The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

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Lal
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Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Lal »

The following is the second "extra post" that I promised. I wrote it several years ago and I have only added #17 to it. In the next post, we will get back to the discussion on the five aggregates.

Will Quantum Mechanics Be Able to Explain Consciousness?

Quantum Mechanics and Consciousness Are Both “Mysterious”

1. Quantum mechanics (QM) has some features (quantum entanglement, Heisenberg uncertainty principle, etc.) that make it appear “mysterious” compared to classical physics, where the predictions are intuitive and transparently deterministic.

- The “hard problem in consciousness” (discussed in philosophy) is also mysterious, just like quantum phenomena: the question of how consciousness can arise in a brain made of inert matter.
- When quantum mechanics emerged in the early 1900s, many people started tying the two together and speculating that the newfound quantum theory would explain how consciousness arises in the brain.

Attempts to “Explain” the Origin of Consciousness With Quantum Mechanics

2. There have been several such QM-based theories proposed to explain consciousness.

- Several popular books recently published emphasize the possible role of QM in generating human consciousness (Walker, 2000; Penrose et al., 2011; Rosenblum and Kuttner, 2011; Stapp, H., 2011).
- A recent review paper is: “Neural correlates of consciousness- Koch et al.- 2016“.https://puredhamma.net/wp-content/uploa ... l-2016.pdf
- Another proposed approach, for example, is based on consciousness originating in microtubules in neurons: “Consciousness in the universe – Hameroff, and Penrose-2014“.https://puredhamma.net/wp-content/uploa ... e-2014.pdf
- However, those are just unverified “theories.” They will NEVER be proven to be correct. The Buddha explained that the mind is the precursor to everything in this world. Nothing in the brain can give rise to consciousness. See “Origin of Life” series of posts starting with "Origin of Life – One Creates One’s Own Future Lives":viewtopic.php?p=518755#p518755

Philosophers Are Starting to Realize

3. Other than such activities in science, a hot topic in current philosophy is “how consciousness arises in a material brain.” Most philosophers are physicalists and believe that a physical (matter) basis can explain all phenomena. For a collection of discussions with several philosophers, see (Blackmore, 2005).

- As David Chalmers pointed out in 1994 at the first Tucson conference on consciousness: “The hard problem…is the question of how physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective experience” (Chalmers, 1995).
- The problem in philosophy (and in science) then is to figure out how the “subjective” consciousness arises from “objective” matter. That is an impossibility.

4. This critical bottleneck was also emphasized by Thomas Nagel (Nagel, 1974) even earlier in his famous essay, “What Is It Like to Be a Bat- Nagel- 1974”. (https://puredhamma.net/wp-content/uploa ... l-1974.pdf) As he pointed out at the end of the paper, “…it seems unlikely that any physical theory of mind can be contemplated until more thought has been given to the general problem of subjective and objective. Otherwise, we cannot even pose the mind-body problem without sidestepping it”.

- The difference between “subjective” and “objective” is becoming clear with the neuroscience research done, especially in the past decade. We will discuss those new developments below. Subjectivity plays a vital role in cognition (consciousness), and the question is how that can arise from an “objective” material base.

Subjective versus Objective: Difference between Mind and Matter

5. To clearly state the issue we intend to address, we need to clarify the distinction between “objective” and “subjective.”

- Objective means one’s personal opinions and biases do not come into play. It is easy to be objective about the physical properties of matter: We all agree on what the length, weight, density, color, etc., of a given object is. We have developed standard procedures for measuring them. Therefore, no matter who makes the measurement, the same answer will result.
- Thus we all agree (unless one is color blind) that a particular rose is red; that is also objective.

What Is Subjective?

6. Then, what is subjective? Those are personal opinions that can vary from person to person.

- For example, if you ask the opinion about politician X, some will love him, some will hate him, and others will be somewhere in between.
- The same is true about politics, religions, foods, smells, books, movies, etc. All those are subjective.
- In Buddha Dhamma, those subjective opinions arise because different people have different “gati“; see, “The Law of Attraction, Habits, Character (Gati), and Cravings (Āsavas).”viewtopic.php?p=490629#p490629

Science Is Based on Objective Assessments

7. We have a thriving science and technology field because we deal objectively (and thus rationally) with the inert matter in such cases. Therefore, we can lay out an experiment in detail and then carry it out anywhere by any team of competent scientists who design and carry out experiments objectively. They will get the same result (within experimental uncertainties.)

- Science and technology would not flourish if such experiments did not produce consistent and repeatable results.

8. Science is focused on “material phenomena” involving inert matter. Scientists can send a rocket to the Moon. That only involves the motion of objects that strictly follow the laws of motion. Therefore, it is clear that objective assessments are much more straightforward than subjective assessments.

- By definition, we all cannot agree on something subjective. We place different values on things and have different opinions based on our value systems.
- One would think that it should be easy for science to figure out how objective assessments may take place in our brains. But even that is more complex than we would think.

The Mystery of Consciousness

9. For example, neuroscience cannot explain how our brains even discern a rose as “red,” i.e., how inert neurons can give rise to an “experience” even if it is objective. Explaining subjective experiences is much more challenging.

- This root problem, even in handling such essential aspects of “qualia,” has been pointed out by several philosophers and scientists over the years; see, for example, Noe and Thompson (2004), Bitbol (2008), Miller (2014), Aru and Bachmann (2015), and references therein.
- As these authors point out, currently, efforts are focused on investigating just neural correlations of consciousness. But finding a neural constitution of consciousness (how consciousness arises) appears impossible (and it is!).
- It is impossible because consciousness is not in the physical body. It is in the mental body (gandhabba); see several posts starting with “Human Life – A Mental Base (Gandhabba) and a Material Base (Cell)“.viewtopic.php?p=519542#p519542

How Does Consciousness Arise?

10. Can an inert brain identify a color? How can a brain feel pain? Those are critical issues to address.

- Furthermore, “the actual problem of consciousness” is much more complex because the feeling that arises upon seeing a red-color object can be different for different people; some like red clothes to wear, for example, and some don’t.
- Thus, those feelings and perceptions arise due to a sensory experience that is truly subjective. Material phenomena are, by definition, objective.
- Until recently, neuroscience had not been able to recognize the existence of mental attributes such as emotions, feelings, and perceptions. The availability of precision neuro-imaging methods has enabled an explosion of activity in those areas basically within the past decade; see, for example ( Lindquist and Barrett, 2012; Bird and Viding, 2014; Klasen et al., 2014; Lamm and Majdandzic, 2015). However, these studies can point out only neural correlates (not neural constitution) of these mental qualities.

Subjective Experiences Are Impossible to Explain With Modern Science

11. Therefore, even if we solve the “hard problem” associated with discerning fundamental aspects of “qualia” (such as experiencing the “redness of a rose”), that will still not solve the problem of the “subjective experience.” The neurons in each person’s brain must have their own set of unique “characteristics” to provide the “subjective experience.” Yet, neurons are neurons. How can person X’s neurons be different from those of person Y?

- Thus the difference between mind and matter is much deeper than just “qualia” (redness of a rose). Emotions that arise in the mind (happiness, sadness, greediness, hatefulness, jealousy, etc.) are complex and personal. The mind is complex.
- The problem in trying to explain the mind phenomena with inert neurons in the brain has its root in trying to explain complex “subjective mental phenomena” with an ontologically different “objective” material base (neurons).
- The Buddha has explained that those feelings arise not in the physical body but in the mental body (gandhabba).; see the posts referred to in #9 above on gandhabba.

12. In any case, we are focusing on even a narrower aspect in this paper, i.e., the role of quantum mechanics.

- There is no evidence for a correlation between the mind and quantum phenomena, let alone a causal connection.
- Results of QM experiments do not depend on the “subjectivity” of the person conducting those experiments simply because truly subjective decisions are not involved in such experiments.

13. Subjective decisions are very personalized, like voting liberal versus conservative, buying versus selling a given stock, OR liking versus disliking a given food—zillions of such choices that are truly subjective.

- Quantum mechanical experiments do not involve such subjective decisions, and the outcome is the same regardless of the experimenter. In science, the reproducibility of experimental results is the final arbiter. Quantum mechanical measurements are reproducible.
- That is the key to realizing that quantum phenomena have nothing to do with the mind. Quantum phenomena may be different than “classical phenomena,” but they are reproducible.

Both Classical and Quantum Phenomena Are Objective and Deterministic

14. Transparently, “deterministic” classical physics (Newtonian mechanics) did not come even close to explaining the “subjective” consciousness. But the emergence of QM with its “unusual aspects” immediately led many to infer that it may be able to explain the equally “mysterious” consciousness.

- Since the 1920s, attempts have been made to rationalize the “unusual” nature of QM, and ideas emerged from the physics community itself that conscious observations could affect the outcomes of an experiment (e.g., the “observer effect”); see “The ‘Observer Effect’ in Quantum Mechanics.” Recently, such ideas have been adopted to explain the origin of consciousness itself.
- We will summarize the existing experimental results in future posts to show that there is no evidence to suggest that quantum mechanical phenomena are even related to consciousness, let alone explain consciousness.

15. Quantum phenomena have characteristics that are very different from classical phenomena (described by Newtonian mechanics). Still, both quantum and classical phenomena are objective. There is no evidence of quantum phenomena having anything to do with subjective consciousness.

- The phrase “non-deterministic” (or “indeterminacy”) for quantum phenomena is a misleading one. It gives the impression that the results of QM experiments cannot be pre-determined. That is false.
- Even though many “classical experiments” have just one outcome, that is not true in all cases. For example, in chaos theory, one can calculate only probabilities.
- Similarly, in QM experiments, one can calculate only probabilities, but those predictions are ALWAYS consistent with experimental measurements. Therefore, it is misleading to label QM phenomena as “non-deterministic.”

All QM Experients Are Objective

16. All QM experiments conducted have been objective. Subjective consciousness does not play any role in those experiments. A given QM experiment may yield different results based on the experimental conditions.

- There is no “intrinsic subjectivity” in those experiments other than the possibility of a range of outcomes (with known probability) due to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
- An experiment conducted under the same conditions will yield the same result regardless of the experimenter—no connection to the observer’s consciousness. Many try to use the famous double-slit experiment to show such a connection, but that is incorrect. See “The Double Slit Experiment – Correlation between Mind and Matter?“https://puredhamma.net/abhidhamma/abhid ... xperiment/
- Also see, “The Observer Effect in Quantum Mechanics.”https://puredhamma.net/quantum-mechanic ... mechanics/

QM Cannot Play a Role if the Brain Is Not Necessary for Conscious Experience

17. The possibility of QM playing a role is completely negated if it is shown that there can be conscious experience in the absence of any brain activity. That is indeed the case reported by many people over the world in their Near-Death Experiences (NDE).

- I have discussed the existing evidence in “"Brain Is Not the Mind: Near-Death Experiences (NDE).”viewtopic.php?p=665784#p665784
- The following is a recent youtube video on the subject by a physician who has been recording evidence from his patients:



References

Aru, J. and Bachmann, T. (2015), Still wanted – the mechanism of consciousness, Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 6, pp. 1-3.

Bird, G., and Viding, E. (2014), The self to other models of empathy: providing a new framework for understanding empathy impairments in psychotherapy, autism, and alexithymia, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, vol 47, pp. 520-532.

Bitbol, M. (2008), Consciousness, situations, and the measurement problem of quantum mechanics, Neuroquantology, vol. 6, pp. 203-213.

Blackmore, S. (2005), Conversations on Consciousness, Oxford University Press.

Chalmers, D. J. (1995) The puzzle of conscious experience, Scientific American, December 1995, pp. 62-68.

Klassen, M., et al., (2014), Neural processing of emotion in multimodal settings, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, vol. 8, pp. 1-4.

Lamm, C. and Majdandzic, J. (2015), The role of shared neural activations, mirror neurons, and morality in empathy, Neuroscience Research, vol 90, pp. 15-24.

Lindquist, K. A., and Barrett, L. F. (2012), A functional architecture of the human brain: emerging insights from the science of emotion, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, vol. 16, pp. 533-539.

Miller, S. M. (2014), Closing in on the constitution of consciousness, Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 5, pp. 1-18.

Nagel, T. (1974), What is it like to be a bat? The Philosophical Review LXXXIII, (4), pp. 435-450.

Noe, A. and Thompson, E. (2004), Are there neural correlates of Consciousness?, Journal of Consciousness Studies, vol. 11, pp. 3-28.

Penrose, R., Kuttner, F., Rosenblum, B., Stapp, H., (2011), Quantum Physics of Consciousness, Cosmology Science Publishers.

Rosenblum, B. and Kuttner, F., (2011), Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness, Oxford University Press.

Stapp, H. (2011), Mindful Universe: Quantum Mechanics and the Participating Observer, Springer.

Walker, E. H. (2000), The Physics Of Consciousness: The Quantum Mind And The Meaning Of Life, Basic Books.
Lal
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Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Lal »

We continue with the discussion on the Idappaccayātā Paṭicca Samuppāda and the significance of the Five Aggregates to that discussion.

Five Aggregates – Experiences of Each Sentient Being

Five aggregates (pañcakkhandhā) are the accumulation of one’s experiences and expectations for the future. Not only a human, but any sentient being has its own pañcakkhandhā.

Accumulation of Rupakkhandha (Form Aggregate) With Each Sensory Experience

1. We discussed how one’s rupakkhandha grows with each sensory experience in several previous posts,

- A sensory experience occurs when an external rupa comes into contact with an internal rupa, i.e., when an ārammaṇa (vaṇṇa rupa, sadda rupa, gandha rupa, rasa rupa, phoṭṭhabba rupa, or a dhamma rupa) comes to the mind either via the “five physical doors” or directly (dhamma rupa).
- Thus during the waking hours, one’s rupakkhandha (form aggregate) grows and is added to the existing rupakkhandha (collection of rupa that one has ever experienced.)
- Now we need to discuss how all five aggregates (pañcakkhandha) grow simultaneously.

Each Sensory Contact Also Gives Rise to the Four Mental Aggregates

2. The easiest way to look at that is as follows. One of the six types of vipaka viññāṇa (cakkhu, sota, ghāna, jivhā, kāya, mano viññāṇa) arises with each such sensory experience.

- That vipāka viññāṇa includes vedanā, saññā, and thus mano saṅkhāra AUTOMATICALLY. Note that mano saṅkhāra is “vedanā and saññā” (see Ref. 1). At this initial stage, there will be no vaci or kāya saṅkhāra.
- Therefore, all five aggregates grow with EACH sensory experience.

3. Now, we take the next step and see how the aggregates of feelings, perceptions, “mental formations,” and “consciousness” arise. As we have discussed, it is better to use the Pali terms of vedanākkhandha, saññākkhandha, saṅkhārakkhandha, and viññāṇakkhandha instead of those English terms.

- As I have explained, only one type of viññāṇa can be called “consciousness,” and that is vipāka viññāṇa.
- However, viññāṇakkhandha includes all kinds of viññāṇa. See “Distortion of Pāli Keywords in Paṭicca Samuppāda.”viewtopic.php?p=655847#p655847

Example – Visual Sensory Contact

4. A cakkhu viññāṇa gets added to viññāṇakkhandha simultaneously with the addition of a “mental impression of a rupa” to rupakkhandha.

- Simultaneously, that cakkhu viññāṇa not only with an impression of the rupa but is accompanied by vedanā, saññā, and saṅkhāra as well, and additions to rupakkhandha, vedanākkhandha, saññākkhandha, and saṅkhārakkhandha take place simultaneously.
- Think carefully about that. With each sensory input (ārammaṇa), ALL FIVE AGGREGATES grow.

All Five Khandhās Arise Together

5. We based our discussion in the previous two posts on rupakkhandha on the “Khandha Sutta (SN 22. 48).”https://suttacentral.net/sn22.48/en/suj ... ript=latin

- The same sutta describes the other four khandhās in the same way as the rupakkhandha, as we can expect.
- Thus, for example, vedanākkhandha is: “Any kind of vedanā—past, future, or present; internal or external; coarse or fine; inferior or superior; far or near: all of them belong to the aggregate of form or vedanākkhandha.”
- After that, the Buddha concludes, “Ime vuccanti, bhikkhave, pañcakkhandhā” or “Bhikkhus, Those are the five aggregates.”

We Recall Not Just Form Aggregate but All Five Aggregates

6. Therefore, as soon as an ārammaṇa goes through the mind, a record of the associated rupa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, and viññāṇa is added to the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha.)

- Thus, when we recall a past event, we remember the rupa involved and the mental aspects associated with that event, i.e., the pañcakkhandha related to that event. The “past component” of the pañcakkhandha also goes by “nāmagotta.”
- The “past component of pañcakkhandha” is preserved as “nāmagotta” in the viññāṇa dhatu.
- For example, when you recall a tasty meal of last week, you identify the type of food and the taste. You had “good feelings” about the meal, which is vedanā.

Memories (Nāmagotta) Preserved in Viññāṇa Dhatu

7. Even though most of us cannot, few people can recall past events from this life in astonishing DETAIL.

- Jill Price and a few other people can recall memories in such detail only because those memories (nāmagotta) have been in the viññāṇa dhatu. See “Where Are Memories Stored? – Viññāṇa Dhātu.”viewtopic.php?p=667574#p667574
- With advances in science and access to experiences by people worldwide, evidence keeps accumulating for Buddha Dhamma. Another related study is on Near-Death-Experiences (NDE) conducted by heat surgeons. See “Near-Death Experiences (NDE): Brain Is Not the Mind.”viewtopic.php?p=665784#p665784
- In the same way, some children can recall memories from their recent past lives. See “Evidence for Rebirth.” viewtopic.php?p=578531#p578531Some yogis can remember many past lives. A Buddha can recall any past life as he wishes. For example, Buddha Gotama described the lives of several previous Buddhas in detail in several suttas. See, for example, “Mahāpadāna Sutta (DN 14).”https://suttacentral.net/dn14/en/sujato ... ript=latin
- None of those accounts can be explained by the proposal saying “consciousness and memories” arise in the brain. A brain has NO DIRECT CONNECTION to the past lives.

8. In #7 above, I stated that “A brain has NO CONNECTION to the past lives.” The brain can’t contain such memories intrinsically, i.e., those memories obviously cannot be “stored in the brain.” However, the brain DOES play a role in memory recall; see “Brain – Interface between Mind and Body.”https://puredhamma.net/abhidhamma/gandh ... -and-body/

- The mana indriya in the brain can extract memories from the viññāṇa dhatu. If a specific brain region is damaged, the brain will lose the ability to recall such memories. Just as sights come in through the physical eyes, memories come through the “mana indriya” in the brain.
- In “Patient H.M. – Different Roles of Brain in Memory” (viewtopic.php?p=582132#p582132) and a few other related posts, I have discussed that. From the account of patient H.M., we can deduce that “mana indriyacould be related to THE hippocampus in the brain. He lost the ability to recall memories after the removal of the hippocampus.

Each Sentient Being Generates Pañcakkhandha

9. Any sentient being (living in the 31 realms) is continually adding to its pañcakkhandha via each sensory experience. Even the smallest living creature generates pañcakkhandha.

- Of course, most animals do not have brains. They have different mechanisms for memory recall. They can recall mostly just their life experiences in their current life. For example, they know where they found food in the past, which areas to avoid because of dangers, etc.
- It is our large brains (in particular the neocortex of the brain) that make humans unique. The neocortex “slows down” the arising of citta vithi. It takes time to process sensory data as we discussed in “Seeing Is a Series of ‘Snapshots’.”viewtopic.php?p=671891#p671891
- Even though some other mammals also have the neocortex, those are smaller. They all take action impulsively. Even some of us who have not cultivated mindfulness tend to act impulsively “without thinking through (about consequences of such actions).”

We Attach to Pañcakkhandha, Not Just to Rupakkhandha

10. As discussed above, when we recall past events, we remember the corresponding rupa and the associated mental aspects. Then we attach to such rupā that provided either joyful or hateful experiences.

- In other words, our recollections (and attachments) involve all five aggregates (pañcakkhandha) associated with that event, not only the form aggregate (rupakkhandha.)
- In the previous posts, we noted that rupupādānakkhandha (rupa upādāna khandha) is only a tiny fraction of rupakkhandha. Thus, it is also clear that pañcupādānakkhandha (pañca upādāna khandha) is only a small fraction of pañcakkhandha!
- Attachment to pañcakkhandha (i.e., pañcupādānakkhandha) is the root cause of future suffering.
- We have previously discussed that in other posts; see, for example, “Loka Sutta – Origin and Cessation of the World.” (viewtopic.php?p=617194#p617194) However, we will briefly discuss that here.

We Attach at the Present Moment!

11. We create kammic energies to power up future rebirths at the present moment, when we attach to an ārammaṇa. We attach via greed, anger, and ignorance. The ignorance is not to realize the CONSEQUENCES of actions/speech/thoughts that we generate at that moment.

- That is what the Buddha explained to Ven. Ananda in the “Mahānidāna Sutta (DN 15).”https://suttacentral.net/dn15/en/sujato ... ript=latin
- That is the Idappaccayātā Paṭicca Samuppāda that we have been discussing in the current series of posts: “Paṭicca Samuppāda During a Lifetime.”
- In this series of posts, we are making the connection to the pañcakkhandha (five aggregates) which has been mistranslated or at least not adequately explained in most English texts.

Analysis of Deep Suttas Requires This Understanding

12. We perceive that we see a “full figure” or a person, “a whole statement made by such person”, etc.

- However, those are just “collections” or “khandhas” of very brief “snapshots” put together by the mind (viññāṇa.) It is only a “magic show” as the Buddha explained.
- That is what the Buddha explained to Bāhiya in the “Bāhiya Sutta (Ud 1.10)” (https://suttacentral.net/ud1.10/en/suja ... ript=latin) with the verse, “diṭṭhe diṭṭhamattaṁ bhavissati, sute sutamattaṁ bhavissati,..” Seeing is just like taking a series of snapshots. What we PERCEIVE as a person walking is really a series of such snapshots “made into a movie” by the mind. The same holds for hearing, tasting, etc. That is why it is critically important to understand the current series of posts starting with viewtopic.php?p=669925#p669925 Don’t forget to watch the youtube movie in the post “Seeing Is a Series of ‘Snapshots’” and understand the basic idea.
- There are a series of Bhaddekaratta Suttas (MN 131 through MN 134) based on the same basic but deep concept. See, for example, the first one “Bhaddekaratta Sutta (MN 131).” The English translation there is completely off. It has nothing to do with a “One Fine Night,” which is the title of the English translation!

Reference

1. In the Cūḷa­ve­dalla Sutta (MN 44) on the types of saṅkhāra generated: “Assāsapassāsā kho, āvuso visākha, kāyikā ete dhammā kāyap­paṭi­baddhā, tasmā assāsapassāsā kāyasaṅkhāro. Pubbe kho, āvuso visākha, vitakketvā vicāretvā pacchā vācaṃ bhindati, tasmā vitakkavicārā vacīsaṅkhāro. Saññā ca vedanā ca cetasikā ete dhammā cittap­paṭi­baddhā, tasmā saññā ca vedanā ca cittāaṅkhāro”ti.
Assāsa passāsā (breathing in and out) is associated with the body (movements). Thus, assāsa passāsa is kāya saṅkhāra.
Vitakka/vicāra arise before speech “breaks out.” Therefore, vitakka/vicāra are vacī saṅkhāra.
Saññā and vedanā are associated with any citta. Thus, saññā and vedanā are citta (mano) saṅkhāra.
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Eko Care
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Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Eko Care »

Lal wrote: I have pointed out MANY problems with Sutta Central translations. See, for example, "Distortion of Pāli Keywords in Paṭicca Samuppāda"
- Those problems in their translations should evident to even a child.
Accusations from a one who is accused of Text-distortion
to another one who is accused of Text-distortion ?
Lal wrote: Note that the translator has translated “gandhabbo” as “spirit.” It is not a “spirit” in the sense of a “ghost”. It is the “mental body” or the essence of the human being born! How come people don’t ask that translator what that “spirit is”? This is why Buddha Dhamma has been hidden for all these years.
Because of Suttacentral?
Lal wrote: No one has responded yet.
If you could successfully convince Sujato that he is not the only one accused of Text-distortion,
then he will happy to help you.
Bhikkhu Pesala wrote:
Dhammanando wrote:Conclusion

The Pure Dhamma website offers a variety of revisionist readings of the Pali Suttas based upon the site-owner’s (or his guru’s) claimed re-discovery of supposed hidden meanings of key Pali terms.

These proposed hidden meanings, when not presented merely as bald assertions, are defended by resort to Pali philological analysis. But since the site-owner is demonstrably incompetent in both Indic philology in general and Pali in particular his arguments are undeserving of credence. Rather than leading to the true understanding of the Dhamma via the revelation of higher (but long-concealed) meanings, they lead only to baloney.
Spot-on (as long as by "baloney" you don't mean "Large smooth-textured smoked sausage of beef and veal and pork.") With that, I will bow out of any further discussion about pure dhamma.net It is just a net of views, a trap for the unwary, and it is too time-consuming to correct every error.

I hope the authors will listen to the two of us and take down this website until they are more qualified to write something that is truly helpful to revive the true Dhamma.
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Eko Care
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Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Eko Care »

Lal wrote: This is my last post here at Dhamma Wheel
Thank you very much for you kindness.

I think I was able to do a big service to the Dhammawheel, may be to the whole world, although it was unintentional.
And Venerable Dhammanando and Bhikkhu Pesala had contributed to it before me. We are thankful to them as well.

And, Lal,
it would be very kind of you, if you could listen to the last advise of Bhikkhu Pesala as well.
Bhikkhu Pesala wrote: Wed Apr 05, 2017 5:48 pm I hope the authors will listen to the two of us and take down this website (Pure Dhamma website) until they are more qualified to write something that is truly helpful to revive the true Dhamma.
Lal
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Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Lal »

Ānāpānasati Not About Breath – Icchā­naṅga­la Sutta

Icchā­naṅga­la Sutta (SN 54.11)” (https://suttacentral.net/sn54.11/en/suj ... ript=latin) is a short sutta. One can get a clear answer to whether Ānāpānasati is breath meditation. I will translate the complete sutta so that there will be no ambiguity.

Buddha Spending a Rainy Season (Vassāvāsa) in Seclusion

1. “Ekaṃ samayaṃ bhagavā icchānaṅgale viharati icchā­naṅga­la­va­nasaṇḍe. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “icchāmahaṃ, bhikkhave, temāsaṃ paṭisallīyituṃ. Nāmhi kenaci upasaṅka­mi­tabbo, aññatra ekena piṇḍa­pāta­nīhāra­kenā”ti.

Evaṃ, bhante”ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paṭissutvā nāssudha koci bhagavantaṃ upasaṅkamati, aññatra ekena piṇḍa­pāta­nīhāra­kena.”

Translated: “On one occasion, the Blessed One was staying in Icchānaṅgala in the Icchānaṅgala forest grove. He addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, I wish to go into seclusion for three months. I am not to be approached by anyone except for the one who brings alms food.”

- “As you say, Bhante,” the bhikkhus responded to him. And no one approached the Blessed One except the one who brought alms food.

2. “Atha kho bhagavā tassa temāsassa accayena paṭisallānā vuṭṭhito bhikkhū āmantesi: “sace kho, bhikkhave, aññatitthiyā paribbājakā evaṃ puccheyyuṃ: ‘katamenāvuso, vihārena samaṇo gotamo vassāvāsaṃ bahulaṃ vihāsī’ti, evaṃ puṭṭhā tumhe, bhikkhave, tesaṃ añña­titthi­yā­naṃ paribbājakānaṃ evaṃ byākareyyātha: ‘ānā­pā­nassa­ti­samā­dhinā kho, āvuso, bhagavā vassāvāsaṃ bahulaṃ vihāsī’ti.

Translated: “Then the Blessed One, having emerged from seclusion after the passing of three months, addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, if adherents of other sects ask you, ‘How did Buddha Gotama spend the rains residence?’ You should answer them in this way: ‘It was with ānā­pā­nasa­ti­ samā­dhi that the Blessed One dwelled.’

Buddha Spending Vassāvāsa in Ānā­pā­nasa­ti­ Samā­dhi

3. “Idhāhaṃ, bhikkhave, sato assasāmi, sato passasāmi. Dīghaṃ assasanto ‘dīghaṃ assasāmī’ti pajānāmi, dīghaṃ passasanto ‘dīghaṃ passasāmī’ti pajānāmi; rassaṃ assasanto ‘rassaṃ assasāmī’ti pajānāmi, rassaṃ passasanto ‘rassaṃ passasāmī’ti pajānāmi; ‘sabba­kāyap­paṭi­saṃ­vedī assasissāmī’ti pajānāmi … pe … ‘paṭi­nissag­gā­nu­passī assasissāmī’ti pajānāmi, ‘paṭi­nissag­gā­nu­passī passasissāmī’ti pajānāmi.“

- The above verse (phrase) is the stock phrase describing Ānā­pā­nasa­ti­ in the “Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118)” (https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/sujat ... ript=latin) EXCEPT for a critical difference. Let us look at the corresponding description in the Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118):

So satova assasati satova passasati. Dīghaṁ vā assasanto ‘dīghaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, dīghaṁ vā passasanto ‘dīghaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti; rassaṁ vā assasanto ‘rassaṁ assasāmī’ti pajānāti, rassaṁ vā passasanto ‘rassaṁ passasāmī’ti pajānāti; sabbakāyapaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati … pe …paṭinissaggānupassī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘paṭinissaggānupassī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.”

4. I highlighted the words that are different in the two cases. Those in red denote Buddha’s Ānā­pā­nasa­ti described in the Icchā­naṅga­la Sutta (SN 54.11).­ They are replaced by the ones in blue in the procedure followed by a bhikkhu in the Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118.)

- Also, … pe … indicates skipping the intervening part to keep the text short. The skipped sections include the sections of kāyānupassanā, vedanānupassanā, cittānupassanā, to the end of dhammānupassanā. That skipped section is a couple of pages long. The switch from pajānāmi to sikkhati applies in all sections.

5. Other than the first-person usage for the Buddha (e.g., sato assasāmi) and the third-person for a bhikkhu (e.g., satova passasati), the main difference is in pajānāmi replacing sikkhati in kāyānupassanā through dhammānupassanā in the Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118.)

- The skipped sections include the four sections of kāyānupassanā, vedanānupassanā, cittānupassanā, to the end of dhammānupassanā. In kāyānupassanā, the verse “sabbakāyapaṭisaṁvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati” for a bhikkhu is replaced by “sabba­kāyap­paṭi­saṃ­vedī assasissāmī’ti pajānāmi” for the Buddha. Lastly, in dhammānupassanā, “paṭi­nissag­gā­nu­passī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati” for a bhikkhu is replaced by the verse “paṭi­nissag­gā­nu­passī assasissāmī’ti pajānāmi” for the Buddha.

- There, pajānāmi means “I know,” and “sikkhati” means “(a bhikkhu) will train thus.” In the Icchā­naṅga­la Sutta (SN 54.11), the Buddha recalls/reenacts the process for a “pleasant abiding,” as stated in #8 below, whereas a sekha bhikkhu would train that way, as indicated in #7.

- Of course, the switching applies to all corresponding verses for vedanānupassanā and cittānupassanā, as pointed out in #4.
That distinction will become more apparent in #7 and #8 below.

Ānā­pā­nasa­ti­ Samā­dhi = Ariya Vihāra, Brahma Vihāra, Tathā­gata Vihāra

6. “Yañhi taṃ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathā­gata­vihāro’ itipi. Ānā­pā­nassa­ti­samā­dhiṃ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathā­gata­vihāro’ itipi.

Translated: “One can call that pleasant abiding of the Buddha a Noble dwelling, a Brahmā dwelling, a Tathāgata dwelling. The Ānā­pā­nasa­ti­ samā­dhi can be rightly called a Noble dwelling,’ ‘Brahmā dwelling,’ or ‘a Tathāgata dwelling.’

A Trainee (Sekhā) Makes Progress With Ānā­pā­nasa­ti­

7. “Ye te, bhikkhave, bhikkhū sekhā appattamānasā anuttaraṃ yogakkhemaṃ patthayamānā viharanti tesaṃ ānā­pā­nassa­ti­samā­dhi bhāvito bahulīkato āsavānaṃ khayāya saṃvattati.”

Translated: “For those bhikkhus who are still trainees (sekhā) who have yet to attain the Arahanthship, cultivation of Ānā­pā­nasa­ti­ samā­dhi leads to the ending of the āsavā (i.e., attaining Arahanthood).”

A Buddha (or Arahant) Lives With Ānā­pā­nasa­ti­ for a Pleasant State of Mind

8. “Ye ca kho te, bhikkhave, bhikkhū arahanto khīṇāsavā vusitavanto katakaraṇīyā ohitabhārā anup­patta­sadat­thā parik­khī­ṇa­bhavasaṃ­yojanā samma­dañ­ñā­vimuttā, tesaṃ ānā­pā­nassa­ti­samā­dhi bhāvito bahulīkato diṭṭha­dhamma­su­kha­vihārāya ceva saṃvattati sati­sam­pajañ­ñāya ca.”

Translated: “For those bhikkhus who are Arahants, who have irradicated defilements and have completed the Noble Path, Ānā­pā­nasa­ti­ samā­dhi leads to a pleasant abiding in this life together with mindfulness & alertness.”

Thus the Synonyms: Ariya Vihāra, Brahma Vihāra, Tathā­gata Vihāra

9. “Yañhi taṃ, bhikkhave, sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathā­gata­vihāro’ itipi. Ānā­pā­nassa­ti­samā­dhiṃ sammā vadamāno vadeyya: ‘ariyavihāro’ itipi, ‘brahmavihāro’ itipi, ‘tathā­gata­vihāro’ itipī”ti.”

Translated: Therefore, “Ānā­pā­nasa­ti­ samā­dhi can be correctly called: ‘Noble dwelling,’ ‘Brahmā dwelling,’ ‘Tathāgata dwelling.’

- Note: Brahma and Tathāgata can be (and have been) used for an Arahant and a Buddha, even though that is not standard usage. Brahma here does not mean one in a Brahma realm.
- That is the end of the Icchā­naṅga­la Sutta (SN 54.11).

Kaṅkheyya Sutta Is Similar to Icchā­naṅga­la Sutta

10. “Kaṅkheyya Sutta (SN 54.12)” (https://suttacentral.net/sn54.12/en/suj ... ript=latin) is similar. The use of the term “sekho vihāro” there indicates the abiding of a trainee bhikkhu (sekha) engaging in Ānā­pā­nasa­ti­ in the beginning verse of that sutta.

Ekaṃ samayaṃ āyasmā lomasakaṃbhiyo sakkesu viharati kapila­vatthus­miṃ nigrodhārāme. Atha kho mahānāmo sakko yenāyasmā lomasakaṃbhiyo tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṃ lomasakaṃ­bhi­yaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. Ekamantaṃ nisinno kho mahānāmo sakko āyasmantaṃ lomasakaṃ­bhi­yaṃ etadavoca: “so eva nu kho, bhante, sekho vihāro so tathā­gata ­vihāro, udāhu aññova sekho vihāro añño tathā­gata­vihāro”ti?

Translated: “At one time, Venerable Lomasavaṅgīsa was staying in the land of the Sakyans, near Kapilavatthu in the Banyan Tree Monastery. Then Mahānāma the Sakyan went up to Venerable Lomasavaṅgīsa, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Bhante, is the meditation/abiding of a trainee (sekho vihāro) just the same as the meditation/abiding of an Arahant (tathā­gata ­vihāro)? Or is the meditation/abiding of a trainee different from the meditation/abiding of an Arahant?”

11. “Na kho, āvuso mahānāma, sveva sekho vihāro, so tathā­gata­vihāro. Añño kho, āvuso mahānāma, sekho vihāro, añño tathā­gata­vihāro. Ye te, āvuso mahānāma, bhikkhū sekhā appattamānasā anuttaraṃ yogakkhemaṃ patthayamānā viharanti, te pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya viharanti. Katame pañca? Kāmacchan­da­nīvara­ṇaṃ pahāya viharanti, ­byāpā­da­nīvara­ṇaṃ … pe … thina­middha­nīvara­ṇaṃ … uddhac­ca­kukkuc­ca­nīvara­ṇaṃ … vici­kicchā­nīvara­ṇaṃ pahāya viharanti.

Yepi te, āvuso mahānāma, bhikkhū sekhā appattamānasā anuttaraṃ yogakkhemaṃ patthayamānā viharanti, te ime pañca nīvaraṇe pahāya viharanti.

Translated: “Mahānāma, the meditation of a trainee and an Arahant are not the same; they are different. Those bhikkhūs who are trainees haven’t attained Nibbāna; they strive to attain Nibbāna. They meditate, seeking to give up the five hindrances. What five? Kāmacchanda, ­byāpā­da, thina­middha, uddhac­ca­kukkuc­ca­, vici­kicchā­.”

- Another point is that sekha vihāra does not mean a meditation session. Instead, that is how a trainee bhikkhu LIVES.

Cultivation of Ānā­pā­nasa­ti Fulfills Satipaṭṭhāna, Satta Bojjhaṅga

12. The rest of the suttas in that series, “Paṭhamaānanda Sutta (SN 54.13)” (https://suttacentral.net/sn54.13/en/suj ... ript=latin) through “Āsavakkhaya Sutta (SN 54. 20),” (https://suttacentral.net/sn54.20/en/suj ... ript=latin) describe how the cultivation of Ānā­pā­nasa­ti will lead to the fulfillment of all requirements to get to Nibbāna or Arahanthood. More evidence is discussed in the post “Is Ānāpānasati Breath Meditation?“: https://puredhamma.net/bhavana-meditati ... editation/

- It is incredible to see those who have (mechanically) translated all those suttas did not realize the obvious statements in the suttas. Please read the English translations in the above links. But it is not just this translator. All English translators have translated without grasping the meanings. Were they not paying attention?
- All of them insist that Ānā­pā­nasa­ti means “breath meditation.” Amazing!
- That is why I call this series “Elephants in the Room.” (https://puredhamma.net/elephants-in-the-room/) It is like: a giant elephant is in a room, and someone is saying, “What elephant? No. There is no elephant here”! They can pretend to ignore the elephant until getting crushed by elephant. Such is the blinding nature of micchā diṭṭhi.
Jack19990101
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Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:40 am

Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Jack19990101 »

In short phase - u consider it is Discerning (regarding wholesome/unwholesome, superior/inferior), not Breathing.
Lal
Posts: 949
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2016 11:39 am

Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Lal »

What is Unique in Buddha Dhamma?

All Religions Are the Same?

1. When I hear the frequent statement, “all religions are the same; they teach you how to live a moral life,” I cringe. That is because I think about all those unaware of the Buddha’s actual message. In particular, this is the mindset of those who follow “secular Buddhism.”

- Most religions indeed teach how to live a moral life. And there is also evidence that atheists may be as moral as religious people are; see “Morality in everyday life-Science-2014-Hofmann“:https://puredhamma.net/wp-content/uploa ... ofmann.pdf
- However, Buddha Dhamma goes beyond that. The Buddha said no matter how well we live this life, that will not help us in the long term in the rebirth process.
- Yet, even to understand the message of the Buddha, one must live a moral life first.

2. I have made a chart to illustrate two types of Eightfold Paths explained by the Buddha:

Image

This chart can be viewed in a separate panel by clicking on “[media]https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Np4_tA ... sp=sharing[/media]” and printed for reference. There are a few key things that need explanation first:

- The “mundane Eightfold Path” is depicted by the set of boxes in red, starting with “mundane sammā diṭṭhi.” The next box depicts mundane versions of sammā saṅkappa, sammā, vācā, and sammā kammanta.” Which means “think, speak, and act morally to avoid bad outcomes/seek good outcomes”) and so on until “mundane sammā samadhi.”
- Most of these steps (not all) are in other religions and conventional or secular “Buddhism.” They describe how to live a moral life. Most other religions aim to gain a (permanent) heavenly life at death.
- In the current distorted versions of “Buddhism,” the joys of heavenly lives are highlighted. Sometimes one is encouraged to “enjoy such heavenly lives” before attaining Nibbāna. They don’t understand the “anicca nature” of any realm in this world, i.e., they don’t comprehend the Four Noble Truths. See “Paṭicca Samuppāda, Tilakkhana, Four Noble Truths.”https://puredhamma.net/paticca-samuppad ... le-truths/

What Is a “Good Birth”?

3. This misconception in “Buddhism” arises because the rarity of a “good rebirth” has not been comprehended; see “How the Buddha Described the Chance of Rebirth in the Human Realm.” This is why the Buddha said, “no happiness can be found anywhere in the 31 realms” (the true meaning of anicca).

- Even if a heavenly rebirth is attained in the next life, a future rebirth in the four lowest realms (apāyā) cannot be avoided without attaining the Sōtapanna stage of Nibbāna. A phrase used by some bhikkhus in Sri Lanka goes as, “May you attain Nibbāna at the time of the Buddha Maitreya (next Buddha).” Why not attain Nibbāna in this life? Who is going to give guarantees that one will be born human during the time of the Buddha Maitreya?
- Everyone should use this rare opportunity to be human, to strive now!
Until one comprehends anicca, dukkha, and anatta, one always values future happiness in permanent heaven (most religions) OR temporary happiness in heavenly worlds (traditional “Buddhists”). The difference between a traditional “Buddhist” and a Bhauddhaya is discussed in “A Buddhist or a Bhauddhaya?“.
- One starts on the transcendental (lokuttara) or the Noble Eightfold Path when one comprehends the dangers of the rebirth process and BECOMES a Sōtapanna.
- When one is trying to attain that understanding, one is called a Sōtapanna magga anugāmi; see “Sōtapanna Anugami and a Sōtapanna.”

Two Eightfold Paths

4. In the “Mahā Cattārisaka Sutta (MN 117),” (https://suttacentral.net/mn117/en/sujat ... ript=latin) the Buddha discussed that one must first follow the mundane eightfold path. That will remove the ten types of wrong views (micchā diṭṭhi) listed in #3 of the post "Mahā Cattārisaka Sutta (Discourse on the Great Forty)" :https://puredhamma.net/sutta-interpreta ... eat-forty/. After that, one needs to comprehend the Tilakkhana (anicca, dukkha, anatta) to some extent to start on the Noble Eightfold Path.

- Thus, one starts on the Noble Eightfold Path starting with lokuttara (transcendental) sammā diṭṭhi of a Sōtapanna (set of blue boxes in the chart). One has seen a “glimpse of Nibbāna,” i.e., one KNOWS that permanent happiness is not possible anywhere in the 31 realms and that whatever effort one makes to achieve such happiness is like chasing a mirage.

5. Note the difference in the box next to “sammā diṭṭhi” in the two cases. In the mundane path, “sammā saṅkappa, sammā vācā, sammā kammaṃta” are “moral thoughts, speech, and actions” intended to avoid bad outcomes and to seek good outcomes.

- In the Noble path, “sammā saṅkappa, sammā vaca, sammā kammaṃta” are “thoughts, speech, and actions” intended to stop the rebirth process. One does not do immoral things because there is “no point” in doing such things. One knows that such things are unfruitful and dangerous in the long run.
- And one becomes more compassionate towards all living beings (not just humans) because one can see that each living being suffers because of ignorance of the Buddha’s key message. One also realizes that one needs to fulfill obligations to others to “pay back old debts”; one is bound to the rebirth process not only via cravings for worldly things but also via unpaid debts from previous lives.

Noble Eightfold Path

6. The decision to become a Sōtapanna magga anugāmi (the path to the Sōtapanna stage) can be made anytime after getting to the “red boxes,” i.e., while one is on the mundane Eightfold Path.

- In a way, a Sōtapanna magga anugāmi is a Bhauddhaya in the real sense. See “A Buddhist or a Bhauddhaya?” Even though not in the Tipiṭaka, sometimes the word “Cūla Sōtapanna” (pronounced “chūla sōtapanna”) is also used to describe the same person.
- The key is comprehending the “true nature of this world of 31 realms,” Buddha described. That says it is impossible to achieve/maintain anything that can be kept to one’s satisfaction (anicca.) Thus one gets to suffer (dukkha), and thus, one is truly helpless in the rebirth process (anatta). This realization is like lifting a heavy load that one has been carrying, the first taste of Nibbāna.

7. This “change of mindset” for a Sōtapanna is PERMANENT, i.e., it will not change even in future rebirths. One has attained an “unbreakable” level of confidence (saddha) in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha.

- And a Sōtapanna can follow the rest of the seven steps in the Noble Eightfold Path even without help from others. Thus one will attain the following three stages of Nibbāna (Sakadāgāmi, Anāgāmi, Arahant) successively by following those steps.

Mundane Eightfold Path

8. In the Maha Chattarisaka Sutta, the Buddha outlined how one needs first to follow the mundane (“lokiya“) Eightfold Path; see “Maha Chattarisaka Sutta (Discourse on the Great Forty).” This is the first NECESSARY step to eliminate the worst kinds of “gunk” that have been built up over countless past lives.

- The unique message of the Buddha has been hidden for hundreds of years. What is conventionally practiced today is just this mundane Eightfold Path. This is what we call “Buddhism” today.
- That superficial or “secular” Buddhism is not that different from what is advised by most other religions. Thus, it is easier for people to resonate with the mundane concepts in “Buddhism.” Sammā Diṭṭhi, for example, is considered the “correct vision” of “how to live a moral life.”
- Of course, that is the first necessary step. That will help one to be able to experience the benefits of moral behavior (even in this life as a “niramisa sukha“; see “How to Taste Nibbāna“) and then comprehend anicca, dukkha, anatta, and embark on the Noble Eightfold Path to seek permanent happiness or Nibbāna.
Lal
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Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2016 11:39 am

Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Lal »

Distortion of Pāli Keywords in Paṭicca Samuppāda

I posted this post about a year ago. I have revised it to clarify the point by adding a chart in #8, among others. I will analyze two short suttas to make the point.

First Two Suttas in Udāna

1. The suttas in the Udāna section are the “joyful utterances” of the Buddha and many of his disciples. Let us look at the first two suttas in Udāna. They describe how the Buddha comprehended anulōma (forward) and paṭiloma (backward) Paṭicca Samuppāda during the night of the Enlightenment. First, I will reproduce verbatim the English translations of the two suttas.

The following verse is from the first sutta. The Pāli version of the corresponding verses is in Ref. 1 :

“In the first part of the night, he reflected on dependent origination in forwarding order:

When this exists, that is, due to the arising of this, that arises. That is: Ignorance is a condition for choices. Choices are a condition for consciousness. Consciousness is a condition for name and form. Name and form are conditions for the six sense fields. The six sense fields are conditions for contact. Contact is a condition for feeling. The feeling is a condition for craving. Craving is a condition for grasping. Grasping is a condition for continued existence. Continued existence is a condition for rebirth. Rebirth is a condition for old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress to come to be. That is how this entire mass of suffering originates.”

The complete English translation: “Upon Awakening (1st).”https://suttacentral.net/ud1.1/en/sujat ... ript=latin The second translation is almost the same: “The First Discourse about the Awakening Tree.”https://suttacentral.net/ud1.1/en/anand ... ight=false

2. The following verse is from the second sutta. The Pāli version of the corresponding verses is in Ref. 2 :

“In the second part of the night, he reflected on dependent origination in reverse order:

When this doesn’t exist, that is not; due to the cessation of this, that ceases. That is: When ignorance ceases, choices cease. When choices cease, consciousness ceases. When consciousness ceases, name and form cease. When name and form cease, the six sense fields cease. When the six sense fields cease, contact ceases. When contact ceases, feeling ceases. When feeling ceases, craving ceases. When craving ceases, grasping ceases. When grasping ceases, continued existence ceases. When continued existence ceases, rebirth ceases. When rebirth ceases, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress cease. That is how this entire mass of suffering ceases.”

The complete English translation: “Upon Awakening (2nd).”https://suttacentral.net/ud1.2/en/sujat ... ript=latin The second translation is almost the same: “The Second Discourse about the Awakening Tree.”https://suttacentral.net/ud1.2/en/anand ... ight=false

Overview of the Two Suttas

3. Those two suttas summarize the key findings of the Buddha upon his Enlightenment.

- The first sutta describes how future suffering arises via future rebirths. It all starts with the step, “avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā.”
- The second sutta explains that removing ignorance from a mind prevents future rebirths.

4. Both English translations of the second sutta are blatantly incorrect. Buddha’s mind became free of ignorance (avijjā) upon Enlightenment that night. Does that mean he stopped all the subsequent steps, as stated in the translations of #2 above?

- If so, he would not have generated any saṅkhāra from the moment of attaining Enlightenment (Buddhahood.) Vedanā and saññā are in ALL types of saṅkhāra. Does that mean he would not feel anything or be unable to perceive and identify anything?
- The literal “word-by-word” translation is blatantly wrong for all the steps in the second sutta.
- The cessation of those steps would also hold for any Arahant since they have no trace of avijjā left in their minds!

Insane Discussions in Discussion Forums

5. There is a recent discussion at Dhamma Wheel: “Do Arhats experience contact with their sixfold sense media? What about vedanā?” viewtopic.php?p=655293#p655293It is a clear example of the confusion caused by such translations. The participants are understandably confused by the above translation of the second sutta in #2.

- The translation in #2, without a doubt, says that when avijjā is not there, choices (saṅkhāra), consciousness, name and form, six sense fields, contact (with the sense fields), feeling, craving, grasping (upādāna), continued existence (bhava), rebirth, and the entire mass of suffering cease.
- We all agree that the Buddha and Arahants do not have even a trace of avijjā (ignorance about the Four Noble Truths) left.
- Then, according to the translations in #2 above, they would not generate any more saṅkhāra. They do not experience the six sensory facilities (i.e., don’t hear, taste, smell, touch, or think) and will not feel anything. That means they would essentially not be living!
- On the contrary, we know that the Buddha lived for 45 years after Enlightenment. He experienced all six sensory faculties, used them optimally, and had the best mind. He could recall any event in the past as far as he desired. But he also felt all types of vedanā, including bodily dukkha vedanā (he had back problems and once was injured by Devadatta)

6. So, where is the problem? Is that second sutta wrong?

- Both suttas are perfectly fine. Such problems arise when translators start translating Pāli suttas word-by-word without paying attention – – or not understanding the basic concepts in Buddha Dhamma.
- As I have repeatedly emphasized, each Pāli word (especially in deep suttas) needs to be handled in the context of the discussed issue. We run into similar situations, even in English. The word “park” means two different things in the same sentence, “She will park the car so we can walk in the park.”

Sutta Interpretation – Uddēsa, Niddēsa, Paṭiniddēsa

7. The steps in Paṭicca Samuppāda (and those in the reverse or the Patiloma Paṭicca Samuppāda) are in the “utterance (uddesa)” form. That is to recite the 11 steps.

- Those steps need explanations in either the niddēsa (brief descriptions) or the paṭiniddēsa (detailed explanations.) Details at “Sutta Interpretation – Uddēsa, Niddēsa, Paṭiniddēsa.”https://puredhamma.net/sutta-interpreta ... tiniddesa/
- There are many verses like that in the Tipiṭaka. Another is “Ye dhammā hetuppabhavā, Tesaṃ hētuṃ tathāgato āha; Tesañca yo nirōdhō, Evaṃvādī mahāsamaṇō.” Upatissa (Ven. Sariputta before becoming a bhikkhu) attained the Sotapanna stage just by hearing the “uddesa version.” Of course, he was the chief disciple of the Buddha and had the sharpest mind next to the Buddha.
- For a few other people at the time of the Buddha, the niddēsa version would have been enough to understand the meaning of that verse.

8. However, for most people, that verse needs to be explained in detail, i.e., the paṭiniddēsa version is required. Most current English translations provide word-by-word translations of that “uddēsa version” without any explanation. That can have disastrous outcomes, as illustrated by the translation of the second sutta in #2 above.

- The following chart illustrates the problem I am trying to highlight. The first column shows the “uddesa version” of the sutta in the Tipiṭaka. The Sutta Central “word-by-word translation” of that uddesa version is in column 2, which is incorrect.

Download pdf: “Paṭicca Samuppāda Figure“https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WRc_eZ ... sp=sharing

Niddēsa and Paṭiniddēsa Versions of Some Steps in Paṭicca Samuppāda

8. I have explained those 11 steps in Paṭicca Samuppāda in many posts. Below I will briefly state the correct interpretations. It is impossible to discuss even a single term with a single essay.

- First, saṅkhāra in the step “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” refers to “abhisaṅkhāra.” “Paṭiccasamuppāda Vibhaṅga” (https://suttacentral.net/vb6/pli/ms?lay ... ript=latin) explains the step “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra” as, “Tattha katame avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā? Puññābhisaṅkhāro, apuññābhisaṅkhāro, āneñjābhisaṅkhāro.” Translated: “What is meant by ‘avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā?’ That means Puññābhisaṅkhāra, apuññābhisaṅkhāra, āneñjābhisaṅkhāra.” For details, see “Sankhāra – What It Really Means.”https://puredhamma.net/key-dhamma-conce ... lly-means/
- Abhisaṅkhāra leads to the cultivation of “kamma viññāna,” which are different from cakkhu viññāna, sota viññāna, etc. The latter are the six sensory fields, which are “vipāka viññāna.“
- Therefore, an Arahant would have the six sensory fields intact (contrary to the translation in #2 above) but would not generate kamma viññāna. See “Vinñāṇa – What It Really Means.“
- Nāmarupa in the step “viññāṇa paccayā nāmarūpa” is a bit harder to explain. See: “Kamma Viññāṇa and Nāmarūpa Paricceda Ñāṇa.” I may get to address all these terms again, but let us finish our overview.

9. In the next step, “salāyatana” does not refer to the “six sense fields” but only when those sensory fields (indriya) are used as “āyatana.” For example, an Arahant would have “cakkhu indriya,” i.e., he can see just like anyone else. But an Arahant would not use eyes for pleasure-seeking. Thus it will not become “cakkhu āyatana” (or “cakkhāyatana.”) See, “How Do Sense Faculties Become Internal Āyatana?“

- The above becomes clear when we look at the next step, “saḷāyatana paccayā phasso.” Here, “phassa” means “samphassa.” The contact between cakkhu and rupa is “phassa,” and that leads to “seeing” or “cakkhu viññāna.” Details at “Indriya Make Phassa and Āyatana Make Samphassa.”
- A special kind of “phassa” (samphassa) comes into play JUST AFTER that “seeing” or “cakkhu viññāna.” As I explained in that post, “samphassa” means “contact of the mind with lobha, dosa, moha (defilements in mind called anusaya.).” That will happen ONLY IF one gets attached to that sight. Such “samphassa” then leads to “samphassa-jā-vedanā.” That is a type of vedanā made up by a defiled mind. Therefore, the niddēsa version of “phassa paccayā vedanā” is “samphassa paccayā samphassa-jā-vedanā.”
- It is samphassa-jā-vedanā that leads to taṇhā in the step “vedanā paccayā taṇhā.” Therefore, not all vedanā lead to taṇhā. It is only those samphassa-jā-vedanā that lead to taṇhā.

Correct Explanation of the Second Sutta

10. Now, one should get at least an idea of the real meaning of the second sutta.

- A living Arahant would not generate abhisaṅkhāra (which involves lobha, dosa, and moha to various degrees.) But an Arahant can think, speak, and do bodily actions. Those involve mano, vaci, and kāya saṅkhāra. But they will not become abhisaṅkhāra!
- Living Arahants can see, hear, etc., as anyone else. Thus, they will have all six sensory faculties. But they will not use them seeking sensory pleasures, i.e., they will not become “āyatana.”
- Each sensory event will have vedanā cetasika. That means an Arahant can “feel” just like anyone else. But there will be no “samphassa-jā-vedanā,” i.e., those arising with greed, anger, and ignorance.
- Of course, since there is no taṇhā, the rest of the steps will not materialize, i.e., there will be no upādāna, bhava, or jāti (future rebirths.)

11. Any rebirth (jāti) leads to “old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, sadness, and distress,” as stated in #1. Since an Arahant would not be reborn, all such suffering would not arise. That is the “parinibbāna” (or “full Nibbāna“) reached by an Arahant at the death of the physical body.

- However, focusing on “ending rebirths” is not advisable at the beginning of the Path. If a child thinks about getting a Ph.D. in nuclear physics, she will be quickly discouraged. She must first go through primary and secondary schools. One’s first goal should be the Sotapanna stage; even then, one must first learn the basic concepts.
- See “Is It Necessary for a Buddhist to Eliminate Sensual Desires?” (https://puredhamma.net/living-dhamma/tr ... l-desires/) Still, it is a good idea to have the “big picture” laid out by the Buddha (and the ultimate goal of Nibbāna) in the back of the mind.

Summary

12. We can reach two critical conclusions.

(i) Paṭicca Samuppāda IS Buddha Dhamma. Simply stating the 11 steps is useless. A detailed explanation of each step is necessary.
(ii) There is danger in translating Pāli verses word-by-word without understanding their meanings which depend on the context.

- It is sad to go through discussions in various “Buddhist discussion forums” to” see how many people struggle to figure out the true meanings/concepts in multiple suttas. But they run into problems because most translations are wrong, and there are apparent contradictions.
- This “mindless word-by-word translation process” has been going on for years. Just read old posts at Dhamma Wheel. Today, they discuss the same "problematic issues." Many topics have been repeatedly discussed, citing the identical wrong translations! But those translations are not consistent with other translations (by even the same author) because the translators do not understand the meanings of keywords in the context of some suttas. Many words have different meanings depending on the context. For example, “viññāna” DOES NOT mean the same thing everywhere! That is the problem. See my recent post, “Dhamma – Different Meanings Depending on the Context.”https://puredhamma.net/paticca-samuppad ... e-context/
- It is time for those translators to come to their senses and learn the genuine and pure Buddha Dhamma and not continue cranking out meaningless translations of highly-condensed suttas!

References

1. Relevant verse from “Paṭhamabodhi Sutta (Ud 1.1)“ https://suttacentral.net/ud1.1/en/sujat ... ript=latin:

Atha kho bhagavā tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhahitvā rattiyā paṭhamaṁ yāmaṁ paṭiccasamuppādaṁ anulomaṁ sādhukaṁ manasākāsi:

Iti imasmiṁ sati idaṁ hoti, imassuppādā idaṁ uppajjati, yadidaṁ—avijjā paccayā saṅkhārā, saṅkhāra paccayā viññāṇaṁ, viññāṇa paccayā nāmarūpaṁ, nāmarūpa paccayā saḷāyatanaṁ, saḷāyatana paccayā phasso, phassa paccayā vedanā, vedanā paccayā taṇhā, taṇhā paccayā upādānaṁ, upādāna paccayā bhavo, bhava paccayā jāti, jāti paccayā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā sambhavanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hotī”ti.


2. Relevant verse from “Dutiyabodhi Sutta (Ud 1.2)“ https://suttacentral.net/ud1.2/en/sujat ... ript=latin:

Atha kho bhagavā tassa sattāhassa accayena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhahitvā rattiyā majjhimaṁ yāmaṁ paṭiccasamuppādaṁ paṭilomaṁ sādhukaṁ manasākāsi:

Iti imasmiṁ asati idaṁ na hoti, imassa nirodhā idaṁ nirujjhati, yadidaṁ—avijjā nirodhā saṅkhāranirodho, saṅkhāra nirodhā viññāṇa nirodho, viññāṇa nirodhā nāmarūpa nirodho, nāmarūpa nirodhā saḷāyatana nirodho, saḷāyatana nirodhā phassa nirodho, phassa nirodhā vedanā nirodho, vedanā nirodhā taṇhā nirodho, taṇhā nirodhā upādāna nirodho, upādāna nirodhā bhava nirodho, bhava nirodhā jāti nirodho, jāti nirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti. Evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hotī”ti
.
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Eko Care
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Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Eko Care »

Lal wrote: This is my last post here at Dhamma Wheel
Which one?

Is it the next one after the last one or the second one after the last one?
Dhammanando wrote:
The Pure Dhamma website .. owner is demonstrably incompetent in both Indic philology in general and Pali ..
As well as keeping promises!
Jack19990101
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Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2021 4:40 am

Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Jack19990101 »

We all change our mind, do we.
Anicca, is it not?
Lal
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Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2016 11:39 am

Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Lal »

@Eko Care: Yes. I had a change of mind, because there were enough people reading those posts even after I stopped posting for six months.

Why don't you address the issues mentioned in my above post for a change (rather than keep quoting old posts by others)?
- Either that or get Bhikkhu Dhammanando or Bhikkhu Pasela that you keep referring to answer those issues I brought up in the latest post. You may not understand the seriousness of these issues, but I am sure they can see the problem. Sooner or later, they will have to accept that they (as well as you) are doing harm to many people trying to understand the teachings of the Buddha.
- Of course, you may say I am the one doing the harm. If so, which of the bullet numbers in my above post are incorrect?
LayDhammaFollower
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Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by LayDhammaFollower »

@eko care.

Can you actually defeat any of the points lal is making either logically or using tipitaka reference?
As well as keeping promises!
Aniccā and sakkāya diṭṭhi.

One who made the promise is not completely different from the person who broke the promise.
One who made the promise is not completely same as the person who made promise.

Different sensory event requires different responce.
Lal
Posts: 949
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2016 11:39 am

Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Lal »

Mahārāhulovāda Sutta and Ānāpānasati

Mahārāhulovāda Sutta provides Buddha’s instructions to Ven. Rahula for setting the Background before starting the practice of Ānāpānasati and his Instructions on Ānāpānasati. It also explains the correct kasina mediation.

Buddha advises Ven Rahula to Contemplate Any Rupa Cannot be “Mine”

1. I will translate selected chronological verses from the “Mahārāhulovāda Sutta (MN 62).” (https://suttacentral.net/mn62/en/sujato ... ript=latin) I will provide the meaning of verses and not word-by-word translations. If you read it carefully, you can grasp the more profound and actual meaning of Ānāpānasati.

yaṁ kiñci, rāhula, rūpaṁ—atītānāgatapaccuppannaṁ ajjhattaṁ vā bahiddhā vā oḷārikaṁ vā sukhumaṁ vā hīnaṁ vā paṇītaṁ vā yaṁ dūre santike vā—sabbaṁ rūpaṁ ‘netaṁ mama, nesohamasmi, na meso attā’ti evametaṁ yathābhūtaṁ sammappaññāya daṭṭhabban”ti.“
Translation: “Rāhula, any rupa whatsoever – past, future, or present; internal or external; obvious or subtle; inferior or superior; far or near – any rupa‘s fundamental nature (yathābhūta) needs to be seen with wisdom in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not me (my essence).’”

Then Ven. Rahula asked: “Rūpameva nu kho, bhagavā, rūpameva nu kho, sugatā”ti?
Translation: “Only contemplate on rupa, Blessed One?”

The Buddha replied: “Rūpampi, rāhula, vedanāpi, rāhula, saññāpi, rāhula, saṅkhārāpi, rāhula, viññāṇampi, rāhulā”ti.”
Translation: Rāhula, rupa, and also vedanā, saññā, saṅkhārā, and viññāṇa.”

- As we know, any sentient being can be described in terms of the five aggregates. First, one must understand that no “soul-like” permanent entity exists in any of those five. The Buddha was setting up the background for Ven. Rahla to cultivate Ānāpānasati by getting rid of sakkāya diṭṭhi.

Advice of Ven. Sariputta

2. Later in the day, Ven. Rahula was meditating on the true nature (yathābhūta) of the five aggregates; Venerable Sāriputta approached and advised as follows: “ānāpānassatiṁ, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi. Ānāpānassati, rāhula, bhāvanā bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā”ti.

Translation: “Rāhula, practice ānāpānassati. Rāhula, when ānāpānassati is practiced and cultivated, it will bring enormous benefits.

- Then in the evening, Ven. Rāhula approached the Blessed One, paid respects to him, and asked, “Bhante, how should I practice ānāpānasati that is of great benefit?”
- The Buddha first advised how to set up the background to cultivate ānāpānasati. That is related to his instructions earlier in the day in #1 above. Both are about getting rid of sakkāya diṭṭhi.

Buddha’s Description of Ānāpānasati – The Basis

3. I will skip the Pāli verses starting at the 8.1 mark: “Mahārāhulovāda Sutta (MN 62)” (https://suttacentral.net/mn62/en/sujato ... =latin#8.1) and also only provide the essence of those verses to keep the post to a reasonable length. The following is Buddha’s advice to Ven. Rahula for first setting up the background to practice ānāpānassati.

- “Rāhula, think about the “hard components” that make up your physical body – hair, nails, teeth, skin, muscle, etc. – Rāhula, those are made of the earth element (pathavī dhātu).’ It is the same earth element in your body as in any other external object. One should think about pathavī dhātu as follows: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not me (my essence).’ When one has accurately seen that with wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the earth element (and the body), and the mind becomes dispassionate towards the earth element (and the body).

- “Rāhula, there are “liquid components” that make up your physical body – such as bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, etc. – are made of āpo dhātu. Whether āpo dhātu is internal or external, it is the same āpo dhātu. It should be correctly seen with wisdom in this way: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not me (my essence).’When one has accurately seen that with wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with the āpo dhātu (and the body), and the mind becomes dispassionate towards āpo dhātu (and the body).

- “Rāhula, what is the “heat element” (tejo dhātu)? It may be internal or external. Rāhula, the internal “heat element” is that which keeps your body warm, that which leads to aging of the body, that which heats you when feverish, that which properly digests food and drink – Whether tejo dhātu is internal or external, it is the same tejo dhātu. One should think about tejo dhātu as follows: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not me (my essence).’ When one has accurately seen that with wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with tejo dhātu (and the body), and the mind becomes dispassionate towards tejo dhātu (and the body).

- “Rāhula, what is the “air element” (vāyo dhātu)? Like the others, it may be internal or external. What is internal vāyo dhātu? Whatever internal personal component is experienced as air – such as upward air and downward air (through the body), the air in the abdomen, air moving along the limbs, inhalation, exhalation, etc. – Rāhula, this is internal vāyo dhātu. Whether vāyo dhātu is internal or external, it is the same vāyo dhātu. One should think about vāyo dhātu as follows: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not me (my essence).’ When one has accurately seen that with wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with vāyo dhātu (and the body), and the mind becomes dispassionate towards vāyo dhātu (and the body).

- “Rāhula, what is ākāsa dhātu (space element)? It can be internal or external. What is the internal ākāsa dhātu? There is space within your body – such as the ear cavity, the nose-cavity, the mouth, the gullet, the stomach, the rectum, or any other internal personal component that is experienced as space or spacious – this is internal ākāsa dhātu. Whether ākāsa dhātu is internal or external, it is the same ākāsa dhātu. One should think about ākāsa dhātu as follows: ‘This is not mine, I am not this, this is not me (my essence).’ When one has accurately seen that with wisdom, one becomes disenchanted with ākāsa dhātu (and the body), and the mind becomes dispassionate towards ākāsa dhātu (and the body).

4. The point is that our physical body is made of the same “basic elements” as any other person, tree, or stone. In the terminology of modern science, everything in this world is made of the same set of atoms and shares the same space.

- The only thing we don’t share with anything else in the world is the (temporary) manomaya kāya (gandhabba.) Even then, the suddhāṭṭhaka are the same. The uniqueness is in the kammic energy that sustains the hadaya vatthu and the pasāda rupa.
- That manomaya kāya arises with kammic energy that WE create in OUR javana citta! Of course, any manomaya kāya has a finite lifetime. When it dies (loses its embedded kammic energy), our minds grasp one of many seeds for another manomaya kāya.
- That process will stop ONLY WHEN a mind loses its tendency (anusaya/āsava/gati) to be attached to things in this world!
- That happens only when one understands that no “soul/ātman” moves from life to life. That we, ourselves, create root causes and conditions via Akusala-mula Paṭicca Samuppāda.

Buddha’s Prerequisites for Ānāpānasati

5. What we discussed above has critical implications for the next steps that the Buddha recommended to Ven. Rahula. There are two steps for cleansing a mind before start cultivating ānāpānasati.

(i) Follow a set of precepts (like the five or eight precepts), avoid immoral deeds and engage in moral deeds. People try to live with such “moral codes” because they want to avoid bad outcomes, such as “bad rebirths,” and have good outcomes, such as “good rebirths.”
(ii) The second step is understanding why precepts are for one’s benefit but are NOT ENOUGH to avoid future suffering. That means understanding that “working on getting good rebirths” WILL NOT stop future suffering. One must comprehend the Four Noble Truths/Paṭicca Samuppāda/Tilakkhana and realize that the only way to eliminate future suffering is to stop the rebirth process altogether.

- But that is a scary proposition for those who have not comprehended the Noble Truths about suffering. That is why the Buddha emphasized Ven. Rahula that there is no “soul/ātman” like entity that can be designed as “me.” However, that DOES NOT mean that we don’t exist. We do exist, but no permanent entity goes from life to life. We suffer mightily in the rebirth process (especially when born in the apāyās) because of that ignorance about the fundamental nature of this world.
- That is why getting rid of sakkāya diṭṭhi (the wrong view about a permanent “soul type” entity) MUST BE eliminated BEFORE PRACTICING ānāpānassati. Future lives (jāti) arise due to acting with avijjā, i.e., via the Paṭicca Samuppāda process starting with “avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra.”

Buddha’s Description of Ānāpānasati – Way to Cleanse the Mind

6. After explaining that all our desires and false expectations arise from the wrong view of an “everlasting soul-like entity,” the Buddha explained several procedures for cleansing the mind of accumulated defilements and not accumulating more. That starts at the 13.1 mark.

- First, the Buddha described the correct version of “kasina meditation.” The version in Visuddhimagga — using clay balls, water bowls, fires, etc. — is not in the Tipiṭaka. Here the point is that the “four great elements” (pathavi, āpo, tejo, vāyo) are inert and are not “bothered” by external influences. The mind starts generating defilements when attached to sensory inputs from worldly things made of those inert things.

“Rāhula, live as the earth does. When people put clean things or unclean things like excrement, urine, saliva, pus, or blood on the earth, the earth is not bothered, humiliated, or disgusted. Then sensations that arise – whether pleasing or displeasing – will not dominate your mind.”

“Rāhula, live as the water does. When people dispense clean things or unclean things like excrement, urine, saliva, pus, or blood in the water, the water is not bothered, humiliated, or disgusted. In the same way, Rāhula, when you are not bothered by praises or insults that others throw at you, your mind will not be perturbed.”

“Rāhula, live like a fire. Rāhula, people throw clean and unclean things, like feces, urine, and spit, into fires. But the fire is not bothered, humiliated, or disgusted. It burns them all. In the same way, Rāhula, when you learn to live with equanimity, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind.”

“Rāhula, learn to live like the wind. If the wind were to blow on clean things or unclean things like feces, urine, spit, etc., the wind would not be excited, horrified, repelled, and disgusted. It will get rid of all those in due time. In the same way, Rāhula, don’t let external sensory contacts perturb the mind.”

“Rāhula, learn to live like space (ākāsa dhātu). Just as space is not established anywhere, don’t let sensory contacts take root in your mind.”

7. Of course, those steps can be followed correctly only after comprehending the unfruitful/dangerous nature of ALL realms in this world, not only the apāyās. This is why the Buddha said (in the “Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 118)” https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/sujat ... ript=latin) that he recommends ānāpānasati to only those with lokuttara Sammā Sati.

Nāhaṁ, bhikkhave, muṭṭhassatissa asampajānassa ānāpānassatiṁ vadāmi.”

Translation: “I do not teach this Ānāpānasati (Bhāvanā) to those who do not have (sammā) sati.”

- The meaning of “muṭṭha” is quite evident in verse “‘Rūpaṁ disvā sati muṭṭhā” or “‘When you see a sight (and attaches to it), mindfulness is lost” in “Mālukyaputta Sutta (SN 35.95)“. https://suttacentral.net/sn35.95/en/suj ... latin#12.1
- Anyone who has not understood the Four Noble Truths/Paṭicca Samuppāda/Tilakkhana would not have Sammā Sati.
See “Ānāpānasati – Overview.”https://puredhamma.net/elephants-in-the ... -overview/

Rest of the Background Required for Ānāpānasati

8. I have now discussed the above critical points up to marker 18.1: “Mahārāhulovāda Sutta (MN 62).”https://suttacentral.net/mn62/en/sujato ... latin#18.1

- The Buddha then advised Venerable Rahula to contemplate that all sentient beings are trapped in this suffering-filled world. That would help cultivate mettā, karunā, muditā, and upekkhā.
- Then he again emphasized the need to contemplate the asubha and anicca nature of “this world” of 31 realms” (at marker 22.1.)
- Thus, up to marker 24.1, the Buddha described the background mindset required for cultivating ānāpānasati.
- In the remaining part of the Mahārāhulovāda Sutta, the Buddha repeated the critical steps in ānāpānasati. As summarized next, that is the last step in a three-step process to Arahanthood.

Rest of the Mahārāhulovāda Sutta Repeats Key Steps in Ānāpānasati

9. As we have discussed repeatedly, the way to Nibbāna has three critical steps.

(i) Cultivate the mundane path and remove the ten types of micchā diṭṭhi. It would be impossible to cleanse a mind without getting rid of the first layer of wrong views.

(ii) The second layer of wrong views is the mindset that future suffering can be eliminated by seeking births in Deva or Brahma realms. The uniqueness of Buddha’s teachings is the following. Suffering is present at various levels in all the realms of this world, and until escaping (or transcending) this world, it will not be possible to stop the worst suffering in the apāyās in the future. Those wrong views (mainly sakkāya diṭṭhi) are removed at the Sotapanna stage with lokuttara Sammā diṭṭhi (comprehension of Four Noble Truths/Paṭicca Samuppāda/Tilakkhana. This is only a change of mindset, but it requires a dedicated effort.

(iii) The third layer is to follow the vision (Noble Path) gained by cultivating the correct versions of Ānāpānasati (same as Satipaṭṭhāna.) That leads to Arahathood. But these days, people start with Ānāpānasati, incorrectly assuming that it is “breath mediation.” One MUST attain the Sotapanna stage BEFORE starting on the correct Ānāpānasati.

10. Up to marker 24.1, the “Mahārāhulovāda Sutta (MN 62)” (https://suttacentral.net/mn62/en/sujato ... latin#24.1) discussed completing the first two steps of #9 above. In the rest of the sutta, the Buddha outlined the critical steps in ānāpānasati, the same as in “Ānāpānassati Sutta (MN 118)” (https://suttacentral.net/mn118/en/sujat ... ript=latin) and “Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10).” (https://suttacentral.net/mn10/en/sujato ... ript=latin)

- At marker 24.1, the description of ānāpānasati starts with the verse: “Ānāpānassatiṁ, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi” meaning “Rāhula, cultivate ānāpānasati.”
- That is followed by the standard verses in Ānāpānasati/Satipaṭṭhāna, starting with the verse, “Ānāpānassati hi te, rāhula, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā” or “When ānāpānasati is developed and cultivated, it will be of great benefit” followed by “Idha, rāhula, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.”
Now you should realize that the next verse, “So satova assasati satova passasati,” is NOT about breathing in and out. For details, see “Elephant in the Room 3 – Ānāpānasati.”https://puredhamma.net/elephants-in-the ... apanasati/
- There “assasati” is “assa sati” and “passasati” is “passa sati.” It is true that “assāsa” and “passāsa” can mean “in breath” and “out breath.” But here, the keyword “sati” means Sammā Sati on the Noble Path attained at the Sotapanna stage.
auto
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Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by auto »

Lal wrote: Mon Oct 31, 2022 1:06 pm - At marker 24.1, the description of ānāpānasati starts with the verse: “Ānāpānassatiṁ, rāhula, bhāvanaṁ bhāvehi” meaning “Rāhula, cultivate ānāpānasati.”
- That is followed by the standard verses in Ānāpānasati/Satipaṭṭhāna, starting with the verse, “Ānāpānassati hi te, rāhula, bhāvitā bahulīkatā mahapphalā hoti mahānisaṁsā” or “When ānāpānasati is developed and cultivated, it will be of great benefit” followed by “Idha, rāhula, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṁ ābhujitvā ujuṁ kāyaṁ paṇidhāya parimukhaṁ satiṁ upaṭṭhapetvā.”
Now you should realize that the next verse, “So satova assasati satova passasati,” is NOT about breathing in and out. For details, see “Elephant in the Room 3 – Ānāpānasati.”https://puredhamma.net/elephants-in-the ... apanasati/
- There “assasati” is “assa sati” and “passasati” is “passa sati.” It is true that “assāsa” and “passāsa” can mean “in breath” and “out breath.” But here, the keyword “sati” means Sammā Sati on the Noble Path attained at the Sotapanna stage.
If i would have such understanding of breath meditation like you have, i would agree with you
https://puredhamma.net/elephants-in-the-room/elephant-in-the-room-3-anapanasati/assasa-passasa-what-do-they-mean/ wrote:Yet, it can calm down the mind because when concentrating on the breath, the mind cannot wander around and start generating sensual, angry, or foolish thoughts. That is indeed a lower form of Samatha Bhāvanā. However, Ānāpānasati Bhāvanā is NOT a Samatha Bhāvanā, as we will see below.
Here you fail with the 'buddhadhamma being deep' principle, what you regularly try to convey in your messages. Breath meditation doesn't work for you because you haven't reach that point yet where it would. It is practical, whereas the things you say are just rhetoric based on how new person(stuck with the duality of sense organ and its object) is doing meditation. You seem not grasping meditation or the meaning of concentration, since you apply this noob meaning of concentration when rejecting things.
Lal
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Re: The teachings of Ven. Waharaka Abhayaratanalankara Thero

Post by Lal »

Regarding the post "Distortion of Pāli Keywords in Paṭicca Samuppāda" posted on Oct 22, 2022:

I was unable to post the figure in bullet #9 to the post. Following is the figure. It is critical to understand this problem:

Image
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