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Even evaluation is characteristic of the Equanimity Link to Awakening. (Upekkha-Sambojjhanga). Preventing both deficiency & excess and securing impartiality is the function of Equanimity. Imperturbable ballance is the manifestation of the Equanimity Link to Awakening. Equanimity just looks on whenever new phenomena arises and ceases. This stable yet plastic patience purifies all the other advantageous mental states, which reach maximum, when joined with Equanimity...
Equanimity (Upekkha) is a moderating mental construction. Equanimity is also a mood of neither gladness nor sadness. Equanimity is also a feeling of neither pain nor pleasure. Equanimity is also the neutral ability to be indifferent. Equanimity is also the 4th infinitely divine dwelling. Equanimity is also a quite high form of happiness. Equanimity is also a refined mental purification. Equanimity is therefore a Link to Enlightenment...
There is Equanimity both regarding live beings and dead things. There is Equanimity both regarding all internal & external states. There is Equanimity both regarding all past, present and future. There is Equanimity both regarding all mentality & all materiality.
The Buddha once said: What mental fermentations (asava) should be overcome by development? If a Bhikkhu by alert & rational attention develops the Equanimity Link to Awakening based on seclusion, based on disillusion, on ceasing, culminating in full renouncing relinquishment, then neither can mental fermentation, nor any fever, nor discontent ever arise in him. MN2 [i 11]
When mind is concentrated one can observe all closely in equanimity. The Equanimity Link to Awakening arises right there. He develops it, and for him repeatedly meditating it goes gradually to the completion of its development. MN118 [iii 85]
"I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, just like somebody out of a 1940's movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos & glassware. 'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the cab. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.' 'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?' 'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly.. 'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice. I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. 'What route would you like me to take?' I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom, where she had gone dancing as a young girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired. Let's go now'. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a way that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. 'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse. 'Nothing,' I said. 'You have to make a living,' she answered. 'There are other passengers,' I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. 'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.' I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was like the sound of the closing of a life.. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick dry review: I don't think that I have done anything more important in my entire life! We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small nothing..."
The Blessed Buddha once said: There is awareness of all internal states, & awareness of all external states. Both kinds of awareness are leading to Enlightenment (sati-sambojjhanga). There is investigation of both all internal states, and of all external states. Both these investigations are links to Enlightenment (vicaya-sambojjhanga). There is energy of body (strength), and energy of the mind (enthusiasm). Both kinds of energy are leading to Enlightenment (viriya-sambojjhanga). There is joy associated with thinking, and there is joy without any thinking. Both kinds of joy are links leading to Enlightenment (piti-sambojjhanga). There is tranquillity of the body, and there is tranquillity of the mind. Both these calms are links to Enlightenment (passaddhi-sambojjhanga). There is concentration during thinking and concentration without thinking. Both concentrations are links to Enlightenment (samadhi-sambojjhanga). There is equanimity both regarding internal states and external states. Both these kinds are links to Enlightenment (upekkha-sambojjhanga). This can only a Buddha, or a true disciple of a Buddha see, and explain...
Comments: Awareness of all internal mental states is the most important, and highest. Investigation of all internal mental states is the primary, and most fruitful. Energy of the mind is the most advantageous, effective, and most enabling. Joy without any thinking is the most rapturous, ecstatic, and all-pervading. Tranquillity of the mind is the deepest, most calm, serene, and imperturbable. Concentration without any thinking is the most one-pointed and absorbed. Equanimity regarding internal mental states is the best guard and protection.
5th May 2012 Vesak Day celebrates birth, Enlightenment, and passing away of the Buddha Gotama. Rejoice! Keep clean, calm, cool, clever, and caring... About this Buddhist Vesak Festival: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak This May full moon also celebrates the Buddha's third visit to Sri Lanka in the eighth year after his Enlightenment where he journeyed to Kelaniya on the invitation of the Naga King Maniakkhika (Mahavamsa i,72ff.). The day also celebrates the crowning of king Devanampiyatissa (Mhv.Xi.42), and the laying of the foundation stone of the Maha Stupa (Mhv.Xxix.1)
Please Remember: At this very May full moon in year 528 BC the Blessed Buddha awakened by completely perfect and utterly unsurpassable self-Enlightenment! At that time a girl named Sujata Senani lived in Uruvela. When adult she prayed before a certain Banyan tree, that she might get a good husband equal to herself in caste & that her firstborn may be a son. Her prayer was successful. Since indeed it did happen. At the full moon day of the Wesak month, she rose at early dawn and milked the cows. As soon as new buckets were placed under the cows, the milk poured spontaneously in streams all by itself! Seeing this miracle, she knew something special was happening! That same night the Future Buddha dreamt 5 dreams making him conclude: "Surely, truly, without any doubt, today I will reach perfect Enlightenment!" His 5 colored radiance illuminated the whole tree. Then Sujata came and offered the cooked milk rice into the hands of this Great Being.
Later a local grass-cutter came going with a bundle of grass just harvested from nearby. He offered the Great Being 8 handfuls of Kusa grass, when he saw that this Sage was a Holy Man. The Future Buddha accepted the grass and proceeded to the foot of the Bodhi-tree. Reaching the imperturbable Eastern side, where all the Buddhas take their seat, he sat down saying to himself: This is the immovable spot, where all the prior supreme Buddhas have planted themselves! This is the place for destroying this net of desire! Then the Future Buddha turned his back to the trunk and thus faced east. Right there, he then resolutely settled on this mighty decision: Let just blood and flesh of this body dry up & let skin and sinews fall from the bones. I will not leave this seat before having attained the absolute and Supreme Self-Enlightenment!
So determined did he seat himself in this unconquerable seat, from which not a 100 lightning strikes could make him waver from. At this very moment the rebel deity Mara -The Evil One- raised exclaiming: Prince Siddhattha will pass beyond my power, but I will never allow it! And sounding the Mara's war shout, he summoned his mighty army for battle. Then Mara warned his evil militia: This Sakyamuni, son of Suddhodana, is far greater than any other man, so we will never succeed to fight him up front. We must thus attack him from the rear. Frustrated, being unable even to touch this big wielder of power also with 9 mighty hurricanes of wind, rain, rocks, weapons, red coals, hot ashes, sand, mud, and darkness Mara somewhat in panic shouted at his army: "Why do you all stand still? Seize, kill & drive away this prince!"
Mara then yelled: "Siddhattha, leave this seat. It is not yours, but mine!" Hearing this, the Well-gone One replied: Mara, neither have you fulfilled the 10 perfections to the third degree, nor have you given the 5 great donations. Neither have you striven for insight, nor for the welfare of all the world, nor for supreme self-enlightenment! Therefore does this very seat surely not belong to you, but truly indeed only to me. Suddenly overpowered by fear Mara's followers fled helter-skelter in all directions. Not two went in the same direction, but leaving their weapons in a chaos, they all fled terrified by metaphysical panic. Seeing them flee thus, the great assembly of deities triumphantly shouted: Mara is defeated. Prince Siddhattha has won! Let us celebrate this truly sublime, wonderful and unique victory! It was before the sun had set that the Tathagata conquered Mara and defeated his army. That same night, after having bathed, while the Bo tree rained red sprigs onto his robe, The Consummate One gained knowledge of his prior lives during the 1st watch of the night: "With the mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, unified, focused, tractable, compliant, steady & imperturbable, I directed mind to remembrance of my past lives. I recollected many past lives, i.e., one re-birth, two...five, ten... 50, a hundred, a thousand, 100 thousand, many eons of cosmic contraction, & many eons of cosmic expansion: There I had such a name, belonged to such a clan & species, had such a body. Such was my food, such my life of pleasures and pains. Such was the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose there. There I had such name, belonged to such a sort & family, had such a form. Such was my food, such my experience of pleasures & pains. Such was the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I re-arose here. Thus I remembered my various past lives in all their various modes and manifold details. This was the first knowledge I attained in the first watch of the night. Ignorance was destroyed; the knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose as happens in one who is alert, aware, and determined. But the very pleasant feeling that arose by this did neither invade my mind, nor remain. With the mind thus concentrated, purified, bright, intact, pliant, malleable, steady, and totally imperturbable, I directed it to the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. I saw by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human eye! I saw beings passing away & re-appearing, and I realized how & why they are high or low, beautiful or ugly, fortunate and unfortunate all in exact accordance with the intentions of their prior actions: These beings who were endowed with bad behaviour of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the Noble Ones, held wrong views & acted under the influence of wrong views, with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the plane of misery, the bad painful destination, the lower realms, even in hell. But the beings who were gifted with good behaviour of body, speech and mind, who did not revile the Noble Ones, who held right views and acted under the influence of right views after the break-up of the body, after the death, have re-appeared in happy destinations, even in a divine world! Thus by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human I saw beings passing away & re-appearing, all in accordance with their particular mixture of good and bad kamma... But the satisfaction that arose here did neither invade my mind, nor remain. With the mind thus concentrated and completely absorbed, I then directed it towards understanding the ending of mental fermentation. I realized how it actually comes to be, that: This is Suffering... Such is the Cause of Suffering... Such is the End of Suffering... Such is the Way to End Suffering...
Such was the mental fermentations... Such is the Cause of mental fermentation... Such is the End of mental fermentation... Such is the Way leading to the end of mental fermentation.
When my mind saw that, it was instantly freed of the fermentation of all sense-desire, it was released from the fermentation of becoming, and it became fully uncovered from the fermentation of ignorance. Thus fully and perfectly Enlightened - The Buddha - perceiving this immense glory, spoke these 2 solemn verses, which never has been omitted by any of countless billions of prior Buddhas:
Through this round of countless existences have I searched, but yet failed to find "the Creator", who framed this construction: What Suffering indeed is such endless birth, ageing, decay, sickness and ever repeated death! Now I see that "the Constructor" of this structure is Craving...!!! Never shall this construction be built again, since all the rafters are shattered and the main beam is busted and completely broken... At this calming of all Craving, the mind was finally, irreversibly and ultimately stilled… Then, friends, this revelation of certainty arose in me: This release is indeed immutable, this is the very last rebirth, this endless reappearance has finally come to a happy end...Nibbana is verily the Highest Bliss!
The brahmin Magandiya asked the Buddha about how to become calmed: Not dwelling in the past, stilled in the present, one prefers no kind of future! Without irritation, without agitation, without regrets, without worry, neither boasting, nor proud, but humble and modest, one is indeed a restrained sage... Withdrawn, not opposed to anything, not wanting anything, all unconcerned, aloof, gentle, independent, for such one there exists neither craving or fear for any kind of existence, nor craving or fear for any form of non-existence... Such calmed one is indifferent to sense pleasures, detached, not clinging to any kind of property! For him there is nothing more to take up or lay down! For whatever others might accuse him, he remains tranquil and not agitated! Neither opposing anything, nor attracted to anything, with nothing of his own, not perturbed by what does not exist, such tranquil one is truly calmed! Sutta-Nipata 849-861 Edited excerpt.
The Blessed Buddha once said: How does the monk whose mind is filled with all-embracing kindness pervade one direction? Just as, at the sight of a dear and agreeable childhood friend, one may feel kindness, exactly so does he pervade all living beings with his kind friendliness... Vibh Xlll,643
May all beings live in happiness and peace. Filled with joy and delight! Sn 145
I found no one whom I loved better than myself. Exactly so to do all other beings also love their self most dearly. Thus, wishing well to all, one should do No Harm to anyone! SN 3.8
Mental release by all-embracing friendliness is practiced in five ways with unspecified extension: May all beings be free from anger, anxiety and frustration, and may they pass their life in happiness! May all living beings ... all creatures ... all individuals ... all those included in existence be free from anger, anxiety and frustration and may they be all happy! Pts 11/130
Therefore: Never do any Evil! Neither openly nor in Secret... If having done bad or is doing wrong now, pain surely returns, even though one flee by flying away... The effect of any action, good as bad, follows the doer like a shadow that never leaves... Consequence is Certain... Why so ? Because one cannot hide anything for one's own mind! It knows & remembers! Mind is thus forerunner of all phenomena...
The Blessed Buddha on non-violence: I am a friend of the footless, I am a friend of the bipeds; I am a friend of those with four feet, I am a friend of the many-footed. May not the footless harm me, may not the bipeds harm me, may not those with four feet harm me, and may not those with many feet harm me. AN. II, 72
Among tigers, lions, leopards & bears I lived in the wood. No one was frightened of me, nor did I fear anyone. Uplifted by such universal friendliness I enjoyed the forest. Finding great solace in sweet silent solitude. Suvanna-sama Jataka 540
The Blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus & friends: There is one contemplation, which when often practiced and developed leads to the complete turning away from the world, to detachment, to stilling, to ceasing, to Peace, to final penetrating knowledge, to Enlightenment, and thus to Nibbana... Any Noble Disciple who by progress has understood the Dhamma dwells frequently in this state. Which is that one contemplation? It is reflecting regarding the qualities of ultimate Peace like this: This is peaceful, this is sublime, namely, the stilling of all kammic construction, the leaving all behind of all substrata of any being, the complete vanishing of all sorts of craving, ceasing, Nibbana... Whatever, Bhikkhus & friends, there is of both conditioned & unconditioned things, dependent & independent constructions, detachment is considered the highest of them, that is, the final destruction of ego-belief, the overcoming of all desire & thirst, the rooting out of clinging, the breaking out of this long round of rebirths, the vanishing of craving, absolute release, Nibbana...
The Buddha emphasized: Nibbana is the Highest Happiness! Source: AN 1:16.10 + 10:60 + 4.34
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!
The unaware monkey mind automatically runs in the local minima of least dissatisfaction. Needless to say: This can hardly by called "freedom", but better "blinded conditioning"... The 7 Latent Tendencies Drives the Mind from the Backseat! Makes U Running in circles...
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
Buddha himself explained The 5 Rebirth Destinations!
The Blessed Buddha once explained: Sariputta, there are these five destinations. What are the five? Hell, the animal realm, the realm of ghosts, human beings, and gods... I fully understand hell, the animal, ghost, human, and the divine realm, and the various paths and ways leading to these realms of existence... I also understand, know and directly see how any one who has entered a path to hell, on the breakup of the body, right at death, will reappear in a state of deprivation, in a painful destination, in purgatory, in hell... Similarly do I understand, know and see directly how any one, who has entered such path on the breakup of the body, right after death, will reappear as animal, ghost, human or divine being... I understand Nibbana, the path and very way leading to this Nibbana... And I also understand & see directly how one who has entered this path realising it himself by direct experience, will right there and then enter and dwell in that release of mind & that release by understanding, which is fermentation-free after the elimination of the mental fermentations!
Comments: Ancient Manual on these 5 destinations: Pañcagatidipani. Translated by Ann Appleby Hazlewood. In Journal of the Pali Text Society. Vol. XI 1987: http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=13271
Breakthrough to the Truths safeguards against Downfall Rebirth!
The Blessed Gotama Buddha once explained: Bhikkhus and friends, see this little dust, I have taken up upon the nail of my little-finger, what do you think is most: This tiny amount dust or this great planet Earth? The Bhikkhus then responded: Venerable Sir, this great planet Earth is much more, incomparable more... The minute speck of dust is trifling, microscopic, negligible in comparison! The Blessed Gotama Buddha then succinctly pointed out: Similarly and exactly so too, Bhikkhus and friends, those beings are few & quite rare, who are reborn among humans or devas! Beings who are reborn elsewhere, lower, as non-humans, in the screaming hell, as scared animals, as hungry ghosts, or as mad demons are much more numerous and common... Why is it so? Because, these beings have not understood the 4 Noble Truths! What four? The 1st Noble Truth: This is Suffering; The 2nd Noble Truth: Craving is the Cause of Suffering; The 3rd Noble Truth: No Craving is the End of Suffering; The 4th Noble Truth: The Noble 8-fold Way ceases all Suffering. Therefore, Bhikkhus & friends, exertion should be made Now to understand: All This is Suffering; This Greedy Craving is the sole Cause of all Suffering; No Craving is the End of Suffering; The Noble 8-fold Way Ends all Suffering, Therefore should effort to fathom these 4 Noble Truths be made NOW!
Source (edited extract): The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. [V:474-5] section 56: Saccasamyutta. Thread 102-5: Elsewhere & etc...
Comments: The actions that result in rebirth in the five destinations are described in detail in the work: Pañcagatidipani. Translated by Ann Appleby Hazlewood. in Journal of the Pali Text Society. Vol. XI 1987: http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=132714
Video illustrating life among humans, in heaven and in hell:
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'...
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 & only that... A never-ending FILM in dire need of a Scissor!
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…
The 8 spokes symbolizes the 8 Steps of the Noble Way!
Question: >Can one be saved by an Almighty God or Divine Power?
Answer: India has always had two holy traditions:
Brahmana: Priests, who by rituals and worship of assumed almighty ‘gods’, and ‘divinity’ believe that they can be saved by these divine other-powers, which they then rely on. Depending thus on something they cannot see or contact their search is often blind…
Sramana: Recluses, who only trust themselves and that every-one has to purify and thereby save themselves by themselves. They trust intense meditation & study after guidance of a teacher, who usually is a Buddha.
No Brahmana have ever – so far reported – reached any Noble State… That is, come within 7 rebirths of Nibbana – the only lasting safety! No Brahmana have – so far reported – ever reached Nibbana… No Brahmana, priest, guru, swami this or that will ever reach Nibbana! Emptiness can also be tantalizing and have even been worshipped also as a transcendental divine state … (That leads also to no safety…)
Conclusion: There are gods (devas) out there. But they cannot save U or anyone else… So there is no need or gain by looking ‘out there’ after an almighty ‘saviour’… Rather moral and mental purification can only come by looking inward. One has to do the job oneself! Most can only do it by taking a Teacher, who is either a Noble or an Awakened Buddhist… Not so easy to find...
The blessed Buddha Gotama once said:
NO OTHER By self alone, is harm done. By self alone, does one suffer from own evil. By self alone, is harm left undone. By self alone, is one purified & thereby saved. Both destruction and salvation is the work of oneself. No-one can purify another! Dhammapada 165
SAVIOUR Self is indeed self's only saviour! Who else can save you ? With oneself well tamed, one gains a saviour hard to otherwise find. Dhammapada 160
NOW OR NEVER Make an island for yourself. Strive quickly now in exerting effort. Be the wise one. Not a naive fool… When your defilement have been blown away and you have freed yourself from evil passions; Never will you again be Ageing! Never will you again be Dying! Dhammapada 238
ISLAND Make an island of yourself, haste to exert effort, be clever. When your mental defilements have been cleaned & you have cleared yourself of passion, then yours will be the divine state of exquisite choice. Dhammapada 236
Friendly + Unselfish = Honourable! Who is hospitable, and friendly, Generous and unselfish, A guide, a teacher, a leader, Such one will to honour attain. Digha Nikaya 3.273
What is Mara: A Transient, Painful, and Selfless 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 and 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, he instantly knows: This mind is liberated, and he 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...
He is also called Namuci: Never letting any Escape his hypnotic hedonist powers! Any Deva can choose own body form. His favourite manifestations are as above..
Training Universal Friendliness induces unalloyed Joy! Cultivating Boundless Pity enables tranquil Tolerance! Developing Mutual Joy produces deep Contentment! Refining Equanimity establishes calming Serenity!
The Blessed Buddha repeatedly explained: May all creatures, all breathing things, all beings one and all, without exception, experience joy and good fortune only. May they not fall into any harm! Anguttara Nikaya II, 72
With good will for the entire cosmos, Cultivate a limitless & infinite heart: Above, as below, across & all around, Unobstructed, without any hostility. Sutta Nipata I, 8
Overcome the angry by friendliness; Overcome the wicked by goodness; Overcome the miser by generosity; Overcome the liar by truth. Dhammapada 223
Train yourself in doing only pure good... That lasts and brings great happiness! Cultivate generosity, a peaceful living, and a mentality of infinite friendliness! Itivuttaka 16
The Blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus, just as this body, is sustained by feeding, exists in dependence on feeding and cannot survive without food, so are the 7 Links to Awakening also sustained by feeding, they can also only exist in dependence on feeding and they cannot remain without feeding... And what, bhikkhus, is the feeding of the emergence of any yet unarisen equanimity and also feeding of the completion by condensation of any arisen Equanimity? There are states that are the basis & source Equanimity! Frequently pointing careful and rational attention to them, is feeding the emergence of unarisen equanimity & also feeding of the gradual fulfillment of any arisen Equanimity Link to Awakening... And what, Bhikkhus, is the starving that obstructs all emergence of a yet unarisen equanimity and which also hinders any already arisen Equanimity Link from reaching complete fulfillment by development? There are states that are the basis and source for the equanimity! Not giving frequent, careful and rational attention to them; not considering them much and often; is the starving that prevents an unarisen equanimity from arising and also blocks any already arisen equanimity from reaching any complete fulfillment through training in the form of frequent meditation!
Comments from the classical commentaries: Imperturbable onlooking ballance is characteristic of the equanimity. (Upekkha-Sambojjhanga). Moderation, seeking the neutral middle, composure and control is the purpose of the quality of Equanimity (Upekkha). Imperturbability is the manifestation of the equanimity. This stable yet still plastic patience purifies all the other advantageous mental states, which thus reach their maximum, when joined with Equanimity...
Further conditions helpful for the emergence of the equanimity are: 1: Impartiality regarding all living & sentient beings... 2: Indifference regarding all inanimate constructions... 3: Avoiding biased people who prefer favouritism & one-sided partiality... 4: Friendship with well ballanced people unmoved by both pleasure & pain... 5: Commitment to ballance the mind into even & imperturbable Equanimity!
There is Equanimity towards living beings and regarding material things! There is Equanimity towards internal states & regarding external states! There is Equanimity towards all past, present, and future times, and events! There is Equanimity towards all mentality and regarding all materiality!
Sources (edited extracts): The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book [V: 65-6+102-8] 46: Links. 2+51: Group & Nutriments.... Have a nice & noble day!
Sitting alone, in silence, each early morning, with closed eyes one wishes: May I radiate and meet only calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity! May I and all the various beings on the 31 levels of existence develop and find only the composure and poise of calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity! May I and all beings on the sense-desire, fine-material, and the formless plane develop and encounter this serene, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity! May I and all beings in the front, to the right, the back, the left and below as above develop and experience cool, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity! May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe always be fully aware and deeply mindful of this steady, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity! May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe examine all details and subtle aspects of this unstirred, placid, imperturbable, and even equanimity! May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe put enthusiastic effort into their training of this solid, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity! May I and all beings in this city, country and universe find enraptured joy and jubilant gladness in this unmovable, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity! May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe cultivate the tranquillity of quiet, silent, stilled, and all smiling calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity! May I and all beings in this city, country and universe attain concentrated and absorbed one-pointedness by stoic, deep, imperturbable, and even equanimity! May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe dwell in undisturbable and imperturbable equanimity of unexcitable and unreactive detachment... Yeah! Print this out, dwell in each state until pure, use ~ 25-45 minutes.
Comment: Imperturbable Equanimity is the 4th infinite state (Appamañña): This gradually reduces all desire, attraction, drift, tendency, bias, preference, favouritism, one-sided partiality and unhappiness related with all these states. Equanimity is the proximate cause of any knowing and seeing leading to Wisdom... Equanimity is an extremely subtle form of solid, calm and peaceful Happiness... Equanimity purifies all other advantageous states and brings them to Perfection... Equanimity is unresponsive indifference, unstirred, unaffected, and untroubled!!! There is Equanimity both regarding all live beings and all dead things! There is Equanimity both regarding all internal and all external states! There is Equanimity both regarding all past, all present and all future events! There is Equanimity both regarding all what is mental and all which is physical! There is Equanimity both regarding all what is material and all which is immaterial! There is Equanimity both regarding all formed and all formless phenomena! Cultivating such six-fold equanimity brings this supreme state to completion.
A Brahmin Priest once asked the Blessed Buddha: Master Gotama, what is the cause of being unable to remember something that has been memorized over a long period & also that which has not been? Brahmin, when the mind is obsessed, beset, and dominated by sense-desire, and one does not understand any safe escape from this arisen sense-desire, in that moment, one neither sees nor understands, what is advantageous, neither for oneself, nor for others, nor for both... On such occasions, even texts, that have been long memorized, cannot be recalled by mind. Why is this neglect so? Imagine a bucket of water mixed with dyes or paints: Yellow, blue, and crimson red. If a man with good eyes were to inspect the reflection of his own face in it, he would neither see nor recognize his own face! So too, brahmin, when the mind is obsessed, beset, and dominated by sense-desire, on that occasion those texts, that have been long memorized does not recur to the mind, not to speak of those texts, events and things, that have not been memorized at all…
The Blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus by possessing 3 qualities, one lives this life full of pleasure & joy! Furthermore, one has thereby prepared for the elimination of the subtle mental fermentations... What are these 3 advantageous qualities?
I: One guards the doors of the senses, II: One is moderate in eating, and III: One is devoted to wakefulness...
How, Bhikkhus, is a Bhikkhu devoted to wakefulness? During daytime, while doing either walking or sitting meditation, a Bhikkhu purifies his mind of detrimental states. In the 1st watch of the night, while walking back & forth & sitting, he also purifies mind of obstructive states! In the middle watch of the night, he lies down on the right side in the lion's posture, with one foot lying upon the other, aware & clearly comprehending, determining when to rise again. After rising, in the last watch of the night, while walking back & forth and sitting, he cleans out any disadvantageous mental states again. It is in this way, Bhikkhus, that a true Bhikkhu is fully devoted to wakefulness! Bhikkhus, it is by possessing these three qualities, that a Bhikkhu lives full of happiness and Joy in this very life, and that he has prepared for the final destruction of the mental fermentations...
When have you last been Wide Awake before Sunrise?
How to cure Confusing Uncertainty and Skeptical Doubt?
What if doubt leading to confusion and indecisiveness, keeps coming back?
Undertaking these 5 simple actions gains assured certainty over time: 1: The praxis of living under a Teacher... 2: The effort of learning the True Dhamma... 3: The work of examining the meaning of the Dhamma... 4: The habit of listening to/reading the Dhamma repeatedly... 5: The quality of inquiring into the Cause & Non-Cause of all phenomena...
Through these 5 behaviours is both ignorance, skeptical doubt, uncertainty, and bewildered confusion gradually eradicated by the invested effort!
The Buddha once explained how to enter the stream leading to Nibbana: One can cut off the 5 lower fetters and enter the Stream to Nibbana by resolving on this with unwavering determination: What is present here now, what has come into being, all that I relinquish and leave behind here & now! If it is neither 'Me' nor 'Mine' now, nor will it then ever be 'Me' or 'Mine' in any future... All this accumulation is not-I, not what I am, not my self! There is no reason to fear a peace, that is not frightening since: All form is impermanent, painful, selfless, dependent and vanishing. All feeling is transient, hurting, egoless, conditional and fading away. All perception is passing, distress, not me, contingent and leaving instantly. All construction is temporary, tender, not mine, reliant and always lost. All consciousness is brief, misery, not-self, contingent and evaporating. So nothing whatsoever is lost al all by leaving behind lust for form, feeling, perception, construction and consciousness! When this desire, this craving for these 5 elements, is all eliminated, then there remains neither object, nor foundation, nor basis for the establishing of any consciousness...! When that consciousness remains un-established, without any foot-hold, without any object, disengaged, neither generating, nor proliferating, nor propagating anything, then it is released, detached by non-construction, non-display, non-projection, in a non-manifesting all stilled quietness... Being thus liberated from its usual tasks, then consciousness stabilizes, and settles. When consciousness becomes steady in this ease of peace, it also becomes quite content... When content, then it is also unagitated! Being thus fully imperturbable, one attains Nibbana right there and then, and instantly understands: Birth is ended, this Noble Life is completed, done is what should be done, there is no state beyond this ...!!!
1: Redirect attention to a different advantageous object: Like when driving out a coarse peg from a piece of wood, using a fine peg, one can substitute and thereby replace : A: Desire for living forms with thinking on a disgusting rotting corpse... B: Desire for inanimate things with thinking on their impermanence... C: Aversion towards living beings with the mental release of friendliness... Aversion towards inanimate things with noting their composition... E: Delusion, doubt, uncertainty & confusion with thorough investigation...
2: Consider the Danger in thoughts mixed with hate, greed & ignorance: These thoughts of mine are disgusting, dangerous, bringing much misery now & later, just like a young man or woman is disgusted & humiliated, if somebody hang a rotting carcass of a snake, dog or human around their neck, so should one regard disturbing distractions!
3: Stopping all flow of thought by Non-Attention and Non-Reflection: Like a man not wishing to see close his eyes & turn away from the object.
4: Repeat reflection of the Root Cause of these Distractions: Searching for the reason of these mental afflictions can cure them: Like a running man wishing calm finding no reason to run, starts walking... Then finding no reason to walk, he sits down, finding no reason to sit, he lies down... Now cured!
5: Beating the evil mind down with the force of the good mind: By clenching the lower teeth against the upper teeth, and pressing the tongue up against the palate, like a strong man holds down a weak man by the shoulders so should one beat down mind with mind. Then these evil, ill & detrimental thoughts rooted in greed, hate, & ignorance are eliminated, and they vanish. By their evaporation mind settles down, becomes focused, concentrated and unified on the purely good thought!
Attention Deficit occurs, when following after Distracting Thoughts!
Control starts with Guarding the 6 Doors of the Senses!!
The Buddha once explained Bhikkhus by possessing three qualities, one lives in this very life full of ease, pleasure & joy! Furthermore, one has thereby prepared the elimination of the mental fermentations... What are these three advantageous qualities? I: One guards the doors of the senses, II: One is moderate in eating, and III: One is devoted to wakefulness...
How is a Bhikkhu moderate in eating? While reflecting rationally, he eats food neither for the sake of entertainment, nor of infatuation, nor wishing for bodily beauty, but exclusively for the support and maintenance of this body, for ending discomfort, and for assisting this Noble life, considering: Thus will I now end this old feeling, yet without arousing any new feeling! Thus will I remain healthy, blameless & in comfort... Exactly as one treats an open wound, only for the purpose healing it, or just as one greases an axle only for the sake of easy transport of a heavy load, so does a Bhikkhu, who is moderated in eating, while always reflecting rationally, eat food ...
The Blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus, there are joys of the flesh, there are joys not of this world, & there are rapturous joys far beyond even such subtle unworldly joys ... There is happiness of the flesh, there is a happiness not of this world, & there is exquisite bliss far beyond even such subtle unworldly happiness! There is indifference of the flesh, there is Equanimity not of this world, and there is a serenity far beyond even such subtle unworldly Equanimity! There is satiety of the flesh, there is a mental release not of this world, and there is a liberation far beyond even such subtle unworldly release ... And what, bhikkhus, are then these simple joys of the flesh? There are these five strings of sense-pleasure. What five? Visible forms experiencable by the eye ... Hearable sounds experiencable by the ear ... Smellable odours experiencable by the nose ... Tastable flavours experiencable by the tongue ... Touchable objects experiencable by the body ... All are attractive, captivating, desirable, irresistible, lovely, agreeable, tempting, pleasing, sensually enticing, seductive, alluring, & tantalizing! These are the 5 strings of sense-pleasure. Joy that arises from these five strings of sense-pleasure: This is simply the Joy of the flesh ...
Blissful is being without passions in this world, Blissful is the overcoming of all sense-desires! Udana II, 1
Sitting alone, in silence, each early morning, with closed eyes, one wishes: May I radiate and meet with only infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion! May I & all the various beings on the 31 levels of existence develop & find only this genuine gentleness of infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion! May I & all beings on the sense-desire, fine-material, & the formless plane develop & encounter this tender infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion! May I & all beings in the front, to the right, the back, the left & below as above develop & experience caring infinite pity, sympathy, & compassion! May I & all beings in this city, country, and universe always be fully aware and deeply mindful of this warm infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion! May I & all beings in this city, country, and universe examine all details & subtle aspects of this benevolent infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion! May I & all beings in this city, country, & universe put enthusiastic effort in their praxis of this affectionate infinite pity, sympathy, & compassion! May I & all beings in this city, country and universe find enraptured joy & jubilant gladness in this fond infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion! May I & all beings in this city, country, & universe cultivate the tranquillity of quiet, silent, stilled, & endlessly merciful pity, sympathy, & compassion! May I & all beings in this city, country and universe attain concentrated & absorbed one-pointedness by this infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion! May I & all beings in this city, country, and universe dwell in imperturbable equanimity joined with this loving infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion... Yeah! Print this out, dwell in each state until clear, use ~ 25-45 minutes.
Comment: All-Embracing Pity is the 2nd infinitely divine state (Appamañña) This gradually reduces all aggressiveness, cruelty, ferocity, viciousness, rage, inner & outer violence, and unhappiness related with these states. Joined with the 7 links to Awakening it will later cause formless jhanas...
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... 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 - …!!!
Image at the Kelaniya Temple close to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
4 Things Opens the Entrance Streaming right to Nibbâna!
The blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus and friends, these four things, when developed and cultivated, lead to the realization of the fruit of Stream-entry. What four? 1: Association with excellent persons, 2: Hearing and learning true Dhamma, 3: Rational and careful attention, 4: Praxis in accordance with this Dhamma.
These four things, when developed and cultivated, lead to the realization of the fruit of Stream-entry ... lead to the realization of the fruit of Once-returning ... lead to the realization of the fruit of Non-returning ... lead to the obtaining of understanding ... lead to the growth of understanding ... lead to the expansion of understanding ... lead to great understanding ... lead to extensive understanding ... lead to vast understanding ... lead to deep understanding ... lead to matchless understanding ... lead to wide understanding ... lead to rich understanding ... lead to quick understanding ... lead to buoyant understanding ... lead to joyous understanding ..... lead to swift understanding ... lead to sharp understanding ... lead to penetrative understanding ... lead to transcendent understanding ... lead to great wisdom ...!!! What four?
1: Association with excellent persons, 2: Hearing & learning true Dhamma, 3: Rational and careful attention, 4: Praxis in accordance with this Dhamma.
These 4 things, when initiated & trained, lead to penetrative understanding... These 4 things, when completed, lead to the very final fruit of Arahat-ship: Awakening into Enlightenment, the very deathless dimension: Nibbana ...!!!
When sitting alone, in silence, each early morning, with closed eyes one wishes: May I radiate and meet only never-ending and mutually rejoicing joy! May I & all the various beings on the 31 levels of existence develop and find only celebration and elation in a never-ending mutually rejoicing joy! May I & all beings on the sense-desire, fine-material, and the formless plane develop and encounter this generous, infinite and mutually rejoicing joy! May I & all beings in the front, to the right, the back, the left, and below as above, develop and experience openhearted, sharing, & mutually rejoicing joy! May I and all beings within this city, country, planet and universe always: Be fully aware and deeply mindful of this content and mutually rejoicing joy! Examine all details & aspects of this satisfied and mutually rejoicing joy! Put enthusiastic effort in our praxis of this devoted mutually rejoicing joy! Enjoy enraptured jubilant gladness in this exulting mutually rejoicing joy! Be silenced by the tranquillity of quiet and all smiling mutually rejoicing joy! Be concentrated & absorbed into one-pointedness by genuine rejoicing joy! Dwell in an imperturbable equanimity of pure and mutually rejoicing joy... Yeah! May it be even so, since mutual joy causes the jewel of contentment!
Comment: Mutual Joy is the 3rd infinite mental state (Appamañña): This gradually reduces all envy, jealousy, possessiveness, stinginess, avarice miserliness, green covetousness and unhappiness related with all these states. The cause of Mutual Joy in rejoicing in your child's or boon companion's success. This same joy can then be beamed towards all liked, neutral and hostile beings. Mutual Joy is then the proximate cause of satisfied and fulfilled Contentment... Lack of mutual joy is thus the proximate cause of dissatisfied discontentment... Joined with the 7 links to Awakening it will later cause a formless jhana... Be happy at all and especially other being's success! Then calm comfort grows!
Relinquishing what is Not Ownable produces Calmed Ease!
The Blessed Buddha once explained: Bhikkhus, leave whatever is not yours, give it up! Having left it, relinquished it and in every respect released it, that will lead to your lasting welfare, ease and happiness! And what is it, Bhikkhus, that is not yours? The eye is not yours... Forms are not yours... The ear is not yours... Sounds are not yours... The nose is not yours... Smells are not yours... The tongue is not yours... Tastes are not yours... The body is not yours... Touches are not yours... The mind is not yours... Mental States are not yours... When you have left it, given it up, relinquished it, and fully released it, then that will indeed lead to your welfare, ease and happiness for a long time... Imagine, Bhikkhus, that people were to carry off any dry grass and sticks in this entire forest and then burn it all to ashes! Would you then think: 'People are carrying us all off, and burning us all up into nothing...'? No! Why not? Because that grass is neither our self, nor belonging to us! Exactly so too, Bhikkhus: The eye is not yours. Forms are not yours. The ear is not yours. Sounds are not yours. The nose is not yours. Smells are not yours. The tongue is not yours. Tastes are not yours. The body is not yours. Touches are not yours. The mind is not yours. Mental States are not yours. These are neither your self, nor what you are, nor belonging to any self! When you have left these, given them all up, released them, & relinquished them, then that will indeed lead to your welfare, safety, ease & happiness for a long, long, long time...
Comments: All states -internal as external, physical as mental- are empty of stability! Their nature is to arise and cease. Neither can they therefore ever be kept, nor ever owned by anybody... Clinging to what never can be kept, is Pain...! Relinquishing it all, is therefore indeed happiness...
At Savatthi the blessed Buddha said: Bhikkhus, when the perception of impermanence is developed & cultivated, then it eliminates all sense desire, it eliminates all lust for becoming into something else, it also eliminates all ignorance, and finally it uproots even this deep self-deception that "I Am"... Just as, bhikkhus, in the autumn, when the sky is ultra clear and cloudless, then the rising sun dispels all darkness from all the space where it shines, so too when the perception of impermanence is developed and cultivated, then it eliminates all sense desire, it eliminates lust for renewed becoming into something else, and it also evaporates and eliminates all ignorance... Finally it even uproots this core conceit that "I Am"! And how, bhikkhus, is perception of impermanence developed & cultivated so that it eliminates all sense desire, lust for becoming, ignorance & egoism? Such is form, such is the arising of form, such is the ceasing of form.. Such is feeling, such is the arising of feeling, such is the ceasing of feeling.. Such is perception, such is the arising of perception, such is its cessation.. Such is construction, such is the arising of construction, & such its ceasing. Such is consciousness, such is the arising of consciousness, & such its ceasing. That is how the perception of impermanence is developed and cultivated so that it eliminates all sense desire, all lust for becoming something else, all ignorance, and so that it finally uproots this conceit that "I Am"...
Causes cause emergence when present, while ceasing when they are absent: Body is caused by food, ignorance, form lust, & intention resulting in form. Feeling arises from contact, ignorance, desire for feeling, & prior intention. Perception is caused by contact, ignorance, lust for perception, and kamma. Mental Construction arises caused by contact, past ignorance, desire for mental construction, and prior intention = kama resulting in construction. The causes of consciousness are mentality-&-materiality, prior ignorance, desire for being conscious, and kammic intention resulting in consciousness. Ignorance is Not Knowing: Suffering, Craving as the cause of Suffering, No Craving as the End of Suffering, and the Noble Way to end Suffering...
Whether going along, above, across or back, wherever he goes in this world let him carefully scrutinize the arising & ceasing of all constructed things... Itivuttaka 120
Poya is the full-moon of Poson (June), which is specially noteworthy to the Sri Lankan Buddhists as the day on which Emperor Asoka's son, the Arahat Mahinda, officially introduced Buddhism to the island in the 3rd century B.C. Accordingly, in addition to the normal ritualistic observances undertaken on a Poya day, on Poson day devotees flock to Mihintale & Anuradhapura, the ancient holy capital city of the country, for it was there that Arahat Mahinda converted the then ruler, King Devanampiya Tissa, and his court to Buddhism, thereby setting in motion a series of events that finally made Sri Lanka the stronghold home of Theravada Buddhism.
On such Uposatha 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 and head touch the floor. Then, with joined palms in front of the heart, one recite 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! This is the very start on the path towards Nibbana -the Deathless Element- This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Bliss, 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 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..." signed with name, date, town & country to me or join here. A public list of this new Saddhamma-Sangha is here!
At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha once said to his monks: I will teach you the Unconstructed, Unconditioned & Uncreated State, & the way leading to this unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated state... Listen & pay attention to that, which will lead you to lasting happiness! And what, is this unconstructed, unconditioned and uncreated state? The elimination of greed, the stilling of hate, & the absence of ignorance: This is the unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated state of Nibbana... And what is the good way leading to this unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated state?
Awareness of the body as a collection of organs is a way to unconstruct... The four foundations of awareness is a way to this uncreated dimension... Serene calm and profound insight is a way to this unconditioned sphere... Concentrated directed thought & sustained examination is such a way... Absorption into emptiness, 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 the only ways leading to the unconstructed, unconditioned and uncreated state. Bhikkhus, I have now taught you the unconstructed, the unconditioned, the 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 sole 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, since you will bitterly regret it later! This is our instruction to you all...
The Blessed Buddha once explained: Friends, the uninstructed, uneducated, and ordinary person does neither understand as it really is the origin, nor the ceasing, nor the satisfaction, nor the danger, nor the escape from these five clusters of clinging: Form, Feeling, Perception, Mental Constructions, and Consciousness! But, friends, the instructed Noble Disciple understands as it really is both the origin, the ceasing, the satisfaction, the danger, and the escape in the case of form, feeling, perception, mental constructions, & consciousness!
How are these 5 aspects of the 5 clusters of clinging to be understood? The origin of form is nutriment! Ceasing of nutriment is ceasing of form! The satisfaction in form is the pleasure, fun, and joy derived from form. The danger in form is the impermanent and decaying nature of all form. The escape from form is the overcoming of all desire & lust for any form. [Nutriment is here defined as: Food, contact, intention and consciousness!]
The origin of feeling, perception and construction is this sense contact. The ceasing of feeling, perception and construction is ceasing of contact. The satisfaction in feeling, perception & construction is the pleasure, and joy derived from feeling, perception and mental construction. The danger in feeling, perception and mental construction is the inherent and inevitable impermanence & therefore immanent dissatisfaction within any feeling, any perception and any mental construction whatsoever! The escape from feeling, perception and construction is the overcoming of all desire and lust for all feeling, perception and mental construction!
The initial origin of consciousness is mental construction. The ceasing of consciousness is the ceasing of mental construction. The satisfaction in consciousness is the pleasure and joy derived from consciousness. The danger within consciousness is this impermanence, nature to change, and thus misery characteristic of any form and event of consciousness! The escape from all consciousness is the overcoming & elimination of all desire and lust for any form for consciousness. In this way are these 5 aspects of the 5 clusters of clinging to be fully understood! It is only in this way, that the instructed Noble Disciple indeed really understands, what should be understood...
The origin of the ability of Faith is the desire to make a decision! The origin of the ability of Energy is the longing for exertion! The origin of the ability of Awareness is the wanting to establish! The origin of the ability of Concentration is yearning for non-distraction! The origin of the ability of Understanding is the wish to see!
Wearing away the 3 Roots of Evil stops all Suffering!
There are, friends, these three kinds of fading away, that are directly observable, obviously evident, inviting each & every one to come and see for themselves, practical, to be personally experienced by any clever one! What three? Someone here is & greedy & lustful, and caused by this very greedy lust, he comes to harm himself, to harm others, & to harm both himself & others... When this greedy lust later is discarded, then does he neither come to harm himself, nor to harm others, nor to harm both himself & others anymore ... This fading away, caused by wearing away of desire, is directly observable, immediate, inviting each & every one to come & see for themselves, practical, freeing, releasing, and to be personally experienced by any intelligence!!! Furthermore: Someone here is full of hate & aggression, and caused by this rage of anger, he comes to harm himself, to harm others, and to harm both himself & others... When this angry hatred later is eliminated, then does he neither come to harm himself, nor to harm others, nor to harm both himself & others anymore ... This fading away, caused by wearing away of ill-will, is directly observable, apparent, inviting each & every one to come & see for themselves, smoothing, soft, sweet, and to be personally experienced by any intelligence!!! Finally: Someone here is deluded, blinded & confused, and caused by this very ignorance, he comes to harm himself, to harm others, and to harm both himself & others... When this lack of understanding later is cleared up, then does he neither come to harm himself, nor to harm others, nor to harm both himself & others anymore ... This fading away, caused by wearing away of obscuration, is easily observable, actual, inviting each & every one to come & see for themselves, all advantageous, awakening, opening, and to be personally experienced by any intelligence!!! These, friends, are the three kinds of fading away, that are directly observable, immediately accessible, inviting each & every one to come and see for themselves, practical, applicable, reachable, & personally experiencable by any intelligence...
There are 3 Root Causes of all Evil: Greed! Hate! Ignorance!
These wrong mental roots blend in innumerable ways:
Examples of Root Mixtures: Mixed Greed and Hate becomes => envy or jealousy... Mixed Ignorance and Greed becomes => search, urge & frustration... Mixed Ignorance and Hate becomes => extremism, fanatism & terrorism...
What causes Greed and Lust to arise? Contacted by an attractive object, pleasurable feeling arises. If unaware and untrained, then pleasurable feeling instantly makes craving towards the object arise! This pleasant feeling thus causes greed and lust to arise.
What causes Ill-Will and Anger to arise? Contacted by a repulsive object, painful feeling arises. If unaware and untrained, then the painful feeling instantly makes craving away from the object arise! This unpleasant feeling thus causes ill-will & anger to arise.
What causes Delusion and Ignorance to arise? Contacted by a neither attractive nor repulsive object, then a neither pleasurable nor big painful feeling arises. If unaware and untrained, then this neutral, neither pleasurable nor painful feeling instantly makes craving for neglecting the object arise... This neutral feeling thus causes delusion and Ignorance to arise.
What is the relationship between the Mental Defilements and Craving? Craving is the growth force and also media for the mental defilements: Because of craving this state (e.g. wealth), aversion for the opposite state (e.g. poverty) arises. Possessiveness, envy and jealousy soon follows, which again enables violence & cruelty. Pain is the result of all such defilements.
What is the relationship between the Defilements & Self-Identification? Self-Identification (egocentrism) is the glue holding together all mental defilements. Eg: How to ever be possessive if there is no owner? ;-)
What is the absolute absence of all Greed, Hate and Ignorance? The state Nibbana reached at the completion of the Noble 8-fold Way is the absolute and irreversible absence of all greed, hate and ignorance!
Beings causally create future states by intending them!
What causes this possessive Clinging to what is Painful?
At Savatthi, while seated, Venerable Radha asked the Blessed Buddha: Venerable Sir, one says: "A Being!" In what way, Sir, is one a being? When one is stuck, Radha, tightly stuck, in desire, lust, delight, & craving for form, then one is called a being! When one is trapped within yearning, longing, fascination, and craving for feeling, for perception, for mental constructions and for all the various forms of consciousness, in so far as this violent force of clinging is still active, then one is defined as a being... Imagine, Radha, some small boys & girls who are playing with sand castles. So long as they are not devoid of desire, affection, attraction, delight, & fascination for those sand castles, then they will like them, play with them, treasure & guard them, be obsessed with them & treat them possessively... But as soon as the small boys & girls lose their desire, delight, affection, attraction, and fascination for those sand castles, then they scatter them with their hands & feet, bulldoze them, shatter them, and eradicate them! So too should you, Radha, scatter form, destroy it, shatter it, eradicate it by practicing the stilling of all craving for form. So too should you scatter feeling, scatter perception, scatter constructions, & scatter consciousness, demolish it, shatter it, tear it down, by the practicing of the destruction of craving. For this destruction of craving, Radha, is peace, is all freedom, is pure bliss... Absence of craving, Radha, is Nibbana...
The Blessed Buddha once said: Bhikkhus, if one does not really understand both the cause, the ceasing, the satisfaction, the danger, & the escape from the 6 sources of contact, then one has not lived the Noble life, and is far away from comprehending this Dhamma and from practicing this Discipline... Then a certain Bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: Venerable Sir, I am lost, for I do neither understand the cause, the ceasing, nor the satisfaction, nor the danger, nor the escape from any of these 6 sources of contact! The Buddha then asked him: What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Eye as: This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir... What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Ear as: This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir... What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Nose as: This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir... What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Tongue as: This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir... What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Body as: This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir... What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Mind as: This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir... Very good, Bhikkhu! So should you continue to clearly comprehend the eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and the mind through correct understanding thus: This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self! In this way will the six sources or contact gradually be left behind, by not creating any future renewed existence! This itself is the End of Suffering!
Comments: The cause of the six senses is the arising of name-&-form, body-&-mind... The six senses cease at the ceasing of name-&-form, and body-&-mind... The satisfaction of the six senses is the pleasure & joy they generate... The danger of the six senses is their inherent unstable impermanence... The escape from the six senses is the elimination of craving: Nibbana!
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 treating one of his disciples for a physical illness.
Purity of Mental Action! Purity of Verbal Action! Purity of Bodily Action! Herein, what is purity of bodily action? It is complete avoidance of all killing of any breathing being, avoidance of taking whatever is not freely given, & refraining from any misbehavior in sense desires.
Herein, what is purity of verbal action? It is total avoidance of all false lies, avoidance of all aggressive speech, shunning all divisive slandering speech, & refraining from all idle and empty hear-say gossip.
Herein, what is purity of mental action? It is non-envious non-greediness, kind and gentle good-will, and Noble Right View.
These 3 behavioral purities are: Like the earth in property: A firm footing to those, who desire Freedom.. Like water are they, for they wash away all the stains of 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 frightened by Ageing & Death.. Like a guide are they, leading any wishing 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 incessant scorching of Greed, Hate & Ignorance.. Like the sun are they, for they dispel darkness and gloom of Deluded Confusion..
Who fully guards his speech, and is well controlled in mind, Who does nothing disadvantageous through the body's door, Who purifies this simple triple course of all acted-out behaviour, Will win both the path and the fruit, that all the Seers have enjoyed!
The Absolute Mental Manual: The Path of Purification. Visuddhimagga. Excellent if not legendary translation by Bhikkhu Ñanamoli (1905-1960). Written by 'The Great Explainer' Buddhaghosa on 5th century Ceylon. http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/pdfs/PathofPurification2011.pdf
The Primary Aspect of Morality is: Composing internal consistency in all behaviour…
The Dual Aspects of Morality are: Keeping the rules and avoiding wrongdoing… Good behaviour and mental purification… Good intention and complete self-control… Dependent on prompting or own initiative… Limited in extent or unlimited in extent… Temporary & feeble or lifelong & stable… Ordinary=Mundane or Supramundane=Noble…
The Triple aspects of Morality are: Low, or medium, or superior… Giving first priority to oneself, or to the world, or to the Dhamma… Clung to, or not clung to, or naturally & spontaneously maintained… Pure, or impure, or dubious and doubtful… The learner’s, the learned’s, or the neither-learner-nor-learned’s…
The Quadruple aspects of Morality are: Leading to falling, to stagnation, to distinction, or to penetration… That of Bhikkhus, or Bhikkhunis, or novices, or the laity… Being natural, customary, necessary, or caused by prior events… Regarding the rules, the sense doors, livelihood, or the requisites…
The Fivefold aspects of Morality are: Limited, unlimited, completed, detached, and tranquillized purity… Intending, refraining, controlling, leaving, and non-transgression… These are the various inherent aspects of Morality…
Friendliness means Goodwill Friendliness means Kindness Friendliness means Helpfulness Friendliness means Assistance Friendliness means Support Friendliness means Benevolence Friendliness means Concern Friendliness means Care Friendliness means Compassion Friendliness means Cooperation Friendliness means Mutual Aid Friendliness means Mutual Advantage Friendliness means Sympathy Friendliness means Symbiosis
Only friendliness can completely evaporate the poison of hate and anger! Its characteristic is promoting other being's welfare, its function is to do only good, and its manifestation is kindness, sympathy, and gentleness... The proximate cause of friendliness is seeing the good aspects of things! The proximate cause of understanding compassion is this very friendliness!
The Blessed Buddha said about friendliness (Metta): "Bhikkhus, whatever kinds of worldly merit there are, all are not worth one sixteenth part of the release of mind by universal friendliness; in shining, glowing and beaming radiance, this release of mind by universal friendliness far excels & surpasses them all..."
What are the 11 Advantages of cultivating such Universal Friendliness? The four Brahma Viharas; The four Divine States: The four Supreme States; The four Infinite States:
"Friends, eleven advantages are to be expected as effect from the release of mind into friendliness by the practice of Goodwill, by cultivating amity, by making much of it frequently, by making friendliness the vehicle, the tool, the basis, by insisting on it, by being well established in it as a sublime habit! What are these eleven advantages ? One falls asleep well! One wakes up Happy! One dreams no evil dreams! One is liked and loved by all human beings! One is liked and loved by all non-human beings too! One is guarded and protected by the divine devas! One cannot be harmed by fire, poison, or weapons! One easily attains the concentration of absorption! Ones appearance becomes serene, calm, and composed! One dies without confusion, bewilderment, or panic! One reappears after death on the Brahma level, if one has penetrated to no higher level in this very life!
When the mind is released into friendliness by the practice of goodwill, by manifesting friendliness, by cultivating amity, by frequently making much of it, by making friendliness the vehicle, the tool, the basis, the medium, the foundation, by persisting in it, by insisting on it, by properly consolidating it, by thoroughly undertaking it, by making it a familiar supreme habit, by so being well established in it, these eleven blessings can be expected!" Anguttara Nikaya V 342
There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of friendly loving-kindness pervading first one direction, then a 2nd one, then a 3rd one then the 4th one, as below so above, across and all around, everywhere identifying himself with all sentient beings, he is encompassing the whole world with a mind of friendly loving-kindness, with a wide mind, vast, refined, unbounded, cleared, exalted, pure and bright, free from all hate and ill will ...
There, Oh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of understanding compassion pervading first the front, then the right side, then the back, then the left side, as below so above, across & all around, all over, far & wide; identifying himself with all sentient beings, he is perfusing the whole universe with a mind imbued with pity, with a spacious mind, a refined mind, infinite, purified, all luminous, freed from all anger and any trace of enmity ...
There, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of altruistic, sympathetic and mutual Joy pervading the North, then the East, then the South, then the West, as below so above, across & all around, universally, infinitely; identifying himself with all sentient beings, he is suffusing all galaxies with a mind elevated by genuine mutual and altruistic sympathetic joy, with an open mind, immeasurable, wide, limitless, pure & shining, free from all aversion and bitterness ...
There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of balanced equanimity is pervading first the frontal quadrant, then the right, then the rear & then the left quadrant, as below so above, across and all around, everywhere placing himself with all sentient beings, he is permeating the whole world with a mind satiated of stilled and balanced equanimity, calmed, with a mountain-like mind, cultivated, endless, clean, dazzling, freed from any irritation and resentment."
"So too, Bhikkhus, others may speak to you timely or untimely, true or untrue, gentle or harsh, beneficial or harmful, based on kindness or on bitter hate! If they abuse you verbally, you should train yourselves in this way: "Our minds will remain unaffected, we shall speak no angry words, will dwell friendly and understanding, with thoughts of kindness and no inward anger! We shall remain friendly and beam goodwill towards that very person, and we shall dwell extending it to the entire universe, mentally overflowing, exalted, measureless and infinite in friendliness, without any trace hostility or ill-will." That is how you should train yourselves. Even if bandits were savagely to cut you up, limb by limb, with a two-handled saw, one who harbours hate on that account, would not be one who carried out my teaching. Bhikkhus, you should keep this instruction on this Simile of the Saw constantly in mind... Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta 21
Thus he who both day and night takes delight in harmlessness sharing love with all that lives, finds enmity with none... Samyutta Nikaya. I 208
When one with a mind of love feels compassion for the entire world above, below and across, unlimited everywhere. Jataka 37
The Bodhisatta once was born as the righteous king Ekaraja. His kingdom was taken by force and he and his son was buried in a pit to the neck... King Ekaraja, however neither resisted, nor bore even slight ill will against the invaders. Later he remembered this as his ultimate perfection of friendliness. Ekaraja Jataka 303
Equanimity (Upekkha) entails a composed equipoise of solid mental balance! It is Tatra-majjhattata = keeping to the moderate middle of all phenomena. Equanimity balances consciousness so it prevents both all excessiveness and any deficiency. In equanimity mind is neither attracted by attractive things, nor repelled by repulsive things. The cause of equanimity is seeing the law of kamma: All beings are born and created by their kamma, they are owners of their kamma, inherit their kamma, whatever they do, whether good or bad, the effects of that will be theirs only, following them like a shadow of past! The effect of Equanimity is threefold: Exquisite, relaxed & subtle peace felt as calm happiness is instantly gained. Equanimity purifies and completes all the 7 crucial Links to Awakening... Equanimity is the proximate cause of knowledge and vision (ñanadassana)!
The Blessed Buddha once explained: How, Bhikkhus, do the five mental hindrances multiply into ten? Own internal sense-desire is a hindrance. Other's external sense-desire is also a hindrance. Sense-desire is thus twofold: Internal and external! Own internal ill-will is a hindrance. Other's ill-will is a hindrances too... Lethargy is a mental hindrance. Any laziness is also a mental hindrance. Lethargy-and-laziness is therefore a dual mental hindrance. Restlessness is a mental hindrance. Regret & worry is also a hindrance. Therefore can restlessness-and-regret be explained as two hindrances. Any doubt and uncertainty about any internal condition, is a hindrance. Any doubt & uncertainty about an external condition, is a hindrance too. Thus does doubt-and-uncertainty become like a matched mirror pair...
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...
A Brahmin Priest once asked the Blessed Buddha: Master Gotama, what is the cause of being unable to remember something that has been memorized over a long period & also that which has not? Brahmin, when mind is obsessed by evil-will, enraged & dominated by evil-will, and one does not understand any safe escape from this arisen ill of evil-will, in that very moment, one neither sees nor understands, what is advantageous, neither for oneself, nor for others, nor for both... On such enraged occasions, even texts, that have been long memorized, cannot be recalled by mind. Why is this neglect so? Imagine a bowl of water boiling and bubbling being well heated over a blazing fire. If a man with good eye-sight were to inspect the reflection of his own face in it, he would neither see nor recognize his own face, as it really is! So too, brahmin, when mind is obsessed by evil-will, maddened, beset & dominated by evil-will, on that occasion even those texts, that have been long memorized do not recur to the mind, not to speak of those texts, events and information, that have not been memorized at all…
Question: >I've often seen you translate karuna as "pity," but isn't pity actually the near enemy of karuna?
Answer: Friend your good question exemplifies a common misconception and non-recognition of a mixed state…Since it depends how you define and thus understand “Pity” as a mixed state, or in itself as a pure state!
In itself Pure Pity = Karunâ is defined as: Pity originally means ‘feeling for and of other’s pain’, or "sympathy" and "empathy". However only IF mixed with egoism it gets more unsympathetic connotations of feeling of “own” superiority based on conscious or even unconscious lack of respect of the sufferer's dignity, who is now seen as “inferior”. However this Evil does not come from pity itself, which is a pure compassion for the plight of the sufferer, but to the often unseen and overlooked aspect of mixed-in impurities of the EGO-conceit “I am Better”! Since for to say or think, even subconsciously, “I am Better” there just have to be present the mistaken belief in a non-existent Ego = The conceit that “I am” = asmi-mâna... Needless to say has this arrogant & pride-pumped “I”-dentification & “self”-deception nothing whatsoever to do with fellow feelings for another being’s suffering, though it can often subconsciously be mixed with it and thus polluting this in itself advantageous & good pure pity.
Moreover regarding karuna especially as "Buddhist Pity": There is no “sorrow” or “sadness” in this state as it is based on understanding of cause and effect. From the Visuddhimagga: http://what-buddha-said.net/library/pdfs/PathofPurification2011.pdf “One whose meditation subject is pity should arouse compassion for any [evil-doing] person even if he now is happy: “Though this poor wretch is now happy, cheerful, enjoying his wealth, still for want of even one single good deed done now in by any of the 3 doors of intentional behaviour he will come to experience untold future suffering in the states of loss.”
Cut short: A Noble Person feels empathy and pity for any being in Samsara due to understanding of the inherent dangers in that Samsaric trap for anyone without understanding of the 4 Noble Truths, but he does not feel sorrow or sadness on that account! If he did, then Pity (Karuna or Compassion) would not be an advantageous (kusala) mental state promoting Happiness, which is the sole purpose in the first place!
Comments
What is the Equanimity Link to Awakening?
Even evaluation is characteristic of the Equanimity Link to Awakening.
(Upekkha-Sambojjhanga). Preventing both deficiency & excess and
securing impartiality is the function of Equanimity. Imperturbable
ballance is the manifestation of the Equanimity Link to Awakening.
Equanimity just looks on whenever new phenomena arises and ceases.
This stable yet plastic patience purifies all the other advantageous
mental states, which reach maximum, when joined with Equanimity...
Equanimity (Upekkha) is a moderating mental construction.
Equanimity is also a mood of neither gladness nor sadness.
Equanimity is also a feeling of neither pain nor pleasure.
Equanimity is also the neutral ability to be indifferent.
Equanimity is also the 4th infinitely divine dwelling.
Equanimity is also a quite high form of happiness.
Equanimity is also a refined mental purification.
Equanimity is therefore a Link to Enlightenment...
There is Equanimity both regarding live beings and dead things.
There is Equanimity both regarding all internal & external states.
There is Equanimity both regarding all past, present and future.
There is Equanimity both regarding all mentality & all materiality.
The Buddha once said: What mental fermentations (asava) should be
overcome by development? If a Bhikkhu by alert & rational attention
develops the Equanimity Link to Awakening based on seclusion, based
on disillusion, on ceasing, culminating in full renouncing relinquishment,
then neither can mental fermentation, nor any fever, nor discontent
ever arise in him. MN2 [i 11]
When mind is concentrated one can observe all closely in equanimity.
The Equanimity Link to Awakening arises right there. He develops it,
and for him repeatedly meditating it goes gradually to the completion
of its development. MN118 [iii 85]
Further inspirations on the imperturbable quality of Equanimity:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Even_is_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/High_and_Alert.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Divorced_Freedom.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Serene_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Empty_Equanimity.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Exquisite_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Equanimity_Upekkha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/u_v/upekkhaa.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unshakable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_7_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Imperturbable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Serene_Equanimity_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/tatra_majjhattataa.htm
Imperturbable is Equanimity...
Equanimity = Upekkhaa!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Equanimity_Upekkha.htm
NYC Taxi driver made compassion shine in action:
"I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I
honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about
just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door
and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear
something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me.
She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, just like
somebody out of a 1940's movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase.
The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was
covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils
on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos & glassware.
'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab,
then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward
the cab. She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just
try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'
'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an
address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'
'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..
'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.
I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any
family left,' she continued in a soft voice.. 'The doctor says I don't have very
long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building
where she had once worked as an elevator operator.
We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when
they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse
that had once been a ballroom, where she had gone dancing as a young girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and
would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.
Let's go now'. We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low
building, like a small convalescent home, with a way that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous
and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was
already seated in a wheelchair.
'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.
'Nothing,' I said.
'You have to make a living,' she answered.
'There are other passengers,' I responded.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light..
Behind me, a door shut. It was like the sound of the closing of a life..
I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought.
For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an
angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused
to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick dry review:
I don't think that I have done anything more important in my entire life!
We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware beautifully wrapped in what others
may consider a small nothing..."
Compassionate Pity (Karuna), which cures all cruelty, is a divine state!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Endless_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Safe_Medicine.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Karuna_is_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/What_is_Wrong.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Great_Compassion.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Compassionate_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Space_Compassion.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/b_f/brahma_vihaara.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/How_to_Cure_Cruelty_and_Revengefulness.htm
Cab Compassion!
NYC Taxi driver made compassion shine in action.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Cab_Compassion.htm
How are there Fourteen Links to Awakening?
The Blessed Buddha once said:
There is awareness of all internal states, & awareness of all external states.
Both kinds of awareness are leading to Enlightenment (sati-sambojjhanga).
There is investigation of both all internal states, and of all external states.
Both these investigations are links to Enlightenment (vicaya-sambojjhanga).
There is energy of body (strength), and energy of the mind (enthusiasm).
Both kinds of energy are leading to Enlightenment (viriya-sambojjhanga).
There is joy associated with thinking, and there is joy without any thinking.
Both kinds of joy are links leading to Enlightenment (piti-sambojjhanga).
There is tranquillity of the body, and there is tranquillity of the mind.
Both these calms are links to Enlightenment (passaddhi-sambojjhanga).
There is concentration during thinking and concentration without thinking.
Both concentrations are links to Enlightenment (samadhi-sambojjhanga).
There is equanimity both regarding internal states and external states.
Both these kinds are links to Enlightenment (upekkha-sambojjhanga).
This can only a Buddha, or a true disciple of a Buddha see, and explain...
Comments:
Awareness of all internal mental states is the most important, and highest.
Investigation of all internal mental states is the primary, and most fruitful.
Energy of the mind is the most advantageous, effective, and most enabling.
Joy without any thinking is the most rapturous, ecstatic, and all-pervading.
Tranquillity of the mind is the deepest, most calm, serene, and imperturbable.
Concentration without any thinking is the most one-pointed and absorbed.
Equanimity regarding internal mental states is the best guard and protection.
On the 7 Links to Awakening (Sambojjhanga):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Sun.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Peak.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Clothes.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Rare_Emergence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Sequential_Seven.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Vast_Penetration.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Seven_Fruits.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Unsurpassable_Seven.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_7_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Leading_to_Enlightenment.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Seven_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Cause_of_Knowledge_and_Vision.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Meaning_of_the-7_Links_to_Awakening.htm
Sources (edited extracts):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V: 111] 46: Links. 52: A way of Explaining...
When 7 becomes 14...
What only a few can explain!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/When_7_becomes_14.htm
At this Fullmoon Day do all Buddhas Awaken:
5th May 2012 Vesak Day celebrates birth, Enlightenment, and passing away
of the Buddha Gotama. Rejoice! Keep clean, calm, cool, clever, and caring...
About this Buddhist Vesak Festival: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak
This May full moon also celebrates the Buddha's third visit to Sri Lanka in
the eighth year after his Enlightenment where he journeyed to Kelaniya on
the invitation of the Naga King Maniakkhika (Mahavamsa i,72ff.).
The day also celebrates the crowning of king Devanampiyatissa (Mhv.Xi.42),
and the laying of the foundation stone of the Maha Stupa (Mhv.Xxix.1)
Please Remember:
At this very May full moon in year 528 BC the Blessed Buddha awakened
by completely perfect and utterly unsurpassable self-Enlightenment!
At that time a girl named Sujata Senani lived in Uruvela. When adult she
prayed before a certain Banyan tree, that she might get a good husband
equal to herself in caste & that her firstborn may be a son. Her prayer was
successful. Since indeed it did happen. At the full moon day of the Wesak
month, she rose at early dawn and milked the cows. As soon as new buckets
were placed under the cows, the milk poured spontaneously in streams all by
itself! Seeing this miracle, she knew something special was happening!
That same night the Future Buddha dreamt 5 dreams making him conclude:
"Surely, truly, without any doubt, today I will reach perfect Enlightenment!"
His 5 colored radiance illuminated the whole tree. Then Sujata came and
offered the cooked milk rice into the hands of this Great Being.
Later a local grass-cutter came going with a bundle of grass just harvested
from nearby. He offered the Great Being 8 handfuls of Kusa grass, when he
saw that this Sage was a Holy Man. The Future Buddha accepted the grass
and proceeded to the foot of the Bodhi-tree. Reaching the imperturbable
Eastern side, where all the Buddhas take their seat, he sat down saying to
himself: This is the immovable spot, where all the prior supreme Buddhas
have planted themselves! This is the place for destroying this net of desire!
Then the Future Buddha turned his back to the trunk and thus faced east.
Right there, he then resolutely settled on this mighty decision:
Let just blood and flesh of this body dry up & let skin and sinews fall from
the bones. I will not leave this seat before having attained the absolute and
Supreme Self-Enlightenment!
So determined did he seat himself in this unconquerable seat, from which
not a 100 lightning strikes could make him waver from. At this very moment
the rebel deity Mara -The Evil One- raised exclaiming: Prince Siddhattha will
pass beyond my power, but I will never allow it! And sounding the Mara's war
shout, he summoned his mighty army for battle. Then Mara warned his evil
militia: This Sakyamuni, son of Suddhodana, is far greater than any other
man, so we will never succeed to fight him up front. We must thus attack
him from the rear. Frustrated, being unable even to touch this big wielder
of power also with 9 mighty hurricanes of wind, rain, rocks, weapons, red
coals, hot ashes, sand, mud, and darkness Mara somewhat in panic shouted
at his army: "Why do you all stand still? Seize, kill & drive away this prince!"
Mara then yelled: "Siddhattha, leave this seat. It is not yours, but mine!"
Hearing this, the Well-gone One replied: Mara, neither have you fulfilled the
10 perfections to the third degree, nor have you given the 5 great donations.
Neither have you striven for insight, nor for the welfare of all the world,
nor for supreme self-enlightenment! Therefore does this very seat surely
not belong to you, but truly indeed only to me. Suddenly overpowered by fear
Mara's followers fled helter-skelter in all directions. Not two went in the
same direction, but leaving their weapons in a chaos, they all fled terrified
by metaphysical panic. Seeing them flee thus, the great assembly of deities
triumphantly shouted: Mara is defeated. Prince Siddhattha has won! Let us
celebrate this truly sublime, wonderful and unique victory! It was before
the sun had set that the Tathagata conquered Mara and defeated his army.
That same night, after having bathed, while the Bo tree rained red sprigs onto
his robe, The Consummate One gained knowledge of his prior lives during the
1st watch of the night: "With the mind thus concentrated, purified, bright,
unified, focused, tractable, compliant, steady & imperturbable, I directed
mind to remembrance of my past lives. I recollected many past lives, i.e., one
re-birth, two...five, ten... 50, a hundred, a thousand, 100 thousand, many eons
of cosmic contraction, & many eons of cosmic expansion: There I had such
a name, belonged to such a clan & species, had such a body. Such was my food,
such my life of pleasures and pains. Such was the end of my life. Passing away
from that state, I re-arose there. There I had such name, belonged to such
a sort & family, had such a form. Such was my food, such my experience of
pleasures & pains. Such was the end of my life. Passing away from that state,
I re-arose here. Thus I remembered my various past lives in all their various
modes and manifold details. This was the first knowledge I attained in the
first watch of the night. Ignorance was destroyed; the knowledge arose;
darkness was destroyed; light arose as happens in one who is alert, aware,
and determined. But the very pleasant feeling that arose by this did neither
invade my mind, nor remain. With the mind thus concentrated, purified, bright,
intact, pliant, malleable, steady, and totally imperturbable, I directed it to
the knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. I saw by
means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human eye! I saw beings
passing away & re-appearing, and I realized how & why they are high or low,
beautiful or ugly, fortunate and unfortunate all in exact accordance with
the intentions of their prior actions: These beings who were endowed with
bad behaviour of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the Noble Ones, held
wrong views & acted under the influence of wrong views, with the break-up
of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the plane of misery, the bad
painful destination, the lower realms, even in hell. But the beings who were
gifted with good behaviour of body, speech and mind, who did not revile the
Noble Ones, who held right views and acted under the influence of right
views after the break-up of the body, after the death, have re-appeared in
happy destinations, even in a divine world! Thus by means of the divine eye,
purified and surpassing the human I saw beings passing away & re-appearing,
all in accordance with their particular mixture of good and bad kamma...
But the satisfaction that arose here did neither invade my mind, nor remain.
With the mind thus concentrated and completely absorbed, I then directed
it towards understanding the ending of mental fermentation. I realized how
it actually comes to be, that:
This is Suffering...
Such is the Cause of Suffering...
Such is the End of Suffering...
Such is the Way to End Suffering...
Such was the mental fermentations...
Such is the Cause of mental fermentation...
Such is the End of mental fermentation...
Such is the Way leading to the end of mental fermentation.
When my mind saw that, it was instantly freed of the fermentation of all
sense-desire, it was released from the fermentation of becoming, and it
became fully uncovered from the fermentation of ignorance. Thus fully and
perfectly Enlightened - The Buddha - perceiving this immense glory, spoke
these 2 solemn verses, which never has been omitted by any of countless
billions of prior Buddhas:
Through this round of countless existences have I searched, but yet failed
to find "the Creator", who framed this construction: What Suffering indeed
is such endless birth, ageing, decay, sickness and ever repeated death!
Now I see that "the Constructor" of this structure is Craving...!!! Never shall
this construction be built again, since all the rafters are shattered and the
main beam is busted and completely broken... At this calming of all Craving,
the mind was finally, irreversibly and ultimately stilled…
Then, friends, this revelation of certainty arose in me: This release is indeed
immutable, this is the very last rebirth, this endless reappearance has finally
come to a happy end... Nibbana is verily the Highest Bliss!
VESAK FESTIVAL VIDEOS, COLOMBO 2011:
Happy Vesak to All Beings!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Wesak_2012.htm
One becomes Calmed by Stilling all Agitation!
The brahmin Magandiya asked the Buddha about how to become calmed:
Not dwelling in the past, stilled in the present, one prefers no kind of future!
Without irritation, without agitation, without regrets, without worry, neither
boasting, nor proud, but humble and modest, one is indeed a restrained sage...
Withdrawn, not opposed to anything, not wanting anything, all unconcerned,
aloof, gentle, independent, for such one there exists neither craving or fear
for any kind of existence, nor craving or fear for any form of non-existence...
Such calmed one is indifferent to sense pleasures, detached, not clinging to
any kind of property! For him there is nothing more to take up or lay down!
For whatever others might accuse him, he remains tranquil and not agitated!
Neither opposing anything, nor attracted to anything, with nothing of his own,
not perturbed by what does not exist, such tranquil one is truly calmed!
Sutta-Nipata 849-861 Edited excerpt.
More on Calm (Samatha) = Tranquil Ease:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Calm.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Forest_Bliss.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Silenced.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Calm_Power.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Calm_and_Insight.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Tranquil_One.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/samatha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Breathing_Calm_and_Insight.htm
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_ Sri Lanka
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Calmed...
Tranquillity slides into Bliss!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Calmed.htm
Entering and Dwelling in All-Embracing Goodwill!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
How does the monk whose mind is filled with all-embracing kindness
pervade one direction? Just as, at the sight of a dear and agreeable
childhood friend, one may feel kindness, exactly so does he pervade
all living beings with his kind friendliness... Vibh Xlll,643
May all beings live in happiness and peace. Filled with joy and delight!
Sn 145
I found no one whom I loved better than myself. Exactly so to do all
other beings also love their self most dearly. Thus, wishing well to all,
one should do No Harm to anyone! SN 3.8
Mental release by all-embracing friendliness is practiced in five ways
with unspecified extension: May all beings be free from anger, anxiety
and frustration, and may they pass their life in happiness! May all living
beings ... all creatures ... all individuals ... all those included in existence
be free from anger, anxiety and frustration and may they be all happy!
Pts 11/130
More on these 4 Infinitely Divine States (Appamañña Brahma-Vihara):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/b_f/brahma_vihaara.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Buddha_on_Noble_Frienship.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Selfless_Friendship_is_Sweetest.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/All_Embracing_Kindness.htm
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.1.024-027.irel.html
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanamoli/wheel007.html
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Rejoicing_Bliss_is_Mudita.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Blazing_Friendliness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/United_in_Harmony.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Good_Friend.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Goodwill_Encore.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Blazing_&_Bright.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Friendliness_Frees.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kalyanamitta.htm
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=404214
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Metta.htm
Genuine Goodwill Shines :-)
All-Embracing & Infinite cab Friendliness be!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Good-Will_Again.htm
Any Cause produce an Effect:
Therefore:
Never do any Evil!
Neither openly nor in Secret...
If having done bad or is doing wrong now,
pain surely returns, even though one flee
by flying away... The effect of any action,
good as bad, follows the doer like a shadow
that never leaves... Consequence is Certain...
Why so ? Because one cannot hide anything
for one's own mind! It knows & remembers!
Mind is thus forerunner of all phenomena...
The Blessed Buddha on non-violence:
I am a friend of the footless,
I am a friend of the bipeds;
I am a friend of those with four feet,
I am a friend of the many-footed.
May not the footless harm me,
may not the bipeds harm me,
may not those with four feet harm me,
and may not those with many feet harm me.
AN. II, 72
Among tigers, lions, leopards & bears I lived in the wood.
No one was frightened of me, nor did I fear anyone.
Uplifted by such universal friendliness I enjoyed the forest.
Finding great solace in sweet silent solitude.
Suvanna-sama Jataka 540
On Harmlessness:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Harmlessness_and_Tolerance.htm
Have a nice day!
Friendship is the Greatest
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Invariable Law: Do no Harm!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Invariable_Fact.htm
The 10 Contemplations is Daily Buddhist Routine!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus & friends: There is one contemplation, which when often
practiced and developed leads to the complete turning away from
the world, to detachment, to stilling, to ceasing, to Peace, to final
penetrating knowledge, to Enlightenment, and thus to Nibbana...
Any Noble Disciple who by progress has understood the Dhamma
dwells frequently in this state. Which is that one contemplation?
It is reflecting regarding the qualities of ultimate Peace like this:
This is peaceful, this is sublime, namely, the stilling of all kammic
construction, the leaving all behind of all substrata of any being,
the complete vanishing of all sorts of craving, ceasing, Nibbana...
Whatever, Bhikkhus & friends, there is of both conditioned &
unconditioned things, dependent & independent constructions,
detachment is considered the highest of them, that is, the final
destruction of ego-belief, the overcoming of all desire & thirst,
the rooting out of clinging, the breaking out of this long round
of rebirths, the vanishing of craving, absolute release, Nibbana...
The Buddha emphasized:
Nibbana is the Highest Happiness!
Source: AN 1:16.10 + 10:60 + 4.34
More on the Deathless Dimension: Nibbana!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Peace.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Nibbana_Still.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_2_Nibbanas.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/nibbaana.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Deathless_Dimension.htm
The Ultimate Peace!
Nibbana is the Highest Happiness...
Nibbana is the Highest Happiness...
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Peace_Contemplation.htm
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!
The unaware monkey mind automatically runs in the local minima of least dissatisfaction.
Needless to say: This can hardly by called "freedom", but better "blinded conditioning"...
The 7 Latent Tendencies Drives the Mind from the Backseat! Makes U Running in circles...
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!
Running in circles...
The 7 Latent Tendencies Drives the Mind from the Backseat!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_7_Latent_Tendencies.htm
Buddha himself explained The 5 Rebirth Destinations!
The Blessed Buddha once explained:
Sariputta, there are these five destinations. What are the five?
Hell, the animal realm, the realm of ghosts, human beings, and gods...
I fully understand hell, the animal, ghost, human, and the divine realm,
and the various paths and ways leading to these realms of existence...
I also understand, know and directly see how any one who has entered
a path to hell, on the breakup of the body, right at death, will reappear
in a state of deprivation, in a painful destination, in purgatory, in hell...
Similarly do I understand, know and see directly how any one, who has
entered such path on the breakup of the body, right after death, will
reappear as animal, ghost, human or divine being...
I understand Nibbana, the path and very way leading to this Nibbana...
And I also understand & see directly how one who has entered this path
realising it himself by direct experience, will right there and then enter
and dwell in that release of mind & that release by understanding, which
is fermentation-free after the elimination of the mental fermentations!
Source (edited extract:
The Middle Length Sayings of the Buddha. Majjhima Nikaya.
MN 12. i 73-4:The great lions roar:
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=25072X
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.012.ntbb.html
Comments: Ancient Manual on these 5 destinations:
Pañcagatidipani. Translated by Ann Appleby Hazlewood.
In Journal of the Pali Text Society. Vol. XI 1987:
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=13271
Comment:
Seeing beings die and reappear is an ability of the Divine Eye, which is
an ability connected with gaining suprahuman force & with Awakening:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Divine_Eye.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Suprahuman_Force_V.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/b_f/dibba_cakkhu.htm
More details on the five Rebirth Destinations:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_5_Destinations.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Hell_Destiny.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Minor_Hells.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Animal_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Hungry_Ghost_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mad_Demon_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Human_Being_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Divine_Rebirth.htm
On The Thirty-one Planes of Existence:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sagga/loka.html
Where R U Going?
The Five Rebirth Destinations!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Five_Destinations.htm
Breakthrough to the Truths safeguards against Downfall Rebirth!
The Blessed Gotama Buddha once explained:
Bhikkhus and friends, see this little dust, I have taken up upon the nail of
my little-finger, what do you think is most: This tiny amount dust or this
great planet Earth? The Bhikkhus then responded:
Venerable Sir, this great planet Earth is much more, incomparable more...
The minute speck of dust is trifling, microscopic, negligible in comparison!
The Blessed Gotama Buddha then succinctly pointed out:
Similarly and exactly so too, Bhikkhus and friends, those beings are few &
quite rare, who are reborn among humans or devas! Beings who are reborn
elsewhere, lower, as non-humans, in the screaming hell, as scared animals,
as hungry ghosts, or as mad demons are much more numerous and common...
Why is it so? Because, these beings have not understood the 4 Noble Truths!
What four?
The 1st Noble Truth: This is Suffering;
The 2nd Noble Truth: Craving is the Cause of Suffering;
The 3rd Noble Truth: No Craving is the End of Suffering;
The 4th Noble Truth: The Noble 8-fold Way ceases all Suffering.
Therefore, Bhikkhus & friends, exertion should be made Now to understand:
All This is Suffering; This Greedy Craving is the sole Cause of all Suffering;
No Craving is the End of Suffering; The Noble 8-fold Way Ends all Suffering,
Therefore should effort to fathom these 4 Noble Truths be made NOW!
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. [V:474-5]
section 56: Saccasamyutta. Thread 102-5: Elsewhere & etc...
Comments:
The actions that result in rebirth in the five destinations are described in
detail in the work: Pañcagatidipani. Translated by Ann Appleby Hazlewood.
in Journal of the Pali Text Society. Vol. XI 1987:
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=132714
Video illustrating life among humans, in heaven and in hell:
For relation between cause & effect = action & result = kamma & fruit see:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Buddha_on_Kamma.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_is_intention.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Kamma_and_Fruit.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Kamma_is_improvable.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Good_Action_dilutes_Evil_Kamma.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_short_&_long_life.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Beauty_&_Ugliness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Health_&_Sickness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Low_or_High_Birth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Wealth_or_Poverty.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Effect_of_kammic_Action_is_Delayed.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Evil_Kamma_enhances_other_Evil_Kamma.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Power_or_Disrespect.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Good_Action_enhances_other_Good_Kamma.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Kamma_leading_to_Stupidity_or_Intelligence.htm
Most Common is Low Rebirth!
The 4 Noble Truths protect against Downfall Rebirth!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_5_Destinations.htm
VIDEO: "My" Reptile and amphibian hermit friends
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Cosmic_Goodness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Unbounded_Mind.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Goodness_Galore.htm
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'...
Yet IT IS actually rather close up, as inherently sensed 'in here'...
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
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 & only 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?
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_ALL.htm
What is the Final Goal and Destination?Friends:
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…
The 8 spokes symbolizes the 8 Steps of the Noble Way!
Further study on the Noble 8-fold Way:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Middle_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Fulfilled_First_.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Noble_8_fold_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_3-fold_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Failed_by_Neglect.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Noble_8-Fold_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Fruits_of_the_Noble_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_4th_Noble_Truth_on_The_Way_to_Cease_Suffering.htm
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:11-2] section 45:10 Nandiya ...
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Have a nice targetted day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
What is the Final Goal?
Nibban is the Highest and only Lasting Happiness!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/The_Final_Goal.htm
Can an Almighty God or Divine Power save you?
Question:
>Can one be saved by an Almighty God or Divine Power?
Answer:
India has always had two holy traditions:
Brahmana: Priests, who by rituals and worship of assumed almighty ‘gods’,
and ‘divinity’ believe that they can be saved by these divine other-powers,
which they then rely on. Depending thus on something they cannot see or
contact their search is often blind…
Sramana: Recluses, who only trust themselves and that every-one has to
purify and thereby save themselves by themselves. They trust intense
meditation & study after guidance of a teacher, who usually is a Buddha.
No Brahmana have ever – so far reported – reached any Noble State…
That is, come within 7 rebirths of Nibbana – the only lasting safety!
No Brahmana have – so far reported – ever reached Nibbana…
No Brahmana, priest, guru, swami this or that will ever reach Nibbana!
Emptiness can also be tantalizing and have even been worshipped also
as a transcendental divine state … (That leads also to no safety…)
Conclusion:
There are gods (devas) out there. But they cannot save U or anyone else…
So there is no need or gain by looking ‘out there’ after an almighty ‘saviour’…
Rather moral and mental purification can only come by looking inward.
One has to do the job oneself! Most can only do it by taking a Teacher,
who is either a Noble or an Awakened Buddhist… Not so easy to find...
The blessed Buddha Gotama once said:
NO OTHER
By self alone, is harm done.
By self alone, does one suffer from own evil.
By self alone, is harm left undone.
By self alone, is one purified & thereby saved.
Both destruction and salvation is the work of oneself.
No-one can purify another!
Dhammapada 165
SAVIOUR
Self is indeed self's only saviour! Who else can save you ?
With oneself well tamed, one gains a saviour hard to otherwise find.
Dhammapada 160
NOW OR NEVER
Make an island for yourself. Strive quickly now in exerting effort.
Be the wise one. Not a naive fool…
When your defilement have been blown away
and you have freed yourself from evil passions;
Never will you again be Ageing! Never will you again be Dying!
Dhammapada 238
ISLAND
Make an island of yourself, haste to exert effort, be clever.
When your mental defilements have been cleaned & you have
cleared yourself of passion, then yours will be the divine state
of exquisite choice.
Dhammapada 236
Make an island of yourself!
Be your own Lamp… There is no other safety!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Make_an_island.htm
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Sangahako mittakaro,
Vadaññu vitamaccharo,
Neta vineta anuneta,
Tadiso labhate yasam.
Friendly + Unselfish = Honourable!
Who is hospitable, and friendly,
Generous and unselfish,
A guide, a teacher, a leader,
Such one will to honour attain.
Digha Nikaya 3.273
Have a nice day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Friendly + Unselfish = Honourable!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Friendly_plus_Unselfish_equals_Honourable.htm
What is Mara: A Transient, Painful, and Selfless 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 and 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, he instantly knows: This mind is liberated,
and he 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 the individual deva personality 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 the Buddha in a failed attempt to frighten him.
More on the Universal Fact of Impermanence:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Transient_formations.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Perceiving_Transience.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Impermanence_Anicca.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Internal_Transience.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_External_Transience.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Experiencing_Impermanence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Contemplating_Impermanence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Contemplating_Impermanence_2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Experiencing_Universal_Transience.htm
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
He is also called Namuci: Never letting any Escape his hypnotic hedonist powers!
Any Deva can choose own body form. His favourite manifestations are as above..
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 nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
What is Mara?
Any Transient, Painful, & Selfless State is Suffering!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/What_is_Mara.htm
Brahmavihãra Meditation gives Infinite Joy![/size]
Training Universal Friendliness induces unalloyed Joy!
Cultivating Boundless Pity enables tranquil Tolerance!
Developing Mutual Joy produces deep Contentment!
Refining Equanimity establishes calming Serenity!
The Blessed Buddha repeatedly explained:
May all creatures, all breathing things,
all beings one and all, without exception,
experience joy and good fortune only.
May they not fall into any harm!
Anguttara Nikaya II, 72
With good will for the entire cosmos,
Cultivate a limitless & infinite heart:
Above, as below, across & all around,
Unobstructed, without any hostility.
Sutta Nipata I, 8
Overcome the angry by friendliness;
Overcome the wicked by goodness;
Overcome the miser by generosity;
Overcome the liar by truth.
Dhammapada 223
Train yourself in doing only pure good...
That lasts and brings great happiness!
Cultivate generosity, a peaceful living,
and a mentality of infinite friendliness!
Itivuttaka 16
Joy creating is Meditation on the 4 infinite Brahmaviharas:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mutual_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Higher_Release.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Blazing_&_Bright.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Goodwill_Encore.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Released_by_GoodWill.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unshakable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Grace_of_Goodwill.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unsurpassable_Radiance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/All_Embracing_Kindness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Infinite_and_Divine_Classic.htm
Have a nice joyous day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
[color=#0000FF]Blazing Goodwill produces Infinite Joy!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Blazing_Goodwill.htm
Feeding the Serene Equanimity!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, just as this body, is sustained by feeding, exists in dependence on
feeding and cannot survive without food, so are the 7 Links to Awakening
also sustained by feeding, they can also only exist in dependence on feeding
and they cannot remain without feeding... And what, bhikkhus, is the feeding
of the emergence of any yet unarisen equanimity and also feeding of the
completion by condensation of any arisen Equanimity?
There are states that are the basis & source Equanimity! Frequently pointing
careful and rational attention to them, is feeding the emergence of unarisen
equanimity & also feeding of the gradual fulfillment of any arisen Equanimity
Link to Awakening... And what, Bhikkhus, is the starving that obstructs all
emergence of a yet unarisen equanimity and which also hinders any already
arisen Equanimity Link from reaching complete fulfillment by development?
There are states that are the basis and source for the equanimity!
Not giving frequent, careful and rational attention to them; not considering
them much and often; is the starving that prevents an unarisen equanimity
from arising and also blocks any already arisen equanimity from reaching
any complete fulfillment through training in the form of frequent meditation!
Comments from the classical commentaries:
Imperturbable onlooking ballance is characteristic of the equanimity.
(Upekkha-Sambojjhanga). Moderation, seeking the neutral middle, composure
and control is the purpose of the quality of Equanimity (Upekkha).
Imperturbability is the manifestation of the equanimity. This stable yet still
plastic patience purifies all the other advantageous mental states, which thus
reach their maximum, when joined with Equanimity...
Further conditions helpful for the emergence of the equanimity are:
1: Impartiality regarding all living & sentient beings...
2: Indifference regarding all inanimate constructions...
3: Avoiding biased people who prefer favouritism & one-sided partiality...
4: Friendship with well ballanced people unmoved by both pleasure & pain...
5: Commitment to ballance the mind into even & imperturbable Equanimity!
There is Equanimity towards living beings and regarding material things!
There is Equanimity towards internal states & regarding external states!
There is Equanimity towards all past, present, and future times, and events!
There is Equanimity towards all mentality and regarding all materiality!
On Equanimity (Upekkha):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Even_is_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/High_and_Alert.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Divorced_Freedom.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Serene_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Empty_Equanimity.htm
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Exquisite_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Equanimity_Upekkha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/u_v/upekkhaa.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unshakable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_7_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Imperturbable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Serene_Equanimity_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/tatra_majjhattataa.htm
Sources (edited extracts):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V: 65-6+102-8] 46: Links. 2+51: Group & Nutriments....
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Serene is Mental Ballance...
Feeding Equanimity!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Equanimity.htm
How to train and purify Imperturbable Equanimity!
Sitting alone, in silence, each early morning, with closed eyes one wishes:
May I radiate and meet only calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all the various beings on the 31 levels of existence develop and find
only the composure and poise of calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings on the sense-desire, fine-material, and the formless plane
develop and encounter this serene, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in the front, to the right, the back, the left and below as
above develop and experience cool, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe always be fully aware
and deeply mindful of this steady, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe examine all details and
subtle aspects of this unstirred, placid, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe put enthusiastic effort
into their training of this solid, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country and universe find enraptured joy and
jubilant gladness in this unmovable, calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe cultivate the tranquillity
of quiet, silent, stilled, and all smiling calm, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country and universe attain concentrated and
absorbed one-pointedness by stoic, deep, imperturbable, and even equanimity!
May I and all beings in this city, country, and universe dwell in undisturbable
and imperturbable equanimity of unexcitable and unreactive detachment...
Yeah! Print this out, dwell in each state until pure, use ~ 25-45 minutes.
Comment: Imperturbable Equanimity is the 4th infinite state (Appamañña):
This gradually reduces all desire, attraction, drift, tendency, bias, preference,
favouritism, one-sided partiality and unhappiness related with all these states.
Equanimity is the proximate cause of any knowing and seeing leading to Wisdom...
Equanimity is an extremely subtle form of solid, calm and peaceful Happiness...
Equanimity purifies all other advantageous states and brings them to Perfection...
Equanimity is unresponsive indifference, unstirred, unaffected, and untroubled!!!
There is Equanimity both regarding all live beings and all dead things!
There is Equanimity both regarding all internal and all external states!
There is Equanimity both regarding all past, all present and all future events!
There is Equanimity both regarding all what is mental and all which is physical!
There is Equanimity both regarding all what is material and all which is immaterial!
There is Equanimity both regarding all formed and all formless phenomena!
Cultivating such six-fold equanimity brings this supreme state to completion.
Even is also: Equanimity (Upekkha):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Even_is_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/High_and_Alert.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Divorced_Freedom.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Serene_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Empty_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Exquisite_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Equanimity_Upekkha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/u_v/upekkhaa.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unshakable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_7_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Imperturbable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Serene_Equanimity_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/tatra_majjhattataa.htm
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Exquisite is Equanimity!
Unshakable is Equanimity (=Upekkhã)!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unshakable_Equanimity.htm
How does Sense-Desire Muddle the Mind?
A Brahmin Priest once asked the Blessed Buddha:
Master Gotama, what is the cause of being unable to remember something
that has been memorized over a long period & also that which has not been?
Brahmin, when the mind is obsessed, beset, and dominated by sense-desire,
and one does not understand any safe escape from this arisen sense-desire,
in that moment, one neither sees nor understands, what is advantageous,
neither for oneself, nor for others, nor for both...
On such occasions, even texts, that have been long memorized, cannot be
recalled by mind. Why is this neglect so? Imagine a bucket of water mixed
with dyes or paints: Yellow, blue, and crimson red. If a man with good eyes
were to inspect the reflection of his own face in it, he would neither see nor
recognize his own face! So too, brahmin, when the mind is obsessed, beset,
and dominated by sense-desire, on that occasion those texts, that have been
long memorized does not recur to the mind, not to speak of those texts,
events and things, that have not been memorized at all…
More on the folly vanity of desire for simple Sense Pleasure (Hedonism):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Why_Not.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Craving_is_Pain.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.1-2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.3-4.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Charcoal_Pit.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.3-4c.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Colourful_but_Muddy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Craving_is_Catastrophic.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Fire_of_Sense-Desire.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/What_is_Disadvantageous.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_of_the_Flesch_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Happiness_of_the_Flesh_and_Beyond.htm
Hieronymus Bosch: The Garden of Earthly Delights...
Blissful is being without passions in this world,
Blissful is the overcoming of all sense-desires!
Udana II, 1
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:121-2] section 46: The Links. 55: To Sangarava...
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Sense pleasure cannot ever give lasting Happiness!
Is Hedonism Happiness?
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Colourful_but_Muddy.htm
Self-Control means Guarding the 6 Senses!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus by possessing 3 qualities, one lives this life full of pleasure & joy!
Furthermore, one has thereby prepared for the elimination of the subtle
mental fermentations... What are these 3 advantageous qualities?
I: One guards the doors of the senses,
II: One is moderate in eating, and
III: One is devoted to wakefulness...
How, Bhikkhus, is a Bhikkhu devoted to wakefulness?
During daytime, while doing either walking or sitting meditation, a Bhikkhu
purifies his mind of detrimental states. In the 1st watch of the night, while
walking back & forth & sitting, he also purifies mind of obstructive states!
In the middle watch of the night, he lies down on the right side in the lion's
posture, with one foot lying upon the other, aware & clearly comprehending,
determining when to rise again. After rising, in the last watch of the night,
while walking back & forth and sitting, he cleans out any disadvantageous
mental states again. It is in this way, Bhikkhus, that a true Bhikkhu is fully
devoted to wakefulness! Bhikkhus, it is by possessing these three qualities,
that a Bhikkhu lives full of happiness and Joy in this very life, and that he
has prepared for the final destruction of the mental fermentations...
When have you last been Wide Awake before Sunrise?
The first 3 Basics of Self-Control:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Guarding_the_Senses.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Moderate_in_Eating.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Devoted_to_Wakefulness.htm
Sit up! Rise Up! Let not the King of Death find you sloppy!
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [176-7]
Section 35: The 6 Senses. Salayatana. The Horse-Wagon. Rato 239.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Get Moving! Train & Prepare! There is no free ride or lunch!
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Only those who Train will Win Freedom & Happiness...
Devoted to Wakefulness!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Devoted_to_Wakefulness.htm
How to cure Confusing Uncertainty and Skeptical Doubt?
What if doubt leading to confusion and indecisiveness, keeps coming back?
Undertaking these 5 simple actions gains assured certainty over time:
1: The praxis of living under a Teacher...
2: The effort of learning the True Dhamma...
3: The work of examining the meaning of the Dhamma...
4: The habit of listening to/reading the Dhamma repeatedly...
5: The quality of inquiring into the Cause & Non-Cause of all phenomena...
Through these 5 behaviours is both ignorance, skeptical doubt, uncertainty,
and bewildered confusion gradually eradicated by the invested effort!
See also:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Barren_Stagnation.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Doubt_and_Uncertainty.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Curing_Doubt_and_Uncertainty.htm
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Certainty dispels doubt & indecisiveness!
Doubt and Uncertainty!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/How_to_Overcome_Doubt.htm
Selfless Release Disengages and Detaches!
The Buddha once explained how to enter the stream leading to Nibbana:
One can cut off the 5 lower fetters and enter the Stream to Nibbana by
resolving on this with unwavering determination: What is present here now,
what has come into being, all that I relinquish and leave behind here & now!
If it is neither 'Me' nor 'Mine' now, nor will it then ever be 'Me' or 'Mine'
in any future... All this accumulation is not-I, not what I am, not my self!
There is no reason to fear a peace, that is not frightening since:
All form is impermanent, painful, selfless, dependent and vanishing.
All feeling is transient, hurting, egoless, conditional and fading away.
All perception is passing, distress, not me, contingent and leaving instantly.
All construction is temporary, tender, not mine, reliant and always lost.
All consciousness is brief, misery, not-self, contingent and evaporating.
So nothing whatsoever is lost al all by leaving behind lust for form, feeling,
perception, construction and consciousness! When this desire, this craving
for these 5 elements, is all eliminated, then there remains neither object,
nor foundation, nor basis for the establishing of any consciousness...!
When that consciousness remains un-established, without any foot-hold,
without any object, disengaged, neither generating, nor proliferating, nor
propagating anything, then it is released, detached by non-construction,
non-display, non-projection, in a non-manifesting all stilled quietness...
Being thus liberated from its usual tasks, then consciousness stabilizes,
and settles. When consciousness becomes steady in this ease of peace,
it also becomes quite content... When content, then it is also unagitated!
Being thus fully imperturbable, one attains Nibbana right there and then,
and instantly understands: Birth is ended, this Noble Life is completed,
done is what should be done, there is no state beyond this ...!!!
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
Source (Edited excerpt):
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya III 55-58
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Have a nice, noble & egoless day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
No Ego = No Problems!
Elevation occurs when the fake Ego detaches!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/How_to_Enter.htm
How to stop recurring Distracting Thoughts?
1: Redirect attention to a different advantageous object:
Like when driving out a coarse peg from a piece of wood, using a fine peg,
one can substitute and thereby replace :
A: Desire for living forms with thinking on a disgusting rotting corpse...
B: Desire for inanimate things with thinking on their impermanence...
C: Aversion towards living beings with the mental release of friendliness...
E: Delusion, doubt, uncertainty & confusion with thorough investigation...
2: Consider the Danger in thoughts mixed with hate, greed & ignorance:
These thoughts of mine are disgusting, dangerous, bringing much misery
now & later, just like a young man or woman is disgusted & humiliated, if
somebody hang a rotting carcass of a snake, dog or human around their
neck, so should one regard disturbing distractions!
3: Stopping all flow of thought by Non-Attention and Non-Reflection:
Like a man not wishing to see close his eyes & turn away from the object.
4: Repeat reflection of the Root Cause of these Distractions:
Searching for the reason of these mental afflictions can cure them:
Like a running man wishing calm finding no reason to run, starts walking...
Then finding no reason to walk, he sits down, finding no reason to sit,
he lies down... Now cured!
5: Beating the evil mind down with the force of the good mind:
By clenching the lower teeth against the upper teeth, and pressing the
tongue up against the palate, like a strong man holds down a weak man by
the shoulders so should one beat down mind with mind. Then these evil, ill
& detrimental thoughts rooted in greed, hate, & ignorance are eliminated,
and they vanish. By their evaporation mind settles down, becomes focused,
concentrated and unified on the purely good thought!
Attention Deficit occurs, when following after Distracting Thoughts!
Source: Moderate speeches of the Buddha: Majjhima Nikaya 21:
The Removal of Distracting Thoughts Full text and commentary is here:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/soma/wheel021.html
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Distractions Disturb Delight!
Habitual Attention Deficit Scatters the Mind!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/How_to_Remove_Distracting_Thoughts.htm
Control starts with Guarding the 6 Doors of the Senses!!
The Buddha once explained
Bhikkhus by possessing three qualities, one lives in this very life full of ease,
pleasure & joy! Furthermore, one has thereby prepared the elimination of
the mental fermentations... What are these three advantageous qualities?
I: One guards the doors of the senses,
II: One is moderate in eating, and
III: One is devoted to wakefulness...
How is a Bhikkhu moderate in eating? While reflecting rationally, he eats
food neither for the sake of entertainment, nor of infatuation, nor wishing
for bodily beauty, but exclusively for the support and maintenance of this
body, for ending discomfort, and for assisting this Noble life, considering:
Thus will I now end this old feeling, yet without arousing any new feeling!
Thus will I remain healthy, blameless & in comfort... Exactly as one treats
an open wound, only for the purpose healing it, or just as one greases an
axle only for the sake of easy transport of a heavy load, so does a Bhikkhu,
who is moderated in eating, while always reflecting rationally, eat food ...
More on Moderate Eating:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Oozing_Out.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Food_Disgust.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Sons_Flesch.htm
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [176-7]
Section 35: The 6 Senses. Salayatana. The Horse-Wagon. Rato 239.
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 _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Moderation while Eating initiates Self-Control!
Moderate Eating...
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Moderate_in_Eating.htm
Sense Joys, Happiness, Release & Beyond!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, there are joys of the flesh, there are joys not of this world, &
there are rapturous joys far beyond even such subtle unworldly joys ...
There is happiness of the flesh, there is a happiness not of this world, &
there is exquisite bliss far beyond even such subtle unworldly happiness!
There is indifference of the flesh, there is Equanimity not of this world,
and there is a serenity far beyond even such subtle unworldly Equanimity!
There is satiety of the flesh, there is a mental release not of this world,
and there is a liberation far beyond even such subtle unworldly release ...
And what, bhikkhus, are then these simple joys of the flesh?
There are these five strings of sense-pleasure. What five?
Visible forms experiencable by the eye ...
Hearable sounds experiencable by the ear ...
Smellable odours experiencable by the nose ...
Tastable flavours experiencable by the tongue ...
Touchable objects experiencable by the body ...
All are attractive, captivating, desirable, irresistible, lovely, agreeable,
tempting, pleasing, sensually enticing, seductive, alluring, & tantalizing!
These are the 5 strings of sense-pleasure. Joy that arises from these
five strings of sense-pleasure: This is simply the Joy of the flesh ...
Blissful is being without passions in this world,
Blissful is the overcoming of all sense-desires!
Udana II, 1
More on the folly vanity of desire for simple Sense Pleasure (Hedonism):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Why_Not.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Craving_is_Pain.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.1-2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.3-4.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Charcoal_Pit.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.3-4c.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Colourful_but_Muddy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Craving_is_Catastrophic.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Fire_of_Sense-Desire.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/What_is_Disadvantageous.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Joys_of_the_Flesch_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Happiness_of_the_Flesh_and_Beyond.htm
Prince Siddhattha realizes the empty folly of sense pleasure...
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [235-7]
section 36:11 On Feeling: Vedana. Joys beyond this world ...
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Beyond Joy!
Sensing is simple. Ever-lasting Bliss is not...
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Joys_of_the_Flesch_and_Beyond.htm
How to train endless Pity and Compassion!
Sitting alone, in silence, each early morning, with closed eyes, one wishes:
May I radiate and meet with only infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion!
May I & all the various beings on the 31 levels of existence develop & find
only this genuine gentleness of infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion!
May I & all beings on the sense-desire, fine-material, & the formless plane
develop & encounter this tender infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion!
May I & all beings in the front, to the right, the back, the left & below as
above develop & experience caring infinite pity, sympathy, & compassion!
May I & all beings in this city, country, and universe always be fully aware
and deeply mindful of this warm infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion!
May I & all beings in this city, country, and universe examine all details &
subtle aspects of this benevolent infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion!
May I & all beings in this city, country, & universe put enthusiastic effort
in their praxis of this affectionate infinite pity, sympathy, & compassion!
May I & all beings in this city, country and universe find enraptured joy &
jubilant gladness in this fond infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion!
May I & all beings in this city, country, & universe cultivate the tranquillity
of quiet, silent, stilled, & endlessly merciful pity, sympathy, & compassion!
May I & all beings in this city, country and universe attain concentrated &
absorbed one-pointedness by this infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion!
May I & all beings in this city, country, and universe dwell in imperturbable
equanimity joined with this loving infinite pity, sympathy, and compassion...
Yeah! Print this out, dwell in each state until clear, use ~ 25-45 minutes.
Comment: All-Embracing Pity is the 2nd infinitely divine state (Appamañña)
This gradually reduces all aggressiveness, cruelty, ferocity, viciousness,
rage, inner & outer violence, and unhappiness related with these states.
Joined with the 7 links to Awakening it will later cause formless jhanas...
More on Pity (Karuna = Compassion):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Karuna_is_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Safe_Medicine.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/What_is_Wrong.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Great_Compassion.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Compassionate_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Space_Compassion.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/How_to_Cure_Cruelty_and_Revengefulness.htm
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Karunã is All-Embracing Pity!
An Endless and Divine State...
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/IV/Endless_Pity.htm
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...
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 - …!!!
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!
The child easily see & speak the Deep Truths!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Why_I_am_Buddhist.htm
4 Things Opens the Entrance Streaming right to Nibbâna!
The blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus and friends, these four things, when developed and cultivated,
lead to the realization of the fruit of Stream-entry. What four?
1: Association with excellent persons,
2: Hearing and learning true Dhamma,
3: Rational and careful attention,
4: Praxis in accordance with this Dhamma.
These four things, when developed and cultivated,
lead to the realization of the fruit of Stream-entry ...
lead to the realization of the fruit of Once-returning ...
lead to the realization of the fruit of Non-returning ...
lead to the obtaining of understanding ...
lead to the growth of understanding ...
lead to the expansion of understanding ...
lead to great understanding ...
lead to extensive understanding ...
lead to vast understanding ...
lead to deep understanding ...
lead to matchless understanding ...
lead to wide understanding ...
lead to rich understanding ...
lead to quick understanding ...
lead to buoyant understanding ...
lead to joyous understanding .....
lead to swift understanding ...
lead to sharp understanding ...
lead to penetrative understanding ...
lead to transcendent understanding ...
lead to great wisdom ...!!!
What four?
1: Association with excellent persons,
2: Hearing & learning true Dhamma,
3: Rational and careful attention,
4: Praxis in accordance with this Dhamma.
These 4 things, when initiated & trained, lead to penetrative understanding...
These 4 things, when completed, lead to the very final fruit of Arahat-ship:
Awakening into Enlightenment, the very deathless dimension: Nibbana ...!!!
More on the Noble Stream-Entry (Sotapatti):
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
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book V [411-2]
55: Stream Entry. Sotapatti. The fruits of Stream Entry. 55-63.
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 _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
The 4 links 2 Stream-Entry!
Only Stream-Entrance ensures Safety!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Links_to_Stream_Entry.htm
How to train Rejoicing Joy in others Success?
When sitting alone, in silence, each early morning, with closed eyes one wishes:
May I radiate and meet only never-ending and mutually rejoicing joy!
May I & all the various beings on the 31 levels of existence develop and find
only celebration and elation in a never-ending mutually rejoicing joy!
May I & all beings on the sense-desire, fine-material, and the formless plane
develop and encounter this generous, infinite and mutually rejoicing joy!
May I & all beings in the front, to the right, the back, the left, and below as
above, develop and experience openhearted, sharing, & mutually rejoicing joy!
May I and all beings within this city, country, planet and universe always:
Be fully aware and deeply mindful of this content and mutually rejoicing joy!
Examine all details & aspects of this satisfied and mutually rejoicing joy!
Put enthusiastic effort in our praxis of this devoted mutually rejoicing joy!
Enjoy enraptured jubilant gladness in this exulting mutually rejoicing joy!
Be silenced by the tranquillity of quiet and all smiling mutually rejoicing joy!
Be concentrated & absorbed into one-pointedness by genuine rejoicing joy!
Dwell in an imperturbable equanimity of pure and mutually rejoicing joy...
Yeah! May it be even so, since mutual joy causes the jewel of contentment!
Comment: Mutual Joy is the 3rd infinite mental state (Appamañña):
This gradually reduces all envy, jealousy, possessiveness, stinginess, avarice
miserliness, green covetousness and unhappiness related with all these states.
The cause of Mutual Joy in rejoicing in your child's or boon companion's success.
This same joy can then be beamed towards all liked, neutral and hostile beings.
Mutual Joy is then the proximate cause of satisfied and fulfilled Contentment...
Lack of mutual joy is thus the proximate cause of dissatisfied discontentment...
Joined with the 7 links to Awakening it will later cause a formless jhana...
Be happy at all and especially other being's success! Then calm comfort grows!
More on Mutual Joy (Mudita):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Rejoicing_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Safe_Medicine.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Rejoicing_Bliss_is_Mudita.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Infinitely_Joyous_Consciousness.htm
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Mutual Joy causes Contentment!
Rejoicing Joy!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mutual_Joy.htm
Relinquishing what is Not Ownable produces Calmed Ease!
The Blessed Buddha once explained:
Bhikkhus, leave whatever is not yours, give it up! Having left it, relinquished
it and in every respect released it, that will lead to your lasting welfare,
ease and happiness! And what is it, Bhikkhus, that is not yours?
The eye is not yours... Forms are not yours...
The ear is not yours... Sounds are not yours...
The nose is not yours... Smells are not yours...
The tongue is not yours... Tastes are not yours...
The body is not yours... Touches are not yours...
The mind is not yours... Mental States are not yours...
When you have left it, given it up, relinquished it, and fully released it, then
that will indeed lead to your welfare, ease and happiness for a long time...
Imagine, Bhikkhus, that people were to carry off any dry grass and sticks
in this entire forest and then burn it all to ashes! Would you then think:
'People are carrying us all off, and burning us all up into nothing...'?
No! Why not? Because that grass is neither our self, nor belonging to us!
Exactly so too, Bhikkhus:
The eye is not yours. Forms are not yours.
The ear is not yours. Sounds are not yours.
The nose is not yours. Smells are not yours.
The tongue is not yours. Tastes are not yours.
The body is not yours. Touches are not yours.
The mind is not yours. Mental States are not yours.
These are neither your self, nor what you are, nor belonging to any self!
When you have left these, given them all up, released them, & relinquished
them, then that will indeed lead to your welfare, safety, ease & happiness
for a long, long, long time...
Comments:
All states -internal as external, physical as mental- are empty of stability!
Their nature is to arise and cease. Neither can they therefore ever be kept,
nor ever owned by anybody... Clinging to what never can be kept, is Pain...!
Relinquishing it all, is therefore indeed happiness...
More on Insight (Vipassana):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_18_Principal_Insights.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Calm_and_Insight.htm
Source:
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV 129-30
Section 35: On The 6 senses. Thread on Not Yours!: 139+40.
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 _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Possessiveness = Clinging = Craving = Suffering!
Not Yours!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Not_Yours.htm
The Experience of Change uproots Egoism!
At Savatthi the blessed Buddha said:
Bhikkhus, when the perception of impermanence is developed & cultivated,
then it eliminates all sense desire, it eliminates all lust for becoming into
something else, it also eliminates all ignorance, and finally it uproots even
this deep self-deception that "I Am"...
Just as, bhikkhus, in the autumn, when the sky is ultra clear and cloudless,
then the rising sun dispels all darkness from all the space where it shines,
so too when the perception of impermanence is developed and cultivated,
then it eliminates all sense desire, it eliminates lust for renewed becoming
into something else, and it also evaporates and eliminates all ignorance...
Finally it even uproots this core conceit that "I Am"!
And how, bhikkhus, is perception of impermanence developed & cultivated
so that it eliminates all sense desire, lust for becoming, ignorance & egoism?
Such is form, such is the arising of form, such is the ceasing of form..
Such is feeling, such is the arising of feeling, such is the ceasing of feeling..
Such is perception, such is the arising of perception, such is its cessation..
Such is construction, such is the arising of construction, & such its ceasing.
Such is consciousness, such is the arising of consciousness, & such its ceasing.
That is how the perception of impermanence is developed and cultivated so
that it eliminates all sense desire, all lust for becoming something else,
all ignorance, and so that it finally uproots this conceit that "I Am"...
Causes cause emergence when present, while ceasing when they are absent:
Body is caused by food, ignorance, form lust, & intention resulting in form.
Feeling arises from contact, ignorance, desire for feeling, & prior intention.
Perception is caused by contact, ignorance, lust for perception, and kamma.
Mental Construction arises caused by contact, past ignorance, desire for
mental construction, and prior intention = kama resulting in construction.
The causes of consciousness are mentality-&-materiality, prior ignorance,
desire for being conscious, and kammic intention resulting in consciousness.
Ignorance is Not Knowing: Suffering, Craving as the cause of Suffering,
No Craving as the End of Suffering, and the Noble Way to end Suffering...
Whether going along, above, across or back, wherever he goes in this world
let him carefully scrutinize the arising & ceasing of all constructed things...
Itivuttaka 120
More on the Universal Fact of Impermanence:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Transient_formations.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Impermanence_Anicca.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Internal_Transience.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_External_Transience.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Experiencing_Impermanence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Contemplating_Impermanence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Contemplating_Impermanence_2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Experiencing_Universal_Transience.htm
Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya 22:102 III 155-7
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Noticing the Impermanence produces Purity!
Perceiving the Transience...
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Perceiving_Transience.htm
How to be a Real Buddhist through Observance?
Poya is the full-moon of Poson (June), which is specially noteworthy to the Sri Lankan
Buddhists as the day on which Emperor Asoka's son, the Arahat Mahinda, officially
introduced Buddhism to the island in the 3rd century B.C. Accordingly, in addition to
the normal ritualistic observances undertaken on a Poya day, on Poson day devotees
flock to Mihintale & Anuradhapura, the ancient holy capital city of the country, for
it was there that Arahat Mahinda converted the then ruler, King Devanampiya Tissa,
and his court to Buddhism, thereby setting in motion a series of events that finally
made Sri Lanka the stronghold home of Theravada Buddhism.
Arahat Mahinda arrives
and tests the king's intelligence.
Mihintale, Sri Lanka.
Mahinda Thera's cave there.
Essays about the significance of Poson Poya Days in Theravada Buddhism:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Poson_Poya_Day.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Poson_Poya_artikel1.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Poson_Poya_artikel2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Poson_Poya_artikel3.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Poson_Poya_artikel4.htm
On such Uposatha 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 and
head touch the floor. Then, with joined palms in front of the heart,
one recite 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!
This is the very start on the path towards Nibbana -the Deathless Element-
This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Bliss, 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 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..." signed with name, date, town & country
to me or join here. A public list of this new Saddhamma-Sangha is here!
The New Noble Community of Disciples: The Saddhamma Sangha:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Saddhamma_Sangha.htm
Join Here:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Sangha_Entry.htm
For Details on Poya Uposatha Observance Days
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/uposatha.html
May your journey hereby be eased, light, swift and sweet. Never give up!
Mihintale, Sri Lanka, where the Arahat Mahinda, arrived in 3rd century B.C.
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Arahat Mahinda arrives at Mihintale!
Today is Poson Poya day!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Poson_Poya_Day.htm
An Unconstructed and Unchanging State!
At Savatthi the Blessed Buddha once said to his monks:
I will teach you the Unconstructed, Unconditioned & Uncreated State, &
the way leading to this unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated state...
Listen & pay attention to that, which will lead you to lasting happiness!
And what, is this unconstructed, unconditioned and uncreated state?
The elimination of greed, the stilling of hate, & the absence of ignorance:
This is the unconstructed, unconditioned & uncreated state of Nibbana...
And what is the good way leading to this unconstructed, unconditioned &
uncreated state?
Awareness of the body as a collection of organs is a way to unconstruct...
The four foundations of awareness is a way to this uncreated dimension...
Serene calm and profound insight is a way to this unconditioned sphere...
Concentrated directed thought & sustained examination is such a way...
Absorption into emptiness, 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 the only ways leading to the unconstructed, unconditioned and
uncreated state. Bhikkhus, I have now taught you the unconstructed, the
unconditioned, the 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 sole
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,
since you will bitterly regret it later! This is our instruction to you all...
Buddha Gotama enters Nibbana in year 483 BC.
More on this uncreated state - Nibbana (Sanskrit = Nirvana):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Peace.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Final_Freedom.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/climax_of_calm.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Reaching_Peace.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_2_Nibbanas.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/What_is_Nibbana.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Proximate_Cause.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Nibbana_or_non-return.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/nibbaana.htm
Not a place, yet a real state of the most supremeBliss !
Source:
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [359-62]
Section 43: On The Unconstructed. 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
The Uncreated State!
An Unconstructed and Unchanging Absolute...
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Uncreated.htm
Knowing the 5 core aspects of the 5 Clusters:
The Blessed Buddha once explained:
Friends, the uninstructed, uneducated, and ordinary person does neither
understand as it really is the origin, nor the ceasing, nor the satisfaction,
nor the danger, nor the escape from these five clusters of clinging: Form,
Feeling, Perception, Mental Constructions, and Consciousness!
But, friends, the instructed Noble Disciple understands as it really is both
the origin, the ceasing, the satisfaction, the danger, and the escape in the
case of form, feeling, perception, mental constructions, & consciousness!
How are these 5 aspects of the 5 clusters of clinging to be understood?
The origin of form is nutriment! Ceasing of nutriment is ceasing of form!
The satisfaction in form is the pleasure, fun, and joy derived from form.
The danger in form is the impermanent and decaying nature of all form.
The escape from form is the overcoming of all desire & lust for any form.
[Nutriment is here defined as: Food, contact, intention and consciousness!]
The origin of feeling, perception and construction is this sense contact.
The ceasing of feeling, perception and construction is ceasing of contact.
The satisfaction in feeling, perception & construction is the pleasure, and
joy derived from feeling, perception and mental construction.
The danger in feeling, perception and mental construction is the inherent
and inevitable impermanence & therefore immanent dissatisfaction within
any feeling, any perception and any mental construction whatsoever!
The escape from feeling, perception and construction is the overcoming
of all desire and lust for all feeling, perception and mental construction!
The initial origin of consciousness is mental construction. The ceasing of
consciousness is the ceasing of mental construction. The satisfaction in
consciousness is the pleasure and joy derived from consciousness.
The danger within consciousness is this impermanence, nature to change,
and thus misery characteristic of any form and event of consciousness!
The escape from all consciousness is the overcoming & elimination of all
desire and lust for any form for consciousness. In this way are these 5
aspects of the 5 clusters of clinging to be fully understood! It is only in
this way, that the instructed Noble Disciple indeed really understands,
what should be understood...
More on the 5 Clusters of Clinging (Khanda):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Burning_Five.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Clustered_Truths.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Breaking_the_Bonds.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_5_Clusters_of_Clinging.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Things_that_can_be_clung_to.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/What_are_the_5_Clusters_of_Clinging.htm
Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya 22:74 III 822
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 _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
When Seeing the Arising one also sees the Ceasing!
Knowing the Origin!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Origin.htm
The 5 Abilities are Caused by Conditions!
The origin of the ability of Faith is the desire to make a decision!
The origin of the ability of Energy is the longing for exertion!
The origin of the ability of Awareness is the wanting to establish!
The origin of the ability of Concentration is yearning for non-distraction!
The origin of the ability of Understanding is the wish to see!
On The Five Mental Abilities (indriya) see:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Final_Abilities.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Origin_of_Abilities.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Finding_the_Abilities.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Fruits_of_the_Abilities.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Analysis_of_the_Abilities.htm
1: Faith (saddha): The Initiating Key!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Buddha_on_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Going_Forth_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Outstanding_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Unwavering_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Analysis_of_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Power_of_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Highest_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Leaping_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Fruitful_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Mutual_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Dual_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Fine_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Rich_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Lay_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Faith_Summary.htm
2: Energy (viriya): The Motor & Fuel!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Definition_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Arising_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Ability_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Origin_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Enthusiastic_is_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Power_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Ballanced_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Energetic_Effort.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Chief_Hero.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Avoiding_Effort.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Energy_Viriya.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Dual_Energy.htm
3: Awareness (sati): The Light to See with!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Four_Foundations_of_Awareness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Clear_and_Aware_Comprehension.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Careful_and_Rational_Attention.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Awareness_Ability.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/What_is_Right_Awareness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Awareness_Analysis.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Awareness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/One_and_only_Way.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Noble_Awareness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Clear_Comprehension.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Awareness_Sati.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Causes_of_sati.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Sati_Studies.htm
4: Concentration (samadhi): The Focus to Drill & Catch with!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Requisites_for_Jhana_Absorption.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Concentration_Ability.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/What_is_Right_Concentration.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Concentration_Samadhi.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Concentration.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Samma-Samadhi.htm
5: Understanding (pañña): The Resultant Aloof State!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Understanding_Ability.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Outstanding_Understanding.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Revealing_Understanding.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Understanding_is_the_Chief.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Supreme_Understanding.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Right_Understanding.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/pannaa.htm
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
The mental abilities can be trained & improved!
The Powers of Progress!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Origin_of_Abilities.htm
Wearing away the 3 Roots of Evil stops all Suffering!
There are, friends, these three kinds of fading away, that are directly
observable, obviously evident, inviting each & every one to come and see
for themselves, practical, to be personally experienced by any clever one!
What three?
Someone here is & greedy & lustful, and caused by this very greedy lust,
he comes to harm himself, to harm others, & to harm both himself & others...
When this greedy lust later is discarded, then does he neither come to harm
himself, nor to harm others, nor to harm both himself & others anymore ...
This fading away, caused by wearing away of desire, is directly observable,
immediate, inviting each & every one to come & see for themselves, practical,
freeing, releasing, and to be personally experienced by any intelligence!!!
Furthermore:
Someone here is full of hate & aggression, and caused by this rage of anger,
he comes to harm himself, to harm others, and to harm both himself & others...
When this angry hatred later is eliminated, then does he neither come to harm
himself, nor to harm others, nor to harm both himself & others anymore ...
This fading away, caused by wearing away of ill-will, is directly observable,
apparent, inviting each & every one to come & see for themselves, smoothing,
soft, sweet, and to be personally experienced by any intelligence!!!
Finally:
Someone here is deluded, blinded & confused, and caused by this very ignorance,
he comes to harm himself, to harm others, and to harm both himself & others...
When this lack of understanding later is cleared up, then does he neither come
to harm himself, nor to harm others, nor to harm both himself & others anymore ...
This fading away, caused by wearing away of obscuration, is easily observable,
actual, inviting each & every one to come & see for themselves, all advantageous,
awakening, opening, and to be personally experienced by any intelligence!!!
These, friends, are the three kinds of fading away, that are directly observable,
immediately accessible, inviting each & every one to come and see for themselves,
practical, applicable, reachable, & personally experiencable by any intelligence...
There are 3 Root Causes of all Evil:
Greed!
Hate!
Ignorance!
Greed + dilutions:
Lust
Desire
Thirst
Craving
Yearning
Longing
Wishing
Hoping
Liking
Attraction
Tendency
Hate + dilutions:
Anger
Aversion
Irritation
Indignation
Resentment
Opposition
Contrariety
Impatience
Intolerance
Stubbornness
Rigidity
Ignorance + dilutions:
Confusion
Bewilderment
Perplexity
Uncertainty
Doubt
Skepticism
Hesitancy
Indecision
Oblivion
Stupefaction
Obscurity
These wrong mental roots blend in innumerable ways:
Examples of Root Mixtures:
Mixed Greed and Hate becomes => envy or jealousy...
Mixed Ignorance and Greed becomes => search, urge & frustration...
Mixed Ignorance and Hate becomes => extremism, fanatism & terrorism...
More on these 3 Root Causes (Mula):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/g_m/muula.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Cut_Craving.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/What_is_Ignorance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Origin_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/What_is_Disadvantageous.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/How_to_Cure_Anger_and_Irritation.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Proximate_Causes.htm
Source:
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [330-40]
Section 42: On The 6 Senses. Rasiya: 12.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Uprooting all Suffering...
The 3 Root Causes of all Evil!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Fading_Away.htm
Nothing Emerges without a Proximate Cause!
What causes Greed and Lust to arise?
Contacted by an attractive object, pleasurable feeling arises. If unaware
and untrained, then pleasurable feeling instantly makes craving towards
the object arise! This pleasant feeling thus causes greed and lust to arise.
What causes Ill-Will and Anger to arise?
Contacted by a repulsive object, painful feeling arises. If unaware and
untrained, then the painful feeling instantly makes craving away from the
object arise! This unpleasant feeling thus causes ill-will & anger to arise.
What causes Delusion and Ignorance to arise?
Contacted by a neither attractive nor repulsive object, then a neither
pleasurable nor big painful feeling arises. If unaware and untrained,
then this neutral, neither pleasurable nor painful feeling instantly makes
craving for neglecting the object arise... This neutral feeling thus causes
delusion and Ignorance to arise.
What is the relationship between the Mental Defilements and Craving?
Craving is the growth force and also media for the mental defilements:
Because of craving this state (e.g. wealth), aversion for the opposite state
(e.g. poverty) arises. Possessiveness, envy and jealousy soon follows, which
again enables violence & cruelty. Pain is the result of all such defilements.
What is the relationship between the Defilements & Self-Identification?
Self-Identification (egocentrism) is the glue holding together all mental
defilements. Eg: How to ever be possessive if there is no owner? ;-)
What is the absolute absence of all Greed, Hate and Ignorance?
The state Nibbana reached at the completion of the Noble 8-fold Way
is the absolute and irreversible absence of all greed, hate and ignorance!
Beings causally create future states by intending them!
More on Causality:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Caused_by_What.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Profound_Causality.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Proximate_Cause.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Causes_of_Emergence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Past_Cause_Present_Effect.htm
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Nothing emerges without a Cause!
The Proximate Cause!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Proximate_Causes.htm
What causes this possessive Clinging to what is Painful?
At Savatthi, while seated, Venerable Radha asked the Blessed Buddha:
Venerable Sir, one says: "A Being!" In what way, Sir, is one a being?
When one is stuck, Radha, tightly stuck, in desire, lust, delight, & craving
for form, then one is called a being! When one is trapped within yearning,
longing, fascination, and craving for feeling, for perception, for mental
constructions and for all the various forms of consciousness, in so far as
this violent force of clinging is still active, then one is defined as a being...
Imagine, Radha, some small boys & girls who are playing with sand castles.
So long as they are not devoid of desire, affection, attraction, delight, &
fascination for those sand castles, then they will like them, play with them,
treasure & guard them, be obsessed with them & treat them possessively...
But as soon as the small boys & girls lose their desire, delight, affection,
attraction, and fascination for those sand castles, then they scatter them
with their hands & feet, bulldoze them, shatter them, and eradicate them!
So too should you, Radha, scatter form, destroy it, shatter it, eradicate it
by practicing the stilling of all craving for form. So too should you scatter
feeling, scatter perception, scatter constructions, & scatter consciousness,
demolish it, shatter it, tear it down, by the practicing of the destruction
of craving. For this destruction of craving, Radha, is peace, is all freedom,
is pure bliss... Absence of craving, Radha, is Nibbana...
More on Craving (Tanha):
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Quenched.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Cut_Craving.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Elemental_Analysis.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Craving_is_Pain.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Craving_is_Cause.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Origin_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Ceasing_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Craving_is_Catastrophic.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_3_kinds_of_Craving.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_2nd_Noble_Truth_on_The_Cause_of_Suffering.htm
Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya 23:2 III 190
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html
Have a nice & noble day!
[color=#800000]Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Longing for illusions is painful...
Sand-Castles!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Sandcastles.htm
Only Absence of Contact is Peace!
The Blessed Buddha once said:
Bhikkhus, if one does not really understand both the cause, the ceasing,
the satisfaction, the danger, & the escape from the 6 sources of contact,
then one has not lived the Noble life, and is far away from comprehending
this Dhamma and from practicing this Discipline...
Then a certain Bhikkhu said to the Blessed One: Venerable Sir, I am lost,
for I do neither understand the cause, the ceasing, nor the satisfaction,
nor the danger, nor the escape from any of these 6 sources of contact!
The Buddha then asked him:
What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Eye as:
This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir...
What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Ear as:
This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir...
What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Nose as:
This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir...
What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Tongue as:
This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir...
What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Body as:
This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir...
What do you think, Bhikkhu, do you regard the Mind as:
This is mine, this I am, this is my self? No, Venerable Sir...
Very good, Bhikkhu! So should you continue to clearly comprehend the eye,
ear, nose, tongue, body, and the mind through correct understanding thus:
This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self!
In this way will the six sources or contact gradually be left behind, by not
creating any future renewed existence! This itself is the End of Suffering!
Comments:
The cause of the six senses is the arising of name-&-form, body-&-mind...
The six senses cease at the ceasing of name-&-form, and body-&-mind...
The satisfaction of the six senses is the pleasure & joy they generate...
The danger of the six senses is their inherent unstable impermanence...
The escape from the six senses is the elimination of craving: Nibbana!
More on this deepest self-deception: The conceit that "I Am!" (Asmi-mana):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Pride.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Conceit_I_Am.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/I-dentification.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Prison_of_Pride.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Anti-EGO-Tool.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Anatta_No_Self.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/No_Agent_is_Inside.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Solo_Self-Deception.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Mistaken_Reference.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Selfless_and_Harmless.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Clinging_to_the_notion_I_Am.htm
Source:
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. Book IV [43]
Section 35: On The 6 Senses. The six sources or contact: 71-2.
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 _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Only Absence of all Sense Contact is Peace!
Sense Contact!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Ending_Pain_Itself.htm
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 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
Mental Dis-Ease can be found in almost all beings!
Curable or Incurable?
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Three_Diseases.htm
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 complete avoidance of all killing of any breathing being, avoidance of taking
whatever is not freely given, & refraining from any misbehavior in sense desires.
Herein, what is purity of verbal action?
It is total avoidance of all false lies, avoidance of all aggressive speech, shunning
all divisive slandering speech, & refraining from all idle and empty hear-say gossip.
Herein, what is purity of mental action?
It is non-envious non-greediness, kind and gentle good-will, and Noble Right View.
These 3 behavioral purities are:
Like the earth in property: A firm footing to those, who desire Freedom..
Like water are they, for they wash away all the stains of 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 frightened by Ageing & Death..
Like a guide are they, leading any wishing 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 incessant scorching of Greed, Hate & Ignorance..
Like the sun are they, for they dispel darkness and gloom of Deluded Confusion..
Who fully guards his speech, and is well controlled in mind,
Who does nothing disadvantageous through the body's door,
Who purifies this simple triple course of all acted-out behaviour,
Will win both the path and the fruit, that all the Seers have enjoyed!
More on Mental Purification (Visuddhi):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mental_Purity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Ability_Purification.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_7_Purifications.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Immaculate_Integrity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/u_v/visuddhi.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/The_8_Understandings.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Levels_of_Leaving_Behind.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_purpose_of_purification.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_7_stages_of_Purification.htm
The Absolute Mental Manual: The Path of Purification. Visuddhimagga.
Excellent if not legendary translation by Bhikkhu Ñanamoli (1905-1960).
Written by 'The Great Explainer' Buddhaghosa on 5th century Ceylon.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/pdfs/PathofPurification2011.pdf
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
The 3 Doors!
Purity produces immaculate integrity!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Three_Doors.htm
The Saving Aspects of Morality?
The Primary Aspect of Morality is:
Composing internal consistency in all behaviour…
The Dual Aspects of Morality are:
Keeping the rules and avoiding wrongdoing…
Good behaviour and mental purification…
Good intention and complete self-control…
Dependent on prompting or own initiative…
Limited in extent or unlimited in extent…
Temporary & feeble or lifelong & stable…
Ordinary=Mundane or Supramundane=Noble…
The Triple aspects of Morality are:
Low, or medium, or superior…
Giving first priority to oneself, or to the world, or to the Dhamma…
Clung to, or not clung to, or naturally & spontaneously maintained…
Pure, or impure, or dubious and doubtful…
The learner’s, the learned’s, or the neither-learner-nor-learned’s…
The Quadruple aspects of Morality are:
Leading to falling, to stagnation, to distinction, or to penetration…
That of Bhikkhus, or Bhikkhunis, or novices, or the laity…
Being natural, customary, necessary, or caused by prior events…
Regarding the rules, the sense doors, livelihood, or the requisites…
The Fivefold aspects of Morality are:
Limited, unlimited, completed, detached, and tranquillized purity…
Intending, refraining, controlling, leaving, and non-transgression…
These are the various inherent aspects of Morality…
Source: The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga.
Written by 'the great explainer' Ven. Buddhaghosa in 5th century AC.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=771100
More on this basic first cause of all Good: Morality (Sila)!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Happy_Habit.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/What_is_Virtue.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/immaculate_virtue.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Best_Protection.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/The_Good_Disciple.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Five_Basics.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Best_Buddhist_Praxis.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Sila_Contemplation.htm
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Pure Virtue Outshines All!
Morality is the Seed of all Good!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Sila_1_to_5.htm
Friendly Goodwill is the 9th Mental Perfection:
Friendliness means Goodwill
Friendliness means Kindness
Friendliness means Helpfulness
Friendliness means Assistance
Friendliness means Support
Friendliness means Benevolence
Friendliness means Concern
Friendliness means Care
Friendliness means Compassion
Friendliness means Cooperation
Friendliness means Mutual Aid
Friendliness means Mutual Advantage
Friendliness means Sympathy
Friendliness means Symbiosis
Only friendliness can completely evaporate the poison of hate and anger!
Its characteristic is promoting other being's welfare, its function is to
do only good, and its manifestation is kindness, sympathy, and gentleness...
The proximate cause of friendliness is seeing the good aspects of things!
The proximate cause of understanding compassion is this very friendliness!
The Blessed Buddha said about friendliness (Metta):
"Bhikkhus, whatever kinds of worldly merit there are, all are not worth
one sixteenth part of the release of mind by universal friendliness;
in shining, glowing and beaming radiance, this release of mind by
universal friendliness far excels & surpasses them all..."
What are the 11 Advantages of cultivating such Universal Friendliness?
The four Brahma Viharas; The four Divine States:
The four Supreme States; The four Infinite States:
"Friends, eleven advantages are to be expected as effect from the release
of mind into friendliness by the practice of Goodwill, by cultivating amity,
by making much of it frequently, by making friendliness the vehicle, the tool,
the basis, by insisting on it, by being well established in it as a sublime habit!
What are these eleven advantages ?
One falls asleep well! One wakes up Happy!
One dreams no evil dreams!
One is liked and loved by all human beings!
One is liked and loved by all non-human beings too!
One is guarded and protected by the divine devas!
One cannot be harmed by fire, poison, or weapons!
One easily attains the concentration of absorption!
Ones appearance becomes serene, calm, and composed!
One dies without confusion, bewilderment, or panic!
One reappears after death on the Brahma level, if one
has penetrated to no higher level in this very life!
When the mind is released into friendliness by the practice of goodwill,
by manifesting friendliness, by cultivating amity, by frequently making much
of it, by making friendliness the vehicle, the tool, the basis, the medium, the
foundation, by persisting in it, by insisting on it, by properly consolidating it,
by thoroughly undertaking it, by making it a familiar supreme habit, by so
being well established in it, these eleven blessings can be expected!"
Anguttara Nikaya V 342
There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of friendly loving-kindness
pervading first one direction, then a 2nd one, then a 3rd one then the 4th one,
as below so above, across and all around, everywhere identifying himself with
all sentient beings, he is encompassing the whole world with a mind of friendly
loving-kindness, with a wide mind, vast, refined, unbounded, cleared, exalted,
pure and bright, free from all hate and ill will ...
There, Oh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of understanding compassion
pervading first the front, then the right side, then the back, then the left side,
as below so above, across & all around, all over, far & wide; identifying himself
with all sentient beings, he is perfusing the whole universe with a mind imbued
with pity, with a spacious mind, a refined mind, infinite, purified, all luminous,
freed from all anger and any trace of enmity ...
There, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of altruistic, sympathetic and mutual Joy
pervading the North, then the East, then the South, then the West, as below
so above, across & all around, universally, infinitely; identifying himself with
all sentient beings, he is suffusing all galaxies with a mind elevated by genuine
mutual and altruistic sympathetic joy, with an open mind, immeasurable, wide,
limitless, pure & shining, free from all aversion and bitterness ...
There, Oohh friends, the Bhikkhu with a mind full of balanced equanimity is
pervading first the frontal quadrant, then the right, then the rear & then the
left quadrant, as below so above, across and all around, everywhere placing
himself with all sentient beings, he is permeating the whole world with a mind
satiated of stilled and balanced equanimity, calmed, with a mountain-like mind,
cultivated, endless, clean, dazzling, freed from any irritation and resentment."
"So too, Bhikkhus, others may speak to you timely or untimely, true or untrue,
gentle or harsh, beneficial or harmful, based on kindness or on bitter hate!
If they abuse you verbally, you should train yourselves in this way:
"Our minds will remain unaffected, we shall speak no angry words, will dwell
friendly and understanding, with thoughts of kindness and no inward anger!
We shall remain friendly and beam goodwill towards that very person, and we
shall dwell extending it to the entire universe, mentally overflowing, exalted,
measureless and infinite in friendliness, without any trace hostility or ill-will."
That is how you should train yourselves. Even if bandits were savagely to cut
you up, limb by limb, with a two-handled saw, one who harbours hate on that
account, would not be one who carried out my teaching. Bhikkhus, you should
keep this instruction on this Simile of the Saw constantly in mind...
Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta 21
Thus he who both day and night
takes delight in harmlessness
sharing love with all that lives,
finds enmity with none...
Samyutta Nikaya. I 208
When one with a mind of love
feels compassion for the entire world
above, below and across,
unlimited everywhere.
Jataka 37
The Bodhisatta once was born as the righteous king Ekaraja. His kingdom was
taken by force and he and his son was buried in a pit to the neck...
King Ekaraja, however neither resisted, nor bore even slight ill will against the
invaders. Later he remembered this as his ultimate perfection of friendliness.
Ekaraja Jataka 303
On the Practice of Loving-Kindness (Metta):
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Wheels/wh006.pdf
On Universal Friendliness:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Metta.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Good-Will_Again.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Bon_Benevolence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Goodwill_Encore.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Released_by_GoodWill.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/All-Embracing_Kindness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Infinite_and_Divine_Classic.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Buddha_on_Noble_Frienship.htm
More on the 10 mental perfections (paramis):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Ten_Perfections.htm
Have a friendly, nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_ Sri Lanka.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Friendliness Frees!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Friendliness_Frees.htm
Equanimity gives delicate Peace & Happiness!
Equanimity (Upekkha) entails a composed equipoise of solid mental balance!
It is Tatra-majjhattata = keeping to the moderate middle of all phenomena.
Equanimity balances consciousness so it prevents both all excessiveness and
any deficiency. In equanimity mind is neither attracted by attractive things,
nor repelled by repulsive things. The cause of equanimity is seeing the law of
kamma: All beings are born and created by their kamma, they are owners of
their kamma, inherit their kamma, whatever they do, whether good or bad,
the effects of that will be theirs only, following them like a shadow of past!
The effect of Equanimity is threefold:
Exquisite, relaxed & subtle peace felt as calm happiness is instantly gained.
Equanimity purifies and completes all the 7 crucial Links to Awakening...
Equanimity is the proximate cause of knowledge and vision (ñanadassana)!
On the solidified & imperturbable mental balance of Equanimity (Upekkha):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/s_t/tatra_majjhattataa.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Serene_Equanimity_and_Beyond.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Imperturbable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Unshakable_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/u_v/upekkhaa.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Equanimity_Upekkha.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Empty_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Serene_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/High_and_Alert.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/What_is_Wrong.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Even_is_Equanimity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Safe_Medicine.htm
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
Exquisite is Equanimity!
Equanimity induces serene Peace!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/V/Exquisite_Equanimity.htm
How do the 5 Mental Hindrances become 10?
The Blessed Buddha once explained:
How, Bhikkhus, do the five mental hindrances multiply into ten?
Own internal sense-desire is a hindrance. Other's external sense-desire
is also a hindrance. Sense-desire is thus twofold: Internal and external!
Own internal ill-will is a hindrance. Other's ill-will is a hindrances too...
Lethargy is a mental hindrance. Any laziness is also a mental hindrance.
Lethargy-and-laziness is therefore a dual mental hindrance.
Restlessness is a mental hindrance. Regret & worry is also a hindrance.
Therefore can restlessness-and-regret be explained as two hindrances.
Any doubt and uncertainty about any internal condition, is a hindrance.
Any doubt & uncertainty about an external condition, is a hindrance too.
Thus does doubt-and-uncertainty become like a matched mirror pair...
More on these 5 Mental Hindrances (Nivaranas):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_5_Mental_Hindrances.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Feeding_the_Hindrances.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Starving_the_Hindrances.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Canal.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Naturally_Radiant.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Suitable_Substitution.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.3-4.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/Canon/Sutta/AN/AN.I.3-4c.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Fire_of_Sense-Desire.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Colourful_but_Muddy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Anger_and_Irritation.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Lethargy_and_Laziness.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Restlessness_and_Regret.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Doubt_and_Uncertainty.htm
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:110] section 46: The Links. 52: The Explanation...
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
The 5 mental Hindrances!
Mental Hindrances obstruct Happiness & Progress!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/How_5_Become_10.htm
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
Any dependence implies insecure instability!
Only the Unconditioned can ever be safe...
Without Wavering!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Without_Wavering.htm
Evil Will Infuriate an Enraged Mind!
A Brahmin Priest once asked the Blessed Buddha:
Master Gotama, what is the cause of being unable to remember something
that has been memorized over a long period & also that which has not?
Brahmin, when mind is obsessed by evil-will, enraged & dominated by evil-will,
and one does not understand any safe escape from this arisen ill of evil-will,
in that very moment, one neither sees nor understands, what is advantageous,
neither for oneself, nor for others, nor for both... On such enraged occasions,
even texts, that have been long memorized, cannot be recalled by mind.
Why is this neglect so? Imagine a bowl of water boiling and bubbling being
well heated over a blazing fire. If a man with good eye-sight were to inspect
the reflection of his own face in it, he would neither see nor recognize his
own face, as it really is! So too, brahmin, when mind is obsessed by evil-will,
maddened, beset & dominated by evil-will, on that occasion even those texts,
that have been long memorized do not recur to the mind, not to speak of
those texts, events and information, that have not been memorized at all…
Hate (Dosa) is one of the 3 Roots (Mula) of all Evil present in most beings!
Anger, irritation, opposition & stubbornness are diluted derivatives of Hate:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Slaying_Anger.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Break_Anger.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/No_Revenge.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Appeasing_Anger.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Hot_Hostile_Hate.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Anger_and_Irritation.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/How_to_Cure_Ill_Will.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_Elimination_of_Anger.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Release_of_Resentment.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/How_to_Cure_Anger_and_Irritation.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/How_to_Cure_Cruelty_and_Revengefulness.htm
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya.
Book [V:121-2] section 46: The Links. 55: To Sangarava...
Have a nice & noble day!
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samahita _/\_
http://What-Buddha-Said.net
The Enraged Mind!
Anger burns up beings from inside!
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Boiling_but_burnt.htm
A good Friend quite wisely asked:
Question:
>I've often seen you translate karuna as "pity,"
but isn't pity actually the near enemy of karuna?
Answer:
Friend your good question exemplifies a common misconception and
non-recognition of a mixed state…Since it depends how you define and
thus understand “Pity” as a mixed state, or in itself as a pure state!
In itself Pure Pity = Karunâ is defined as:
Pity originally means ‘feeling for and of other’s pain’, or "sympathy" and
"empathy". However only IF mixed with egoism it gets more unsympathetic
connotations of feeling of “own” superiority based on conscious or even
unconscious lack of respect of the sufferer's dignity, who is now seen as
“inferior”. However this Evil does not come from pity itself, which is a pure
compassion for the plight of the sufferer, but to the often unseen and
overlooked aspect of mixed-in impurities of the EGO-conceit “I am Better”!
Since for to say or think, even subconsciously, “I am Better” there just
have to be present the mistaken belief in a non-existent Ego = The conceit
that “I am” = asmi-mâna... Needless to say has this arrogant & pride-pumped
“I”-dentification & “self”-deception nothing whatsoever to do with fellow
feelings for another being’s suffering, though it can often subconsciously
be mixed with it and thus polluting this in itself advantageous & good pure pity.
Moreover regarding karuna especially as "Buddhist Pity":
There is no “sorrow” or “sadness” in this state as it is based on understanding
of cause and effect. From the Visuddhimagga:
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/pdfs/PathofPurification2011.pdf
“One whose meditation subject is pity should arouse compassion for any
[evil-doing] person even if he now is happy: “Though this poor wretch is now
happy, cheerful, enjoying his wealth, still for want of even one single good
deed done now in by any of the 3 doors of intentional behaviour he will
come to experience untold future suffering in the states of loss.”
Cut short:
A Noble Person feels empathy and pity for any being in Samsara due to
understanding of the inherent dangers in that Samsaric trap for anyone
without understanding of the 4 Noble Truths, but he does not feel sorrow
or sadness on that account! If he did, then Pity (Karuna or Compassion)
would not be an advantageous (kusala) mental state promoting Happiness,
which is the sole purpose in the first place!
See also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pity
More on Pity (Karunâ = Compassion):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Endless_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Safe_Medicine.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Karuna_is_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/What_is_Wrong.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Great_Compassion.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Compassionate_Pity.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Space_Compassion.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/b_f/brahma_vihaara.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/How_to_Cure_Cruelty_and_Revengefulness.htm
Pure is Unpolluted Pity...
May all beings becomes happy thereby!
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Pure_Pity.htm