Right view? please advise

[rolling_boulder]

Hello,

While contemplating Dhamma the following insight struck me. Sorry if it's unclear. Some of the terminology might not be quite right. Please tell me if it's on the right track:

- The desire impulses that continuously strike a person are the sum total of their previous mental programming, or conditioning.

- Without being actively aware of these impulses as they arise, one is literally a slave to these impulses, acting robotically and unthinkingly -- in the sense that even if one is barred in some way from fulfilling the desired sense/mental contact, an intention [more programming] is formed to fulfill the desire in the future.

-Due to ignorance, one may imagine that fulfilling the impulses will lead to their cessation, or that avoiding fulfilment of the impulses will lead to their cessation.

-However, fulfillment of these impulses does not lead to their cessation. Lack of fulfillment of the impulses also does not lead to their cessation. In either case, the impulsive tendency remains.

-When one does not direct their awareness toward a fixed object (mentally cling to a "post",) their awareness will always be blind to all but the current impulse being followed - they will never be able to observe the patterns in the mental cacophony that surrounds their awareness.

- By clinging to a mental "post", one can directly observe the impulses as they arise. Observing the impulses, one may note that they always lead to stress.

- Through active effort, one can calm the impulses and clear up the storm of intentions.

- When the impulses have been calmed, they will eventually cease entirely.

Is it the case that the impulses I am discussing are what is referred to as kamma?
Is it the case that the impulses are what are referred to when it is said, "On the breakup of the body, there is rebirth?"

[Herbie]

Hello,
-When one does not direct their awareness toward a fixed object (mentally cling to a "post",) their awareness will always be blind to all but the current impulse being followed - they will never be able to observe the patterns in the mental cacophony that surrounds their awareness.

- By clinging to a mental "post", one can directly observe the impulses as they arise. Observing the impulses, one may note that they always lead to stress.

I'd say that by clinging to a mental "post" the arising of impulses is suppressed because the arising of an impulse depends on paying attention to stirrings out of which these impulses arise.

- Through active effort, one can calm the impulses and clear up the storm of intentions.

Intentional discipline, yes.

- When the impulses have been calmed, they will eventually cease entirely.

Hmh ... I doubt that calming is sufficient.

[NotMe]

Is it the case that the impulses I am discussing are what is referred to as kamma?

Kamma is intent. The “impulses” or the outflow is asava, “Four qualities — sensuality, views, becoming, and ignorance — that "flow out" of the mind and create the flood of the round of death and rebirth.” http://www.accesstoinsight.org/glossary.html

Is it the case that the impulses are what are referred to when it is said, "On the breakup of the body, there is rebirth?"

Those here more gifted than i with the Abhidhamma can correct this, but the actual rebirth linking mechanism is not the asava - the asava perhaps ‘flavor’ the linking mechanism - perhaps a quality of ?citta?

Any errors here are mine. please advise!

[subaru]

I thought I knew what is Sammaditthi, but after I started to research into it, I realized I know nothing

To start here are MN lectures by Ven Bhikkhu Bodhi, scroll down to section 7 (Right View) for the 17 hours of excellent (IMO) scholastic lectures : http://bodhimonastery.org/a-systematic- ... ikaya.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Zom]

1) By clinging to a mental "post", one can directly observe the impulses as they arise. Observing the impulses, one may note that they always lead to stress.

2) Through active effort, one can calm the impulses and clear up the storm of intentions.

3) When the impulses have been calmed, they will eventually cease entirely.

These three are somewhat wrong.

1) with sati you can indeed observe things. But not necessarily all of them. There still can be many blind spots. And not necessarily you will see how things lead to stress. In many cases this just will not happen if we talk about the so called "present moment".

2) With right effort you can calm some things down, but again, not necessarily all of them and not necessarily you will succeed all the time.

3) Calmness is a wholesome quality, but it alone will not eradicate defilements. One must use calmness to get into samadhi and develop insight based on that. Only this will remove defilements completely.

[NotMe]

1) with sati you can indeed observe things. But not necessarily all of them. There still can be many blind spots. And not necessarily you will see how things lead to stress. In many cases this just will not happen if we talk about the so called "present moment".

This is confusing to me, so help me out, Zom. Surely you are not saying that Right Sati, fully-developed, is not necessarily able to observe all things and has many blind spots. What you are saying is that sati is developed in stages, and "remembering", referrential skills are part of that development along with present moment awareness. Did i get that right? Please advise.

2) With right effort you can calm some things down, but again, not necessarily all of them and not necessarily you will succeed all the time.
3) Calmness is a wholesome quality, but it alone will not eradicate defilements. One must use calmness to get into samadhi and develop insight based on that. Only this will remove defilements completely.

This i see plainly (i hope): Calm and insight are required for success and it is a gradual process, not without "crashes" and recovery from setback.

[Zom]

This is confusing to me, so help me out, Zom. Surely you are not saying that Right Sati, fully-developed, is not necessarily able to observe all things and has many blind spots. What you are saying is that sati is developed in stages, and "remembering", referrential skills are part of that development along with present moment awareness. Did i get that right? Please advise.

Yes sure. What is more, very powerful jhana-based sati required to see "everything" - and this is not something easily gained. "Just being mindful in a lay life" won't lead to such kind of seeing, much more radical practice (and renunciation) is needed for that (though, again, few are really prepared to undertake that).

This i see plainly (i hope): Calm and insight are required for success and it is a gradual process, not without "crashes" and recovery from setback.

Yes, but what I mean here is only insight can (finally) do this task. You can get powerful serenity which can last for a long-long time - but it alone won't destroy the defilements.

[rolling_boulder]

3) Calmness is a wholesome quality, but it alone will not eradicate defilements. One must use calmness to get into samadhi and develop insight based on that. Only this will remove defilements completely.

Hi Zom,

Could you elaborate on exactly how insight comes from samadhi? Could you please contrast samadhi from calmness so that I can better tell them apart?

[SarathW]

The following Sutta may some help.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Zom]

Could you elaborate on exactly how insight comes from samadhi? Could you please contrast samadhi from calmness so that I can better tell them apart?

Hello, I will try. I'm not entirely sure about the details of the mechanism of this insight happening on the basis of jhana (samadhi), but it seems like with such powerful mind state you begin to see (and probably understand) things differently. Don't ask me further, because I've never been to jhana and have no experience to share - here I speak just from the theory. With a jhana-based clean, bright, lumunious, powerful mind you see things differently - this is why deep insight can happen, and can't happen without a such mind state. Now, calmness is just one of the states comprised in samadhi, a part of it.