186 Actually there are people and things in the outer world but we never really contact them. That is because we can only perceive them via the six sense bases, which have very limited boundaries. “I”
Now...let’s take a look at our daily lives. What happens in the mind? How do Kilesas work? How do they relate to us? Taste Phassa
188 Dhammārammaṇa (Mental Sensation) Let’s try to change from the eyes to the tongue. When coffee touches the tongue, its taste occurs in the mind (Phassa). If that taste is accidentally the same as the recorded data in our Saññā as the one we are familiar with and is pleasurable. There arises mental sensation which is pleasure. Clinging has not yet arisen to possess that feeling. If just this happens...It is a natural reaction. It is normal; no clinging has arisen yet. Kilesas have not yet shown up.
Depending on Phassa, there arises Vedanā. Love it! (Feeling) Vedanā Dhammārammaṇa (Mental Sensation) Phassa (Contact) Lobha Moha Taste Pleasure
190 Lobha But... Avijjānusaya, a habitude to rise up delusion, fuels so much indulgence that one, most of the time, loses Sati. Rāgānusaya then rises up greed and lust. It also fuels the rising up of affection as soon as one contacts something one likes or loves. Instead of having just contentment, which is a natural mental sensation, one has gone so far that attachment arises and later becomes Vedanā (feeling of affection) which starts the turning of the Paṭicca-Samuppāda Cycle (in other words: the cycle of suffering). Soka, Parideva Dukkha Domanassa Upāyāsa Avijjā Saṅkhāra Viññāṇa Āyatana Phassa Vedanā Tanhā Upādāna Bhava Jāti Jarā Maraṇa Nāma-Rūpa
Tanhā is a desire to sight or form, taste, scent, sound, tactile sensation, to have or to be, and not to have or not to be. One of the Four Noble Truths, Tanhā is the cause of all the suffering (Samudaya). Depending on Vedanā, there arises Tanhā. Would like another cup Dhammārammaṇa Love it! Taste Phassa Lobha Moha Vedanā Tanhā
192 Depending on Vedanā, there arises Tanhā. When being indulged in Vedanā. Viññāṇa will deep-root, grow, and develop itself in that feeling and will be the factor to rise up Tanhā, which compels the mind to take on-going sips. When the Paṭicca-Samuppāda Cycle turns to this point, meaning Tanhā has already arisen and cannot be stopped. It will keep turning till it completes the round. This will strengthen Anusaya to hammer down the habitude of the arising of Kilesas in the next round. Soka, Parideva Upāyāsa Avijjā Saṅkhāra Viññāṇa Āyatana Phassa Vedanā Tanhā Upādāna Bhava Jāti Jarā Maraṇa Nāma-Rūpa Dukkha Domanassa
Depending on Vedanā, there arises Tanhā. What if the coffee was “not okay”? If the taste was not as expected... Wanted to reprimand the barista! Not okay at all! Taste Dosa Moha Vedanā Tanhā Dhammārammaṇa Phassa
Soka, Parideva Dukkha Domanassa Upāyāsa Avijjā Saṅkhāra Viññāṇa Āyatana Phassa Vedanā Tanhā Upādāna Bhava Jāti Jarā Maraṇa Nāma-Rūpa 194 Paṭighānusaya is a factor to rise up anger right away. Vedanā (feeling dislike) is also a factor to rise up Tanhā instantly but it is an opposite type of craving. That is wanting to get rid of this feeling. One might go to reprimand the barista or go to pour away the coffee to vent sullenness out of the mind. The Paṭicca-Samuppāda Cycle will turn to its complete round, hammering down this habitude in the trait. Next time, if one dislikes something again, one’s behavior will just recur like this. Dosa
Depending on Tanhā, there arises Upādāna. Clinging is attachment to the five aggregates as being good or superb; Clinging to the appearance, taste, or scent of the coffee. (Clinging to Rupa); Clinging to the pleasure of tasting and smelling it. (Clinging to Vedanā); Clinging because one could consume what one is accustomed to. (Clinging to Saññā). Would like one more cup! Loved it! Taste Lobha Moha Good coffee. That is how it should be! Vedanā Tanhā Dhammārammaṇa Phassa
196 Let’s elaborate again that... since the taste occurred in the mind, the Citta which has never been trained before would normally be accustomed to Moha. Kilesa will gradually function till, finally, the cycle turns to complete its round, accumulating habits and deep-rooted habitude so strong that a perception of self is formed. So is the attachment of “I”: who is this kind of a person; who has such habits and personality; and such preferences. Next, the self will long for doing or wanting the same thing like this again to meet the needs and maintain the self, which will be formed continuously. In the Four Noble Truths, Upādāna or attachment to the five aggregates is indeed Dukkha (suffering). Depending on Tanhā, there arises Upādāna. Clinging is attachment to the five aggregates as being good or superb; Clinging to the appearance, taste, or scent of the coffee. (Clinging to Rupa); Clinging to the pleasure of tasting and smelling it. (Clinging to Vedanā); Clinging because one could consume what one is accustomed to. (Clinging to Saññā). Lobha Good coffee. That is how it should be! Upādāna Soka, Parideva Dukkha Domanassa Upāyāsa Avijjā Saṅkhāra Viññāṇa Āyatana Phassa Vedanā Tanhā Upādāna Bhava Jāti Jarā Maraṇa Nāma-Rūpa
Many readers may wonder, “Just enjoyed coffee...what’s wrong? It’s just a trivial matter. Why would you explain this much?” Well, do not forget that crucial matter always comes from such trivial matter. Habitude is not a non-serious matter. Being indulged in delusion as a norm, one is used to being compelled by Tanhā and must respond to it to satisfy oneself according to how one has Upādāna with that particular object. It will be accumulated till it becomes a deep-rooted habit that is hard to be uprooted, forming character, personality, preference, self, trait, and become I; who wants to eat, then eat; wants to do, then do; wants to see, then see; wants to speak, then speak. Eventually, Tanhā will compel us up to a point that we would rebuke someone when we wanted; and cheated when needed. Countless Tanhā and Upādāna, which one has been accumulating, is not necessary to be about a particular subject.
198 As mentality existence does not correspond to the content, eventually, that will have become a general trait which automatically satisfies the mind’s needs, no matter which matter that is. Cheating on one’s partner; killing animals; harming others, exploiting others, killing humans, or even committing suicide or euthanasia originates from selfcenteredness that has been accumulating in the mind base. When things in life are not perfect or different from the set goals (Upādāna), Tanhā will compel one to eliminate that suffering, even by taking other’s lives, or one’s own. That is not different from pouring away the coffee, if one is not satisfied with the flavor, from the cup. Let’s think about what causes stress and depression nowadays. Many people kill others or even kill themselves to escape suffering. What are the drives of this behavior? Even children commit suicide, more and more.
Depending on Upādāna, there arises Bhava. Bhava is the emergence of “I”, a formation of an intense self which owns all moods and feelings at the previous moments. I Would like one more cup! Loved it! Taste Vedanā Tanhā Dhammārammaṇa Phassa Lobha Moha
200 “I have a really good taste.” Bhava Good coffee. That is how it should be! Soka, Parideva Dukkha Domanassa Upāyāsa Avijjā Saṅkhāra Viññāṇa Āyatana Phassa Vedanā Tanhā Upādāna Bhava Jāti Jarā Maraṇa Upādāna Lobha Nāma-Rūpa
201 Micchādiṭṭhi..........(Wrong View) I like to drink coffee. Almost everyone has an understanding that it is “I” who knows, who sees, who thinks, who likes or dislikes, who is happy or suffers with things; and it is “I” who decides and is in control of every deed “I” wish. But actually….
(Right View)..........Sammādiṭṭhi Taste Satisfied Like Clinging Lobha Bhava “I” Craving Moha …When there is contact, there is recollection of what one is accustomed to. If that is the case, satisfaction will arise, causing greed, like, and compelling force because of the rise up of craving; and there arises clinging. Depending on clinging, there arises the sense of “I”, as the one who clings on to something; the sense of “I” does arise thereafter. The sense of “I” is just a feeling that does not actually exist. Depending on Bhava, there arises the sense of “I”. Everything is just causes and conditions, interdepending on one another at each moment. Everything is just a natural condition; there is no real self at all.
The birth of “Dukkha” (suffering) Depending on Bhava, there arises altogether Jāti, Jarā, Maraṇa, Soka, Parideva, Dukkha, Domanassa, and Upāyāsa. When the cycle turns to complete its round, it reinforces Avijjā; and increases Anusayas to form delusion and greed. That adds causes and preparedness to turn another round, creating causes of suffering that results in on going suffering endlessly. 203 Reinforcement Soka, Parideva Dukkha Upāyāsa Jāti Jarā Maraṇa Domanassa
Saṅkhāra Viññāṇa Āyatana Phassa Vedanā Tanhā Upādāna Upāyāsa Avijjā Bhava Anusaysa Nāma - Rūpa (Dukkha) (Samudaya)
205 Bhava (continued existence) is a mental world one creates in one’s mind as a result of one’s clinging to the five aggregates as being oneself or one’s. The idea, oneself exists, is in this world. The idea which one has this sort of habits, this sort of attitude, this sort of preferences, and this way of thinking, speaking, and doing, is also in this world. That includes other people we know, love, and hate and other things, we think we have understood and bonded with for all our lives, are also in this virtual world, our own minds. The real and cruel story is that we have to keep our virtual world stable and persistent at all times as deep down inside everyone seeks mental security. However, that is impossible as everything we know in this world is founded on a non-self basis or, simply saying ... everything is just illusory.
The objective of the study of Paticca-Samuppāda is to understand that, apart from suffering, there is nothing that arises, exists, and ceases. There is just only suffering; happiness never exists really. Even the sense of “I” and “mine” is just attachment leading to the feeling of self. That is a result of other causal factors and conditions which have been concocted gradually in gradation. All of these start from ignorance and the habitual factors: Lobha, Dosa, and Moha, as the origins which lead to ongoing consequences. When causal factors are impermanent, the results are impermanent as well. The Buddha stated, what is impermanent, is suffering. Knowing this truth, we will finally let go, be bored with (the facts of life), and lessen attachment. We will see there is nothing we should be or nothing we should have as there has never been “I” since the very beginning. Having the mind well established, “I” will disappear because “I” have never existed since the beginning of the wandering. The wrong view that “I” exist will break apart at last. When the propelling force is over, this long wandering will end, meaning that the suffering is over.
207 Right Path of Living Having a well-established mind... “I” will disappear. Having the restraints of senses (indriyasavara) (restraints of the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, and the mind) is terminating the kilesas at their starting points (Sīla). Being able to uproot the power of habits, there is no way for any kilesa to rise up. Arose Arose Ceased Ceased Seeing discontent Seeing Sastisfaction (Paññā) Sati (Samādhi) (Sīla) Indriyasavara (Restraint of senses) Anusaya Created new habits Washed away old habits
When the small circle stops turning, the large one will also stop, changing from the habitual forming of Kilesas to that of not forming ones. The true eradication of Kilesas is to live by the right path of living. Sati will naturally arise at all times (Samādhi). Seeing things arise and cease according to their causal factors, there arises (Paññā) to Sever the clinging, finally. “I” will disappear because “I” have actually never existed. Washed away old habits
Given there is Indriyasavara, when Phassa arises, Vedanā will not arise. Dhammārammaṇa Phassa Sati Doing the same way... but it will be not the same ... Taste
210 When Sati blocks the circuit, Lobha, Dosa, and Moha cannot function. The Paticca-samuppāda Cycle will stop turning right at Phassa; Then, only Dhammārammaṇa, a natural mechanism, arises. We will start to see the reality as it is: taste is the cause of the pleasant feeling, which arises because there is a cause, and it ceases when there is no cause; Then it arises again and ceases again. Nothing is permanent. It is just mentality existence (Nāmadhamma), There is nothing to hold on to. Sati Soka, Parideva Dukkha Domanassa Upāyāsa Avijjā Saṅkhāra Viññāṇa Āyatana Phassa Vedanā Tanhā Upādāna Bhava Jāti Jarā Maraṇa Nāma-Rūpa
Vedanā, which may arise, will cease; will not initiate Tanhā; will not create the cause of suffering. Arose Arose Ceased Ceased Seeing discontent Seeing Sastisfaction (Paññā) Sati (Samādhi) (Sīla) Soka, Parideva Jarā Maraṇa Indriyasavara (Restraint of senses)
212 When Sati blocks the cycle, Tanhā will not arise. The cycle will not turn. Dukkha Domanassa Upāyāsa Avijjā Saṅkhāra Viññāṇa Āyatana Phassa Vedanā Tanhā Upādāna Bhava Jāti Jarā Nāma-Rūpa Sati
Rūpa Vedanā Saññā Saṅkhāra Viññāṇa
214 Flowers Arrange Humans One who arranges flowers expects that one could arrange flowers as desired. Is this idea correct? Do you arrange flowers or do they arrange you? Think deeply! Let’s think of those who are skillful in flower arrangement. They are delighted with their elegant displays. Yet, who arranges whom? Think! Don’t be deceived that it’s the human arranging the flowers. Take a good look at those who are infatuated with flowers. See how they bind you until you become deluded. At the moment you are arranging the flowers, They instantly bind tight your mind. Flowers arrange humans as well, as illustrated. People everywhere are obsessed with flowers. Children, adults, commoners, noble, rich or poor are never able to escape the flower’s spell. Written by Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu Suan Mokkhabalarama
Stop wandering 216
What was the Buddha awakened on?
218 If I asked you: What was the Buddha awakened on? What did the Buddha teach? There may have been more than one answer. Someone might have answered, “The Four Noble Truths.” Someone might have said “being a good person” and “to make merit.” Or, some others may have replied… “I don’t know.” The following occurrence will be regarding the First Sermon of the Buddha to the Five Ascetics after the Buddha had attained awakening. His narrative was memorized and recited to others by Ven. Ānanda. The content of the First Sermon was later documented and known as the “Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta” (Discourse on Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Dhamma). Let’s go back 2,600 years ago to know: “What exactly did the Buddha teach?”
Thus Have I (Venerable Ānanda) heard that... On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Varanasi in the Game Refuge at Isipatana.
220 There the Blessed One addressed the group of five monks:
“Bhikkhus, there are these two extremes that are not to be indulged in by one who has gone forth. Which two? 1. That which is devoted to sensual pleasure with reference to sensual objects; 2. and that which is devoted to self-affliction.
222 Self affliction The Middle Way Sensual pleasure is The Noble Eightfold Path The practice which Tathagata (the pronoun which Lord Buddha used to represent himself) has realized is the Middle Way. This Noble Path is comprised of eight parts (Noble Eightfold Path), leading to Nibbāna.
Bhikkhus… the Noble Eightfold Path consists of...
This... bhikkhus, is the way of practice that the Tathagata has realized ... producing vision, producing knowledge ... leads to peace, to ultimate truth, to awakening, to Nibbāna. Sammā-diṭṭhi (Right view) Sammā-vācā (Right speech) Sammā-vāyāmo (Right effort) Sammā-sati (Right mindfulness) sammā-samādhi (Right concentration) Sammā-kammanto (Right action) Sammā-ājīv (Right livelihood) Sammā-saṅkappo (Right intention) (Paññā) (Sīla) (Samādhi) 224
The Four Noble Truths, these are Dukkha (Suffering) Samudaya (The cause of suffering) Nirodha (The cessation of suffering) Magga (The way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering)
226 ..and the parts of the Four Noble Truths: Dukkha (should be comprehended); Samudaya (should be abandoned); Nirodha (should be realized); and Magga (should be developed). Dukkha Birth, ageing, death, grief, lamentation, pain, sorrow and despair, association with the disliked, separation from what is liked, and not to get what one wants, in brief subject to clinging to the five aggregates (upādānakkhandha), should be comprehended; Samudaya Bound up with pleasure and lust, delighting now here now there, craving for sensuality, craving to become, and craving not to become, should be abandoned; Nirodha Cessation of craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, and non-reliance on it, should be realized; Magga the Noble Eightfold Path, should be developed.
Bhikkhus! The knowledge and insight arose in me: unshakeable is the deliverance of my mind. This is my last birth. Now there is no continued existence again.
228 the first person who realized the insight of the Dhamma was Koṇḍañña. The mind of Venerable Koṇḍañña moved from that of a mundane person to that of the state of the first-ranked noble people, called a stream enterer (Sotāpanna). He, thus, was considered the first disciple of the Tathagata. Listen, Bhikkhus! As my wisdom (penetrative knowledge and insight) of these Four Noble Truths as they really are, is impeccable, I claimed to have awakened to the unsurpassed perfect awakening in this world with its Devas, Mara, and Brahma, in this generation with its Ascetics and Brahmins, its Devas and Humans. While this discourse was being spoken,
Shortly, the five disciples attained the ultimate realization of the Dhamma. They became the arahants, noble persons who entirely extinguished the whole mass of innermost kilesas, and played the important role in Buddha’s teachings further.
230
If you studied Buddha’s teachings for quite some time, you might know by now that “the Noble Eightfold Path” is considered the most important teaching. The evidence is that the Buddha taught this discourse of Dhamma, at first, to the five disciples after his awakening attainment. The Buddha once stated that a cultivation of “the Noble Eightfold Path” is comparable to have him as a true-hearted friend that is the ultimately complete practice to attain Nibbāna. You may have seen the word, “the Noble Eightfold Path” many times. Its definition which you may have heard might be “the Middle Way leading to the cessation of suffering”. Yet, you may not have understood the true meaning of “the Noble Eightfold Path”. “The Noble Eightfold Path” ....................................................... is “the right path of living”.
232 “The Noble Eightfold Path” ....................................................... is “the right path of living”. And what about that path? How does one walk along the path? What does it mean by the eight elements of the eightfold path in a tangible way? What to do? How to do? Does one need to follow each element or the eight elements altogether at the same time? Please disregard all the “literal meanings” for now and take the right view that “the Noble Eightfold Path” is a form of living a life that will elevate one’s mind. Suffering will affect one’s mind less and less until one day, suffering cannot do anything to the mind of that person, or, in other words, “at the summit of suffering”, which share the same meaning as “the cessation of suffering” or “Nibbāna”. This is not a miraculously supernatural matter and that is not beyond one’s capacity to attain. All of this is the ultimate goal of the Buddha’s teachings, what the Buddha was awakened on and taught.
233 “The Noble Eightfold Path” ...............................................is “The Right Path of Living”. Happiness Everyone in this world is seeking happiness. They consider obtaining assets, honors, fame, sensual desire, and good family as happiness. However, those whose minds are “well-established” till they realize the truth will see that the attached mind to various matters leads to suffering. The right path of living is to live a life against the stream of kilesas; and to abandon grasping and clinging so that one can cross over the flooded- to the dry area. To go against the stream can be done by reducing, refraining from, and abandoning one’s indulgence in sensual pleasures. The Buddha stated, “If Bhikkhus had a right path of living, this world would never lack arahants (completely awakened persons)”.
“The Noble Eightfold Path” ...............................................is “The Right Path of Living”. Attachment or Clinging... Suffering ...is not clinging to the things out there, but to the five aggregates (things in the mind). Sati alone is enough to lessen the coarse kilesas, manifested by bodily action and speech; and the fine kilesas, manifested by mental deeds. On the other hand, habits or Anusaya to rise up fine kilesas will function after having encountered the feelings. That’s why, on average, one could not find them. They are the kilesas which cannot be eradicated unless one would change them by their starting points. That means one has to change one’s habits, from getting used to automatically rising up kilesas to not letting them arise automatically. Changing at the starting points means changing from living a life adhering to the cause of suffering to that of the path leading to the cessation of suffering. The Noble Eightfold Path is, therefore, a form of living a life which upgrades the mind to the habit of not letting kilesas arise.
The First Element of the Path: Sammādiṭṭhi (Right View) It is the knowledge on… Samudaya (The cause of suffering); the craving which is bound up with pleasure and lust; indulging in pleasure, and in sensuality; and the craving- to become and not to become. {Three sorts of craving (Tanhā 3)} should be abandoned 235