Alex123 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 09, 2023 3:25 pm
Hello all,
In AN 3:47 it says that there are 3 characteristics of saṅkhata (
uppādo, vayo, ṭhitassa aññathattaṃ)
Arising, passing away, alteration while staying.
What, if any, significance of "alteration while staying" being listed last? Wouldn't it make more sense to change the order to:
"
Arising, alteration while staying, passing away"?
Thanks,
Who knows, my guess is that Buddha normally when something has chronological order, or order of importance... he says it in order. In this case, since there is no order, it simply says it as it has a better sonority, or may be even order is altered to prevent us of thinking that contemplating anicca means that we have to see something arise, stay, pass away.
All three characteristics are implicit simultaneously in things that are transitory (anicca). To contemplate arising, passing and staying don't mean to take the time to se things arise, stay, cease chronologically in time, no need to wait ... you never would be able to contemplate anicca in your aggregates, you can se your aggregates stay while altering and arising and passing away is implicit, is simultaneous, you where born even if you didn't remember your birth, and you will die an don't need to wait to your death to know that aggregates are anicca. Same knowing that aggregates are anicca your death is granted, already here.
I think that Ajahn Chah gives a glass as an example in one of his speeches, when you see a glass it is obvious that at some point it arose (someone made it) and at some point it will cease (it will break). In the same way if you see a potter making a glass it is obvious that it will stay some time and then it will cease. If you see a broken glass ... so always the tree at same time, seeing one means seen the tree, is not chronological, no need to wait or to observe for some time to see them.
Ajahn Chah wrote:What we call uncertainty here is the Buddha. The Buddha is the Dhamma. The Dhamma is the characteristic of uncertainty. Whoever sees the uncertainty of things sees the unchanging reality of them. That’s what the Dhamma is like. And that is the Buddha. If you see the Dhamma you see the Buddha, seeing the Buddha, you see the Dhamma. If you know aniccam ̇ , uncertainty, you will let go of things and not grasp onto them.
You say, “Don’t break my glass!” Can you prevent something that’s breakable from breaking? If it doesn’t break now it will break later on. If you don’t break it, someone else will. If someone else doesn’t break it, one of the chickens will! The Buddha says to accept this. He penetrated the truth of these things, seeing that this glass is already broken. Whenever you use this glass you should reflect that it’s already broken. Do you understand this? The Buddha’s understanding was like this. He saw the broken glass within the unbroken one. Whenever its time is up it will break. Develop this kind of understanding. Use the glass, look after it, until when, one day, it slips out of your hand... “Smash!”... no problem. Why is there no problem? Because you saw its brokenness before it broke!
But usually people say, “I love this glass so much, may it never break.” Later on the dog breaks it... “I’ll kill that damn dog!” You hate the dog for breaking your glass. If one of your children breaks it you’ll hate them too. Why is this? Because you’ve dammed yourself up, the water can’t flow. You’ve made a dam without a spillway. The only thing the dam can do is burst, right? When you make a dam you must make a spillway also. When the water rises up too high, the water can flow off safely. When it’s full to the brim you open your spillway. You have to have a safety valve like this. Impermanence is the safety valve of the Noble Ones. If you have this “safety valve” you will be at peace.
Standing, walking, sitting, lying down, practice constantly, using sati to watch over and protect the mind. This is samadhi and wisdom. They are both the same thing, but they have different aspects.
If we really see uncertainty clearly, we will see that which is certain. The certainty is that things must inevitably be this way, they cannot be otherwise. Do you understand? Knowing just this much you can know the Buddha, you can rightly do reverence to him.
As long as you don’t throw out the Buddha you won’t suffer. As soon as you throw out the Buddha you will experience suffering. As soon as you throw out the reflections on transience, imperfection and ownerlessness you’ll have suffering. If you can practice just this much it’s enough; suffering won’t arise, or if it does arise you can settle it easily, and it will be a cause for suffering not arising in the future. This is the end of our practice, at the point where suffering doesn’t arise. And why doesn’t suffering arise? Because we have sorted out the cause of suffering, samudaya.
That's my guess but maybe overrationalizing, maybe just no significance, Metta.
