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Greetings and welcome ZenLife,
I wish you the best on your journey!
Not really advice, but I can say PureDhamma is one of the best resources in English to learn the Buddha Dhamma or anything related to the “truth” about this world, which I have looked for 15 + years. Your really fortunate to have ended up here, just like I was and probably others. Of course, this can only be decided for yourself.
I was able to make significant progress on my journey thanks to the teachings on this website. As well Lal and others on this forum doing their best to answer our questions and sharing resources that is of benefit for our journey.
I hope PureDhamma will be of benefit to your journey and may it help you and all the living beings attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana.
with Metta,
Thank you SengKiat and Lal,
Just wondering what book is SengKiat quoting from?
The reason for asking what I did is because I’m coming across “Youtubers” claiming that they have attained Arahanthood when according to the Buddha Dhamma that I have come to understand/know, they clearly have not.
I was thinking that it would be a compassionate thing for me to at least attempt one time to try to get them to really question themselves if they really have attained Arahanthood. To me, it’s never too late for one to admit their mistakes and possibly walk on the noble 8 fold path in the future.
But after observing the P.S. of these people, I feel they might have gone too deep into their delusions or the anatta nature. Even though I haven’t attempted to reach out to these people yet, but for some reason I feel that no matter what I say or try to tell them, it won’t reach them. If I’m not careful, they might even end up hating me. Instead of trying to do good, I end up doing harm . . . One of these teachers says/teaches Nibbana is Sansara . . .
The worse part is these people also have followers. I was planning on warning them, but after seeing their comments praising these claimed Arahants. If I did such a thing, they might end up hating me as well.
In mundane terms, it’s sad to see such things happening while feeling anatta (helpless) to do anything for these people, besides metta bhavana.
In supramundane terms, to me this seems like an example of the meaning of Dhamma. What one must bear. Seems like the way it is. . .
From what I have understood so far, the most practical thing that I can do for others is to contemplate on the Dhamma and do metta bhavana.
with Metta, Theruwan Saranai.
Would ego be in the vinnana? While avija is the fuel or cause of ego.
One of the reasons why I say this is because Vinnana is taught as “our future expectations and hopes we have for this world”. We have these expectations and hopes because of avija. Having expectations, hopes, etc . . . as long as one thinks this way, to me it seems like one will always have the view of a “self” or ego in this thinking process.
As well, at Arahant stage, one gain’s Samma Nana, to me Samma nana is the key to remove avija and mana. An Arahant would still have vinnana until death of the body, but they would no longer be fooled by the vinnana and avija. They would truly see this world as it is.
Thanks for trying to explain this to me y not. I watched the youtube video’s on Lal’s post. Not an easy concept for me to understand with math and numbers especially when I’m a poor student in math. :) I’ll just keep things simple in regards to what y not and Lal said.
“There are infinite living-beings in this world.
– Even if an infinite number attain Nibbana, there ALWAYS will be an infinite number left.”That’s all I need to know for this topic :)
Thank you for your time y not and Lal.
I just wanted to say thank you Lal for having answered my inquiry.
“Dealing with average humans causes distress in the mind, even for a Buddha. ”
– I’m starting to find having long drawn out mundane conversations causes distress to my mind.
Thank you me1 for the Thanissaro Bhikkhu English translation. The part I’m wondering if the English translation can be improved upon is:
“ālayarāmā kho panāyaṁ pajā ālayaratā ālayasammuditā”
(Bhikkhu Brahmali)
“But this is a creation delighting in sensual pleasure, delighted by sensual pleasure, rejoicing in sensual pleasure.”(Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
“But this generation delights in attachment, is excited by attachment, enjoys attachment.”It’s from Mahakhandhaka
https://suttacentral.net/pli-tv-kd1/pli/ms
Section:
5. Brahmayacanakatha
Second paragraph.
Thank you Lal
me1
– You can also think of it this way, this comes from my own understanding and contemplations. Imagine yourself as cause and effect, how would you keep the party going or Sansara or effects? If there are no causes, can this universe exist? Who or what provides the causes for effects to take place?
“Why can’t ignorance rise again?”
– Based on what Lal said, as well you can find clues to your question on what is a Satta and what Sakkaya samudaya, sakkaya nirodha.
– Ignorance doesn’t need to rise again, because ignorance is what this world is or cause and effect or Paticca Samuppada. This is how it is and always will be. This isn’t confirmed by anyone, just my belief as of this moment from my contemplation, observations and evidences that I see in the Buddha Dhamma. I believe this world or universe or cause and effect nature is avija (ignorance) and being in this world is very unfavorable for us living beings. The most obvious evidence pointing to this is the three characteristics of this world, Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta and others. The only saving grace of our existence is being able put a stop to the rebirth process, or being able to cultivate wisdom to remove the avija (ignorance) as a Satta. But ignorance will always remain and be a part of what this world is or cause and effect.
Lal says:
“Even if an infinite number attain Nibbana, there ALWAYS will be an infinite number left.”
– I wonder why is that so. :) My answer would be what I have written above.
Thank you Lal for the teachable moment. May the teaching bring benefit to I and all the worldly living beings.
“– There are no “worldly objects” involved in Buddhist meditation. It is all about removing greed, anger, ignorance from one’s mind.”
Can anything related to the five aggregates be considered as the “worldly objects” you mentioned?
“That is what I thought too.
– But it would be good to see comments from those who don’t have Aphantasia (i.e., those who CAN see memories in color) whether it is a hindrance to meditation.”– I believe it depends on the person and as well what the goal of the meditation is for. For instance, there’s meditators out there that meditates on Kasina objects. Some athletes might meditate (or visualize) repetitive motions or techniques, while others have their own goals and objectives when it comes to meditation. In my opinion, there is really no correct answer to this question because what might be a hindrance to one person, might not be for the other person.
For example, I believe Aphantasia can be beneficial for us Pure Dhamma meditators, but it could be a hinderance for artist, athletes, etc . . .
When I reflect back to when I first started meditating, I would say being able to visualize and recall sensations such as taste was a hinderance to my meditation because I would start to do sankhara and kamma those thoughts. But now since I understand what they are, it doesn’t really hinder with my meditation. But for some, having Aphantasia would hinder their meditation, since some people want to visualize (in color, shapes, etc.) and feel (sensations) on whatever that their meditating on.
Now that I think more about this, having Aphantasia can possibly be a hinderance for those who does Metta bhavana trying to recall people’s faces or past events. Or trying to recall a Buddha statue.
So I believe there’s really no correct answer to this question. It really depends on the person and the objective of their meditation. It can also go both ways for the same person, hinderance and non-hinderance/beneficial or both depending on their meditation objective.
2. While some people have it from birth, others have lost their ability to visualize in the mind’s eye after heart operations. Therefore, it may not have anything to do with the brain.
– Not just heart surgery, but other types of surgery as well.
HELP – surgery induced aphantasia??
byu/LastHopeHousewife inAphantasia– I believe it’s possible prescription drugs can also cause aphantasia.
Aphantasia as aquired after use of SSRi:s
byu/Different_Produce_56 inAphantasia– There are several classes of prescription medications that can cause aphasia. Although aphasia is not the same as aphantasia, but it’s possible there might be a connection.
– In my opinion, Lipitor (a cholesterol lowering drug) is not a very beneficial prescription medication to take at all. . . Cholesterol is one of the most important things for our bodies, we cannot live without it. There’s many important functions of cholesterol that helps our body, especially for our brain.
4. Having Aphantasia could be a good thing in the following sense.
– Might be a good thing for us Buddhist practitioners, but for ordinary people, it might cause them depression and mental health issues . . Especially of those who require imaginative skills for work, such as artists, etc . .
Some links you might be interested in taking a look at.
Lal said:
“I have explained this in many ways.”Indeed you have and the many other Dhamma concepts on this website. Because of this website, I’m sure many Satta’s has benefitted from it, including myself. Any merits obtained from your meritorious act of sharing the Buddha Dhamma, may we rejoice in the merits and share/transfer/offer the merits to all the Satta’s. May the power of the merits help us all attain the supreme Bliss of Nibbana. Thank you
If you can think of or see any problems or inconsistencies with understanding/seeing Sakkaya ditthi and Sakkaya as two different understandings, but are connected. Please for the compassion of me, point it out.
Lang
Thank you so much for your participation and feedback, it’s very beneficial for me. Thanks to your post, I can see and realize some of my potential misunderstandings that I may have. May we rejoice in the merits earned from your meritorious act, may we offer/share/transfer these merits with all the Satta’s and by the power of these merits help us all attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana. Saddhu saddhu saddhu
“pancupadanakkhandha is a subset of pancakkhandha”
– Geez . . . never thought of it that way . . . Tremendous help.
“I tend to think that Sakkaya Ditthi is “in” pancupadanakkhandha”
– Another way we can look at this as well is that Sakkaya ditthi comes as package with all Satta’s.“I’d say that “As long as pancupadanakkhandha is there …”
For an arahant, there is still pancakkhandha (until parinibbana), but no perception of “I, me” or mana.”– That makes sense, thank you for sharing that.
I thought it was the pancakkhandha because this was subtitled “Once the five aggregates disintegrate, the perception of the “I” disappears from there. 33:33- 34:44 of the video.
– But after re-watching that part of the video, and thinking about it, I think I might not have understood that part correctly.
“(probably in the sankharakkhanda).”
– I actually think it’s in the Vinnanakkhandha. 31:35 – 33:35 of the video, let me know what you think.
with Metta,
