Page 1 of 1

What is the meaning of reality?

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 4:52 am
by SarathW
It appears that there are four realities (conditioned and unconditioned) according to Abhidhamma.
Q1)What is the pali word for the reality? What it means?
Q2) Why Nirvana is called Unconditioned reality?


===========================
Some information relating to above question:
Four Ultimate Realities (Paramattha Dhammaa)
1)Consciousness (Citta) – conditioned reality
2)The mental factors (Cetasika) i.e Feeling or sensation (Vedana) and Perception (Sanna) which are arise as a result of consciousness (samkhara) – conditioned relaity
3)Material form (Ruppa) –This includes body, sex and seat of consciousness. The body-decade is composed of the Four Primary Elements –Extension, cohesion, heat, motion (Pathavi, apo, tejo, vayo) – conditioned reality
4)Nirvana (Nibbaana) – Nirvana is an unconditioned reality. All other three are conditioned realities.


"The Abhidhamma in Practice", by N.K.G. Mendis. Access to Insight, June 7, 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el322.html.

Re: What is the meaning of reality?

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:01 am
by Virgo
Hello Sarath,

Those are excellent questions. May I suggest, since this is an Abhidhamma classification which you ask about, that you ask the question in the Abhidhamma, or Classical forums, where you will receive replies rooted in understanding of the texts, rather than here where people will give all sorts of replies rooted in their general understanding which may not be taking the actual Abhidhamma into account.

In the meantime, this will help explain it, and is a clear and very short read:

http://www.abhidhamma.org/sujin3.htm :namaste:


Kevin

Re: What is the meaning of reality?

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 8:15 pm
by Cittasanto
SarathW wrote:It appears that there are four realities (conditioned and unconditioned) according to Abhidhamma.
Q1)What is the pali word for the reality? What it means?
Q2) Why Nirvana is called Unconditioned reality?


===========================
Some information relating to above question:
Four Ultimate Realities (Paramattha Dhammaa)
1)Consciousness (Citta) – conditioned reality
2)The mental factors (Cetasika) i.e Feeling or sensation (Vedana) and Perception (Sanna) which are arise as a result of consciousness (samkhara) – conditioned relaity
3)Material form (Ruppa) –This includes body, sex and seat of consciousness. The body-decade is composed of the Four Primary Elements –Extension, cohesion, heat, motion (Pathavi, apo, tejo, vayo) – conditioned reality
4)Nirvana (Nibbaana) – Nirvana is an unconditioned reality. All other three are conditioned realities.


"The Abhidhamma in Practice", by N.K.G. Mendis. Access to Insight, June 7, 2010, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... el322.html.
I would say this tells you what you are looking for (i.e. nibbaana)
but there is a sutta (Ud.8.3) which uses the term unconditioned (asankhataṃ) to describe nibbana. this maybe more like the answer you are looking for; but not knowing much what the Abhidhamma says or this particular writer is referring to in context I hope this is of help nonetheless.