Right intention (samma sankappo)

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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Alex123
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Right intention (samma sankappo)

Post by Alex123 »

Hello all,

1) What is the difference between intention of ill will vs intention of harmfulness?
Is it because ill will is against living beings and harmfulness can be directed

2) Why does right intention contain renunciation, non-ill will, non harmfulness rather than renunciation, non-ill will, non-delusion (or something like that). Why contain two kinds of dosa and one kind of lobha?
Katamo ca bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo: yo kho bhikkhave, nekkhammasaṅkappo avyāpādasaṃkappo, avihiṃsāsaṅkappo, ayaṃ vuccati bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo.
Thanks.
:namaste:
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Sam Vara
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Re: Right intention (samma sankappo)

Post by Sam Vara »

Alex123 wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 3:22 pm Hello all,

1) What is the difference between intention of ill will vs intention of harmfulness?
Is it because ill will is against living beings and harmfulness can be directed
I think ill will (byāpāda) is wanting to annihilate or destroy the object one is thinking about, whereas harmfulness or cruelty (vihiṃsā) is wanting to inflict suffering. Both can be against living beings, but think of the difference between swatting a wasp, and making a cutting comment to a person who annoys you.
Why does right intention contain renunciation, non-ill will, non harmfulness rather than renunciation, non-ill will, non-delusion (or something like that). Why contain two kinds of dosa and one kind of lobha?
That's a good question, and probably above my pay grade. But one way of looking at it is the impossibility of intending to not be deluded. I can imagine feeling good will towards the wasp and a human being who annoys me, but I can't imagine what it would be to not be deluded about something. All I can imagine here is not doing things (like drink or drugs) which allegedly increase delusion, but I can't visualise the end product. I'll be interested to hear others' opinions on this...
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Ceisiwr
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Re: Right intention (samma sankappo)

Post by Ceisiwr »

Alex123 wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 3:22 pm Hello all,

1) What is the difference between intention of ill will vs intention of harmfulness?
Is it because ill will is against living beings and harmfulness can be directed

2) Why does right intention contain renunciation, non-ill will, non harmfulness rather than renunciation, non-ill will, non-delusion (or something like that). Why contain two kinds of dosa and one kind of lobha?
Katamo ca bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo: yo kho bhikkhave, nekkhammasaṅkappo avyāpādasaṃkappo, avihiṃsāsaṅkappo, ayaṃ vuccati bhikkhave, sammāsaṅkappo.
Thanks.
:namaste:
They relate to our wholesome or unwholesome intentions towards things. Here it’s dealing with the two main hindrances of sensual desire and aversion. Aversion then can be of two kinds, against things and beings (such as a painful leg whilst in meditation) and in its extreme form it manifests as cruel intentions (not the cheesy 90s film).
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
Dhammapardon
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Re: Right intention (samma sankappo)

Post by Dhammapardon »

Alex123 wrote: Thu Mar 23, 2023 3:22 pm
I wasn't too familiar so I asked ChatGPT to help me with it. What I discovered is that the terms can possibly be understood like this.

Ill will (Byapada) could be an internal performance like thoughts and feelings associated with unwholesome hate and aversion(dosa).
Harmfulness (Vihimsa) could be an external performance like behaviors and actions associated with unwholesome hate and aversion.

Can Ill will and harmfulness also be associated with greed and desire(lobha)?

Like ill will for someone because they have desired material or social status?

If so then byapada might include both lobha and dosa internally performed, vihimsa could be lobha and dosa externally performed, and renunciation would possibly be the giving up of the attachment(upadana,moha) which develops into the lobha and dosa that is internally and externally performed.

This would include all three lobha, dosa, moha also an understanding of internally and externally. Thoughts?
Just as a bird, wherever it goes, flies with its wings as its only burden; so too is he content with a set of robes to provide for his body and almsfood to provide for his hunger. Wherever he goes, he takes only his barest necessities along. This is how a monk is content.(DN11)
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