Insight Meditation Awareness_Part 4

Thein Naing Ohn
Sep 20, 2021
79 min read

Kamma in This Live

Kamma in this Life: How it arises and gives its result is a compilation of several lectures and Dhamma talks.

Day in and day out, we non-stop perform all kinds of actions through the three doors (Body, speech or mind). So like a tree that is bearing fruit endlessly, we are accumulation a large amount of kamma. According to the Buddha, this is connected to the mental state of motivation (cetanā) – through its stimulation; a lot of kammas are collected. They cannot disappear or get lost.

The acts we commit at one time or another will return to us as a consequence in the process of cause and effect. This is the law of action and reaction or dependent origination: if this exists, then that will come to exist.

The Buddha also taught that we owe our existence in this life to kamma, the producing cause. Kamma decided whether we would be good-looking or ugly, have sharp eye-sight or some congenital defect like blindness. Through kamma we are unique: differing from one another in our lifespan, looks, intelligence, state of heath, status and so on, even within the family.

According to the Commentary, the diversity in society simply reflects what the Buddha taught about kamma, that is: kammassakatā sammā diṭṭhi. This is to say that the kamma we perform is our property. Whether that kamma is kusala or akusala, we have to receive its result. It is only property that we can inherit. So it concerns the doer in whom it occurs and nobody else.

The Buddha taught an enormous amount about kamma, not only in the suttas but also in Abhidhamma. What I am teaching at present is only a gist – just to give you some understanding of the subject. It is possible to speak in much greater detail and at greater detail and at great length about it.

Since kamma takes place in our mind and body, we should study and find out how it arises in the nāma-rūpa, where it collects, how it ripens and gives its result during our lifetime and in saṃsara.

By studying and understanding the Buddha’s teachings on the subject, we can try to make an end to kamma. This is by, first of all, refraining from performing akusala kamma, and by doing only wholesome deeds.

For those unwholesome kammas already committed, instead of regretting, we should find ways to avoid committing more. We do this by creating a lot of good kammas. Also by working to put an end to our mental defilements, in the end we can free ourselves from kamma. We obtain the cessation of kamma itself, that is, kammakkhaya.

Searching for the cause of an action

It is said in the Commentary that if you were to throw a stone at a jackal, it will bite the stone, not the thrower. If the stone is thrown at a lion, it will come and bite you – not the stone.

The lion knows that the stone is just the effect; more important is the thrower. If a doctor gives treatment, he will search for the cause of the disease, and not just treat the symptoms. The Buddha is the same like them, always searching for the cause.

So, in Buddhism – unlike other religions – mere action alone is not kamma. Action appears because of motivation. There are so many actions: evem while asleep you can still talk, move or even hit someone near you. The cause that produces action is more important to understand. We can look at it this way: kamma is the cause of an action. Or it can be put in another way: kamma as action is the effect of the cause, that is, the motivation.

This action can be classified into three: mental, verbal and physical action. The first type is just in the mind. A verbal or physical action begins in the mind and then appears as speech or is performed by the body respectively.

Venerable Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa

with mettā,

tno (23.3.2019)

How kamma arises in the mind

The mind is so quick. According to the Commentary, billions of minds arise and cease during one second due to the briefness of the mental moment.

That is why we can watch TV, listen to music, eat and laugh all at the same time: like a juggler working first with two balls, then three, four and so on.

Yet it is only one citta at a time. For example, we think that we see and hear at the same time but the disappearing eye consciousness gives the opportunity for hearing consciousness to arise.

It is like lighting a candle: the darkness that disappears allows light to appear.

So how then does kamma arise in the mind? If you would like to find out, you should be familiar with how the mind works. This has to do with the mental process (citta-vītthi): a fixed sequence of cittas that arise due to the impact of an object on a sense-door. Suppose a visible object comes into view at the eye-door. What happens then?

To help you follow the process, let us say that you are at home. Then a visitor arrives at your front door and knocks on it. Hearing the sound, you go to open the door. On opening it, you see there is a visitor. Seeing that he is your friend, you invite him in. Askig, “What brings you here?” you offer him a seat and some refreshments. After the conversation is over, the visitor goes, saying goodbye. You then close the door. This visit is only one process.

We have six doors in our body for “visitors” to knock on. Take the eye-door for example. When an object is reflected on the eye-base, 17 minds in a series (one process) start to work with it.

First, we open the door with the five-door attending consciousness (pañcadvārāvajjana) which takes notice of the present visual object and then eye-consciousness (cakkhu-viññāṇa) sees it.

We receive the object-visitor with the receiving consciousness (sampaṭicchana), while the investigating consciousness (sanṭīraṇa) makes an enquiry.

After that, we experience it with the dynamic consciousness (javana) which runs usually for seven times in a row. Then with the retentive consciousness (tadārammaṇa) – which is like an aftertaste of the experience – we take leave of the object.

Closing the door is when the passive mind (bhavaṅga citta), it is usually translated as “life continuum” arises because the object’s lifespan has ended. It lasted as long as the 17 mind moments, which make up the eye-door process (for a very great object).

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For an eye-door process with a very strong object:

B1 – B2 – B3 – pañcadvārāvajjana – cakkhu-viññāṇa – sampaṭicchana – sanṭīraṇa – Voṭṭhabbana – Javana1 – Javana2 – …. Javana7 – tadārammaṇa1 – tadārammaṇa2 – B – B –… Here B is bhavaṅga.

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Contact with the outside through the sense-organs such as the eye is then followed by though, that is, the mind-door process. This is because the initial (first stage) five-door process onlyperceives the object. After that, thinking occurs at the mind-door recalling what was seen. This is the second stage after the eye has seen the object. We need at least three consecutive mind-door processes to realize what the object is (see table below).

Four stages in one act of seeing

Stage -Kind of process - What occurs

1. -Eye-door - Object appears at the eye-base

2. -Mind-door - Recalls the past object

3. -Mind-door - Names the object or catches the name

4. -Mind-door - Catches the meaning of or knows the object

Together with the eye-door process, this set of four stages refers to only one act of seeing with its 17 mind-moments, which is very brief indeed.

Let’s say we catch sight of a book. By the time our attention is drawn to it, three bhavaṅgas would have passed by. After appearing at the eye-door, its lifespan is over after 17 mind-moments.

Then another process appears in the eye (not the same one). If we were to look at the book for five minutes, the act of looking is repeated over and over for that period. The mental processes in sequence run like a roll of film, one at a time, never simultaneously.

Venerable Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa

with mettā,

tno (24.3.2019)

Ignorance As A Starting Point

A question may be posed, "Why ignorance is taken as a starting point of.D.O by Lord Buddha?"

Of course, there is a cause and even a chain of causes that beget ignorance. Lord Buddha says: "Four maladies (four āsavas) beget ignorance. (Please note that 4 maladies also include ignorance).

In another context, Lord Buddha also says: "Monks, it is obvious that ignorance has a chain of causes. Monks, ignorance has its origin. What is the origin of this ignorance?

The Origin of ignorance is five hindrances in Suttanta Piṭaka. Lord Buddha lists 5 hindrances, but in Abhidhamma Piṭaka, Lord Buddha lists 6 hindrances the sixth hindrances being "ignorance".i.e. (i) craving for sensual pleasures; (ii) hatred, (iii) sloth and torpor; (iv) distraction and remorse; (v) doubt; (vi) ignorance.

The origin of six hindrances is threefold sinful actions.

The origin of threefold sinful actions is not guarding at the six sense doors.

The origin of not guarding at the six sense doors is non-practising of mindfulness and reasoning.

The origin of non-practicing of mindfulness and reasoning is inappropriate(wrongful) consideration

The origin of inappropriate consideration is the lack of confidence. The origin of the lack of confidence is not listening to sermons and counsel of respectable persons of high morality and wisdom.

The origin of not listening to sermons and counsel of respectable persons of high morality and eisdom is non-association with such person

Here, the Abhidhamma method has prove to be very useful in explaining why ignorance (avijjā) is taken or a starting point in DO.

The origin of ignorance, Lord Buddha explains, is six hindrances. Six hindrances, once again, include ignorance.

This points to the paramount impermanence of ignorance (delusion) in the setting in motion of the vicious circle of DO.

Hence, ignorance is designated as the starting point of DO.

With Mettā

tno(26.4.2019)

Visākhā (Vesāk) Day

The full moon day of Visākhā in Pāḷi, Vaiśākh in Sanskrit is the great traditional holiday in all Buddhist countries.

Especially, it is well known as Buddha Jayantī, Buddha Puṇṇima (Pūrṇima), Buddha Day, Buddha’s Birthday, Visākhā or Visāk (Vesāk) Day.

According to Theravāda Buddhist calendar, it falls on May 18, 2019 but in India and Nepal, it falls on 19 May.

And then it usually falls on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. In general, Mahāyāna Buddhists follow to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, but not all.

This day is the most significant day of the Buddhists.

It is the day on which Gotama Buddha was born, attained enlightenment and passed away.

And then blessed by Dīpaṅkarā Buddha that Sumedhā, Bodhisatvā would also become a Buddha as him one day in the very remote future.

The Buddhist leaders from different parts of the world decided to celebrate Visākhā Day such as the Buddha Jayantī at the First Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Sri Lanka in 1950.

And then the leaders discussed to prescribe the full moon day of Visākhā as Universal Holiday at International Buddhist Conference on November 5-14, 1998, in Sri Lanka.

It was submitted to United Nations in September, 1999 by minister of foreign affairs, Sri Lanka.

The full moon day of Visākhā (Vesāk) was resolved as Vesāk Universal Holiday at the 54th General Assembly of United Nations, in 2000.

On Visākhā Day, thus, Buddhists all over the world commemorate the ceremony of the birth, enlightenment and death of the Gotama Buddha in accordance with their traditions.

Of these, in general, Theravāda Buddhists commemorate Buddha Jayantī (celebration of the Buddha) or Buddha Day as the Buddha attained enlightenment under Bodhi tree on the full moon day of Visākhā.

They never celebrate Buddha’s Birthday. That is why they believe that Prince Siddhattha (Siddhārtha), Bodhisatta (Bodhisatvā) is merely a mundane human being before Buddhahood.

He, therefore, does not yet deserve for worship as a Buddha.

But Mahāyāna Buddhists commemorate only the Buddha’s Birthday because they believe Bodhisatvā Path.

The 16th United Nations Day of Vesāk celebrations was held grandly by The International Council Vesāk and Vietnam Buddhist Saṅgha on May 12-14, 2019, at Tham Chuc Temple, Ha Nam province, Vietnam.

In Myanmar, Visākhā Day is well known as “Buddha Akhar Daw Nae – Buddha Jayantī ”.

On the full moon day of Kason (Visākhā), Myanmar Buddhists celebrate the water pouring ceremony at Bodhi tree and then they pour the water onto the root of Bodhi tree, visualizing the Buddha attained enlightenment under Bodhi tree.

They believe that Bodhi tree is the same Buddha. That is why Bodhi tree is an Uddissa cetiya, meaning a shrine for worship with reference to the Buddha.

On this day, Buddhists celebrate not only the water pouring ceremony at the Bodhi tree but also perform meritorious deeds by keeping eight precepts, taking meditation and offering flowers, etc., to the images of Lord Buddha.

May all living beings be peaceful, happy, healthy and wealthy because of the Buddha’s loving-kindness and also be full of your wishes as the full moon.

#Credit

With Mettā

tno(19.5.2019)

ABHIDHAMMA, as the term implies,

ABHIDHAMMA, as the term implies, is the Higher Teaching of the Buddha. It expounds the quintessence of His profound doctrine.

The Dhamma, embodied in the Sutta Pitaka, is the conventional teaching (vohāra desanā) and the Abhidhamma is the ultimate teaching (paramattha desanā).

In the Abhidhamma both mind and matter, which constitute this complex machinery of man, are microscopically analysed. Chief events connected with the process of birth and death are explained in detail. Intricate points of the Dhamma are clarified. The Path of Emancipation is set forth in clear terms.

Modern Psychology, limited as it is, comes within the scope of Abhidhamma inasmuch as it deals with the mind, with thoughts, thought-processes, and mental states, but it does not admit of a psyche or a soul. Buddhism teaches a psychology without a psyche. If one were to read the Abhidhamma as a modern text-book on psychology one would be disappointed. No attempt has here been made to solve all the problems that confront a modern psychologist.

Consciousness is defined.

Thoughts are analysed and classified chiefly from an ethical standpoint. All mental states are enumerated. The composition of each type of consciousness is set forth in detail. The description of thought-processes that arise through the five sense-doors and the mind-door is extremely interesting. Such a clear exposition of thought-processes cannot be found in any other psychological treatise.

Bhavaṅga and Javana thought-moments, which are explained only in the Abhidhamma, and which have no parallel in modern psychology, are of special interest to a research student in psychology. That consciousness flows like a stream, a view pro-pounded by some modern psychologists like someone who becomes extremely clear to one who understands the Abhidhamma. It must be added that an Abhidhamma student can fully comprehend the Anattā (No-soul) doctrine, the crux of Buddhism, which is important both from a philosophical and an ethical standpoint.

The advent of death, process of rebirth in various planes without anything to pass from one life to another, the evidentially verifiable doctrine of Kamma and rebirth are fully explained.

Giving a wealth of details about mind, Abhidhamma discusses the second factor of man-matter or rūpa.

Fundamental units of matter, material forces, properties of matter, source of matter, relationship of mind and matter, are described. In the Abhidhammattha Sangaha there is a brief ex-position of the Law of Dependent Origination, followed by a descriptive account of the Causal Relations which finds no parallel in any other philosophy.

A physicist should not delve in to Abhidhamma to get a thorough knowledge of physics.

It should be made clear that Abhidhamma does not attempt to give a systematized knowledge of mind and matter. It investigates these two compositie factors of so called being to help the understanding of things as they truly are. A philosophy has been developed on these lines. Based on that philosophy an ethical system has been evolved, to realize the ultimate goal, Nibbāna.

Abhidhamma deals with “(1) What we find (a) within us (b) around us and of (2) what we aspire to find”.

In Abhidhamma all irrelevant problems that interest students and scholars, but having no relation to one’s Deliverance, are deliberately set aside.

The Abhidhammattha Sangaha, the authorship of which is attributed to venerable Anuruddha Thera, an Indian monk of Kanjeevaram (Kāñcipura), gives an epitome of the entire Abhidhamma Pitaka. It is still the most fitting introduction to Abhidhamma. By mastering this book, a general knowledge of Abhidhamma may easily be acquired.

To be a master of Abhidhamma all the seven books, together with commentaries and sub-commentaries, have to be read and re-read patiently and critically.

Abhidhamma is not a subject of fleeting interest designed for the superficial reader.

To the wise truth-seekers, Abhidhamma is an indispensable guide and an intellectual treat. Here there is food for thought to original thinkers and to earnest students who wish to increase their wisdom and lead an ideal Buddhist life.

TNO(7.8.2019)

“MANUAL OF ABHIDHAMMA”

ABHIDHAMMA, as the term implies, is the Higher Teaching of the Buddha. It expounds the quintessence of His profound doctrine.

The Dhamma, embodied in the Sutta Pitaka, is the conventional teaching (vohāra desanā) and the Abhidhamma is the ultimate teaching (paramattha desanā).

In the Abhidhamma both mind and matter, which constitute this complex machinery of man, are microscopically analysed.

Chief events connected with the process of birth and death are explained in detail. Intricate points of the Dhamma are clarified. The Path of Emancipation is set forth in clear terms.

Buddhism teaches a psychology without a psyche.

If one were to read the Abhidhamma as a modern text-book on psychology one would be disappointed. No attempt has here been made to solve all the problems that confront a modern psychologist.

Consciousness is defined. Thoughts are analysed and classified chiefly from an ethical standpoint.

All mental states are enumerated. The composition of each type of consciousness is set forth in detail.

The description of thought-processes that arise through the five sense-doors and the mind-door is extremely interesting.

Such a clear exposition of thought-processes cannot be found in any other psychological treatise.

Bhavaṅga and Javana thought-moments, which are explained only in the Abhidhamma, and which have no parallel in modern psychology, are of special interest to a research student in psychology.

That consciousness flows like a stream, a view pro-pounded by some modern psychologists like William James, becomes extremely clear to one who understands the Abhidhamma. It must be added that an Abhidhamma student can fully comprehend the Anattā (No-soul) doctrine, the crux of Buddhism, which is important both from a philosophical and an ethical standpoint.

The advent of death, process of rebirth in various planes without anything to pass from one life to another, the evidentially verifiable doctrine of Kamma and rebirth are fully explained.

Giving a wealth of details about mind, Abhidhamma discusses the second factor of man-matter or rūpa. Fundamental units of matter, material forces, properties of matter, source of matter, relationship of mind and matter, are described.

In the Abhidhammattha Sangaha there is a brief ex-position of the Law of Dependent Origination, followed by a descriptive account of the Causal Relations which finds no parallel in any other philosophy.

A physicist should not delve in to Abhidhamma to get a thorough knowledge of physics. It should be made clear that Abhidhamma does not attempt to give a systematized knowledge of mind and matter.

It investigates these two compositie factors of so called being to help the understanding of things as they truly are. A philosophy has been developed on these lines. Based on that philosophy an ethical system has been evolved, to realize the ultimate goal, Nibbāna.

Abhidhamma deals with “(1) What we find (a) within us (b) around us and of (2) what we aspire to find”.

In Abhidhamma all irrelevant problems that interest students and scholars, but having no relation to one’s Deliverance, are deliberately set aside.

To be a master of Abhidhamma all the seven books, together with commentaries and sub-commentaries, have to be read and re-read patiently and critically.

Abhidhamma is not a subject of fleeting interest designed for the superficial reader.

It may be questioned, “Is Abhidhamma absolutely essential to realise Nibbāna.”

Undoubtedly Abhidhamma is extremely helpful to comprehend fully the word of the Buddha and realise Nibbāna, as it presents a key to open the door of reality.

It deals with realities and a practical way of noble living, based on the experience of those who have understood and realized.

Without a knowledge of the Abhidhamma one at times finds it difficult to understand the real significance of some profound teachings of the Buddha.

To develop Insight (Vipassanā) Abhidhamma is certainly very useful.

Venerable Narada Thera,VAJIRARAMA,COLOMBO, CEYLON

With Metta

(7.1.2020)

The method of teaching Pali

Indo-Āryan or Indian Languages comprise many different local dialects (desī-bhasā), but very close to one another. There are two main groups (or families) of Indian Languages, namely, Sanskrit and Prākrit, which are very similar to each other.

1. Sanskrit, used by the Brahmans of educated class, who could spend much time on education and earn their living or livelihood by education, contained the words constructed or formed strictly in accordance with the grammatical rules and so it did not undergo many changes throughout its history.

2. Prākrits, however, used by the common people, who have to spend more time on their livelihood than on education, inevitably underwent many changes, generation, according to the time ( kāla), locality (desa) and individual (puggala), and comprise many different dialects which are very similar to one another, such as, “Pāli, Māgadhi, Addhamaāgadhī, Soraseni, Maha-ratthī, Pesaci, Apabhramsa ( early Prākrit), and Hindī, Bengālī, etc. (later Prākrit).

The Buddha or Omniscient One, skillful in all Indain Languages of his time, went on religious tour for 45 years, in many different parts of Central India ( Mijjhima –desa) in order to teach and propagate His Dhamma ( Teaching of Truth) to the people for liberating them from worldly suffering and leading them to Nibbana, eternal bliss. As a result, numerous people from different parts of India came to the Buddha and entered the Buddhist Order (Sangha). And consequently, their own dialects, slightly variant from, but very close to Pali, intruded upon the Pali literature.

Moreover, after the passing away ( Parinibbana) of the Buddha, His numerous missionary disciples, generation by generation, worked hard to teach and propagate the Buddha’s Dhamma or Buddhism, not only in different parts of India, but also in neighbouring countries, such as Ceylon ( Sri Lanka), Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan, Afganistan, Bengal, China and South-east Asian countries.

When Buddhism declined in India, due to the Hindus and Muslims, Ceylon ( and South India) came to the front in place of India and became the central of Buddhism, by widely learning the Buddhist scriptures and writing numerous commentaries, subcommentaries and many other books ( ganthantara) on various topics, such as the traditional Pali grammars and Pali dictionaries etc. mainly based on the traditional Sanskrit words. For the above-said reasons, Sanskrit and Prakrit languages exercised a great influence on the later Pali words.

European (or Euro- Aryan) languages and Indian ( or Indo-Aryan) languages belong to the same family of “ Indo-European Languages” and are very close or similar to each other. So, the Europeans can easily learn the Indian languages and vice versa. (But the inhabitants of Far-East and South-East Asian countries, find it difficult in learning the European and Indian languages, because the language-family of the former is quite different from that of the later.)

Since the late 19th century A.D., the liberal-minded European great scholars studied thoroughly both European and Indian (or Indo-Aryan) languages by means of the modern philosophical method comparing those languages with each other and wrote the various words or books on Sanskrit, Pali and other Prakrit languages, which served to know or understand those languages within a short time.

On the contrary, the traditionalist Venerable Sayadaw ( abbots) in Asia, especially in Burma spend a long time ( longer than necessary) on learning Pali by the trdational ( outdated) method through the trdational Pali grammars ( such as Kiccayana, Rupasiddhi, Moggalana, Saddaniti, Bhedacinta and so on), which give illogical or unsystematic ( sometimes wrong ) explanation of Pali words, using the grammartical suttas, scattering here and there, but they never become skillful or expert in the real or systematic formation of Pali words and unable to decide the Pali words- “ which one is correct and which one is wrong”, and “ which one is original (primary) form and which one is secondary form”.

So, let me say frankly “ it is the best way to learn Pali language by means of the time-saving modern (updated) method of philosophy, a comparative study of Pali with Sanskrit and Prakrit languages, so that one can become, within a short time, an expert only in Pali but in other Indian languages ( Sanskrit and Prakrits ) as well”. For, the word-conditions are ever changing, the worlds seems to be as small as a village, and there are too many things to be learnt within a very short life-span.

Moreover, it is the greatest mistake that the extreme traditionalist venerable Sayadaws (abbots) of Burma do not allow their pupil monks to study Sanskrit and English, and as a result most of Burmese monks become backward in the worldly and religious matters, not knowing and not willing to take part in the missionary activities both at home and abroad.

So, it is high time to urgently change, modernize or improve our traditional (outdate) monastic education (Pariyatti learning) to reach the international standard, in accordance with the ever-changing world situations.

Dependent Origination (Paticcasamuppāda)

The Law of Dependent Origination is one of the most important teachings of the Buddha, and it is also very profound. The Buddha has often expressed His experience of Enlightenment in one of two ways, either in terms of having understood the Four Noble Truths, or in terms of having understood the nature of the dependent origination. However, more people have heard about the Four Noble Truths and can discuss it than the Law of Dependent Origination, which is just as important.

Dependent Origination (Paticcasamuppāda) is a central doctrine of Buddhism. A proper understanding of Dependent Origination (DO) is essential. It is an integral part of a good and through Knowledge of Theravada Buddhism.

All embryos Buddha, on the night of their Supreme Enlightenment, first investigate into DO and thereafter, practice meditation of mindfulness on five aggregates that are object of all clinging and attain their Supreme Enlightenment. After their attainment of Buddha hood, all Buddha engage themselves in the reflection on DO and the contemplation of Fruition. This clearly illustrates the importance of DO.

DO is indeed very deep and profound. Even the Exquisitor (Commentator) Ashin Maha Buddhaghosa expressed his feeling of inadequacy and trepidation when he came to dealing with the difficult subject of DO in his book “Path of Purity”. He says: “In writing a commentary on DO, I feel like a man who has stepped into the deep ocean. It is far too deep for me”, Venerable Ashin Ananda was also admonished by Lord Buddha, because Ashin Ananda said that DO seemed to be rather shallow to him.

In this DO route there are two orders as the Normal Order which is going round and round in rebirths (saṃsāra) and the Reverse Order that is cutting off the vicious circle (Enlightenment) in the following:

Dependent Origination (DO) in the reverse order:

1. Dependent on the complete cessation of ignorance, ceases Kamma actions;

2. dependent on the cessation of Kamma actions, ceases rebirth-linking Consciousness;

3. dependent on the cessation of rebirth-linking consciousness, cease mind and body;

4. dependent on the cessation of mind and body, cease six sense bases;

5. dependent on the cessation of six sense bases, ceases contact;

6. dependent on the cessation of contact, ceases feeling;

7. dependent on the cessation of feeling, cease craving;

8. dependent on the cessation of craving, ceases clingings;

9. dependent on the cessation of clingings, ceases rebirth-producing Kamma (Kamma Bhava);

10. dependent on the cessation of rebirth-producing Kamma, ceases rebirth;

11. dependent on the cessation of rebirth, cease old age, death, sorrow, mourning, bodily pain, grief and despair.

In this way the entire mass of suffering ceases by attainment of Path and Fruition Knowledge.

Lord Buddha analyses D.O from different perspectives. In other words, Lord Buddha employs different methods of analyzing. D.O. Basically, there are 7 ways:

(1) 2 roots/ origins

(2) 12 features/ factors/ links

(3) 3 time spans

(4) 20 incidents

(5) 3 connections

(6) 4 layers; and

(7) 3 rounds in DO routes.

To begin with, and very briefly, I will go through each of the twelve factors of dependent origination to give an overall picture of what it is about.

The 12 factors of Dependent Origination namely are

1. Ignorance (Avijjā)

2. Kammic action (Saṅkhāra)

3. Rebirth linking consciousness (Viññāna)

4. Mind and body (Nāmarupa)

5. 6 bases (Saḷayatana)

6. contact (Phassa)

7. feeling (Vedanā)

8. craving (Taṇhā)

9. clinging (Upādāna)

10. Rebirth producing kamma or becoming (Kammabhava)

11. Rebirth (Jāti)

12. Old age/ death (Jarā/ maraṇa)

Two main roots are ignorance (avijjā) and craving (tanhā). By the destruction of these roots, the round ceases. The explanations about twelve factors and are divided into three periods of time (past, present, future) and linked each other.

Its forward order concerns the first two noble truths, the nature of a living being and rebirth, while its reverse order encompasses the other two truths.

According to the Lord Buddha, Ignorance means Ignorance or not realizing the four Noble Truths. At the mundane level, it means not knowing truths and not knowing sense objects and things as they are.

There is one statement by Lord Buddha that ignorance is a starting point of DO. There is the cause to beget ignorance. Four maladies (Four āsavas) are a cause and even a chain of causes that beget ignorance.

Lord Buddha expounded that ignorance has a chain of causes and its origin.

The origin of ignorance is five hindrances in Suttanta Pitaka. Lord Buddha lists 5 hindrances, but in Abhidhamma Pitaka, Lord Buddha lists 6 hindrances, the sixth hindrances being “ignorance” i.e.

(i) craving for sensual pleasures;

(ii) hatred;

(iii) sloth and torpor;

(iv) distraction and remorse;

(v) doubt;

(vi) ignorance.

1 The origin of five hindrances is threefold sinful action.

2 The origin of threefold sinful action is not guarding at the six sense doors.

3 The origin of not guarding at the six sense doors is non-practising of mindfulness and reasoning.

4 The origin of non-practising of mindfulness and reasoning is inappropriate (wrongful) consideration.

5 The origin of inappropriate consideration is the lack of confidence.

6 The origin of the lack of confidence is not listening to sermons and counsel of respectable persons of high morality and wisdom.

7 The origin of not listening to sermons and counsel of respectable persons of high morality and wisdom is non-association with such persons.

We should like to stress here that it is not because ignorance has no cause. It does have a chain of causes. It is only that ignorance is the first in the sequential order because it is the key crossroad; it is the turning point that if you follow the right route leads you to the exit or can, if you choose the wrong route, send you back into the tangled network of the maze. That is why ignorance is placed find on the requested order.

Kammic action means all moral and immoral action performed by us. The term includes all 29 types of consciousness (12 immoral consciousnesses + 8 Great moral consciousnesses + 5 Fine Material moral consciousnesses + 4 Immaterial moral consciousnesses) complete with 52 mental factors.

Rebirth linking consciousness means resultant consciousness that can perform as Rebirth linking consciousness. The term includes 19 types of resultant consciousness (8 Great resultant consciousnesses + 5 Fine Material resultant consciousnesses + 4 Immaterial resultant consciousnesses + 2 inquiring consciousnesses accompanied by indifferent feeling).

By extended calculation method, rebirth-linking consciousness (Viññāna) includes all 89 types of consciousness. This is what Lord Buddha expounds in the Book of Discourse or Elements (Dhātukathā).

Mind and body means mind and body at the time of conception.

Consciousness produces mind and matter. Therefore, with the arising of rebirth-consciousness, mind and matter also arise.

Dependent upon mind and matter the six sense bases arises: eye base, ear base, nose base, tongue base, body base, and mind base. These sense-bases are the doors through which the processes of consciousness occur.

Having dealt with the first links in the chain of causation, we will now deal with contact, which is conditioned by the six senses. Contact occurs between 6 sense bases and 6 types of external sense objects. The contact between a sense organ and the corresponding sense-objects is called phassa.

Feeling means enjoying the 6 types of external sense objects. The impact on the sense-organs leads to feelings, which may be pleasant, unpleasant or neutral according to the nature of the sense-object. If the object is beautiful, pleasant feeling arises. If is ugly, we have unpleasant feeling. The feeling is neutral if the object is ordinary. Neutral feeling does not cause any comment, whether favourable or unfavourable. It is not even recognized as a feeling, though it is accepted by the ego. In fact, feelings have nothing to do with the ego or self, but are aspects of the mental process stemming from sense-contact.

Craving means lust or greed on enjoying the sense objects. Because of pleasant or unpleasant feeling, craving (Taṇhā) arises. It craves for sensual objects that one lacks or for more of the objects that one has already.

For the six sense-objects there are six kinds of craving. These six cravings may mean just craving for sensual pleasures (kamataṇhā), or may be associated with craving for existence (bhavataṇhā), which implies eternalism. Craving is also linked with desire for non-existence (vibhavataṇhā).

So, for each of the six sense objects, there are three kinds of craving (kamataṇhā, bhavataṇhā and vibhavataṇhā). These can be summarized in just three groups: craving for sensuality, craving for existence and craving for non-existence. Craving for sensual pleasure, is focused on sensual objects and sensual realm. Craving for existence is based on the eternity-belief. It assumes the permanence of living beings. Craving for non-existence means the desire for the cessation of the life-stream after death.

Each of these three craving stems from the failure to realize impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self through the introspection of feelings.

Dependent on craving, Clinging (attachment) (Upādāna) arises. The term upadana is a compound of upā = intense, extreme, and adāna = grasp, take. Thus it means to grasp firmly, or intense, obsessive craving.

There are four kinds of clinging, namely,

1. Clinging to sensual pleasure;

2. Clinging to wrong view;

3. Clinging to wrong practices of purification; and

4. Clinging to the notions of the existence of self

(worng view of the existence of self).

All these attachments (clinging) are undoubtedly stemmed from craving. Hence the Buddha’s expounds “Dependent on craving, attachment arises,” So, craving is the cause and attachment is the effect.

Attachment leads to becoming (bhāva), of which there are two kinds: kammabhava and upapattibhava. Kammabhava means the kamma that leads to rebirth. In short, kammabhava is the wholesome or unwholesome volition that leads to rebirth.

Upapattibhava means the aggregates of existence that result from kamma. It comprises consciousness, mind and matter, sense-bases, contact, and feeling.

Rebirth occurs in the human, celestial or lower realms because of wholesome or unwholesome kamma. Rebirth producing kamma has as it were, kammic code numbers like genetic code numbers.

Aging, disease, and death are inevitable as long as rebirth takes place. Because of old age /death occurs sorrow (soka), lamentation (parideva), bodily pain (dukkha), grief (domanassa) and despair (upāyāsa) as its consequential effects.

It is like difficult to find a way out of the maze. It is much, much more difficult to find an escape route from the maze of DO.

Name of the game is finding a key crossroad. Such a key crossroad will be a fork of two routes, one route leading to the exit of the maze and another route, if you go in the wrong direction, sending you back into the tangled network of maze.

Insight (cessation of ignorance) is the key crossroad and likes also a right route for a group of people who have lost their way in a wild jungle. At long last, one very intelligent man finds the key crossroad and the route that will take them out of the dangerous jungle to the Golden City of wealth and happiness, which is their destination.

The leader shows his followers the way out of the jungle to the Golden City. Lord Buddha may be likened to the leader in this parable and the beings are his followers. The wild jungle with a large complicated network of crisis-crossing routes is D.O

Dependent Origination encompasses two life-cycles, the anterior life-cycle and the posterior life-cycle. The anterior cycle begins with ignorance as its main source and end with feeling, while the posterior cycle begins with craving and ends with aging and death.

In the anterior cycle, ignorance and mental formations is the past life lead to rebirth, while in the posterior cycle, craving, attachment, and becoming cause rebirth in the future.

The two cycles show how a person’s lives are linked through cause and effect.

Again, ignorance and mental formations are two links in the past life, the links from consciousness to becoming concern the present life, while birth, aging, and death are the links in the future. Thus the doctrine refers to three periods.

There also twenty factors are involved in the psychophysical process: five causes in the past, five effects in the present, five causes in the present and five effects in the future.

There are four groups of factors are involved in the chain of causation: the first group of causes in the past, the second group of effects in the present, the third group of cause in the present, and the fourth group of effects in the future. They may also be translated as layers.

These four groups have three connections.

(1) The connection between the past cause and the present effect, with mental formations as the cause and consciousness as the effect.

(2) The connection between the present cause and the present effect, with feeling as the cause and craving as the effect.

(3) The connection between the present cause and the future effect, with becoming as the cause and birth as the effect.

The doctrine of Dependent Origination deals with three cycles or rounds (vaṭṭas): defilements, kamma, and resultants.

- The first cycle comprises ignorance, desire, and attachment;

- The second comprises mental formations and becoming; and

- The third comprises consciousness, mind and matter, sense-bases, contact, and feeling.

- Third cycle leads again to the cycle of defilements, which gives rise to the cycle of kamma, and so on without end.

The three cycles drive the saṃsāric round of suffering. Saṃsāra means the continuum of the psychophysical process occurring in a cause-effect relationship.

If we wish to stop the threefold cycle, we must remove its cause – the cycle of defilements. Defilements originate with seeing, hearing, etc., and so we must practice mindfulness to prevent them from arising.

So you should try to overcome defilements through mindfulness of psychophysical processes arising at the six sense-doors.

In this way you can destroy the spokes of the wheel of life and keep your mind always pure. Eventually you may become arahants and earn the glorious title of Araham.

The methodology of DO is to find fundamental and remote causes.

The methodology of the Four Noble Truths is to solve the problem of human sufferings.

The methodology of Conditional Relations is to analyze in detail the nature and characteristics of causal relations and effects.

The methodology of DO is like the use of a radio telescope to find the fundamental and remote causes.

The methodology of Four Noble Truth is like the use of computer axial tomography CAT –scan machines for curative treatment of a patient to solve the problem of human sufferings.

The methodology of Conditional Relations is like the use of a microscope to analyze in detail the nature and characteristics of causal relations and effects.

Our experience with the phenomenal world is very much like a dream.

When dreaming, one is experiencing happy moments and unhappy moments.

Then, one gradually awakens. One may be half awakened and half dreaming. Finally, one is fully awakened. He is now a man, enjoying full peace of mind, entirely liberated and free from all illusion.

In this analogy, not realizing that one is dreaming is ignorance of 4 Noble Truths. Consequently, he gets himself involved in the dream, and does certain actions (Kammic actions).

So long as he is involved or so long as he is drifting in the dream, the dream will continue.

His such involvement in the dream and the continuation of the dream clearly explain Kammic actions (saṅkhāra) and the arising of rebirth-linking consciousness (viññāna) (the First Connection).

As the dream goes on, other links will also arise accordingly.

As he drifts through the dream, he enjoys and develops a liking or attachment for the dreaming experience. This will prolong the dream, and take him into a new dream story.

Such enjoyment or liking or attachment is similar to the clinging.

The prolongation of the dream or beginning of a new dream story is similar to the arising of rebirth-producing kamma and rebirth (Third Connection.)

An inmate's life in the prison city is very much like the circle of the Dependent Origination in motion.

1. Not realizing the true nature of prison city likes ignorance.

2. Singing a work contract with the authorities likes kammic action.

3. Starting the life of an employee likes rebirth-linking consciousness.

4. One gets pays, allowances, apartments and other facilities, likes mind and body.

5. One owns luxury goods like 6 bases.

6. Use of these luxury goods and other items likes contact.

7. Enjoyment of luxury goods and luxury life likes feeling.

8. Craving and longing for more luxury goods and luxurious life likes craving.

9. Clinging to such a luxury life likes clinging.

10. Because of such a clinging /one renews /one's work contract /on expiry of the previous one like rebirth-producing kamma.

11. New employment likes rebirth.

12. All problems of the life of an inmate worker arise likes old age, death and all problems of life.

One wise man investigates into the structure of the city. Through the hidden window, discover golden city of happiness and bliss. He then realizes that what he once thought to be a very nice city is actually only a prison.

He seeks his way out of the prison city.

The way out is indeed the way of Dependent Origination in the reverse order.

We may take another illustration form the chronicle of Lord Buddha. The kingdom of Kapilavatthu and the kingdom of Koliya war over a dispute of sharing of water from Rohini River.

The fundamental or remote cause of war between the two countries was rivalry and hatred between them. Finding fundamental causes rather than immediate causes is the methodology of DO.

The DO methodology of finding fundamental and remote causes is very useful in the evaluation of historical events.

For instance, the immediate cause of World War I was the assassination of the Crown Prince of Austria in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia, in 1914.

However, there were fundamental remote cause which included, inter alia,

(1) rivalry between Britain and Germany in naval power and commercial trade;

(2) rivalry between Austria and Russia to exercise their influence in the Balkans, and

(3) racial animosity between France and Germany.

Those remote causes paved the way for World War I broke out.

Let us take another illustration about Eradication of malaria. (e.g. curative treatment of malaria patient) will not solve the public health problem.

We must strike at the source of the problem.

We should, therefore, cut the chain of causes at the link of larva.

Striking the source of the problem and cutting the key link in the chain of cause constitute the essence of the methodology of DO.

This methodology is extremely useful in public health strategies.

Abhidhamma methodology can be applied in business management, as well. Sales managers at different levels try to boost sales of their products in their own ways.

Junior sales manager thinks that sales are down, so his strategy is to promote sales at individual and township level.

A senior expert salesman analyses that the problem lies with the lock of media publicity, nation-wide.

His solution is to televise a hit commercial advertisement of their company products on popular TV channels at prime times.

Here, we can see that the junior sales man’s analysis is short-sighted and limited in scope. It loses sight of the larger picture.

It addresses only an immediate cause, not the main fundamental cause.

The senior salesman’s analysis is far-sighted and broader vision.

It looks at the larger picture.

It addresses the main fundamental cause.

The DO methodology is the second type of causal analysis.

In conclusion, once, a navy officer was driving a ship through waterways in the Delta Region. He had a sleepless night. So he asked his assistant to take over the wheel while he took a snap. When he woke up the ship was still in a place which it had paned. He realized that his assistant had been driving the ship around a big island in circles.

The ship going around the island in circles is like worldly beings, going through the rounds of rebirths (saṃsāra).

Of course, the way out is indeed the way of DO in the Reverse Order.

The Dependent origination in the reverse order is indeed the roadmap that show the way to complete cessation of all human sufferings.

When it comes to accomplishing the cessation of sufferings by cutting the vicious circle of the DO is the Enlightenment (Insight).

38 factors of self-improvement -- 38 Mangalars -- is also a Roadmap for self-development.

I hope that you will be able to navigate safely through the maze, and reach your destination, and attain Enlightenment.

Understanding the Law of Dependent Origination, how because of one thing something else arises, we can begin to break the chain of conditioning. When pleasant things arise, we don’t cling. When unpleasant things arise, we don’t condemn. And when neutral things arise, we’re not forgetful. The Buddha said that the way of forgetfulness is the way of death. And that the way of wisdom and awareness is the path to the deathless. We are free to break this chain, to free ourselves from conditioned reactions. It takes a powerful mindfulness in every moment not to allow feelings to generate desire.

When there’s ignorance in the mind, feeling conditions desire. If there’s something pleasant, we want it; something unpleasant, we desire to get rid of it. But if instead of ignorance in the mind there is wisdom and awareness, then we experience feeling but don’t compulsively or habitually grasp or push away. If the feelings are pleasant, we experience them mindfully without clinging. If unpleasant, we experience them mindfully without condemning. No longer do feelings condition desire; instead, there is mindfulness, detachment, letting go. When there is no desire, there’s no grasping; without grasping, there’s no volitional activity of becoming. If we are not generating that energy, there’s no rebirth, no disease, no old age, no death. We become free. No longer driven on by ignorance and desire, the whole mass of suffering is brought to an end.

Every moment of awareness is a hammer stroke on this chain of conditioning. Striking it with the force of wisdom and awareness, the chain gets weaker and weaker until it breaks. What we are doing here is penetrating into the truth of the Law of Dependent Origination, and freeing our minds from it.

Credit: University of Abhidhamma (Yangon)

Explanation about the Four Noble Truths also known as the light of the Universe

The four Noble Truths also known as the Wheel of Law (Dhamma cakka), which forms the central theme of the title is closely connected with the world system or the Universe.

In the concluding part of the Discourse on the Wheel of Law (Dhamma cakkapavattana Sutta), it is mentioned that, upon the completion of the exposition of the Discourse on the Wheel of Law, there appeared light throughout many world systems and that those world systems trembled.

It is true that the first sermon or Discourse on the Wheel of Law has illuminated with the light of the Lord Buddha teachings this world shrouded in darkness prior to the proclamations of the first sermon. Hence, the title is named as the Light of the Universe.

At the first Buddhist council, Arahat scholar monks compiled all Lord Buddha teachings into three divisions known as three baskets. They are:

1. Code of discipline (Vinaya) to be followed by Monks;

2. Discourses (Suttanta) Conventional teaching tailored to the needs of intellectual levels and temperaments of the audiences;

3. Higher teaching (Abhidhammā) the analytical exposition of the realities in a special way, superior to and more subtle conditioned states to the Discourses.

These texts can be again divided into five sub-division.

1. Long discourses (Dīgha Nikāya) (Collection of long discourses)

2. Medium-Length discouses (Majjhima Nikāya) (Collection of medium-length discourses)

3. Collection of short discourses (Saṃyutta Nikāya)

4. Division of discourses (Aṅguttra Nikāya) (Arranged in progressive Numerical orders)

5. Division of miscellaneous discourses (Khuddaka Nikāya)

Lord Buddha expounds his doctrines is so systematic and well organized, it is quite easy to summarize and take out the essence from them, thanks to then amazing methods. All teachings of Lord Buddha can be summarized into a single sermon, a single stanza and a single word.

A single sermon that epitomizes all the teachings of Lord Buddha is the First Sermon (the Wheel of Law – Dhammacakkapavattana suttanta)

A single stanza that epitomizes all the teachings of Lord Buddha is:

“To refrain from all evils;

to perform all meritorious deeds and

to purify one’s mind,

these are the teachings of all Buddhas.”

This is one of the brief expositions of the noble practice (Pātimok) by Lord Buddha.

The last words, uttered by Lord Buddha just before He entered Pārinibbana, were;

“All conditioned states (subject to the law of change) are of the nature of passing away. Exercise Mindfulness and carry on until you accomplish your ultimate objectives”.

In these last words of his, Lord Buddha summarizes all teachings of his.

These last words of Lord Buddha, in effect, boil down to a single word “Mindfulness” or “Right Mindfulness”.

A single word, Right mindfulness encompasses all important directives.

Hence, its name is the wheel of Law.

The three fundamental desires of all living beings including human beings are the desires of seek;

1. The eternal, permanent, ever-lasting and changeless realities (in contrast to ever-lasting states in this mundane phenomenal world)

2. Sublime, tranquil bliss or well beings (in contrast to crude, vulgar sensual pleasures) and

3. The ultimate realities (in contract to shadowy, illusory conditioned states in this mundane phenomenal world).

Let alone intelligent human beings. Even animals are visibly afraid of death.

Wild animals migrate to greener pastures where they can lead a comfortable and joyful life.

Even animals seek only real things, turning aside imitation stuff.

Three fundamental desires of human beings are much stronger.

All living beings are striking to fulfill their fundamental desires of theirs. But, in so doing, they have lost their way because they are misled by the three deceptions. They are

(1) Deception of conception,

(2) Deception of consciousness, and

(3) Deception of wrong view

The three deceptions are like coloured spectacles. Worldly beings under the influence of three deceptions are like those persons wearing the spectacles of green, blue and yellow colours, respectively.

The actual scenery in the outside world may look hot and dry, hostile and unappealing, ugly and disgusting.

But a person, wearing the green colour spectacles, will think that the scenery is last and green.

A person, wearing the blue colour spectacles, will think that the scenery is pleasant and peaceful.

A person, wearing the golden colour spectacles, will think that the scenery looks golden and attractive.

In the same way, we worldly beings (puttujjanas), looking through the coloured spectacles of deceptions (vippallāsas), see things in this phenomenal world differently, but not as they really are.

Because we are misled by the three types of deceptions, we develop the following misconceptions:-

(1) misconception that takes impermanent phenomena to be permanent;

(2) misconception that takes suffering to be happiness;

(3) misconception that takes non-self to be self; and

(4) misconception that takes unbeautiful, disgusting things to be beautiful.

These three types of deceptions or 12 types of deceptions by extended calculation ( 3 deceptions multiplied by 4 misconceptions) are deceiving us.

In other words, we are the victims, inflicted by the aforementioned twelve types of deceptions.

We are like the travelers of Saṃsāra (cycle of rebirths).

Our intended destination is the Golden City of Tranquility, Peace and Happiness.

We are misled by the twelve types of deceptions, and we have lost our way in the dangerous wilderness.

In order to reach our intended destination, we must cure ourselves of three deceptions, and then find the right path that will lead us to our destination.

Only when we are taking the right path, shall we be able to reach our desired destination of the Golden City.

The right path here indeed refers to the Eightfold Noble Path.

It is imperative that we realize the Four Noble Truths though the completion of the execution of the Eightfold Noble Path.

For this reason, I should like to explain here about the Four Noble Truths beginning with an in-depth analysis of the fundamental principles that underlie the Four Noble Truths.

The first sermon (The Wheel of law) delivered by Lord Buddha after his attainment of Buddhahood.

It is not that Gotama Buddha alone has done this. As a matter of fact, all Buddhas invariably deliver as there first sermon the Discourse on the Wheel of Law which is indeed the epitome of all the teachings of Buddhas.

The Discourse the Wheel of Law is indeed the Four Noble Truths.

The Four Noble Truths can be compared to the hub of a wheel.

In fact, the Four Noble Truths is nothing but a problem-solving methodology in its most advanced, sophisticated and subtle form.

It is also an expose of the four fundamental ethical principles.

All conscious and purposive actions of all living beings are governed by the four fundamental principles of problem solving:-

(1) identification or awareness of the problem;

(2) finding out the cause of the problem;

(3) knowing the solution to the problem; and

(4) executing the solution to the problem.

Perhaps, Lord Buddha is very much like to the best physician. The Four Noble Truth is very much like to the physician’s diagnosis and prescription of the remedy for the patient.

Firstly – to diagnose the disease.

Secondly – to find out the cause of the disease.

Thirdly – to remove the cause of the disease.

Fourthly – the remedy to the patient.

Let me give an illustration to further elucidate how these four steps are actually carried out by the physician. Let us suppose that the physician receives a patient, running a high fever.

The first step is for the physician to diagnose the disease. Fever can be caused by one of several diseases – common cold, typhoid, dengue hemorrhagic fever, cancer, dysentery, heat stroke, malaria etc. The physician diagnoses the disease, say, as malaria.

The second step is for the physician to find out the cause of the disease, malaria. The cause of malaria is the presence in the patient’s body system of plasmodium parasites, transmitted by anopheles mosquitoes.

The third step is to remove the cause of the disease.

The fourth step is the remedy. The physician administers quinine to eliminate plasmodium parasites in the patient’s body system. As a result, the patient is cured of malaria.

Knowing the truth of suffering is like the physician to disease.

Investigating the truth of origin is like examine the origin of disease.

Truth of cessation of suffering is like decision by physician to remove the cause of the disease.

Path leading to the Cessation of suffering is like the remedy.

Let us begin with an analysis of animal behaviors. Let us take the example of a deer feeling pains of thirst.

(1) Thirst is the problem for the deer.

(2) Its body system not having sufficient amount of water is the Cause of the problem.

(3) Drinking the sufficient amount of water will be solution to the problem.

(4) Finding the nearest water hole in the forest is the way to secure a solution to the problem.

Science and technology as well as human civilization also progress through the performance of these four principles. Take the example of the invention of electricity.

During the Stone Age, man had to spend the nights in darkness. He did not consider spending the night in darkness as unsatisfactory or as a problem. He did not, therefore, know the cause of the problem. Nor did he realize the solution to the problem (i.e. utilizing a light source such as candles and oil lamps). Nor was he aware of the way to execute the solution to the problem.

As man learnt to use tools, he also came to know how to utilize light sources. Hence, the use of candles and oil lamps in later ages, leading up to the 18th century.

Since the discovery of the electricity in the 18th century, man has utilized the electricity for lighting as well as for other industrial and home utility purposes.

We can put this in the form of a system analysis of the four principles as follows:-

- Identification of the problem: At that point in the history of human civilization in the 18th century, man considered the use of candles and lamps at night as unsatisfactory.

- Finding out the cause of the problem: The cause of this unsatisfactory lighting condition was the lack of technical knows – how to develop a better and more advanced lighting source.

- Solution of the problem: Solution of the problem could be achieved by the replacement of the primitive means of lighting with the modern electric lighting system.

- Executing the solution of the problem: This was accomplished by developing technology and equipment to generate and utilize electricity for lighting.

To give a clear idea of the system of problem-solving practices, let us visualize the tree of problem-solving practice ladders. Please see the diagram.

You can see in a diagram that each of them fly off at a tangent, pulling away from the direction of the summit. One can reach the summit of the Four Noble Truths by the following a main track of the eightfold path with practicing the insight meditation of the mindfulness.

Here, I should like to further explanation for the Four Noble Truths by using a analogy of a dream. Let, a man has a long-dream. In his dream he meets with a charming pretty lady falls in love with her and spend many happy moments with her, suddenly a tiger comes out of the forest an chases the man and lady. The two lovers run for their lives.

Once he wakes up, he realizes that it is merely a dream. His love-story in the dream is indeed an illusion. And also our phenomenal world and all living beings are an illusion.

Truth of Suffering

In order to take this ultimate question, one must turn one’ investigation deep into the one’s mind and body, one’s very life, one’s very existence, this phenomenal world itself.

Visible symptoms – birth, old age, disease, death, association with those one does not like and separation from those one loves – tell us that something is seriously wrong with our lives and that our lives i.e. the five aggregates or mind and body in short, are fatally flawed, diseased and undesirable. This is the first step in our quest for the Four Noble Truths.

The next step is the meditation of mindfulness to gain an insight into the true characteristics of mental and material states.

Mental and material events are indeed in a constant state of flux. They are impermanent. One will then realizes that one’s very life and this phenomenal world are unreal and impermanent. Therefore, they are unsatisfactory, undesirable and are not cling on it. This is the Truth of Suffering.

Truth of the Origin (or Cause) of Suffering

Through meditation, one realizes that our own craving for various things lie us dawn to the rounds of struggle and suffering connected with these things. These craving can be grouped into three categories:-

1. Craving for sensual pleasures,

2. Craving for one’s existence and

3. Craving for termination of one’s existence

By practicing meditation, one realize that mental and material events, arising and passing away are unsolids, non-concrete and unreal. If one has that cravings (at least one of them), can be caught up to the circle of rebirth. This is the cause of suffering, Origin Truth.

Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

Through meditation, one realizes that, by relinquishing cravings for anything, one attains sublime peace of mind and spiritual well-being which is, in fact, much superior to the enjoyment of the crude sensual pleasures.

It is not so easy for an average person to recognize that not craving for anything is better than craving for something and getting it.

Only the Enlightened ones realize this.

They prefer sublime peace of mind and spiritual well beings to crude sensual pleasures. Relinquishing the craving in anything is the same as the cessation of suffering.

Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering (Truth of Path)

As one’s meditation of mindfulness advances, one’s faculties and factors also develop. At the time of Enlightenment, Eightfold path arises in one, resulting in a change in one’s out-look of the world and in one’s personality.

In fact, Enlightenment or Magga or Path consciousness constitutes the path leading to the Cessation of Suffering. The Eight fold path leading to the Cessation of Suffering is the key for realization of the Four Noble Truth.

The Eightfold Noble Path

The Eight fold Noble Path can be divided into two categories, namely;

(1) mundane eight fold path and

(2) supramundane eightfold path

Mundane constituents of Path (Maggaṅgas) occur in our consciousness whenever we perform moral and immoral actions.

In a particular mundane moral consciousness, not all the 8 moral Maggaṅgas take place.

Moral and immoral Maggaṅgas occur in mundane moral consciousnesses and immoral consciousnesses in different combinations, depending on the types of consciousness in the mental factors involve.

Constituents of path or maggaṅgas steer our mental phenomena one way or another.

Moral Maggins steer us to moral or good result producing paths.

Immoral maggaṅgas steer us onto immoral or evil, bad result-producing paths.

Therefore we may perform moral maggaṅgas and to refrain to committing immoral maggaṅgas.

Because the eightfold path is of paramount important, I should like to explain about it in details.

The followings are eight fold Noble Path.

1. Right view (Sammā ditthi) = in sight, pañña mental factor

2. Right thinking (Sammā Sankappa) = applied thought mental factor

3. Right speech (Sammā vāca)

4. Right action (Sammā kamanta)

5. Right livelihood (Sammā ājiva)

6. Right effort (Sammā vāyama) effort mental factor

7. Right mindfulness (Sammā sati) mental factor

8. Right concentration (Sammā Samādhi) tranquility mental factor

The eightfold Noble path expounded by Lord Buddha is the most important in daily life and is the key for the attainment of Four Noble Truth.

In whatever moral actions we may perform, moral maggins are involved.

1. Right view (Right Look)

The first pre-requisite in any important under-taking is the right view. Without right view, we cannot have right thinking.

2. Right thinking

It is important to have right thinking. Without right thinking, we cannot have right speech.

3. Right speech

Only if we have the right speech, we have good moral character. A right, elegant and effective speech is also essential to our success in our social and business and our professional career.

4. Right action

Work is on a main measure of the value of the man. Therefore it is an important Maggins 1 to 3 will contribute to the performance of right action.

5. Right livelihood

As everyone must have a livelihood, it is also essential to have right livelihood Maggins 1 to 4 will contribute to the practice of right livelihood.

6. Right effort

Effort is an integral component in any under-taking on task. Right effort is therefore essential.

7. Right mindfulness

Right mindfulness is the one of the most important maggins. Only right mindfulness leads us to the enlightenment. So right mindfulness places a crucial role for the attainment of Four Noble Truth.

8. Right concentration

In whatever we do, we cannot effective without proper and sustained concentration. We may have the enlightenment with a such powerful concentration.

The Noble eight fold path invented by Lord Buddha is the most appropriate, most valuable and most useful directive in life.

The Supramundane Noble eightfold Path

The eightfold noble path is related three practices (morality, concentration and insight).

Right view and right thinking constitute the practicing of insight. (paññā Sikkā)

Right speech, right action and right livelihood constitute the practicing of morality (Sila Sikkā)

Right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration constitute the practicing of concentration (Samadhi Sikkā)

Therefore the Noble Eightfold Path and threefold practice coincide with each other.

Thirty Seven Factors of Enlightenment are indispensible to the development of intellectual powers, the arising of Path Consciousness and enlightenment. The thirty seven factors of Enlightenment operate within the scope of the Noble Eightfold Path.

Thirty eight steps to self-improvement (38 Maṅgalas) is indeed a “roadmap” for our life, as they contribute to improvements and successes in our professional and personal life.

Thirty eight maṅgalas is the most comprehensive discourse on art of livings that includes the ethical practice and moral conduct, beginning with basic education in childhood and culminating in the highest level of Enlightenment and Arahathood.

The art of living and ethical practice, laid down in thirty eight Maṅgalas, also operate within the scope of the Noble Eightfold Path.

All moral actions, including ten moral deed and ten meritorious deeds, operates within the scope of the Noble Eightfold Path.

We can classify consciousnesses, mental factors into 3 categories and moral practices at 3 levels; -

(1) Consciousnesses, mental factors and matter in sensual sphere, in other words, moral immoral consciousnesses, resultant and merely functioning consciousnesses and matter in the sensual sphere; lofty/ sublime states

(2) Fine material world, immaterial world Jhana consciousnesses and mental factors in the fine material and immaterial spheres;

(3) Supramundane Consciousnesses, mental factors and Nibbāna.

All moral actions are at the aforementioned three levels, i.e.

(1) Moral consciousnesses in the sensual sphere,

(2) Jhana moral consciousnesses

(3) Suprmundane moral consciousnesses

All these states culminate in supramundane Eightfold Path.

These 8 moral Path factors already explained above. Then 4 immoral path factors are i.e. (1) wrong view, (2) wrong thinking, (3) wrong effort and (4) wrong concentration.

In practicing insight meditation of mindfulness, we actually exercise only five path (right view, right thinking, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration).

At the arising of enlightenment, all 8 Path factors take place in combination at the same time.

At that moment, 3 abstinence mental factors, namely (right speech, right action and right livelihood) are invariably, join other Path factors to form a complete combination of 8 Path factors.

This is because the path consciousness purified the mind and eradicates defilements at the time of enlightenment.

It automatically accomplish the purity of morality at that moment. We may say that it is the case of morality (sῑla) being purified by insight (paññā).

Ariya’s (purified one’s) morality is unshakable and unrelapsible.

If I am to pick out for the attainment of Four Noble Truth, it is right mindfulness (Sammā Samādhi) which is the single most crucial Path Factor.

Lord Buddha last word, uttered before entering Parinibbāna to exercise mindfulness, placing great emphasis on this mental factor.

If I am to pick out two most crucial Path Factors, they are Right mindfulness (sammā sati) and Right view (sammā diṭṭhi).

On numerous occasions, Lord Buddha stressed the importance of these two factors and used there two words as a duo: mindfulness and reasoning (satisampajjañña).

Mostly importantly, Lord Buddha uses these two Path factors as a duo in expounding the Discourse on the Four types of Insight Meditation of Mindfulness.

If I am to pick out third most crucial Path Factors, they are Right mindfulness (sammā sati), Right view (sammā diṭṭhi) and Right effort (sammā vāyāma).

If I am to pick out fourth most crucial Path Factors, they are Right mindfulness (sammā sati), Right view (sammā diṭṭhi), Right effort (sammā vāyāma) and Right thinking (sammā saṅkappa).

If I am to pick out fifth most crucial Path Factors, they are Right mindfulness (sammā sati), Right view (sammā diṭṭhi), Right effort (sammā vāyāma), Right thinking (sammā saṅkappa) and Right concentration (sammā samādhi).

In practicing the insight meditation of mindfulness, we have to exercise these five factors. Work on them. Base on them. The remaining Path factors will come along automatically at the right moment, which is right speech (sammā vācā), right action (sammā kammanta) and right livelihood (sammā ajῑva) will automatically come in.

In this way at the moment of Path consciousness and Enlightenment, there appear 8 Path factors all right in the Path consciousness.

The Noblest and highest bliss that completely fulfills these desires is nothing but the ultimate reality of Nibbāna (paramattha Nabbāna).

Lord Buddha lays down the Eighth-fold Noble Path – also known as the Optimum Middle Way, conjoined with three-fold practice.

He expounds different discourses base on the 8 fold Path, depending on the occasion, place and the temperament of the individual in question.

In actual practice, we have to practice the mundane eight-fold path and thereafter, the supramundane Eight-fold Path by exercising two most important moral mental factors, namely, mindfulness and reasoning – sati and sampajjana (right mindfulness and right view).

The repeated and sustained exercise of such a practice will lead us, at the moment the five powers and the five faculties are fully developed, to the realization of the noblest, tranquil bliss or wells being.

In conclusion, I would like to tender with my best wishes and loving kindness (mettā) and may free from the struggles and all sufferings. All of religions may fulfill well-being.

In the light of universe, the “light” represents the omniscience of Lord Buddha which can be likened to the brilliant light of the sun, shinning forth throughout the boundless universe.

Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu.

Credit: University of Abhidhamma (Yangon)

Contribution of the Theravāda Buddhist Abhidhamma to world peace

Everybody in the world wants peace and happiness. This is the reason why people are seeking the true path which leads them to the cessation of suffering. All kinds of religions in the world arise because of this search. One great religion in the world is Buddhism, which leads to the cessation of suffering.

To understand and follow them will live happily and peacefully even though we are not yet able to be rid of all our suffering.

Incidentally, may I mention that Abhidhamma is one of the three Baskets of the Buddhist Scriptures. Abhidhamma literally means “Higher Teachings”, because it is higher, more advance, more profound and more subtle than Discourses (Suttanta).

The Theravāda Buddhist Abhidhamma’s contribution to world consists on the four-point strategy.

(1) culture of loving kindness which includes not only loving kindness but also goodwill, tolerance and compassion.

(2) practice and controlling, curbing, overcoming and relinquishing the state ego.

(3) principles and methodology of problem solving including the Optimum Middle Way (OMW), and

(4) higher vision of enlightened interest.

The Theravāda Buddhist Abhidhamma can bring you peace at three levels,

1. The personal level,

2. The national level; and

3. The international level.

At the personal level, one advantage you will gain immediately from studying and practicing the Buddhist Abhidhamma is peace of mind. From the Abhidhamma point of view, three roots or mainsprings of human miseries and conflicts are;

(a) greed

(b) hatred

They are also the man-made and man-originating principal causes of international conflicts and problems.

Out of these three roots, hatred is the most damaging and destructive mental factor. This is exemplified by World War-I and World War-II and still ongoing armed conflicts that are motivated and fueled by hatred.

For this reason, we should control, reduce and eventually eradicate hatred first, while trying to reduce greed, particularly excessive greed, and delusion.

There are 7 ways to reduce and eventually eradicate hatred.

1. checking one’s own mental posture through the exercise of mindfulness.

2. developing and radiating loving kindness and patience (anti-hatred)

3. changing one’s way of thinking including pretending

4. fixing one’s concentration on a single object

5. enjoying artistic activities such as music, painting, reading literature etc;

6. practicing meditation of concentration, leading to the attainment of Jhānas; and

7. practicing meditation of mindfulness (vipassanā)

Out of these 7 ways, practicing the insight meditation of mindfulness, leading to the attainment of Enlightenment (Magga) is the best and most effective way of overcoming hatred.

Lord Buddha has started culture of loving kindness since 2500 years ago. He says that hatred cannot be conquered by hatred, but can be conquered only by loving kindness.

Under the nature, in the Buddhist Abhidhamma there are two kinds of love, namely,

1. sensual love craving for sensual pleasure between different sex. It is impure and an immoral mental factor namely, greed.

2. Loving kindness which is noble, selfless, pure, innocent;

When we say a “culture of loving kindness,” we are referring to the second type of loving kindness.

From the Abhidhamma point of view, loving kindness is very, very powerful mental factor in mundane affairs.

Lord Buddha expounds on the importance of loving kindness as a powerful factor in accomplishing our tasks in mundane affairs. We should, therefore, make use this powerful factor as one of the pillars of the 4-point strategy.

Loving kindness (Absence of hatred) includes many other things,

(1) Non-use of threat or use of force except self-defense

(2) Peaceful settlement of disputes through negotiations;

(3) Five principles of peaceful co-existence

Loving kindness (Goodwill and humanity) also includes, among other things

(1) Recognition and respect for basic human rights

(2) Abstinences from any actions

(3) Providing assistance

(4) Endeavor to resolve issues, etc.

From the Abhidhamma’s point of view, feeds and fuels are

- Narrow-minded nationalism, ---- etc

- Excessive use of force -----

- State ego-originated misconceptions

From the Buddhist Abhidhamma point to view, the “state ego” is a notion of an aggressive and self-opinionated state actor that seeks to exercise power, influence and use of force against other states over and above its own legitimate national interests and pursue aggressive policies and actions at the expense of the legitimate interests of other states and common and long-term interests of the international community.

Stabilizing, constructive and human suffering-reducing measures include among other things,

- Economics development assurance and grants;

- Assistance in services sector such as health sector;

- Education and information technology;

- Cultural exchanges; etc.,

All the teachings of Lord Buddha can be summed up in one sermon, namely, the Four Noble Truths (also known as the First sermon and the Wheel of law – Dhammacakka-pavattana).

The Four Noble Truths are:

(1) Truth of Suffering;

(2) Truth of the Origin of Suffering;

(3) Truth of the Cessation of Suffering; and

(4) Truth of Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering.

These above facts are nothing but the four fundamental principles of problem solving. They are:

1. Identification & awareness of the problem

(Truth of Suffering)

2. Finding out the cause of the problem

(Truth of the Origin of Suffering)

3. Knowing the solution to the problem

(Truth of the Cessation of Suffering) and

4. Executing the solution to the problem

(Truth of Path Leading to the Cessation of Suffering)

Abhidhamma methodology of problem solving on the basis of the four fundamental principles can indeed be applied to tackling international problems. They are:

(1) Identification of the international problem

(e.g, - Global warming)

(2) Finding out the cause of the problem.

(caused by excessive greed)

(3) Knowing the solution to the problem

(to control curb and reduce the aforementioned)

(4) Executing the solution to the problem

implementing a comprehensive multi sectoral strategy,

Noble Eightfold Path

In the Four Noble Truths, the fourth truth (Truth of the Path leading to the Cessation of suffering) is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely,

(1) Right view;

(2) Right thinking;

(3) Right speech;

(4) Right action;

(5) Right livelihood;

(6) Right effort;

(7) Right mindfulness; and

(8) Right concentration.

The Noble Eightfold Path is also known as the optimum middle way (OMW). The essence of the optimum middle way (OMW) is:

- to avoid extremes

- to make a comparative study and find out options; and

- to choose and practice the optimum option OMW that will bring us the optimum positive result.

OMW has, as its consistent, “Higher teaching of enlightened interests” which has, among other things the seven characteristics or benchmarks.

(1) It is based on a proper causal analysis with a clear view of what is advantageous and what is disadvantageous to us.

(2) It takes a holistic overview of the larger interests.

(3) It is in the law of nature that we must pay a price to attain a desired good.

(4) It seeks to advance enduring long-term interests, consistent with short-term ones.

(5) A higher vision, shared by parties concerned, as perceived through traditional point of view.

(6) A higher vision and OMW will bring us overall optimum positive results.

(7) We always endeavor to accomplish our interests.

But these interests should be “enlightened interests” in tackling complex international problems, as outlined above. Hence, we need to have an enlightened view of vision.

The case study the prevention of war at the Rohinī River from the Buddhist Abhidhamma’s point of view reveals the following positive factors thanks to lord Buddha’s message of peace:

Positive factors

(1) Thanks to lord Buddha’s sermon of peace, there developed mutual understanding and amity among the two kingdoms, laying to rest enmity(hatred) between the two sides.

(2) Lord Buddha contained the state ego of the two kingdoms and power rivalries between them for the time being.

(3) Lord Buddha employed the methodology of the four principles of problem solving and the Optimum Middle Way (OMW) to reach the peaceful settlement of the dispute over sharing of water between the kingdoms.

(4) The Kings of the two sides accepted lord Buddha’s “higher vision of enlightened interests.”

They were convinced by lord Buddha’s message that human blood is more precious than water.

4-point strategy

Loving kindness/ Controlling hatred

Containment of state egos and power rivalries of the two kingdoms.

Problem-solving Methodology and OMW

Higher vision of Enlightened

Global warming

Global warming and adverse climate change is a major international problem facing mankind. It is resulted in more natural disasters (more storms, floods, droughts, earthquakes), ecological and survival problems economic downturns, health problem etc.

Even so, it is surprising and regrettable that major polluter industrial states such as the United States and China are doing little to stop and reverse the current climatic trends.

Negative factors

1. the majority of states, particularly carbon dioxide polluting industrial states, are continuing economic activities with excessive greed and / with little consideration for the ill effects / these activities are having on other states and / global climate change.

2. obsession with their own excessive greed / without caring anything about the wellbeing of other states and the world.

3. Problem-solving endeavour are ineffective. The majority of states are / still unable to relinquish their excessive greed / for short-term economic gains and they still lack the vision of larger and common good of all states.

4. lack of the higher vision of Enlightened interests, outturned in point 3 above

Gaps in 4-point Strategy

1. Excessive greed and little consideration for other states interests and global adverse climate change.

2. too much state ego with excessive greed

3. No serious and effective measures yet to contain overcome this problem

4. Higher Vision of Enlightened interests is essential for effective international measures to cope with global adverse climate change

If we make comparative study of two cases, we get the following points.

- If we have proper knowledge and using 4-point strategy of Abhidhamma we can solve all problems with positive results.

- If we don’t have (see case II) we can’t solve the problems and we will get bad results.

Conclusion

In the world today, we are sadly witnessing evil consequences of hatred in the forms of wars, armed conflicts, acts of violence, unjustified uses of force and acts of terrorism, evil consequences of excessive greed and state ego and so on.

Hence, untold human miseries and a great number of international conflicts and problems in the world today.

The Buddhist Abhidhamma can go a long way in helping the people to overcome their problems. It provides, among other things:

- an art of living and practices to attain / peace of mind / at the personal level, national and international levels; and

- a vision to resolve problems at the national level and to restore, maintain and strengthen world peace at the international level.

The Theravāda Buddhist Abhidhamma provides us with 4-point strategy. They are already mentioned at the beginning of this essay and they can also be termed the three-fold practice. They are as follows;

(1) essential mental framework or international ethics, based on the culture of loving kindness and non-state ego;

(2) principles and methodology of problem solving, including the optimum middle way (OMW) and

(3) higher vision of enlightened interests.

They are same as morality (sīla), concentration (samādi) and insight (paññā) for the attainment of Enlightenment and peace of mind.

It is my conviction that such a 4-point strategy or threefold practice can and will certainly make a significant and substantial contribution to world peace.

I will finally conclude with the following poem

“Hatred never conquered by hatred

By loving kindness alone is conquered

This is the truth since ancient time

Today still unsurpassed”

“Avoidance of evil.

Performance of good deeds.

Purification of one’s thoughts.

This is the teaching of the Lord Buddhas.”

“By applying 4-point strategy of Abhidhamma

May all beings attain Enlightenment and peace of mind.”

Credit: University of Abhidhamma (Yangon)

The Liberation Teachings of the Buddha

My presentation will focus on the contribution of base on the Dhamma, or way of truth, taught by the Buddha and I am trying my best, as far as my wisdom can take me, to provide this service to you.

The publication of these essays helps fulfill five beneficial purposes. First, it may give you access to new aspects of the Dhamma which you might not have heard before. Second, if you have already heard about these subjects, you may be able to consolidate your knowledge of the Dhamma.

Third, if you have doubts, these essays may help you to clear them. Fourth, if you have certain pet views and preconceptions which are incorrect, you may be relieved of them by proper and respectful attention to the Dhamma of the Buddha.

The last and perhaps the most fulfilling aspect is that you may be able to tally your own experiences, if your practice is deep, it can be a joyous and rapturous occasion when you realize that your experiences conform to the theory.

If you do not practice meditation, perhaps these essays can inspire you to begin. Then wisdom, the most potent medicine, can bring you relief from the sufferings of your mind.

I offer you my personal best wishes and encouragement. May you reach liberation, the highest goal.

The Pāli terms in this text are meant to introduce a precision of meaning that is not possible in English. It is hoped that readers will pause and reflect in a way they might not, had the terms simply been translated.

The Buddha’s teachings can be summed up in three parts: sila, morality; samādhi, concentration; and paññā, intuitive wisdom.

Sīla is spoken of first because it is the foundation for the other two. Its importance cannot be overstressed. Without sila, no further practices can be undertaken. For laypeople the basic level of sila consists of five precepts or training rules: refraining from taking life, refraining from taking what is not given, refraining from sexual misconduct, refraining from lying, and refraining from taking intoxication substances. These observances foster a basic purity that makes it easy to progress along the path of practice.

Sīla is not a set of commandments handed down by the Buddha, and it need not be confined to Buddhist teachings. It actually derives from a basic sense of humanity. For example, suppose we have a spurt of anger and want to harm another being. If we put ourselves in that other being’s shoes, and honestly contemplate the action we have been planning, we will quickly answer, “No, I wouldn’t. That would be cruel and unjust”. If we feel this way about some action that we plan, we can be quite sure that the action is unwholesome.

In this way, morality can be looked upon as a manifestation of our sense of oneness with other beings. We know what it feels like to be harmed, and out of loving care and consideration we undertake to avoid harming others. We should remain committed to truthful speech and avoid words that abuse, deceive or slander. As we practice refraining from angry actions and angry speech, then this gross and unwholesome mental state may gradually cease to arise, or at least it will become weaker and less frequent.

Of course, anger is not the only reason we harm other beings. Greed might makes us try to grab something in an illegal or unethical way. Or our sexual desire can attach itself to another person’s partner. Here again, if we consider how much we could hurt someone, we will try hard to refrain from succumbing to lustful desire.

During a meditation retreat it becomes useful to change some of our conduct in ways that support the intensification of meditation practice. In a retreat, silence becomes the appropriate form of right speech, and celibacy that of sexual conduct. One eats lightly to prevent drowsiness and to weaken sensual appetite. The Buddha recommended fasting from noon until the following morning; or, if this is difficult, one could eat only a little in the afternoon. During the time one thus gains to practice, one may well discover that the taste of the Dhamma excels all worldly tastes!

Cleanliness is another support for developing insight and wisdom. You should bathe, keep nails and hair trimmed, and take care to regulate the bowels. This is known as internal cleanliness. Externally, your clothing and bedroom should be tidy and neat. Such observance is said to bring clarity and lightness of mind. Obviously, you do not make cleanliness and obsession. In the context of a retreat, adornments, cosmetics, fragrances, and time consuming practices to beautify and perfect the body are not appropriate.

In fact, in this world there is no greater adornment than purity of conduct, no greater refuge, and no other basis for the flowering of insight and wisdom. Sīla beings a beauty that is not plastered onto the outside, but instead comes from the heart and is reflected in the entire person. Suitable for everyone, regardless of age, station or circumstance, truly it is the adornment for all seasons. So please be sure to keep your virtue fresh and alive. Even if we refine our speech and actions to large extent, however, sila is not sufficient in itself to tame the mind.

The Buddha suggested that either a forest place under a tree or any other very quiet place is best for meditation. He said the meditator should sit quietly and peacefully with legs crossed. If sitting with crossed legs proves to be too difficult, other sitting postures may be used. For those with back trouble a chair is quite acceptable. It is true that to achieve peace of mind, we must make sure our body is at peace. So it is important to choose a position that will be comfortable for a long period of time.

Sit with your back erect, at a right angle to the ground, but not too stiff. The reason for sitting straight is not difficult to see. An arched or crooked back will soon bring pain. Furthermore, the physical effort to remain upright without additional support energizes the meditation practice.

There will be moments when the mind wanders off. You will start to think of something. At this time, watch the mind! Be aware that you are thinking. To clarify this to yourself, note the thought silently with the verbal label “thinking, thinking,” and come back to the rising and falling.

The same practice should be used for objects of awareness that arise at any of what are calls the six sense doors: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Despite making and effort to do so, no one can remain perfectly focused on the breathing in and breathing out. Other objects inevitably arise and become predominant. Thus, the sphere of meditation encompasses all of our experiences: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations in the body, and mental objects such as visions in the imagination or emotions. When any of these objects arise you should focus direct awareness on them, and use a gentle verbal label “spoken” in the mind.

During a sitting meditation, if another object impinges strongly on the awareness so as to draw it away from the mindfulness of breathing in and breathing out, this object must be clearly noted. For example, if a loud sound arises during your meditation, consciously direct your attention toward that sound as soon as it arises. Be aware of the sound as a direct experience, and also identify it succinctly with the soft, internal verbal label “hearing, hearing” When the sound fades and is no longer predominant, come back to the rising and falling. This is the basic principle to follow in sitting meditation.

In making the verbal label, there is no need for complex language. One simple word is best. For the eye, ear, and tongue doors we simply say, “Seeing, seeing .. Hearing, hearing .. Tasting, tasting.” For sensations in the body we may choose a slightly more descriptive term like warmth, pressure, hardness, or motion Mental objects appear to present a bewildering diversity, but actually they fall into just a few clear categories such a thinking, imaging, remembering, planning and visualizing. But remember that is using the labeling technique, that in using the labeling technique, your goal is not to gain verbal skills. Labeling technique helps us to perceive clearly the actual qualities of our experience, without getting immersed in the content. It develops mental power and focus. In meditation we seek a deep, clear, precise awareness of the mind and body. This direct awareness shows us the truth about our lives, the actual nature of mental and physical processes.

Meditation need not come to an end after an hour of sitting. It can be carried out continuously through the day. When you get up from sitting, you must note carefully – beginning with the intention to open the eyes. “Intending, intending .. Opening, opening.” Experience the mental event of intending, and feel the sensations of opening the eyes. Continue to note carefully and precisely, with full observing power, through the whole transition of postures until the moment you have stood up, and when you begin to walk. Throughout the day you should also be aware of, and mentally note, all other activities, such as stretching, bending your arm, taking a spoon, putting on clothes, brushing your arm, taking a spoon, putting on clothes, brushing your teeth, closing the door, opening the door, closing your eyelids, eating, and so forth. All of these activities should be noted with careful awareness and a soft mental label.

During a retreat it is usual to alternate periods of sitting meditation with periods of formal walking meditation of about the same duration, one after another throughout the day. One hour is a standard period, but forty-five minutes can also be used. For formal walking, retreatants choose a lane of about twenty steps in length and walk slowly back and forth along it.

In daily life, walking meditation can also be very helpful. A short period – say ten minutes – of formal walking meditation before sitting serves to focus the mind. Beyond this advantage, the awareness developed in walking meditation is useful to all of us as we move our bodies from place to place in the course of a normal day.

Walking meditation develops balance and accuracy of awareness as well as durability of concentration. One can observe very profound aspects of the Dhamma while walking and even get enlightened! In fact, a yogi who does not do walking meditation before siting is like a car with a rundown battery. He or she will have a difficult time starting the engine of mindfulness when sitting.

Walking meditation consists of paying attention to the walking process. If you are moving fairly rapidly, make a mental note of the movement of the legs, “Left, right, left, right” and use your awareness to follow the actual sensations throughout the leg area. If you are moving more slowly, note the lifting, moving and placing of each foot. In each case you must try to keep your mind on just the sensations of walking. Notice what processes occur when you stop at the end of the lane, when you stand still, when you turn and begin walking again. Do not watch your feet unless this becomes necessary due to some obstacle on the ground; it is unhelpful to hold the image of a foot in your mind while you are trying to be aware of sensations. You want to focus on the sensations themselves, and these are not visual. For many people it is a fascinating discovery when they are able to have a pure, bare perception of physical objects such as lightness, tingling, cold, and warmth.

Usually we divide walking into three distinct movements: lifting, moving and placing the foot. To support a precise awareness, we separate the movements clearly, making a soft mental label at the beginning of each movement, and making sure that our awareness follows it clearly and powerfully until it ends. One minor but important point is to begin noting the placing movement at the instant that the foot begins to move downward.

As we make use of that purified consciousness into the true nature of what is happening, we become free of the delusion or illusion of self; we see only bare phenomena coming and going. When insight gives us intuitive comprehension of the mechanism of cause and effect, how mind and matter are related to one another, we free ourselves of misconceptions about the nature of phenomena. Seeing that each object lasts only for a moment, we free ourselves of the illusion of permanence, the illusion of continuity. As we understand impermanence and its underlying unsatisfactoriness, we are freed from the illusion that our mind and body are not suffering.

This direct seeing of impersonality brings freedom from pride and conceit, as well as freedom from the wrong view that we have an abiding self. When we carefully observe the lifting process, we see mind and body as unsatistactory and so are freed from craving. These three states of mind – conceit, wrong view and craving – are called “the perpetuating dhammas.” They help to perpetuate existence in samsāra, the cycle of craving and suffering which is caused by ignorance of ultimate truth. Careful attention in walking meditation shatters the perpetuating dhammas, bringing us closer to freedom.

The Buddha described five additional, specific benefits of walking meditation. The first is that one who does walking meditation will have the stamina to go on long journeys. This was important in the Buddhs’s time, when bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs, monks and nuns, had no form of transportation other than their feet and legs. You who are meditating today can consider yourselves to be bhikkhus, and can think of this benefit simply as physical strengthening.

The second benefit is that walking meditation brings stamina for the practice of meditation itself. During walking meditation a double effort is needed. In addition to the ordinary, mechanical effort to be aware of the movement – and this is the factor of right effort from the Noble Eightfold Path. If this double effort continues through the movements of lifting, pushing and placing, it strengthens the capacity for that strong, consistent mental effort all yogis know is crucial to vipassana practice.

Thirdly, according to the Buddha, a balance between sitting and walking contributes to good health, which in turn speeds progress in practice. Obviously it is difficult to meditate when we are sick. Too much sitting can cause many physical ailments. But the shift of posture and the movements of walking revive the muscles and stimulate circulation, helping prevent illness.

The fourth benefit is that walking meditation assists digestion. Improper digestion produces a lot of discomfort and is thus a hindrance to practice. Walking keeps the bowels clear, minimizing sloth and torpor. After a meal, and before sitting, one should do a good walking meditation to forestall drowsiness. Walking as soon as one gets up in the morning is also a good way to establish mindfulness and to avoid a nodding head in the first siting of the day.

Last, but not least, of the benefits of walking is that it builds durable concentration. As the mind works to focus on each section of the movement during a walking session, concentration becomes continuous. Every step builds the foundation for the sitting that follows,helping the mind stay with the object from moment to moment – eventually to reveal the true nature of reality at the deepest level. This is why I use the simile of a care battery. If a car is never driven, its battery runs down. A yogi who never does walking meditation will have a difficult time getting anywhere when he or she sits down on the cushion. But one who is diligent in walking will automatically carry strong mindfulness and firm concentration into sitting meditation.

I hope that all of you will be successful in completely carrying out this practice. May you be pure in your precepts, cultivating them in speech and action, thus creating the conditions for developing Samadhi and wisdom.

May you follow these meditation instructions carfully, noting each mement’s experience with deep, accurate and precise mindfulness, so that you will penetrate into the true nature of reality. May you see how mind and matter constitute all experiences, how these two are interrelated by cause and effect, how all experiences are characterized by impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and absence of self so that you may eventually realize nibbana – the unconditioned state that uproots mental defilements – here and now.

One Attention To Impermanence

The first cause for development of the controlling faculties is to notice that everything which arises will also dissolve and pass away. During meditation one observes mind and matter at all the six sense doors. One should approach this process of observation with the intention to notice that everything which appears will, in turn, dissolve. As you are no doubt aware, this idea can only be confirmed by actual observation.

This attitude is a very important preparation for practice. A preliminary acceptance that things are impermanent and transitory prevents the reactions that might occur when you discover these facts – sometimes painfully – through your own experience. Without this acceptance, moreover, a student might spend considerable time with the contrary assumption, that the objects of this world might be permanent, an assumption that can block the development of insight. In the beginning you can take impermanence on faith. As practice deepens, this faith will be verified by personal experience.

The second basis for strengthening the controlling faculties is an attitude of great care in pursuing the meditation practice. It is essential to treat the practice with the utmost reverence and meticulousness. To develop this attitude it may be helpful to reflect on the benefits you are likely to enjoy through practice. Properly practiced, mindfulness of body, feelings, mind and mind objects leads to the purification of the mind, the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, the complete destruction of physical pain and mental distress, and the attainment of nibbāna. The Buddha called it satipaṭṭhāna meditation, meaning meditation on the four foundations of mindfulness. Truly it is priceless!

Our Only True Possession

Howerver, there are certain things that follow human beings through the doors of death. This is kamma (Sanskrit: karma), the results of our actions. Our good and bad kammas follow us wherever we are; we cannot get away from them even if we want to.

Believing that kamma is your only true possession brings a strong wish to practice the Dhamma with ardor and thoroughness. You will understand that wholesome and beneficial deeds are an investment in your own future happiness, and harmful deeds will rebound upon you. Thus, you will do many things based on noble considerations of benevolence, generosity, and kindness. You will try to make donations to hospitals, to people suffering from calamity. You will support members of your family, the aged, the handicapped and underprivileged, your friends, and others who need help. You will want to create a better society by maintaining purity of conduct, taming your speech and actions. You will bring about a peaceful environment as you strive to meditate and tame the obsessive kilesas that arise in the heart. You will bring about a peaceful environment as you strive to meditate and tame the obsessive kilesas that arise in the heart. You will go through the stages of insight and eventually realize the ultimate goal: All of these meritorious deeds of dana, of giving, of sila, morality; and of bhāvanā, mental development or meditation – they will follow you after death, just as your shadow follows you wherever you go. Do not cease to cultivate the wholesome!

All of us are slaves of craving. It is ignoble, but it is true. Desire is insatiable. As soon as we get something, we find it is not as satisfying as we thought it would be, and we try something else. It is the nature of life, like trying to scoop up water in a butterfly net. Beings cannot become contented by following the dictates of desire, chasing after objects. Desire can never satisfy desire. If we understand this truth correctly, we will not seek satisfaction in this self-defeating way. This is why the Buddha said that contentment is the greatest wealth.

There is a story of a man who worked as a basket weaver. He was a simple man who enjoyed weaving his baskets. He whistled and sang and passed the day happily as he worked. At night he retired to his little hut and slept well. One day a wealthy man passed by and saw this poor wretched basket weaver. He was filled with compassion and gave him a thousand dollars. “Take this,” he said,” and go enjoy yourself.”

The basket weaver took the money with much appreciation. He had never seen a thousand dollars in his life. He took it back to his ramshackle hut and was wondering where he could keep it. But his hut was not very secure.

He could not sleep all night because he was worrying about robbers, or even rats nibbling at his cash.

The next day he took his thousand dollars to work, but he did not sing or whistle because he was worrying so much about his money again. Once more, that night he did not sleep, and in the morning he returned the thousand dollars to the wealthy man, saying, “Give me back my happiness.”

You may think that Buddhism discourages you from seeking knowledge or credentials, or from working hard to earn money so you can support yourself and family and friends and contribute to worthy causes and family and friend and contribute to worthy causes and institutions. No. By all means, make use of your life and your intelligence, and obtain all these things legally and honestly. The point is to be contented with what you have. Do not become a slave of craving: that is the message. Reflect on the weaknesses of beings so that you can get the most from your body and life before you are too sick and old to practice and can only depart from this useless corpse.

Liberating Intuition

What exactly is missing from concentration meditation? It simply cannot bring the understanding of truth. For this we need vipassana meditation. Only intuitive insight into the true nature of mind and matter can free one from the concept of ego, of a person, of self or “I” Without this insight, which comes about through the process of bare awareness, one cannot be free from these concepts.

Only an intuitive understanding of the mechanism of cause and effect – that is, seeing the link of recurrence of mind and matter – can free one from the delusion that things happen without a cause. Only by seeing the rapid arising and disappearance of phenomena can one be released from the delusion that things are permanent, solid and continuous. Only by experiencing suffering in the same intuitive way can one deeply learn that samsaric existence is not worth clinging to Only the knowledge that mind and matter just flow by according to their own natural laws with no one, and nothing, behind them, can impress upon one’s mind that there is no atta, or self essence.

Unless you go through the various levels of insight and eventually realize nibbāna, you will not understand true happiness. With nibbāna as the ultimate goal of your practice, you should try to maintain a high level of energy, not stopping or surrendering, never retreating until you reach your final destination.

In conclusion, my research for the in this very life, before you get to that final destination, there’s one thing that Meditation can be seen as a war between wholesome and unwholesome mental states. On the unwholesome side are the forces of the kilesas, also known as “The Ten Armies of Mara”. In Pāli, Māra means killer. He is the personification of the force that kills virtue and also kills existence. His armies are poised to attack all yogis; they even tried to overcome the Buddha on the night of his enlightenment.

Here are the lines the Buddha addressed to Māra, as recorded in the Sutta Nipāta:

Sensual pleasures are your first army,

Discontent your second is called

Your third is hunger and thirst,

The fourth is called craving

Sloth and torpor are your fifth,

The sixth is called fear,

Your seventh is doubt,

Conceit and ingratitude are your eighth,

Gain, renown, honor and whatever fame

Is falsely received (are the ninth),

And whoever both extols himself and

Disparages others (has fallen victim to the tenth).

That is your army, Namuci [Mara],

The striking force of darkness.

One who is not a here cannot conquer it,

But having conquered it, one obtains happiness.

Most people’s minds are in a state of agitation all the time. Their minds run here and there, flapping like flags in a strong wind, scattering like a pile of ashes into which a stone is tossed. There is no coolness or calmness, no silence, no peace.

When the mind is scattered, it is difficult to control our behavior. We begin to act according to our whims and fancies without considering properly whether an action is wholesome or not. Because of this unthinking mind, we may find ourselves performing unskillful actions or saying unskillful things. Such speech and action can lead to remorse, self-judgement and even more agitation. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said that. If only I’d thought about it before I did it.” When the mind is assaulted by remorse and regret, it will not be able to gain happiness.

The enlightenment factor of tranquility arises in the absence of restlessness and remorse. The Pāli word for it is passaddhi, which means cool calmaness. Coolness and calmness of mind can only occur when mental agitation or activity have been silenced.

In the world today, people feel a lot of mental suffering. Many resort to drugs, tranquilizers and sleeping pills to bring calm and enjoyment to their minds. Often young people experiment with drugs to get through a period in their lives when they feel great agitation. Unfortunately they sometimes find drugs so enjoyable that they end up addicted, which is a terrible pity.

The tranquil peace that comes from meditation is far superior to anything drugs or any other external substances can provide. Of course, the goal of meditation is much higher than just peace, but peace and tranquility are nonetheless benefits of walking the straight, correct path of the Dhamma.

The characteristic of passaddhi is to calm the mind and body, to silence and tranquilize agitation.

Its function is to extract or suppress the heat of the mind which arises due to restlessness, dissipation or remorse. When the mind is assaulted by these harmful states, it becomes hot, as if on fire. Tranquility of mind extinguishes that heat and replaces it with the characteristic of coolness and ease.

As the Buddha described it this noble chariot has two wheels. In those days that was the way carts were made, so this metaphor was accessible to listeners of his time. He explained that one wheel was physical effort and the other was mental effort.

In meditation as in any other pursuit, effort is crucial. We must be hardworking and industrious in order to succeed. If our effort is persevering, we can become a hero or heroine, a courageous person. Courageous effort is precisely what is needed in meditation.

Wholesome Shame and Wholesome Fear

In order to understand the function of the “backrest” of the vipassana chariot, we must delve into what is meant by conscience. The Buddha used a Pāli word, hiri; the quality of ottappa is its close companion. Since ottappa is implied, we shall discuss it at the same time even though the sutta does not specifically mention it. These two words are often translated as “shame” and “fear” respectively. Unfortunately, these words are negative, and thus become inaccurate. There are no god words in English to convey these meanings. The best expedient is to say “moral conscience” and then, if there is time, to try to explain the meaning of the Pāli words.

Remember that hiri and ottappa are not at all associated with anger or aversion, as are conventional shame and fear. They make one ashamed and afraid in only a very specific way, ashamed and afraid of unwholesome activities. Together they create a clear moral conscience, self-integrity. A man or woman of integrity actually has nothing to be ashamed of, and is fearless in virtue.

Hiri or “shame” is a feeling of disgust toward the kilesas. As you try to be mindful, you find there are gaps during which the kilesas pounce on you and make you their victim. Returning to your senses, so to speak, you feel a kind of abhorrence, or shame, at having been caught off guard. This attitude toward the kilesas is hiri.

Ottappa or “fear” is fear of the consequences of unwholesome activities. If you spend long intervals in unwholesome thoughts during your formal meditation practice, your progress will be slow. If you perform unwholesome actions at any time under the kilesas’ influence, you will suffer the consequences.

Hiri has a direct connection to one’s own virtues and integrity, while ottappa is also linked to the virtues and good name of one’s parents, teachers, relatives and friends.

Hiri works in various ways. Say a person, a man or woman, comes from a good upbringing No matter what economic level they may have come from, their parents educated them in human values. Such a gentleman or lady would think twice before committing the unwholesome act of killing. They would think, “My parents taught me to be kind and loving. Will I jeopardize my self-respect by succumbing to such destructive thoughts and feelings? Should I kill another being in a weak moment when I am devoid of compassion and consideration? Am I willing to sacrifice my virtue?” If one can reflect in this way and decide to refrain from killing, hiri has done a good job.

The virtue of wisdom or learning can also cause one to refrain from unwholesome actions. If a person is learned and cultured in any meaningful sense, he or she has high moral standards. When tempted to commit an immoral act, a truly cultured person will consider it beneath him or her, and shrink from the temptation. Hiri can also arise on account of one’s age. At an advanced age one gains a sense of dignity. One says to oneself, “I’m a senior citizen and I know the difference between right and wrong. I will not do anything unbefitting because I have deep respect for my own dignity.

Ottappa, the fear aspect of conscience, arises when one considers how one’s parents, friends and family members would be disgraced by immoral acts. It is also a wish not to betray the best that is in humanity.

Once committed, an immoral act can never be concealed. You yourself know you have done it. There are also beings who can read the minds of others, who can see and hear what happens to others. If you are aware of the presence of such a being, you may be hesitant to commit unwholesome behavior lest you be found out.

Hiri and ottappa play a great part in family life. It is because of these that father and mother, sisters and brothers, can live a life that is quite pure. If they have no sense of moral conscience, human family members relate without barriers of kinship, as dogs and cats do.

The world today is plagued by a lack of these qualities in people. In fact, these two aspects of conscience are called “The Guardians of the World” Imagine a world where everyone possessed them in abundance!

Hiri and ottappa are also called sukka dhamma, pure dhamma, because they are so essential in maintaining purity of conduct among the beings on this planet.

Therefore the Buddha said to the deva, “This magnificent chariot of the Noble Eightfold Path has hiri as its backrest.” If you have this backrest of hiri and ottappa, you will have something to rely on, something to depend on, something on which you can sit comfortably as you ride toward nibbānic bliss. Just as one who rides a vehicle is open to the risk of accidents, so too a yogi on the chariot of the Noble Eightfold Path runs a risk in practice. If these qualities are weak, he or she risks losing mindfulness, and all the dangers that then ensue.

May your abundant hiri and ottappa cause you to activate ardent energy so as continuously to practice mindfulness. May you thus make smooth and rapid progress along the Noble Eightfold Path, until eventually realize nibbāna.

To ensure that the Dhamma journey is carried out safely and May this be the basis for your attainment of ultimate liberation.

Thank You.

Sayadaw U Pandita

Credit: University of Abhidhamma (Yangon)

Psychotherapeutic value of Visuddhimagga

The Visuddhimagga is one of the great text of Theravada Buddhist literatures and it is

the manual of Theravada Buddhist psychology because it discussed about psychotherapeutic

methods therein.

According to Visuddhimagga, there are six types of characters of beings (1) some

beings have lustful character, (2) hateful, (3) deluded, (4) faithful, (5) intelligent and (6)

speculative character respectively.

Then, to match with these 6 characters, there are 40 meditation objects called

Kammatthana. According to character, suitable meditation subjects should be practiced.

1. Ten unpleasant objects (အသုဘ) and mindfulness with regard to body are suitable for a

person of lustful character.

2. Four sublime abodes (ဗြဟ္မဝိဟာရ) and four-kasina are suitable for hateful character.

3/4. Mindfulness (အာနာပါန) is suitable for deluded character and speculative character.

5. Six kinds of recollections (ဗုဒ္ဓါနုဿတိ) are suitable for faithful character.

6. Recollection of death (မရဏာနုဿတိ), recollection of the peace ( ), and analysis of

the four elements (စတုဓာတုဝဝတ္ထာန) are suitable for intelligent character.

7. The rest meditation subjects are suitable for all kinds of person. (သေသာနိ ပန သဗ္ဗာနိပိ ကမ္မဋ္ဌာနာနိ သဗ္ဗေသမ္ပိ သပ္ပါယာနိ)

Moreover, there are 3 states of craving in all beings basically:

(1) latent defilements (အနုသယကိလေသာ)

(2) arising defilements (ပရိယုဋ္ဌာနကိလေသာ) and

(3) violent defilements (ဝီတိက္ကမကိလေသာ).

Herein,

(1) latent defilements can be eradicated by wisdom,

(2) arising defilements by concentration and

(3) violent defilements by morality. So, by cultivating these

three practice, we can eradicate all of internal tangle or external tangle experienced by the

ordinary people.

Over all, to purify our mind from these tangles, there is no other way, but to practice

what the Buddha gave guideline.

ဒီနေ့ဖတ်ခဲ့ရတဲ့ စာတမ်းလေးတစ်ပုဒ် အလွန်အင်မတန်မှကောင်းလှတဲ့အတွက် ပြန်လည်မျှဝေပါတယ်ခင်ဗျာ။

Credit: POSTGRATE INSTITUTE OF PALI AND BUDDHIST STUDIES

UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA

with mettā

TNO(25.8.2020)

Thein Naing Ohn

Mental disorder and abnormal behavior

Here, mental disorder and abnormal behavior means aberrant of normal behavior.

Abnormal behavior appears due to aberrant mind.

Therefore we need to understand the nature of mind.

In Anguttara Nikāya, the Buddha explained the nature of mind thus: Bhikkhus, I have never seen any phenomena like a mind which comes and goes so fast. It is so fast that I cannot give any example. Then in Asutavā Sutta, the Buddha explained the mind thus: just as the monkeys, our mind takes one object and then, changes another object leaving the object that had already taken.

Naturally our mind is constantly changing. So if we do not train our mind systematically, our mind is gone under the influence of abnormal behaviors.

The Buddha expounded abnormal behaviors in many types in his teachings. But basically according to Roga Sutta, there are only two types: physical illness and mental illness.

In this world, exception of an Arahart, there is no one who does not experience mental pain. In Sallekha Sutta, there are 44 types of abnormal behaviors.

According to Girimananda Sutta, there are various diseases (Roga): eye-disease, eardisease, nose-disease etc.

Ordinary beings are compared to madmen, in Darīmukha Jātaka, eight Ummadas are expressed;

(1) Kama-ummādako: desire. (2) Kodha- ummādado: hatred.

(3) Diṭṭhi- ummādako: wrong view. (4) Moha- ummādako: ignorance.

(5) Yakkha- ummādako: bewitched by ogre. (6) Pitta- ummādako: being ruin of gallbladder.

(7) Sura- ummādako: intoxicant. (8) Byasana- ummādako: being ruin of wealth, authority, and relatives etc.

When we are under the influence of those things, we just like a madman may behave many improper actions.

In the history many beings had ever been mad.

For example, Patācārī had been so mad that she was naked because of losing her relatives.

Kisāgotamī, had became mad because of beloved son’s death.

But after listening to the teachings of the Buddha, she had recovered from that situation.

On the whole, nowadays there are many abnormal behaviors more than before, but they all came out of from physical illness and mental illness.

To reduce and eradicate these physical and mental pains at all, the Buddha had already given various the methods respectively in accordance with their nature. They all are based on Loba, Dosa and Moha. Therefore, Loba can be reduced by Dāna, Dosa by Mettā and Delusion by Paññā.

In another way, we can overcome by Sīla, Samādhi and Vipassana Pannā.

Naturally our mind is constantly changing and not calm.

Therefore, if we cultivate our mind systematically, we can overcome mental disorder and abnormal behavior at all.

The end of the path: magga

Without vipassanā insight, and without reaching magga, we cannot see Nibbāna - the state of one who is free from craving or attachment.

As long as we have craving and other mental defilements, we are stuck in saṃsāra, stumbling in the darkness of ignotance.

Magga is composed of the eight factors of the Noble Path. Though it is usually translated as "path", magga is actually an acronym of two words:

Kilese marento (drstroying mental defilements)

Nibbānam gacchati (goes to attain Nibbāna)

What it means is that if you wish to attain Nibbāna, you first must destroy your mental defilements of greed, anger and ignorance in the process.

We begin with an object that has to be a present one, whatever it is. We cannot meditate on something that is not there.

If anger is not present, can we meditate on it?

We also cannot have more than one object otherwise concentration will not develop.

For instance, if there is a pain in the leg and the head is itching, we have to choose between the two.

Eventually we get to a point in our vipassanā practice when, working together as a group, the eight factors become very strong.

And the nothing mind that is very strong now with this unity of factors traces the saṅkhāra object in meditation.

Then, following the nothing mind, insight knowledge in the next mīnd arises that watches this process of mind noting the object, the rising- and - falling of the abdomen, for example.

This watching mind contemplates both in the process of a pair of mind-and-matter arising and disappearing.

At the stage of Nibbāna, the mind that is now very powerful traces the end of the rising-falling without loing the object. (In losing the object, that is, with no object, no mind can arise.) Seeing the end of the saṅkhāra object - that is Nibbāna, like the flash of a camera or laser.

At this point all the mental defilements are burnt as we go beyond the conditioned state.

When we light a candle, four things happen all at once: light appears, darkness disappears, the wick and the wax start to burn. Magga is like that.

It removes the darkness of avijjā or ignorance; it destroys the mental defilements, and stops the saṅkhāra object. At that moment too, the Four Noble Truths are inherently comprehended for good as one realize a permanent state of freedom.

Venerable sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa

Thought of Mind

In general, people assume that mind and thought are similar. However, when one views the title of this discourse, it is obvious that the modes of action of mind and thought are different.

And, when looking with Abhidhamma knowledge, one sees the distinction between the entity of mind, which is the awareness (citta) of an object, and the entity of the mental state (cetasika) which arises together entities in the natural law of ultimate realities.

In the title 'The thoughs of Mind', 'though' is the designation of a cetasika, a mental state. It refers to a particular cetasika, namely vitakka.

Why is vitakka? In Myanmar, one may have heard, 'I can't sleep at night because of too much "vitak". The meaning of vitakka here is 'thought'.

In the Noble Eightfold Path, one of the eight path factors is sammā saṅkappa, where the meaning of saṅkappa is 'thought', Saṅkappa and Vitakka are different words, but means the same.

Vtakka means thought, and it is said that our minds have thoughts.

In this way, mind and though should be seen as different entities. In the process of the purification of mind, we try to let other thoughts arise and make them stronger.

When there are thoughts in mind, these are appropriate or inappropriate, wholesome or unwholesome. Therefore, it is important to explore the nature of your thoughts, to know what kinds of thoughts are occupying the mind.

The thoughts of mind, the mind with and without thought, or with wholesome and unwholesome thought are to be considered.

May you, dear audience, by considering the mind rightly and by removing the unwholesome thoughts through, all be able to have control over your own thoughts.

And may each and every one of you thereby be able to successfully end all states of dukkha.

Venerable sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa

What is the Mind?

Philosophers used to refer to the world. But they fail to come basic principles of the-world. But they fail to come to a unanimous conclusion as to what the mind is.

Psychologists began their task by probing the nature of the mind. But, when they cannot specify and characterize the mind, they turn to the behaviour of animals and men. Thus, psychology becomes 'the-study of-behaviourism' rather than 'the science of the mind.'

Today's science possesses no instruments to detect the mind. So-scientists tend to deny the existence of the mind and fondle the theory that the brain functions as the mind. This theory cannot explain the strange phenomena of telepathy, clairvoyance, extra-sensory perception, psychokinesis, out-of-body experiments, life after death, etc. Which cannot be denied by science to-day?

Besides brain-research has revealed that, although the brain functions as a super-computer, it requires an external agent to run it just as ordinary computers need to be programmed by men. Isn't that external agent the mind?

Abhidhamma describes ṭhe mind as a combination of citta (consciousness) and cetasikas (mental factors or concomitants of the mind). There are 52 cetasikas or mental factors - some can defile the mind; some can purify the mind and some are neutral. The total number of possible combinations between citta and cetasikas is 121 according to 'Abhidhamma pitaka'.

These combinations accouny for the various states of the mind. They explain fully why the mind is sometimes bad and sometimes wicked and sometimes noble, etc.

An Intellectual Treat

Abhidhamma deals with the realities that really exist in nature. It correctly and microscopically analyses both mind and matter which constitutes this complex machinery of man. It describes the six sense-doors in man, the six senses coming from outside and the arising of thought processes when the senses come into contact with the sense-doors.

Various mental states together with the causes of these mental states are vividly enumerated.Wholesome and unwholesome thoughts and their consequences are elaborated. Also the process of life and death and that of rebirth in various planes under the kammic force are clearly explained.

The law of Dependent Origination and the Law of Causal Relations are treated systematically and thoroughly in Abhidhamma. These laws find no parallel in any other philosophy.

The Essence of Buddha Abhidhamma

Just as natural sciences investigate the natural laws that control natural processes, so also Abhidhamma illustrate the natural truths that govern natural processes. But the levels of trement are different.

All natural sciences, such as physics, chemistry, biology, geology, geography, engineering, electronics and medical sciences, deal with matter and energy - the physical aspects of natute. Even psychology, which goes after behaviorism, cannot pin-point the mind and analyse it.

But it is the mind which leada the world and the life of every-body. All sciences and philosophies are produced by the mind, governed by the mind and children of the mind. So the mind is undoubtedly the most powerful agent in the world!

Scientists, philosophers, psychologists and wvery lover of truth will find Abhidhamma to be a special intellectual treat.

What knowledge is there in life which is more valuable than Abhidhamma which is the ultimate teaching of the fully Enlightened One?

Quotation From:

THE ESSENCE OF BUDDHA ABHIDHAMMA BY DR. MEHM TIN MON

B.Sc. Hons. (Ygn.) M.Sc., Ph.D (Illinois, U.S.A) Mahā Saddhamma Jotkadhaja

Professor, International Theravāda Buddhist Missionary University

Adviser to the Minister of Religious Affairs Union of Myanmar.

Wholesome fear & unwholesome knowledge

In Myanmar there are quite a number of mad dogs which can spread rabies. Suppose you were to see one coming at you, wouldn’t fear arise? That is because you know how dangerous it would be if you got bitten. In the same way saṃvega arises when you see how dangerous conditioned things are, seeing impermanence, suffering and uncontrollability in them.

Fear with paññā is not akusala Saṃvega is usually translated as “urgency”. Its literal meaning though is “fear (with shaking)” which is better. Yet it is not the common fear associated with dosa. It is actually made up of paññā or ñāṇa (knowledge) plus ottappa (moral fear of evil situations).

Because of paññā’s presence, there is no dosa which is akusala and with unhappy feeling. When it rises, there is urgency to meditate, to be free of conditioned things, and to renounce. It causes effort (vīriya) to be more and more.

King Maghadeva (in one of the Bodhisatta’s lives told in the jātaka) once asked his barber to pluck and show him any white hair that had appeared. Only after a very long period – in those days the lifespan was greatly extended – the barber finally showed him a white strand that sprouted.

The King became so frightened, he began to sweat – as though Death had come to invade. He thought, “I’m getting old and near death.” As though raising the white flag as a sign of surrender, he quickly renounced and left his kingdom to become a hermit.

In Myanmar, Taungphilar Sayadaw was once a guru to the king. At one time he came to pay respect to a pagoda near Sagaing. He met Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw who lived in the forest of Pahkangyi with only an attendant. So Taungphilar Sayadaw asked, “Aren’t you afraid to be in such deep forest?”

Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw replied, “I’m afraid. That’s why I stay in the forest. You’re not afraid. That’s why you remain in the kingdom.” Taungphilar Sayadaw understood at once. He never returned to his monastery. Instead he went to Sagaing which was then the place for recluses. Nowadays lobha, dosa and moha are so powerful and prevalent that saṃvega has become so scarce among us.

Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa - DISTINGUISHING GOOD FROM EVIL

With mettā tno (22.3.2019

Don’t mistake indifference for equanimity

What is an indifferent feeling?

Let’s say you bought a beautiful dress and wore it in front of the mirror. You had a very pleasant feeling seeing yourself in that dress. You wore it out the first time feeling very good in it. After one month there was no more of that feeling though you still like that dress and wear it out often.

It is difficult to know an indifferent feeling because it is not clear, lying between happiness and unhappiness. Only by inference can it be known. It is like a stone slab on muddy ground. If we can see footprints on either side of the slab but none on it, we can tell that someone had walked across it. The feeling of indifference is like that. It arises when the object is not particularly desirable.

Upekkhā vedanā is not the arahant’s or yogi’s equanimity of upekkhā. It is better translated as neutral, indifferent or moderate feeling(23). Though the Buddha used the same word “upekkhā (24)”, He gave it a different meaning in different contexts. So we need to know the context or we could easily get confused.

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23Adukkha-masukhā vedanā or feeling that is neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

24 Upekkhā = upa [properly, moderate, not extreme) + ikha [seeing, looking, for example].

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Upekkhā vedanā or indifferent feeling is not easy to understand. You throw a stone in the air. At its highest point, it stops just before it starts to fall: that moment is upekkhā, that neutral point lying between a pleasant and an unpleasant feeling. We have got to find it or else avijjā reigns in us.

When an indifferent feeling arises in us without our noticing it, ignorance also appears from its latent state as avijjānusaya. Not knowing is the delusion of avijjā and the indifference associated with it is aññāṇupekkhā.25

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25Aññāṇa [ignorance] + upekhā [neutral feeling]

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With ignorance in control, it brings with it two helpers: restlessness (uddhacca) and doubt (vicikicchā). With wandering thoughts, we cannot concentrate on one object. So, the mind is not at peace. The feeling is also unclear as we cannot be happy or unhappy about an object. We become confused about what to do: unable to choose between right and wrong. Because of doubt, we are as though at a junction, not knowing whether to turn left or right, to select this or that, to know whether it is true or not.

Doubt is dangerous for the reason that we find it hard to continue to study, meditate or to do kusala. Because of ignorance, we do not know the nature of dhammas as avijjā is opposed to knowledge. It leads to misunderstanding and even wrongdoing.

Sayadaw Dr. Nandamālābhivaṃsa - DISTINGUISHING GOOD FROM EVIL

with mettā,

tno (23.3.2019)