Daily Dhamma Drops

samahita · January 2009

Friends:

What are the 4 Steps to Stream-Entry to Nibbâna?

The Blessed Buddha once explained:
Here, householder, the Noble Disciple possesses confirmed confidence & conviction
in the Buddha in exactly his way:
Worthy, honourable & perfectly self-Enlightened is the Buddha! Consummated in
knowledge & behaviour, all transcended, expert in all dimensions, knower of all worlds,
unsurpassable trainer of those tamable, teacher & guide of both gods & humans,
blessed, exalted, awakened & enlightened is the Buddha!!!
He possesses confirmed confidence in the Dhamma in exactly this way:
Perfectly formulated is this Buddha-Dhamma, visible right here & now, immediately
effective, timeless, inviting each and everyone to come and see for themselves,
inspect, examine & verify. Leading each and everyone through progress towards
perfection. Directly observable, experiencable and realizable by each intelligence...
He furthermore possesses confirmed confidence in the Noble Sangha in this way:
Perfectly training is this Noble Sangha community of the Buddha's disciples: Training
the right way, the true way, the good way, the direct way! Therefore do these eight
kinds of individuals, the four Noble pairs, deserve both gifts, self-sacrifice, offerings,
hospitality & reverential salutation with joined palms, since this Noble Sangha group
of the Buddha's disciples, is an unsurpassable & forever unsurpassed Field of Merit,
in this world, for this world, to honour, protect, respect and support ...
He possesses the Morality esteemed by the Noble ones: Unbroken, untorn, unspotted,
unmottled, freeing, praised by the clever, natural, leading to mental concentration, to
absorption... These are the 4 factors of Stream-Entry that a Noble Disciple possess!!!

Dhamma.steps.jpg

The 4 steps to Stream-entry (sotapannassa angani) are therefore obtaining:
1: Unshakable faith in the fact of the perfect Enlightenment of the Buddha.
2: Unshakable faith in the perfect correctness of the true Dhamma.
3: Unshakable faith in the Noble part of the Sangha (monastic+lay).
3: Purified and perfectly unspotted Morality (Sila).
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/sotaapannassa_an.htm
Canonical references: SN. LV.1; DN. 33; SN. XLVII.8

Not to confuse with the 4 helpers to Stream-entry (sotapattiyanga):
1: Companionship with great men,
2: Hearing the True Dhamma Law,
3: Wise reflection on Cause & Effect,
4: Living in conformity with the Dhamma.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/sotaapattiyanga.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Helpers_to_Stream_Entry.htm
Canonical references: SN. LV.5; DN.33

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book II [69]
section 12:41 The five Fears ...
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

More on the Noble Stream-Entry:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_4_Doors.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/How_to_Enter.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Stream-Enterer.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Stream_Entrance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Fruits_of_the_Noble_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Links_to_Stream_Entry.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/a/ariya_puggala.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Helpers_to_Stream_Entry.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Entering_the_Stream_Supreme.htm

Have a nice entry day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The 4 Steps to Stream-Entry!

samahita · January 2009

Friends:

Leaving all Quarrels enables Social Harmony!

The Blessed Buddha once said:
When this subtle Dhamma has been taught by me, in many various ways,
using different methods of explanation, then it is only to be expected
that those, who cannot agree, accept, allow, & approve of what really
is well stated and well spoken by others, that they will become angry,
quarrelsome and start disputes, where they will stab each other with
verbal daggers! Yet too, when this sublime Dhamma has been taught by
me, in many variable ways, using diverse methods of explanation, it is
also only to be expected, that those, who can agree, accept, allow, and
approve of what really is well formulated and well spoken of by others,
that they will live in harmony, in calm, friendly and mutual appreciation,
without arguments, blending like milk and water, regarding each other
with kind eyes. In this very way can they come to sleep with open doors
and dance with their children in their arms ...

So we can sleep with open doors & dance with the children in our arms!

More on High Harmony:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/United_in_Harmony.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unique_Unity.htm

Source:
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [225]
Section 36: On Feeling. The Carpenter. Pancakanga: 19.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Healthy Human Harmony!

samahita · January 2009

Friends:

The 5 Impurities block the Lucidity of Mind:

The Blessed Buddha once said:
There are five impurities of gold impaired by which it becomes neither pliant
nor wieldy, it lacks radiance, is weak & easily broken and cannot be formed...
What are these five impurities? They are: Iron, copper, tin, lead and silver.
But if the gold has been purified from these five impurities, then it will indeed
be pliant and wieldy, radiant and firm, and can be formed well. Whatever kind
of jewelry one wishes to make from it, be it a diadem, earrings, a necklace or
a golden chain, it will easily serve that purpose well.
Similarly, there are five impurities of the mind impaired by which the mind is
neither pliant nor wieldy, it lacks radiant lucidity and stability, and cannot
concentrate well upon the eradication of the mental fermentations (asava).
What are these five impurities? They are:

Sense-Desire,
Evil-Will,
Lethargy & Laziness,
Restlessness & Regret,
Doubt & Uncertainty...

But if the mind is freed of these five mental hindrances, then it will be plastic,
flexible, and wieldy, will be of radiant lucidity and firm calm stability, and will
concentrate well upon the elimination of the mental fermentations. Whatever
supra-human state realizable by these higher mental abilities one may pursue,
one will in each case be able to directly experience it, as an eye-witness...

Mind is naturally radiant!

hindrance.text.jpg

samahita · January 2009

Friends:

Focus on the Present NOW! The Past is Not Real...

Nostalgia.letters.jpg

The melancholic longing for a Past, that never ever can
nor ever will return, is therefore just futile masochism!

The Buddha once noted:
They do not ever lament over the past,
They do neither yearn for what has yet to come,
They maintain themselves in the present here & now,
therefore is their appearance so calm and serene!
Samyutta Nikaya I, 5

Let go of the past, let go of the future,
let go of the present, and cross over to the
further shore of all becoming and existence.
With mind wholly liberated and fully released,
you shall never come back to birth and death!
Dhammapada 348

The past should not be followed longing after
and the future neither desired nor urged for!
What is past, not real anymore, is dead & gone,
and the future, not real now, have yet to come!
Majjhima Nikaya III, 131

Let the past be past, let it go, relinquish it fully.
Let the future come as it may come. Don't push it!
Remain mentally right here in the present: Aware!
Fully Comprehending what is Realistically Real!

Nostalgia.B.jpg

Nostalgia cannot ever get any past back into now!

On folly longing after a now unreal past, that has passed never ever to return:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/No_Nostalgia.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/At_All_Times.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Anti-EGO-Tool.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Seing_the_Past.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Hidden_Horror.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Seing_Past_Lives.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Suprahuman_Force_IV.htm

Nostalgia.1Y.jpg

Yellow Shade of 'Mud Memory' Nostalgia Scenes!

Lost desert of Past Plastic Nostalgia!

Have a nice realistic day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

No Nostalgic Nausea!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

What is the Purpose & Final Goal of the Noble Life?

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, if those of other sects and of other beliefs should ask you this question:
Friends, for what purpose is the Noble Life lived under the ascetic Buddha Gotama?
When being asked that question, you should answer them in exactly this very way:

It is, friends:
For the fading away of greed, lust, and desire...
For the breaking out of the mental prison of addiction...
For the uprooting of the ingrown evil latent tendencies...
For the direct experience of the supremely good method...
For the destruction of the mental fermentations...
For the enjoying the fruit of certainty & total freedom...
For the sake of definite knowledge & penetrating vision...
For the sake of final Nibbana without trace of clinging...
that this Noble Life is lived under the Blessed Buddha!!!

Then, Bhikkhus, if those of other sects ask you: But what is the Method for attaining final
Nibbana without clinging? Being asked that, you should answer them thus: Friends, there is
indeed a Method; there is certainly a Way for reaching final Nibbana without any clinging:
It is indeed exactly this Noble 8-fold Way:

Right View (samma-ditthi)
Right Motivation (samma-sankappa)
Right Speech (samma-vaca)
Right Action (samma-kammanta)
Right Livelihood (samma-ajiva)
Right Effort (samma-vayama)
Right Awareness (samma-sati)
Right Concentration (samma-samadhi)

This is the method; this is the way for entering the dimension of final Nibbana without clinging.
When asked these questions, Bhikkhus, you should answer those of other beliefs in this way…

walking.the.way.small.JPG

The Way: Wheel with 8 spokes=The Dhamma-Cakka

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:27-9] section 45: The Way. 41-42: Purpose ...
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice noble day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Gain the Noble Aim!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

The Urge for Sensing blocks the Way to the Freedom of Nibbana:

At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha said this:
Bhikkhus, desire & lust for the ability* to see forms obstructs & corrupts the mind!
Desire and lust for the ability to hear sounds;
Desire and lust for the ability to smell smells;
Desire and lust for the ability to taste flavours;
are also obstructing corruptions of the mind...!!!
Bhikkhus, the desire and lust for the ability to speculation on mental objects is also
an obstructing corruption for the mind...!!! When a bhikkhu has overcome & all left
these obstructing mental corruptions, his mind inclines towards inward withdrawal!
A mind prepared by withdrawal becomes fit & open for those higher mental states,
that are to be realized by direct experience and immediate knowledge...

Note*:
This can & should be freely exchanged, expanded & enhanced by these objects:
Visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile & mental consciousness, contact,
feeling born of sense contact, perception born of contact, intention for, and
craving for whatever sensual object existing or even just imagined ...

sense.desire.jpg

Any kind of greed, desire, & lust has obvious painful side effects!

Blissful is being without passions in this world,
Blissful is the overcoming of all sense-desires!
Udana II, 1

Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya SN 27(1+2) III 232
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice noticing sensing day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Sensing Blocks!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

Gotama Buddha told Ananda this about the Pacceka-Buddhas!

The muni Vedeha (Ananda) bowing his body, asked the Tathagata, who was staying
at Jetavana: PaccekaBuddhas exist, yet by what reasons do they arise, 0h wise one?
Then the best of the omniscient, the great wise one told the following to Ananda in
a sweet voice:

Those who paid honour to all former Buddhas, without attaining liberation during
the period in which their teaching was known, who are wise by means of sense of
urgency, whose intelligence is very sharp, also without the instruction of Buddhas,
these attain insight alone even by means of a tiny limited object of meditation...
And furthermore, in this whole world, there is no one except me, equal to these
PaccekaBuddhas. I shall clearly express the following, only an short description,
of the distinction of these great heroic Munis (silenced ones)...

Listen, all of you, who wish for the highest medicine, your attention should be very
calm, always directed to their good words, which are sweet like fine honey of those
great wise men, who are fully & perfectly enlightened all by themselves!

These are the explanations of PaccekaBuddhas, who assembled on Mount Gandhamadana,
pronounced one after the other, about the sorrow of any desire and the cause of the
overcoming of all craving, & how they attained their insight. Conscious of the absence
of lust, while being in the midst of the objects of lust, their minds are dispassionate
in an infatuated world, having dumped the proliferations, & subdued all obstructions,
they all attained insight thus:

Putting aside any violence to all beings, not hurting any of them, good and compassionate,
with a mind filled with friendliness, one should live, alone, like the horn of a rhinoceros...

Their morality are pure, their wisdom purified, their minds are concentrated, practicing
watchfulness, reflecting, seeing the characteristics of the dhamma, they understand it,
having developed all the elements of the Noble Way and the Links to Enlightenment...

Having perfected the fulfillment of merit, with the motive to become a solitary conqueror,
they become PaccekaBuddhas, self-existent, independent, such is destination of the wise,
who does not attain the state of a disciple during the time in which, there still remains the
knowledge of the SammaSamBuddhas teaching...

Their dhamma being great, being all sublime manifestations of the core essential dhamma,
powerful are their minds, having overcome the flood of suffering, their minds are exalted,
seeing the highest & deepest truth, they are like lions, like the horn of a rhinoceros...

With serene senses, calm, concentrated, remembering all beings in remote border districts,
illuminating like lamps in the other world and in this world, thus are these PaccekaBuddhas,
always good...

Having destroyed all hindrances, these kings of men, illuminators of the world, shining like
pure solid gold, undoubtedly worthy of any gifts in this world, are these PaccekaBuddhas,
always good...

There are in this world together with the divine world, good teachings of PaccekaBuddhas.
Those fools, who after having heard these, do not act accordingly, whirl round in suffering
again and again...

Those who act accordingly, having heard the good words of PaccekaBuddhas, which are like
pure streaming honey of small delicate bees, become seers of the truths, possessing Wisdom!
Thus spoke the Gotama Buddha about those solitary ones Awakened like a rhinoceros horn...

Source: The Canonical Apadana I 7-14

More on these solitary and silenced Pacceka-Buddhas:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/pacceka_buddha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/pa/pacceka_buddha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Rhinoceros_Horn.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratyekabuddha

Have a nice silent day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Solitary and Silenced is the Pacceka-Buddhas!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

Any Pride gives Wounded Pride ending in Arrogance:

COOLED
One whose senses have been guarded & calmed,
like horses well tamed by the trainer, whose pride,
conceit & mental fermentation are all uprooted,
Even the Divine loves such one.
Dhammapada 94

CURED
The one who has shredded both lust, hate &
folly pride as the fallen seed, which never again
returns to the straw, such one is a Holy One.
Dhammapada 407

STILLED
One should cool any anger,
let go of any stiff pride &
relinquish any rigid attachment.
Such cooled one, not clinging neither
to identity, body, form nor any world
cannot ever suffer any pain...
Dhammapada 221

MY BODY
It is a bag held up by bones, plastered with flesh,
blood and skin. In it lives aging, sickness, death,
puffed pride & sleek self-deceit...
Dhammapada 150

TRANSMISSION
If a Bhikkhu masters his speech.
If he speaks exact, clever & wise.
If he is not of puffed up by pride.
If he expound both text, meaning & spirit.
Then exceedingly sweet will be his talks.
Dhammapada 363

arrogance.letters.jpg

Cure here: http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/KN/Dhammapada.htm

Have a nice humble day!

Be like a Doormat!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Any Pride produces Arrogance!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

When is the Way to the Deathless element Opened?

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus and friends, these 8 things, purified, cleansed, immaculate,
free from distortion, elegant and sophisticated, if not arisen do not
arise at all exept from the appearance of a Tathagata, an Arahat, a
Perfectly Enlightened One, or outside a Well-Gone-One’s Discipline!
What eight?

Right View (samma-ditthi)
Right Motivation (samma-sankappa)
Right Speech (samma-vaca)
Right Action (samma-kammanta)
Right Livelihood (samma-ajiva)
Right Effort (samma-vayama)
Right Awareness (samma-sati)
Right Concentration (samma-samadhi)

These 8 things, purified, cleared, faultless, unaltered and not decayed,
advanced and refined, if not emerged do not appear, except when a
Thus-Come-Thus-Gone One, a Worthy One, a Perfectly Self-Awakened One
arise, except for when the Method of Training of a Well-Gone One is well
established…Just these 8 immaculate things…

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

Phenomena that are Results, Cause Results or Neither:

Which are the mental states, that are results?
The results of good and bad mental states, which make effects in the worlds
of sense desire, in the planes of fine material form, in the formless realms,
and in the supra-mundane states: That is the cluster of feelings, perceptions,
mental constructions & the cluster of the various types of consciousness...
These are the phenomena, which are results!
Comment: All mental states are conditioned by & results of past mentality!

Which are the mental states, that cause results?
Good and bad states, belonging to the worlds of sense desire, to the planes of
fine material form, to the formless realms, and to the supra-mundane states:
That is the cluster of feelings, perceptions, mental constructions and the
cluster of the manifold and variable kinds of consciousness...
These are the phenomena, which cause results!
Comment: Present mental states conditions & influences all future mentality!

Which are the states, that neither are results nor cause result?
Those mental states governing action, which are neither good nor bad!,
nor the results of other prior action, and moreover all form, and finally
the unconditioned element of Nibbana... These are the three phenomena,
which neither are results themselves, nor cause any other results!
Comment: Material form, Nibbana and inoperative neutral (Kiriya) action
causes no future effects to arise anywhere nor at any time...

About the cause and effect of intentional states:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/What_is_Neutral.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Creating_Future.htm

Source: The 1st canonical Abhidhamma Book: Dhammasanghani: pp 991-993
The Classification of States. The Enumeration of Ultimate Realities.
Tr. by U Kyaw Khine. 1999. Sri Satguru Publications. Delhi.

Have a nice causal day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Neither a Cause nor an Effect!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

Buddhist Slide Show & Image Gallery:

Buddha images: 1027 pictures.
Dhamma images: 1837 pictures.
Sangha people: 1485 pictures.
Sacred sites: 228 pictures.
Buddhist ceremonies: 42 pictures.
Buddhist wallpapers: 101 pictures.
Sri Lanka: 125 pictures.
Books, graphics & maps: 184 pictures.

All images available in several sizes. Click View Slideshow upper left:

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/gallery/main.php

fine.shrine.buddha.jpg

Lean Back and Enjoy these Serene Sunday Views!

Have a nice calm day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Inspiring Images!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

How to be a Real Buddhist through Observance?

Navam Poya day is the full-moon of February. This holy day celebrates
the ordination of the Buddha Gotama's main disciples Sariputta and
MahaMoggallana. On this day Buddha also later decides his Parinibbana.

The death moment of the Buddha, where he enters Nibbana (Sanskrit Nirvana)...!

On such Full-Moon Uposatha Poya Observance days:
Any Lay Buddhist simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes the
Five Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed, with clean
bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue, and bows first
three times, so that feet, hands, elbows, knees & head touch the floor.
Then, with joined palms at the heart, one recites these memorized lines
in a loud, calm & steady voice:

As long as this life lasts:
I hereby take refuge in the Buddha.
I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma.
I hereby take refuge in the Sangha.
I hereby seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time.
I hereby request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time.
I will hereby respect these Three Jewels the rest of my life!

I accept to respect & undertake these 5 training rules:
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs.
As long as this life lasts, I am thus protected by these 5 precepts...

Then, one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one's
own eyes & children!, since they protect you & all other beings much
better than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to
this world! So is the start towards Nibbana: The Deathless Element!
This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Ease, to Happiness,
initiated by Morality, developed further by Dhamma-Study and
fulfilled by training of Meditation...

Today indeed is Pooya or Uposatha or observance day, where any lay
Buddhist normally keeps even the Eight Precepts from sunrise until the
next dawn... If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha,
they may simply forward the lines starting with "I hereby ..." signed with
name, date, town, & country to me or join here. A public list of this new
quite rapidly growing global Saddhamma-Sangha is set up here!

The New Noble Community of Buddha's Disciples: The Saddhamma Sangha:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Saddhamma_Sangha.htm

Can quite advantageously be Joined Here:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Sangha_Entry.htm

May your journey hereby be light, swift, and sweet. Never give up !!
Bhikkhu Samahita: what.buddha.said@gmail.com

For Details on The Origin of Uposatha Observance Days:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/uposatha.html

Have a nice Poya Observance day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Today is Navam Poya Day!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

Why do some beings attain Nibbãna, while others do not?

Sakka, the king of the 33 Gods once asked the Blessed Buddha:
Venerable Sir, what is the cause & reason, why some beings here do not attain
Nibbana in this very life? And what is the cause and reason, why some beings
here do indeed attain Nibbana in this very life?
There are, King of the thirty-three Devas, forms experiencable by the eye, sounds
experiencable by the ear, smells experiencable by the nose, touches experiencable
by the body, and mental phenomena experiencable by the mind, that all are attractive,
charming, agreeable, pleasing, enticing, tempting and tantalizing. If a bhikkhu hunts
for delight in them, welcomes them, & remains holding on to them, his mind becomes
addicted to them and clings to them. A bhikkhu with a mind dominated by clinging
cannot attain Nibbana! This is the cause & reason, King of the Devas, why many & most
beings here do not attain Nibbana in this very life...
There are, King of the Devas, forms experiencable by the eye, sounds experiencable
by the ear, smells experiencable by the nose, touches experiencable by the body,
and mental phenomena experiencable by the mind, that all are attractive, charming,
agreeable, pleasing, enticing, tempting and tantalizing. If any bhikkhu avoids seeking
any delight in them, does not welcome them, and does not remain holding to them,
his mind does not become addicted to them, nor cling to them. A bhikkhu mentally freed
of clinging can indeed attain Nibbana! This is the cause and reason, King of the Devas,
why some beings here attain Nibbana sin this very life....

Deva king Sakka and a few of his hundreds of dear nymphs...

More on the Deva King Sakka (Indra) of the 33 Gods (Tavatimsa):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/sa/sakka.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/t/taavatimsa.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indra

Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV 102
The 6 senses section 35. Thread on Sakka's Question: 118.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Why and Why not?

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

How differs Death & Ceasing of Perception and Feeling ???

Venerable Mahakotthita once asked Venerable Sariputta:
Friend, what is the difference between a dead body & a Bhikkhu,
who has attained the state of cessation of perception & feeling?

Venerable Sariputta then answered:
Friend, in a dead body the bodily activity is stilled & has all ceased.
The verbal activity is stilled & has all ceased.
The mental activity is stilled & has all ceased.
The metabolic life activity is exhausted. The heat has dissipated,
and the mental abilities have all broken up & been destroyed.

In the bhikkhu, who has attained to the cessation of perception & feeling,
All bodily activity & breathing is stilled & has all ceased;
All verbal activity & all thinking is stilled & has ceased;
All mental activity & all sensing is stilled & has ceased;
But the metabolic life activity is not exhausted. The heat has not dissipated.
Furthermost: The mental abilities have then become exceptionally clear ... !!!
Friend, this is the difference between a dead body & a Bhikkhu, who has
attained to the meditative state of cessation of perception & feeling...

More on the profound attainment of stilled Cessation (Nirodha-samapatti):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/9_Stillings.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Ceasing.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Stilled_but_not_Dead.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_18_Principal_Insights.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/a/anupubba_nirodha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/nirodha_samaapatti.htm

Source: MN 43 The Great Speech of Questions & Answers.
For definitions of the Terms: see: The Minor Speech of Questions & Answers. MN 44
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn044.html

Have a nice silent day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Profound Peace!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

There are these 5 Minor Mental Chains (Samyojana):

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, there are these five Lower Mental Chains. What five?

1: The Mental Chain of belief in an own & same Identity (sakkaya-ditthi)...
2: The Mental Chain of Sceptical Uncertainty and Doubt (vicikiccha)...
3: The Mental Chain of Clinging to Rules & Rituals (silabbata-paramasa)…
4: The Mental Chain of Greed for Sensuality (kama-raga)…
5: The Mental Chain of Anger and Ill Will (vyapada)…

There exist these 5 Lower Mental Chains! The Noble 8-fold Way should be developed for the direct
experience of these five minor Mental Chains, for the full understanding and elimination of them,
and for their final overcoming, destruction & leaving all behind! This Noble 8-fold Way is developed
for the breaking asunder of these five minor Mental Chains!!!

Explanation:
The Mental Chain of belief in "My" Identity is construing an internal fake ‘entity’, which remains ‘same’…
The Mental Chain of Sceptical Doubt is disbelief in the fact of the Buddha’s Perfect Self-Enlightenment…
The Mental Chain of Clinging to Rules & Rituals is blind superstition projecting efficacy into folly rituals…
The Mental Chain of Lust for Sensing is addiction to all seen, heard, smelt, tasted, touched, & cognized…
The Mental Chain of Evil Will is all hate & derivatives such as anger, aversion, irritation, & stubbornness...
These Chains bind beings to birth in the 6 lower worlds, where all beings are dominated by sense-desire!

chains.space.jpg

Mental Chains are not visible, yet quite real, and harder than any steel!

How to Cut these 2 sets of Five Mental Chains or Fetters (Samyojana) see:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Nibbana_or_non-return.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_5_Lower_Chains.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_5_Higher_Chains.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/samyojana.htm

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:61] section 45: The Way. 179: The 5 Lower Mental Chains...

Have a nice unchained day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The 5 Minor Mental Chains!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

There are these seven Latent Tendencies (Anusaya):

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, there are these seven kinds of Latent Tendency. What seven?

1: The Latent Tendency to Sensual-Pleasure...
2: The Latent Tendency to Aversion & Ill-Will...
3: The Latent Tendency to Speculative Views…
4: The Latent Tendency to Skeptical Doubt…
5: The Latent Tendency to Conceiving “I Am”…
6: The Latent Tendency to Wanting to Become…
7: The Latent Tendency to Ignorance…

These are the seven kinds of Latent Tendency! The Noble 8-fold Way should be developed for the direct
experience of these seven kinds of Latent Tendency, for the full understanding and elimination of them,
and for their final overcoming, abandoning and leaving all behind…This Noble 8-fold Way is developed for
the sake of the uprooting of all detrimental Latent Mental Tendency!

Explanation:
Latent Tendency towards Pleasurable sights, sounds, smells, flavours, touches, & thoughts is fairly obvious…
Latent Tendency to Aversion is all hate, anger, irritation, opposition, resistance, rigidity and stubbornness…
Latent Tendency to Speculative Views is believing that action has no future effects & rituals are purifying…
Latent Tendency to Skeptical Doubt is the lack of Faith and conviction in the Buddha’s Enlightenment…
Latent Tendency to Conceiving “I Am” is assuming the hidden existence of a constant core identity: ‘I-Me’…
Latent Tendency to Lust for Becoming is the hoping for a future existence as this or that kind of being…
Latent Tendency to Ignorance is not seeing, not understanding, and not knowing the Four Noble Truths…
Latent Tendency means lurking liability, hidden inclination, underlying readiness, a recurring dormant drive!

Buddha once emphasized a crucial Impossibility:
That a person, without eliminating the latent tendency to lust for any pleasant feeling,
without abolishing the latent tendency to aversion towards any painful feeling,
without uprooting the latent tendency to neglect and ignorance accompanying any neutral feeling,
without extirpating ignorance & developing clear & complete understanding, should ever, here & now,
in this very life, be able to cease all suffering & awaken by enlightenment, that is indeed impossible…
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn148.html

More on the Latent Tendencies (Anusaya):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Conceit_I_Am.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Latent_Feeling.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/a/anusaya.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Latent_Tendencies.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_7_Latent_Tendencies.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Bodily_and_Mental_Feeling.htm

Any Latent Tendency is always ready to Raise, Bite & Kill!

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:60] section 45: The Way. 175: The 7 Latent Tendencies ...
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice noticing latency day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The 7 Latent Tendencies!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

The Empirical ALL is what can be Sensed or Thought!

At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha pointed out a most Radical Empiricism:
Bhikkhus, I will teach you the ALL. Listen to that... And what, Bhikkhus, is this ALL?

The Eye and the Forms;
The Ear and the Sounds;
The Nose and the Smells;
The Tongue and the Tastes;
The Body and the Touches;
The Mind and the Mental States.

This is defines and establish this ALL... If anyone, Bhikkhus, should ever postulate this:
'Having denied this all, I will define & point another all ...!!!', that would be empty babble!
If he were questioned, he would not be able to reply & he would become quite perplexed.
Why? Because, Bhikkhus, that would be far out of his mental range!
(since)
This World both Begins and Ends within this 2 fathom frame of bones... SN I 62

Looks initially quite far & remotely 'out there'...

See also the ALL as the Sensed Source:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Out_in.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Source_of_All.htm

Yet IT IS actually rather close up, as inherently sensed 'in here'...

OUT = IN Wholeness:
Inseparable are the internal and the external...
Inseparable are the mental and the physical...
Inseparable are the experience and experienced...
Inseparable are the subject and the object...
Inseparable are the naming and the forming...
Inseparable are the mirror and the representation…
The ‘Real’ World is a perceived Representation…
Of what we will never know, since IT IS just that...
A never-ending FILM in dire need of a Scissor!

Insisting on Direct Experience never fails!

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV 15
The Salayatana section 35. Thread on the ALL: Sabba Sutta (23)
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

What IS this ALL actually and factually?

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

Emergence of Sense-Organs also implies Sensing Pain and Suffering!

At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha said this:
Bhikkhus, the arising, emergence, maintenance, creation, & manifestation of the Eye
the Ear, the Nose, the Tongue, and the Body is also the arising of much Suffering,
the continuation of disease, the very manifestation of ageing, decay & Death itself!
The ceasing, all subsiding, and complete passing away of the Eye, the Ear, the Nose,
the Tongue, and the Body is also the Final Ending of all Suffering, the abating of all
disease, and the complete passing away of all ageing, decay and even the death itself!
Bhikkhus, the arising, emergence, maintenance, creation, & manifestation of the Mind
is also the arising of Suffering, the long continuation of disease, the very manifestation
of ageing, decay and Death itself! Therefore is the ceasing, subsiding, silencing and thus
the complete passing away of the Mind consequently also the Final Ending of all Suffering,
the abating of all disease, and the complete passing away of all ageing, decay, sickness,
suffering, pain and even the fact of death itself! Only this - itself - is the End of Pain!

Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya 26:1 III 228-9
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice noting the senses day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Sensors also means Sensing Suffering!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

What is the Final Goal and Destination?

The ascetic wanderer Nandiya once asked the Blessed One:
Which things, Master Gotama, when developed and refined, lead to Nibbana,
have Nibbana as their end destination, have Nibbana as their final goal?
These eight things, Nandiya, when developed and refined lead to Nibbana, have
Nibbana as their last destination, have Nibbana as their final goal. Which eight?

Right View (samma-ditthi)
Right Motivation (samma-sankappa)
Right Speech (samma-vaca)
Right Action (samma-kammanta)
Right Livelihood (samma-ajiva)
Right Effort (samma-vayama)
Right Awareness (samma-sati)
Right Concentration (samma-samadhi)

These eight things, Nandiya, when developed and refined, lead to Nibbana,
have Nibbana as their target, have Nibbana as their final aim!
When this was thus spoken, the wanderer Nandiya said to the Blessed One:
Magnificent, Master Gotama! Marvellous, Master Gotama! Let the Master
Gotama remember me as one, who has taken refuge in the Buddha for life…

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

Hooked by Sense Addiction gathers Pain & Fear!

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, imagine a fisherman, who have thrown a baited hook into a deep lake,
and then an yearning fish, hungry for food, would swallow it at first sight...
That fish, having swallowed the fisherman's hook, would indeed meet with much
pain, disaster and tragedy, since the fisherman would do with it as he wishes...
So too, Bhikkhus, there are these six hooks in the world for the pain, disaster and
tragedy of beings, for the slaughter of living beings: Forms experienceable by the
eye, sounds experiencable by the ear, smells experienceable by the nose, tastes
experienceable by the tongue, touches experienceable by the body, & mental states
experienceable by the mind, that all are seductive, gorgeous, alluring, agreeable,
pleasing, enticing, tempting and tantalizing. If a bhikkhu search for delight in them,
welcomes them, and thus remains clinging to them, he is called a Bhikkhu, who has
swallowed Mara's hook!!! He has met with pain, disaster & tragedy, & the Evil One
can do with him, as he wishes. However, one who does neither hunt for delight in them,
nor does he welcome them, nor does he remain clinging to them, such is a Bhikkhu,
who has resisted Mara's hook, who has broken, destroyed, and defeated this Hook!
He he will neither gather nor meet any pain, disaster nor tragedy, and this Evil One
cannot do with him, as he wishes... He has gained true self-control and integrity!

The inevitable boomerang retribution of urge for Sense Pleasure (Hedonism):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Why_Not.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Charcoal_Pit.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Colourful_but_Muddy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Fire_of_Sense-Desire.htm

Blissful is being without passions in this world,
Blissful is the overcoming of all sense-desires!
Udana II, 1

Source (extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [157-8]
Section 35 Salayatana: On The 6 Senses. The Fisherman Simile: Balisiko 230.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice unhooked day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Hooked Hedonism!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

The Crown of the 4 Infinitely Divine States (Brahma-Vihãras):

The Blessed Buddha once pointed out some fine future fruits:
The release of mind by universal friendliness, if developed in association with the
7 links to Enlightenment, has the Beautiful Liberation as culmination...
The release of mind by compassionate pity, if developed fully joined with the
7 links to Enlightenment, has the 1st formless absorption: The infinitude of space,
as final culmination...
The release of mind by altruistic & mutual joy, if developed fully linked with the
7 links to Enlightenment, has the 2nd formless absorption: The infinitude of consciousness,
as ultimate culmination...
The release of mind by imperturbable equanimity, if developed in combination with the
7 links to Enlightenment, has the 3rd formless absorption: The sphere of nothingness,
as absolute culmination...
So do these 4 divine & infinite states of friendliness, pity, mutual joy & equanimity,
when cultivated together with the 7 links to Enlightenment: Awareness, Investigation,
Energy, Joy, Tranquillity, Concentration and Equanimity, lead to entry & absorption
into these 4 sublime formless mental spheres of supra-mundane consciousness...

Final Entry...

$fractal.jpg$
From Delight in Diversity to Unification in Oneness...

More on the infinitely divine states (Brahma-Viharas):
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/IV/Infinite_Friendliness.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/IV/Endless_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Rejoicing_Bliss_is_Mudita.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Equanimity_Upekkha.htm

Source:
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book V 115-21
Section 46: On The Enlightenment Factors. Linked with Friendliness: 54.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice formless day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The 4 Formless Fruits!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

Good 4 All are The 4 Kinds of Right Verbal Action!

The Blessed Buddha once said:
How, Cunda, is purity of verbal action fourfold?
1:
Herein, one avoids lying, abstains from false. He speaks the truth,
is devoted to the truth, reliable, trustable, never deceiving anyone.
Being at a meeting, among family, in society, or in the court called
upon and asked as witness to tell what he knows, he answers, if he
knows nothing: I know nothing; & if he knows, he answers: I know!
If he has seen nothing, he answers: I have seen nothing & if he has
seen something, he answers: I have seen this and that. Thus he never
deliberately speaks a lie, neither for his own advantage, nor for the
advantage of others, nor for the sake of any trivial gain whatsoever.
2:
He avoids divisive speech, spreading rumours, tale bearing, & gossip.
What he has heard here, he does not repeat there wishing to cause
dissension there by splitting those united. What he has heard there,
he does not tell here so to cause conflict by splitting friends here..
Rather he unites those who are divided; and those who are united
he encourages. Harmony, peace, agreement & concord gladdens him.
He delights and rejoices in Harmony. He spreads & grows Harmony!
3:
He avoids harsh & aggressive language, he abstains from all scolding.
He speaks such words that are gentle, soothing to the ear, pleasing,
heart-touching, polite, dear, considerate, interesting & agreeable..
4:
He avoids vain talk, empty & small talk, void speech and idle prattle!
He abstains from all babble, chitchat, tittle-tattle and evil hearsay.
He speaks at the right time, in accordance with facts, speaks what
is useful, speaks about the Dhamma and the Discipline; his speech is
like a precious treasure, well timed, always reasoned by arguments,
moderated, well formulated & full of sound reason & common sense.
In this -for all- very good way, is purity of verbal action fourfold!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

How is a Friend Good?

The Blessed Buddha once explained:
Who is welcoming and friendly,
Generous, open and unselfish,
A guide, an instructor, a leader,
Such one may attain to honour.
Digha Nikaya 31

The friend who is a helping companion,
The friend both in happiness and misery,
The friend who gives good & sound advice,
The friend who really cares & understands...
These four, the clever know as good Friends!
These 4 heroes, one should cherish devotedly,
as a mother nurses her own child.
Digha Nikaya 31

If one finds a wise and intelligent friend,
who lives a good, correct & fully pure life,
Then, overcoming all obstacles, one should
always keep his joyous & aware company...
Dhammapada 328

Have a nice friendly day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The Good Friend!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

Kamma & Fruit = Cause & Effect!

By Helping others, one thereby helps oneself!
By Harming others, one also harms oneself!
By Supporting others, one supports oneself!
By Cheating others, one also cheats oneself!
By Giving to others, one also gives to oneself!
By Stealing from others, one steals from oneself!

Guarding oneself, one therefore protects others...
Protecting others, one therefore guards oneself...

To avoid all Killing.
To avoid all Stealing.
To avoid all Abuse.
To avoid all Lying.
To avoid all Alcohol.
Is thus to this world
the Highest Offer!

Avoiding all Evil...
Doing only Good!!!
& Purifying the Mind:
That all Buddhas Teach!

samahita · February 2009

Daily Words of the Buddha for 23 February 2009

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Sabbe satta, sabbe pana,
sabbe bhuta ca kevala,
sabbe bhadrani passantu.
Ma kañci papamagama.

May all creatures, all living things,
all beings without any exception,
experience good happiness only!
May they not fall into any harm.
Anguttara Nikaya 4.67

Solitude is happiness for one, who is content,
who has heard the Dhamma and clearly sees.
Non-violence is happiness in this world:
Harmlessness towards all living beings.
Udana 10

More on Harmlessness (Ahimsa):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Blessing_all_Beings_by_Bliss.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Patient_is_Tolerance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Bon_Benevolence.htm

Have a nice harmless day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
http://groups.google.com/group/Buddha-Direct
http://groups.google.com/group/What_Buddha_Said

May all Beings become thus Happy!

samahita · February 2009

Friends:

Attraction to the Expanse of Objects can never be Satiated!

The Blessed Buddha once said:
The eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body & the mind, Bhikkhus,
is an ocean of attractive stimuli for any uninstructed ordinary person...
It's stream of water consists of forms, sounds, smells, tastes, touches,
and mental states, that all are seductive, gorgeous, alluring, agreeable,
pleasing, enticing, tempting and tantalizing.... Here this entire world and
it's devas, it's maras, and brahmas, this generation with it's recluses &
priests, it's kings and normal people, almost all are submerged, being like
an entangled & knotted coil of thread, like intertwined weeds, who all are
unable to pass beyond this dimension of misery, these painful destinations,
these lower worlds, this ocean of Suffering by death again, this Samsara...!
One who withstands that mighty and strapping current consisting of forms,
sounds, smells, tastes, touches, and mental states is said to have crossed
this sensual ocean of the eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body and
the mind, with it's great waves, whirlpools, terrifying sharks, and demons!
Crossed over, gone all beyond, such a Hero now stands safe on high ground...
Having extinguished all attraction, aversion & blind ignorance, one has crossed
this ocean so hard to cross with dangers of terrifying sharks, scary whirlpools,
waves & creepy demons... Such a chain-breaker and death-forsaker, elevated
without accumulations, has eliminated all Suffering by leaving all behind any
renewed existence... Transcended, he cannot ever be measured or recognized!!!
I tell you, Bhikkhus: He has confused even the King of Death...

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

Safe Release from all Anxiety:

The young deity Subrahma once asked the Buddha:
Always frightened is this Mind!
Always agitated is this Mind!
About present problems.
About future problems.
If there is a release from this worry & anxiety,
please then now kindly explain it to me...

Whereupon the Blessed Buddha declared:
I see no other real safety for any living being,
except from control of the senses,
except from the relinquishment of all,
except from awakening into Enlightenment!

More on systematic relinquishment:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Leaving_All_Behind.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Not_Resisting_Anything.htm

Source: The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya I 54
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Original deposited here:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Free_from_Fear.htm

Have a nice relinquishing day Without Worry!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Fearless Safety!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

Running up & down the beach delays any crossing!

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, these 8 things, when cultivated and refined, lead to going beyond
from this near shore, right here, to the far shore beyond all... What eight?

Right View (samma-ditthi)
Right Motivation (samma-sankappa)
Right Speech (samma-vaca)
Right Action (samma-kammanta)
Right Livelihood (samma-ajiva)
Right Effort (samma-vayama)
Right Awareness (samma-sati)
Right Concentration (samma-samadhi)

These 8 things, when cultivated and refined, lead to going beyond from this near
shore, right here, to the far shore beyond. This is what the Blessed Buddha said.
The Well-Gone-One, this supreme Teacher, then added this:

Few humans cross to that sublime far shore beyond all being.
Mostly, people just run up & down along this barren bank!
Those whose praxis is like this even and exact Dhamma,
Will pass beyond the State of Death in quiet harmony!
Having left all the dark and evil doing, any intelligence
Seeks the luminous bright light by leaving this turmoil,
and by going forth into solitary & silent homelessness.
Secluded from lust, he experiences an unworldly bliss!
Owing nothing, the wise & clever man thereby cleans
himself of all these mental pollutions and defilements...
Mentally well evolved by the 7 links to enlightenment,
Delighting in non-clinging and relinquishment of all,
Such luminous ones having quenched fermentation,
Are fully released even right here in this world.

Crossing...

To the Other Side...

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:24] section 45: The Way. 34: Gone to the other side ...
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice transcendent day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The Other Side...

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

On the 3 Types of Persons, who are similar to Sick People:

The Blessed Buddha once noted:
There are these three kinds of bodily sick people:
One will recover by himself, even without any doctor or any medicine..
One will never recover, even if treated by the best doctor & best medicine..
One will only recover if treated by right medicine and a good doctors advice..
It is for the sake of this last person, that doctors work and medicine is made!

Similarly with those mentally infected by illness of greed, hate & ignorance!
There are these three kinds of mentally sick people:
One will cure & free himself, even without meeting this Buddha-Dhamma...
One will never be cured, even if taught this Dhamma by the Buddha himself...
One will be cured & freed, if & only if, taught & learning this Buddha-Dhamma...
It is for the sake of this last type of person, that this Dhamma should be shared!

the.best.doctor.jpg

The Best Doctor treating one of his disciples for a physical illness.

Mental Dis-Ease is found in almost all beings!

The Kammic Causes of Disease:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Health_&_Sickness.htm

Source (abbreviated excerpt):
The Numerical Sayings of the Buddha. Anguttara Nikaya. Sutta III:22 The sick [I:120] Gilana
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=132552
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/anguttara/index.html

Have a nice healthy day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Incurable or Curable?

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

Purity comes by Guarding the 3 Doors of Action:

Friends, there are these three purities:

Purity of Mental Action!
Purity of Verbal Action!
Purity of Bodily Action!

Herein, what is purity of bodily action?
It is the complete abstention from killing any breathing being, avoidance of taking
whatever is not freely given, & refraining from any misbehavior in sensual desires...

Herein, what is purity of verbal action?
It is abstention from any false lies, avoidance of all aggressive speech, abstention
from divisive slandering speech, & refraining from all idle & empty hear-say gossip...

Herein, what is purity of mental action?
It is non-envious non-greediness, kind & gentle non-ill-will, and noble right view...

These 3 behavioral purities are:
Like the earth are they in properties; a firm footing to those, who desire Freedom..
Like water are they, for they wash away all the spots of the mental defilement..
Like fire are they, for they burn the whole forest of the mental obstructions..
Like wind are they, for they blow away all the dust of mental obscuration..
Like a ship are they, for they ferry those, who desire Peace across this Samsara..
Like a shelter, for they restore Faith in those, who are frightened by Ageing & Death..
Like a guide are they, leading any, who wish Ease out of the jungle of wrong views..
Like a mirror are they, making any who want Bliss to see the Clusters of Clinging..
Like an umbrella, warding off the incessant scorching of Greed, Hate & Ignorance..
Like the sun are they, for they dispel the darkness & gloom of Deluded Confusion..

Who fully guards his speech, is well controlled in mind,
Who does nothing disadvantageous through the body's door,
Who purifies this simple triple course of any acted behaviour,
Will win both the path & the fruit, all the Seers have enjoyed!

Guard any action coming out of the 3 Doors!

Have a nicely door guarded day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The 3 Doors!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

The Noble 8-Fold Way finalizes the 3 Searches:

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, there are these three ever ongoing searches.
What 3?

1: The Search for Pleasure,
2: The Search for Becoming,
3: The Search for the Noble Life.

These are the three searches… The Noble 8-fold Way should be developed:
For the direct experience of these three searches…
For the complete understanding of these three searches…
For the utter destruction of these three searches…
For the overcoming and leaving all behind of these three searches…
And how does a Bhikkhu do so? Here, friends, the Bhikkhu develops:
Right View, which is based upon seclusion, disillusion, ceasing, and culminating in release.
Right Motivation, which has the removal of Greed, Hate and Ignorance as its final goal.
Right Speech, which has the deathless as its base, as its destination, as its last resort.
Right Action, which flows, falls into and inclines towards Nibbana, the Highest Bliss!
Right Livelihood, which is based upon solitude, disenchantment, terminating in relinquishment.
Right Effort, which has the immortal as its source, as its journey's end, as its last refuge.
Right Awareness, which has the removal of Lust, Anger and Confusion as its ultimate aim.
Right Concentration, which runs, descends and slopes into Nibbana, the Highest Happiness!
It is in this way, friends, that a Bhikkhu, comes to directly experience, fully understand,
utterly destroy, completely overcome and leave all behind these three perpetual searches…

Comment:
Search for pleasure is like wishing: Could I have some more sex, food, music, porn, drugs etc...
Search for becoming is like wishing: May I become rich, praised, famous, beautiful, successful etc…
Search for the Noble Life is like wishing: There must be something else and higher than this...

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

An Unconstructed, Unconditioned & Unchanging State!

At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha once said to his monks:
Bhikkhus, I will teach you the Unconstructed, Unconditioned & Uncreated State,
and the very way leading to this unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated state...
Listen and pay alert attention to that, which will lead you to lasting happiness!!!
And what, bhikkhus is this unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated state?
The elimination of Greed, the elimination of Hate, & the elimination of Ignorance:
This is called the unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated state of Nibbana...
And what bhikkhus is the good way leading to this unconstructed, unconditioned &
uncreated state?

Not a place, yet a real state of supreme Bliss!

Awareness of the body as a collection of organs is a way to this unconstructed...
The four foundations of awareness is a way to this uncreated dimension...
Serene calm and profound insight is a way to this unconditioned sphere...
Absorption into concentrated directed thought & sustained examination is a way...
Absorption into emptiness, into signlessness, and into the uninclined is a way...
The four right efforts is a way to this unconditional state...
The four roads to force is a way to this unchanging state...
The five pure abilities is a way to this unfailing state...
The five pure powers is a way to this undecaying state...
The seven links to awakening is a way to this deathless state...
The Noble 8-fold Way is a way to this immaculate state...

These are ways leading to this unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated state.
Bhikkhus, I have now taught you the unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated,
and the way leading to this unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated state.
Whatever should be done, bhikkhus, by a considerate teacher out of sympathy for
his disciples, wishing their welfare, that I have now done for you. There are roots
of trees, bhikkhus, there are empty huts. Meditate, do not neglect your meditation,
bhikkhus, otherwise you will bitterly regret it later! This is our instruction to you...

Source:
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [359-62]
Section 43: On The Unconsctructed. The way to the unconstructed state: 1-11.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice & peaceful day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The Uncreated State!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

Craving => Clinging => Fear => Panic => Suffering!

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, I will teach you the things that can be clung to, that bind & their chain!
Listen to that and pay attention: What, bhikkhus, are these phenomena, that can be
clung to, that bind, and what is the very chain of this addictive slavery of sensing?
The eye, the ear, the nose, the tongue, the body and the mind bhikkhus, are things
that can be clung to, that binds, while the desire, lust, longing, urge, yearning for &
wanting it, the fear & panic of loosing it, the clinging to it, is the very chain there...
Only by directly knowing these 6 senses as they are, only by fully understanding
these 6 sense sources, only by developing disgust towards and by leaving all behind
these 6 originators of commotion & noise, is one capable of eliminating Suffering...

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

The Advantageous & the Detrimental Kinds!

There are these two kinds of Desire:
1: The Advantageous Desire for unbinding, for release, for peace, for Nibbana...
Why is this form of desire advantageous?
Because it leads to lasting & ultimate safety, freedom, bliss and HAPPINESS!!!

2: The Detrimental Desire for forms, for body, for feelings, for perceptions, for
mental constructions, for sensing, and for the various types of consciousness ...
Why is this form of desire detrimental?
Because it leads to repeated births, ageing, decaying, sickness & ever painful death!!!
Because it leads to sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, misery & desperate despair ...
I tell you, because such desire leads to SUFFERING...
These are the two kinds of Desire!

There are these two kinds of Disgust:
1: The Advantageous Disgust towards forms, towards body, towards feelings,
towards perceptions, towards mental constructions, towards sensing, towards the
manifold and various types of consciousness, towards all internal and external ...
Why is this form of disgust advantageous?
Because it leads towards lasting & ultimate safety, freedom, bliss & HAPPINESS!!!

2: The Detrimental Disgust towards friends on the Noble life, towards morality,
towards meditation, towards understanding, towards right view, towards right
motivation, towards right speech, towards right behaviour, towards right livelihood,
towards right effort, and towards right concentration...
Why is this form of disgust detrimental?
Because it leads to repeated births, ageing, decaying, sickness & ever painful death!!!
Because it leads to sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, misery & desperate despair ...
I tell you, because such disgust leads to SUFFERING ..
These are the two kinds of Disgust!

desire.scan.jpg

Have a nice discriminating desire day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Two Kinds!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

How to be a Real Buddhist through Observance?

Medin Poya day is the full-moon of March. This holy day celebrates
that the Buddha visits his parental home after his supreme Enlightenment,
and ordains his son prince Rahula, & half brother Nanda. This day is
also called: The Sangha Day, since on this full-moon 1250 Arahats
spontaneously met & assembled around the Buddha without any call.
Buddha then spoke the famous Ovada Patimokkha core teaching!

On such Full-Moon Uposatha Poya Observance days:
Any Lay Buddhist simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes the
Five Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed, with clean
bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue, and bows first
three times, so that feet, hands, elbows, knees & head touch the floor.
Then, with joined palms at the heart, one recites these memorized lines
in a loud, calm & steady voice:

As long as this life lasts:
I hereby take refuge in the Buddha.
I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma.
I hereby take refuge in the Sangha.
I hereby seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time.
I hereby request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time.
I will hereby respect these Three Jewels the rest of my life!

I accept to respect, keep & undertake these 5 training rules:
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Lying & Cheating.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs.
As long as this life lasts:

As long as this life lasts, I am thus protected by these 5 precepts...
Then, one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one's
own eyes & children!, since they protect you & all other beings much
better than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to
this world! The journey towards Nibbana: The Deathless is hereby started!
This is the Noble Way to Absolute Peace, to Complete Freedom, to Ultimate
Happiness, initiated by Morality, developed further by Dhamma-Study and
fulfilled by training of Meditation...

Today indeed is Pooya or Uposatha or observance day, where any lay
Buddhist normally keeps also the Eight Precepts from sunrise until the
next dawn... If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha,
they may simply forward the lines starting with "I hereby ..." signed with
name, date, town, & country to me or join here. A public list of this new
quite rapidly growing global web Saddhamma-Sangha is set up here!

The New Noble Community of Buddha's Disciples: The Saddhamma Sangha:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Saddhamma_Sangha.htm

Can quite advantageously be Joined Here:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Sangha_Entry.htm

May your journey hereby be light, swift, and sweet. Never give up !!
Bhikkhu Samahita: what.buddha.said@gmail.com

For Details on The Origin of Uposatha Observance Days:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/uposatha.html

Buddha with his Rahula, who also awakened into enlightenment!

Have a nice observance day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Today is Medin Poya Day!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

What is Mara: Transient, Painful, No-Self & a Ceasing State?

At Savatthi. While seated, the Venerable Radha asked the Blessed One:
Venerable Sir, one says: Mara, Mara!! What is this Mara the evil one?
Radha, form, feeling, perception, mental construction, and consciousness
is Mara, is a state of Mara, is impermanent, is of an impermanent nature,
is suffering, is of a painful nature, is no-self, is of an impersonal nature,
is in a state of destruction, is in a state of vanishing, is an unstable state,
is always in a state of momentary ceasing, vanishing right there & then...
Radha, you should therefore leave behind desire, should leave behind lust,
you should leave behind all desire and lust for whatever is a state of Mara,
for whatever is impermanent, for whatever is only impermanent appearance,
for whatever is suffering, for whatever is of a painful nature, for whatever
is no-self, for whatever is of a ownerless nature, for whatever is a state of
destruction, for whatever is a state of vanishing, for whatever is in a state
of arising, for whatever that is a state of cessation... And what, Radha, is a
state of cessation? Form is a state of cessation. Feeling, Perception, Mental
Constructions, and this Consciousness is also a state of continuous ceasing...
Understanding this, Radha, the well instructed Noble Disciple experiences
disgust towards form, disgust towards feeling, disgust towards perception,
disgust towards mental construction, & disgust towards consciousness itself!
Experiencing disgust, he becomes disillusioned! Through disillusion his mind
is released. When it is released, one instantly knows: This mind is liberated,
and one understands: Extinguished is birth, this Noble Life is all completed,
done is what should be done, there is no state of being beyond this one...

More on Mara: The Evil One...
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/g_m/maara.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/ma/maara.htm

Mara.attacks.jpg

Mara's daughters temptation of the Buddha also fails flatly!

More on the Mental Release induced by Disgust:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Any_Kind.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Released_by_Disgust.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Experiencing_Disgust.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Constructive_Destruction.htm

Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya 23:24-34 III 199
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a recognizing & re-evaluating day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

What is Evil?

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

No Agent or Actor exists! Only Impersonal Processes Unfolds!

Question: Who is the Creator ???
Answer: Nobody is the Creator of anything!!!

Q: What then is Creating ???
A: Ignorance and Craving is Creating!!!

Q: What is Ignorance & Craving Creating ?
A: Ignorance & Craving Creates Suffering!!!

Question: Who Perceives ???
Answer: Nobody Perceives anything!!!

Q: What then is Perceiving ???
A: The Perception process itself Perceives!!!

Q: What do Perception Perceive ???
A: Form, sound, smell, taste, touch & thoughts!!!

Question: Who Feels ???
Answer: Nobody Feels anything!!!

Q: What then is Feeling ???
A: The process of Feeling itself feels!!!

Q: What do Feeling feel ???
A: Feeling feels pleasure, pain & neutrality!!!

Question: Who is the Knower ???
Answer: Nobody is the Knower of anything!!!

Q: What then is Knowing ???
A: The state of Knowledge itself knows!!!

Q: What is Knowledge Knowing ???
A: Knowledge knows: Such is Pain, cause of Pain, End of Pain, Way to End all Pain!!!

There exist no static entities anywhere. Entities implying stability is just language conventions.
All phenomena are dynamic processes enacted by selfless, ownerless, and coreless conditions.

More on this enigmatic doctrine of No-Self (Anatta), which is the very core of Buddhism:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Anatta_No_Self.htm

ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY CREATOR!

Have a nice selfless day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Who or rather What! is the Creator?

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

Really Deep Truths can sometimes be told by a Wise Junior:

A pious Sri Lankan Boy once stated it stout, steady & straight:
I am a Buddhist, not merely because my parents are Buddhists, but out of assured conviction!
After coming to an understanding of the truth of the Noble Triple Gem, I decided to be a Buddhist...s
Whenever here a religious, private, social or national event starts, the blessings of the Triple Gem are
invoked. But what does taking refuge in the Triple Gem really mean? We must really understand this!
Taking refuge in the Buddha means seeking and understanding Nibbana (Nirvana). Man's freedom, or
the road, which leads to Nibbana, is closed from time to time. The Noble Person, who finds this closed
road and reveals it to the world is always the Buddha! The Dhamma, which we take refuge in, is the path
to Nibbana, preached by the Buddha. There are many eminent persons, who went along that path and
understood Nibbana. They also teach us to go along this correct path. Those eminent persons are called
the Maha Sangha. However, the Buddha is not an automatic rescuer. We cannot get the freedom we are
seeking by just praying to the Buddha. Most Buddhists offer flowers to the Buddha statues. They hold
religious festivals. But Buddhists do not do those things to satisfy the Buddha. They do it as a way to
Nibbana for all living beings. Many offer flowers and go to temples to prove that they are practicing
Buddhists. But if we observe the precepts & the religious teachings and gain a good understanding of
the Dhamma, it will help us to become good Buddhists and win a pleasurable and happy future. However,
we can seek & gain the truth of the Dhamma, only if we live according with it. Seeking the Dhamma is
seeking the Buddha. So, I observe Buddhism by taking refuge in the Noble Triple Gem…

Dulani Dananga Kiriella, Rajasinghe Central College School, Grade 10, Ruwanwella, Sri Lanka.
Sadhu – Quite well spoken IMHO - …!!!

kelani.mahavihare.bodhi.buddha.jpg

Image at the Kelaniya Temple close to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Real Buddhists take refuge in the triple gem & accept the 5 precepts:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Refuges_and_Precepts.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Saddhamma_Sangha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Sangha_Entry.htm

Have a nice devoted day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Why the Boy was Buddhist!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

Seeing the momentary Arising & Ceasing gives Calm!

The Venerable Channa once said to a fellow disciple:
Friend Sariputta, it is because I have seen, known and directly experienced
the momentary arising & ceasing of the eye, eye-consciousness, and any
phenomena recognizable by eye-consciousness, that I indeed regard them
all thus: This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self...
Furthermore: It is because I have seen, known & directly experienced the
momentary arising & ceasing of the ear, ear-consciousness, & any phenomena
recognizable by ear-consciousness, the nose, olfactory consciousness, and any
phenomena recognizable by such nose-consciousness, the tongue, gustatory-
consciousness, and any phenomena recognizable by this tongue-consciousness,
the body, body-consciousness, and any phenomena recognizable by this tactile
consciousness, the mind, mental-consciousness, any phenomena recognizable
by mental-consciousness, that I now indeed consider all these states thus:
This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self...
Then Venerable Mahacunda said to Venerable Channa: Then friend Channa,
this teaching of the Buddha is to be given acute, constant & close attention:

In any dependence, there is always a shaky, risky & vacillating wavering!
In all independence, there is neither any shaky, nor any risky wavering!

When there is no wavering, then there is tranquillity. When there is tranquillity,
there is neither inclination, nor bias, nor bending, nor attraction, nor repulsion...
When there is no such inclination, then there is neither any coming, nor any going!
When there is no coming & going, there is no passing away, nor any being reborn...
When there is neither passing away, nor being reborn, then there is neither here,
nor beyond, nor in between the two. This –itself- is the very End of all Suffering...

Stable Independence and Unstable Dependence...

Source:
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [59]
Section 35: On The 6 Senses. Channa: 87.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

Have a nice steady day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Without Wavering!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

The 7 Links to Awakening Link & Lead to Awakening?

They lead to & produce enlightenment, in this way are they links to awakening:
They are themselves enlightened, in this way are they links to awakening.
They are enlightened, since they embrace the root cause of awakening.
They are enlightened, since they provide & equip the root cause of awakening.
They are enlightened, since they induce ripening of the root cause of awakening.
They are enlightened, since they promote distinction of the root cause of awakening.
They are enlightened, since they completely perfect the root cause of awakening.

How do the Seven Links to Awakening remain stably established & anchored in mind?
The Awareness link remains by arising of other states not being given attention.
The Awareness link remains by non-arising of attention being given to other states.
The Awareness link remains by no attention being given to occurrence of other states.
The Awareness link remains by attention being given to non-occurrence of other states.
The Awareness link remains by the sign not being adverted to nor being given attention.
The Awareness link remains by the sign-less state being given constant & steady attention.
The Awareness link remains by no attention being given to any kind of mental construction.
The Awareness link remains by full attention being given to ceasing of all kinds of craving.
The Awareness link to Awakening indeed remains fixed & anchored in mind in these 8 ways.
Exactly and similarly so with the other six links to Awakening.

How do the Seven Links to Awakening fade away, diminish and cease?
The Awareness link falls away, by arising of other states being given attention.
The Awareness link falls away, by non-arising of other states, not being given attention.
The Awareness link falls away, by occurrence of other states, being given attention.
The Awareness link falls away, by non-occurrence of other states, not being given attention.
The Awareness link falls away, by the sign-less state, not being given attention.
The Awareness link falls away, by the sign being given too much attention.
The Awareness link falls away, by ceasing not being given any attention.
The Awareness link falls away, by mental constructions being given attention.
The Awareness link to Awakening falls away in these eight aspects.
Exactly and similarly so with the other six links to Awakening.

awareness.inj.jpg

Source (edited extract): Sariputta
Path of Discrimination: Patisambhidamagga.
Treatise on the Links to Awakening XIII.

Have a nice acutely aware day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Awareness Awakens!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

These 7 States are Focused on one single object: Nibbâna!
The Awareness Link to Awakening is foremost, in the sense of rolling overall like a wheel.
The Investigation Link to Awakening is the chief, in the sense of greatness like an elephant.
The Energy Link to Awakening is the prime, in the sense of being swift & strong like a horse.
The Joy Link to Awakening is vital, in the sense of giving brilliant radiance like a jewel.
The Tranquillity Link to Awakening, is primary in the sense of soothing like a mild woman.
The Concentration Link to Awakening, is best in the sense of giving wealth like a treasurer.
The Equanimity Link to Awakening is supreme, in the sense of ballance like a good advisor.
These seven links to awakening are thus like the 7 treasures of a wheel-turning monarch.
They awaken beings into the state of entering the stream leading to the deathless Nibbana.
They further awaken beings into the state of returning here as human only one more time.
They furthermore awaken beings into the state of never returning here as human again.
They finally fully awaken beings into the state of Arahatship by complete Enlightenment!
When these seven states coincide simultaneously; fused into the same assemblage; all being
joined focused on only one single and same object: Nibbana, then Awakening occurs...
This 7-fold supreme culmination is the final Enlightenment!!! Yeah...

awakening.rays.jpg

Awakening is 7 mental qualities focused on 1 single object...

More On these 7 Links to Awakening (Sambojjhanga):
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Awareness_Sati.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Investigation_Vicaya.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Energy_Viriya.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Joy_Piti.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Tranquillity_Passaddhi.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Concentration_Samadhi.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/Equanimity_Upekkha.htm

Awakening is a phase transition of consciousness...
Local to => Universal + Discrete to => Continuous!!!

Enlightenment transcends both time and space & is thus inexpressible!

Have a nice awakening day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Focused and Fused!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

What is Unwavering Faith & assured Confidence?

The blessed Buddha once noted:
Knowing, Friends, evil covetousness and wicked greed to be mental pollutions,
the Bhikkhu leaves them, rejects them, eliminates them and eradicates them...
Knowing hating ill will to be a mental pollution, he leaves all hostile ill will.
Knowing aversive anger to be a mental pollution, he rejects all anger.
Knowing vicious revenge to be a mental pollution, he avoids revenge.
Knowing contempt to be a mental pollution, he releases contempt.
Knowing tyranny to be a mental pollution, he abandons tyranny.
Knowing green envy to be a mental pollution, he deserts envy.
Knowing self-conceit to be a mental pollution, he quits conceit.
Knowing hypocrisy to be a mental pollution, he dodges hypocrisy.
Knowing negligence to be a mental pollution, he stops negligence.
Knowing puffed pride to be a mental pollution, he cuts out pride.
Knowing jealousy to be a mental pollution, he withdraws jealousy.
Knowing obstinacy to be a mental pollution, he gives up obstinacy.
Knowing vain vanity to be a mental pollution, he relinquishes vanity.
Knowing cheating fraud to be a mental pollution, he eschews fraud.
Knowing arrogance to be a mental pollution, he renounces arrogance.

When the Bhikkhu has eliminated all these polluting mental defilements,
he then gains unwavering Faith, unshakable Confidence and absolutely
immovable and imperturbable Conviction in the blessed Buddha thus:
Worthy, honourable and perfectly self-Enlightened is the Buddha!
Fully consummated in knowledge and behaviour, totally transcended,
expert in all dimensions, knower of all worlds, unsurpassable trainer
of those who can be tamed, both teacher and guide of gods as well
as humans, blessed, exalted, awakened & enlightened is the Buddha!

He gains unwavering Faith, Confidence & Conviction in the Dhamma
thus: Perfectly formulated is the Buddha-Dhamma, visible right here
and now, immediately effective, timeless, inviting each and everyone
to come and see for themselves, inspect, examine and verify...
Leading each and everyone through progress towards perfection!
Directly observable, experiencable & realizable by each intelligence!

He gains unwavering Faith, Confidence and Conviction in the Sangha
thus: Perfectly training is this Noble Sangha community of Buddha's
Noble disciples: Training the right way, the true way, the good way,
the direct way! Therefore do these 8 kinds of individuals, these four
Noble pairs, deserve both gifts, self-sacrifice, offerings, hospitality
and reverential salutation even with joined palms, since this Noble
Sangha community of the Buddha's Noble disciples, is indeed an
unsurpassable and forever unsurpassed field of merit, in this world,
for this world, to honour, support, award, respect, and protect!

When he has given up, left and eliminated these mental pollutions
he knows: I am convinced by steady unwavering Faith & Confidence
in the Buddha... in the Dhamma... in the Sangha... He therefore gains
enthusiasm for the goal, gains inspiration from the Dhamma, & gains
the gladness connected with this true Dhamma. When gladdened, a
rapturous joy is born in him; being joyous in mind, his body becomes
tranquil; his body being tranquil, he feels happiness; and the mind of
him, who is happy becomes concentrated into full intense absorption!

Faith.wai.jpg

Passing it on to the next generation!

Confidence & Conviction!

Have a nice convinced day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

How is the Faith leading to Going Forth?

Having heard the Buddha speak, a householder or a householder's
son or one born in some other family, hears that Buddha-Dhamma.
On hearing this sublime Dhamma, he acquires faith in the Tathagata.
Possessing that faith, he considers thus: Household life is crowded,
cramped and dusty! The Life gone forth is out in the wide open...
It is not easy, while living in a home, to live the Noble life utterly
perfect and pure, as a polished shell. Suppose I shave off my hair
and beard, put on the yellow robe, and go forth from the home life
into homelessness. On a later occasion, leaving behind any small or
large fortune, leaving behind a small or a large circle of relatives,
he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the ochre robe, and goes
forth from the home life into free homelessness...
So is the faith of those, who after countless lives finally have
accumulated and now possesses the right and ripe conditions for
attaining the advantageous state of a Bhikkhu under a Buddha...
This is a quick step towards the Bliss of the deathless Nibbana!

good.boy.jpg

Source:
MN 27: Culahatthipadopama Sutta. The Short Elephant Footprint Simile
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.027.than.html

Have a nice faithful day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Fabulously Fine Faith

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

How is Faith & Confidence Advantageous?

Faith is the first of the 5 Elements of Effort (padhaniyanga):
1: Faith, 2: Health, 3: Sincerity, 4: Energy, and 5: Understanding.

Faith is main factor of the 4 Streams of Merit (puñña-dhara):
1: Unshakable faith in the Buddha,
2: Unshakable faith in the Dhamma,
3: Unshakable faith in the Sangha,
4: Quite Perfected Morality.

Faith is the first of the 7 Treasures (dhana):
1: Faith,
2: Morality,
3: Shame,
4: Fear of Wrongdoing,
5: Learning,
6: Generosity,
7: Understanding.

Faith is seed, the entrance, the initiator, the ticket, the beginning.
Understanding is the highest, the goal, the diamond-cutter, the end.
Both are Floods of Advantage, Fabulous Fruits, Leading to Happiness!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

What moves at death to the next life? Is it consciousness?

No! since consciousness arise & cease right here, it cannot move anywhere!
It is not continuous, but contiguous discrete mental states as pearls on a string.
The prior moment of consciousness contains the properties that conditions the
arising of the next moment of consciousness! These inherent properties are
mainly craving for (conscious) sensing and craving for becoming into new being.
If these cravings are present in the rebirth-linking moment of consciousness, then
the next moment of consciousness will arise immediately after the death moment,
but now in another location and body, which qualities (or lack of) indeed also are
conditioned by properties within the rebirth-linking moment of consciousness…

Example: If deluded ignorance is dominant in the rebirth-linking moment of consciousness,
then an animal rebirth is to be expected. If harmonious peace and well earned settled
mental calmness based on a long life of doing good are the dominant factors right in the
rebirth-linking moment of consciousness, then a divine deva rebirth is to be expected.
If anger, hostile enmity, envy and hate are dominant in the rebirth-linking moment of
consciousness, rebirth in hell is to be expected...
So what actually passes on is CAUSALITY: That is conditioning factors or forces!
Nothing more! No form, feeling, perception, construction, or consciousness passes on.
No "Self, I, Me, Body, Identity, or Ego" passes on, because they never really existed
in the first place, so how can they ever then pass on?!?

The classic example is the 2 candles:
Candle A is in flame. (=Dying individuality)
This is then used to light or ignite Candle B (=Reborn individuality).
By this very ignition the flame of Candle A is extinguished…
Only candle B is now burning: What was now passed on!?!
Is the flame of Candle B now the SAME, as the flame of Candle A?
Not so. Candle B burns by its own flame, but it was turned on by flame A!
Is the flame of Candle B now DIFFERENT from the flame of Candle A?
Not really so either. Since Candle B started burning from the flame A!

What is Reborn?: Neither the SAME nor ANOTHER!
What am ‘I’ & ‘Person’?: Neither the SAME nor ANOTHER!
Not a fixed entity, but a streaming process of ever renewed
arisings and ceasings of impersonal mental and physical states…
Just moments of name-&-form passes on!

In brevity:
Question: What passes on at death?
Answer: The forces or streams of: Ignorance, Greed, & Hate,
and derivatives thereof, passes on at death and also in every
moment of this life! One is reborn not only at death, but at
every conscious moment of life itself also...
Re-arising millions of times per second!
Neither as the same nor as another...

rebirth.letters.jpg

Regarding Buddhist Theory of Rebirth-Linking (patisandhi) see also:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/patisandhi.htm

Kamma and Rebirth: Nyanatiloka Thera:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanatiloka/wheel394.html#ch2

Have a nice newly re-arised day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Rebirth-Linking Transmigration!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

How does Kamma cause Rebirth?

In Majjhima Nikaya 135 a brahman raises the problem:
There are found people who are short-lived, and those that are long-lived; there are found people
who are very sick, and those that are healthy; there are found people who are ugly, and also those
that are beautiful; there are found people who are powerless, and those that are powerful; there
are found people who are poor, and those that are rich; there are found people who are of low
family, and those that are of high family; there are found people who are stupid, and those that
are intelligent. What then, Master Gotama, is the reason for this diverse inferiority & superiority
among human beings?

The Blessed One replied:
Beings are owners of their kamma, inherit their kamma, kamma is their maker and creator,
they are born from and by their kamma, kamma is the womb from which they emerge,
they are linked and associated to their past kamma as their friend and refuge...
Therefore does kamma divide beings into the high and low, beautiful and ugly!

In Anguttara Nikaya III,40 it is said:
"Killing, stealing, adultery, lying, backbiting, harsh angry speech and empty prattling, practiced,
cultivated and frequently engaged in, will lead to hell, the animal world or the realm of ghosts."
Further: "Whoso kills and is cruel, will either go to hell, or if reborn as a human, will be short-lived.
Whosoever tortures other beings, will be afflicted with disease. The hater will be ugly & hideous,
the envious will be without influence, the stubborn will be of low rank, the indolent will be ignorant.
In the reverse case, a person will be reborn in a heavenly world; or, if reborn as a human being, and
will be endowed with health, beauty, influence, riches, noble rank and intelligence."

In the Milindapañha the King asks the Arahat Nagasena:
What is it, Venerable Sir, that will be reborn after death?
O King: A psycho-physical combination of mentality-&-materiality (name-and-form = nama-rupa).
But how? Is it the same psycho-physical name-and-form combination as this present one?
No, O King. But the present psycho-physical combination produces kammically advantageous and
disadvantageous intentional activities, and through such kamma a new psycho-physical combination
will be created, conditioned and born. Source: The Milindapañha

Buddhaghosa explains in his Visuddhimagga (Path of Purification):
Whosoever has no clear idea about death and does not know that death consists in the dissolution
of the five groups of existence (i.e. form, feeling, perception, mental formations, & consciousness),
he thinks that it is a person, or being, that dies and transmigrates to a new body in a new place.
And whosoever has no clear idea about rebirth, and does not know that rebirth consists in the
arising of the five groups of existence, he thinks that it is a person, or being, that is reborn, or
that the person reappears in a new body. And whosoever has no clear idea about Samsara, the
round of rebirths, he thinks that a real person wanders from this world to another world, comes
from that world to this world, etc. And whosoever has no clear idea about the phenomena of
existence, he thinks that the phenomena are his ego or something appertaining to the ego, or
something permanent, joyful, or pleasant. And whosoever has no clear idea about the conditional
arising of the phenomena of existence, and about the arising of kammic volitions conditioned
through ignorance, he thinks that it is the ego that understands or fails to understand, that acts
or causes to act, that enters into a new existence at rebirth. Or he thinks that the atoms or the
Creator, etc., with the help of the embryonic process, shape the body, provide it with various
faculties; that it is the ego that receives the sensuous impression, that feels, that desires, that
becomes attached, that enters into existence again in another world. Or he thinks that all beings
come to life through fate or chance. A mere phenomenon it is, a conditioned thing, that rises in the
following existence. But not from a previous life does it transmigrate there, and yet it cannot arise
without a previous cause. When this conditionally arisen bodily-mental phenomenon (the fetus) arises,
one says that it has entered into a next existence. However, no being (satta), or life-principle (jiva),
has transmigrated from the previous existence into this existence, and yet this embryo could not
have come into existence without a previous cause. Source: Visuddhimagga (Chap. XVII)

Everywhere, in all the realms of existence, the noble disciple sees only mental and material
phenomena kept going through the interlocking of causes and effects. No producer of the
intentional act or kamma does he see apart from the kamma activity itself, and no recipient
of the kamma-result apart from the result itself. And he is well aware that wise men are using
merely conventional language, when with regard to a kammical act, they speak of a doer, or an
agent, or with regard to a kamma-result, they speak of the recipient of the result. No doer of
the deeds is found, No one who ever reaps their fruits; Empty phenomena roll on: Conditioned
States: This only is the correct view. And while the deeds and their results roll on and on, all
being conditioned by other phenomena. In this infinite causal matrix, there is no first beginning
to be found, just as it is with seed and tree... No god, no Brahma, can be called The maker of this
wheel of life: Only Empty phenomena roll on, all dependent on their causal conditions.
Source: Visuddhimagga (Chap. XIX).

The Excerpts here are from: Kamma and Rebirth by Nyanatiloka MahaThera:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanatiloka/wheel394.html#ch2

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

Invariable Nature Laws: Transience & Reaction!

The Blessed Buddha once spoke on these 4 invariable & fixed laws:
There are 4 things, Bhikkhus & Friends, which nobody can change,
neither recluse, nor priest, nor god, nor devil, nor anyone at all
in this or any other universe. What are these 4 things?
1: That what is subject to decay may not decay...
2: That what is subject to sickness may not fall sick...
3: That what is subject to death may not die... &
4: That those evil, immoral, impure, terrible, and pain-producing
actions, which ever and again lead to rebirth, ageing, & death,
may not bring results, may not produce their inviolable effects...
These four things, Bhikkhus & Friends, neither recluse, priest,
divine being, neither god, nor devil, nor anyone in this or any
other multiverse can stop...

Transient & ephemeral are all constructions...

Source:
Anguttara Nikaya. Numerical Sayings: AN 4:182
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/Index.Numerical.htm

Have a nice ultra-realistic day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

The 4 Inviolable Laws!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

A friend asked: Who is it that lives these many lives?

Answer:
It is not any Who… !!!
Since selfless is this flux of renewed becoming!
The Question should therefore be reformulated as:

Question: What is it, that lives these many lives?
Answer: It is an accumulated and ever changing group of:
1: Momentary clinging to form;
2: Momentary clinging to feeling;
3: Momentary clinging to perception;
4: Momentary clinging to mental construction;
5: Momentary clinging to consciousness...
That blinded by ignorance and obsessed by craving,
tumbles through these many, many, painful lives & deaths!
It is not an "I", "Me", "Self", "Soul", "Person", or "Identity"!!!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

Ceasing of Kamma comes only by Exhaustion of Effect!

The Blessed Buddha once said:
I tell you, Bhikkhus and Friends, that it is absolutely impossible, that willed,
intended, performed, & accumulated actions (kamma) will cease to be effective
as long as one has not yet experienced their results, be it in this life,
or in the next life, or in even further future lives!
And it is equally impossible, that without having experienced these results of
one's accumulated, intended, & performed past actions, that one will be able
to put an end to Suffering. May this hereby be well known!

what.kamma.is.jpg

Disadvantageous Action (Kamma) has painful effects!

Source:
Numerical Discourses of the Buddha. Anguttara Nikaya AN 10:208
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/Index.Numerical.htm

kusala.kamma.jpg

Advantageous is respecting bhikkhus, parents, elders & teachers.

Have a nice good kamma day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Impossible!

samahita · March 2009

Friends:

Realizable here and now in each & every Moment!

The Blessed Buddha once said:
Overwhelmed & obsessed by desire, anger, & confusion, one aims at one's own ruin,
others' ruin, at the ruin of both, and one suffers much mental pain & frustration...
If, however, desire, anger, & confusion are eliminated, then one aims neither at one's
own ruin, nor at others' ruin, nor at the ruining of both, and one suffers neither any
mental pain nor any frustration at all! Hence is Nibbana realizable right here & now
in this very lifetime, immediate, inviting, intriguing, & intelligible to each intelligence!
Exactly in so far as anyone has made real the complete ceasing of all greed, hate,
and confusion, just in so far - to exactly that very degree -is Nibbana realizable
right here & now in this very life, immediate, inviting, instant, interesting, & intelligible
to each and every intelligent being...

intelligence.design.jpg

Follow this Golden Middle Way:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Golden_Middle_Way.htm

what.intelligence.jpg

Source:
Numerical Discourses of the Buddha. Anguttara Nikaya AN 3:55
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/Index.Numerical.htm

Have a nice intelligent day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Intelligent Invitation!

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