Post on 22-Jun-2015
PATH TO LIBERATION
ARYA ASHTANGIKA MARGAYA NOBLE EIGHT FOLD PATH
Canberra, Australia – Nov 30, 2012
We are here NOW
This morning
We are going to
discuss mainly about
people in this group
this morning
The word “samsara” is used to describe the continuous cycle of lives,
one BIRTH after
another.
Samsara, meaning perpetual wandering, and describe the transition like a billiard ball hitting another billiard ball.
While nothing physical transfers,
the speed and direction of the
second ball relate directly to the
first.
What is the ‘Birth’?
Coming to an existence.
According to Buddha’s
teachings cravings and
strong attachments we
have for various things
(food, people, own beliefs
and ideas etc) can lead us
to another BIRTH.
How many births have you had?
Millions Billions Trillions
Uncountable
Times
Colombo
Canberra
Let us draw a line from Colombo to
Canberra
A line is made from a series of
DOTS
.
Colombo
Canberra
Let us draw a curve line now
A line is made from a series of
DOTS
.
Each one of those dot is a birth
Now I’ll draw a samsara line of a person (assume it is me - Lalith D)
Deva
Mary
Apaya Dog Roger LD
Families, Relationships & World
Deva
Mary
Apaya
Dog
Roger
LD
YD
HJ MJ
NJ
GJ
GD
AD
What are the places that a birth can
happen?
Happy States
Happy/Unhappy State
Unhappy States
6 Celestial Realms
Human world
4 Evil/Misery States (Apayas)
1. Asurayoni, Petayoni, Tiracchana yoni, Niraya
What are the other places that a birth
can happen?
Rupaloka
Arupaloka
16 Realms of Form 1. 5 pure Adobes (Suddhavasa) and
2. 11 Jhana Realms
4 Formless Realms
Buddha taught us that majority of people and other beings who live are likely to be reborn in states of misery (in a dugathi world).
Do we want a BIRTH
there? NO Do we really know how bad those apayas are? NO
We should know about these unhappy states
Ability to see about
one’s own and others
past lives is a GNANA.
As we saw earlier, though all of us have born in hell
and other unhappy states we can not remember.
Pubbe Nivanusmruthi Gnana?
Dr. Ranatunga can see his past lives and he will tell
about them tomorrow.
But we have heard about them. We should think about all apayas and see whether you like to go back there. Close your eyes and think for few minutes............................................
Now what do you think?
Do you ever again want to be born in APAYA.
No…..No…..No…..No….No
There are a vast number of animals in the animal world.
Do we want to be
born as an animal?
Do they have a good life there?
If not, why?
All animals live every moment
in FEAR. Why?
Put yourself into that situation.
Think deeply; think seriously.
A stronger animal (predator) or
a human can take their life
We don’t want to live in that FEAR. Do we?
LOOONNNGGG Life
Lots of differences among each being,
similar to Human world
Competitiveness, jealousy, makko,
palaso may still be there.
Most of the time live in Happiness
Feelings of one with lower
power may be different to feelings
of a more powerful being.
How sad are we going to be when we have to leave the short
life (eg:100 years) here in human world? Compare with that.
Finally after enjoying that very
long, relatively HAPPY LIFE will
end one day.
Where do dewas reborn?
Do I want a life there?
Majority of those beings are
reborn in a dugathi (unhappy
states), and continue the
SAMSARA.
No, I don’t. I don’t want to be
born in a heaven, and then go
to hell
HUMAN
WORLD
This is where we all live; So we
know lots about this place.
BIRTH itself is a SUFFERING. Spending 9-10 months in
someone’s tummy; close to all those filthy things is
SUFFERING.
Why did Buddha say that BIRTH in
the human world is SUFFERING?
BIRTH is the start of another set of 11
unavoidable SUFFERING.
1. Birth (Jati)
2. Decay/Ageing
(Jara)
3. Disease (Vyadhi)
4. Death (Marana)
What are they?
10.Association with the unpleasant
(Appiyehisampayoga)
11.Separation from the beloved
(Piyehivippayoga)
12.When one does not obtain
what one desires (Yampiccam
nalabhati tampi dukkham)
5. Grief (Soka)
6. Lamentation (Parideva)
7. Pain (Dukkha)
8. Displeasure (Domanassa)
9. Despair (Upayasa)
Is AGEING a fun?
You cannot do everything
that you used to do.
Sometimes even basic
needs, such as having a
bath, going to toilet etc.
Think about all elderly people
that you have seen; your
grand parents, may be your
parents too.
Isn’t ageing suffering?
The noble truth of “AGEING and DECAYING” is true for all BIRTHS regardless of where you are born; whether you are rich or poor.
Isn’t ageing suffering?
Who get sick?
Do I want to have another life that get sick
like this?
Everyone Regardless of the age; even one day old babies get sick. Young girls, boys, middle age people, old people, we all get sick. If you have a body it is definitely subject to sickness.
How many types of medicines do
you find in a Pharmacy?
SICKNESS is a result of this BIRTH.
Thousands.
All those medicines are for various
types of sicknesses. Where do we
get all those sicknesses. This body
we have is the HOUSE for all those
sicknesses..
What is death?
DEATH is a suffering to the person who dies.
Who dies? Every being who has a BIRTH
What is the age people die? People of all ages
Is death a suffering? YES
Leaving one’s own body is a great
suffering
DEATH is a result of BIRTH. So we can avoid DEATH
Why? Because he/she wanted it desperately, and
loved it Do people die happily and peacefully?
Never. People die with ANGER
Can we plan the death? No, it can happen anytime, right this moment it can happen
The origin of suffering is attachment to transient
things.
Transient things do not only include the physical
objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a
greater sense- all objects of our perception.
Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our
mind is attached to impermanent things.
The reasons for suffering are desire, passion,
ardour, pursuit of wealth and prestige, striving
for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and
clinging.
If we want to put a stop to suffering,
we have to stop it where it begins,
with its causes.
To stop the causes requires a thorough
knowledge of what they are and how
they work
Five aggregates
Form
Mind
Form (Matter)
Feelings
Perceptions
Volitional Formations
Consciousness
Abhinandathi
Abhiwadathi
Ajjosaya chiththathi
I need that sofa,
what is the life
without it.
Abhinandathi - Seek a Delight (Rejoicing)
Abhiwadathi - Welcomes (Declaration)
Ajjosaya chiththathi – Remains holding (Attachment)
Nabhinandathi
Nabhiwadathi
Najjosaya chiththathi
4 nutriments (4 Ahara)
They are:
Material food (kabalinkara ahara).
Contact food (phassa ahara)
Volition as a food (mano sanchethana ahara)
Consciousness as a food (vinnana ahara)
These 4 are called
“food” because they
serve as special
conditions for the
personal life
continuity.
Physical nutriment (Kabalinkara Ahara)
This is edible food
A special condition for the physical body for those beings who subsist on edible food.
What about these?
.
Physical nutriment (Cont.)
Now we know all living beings are considered as material
food (kabalinkara ahara).
Then what about these?
Contact food (Passa Ahara)
What is a contact?
Contact is the connection of an object with the sense door and the consciousness.
Contact gives us FEELINGS.
Feelings can be either pleasant, unpleasant or neutral
Contact food (Cont.)
Contact can happen in 6 ways.
They are: eye contact, ear contact, nose contact, tongue contact, body contact & mind contact
"From contact comes feeling. From feeling comes reaction. This is what keeps us in the cycle of birth and death. Our reactions to our feelings are our passport to rebirth.”
Volition as a food (Mano sanchethana aharaya)
Consciousness as a food (Vinnana aharaya).)
Consciousness should not be viewed as a solid form, something that is fed.
Consciousness is not a discrete entity but the result of our perceptions and analysis, it is the mechanism via which we react to stimuli.
Consciousness food (Cont.)
There are 6 kinds of
consciousnesses.
They are: eye consciousness, ear
consciousness, nose consciousness,
tongue consciousness, body
consciousness, mind consciousness
Consciousness as a food (Vinnana aharaya).)
And why do you call it 'consciousness'?
Because it cognizes, that is why it is called consciousness.
What does it cognize?
It cognizes what is sour, bitter, pungent, sweet, alkaline, non-alkaline, salty, & unsalty. Because it cognizes, it is called consciousness.
How does it work?
Lying Harsh speech
Slander
Frivolous speech
Physical nutriment
Birth
The body-tie of misapprehension
Feeling
Coveting and greed
Volitional formation
The body-tie of insistence that this is truth
Contact as nutriment
Lying Harsh speech
Slander
Frivolous speech
Kabalinkara Ahara (Form)
Birth
The body-tie of misapprehension
Feeling
Coveting and greed
Volitional formation
The body-tie of insistence that this is truth
Contact as nutriment
Perception
Consciousness as nutriments Mental volition
as nutriments
Physical nutriment
Ageing
Sickness
Death
Birth
Now let us open a real diagram
Be mindful,
when you eat.
Discuss only
dhamma
after/before
eating.
Group Discussions
Meditation
Defilements
What is de·filed?
1. To make filthy or dirty; pollute: defile a
river with sewage.
2. To debase the pureness or excellence of;
corrupt: a country landscape that was defiled
by urban sprawl.
3. To profane or sully (a reputation, for
example).
4. To make unclean or unfit for ceremonial use;
desecrate: defile a temple.
5. To violate the chastity of.
DEFILEMENT is the state of being polluted
How many defilements
are there?
So many. Literature shows
108.
But in Vaththupama Sutta
Buddha teaches us about
16 defilements.
Selected Defilements
1. Covetousness and unrighteous greed
(abhijjhāvisamalobha)
2. ill will (byāpāda)
3. derogation(makkha)
4. disparaging(paḷāsa)
5. stinginess(macchariya)
6. conceit(māna)
Abhijja (Covetousness)
It results from an
excessive desire and
greed for material
gain. It involves a
strong desire after the
possession of worldly
things.
byāpāda (ill will)
hostile feeling; enmity;
antagonism.
the emotion of intense
dislike; a feeling of
dislike so strong that it
demands action
makko (derogation)
1. To take away;
detract: an error that
will derogate from
your reputation.
Buddhist term
makko has a some
what different
meaning.
palaso (disparaging)
showing that you have no respect for someone or something
machchariya (stinginess)
Selfishness, an
unwholesome mental
factor, is called
macchariya.
It is stinginess, but not just reluctance to give
to others.
machchariya (stinginess) cont.
There are 5 types of machchariyas. They are:
1. Avasa-macchariya
1. 2. Labha-macchariya
2. 3. Dhamma-macchariya
3. 4. Vanna-macchariya
4. 5. Kula-macchariya
mana (conceit)
Haughtiness is called mana (conceit). Those who posses mana tend to be haughty and mean, turning their nose up at others. When they excel others in status, wealth, knowledge, health, etc., they think highly of themselves and look down upon others. When they are equal to others in status, wealth, etc., they reason thus:
Group Discussions
Meditation
Questions and Answers
Dinner
Be mindful, when you eat.
Discuss only dhamma after/before eating.
Take your notes with you home.
See you all tomorrow.
Budu Sarani