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Let’s take an example of a any object like a mobile phone.
Take your phone and touch it .
If you touch the screen ,then it’s not the “phone” ,it’s the screen.
If you touch the back, you didn’t touch the “phone”.
Same with a Car. You can touch it’s individual parts but can never touch a “car”.
Now two questions arise
Is there a car? (As we can’t touch the “car”)
Is there no car? ( A car is there , we can see that!)
So what’s exactly the reality?
Both these questions are wrong, and the right question is to ask , Why do we feel that there is a car.
All the individual parts came together, and we create a perception of what a car looks like, and if both these match, we feel that the object is a car.
If it is cut in half, we feel that the car is cut in half, but in reality only the arrangement has been changed
This was the question asked to the Buddha (I don’t know the sutta).
Both these sayings that “Is there a self?” Or “Is there no self” or “IS there neither self nor no self?” Or “Is there either self or no self?” Are wrong questions.
The correct question should be,why do we feel that there is a Self?
Thats the Perception part. As I mentioned earlier,the mind arises only when the conditions are met.
For example, clap your hands ,that sound is not in the clapping but is generated in the mind. What that clapping generated was just vibrations of certain frequency.
The longer you clap ,the longer you hear that sound, that is sound consciousness arises, which means a citta arises to experience that only if the conditions are met.
Since the mind is also based on Causality, this is why we can attain Nibbana! We can remove all the causes that give rise to a future mind.
That is the Vinnana , we need to tackle the Kamma Vinnana. If the mind doesn’t generate Kamma Vinnana, it won’t fabricate a future mind, as the cause is no longer present.
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An Arahant only responds to the environment.
For example, hunger then eat food, thirst then drink water, and so on.
If a naked woman in front, no response,etc.
All the actions an Arahant does are kammically neutral and done by the Arahant’s Gati. That individual neutral gati is responsible for two Arahants to react in their individual ways with the Environment.
Thats why not even two Arahants behave in the same manner. One example of a young Arahant who used to jump over puddles of water.
I think what Pathfinder says is logical and makes sense, but it’s extremely complex! Note that billions of citta arise in a second and each one is completely different from the other! Completely unique.
We all are a Process! The mind is a process! RVSSV
With Avijja built in, we tend to react in ignorant ways with the Environment.
The most eligible person to answer such a question would be an Arahant, but let’s see what others have to say 🙏
So in this sense we can say that everything is Causality, even the mind ( consciousness) arises when the causes and conditions are present.
For example Cakkunca Paticca Rupecca Uppajati Cakku Vinnanam.
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The point is that, I too was very much inspired by the Dhamma and wanted to spread it to many people. Apart from my parents, no one listened!
Some listened but tried to find mistakes in the Dhamma, some said “we will do it later, I am busy currently”, some started mocking and some generated hate. Then I was very much broken by such things.
Then I realised, if someone has the merits, he will find the true Dhamma just like we all have.
Yes we can teach them but only if we are at a very good level, otherwise frustration and agitation may start to ignite during such a debate and we may wrongly portray the Dhamma. Then the people will more and more mock the dhamma. As Christian said, people have a high and weird expectations of someone preaching spirituality. So it will become counterproductive.
The Buddha knows who can understand the Dhamma so that’s why it is easier for him. But unfortunately we can’t do that.
Thats why we should focus on ourselves first and if someone in the way shows some keen interest or asks you about these things , then you can tell him. That too should be done without any expectation of him suddenly following the Buddha Dhamma.
Kamma Vipaka is based on cause, condition and effect. This is the Principle of Causality.
If the causes are there, but the required conditions are not present, the effect won’t manifest. Just like a mango seed has the ability to give rise to a mango tree. But it won’t happen if the conditions are not right, like , watering of the seed, availability of sunlight, good soil, etc.
Same is with the kamma Vipaka. An angami brahma may have accumulated many bad kamma in the past. But the condition for their fruition is permanently eradicated.
För example he may have killed many people in the past. But due to such a light body he cannot be killed. And many more.
If one attains Parinibbana, all the kamma bija become ineffective.
What the Buddha said would have been in accordance with the Causality part as mentioned earlier. Untill and unless, the magga phala is attained, one is bound to suffer the consequences as the conditions may come some day.
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In the absolute truth , there is no Happiness. Only Suffering and No Suffering. That “No Suffering” part is the true happiness which is the 0 on the graph. That is the unshakable happiness.
I understand people are interested in such highs and lows. Then we can’t actually do anything. The only thing is that they have not realised the value of mental peace, that’s why they indulge in those things . They then suffer from all types of mental stresses, anger, fear, sorrow, grief,etc. due to such highs and lows. So if they all want that, let them have that.
Note that Buddha Dhamma is only for the wise!
Puthujjanas, even though they might see the drawbacks of such actions,still indulge in those as they don’t know any alternative way of true happiness. They have not yet realised the Peace and Calmness that comes from staying away from such actions is of great value. That is unconditional happiness.
So they continue to indulge in such things. The fact is that Even a Sakadagami indulges in sensuality. He has realised dhamma to a great extent and yet his mind is attached to such mind made pleasures(at a lower level). So what about puthujjanas? They will continue to do that, they lack wisdom in this regard.
The only way to feel pleasure (here, mental) , is to first vex for that or rather be in a state of depression/ stress . Now try to get relief out of that stress. You will feel pleasure.
So this could have been a more “lay level” point that you could have made.
Their mind is deliberately creating/ accumulating all that stress to feel relief later and to experience pleasure! This is a very very crucial point to understand! I hope I am able to express the gravity of this issue.
If their dog dies, they will get stressed and then they will recall all those memories to get relief from it, and then feel pleasure. What a pitiful life!
Just like an Olympic winner has earned a Gold medal from years of intense effort, he will feel great happiness upon achieving this success. But what next? Is that happiness forever? Usain Bolt retired at a much younger age only because he felt no competition(no vexation/wanting). He couldn’t really feel the happiness when he used to feel in his early career, as there was a goal in the mind ( wanting/vexation) . And once it was achieved pleasure was felt, and then nothing else.
I wonder why didn’t Buddha cure himself of all the diseases using Abhinna Powers? Buddha has advised not to suffer a bit, and even if a bodily ailment is there, it should be treated asap. So Buddha could have treated them instantly.
The missing part could be that they don’t know how to stop wanting of these worldly things.
They may have realised that sensuality is tormenting and can lead one to commit apayagami actions. But they still don’t know how to overcome its wanting. They suppress such cravings either by fear or by anariya jhana.
If someone doesn’t commit apayagami actions because it will lead him to suffer in future. That person is Not a Sotappana yet. He is just afraid of the consequences. A Sotappana does not want to commit any apayagami actions (except in extreme cases). The Sotappana doesn’t have such a thought towards anyone. As he has realised that to be committing apayagami actions, one must see value in the Sansara.
People rape for sensual pleasure or in ego
People murder in rage or to possess someone’s wife, wealth, etc.
People steal because of value in objects.
People lie, do sexual misbehavior,etc.
All because they still feel intense value in such things.
A Sotappana has realised the Anicca nature of such things. That’s the difference.
That Yogi ,even though has seen the dangers of apayagami actions, doesn’t know the method to Permanently eradicate such desires. He is just afraid. He has seen sensuality is tormenting, but doesn’t know how to Permanently stop it’s cravings. That Yogi himself has seen all this by Suppressing Kama Raga! How would he ever realise to eradicate it permanently?
What he sees is just the following
Do good deeds ,get good results
Don’t do bad deeds, don’t get bad results
They just don’t know how to stop committing these bad deeds automatically and permanently.
This is how one can grasp the true nature of the Sansara
Firstly, Everything in this universe is a manifestation of energy, the cars, the trees, the food, etc. all have atoms as the fundamental structure according to science. If we go deep,we get up to the quark level. In Buddha Dhamma it’s the Suddhataka.
Now this energy is manifested in the Rupa as mentioned above and sentient beings in Kama loka give the highest priority to these Rupa i.e, Kama raga or prioritising Sensual pleasures derived from such a Rupa
Anicca- nothing can satisfy permanently. It can be studied in 2 ways.
First, material objects deteriorate with time and if someone is attached to such a thing, he will suffer.
Second , even if that object is prevented from deterioration, it won’t provide permanent satisfaction.
That is, No Rupa, vedana, Sanna, Sankhara, vinnana has the essence to provide permanent happiness/satisfaction.
And why is it so?
It’s because all these things are Neutral in nature.
Now let’s see why we pursue material things.
We perceive that there is beauty, fragrance, melody(in sound), taste, and touch( pleasure touch). And if any object provides such things, one would want to pursue it.
But the reality is these are creations of the mind! No beauty/ ugliness is present, no good smell nor bad smell, no good taste or bad taste, every material is of neutral nature. Here we see distorted Sanna, how our bodies create these things for the mind.
So if something has no beauty and we pursue it, will we be ever satisfied? Don’t “beautiful women” get divorced by their husbands? Why is the husband leaving that woman? he is probably bored of that face, the perception has changed, and now he might feel beauty in some other woman. The point is some other man would still find that woman beautiful who is being divorced by her husband!
Beauty is subjective and is not an intrinsic property of matter/ energy.
This is Anicca. Nothing has permanent happiness.
Even for taste and others.
So if one is running behind a mirage, will he be satisfied ever? Never. He will only suffer as no permanent happiness and constant wanting (Dukkha), therefore he is helpless (Anatta).
If one realises this , one attains the Sakadagami stage and doesn’t want to hold on to material things. He/she may still want to enjoy the feelings associated with those objects like taste for example.
If one realises it at a deeper level, one attains the Anagami stage. Now the person doesn’t crave for any sensual feelings. Note that pleasure can only be felt if you have the wanting for it, that is ,vexation in the mind, as pleasure is nothing but relief from vexation.
If you want to eat chocolate and then you eat it, you will feel the taste as well as pleasure.
If you don’t want to eat chocolate and then you eat it, you will only feel the taste and no pleasure! Same for any sensual feeling!
Even if you experience Orgasm, the same principle Applies, if you want that feeling and then you feel it, you will feel pleasure too. But if you don’t want that feeling and then you feel it , there is no pleasure at that moment but only the feeling.
The mind intentionally creates wanting, so that it can feel pleasure!
There is nothing of essence in Anything!
This is Anicca at a much deeper level .
The bottom line is, you don’t even need to include time for Anicca. Even if someone earns a lot by selling drugs and is Enjoying sensuality, Anicca is there even at that moment.
I hope you got the idea🙏
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“The energy to move a hand does not come directly from kammic energy generated in the mind. In fact, no kammic energy is generated to move a hand if that action is a “neutral action,” like picking up a glass of water to drink.”
So it means that some other energy is generated to signal the brain which then moves the arm?
Because a signal must be sent to the brain to move that body part the way the mind wants.
That “seperation” part was about how mind creates a seperate entity as “me” and “others”. Thero was teaching about why there is a perception of a self, as the mind wants seperation, he then proceeded with the things that @pathfinder had written.
I too think that was unnecessary as it doesn’t take us anywhere. It doesn’t tell us how to solve the hidden problem.
I too when was unaware of the Buddha Dhamma used to go to a church, and I asked some questions. That pastor looked so calm but when he couldn’t answer my questions, anger was evident on his face.
When I asked related questions to the Muslims online recently, they said that I am mad, and Allah knows everything.
They couldn’t really answer my questions without contradictions, and called me stupid instead!
That too caused a lot of disturbance in my mind, but now I have realised that it’s a waste of time. I no longer argue with people on such matters, even if someone asks me what religion do I follow, I try to change the topic.
If someone has the merits, he/she will automatically come across the true Buddha Dhamma.
Every religion claims they know everything, yet their believers suffer mentally and are unhappy. What an irony!
The Highly Religious people could be the Highly immoral people as well!
It’s better not to generate hateful thoughts towards such people, rather have sympathy towards them. Have kindness towards them. And stay away from them. Otherwise they might even harm us.
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I guess Taryal, in #3 was asking about the perception of a self. Wont an Arahant realise that there is no “me”?
The arahant would perceive the world based on distorted Sanna, but not a self, right?
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So it means that the offering is made to the Qualities of the Sangha which the Bhikkus represent, not to that Bhikku as an individual, but to the quality.
If a female gives alms to a Bhikku who has lustful thoughts towards that female, if the female is giving to the Qualities that the Bhikku is representing, she would receive immense merits.
But if she gives the alms to the Bhikku as an individual, to only that person, then the merits would be not that great as his mind is corrupted, purity is not there.
Am I right?
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It would be the same, the difference is that someone who hasn’t realised Nibbana, would engage in Punna Kamma
But someone who has realised what Nibbana is, all the meritorious deeds become Kusala Kamma as they help in purifying one’s mind, leading that person to Nibbana
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