation to reduce dosa/patigha
    – ask all beings for forgiveness and forgive all debts other beings have with you. Think about the akusala sankhara you have done in sansara with understanding of the 3 akusala root causes (lobha, dosa, moha).

    One cannot do all above mentioned points in one session. I normally do the homage to the Buddha and recite the tisarana, then I continue with bojjanga and metta bhavana.

    When one really grasps the tilakkhana and the bigger picture which the Buddha gave, then the last point (asking for forgiveness and forgiving all debts other beings have with you) becomes very powerful. One can see the total futility of akusala deeds and one’s panna grows. Also one can “feel” the connection to all beings via the mind plane.

    When not in formal meditation always do anapana and satipattana throughout the day.

    in reply to: What is Intention in Kamma? #14234
    Tobias G
    Participant

    Hi Lal,
    the “intention” in case of a kusala kamma also involves the dasa akusala (except for Ariyas). Although the goal of the sankhara is a kusala deed. Maybe you could mention this in the post.

    Also could you explain this from the Abhidhamma angle in terms of cetasika/citta?
    Thank you!

    in reply to: adding kamma vs. receiving vipaka #14131
    Tobias G
    Participant

    Hate ceases with understanding of the true nature of this world. If it would be love, it would be related to some kind of attachment via kilesa.

    Anyway, if A just brings a kamma beeja (related to bad kamma done to B) to fruition with his death, then why should B establish new kamma with his kaya sankhara of killing A? Said in another way: Why should B get indebted to A now? This is my core question.

    in reply to: Distinctive understanding of the Sotapanna? #14082
    Tobias G
    Participant

    Hello Siebe,
    the understanding of a Sotapanna as per Tipitaka is mentioned above by Lal (AN 6.97).
    I want to add that a Sotapanna is a sanditthiko (one who can see “San”). Without effort I can clearly “see” other people engaging in san-activities and I feel not the slightest urge to do that too.

    I really do not want to offend you. When I look at your comments in this forum, you often use the term “believe” or “belief”. You like to chat about concepts/ideas. But do you contemplate on Dhamma and grasp the meaning? Because this is what I did and I reached stream entry in that way. There is no need to “know” all the finest details given in the Tipitaka. It is sufficient to learn the “big picture” and to contemplate on that, incl. the Tilakkhana. This will bring one to samma ditthi and magga phala, there is no way out.

    in reply to: contamination of the mind #13920
    Tobias G
    Participant

    The pancakkhanda is all a being can experience in this world. Thus clinging to any part of that will keep one bound to this world. One should contemplate the pancakkhanda (and pancaupadanakkhanda) to see the tilakkhana in the them. With that understanding one reduces tanha and one can feel enhanced niramisa sukha.

    in reply to: does good kamma lead to good results? #13588
    Tobias G
    Participant

    Vince wrote: “Somebody correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t it true that any Ariya will still have minor wrong views about what is and isn’t good to do until they reach the Arahant level, because until that point Samma Ditthi is still incomplete?”

    That is what I also think. Samma Ditthi is complete at the Arahant stage. Before that any person will have some minor wrong views left. This can happen for example when you find yourself in a discussion about some worldly stuff and you realise that it is actually total nonsense to have any view about this stuff. So there is this minor wrong view. It does not change your big picture about this world, but it is hidden and pops up with a trigger. But one should note the wrong view and it gets weaker. Sati must be there. This keeps one on the path.

Viewing 15 posts - 301 through 315 (of 334 total)