Chris wrote:Hello Individual,
Individual said: puñña brings happiness
Maybe more precision in terms is needed? Where is Puñña equated with happiness - at least happiness of the worldly sort?
The
Ittha Sutta suggests that long life, beauty, happiness, and status, are all the result of merit. And the Dhammapada says this too.
Dhammapada 1:16
Here he rejoices, hereafter he rejoices. In both states the welldoer rejoices. He rejoices, exceedingly rejoices, perceiving the purity of his own deeds.
Things like long life, beauty, and status, and what's mentioned in the above Dhammapada quote, isn't simply spiritual forms of joy; they're worldly as well.
To demonstrate this point, a deva re-iterates this point in
SN 1.3
Life but leads to doom. Our time is short.
From Decay there's naught can keep us safe.
Contemplating thus the fear of death,
Let's make merit that will bring us bliss.
The Buddha contradicts this, though:
Life but leads to doom. Our time is short.
From Decay there's naught can keep us safe.
Contemplating thus this fear of death,
Scorn such worldly bait, seek final peace.
The Buddha does not deny that merit leads to bliss, but calls this happiness "worldly bait", so the happiness is worldly. But it is not as noble as Nirvana, because it chains the being to Samsara.
On that same page, there is some useful commentary for this discussion:
The Buddha here makes a vital distinction which is valid to this day as marking the difference between the aims of "popular Buddhism" and the serious treading of the Path. "Merit" (puñña) can lead to a happier rebirth, perhaps in one of the deva-worlds, but this too will come to an end. The proper course is to tread the Noble Eightfold Path and gain the "final peace" of Nibbaana. Note, however, the remarks of the Ven. Khantipalo in The Buddhist Monk's Discipline (WH 130/131, p.7): "Puñña is the benefit of increasing purity of mind derived from skillful actions such as generosity, virtue, helpfulness, etc. 'Merit' is an inadequate rendering."
And also, if we identify merit (punna) with kamma, as others have done above, the Buddha said in
MN 135
Kamma is what creates distinctions among beings in terms of coarseness & refinement.
Not simply spiritual coarseness or refinement... People are born poor or rich, beautiful or ugly, because of kamma, because of merit.
Chris wrote:Bhante Henepola Gunaratana in discussing the Concept of Happiness, said:
"There are two types of happiness--one is experiential [vedayita)] and the other nonexperiential [avedayita]. The latter is considered to be the highest, for it does not change, and the former is placed in a lower degree of happiness, for it changes. The latter is attained after eradicating all the defilements in the mind and the former is attained without destroying them. As long as defilements including hindrances are not destroyed, whatever happiness attained is subject to change. All happiness derived from any feeling may turn into unhappiness. If happiness turns into unhappiness, then what we experience is suffering [dukkha]. True happiness is the happiness attained by eliminating dukkha. The cause of suffering should be eliminated totally, completely, never to return again, in order to eliminate suffering. With total annihilation of the cause of suffering, permanent happiness is possible."
How does Bhante Henepola Gunaratana claim to know of something which he hasn't experienced, or has he experienced the nonexperiential?
MMK23 wrote:
I was being serious! We mustn't rope off the dynamics of the cosmos (including in such 'boring' areas as the limitless fountain of puñña. Dynamics such as these must be, by their very nature, axiomatic to the whole Buddhadhamma project. We can't avoid the way the world and the cosmos work, and indeed the Buddhist project is all about squaring it up, looking it in the face, and not flinching. Sorry that I got sort of unnecessarily excited. I just think it's very important to wonder about how everything works. I don't think there's much point in closing off any line of enquiry.
Well, we agree!