Tuesday, September 4, 2018

The references of the four stages of enlightenment in the four major Nikayas

It appears in many sutta of many nikāya.

The Example

Sutta Pitaka Vol 1 : Sutta. Tī. Sī Mahālisuttaṃ:
‘And what, Sir, may those other things be?’
‘In the first place, Mahāli, a brother by the complete destruction of the Three Bonds (the Delusions of self, Doubt, and Trust in the efficacy of good works and ceremonies) becomes a converted man, one who cannot be reborn in any state of woe, and is assured of attaining to the Insight (of the stages higher still). That, Mahāli, is a condition, higher and sweeter, for the sake of which the brethren lead the religious life under me.
‘And then further, Mahāli, a brother by the complete destruction of those Three Bonds, and by reducing to a minimum lust, ill-will, and dullness, becomes a Once-returner, one who on his first return to this world shall make an end of pain. That, Mahāli, is a condition higher still and sweeter, for the sake of which the brethren lead the religious life under me.
‘And then further, Mahāli, a brother by the complete destruction of the Five Bonds that bind people to this world becomes an inheritor of the highest heavens, there to pass away, thence never to return. That, Mahāli, is a condition higher still and sweeter, for the sake of which the brethren lead the religious life under me.
‘And then further. Mahāli, when a brother by the destruction of the Deadly Floods (or Intoxications—Lusts, Becomings, Delusion, and Ignorance) has, by himself, known and realised and continues to abide here, in this visible world, in that emancipation of mind, that emancipation of heart, which is Arahatship—that, Mahāli, is a condition higher still and sweeter still, for the sake of which the brethren lead the religious life under me.
Another, in Sutta Pitaka Vol 2 : Sutta. Tī. Ma. Mahāparinibbānasuttaṃ:
“Ānanda, the monk Sāḷha, with the ending of effluents, dwelt in the effluent-free awareness-release and discernment-release, having directly known and realized them for himself right in the here-and-now. The nun Nandā, with the ending of the five lower fetters,16 has spontaneously arisen (in the Pure Abodes,) there to be totally unbound, destined never again to return from that world. Sudatta the male lay-follower, with the ending of [the first] three fetters, and with the attenuation of passion, aversion, & delusion, is a once-returner, who—on returning only once more to this world—will put an end to stress. Sujātā the female lay-follower, with the ending of [the first] three fetters, is a stream-winner, never again destined for states of destitution, certain, headed for self-awakening. Kakudha the male lay-follower… Kāraḷimbha… Nikaṭa… Kaṭissaha… Tuṭṭha… Santuṭṭha… Bhaṭa… Subhaṭa the male lay-follower, with the ending of the five lower fetters, have spontaneously arisen (in the Pure Abodes,) there to be totally unbound, destined never again to return from that world.
“Ānanda, more than 50 lay-followers who have died in Nādikā, with the ending of the five lower fetters, have spontaneously arisen (in the Pure Abodes,) there to be totally unbound, destined never again to return from that world. 96 lay-followers who have died in Nādikā, with the ending of [the first] three fetters, and with the attenuation of passion, aversion, & delusion, are once-returners, who—on returning only once more to this world—will put an end to stress. 510 lay-followers who have died in Nādikā, with the ending of [the first] three fetters, are stream-winners, never again destined for states of destitution, certain, headed for self-awakening.
The link, that I gave you, are included pāli version. You can take the keywords from that pāli to search more information.

Monday, September 3, 2018

Pubba-cetanā = Deliberation

Pubba-cetanā = Deliberation

Mind doesn't arise depend on only object

In abihdhamma (chapter 1-5 for mind&mind factor, chapter 6 for matter&nibbāna, chapter 8 for paṭiccasamuppāda&paññatti):
1 moment can separate to 3 sub-moments: arising, standing, and vanishing (upāda, ṭhiti, bhaṅgha).
1 matter moment = 17 mind/mind factor moments.
Paṭiccasamuppāda = cycle system of matter, mind, and mind factor.
Nibbāna = the opposite side of paṭiccasamuppāda.
Paññatti = imagination of mind&mind factors about paṭiccasamuppāda or nibbāna (everything).
  • So, paññatti has no 3 sub-moments, we can't count it's moment.
  • I.E. you can imagine "I get wings to fly", but it doesn't mean you really get wings. If the wings never get 3 sub-moments, arising/standing/vanishing, it is just imagination, not truth. However, something is imagination bases on truth, such as bird's wings. Because wings are imagination as well, but they base on the matter, which can get 3 sub-moments. So, bird can fly.

The explanation

  1. Most of jhāna object is paññatti. No one can count paññatti-object's moment, because it never arise/standing/vanish.
  2. Another, some jhāna has mind or perception as object. But that object is the past, which already vanished. Mind can know the present object as the present while it is taking a present moment (still in arising, standing, or vanishing state). but for the past or future object, mind can know it as it is unlimited. Similitude as we can see the present passing through car just the moment it is in our vision. But we can think of that passed/coming car, which being out of vision, unlimited.
By both case above, although the object is not present, the mind still can know it.
If mind have to arise depend on only object, we must know everything even when we are sleeping.

We can't see nibbāna, because of diṭṭhi-clinging. Nibbāna is the opposite of the dependent origination.

The dependent origination are the cycle of happening/cessation conditions.

What is the dependent origination?

It is every true things, except nibbāna.

What is nibbāna?

It is the truth which is the opposite side of the dependent origination, the opposite side of the cycle of happening/cessation conditions. Nibbāna never has happening/cessation conditions. The conditions can know nibbāna, but they can't let nibbāna arise or vanish.

Why we can't see nibbāna by thinking like the noble ones can do?

Because we still having the wrong understood about the dependent origination, diṭṭhi-clinging, so we can't daily understand&discover&make cessation of the truth's root conditions, avijjā&taṇhā&all-unwholesome. Therefore we can't see nibbāna like the noble ones can do.

How to see nibbāna? 

Observe sīla, meditate samādhi and vipassanā until enlightened.




The popular question about nibbāna already answered in Ekādasamo paricchedo Nibbānaniddeso of abhidhammāvatāra.

There also are many aspects of nibbāna in Abhi. Kathāvatthu as well.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Difference between desire (chanda) and craving (tanha)?

Chanda is acceptation to do something to an object. However, it is not decision (adhimokkha), or attachment (taṇhā). In vinaya pitaka, it often use as "agreement" (i.e.).

There are:

  1. Unwholesome chanda
    1. Unwholesome chanda without tanṇhā
    2. Unwholesome chanda with sensual tanṇhā
    3. Unwholesome chanda with becoming tanṇhā
    4. Unwholesome chanda with unbecoming tanṇhā
  2. Resultant chanda
    1. Lokiya resultant chanda
    2. Lokutara resultant chanda
  3. Ineffective action chanda
    1. Ineffective action chanda of sekkha (puthujana and 3 noble one)
    2. Ineffective action chanda of asekkha (arahanta)
  4. Wholesome chanda
    1. Lokiya wholesome chanda
    2. Lokutara wholesome chanda

See Conation in Sangaha chapter 2.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Explanation on the working of Abhiññā / Iddhi / Mind arising

If "based on science" means 'possible to do/follow/reproduce in real life', the answer appeared in Abhidhamma (as follows).

A person's mind arises and immediately vanishes more than trillions of times per second. And one person per one mind per time.

There are 2 types of mind by job:

  1. mind which arises for life saving (sleeping mind; know only rebirth-kamma's object) and
  2. mind which arises for knowing new object from a sense of 6 senses.

This 2 types arise switch each other whole life, from the rebirth to death. For example, while you reading this answer, these 2 types, included sleeping mind, still arise and vanish uncountable. And this sleeping mind drops human abilities, such as abhiññā.

And, there are 2 types of mind which knowing new object by job:

  1. wholesome mind (kusala)
  2. unwholesome mind (akusala)

Only unwholesome mind drops human abilities, such as abhiññā.

The trick of Abhiññā / Iddhi

The trick of jhāna is very simple and powerful: it is "how to pause sleeping mind and unwholesome mind", then "how to rising up wholesome mind continuously, development" (as much as sleeping mind/unwholesome mind can't arise, between the long period of wholesome minds arising).

Then the trick of abhiññā is very simple and powerful as well: it is "how to be professional of jhāna enough to get abhiññā which can adapting jhāna affects daily life more than the pure jhāna without abhiññā".

It's something like the professors of science/history/business/etc. They can see the future of their expertise and control it like what they want it be. But someone who never practice like them can't understand many of their speech. Similarly, the Abhiñño people can control their expert minds to do what they want, such as seeing the other minds, seeing the future, etc.

See citta-visuddhi-niddesa in path of purification.

Monday, August 20, 2018

It is impossible to attain wrong mindfulness and wrong concentration.

It is impossible to attain wrong mindfulness and wrong concentration. Because the uddhacca-cetasika (restlessness-mind-factor) arises with every unwholesome-mind, such as diṭṭhi-mind. This mind factor is the enemy of the main keyword of achievement, ekaggatā-cetasika (concentration-mind-factor). See the path of purification samādhiniddeso pathavīkasiṇaniddeso.

This is the reason that why in tipitaka the effects of unwholesome-minds have shorter period than the effects of wholesome-minds. And This is the reason that why the wholesome-minds have more mind factors than the unwholesome-minds.