the Basic Nature of Existence including the Structure of Entanglement
The True Nature of Existence
Transcript of The True Nature of Existence
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
1/37
PowerPoint presentation on Bhikkhu Bodhis
recorded lectures on Buddhas Teaching As It Is.
Materials for the presentation are taken from the
recorded lectures (MP3) posted at the website of
Bodhi Monastery and the notes of the lectures
posted at beyondthenet.net
Originally prepared to accompany the playing ofBhikkhu Bodhis recorded lectures on Buddhas Teaching
As It is in the Dharma Study Class at PUTOSI Temple,
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
This series of weekly study begins in November, 2010.
Buddhas Teaching As It Is
Bhikkhu Bodhi
Lecture3:
TrueNatureofEx
istence
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
2/37
Bhikkhu Bodhi
Lecture 3
THE TRUE NATURE OFEXISTENCE FIVE
AGGREGATES
Namo Tassa Bhagavato
ArahatoSammasambuddhassa
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
3/37
Understanding Five Aggregates of Clinging
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
4/37
Five Aggregates to be Understood
The Buddha indicates what has to be understood or known.What we have to understand is nature of our own existence,our own experience, the five aggregates, the basiccomponents of our being. Our own experience lies closest toourselves. It is through our own experience that we contacteverything else.
Ordinarily we use our experience to know and enjoy the worldof six senses (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch sensations,and ideas), but the experiencing itself is not examined. Thus
we learn about everything except the instrument ofknowledge, the experience of understanding that providesthe key to wisdom. The method of the Buddha reverses thisprocedure.
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
5/37
Understanding Five Aggregates of Clinging
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
6/37
Aggregates of Clinging
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
7/37
The Five Aggregates
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
8/37
Materiality Aggregate Rupa Khandha
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
9/37
Materiality Aggregate
(a) Earth ElementThis represents the property of extension, the property by which a material body occupies
space; has some degree of hardness and softness; resist pressure and excludes otherbodies from occupying the same space.
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
10/37
Materiality Aggregate Primary Elements
(d) Air element
This represents the principle of oscillation by reason of which all materialparticles are in a state of vibration; by reason of this material bodies exhibitmotion.
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
11/37
Secondary Elements of Matter - Derivatives
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
12/37
Secondary Elements of Matter - Derivatives
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
13/37
II. Aggregate of Feelings
Feeling is the mental factor that has the function of experiencing the flavor of the object,the affective quality of the object. There are three basic types of feelings pleasant,
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
14/37
III. Aggregate of Perceptions
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
15/37
Aggregate of Mental Formations
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
16/37
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
17/37
The Five Aggregates Whole Experience
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
18/37
Trilogy: Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
19/37
Ignorance Mental Darkness & Illusions
These perversions occur at 3 levels, perception, thinking and view.
The mind is caught up in illusions.
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
20/37
1. Aniccata - Impermanence
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
21/37
Impermanence - Aniccata
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
22/37
Impermanence - Aniccata
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
23/37
Aniccata Three Stages of Becoming
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
24/37
Aniccata Three Stages of Becoming
The factors themselves are always changing, arising and dissolving. If we pay carefulattention to the mental events, we see the rise and fall of the discrete mental events. Inthis way, we get to discover the subtle mark of aniccata.
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
25/37
Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta
TRUE NATURE OFEXISTENCE PART II
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
26/37
Dukkhata - Unsatisfactoriness
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
27/37
Anatta Selflesness or Non-self
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
28/37
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
29/37
Anatta Simile of Snake & Rope
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
30/37
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
31/37
Selfhood & Not-Self
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
32/37
What is Self
These are the four basic notions that enter into the concept ofa self: permanence, simplicity, unconditionedness, and beingsusceptible to control. Now we examine the personality, thefive aggregates in the light of these ideas.
If there is a self, what is it? If he idea of self has to have any
content, it has to be conceived in relation to what isexperienced, to the five aggregates, the body and mind.When we try to posit the self in relation to the fiveaggregates, a number is possible and these be reduced totwo:
1. Identity identifying the self with some aspect of the body-mind complex, i.e. the five aggregates as the self
2. Difference distinguishing the self as distinct from the bodyand mind.
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
33/37
Aggregates as Self
The aggregates are not self:1. In terms of lastingness: The five aggregates are all impermanent.
The body is a mass of vibrations, a current of material groupsarising and passing away. The mind is a series of momentaryoccasions of awareness. Feeling, perceptions, formations and
being conscious are arising and falling away. There is no one behindthe mental process watching it, no subject, no observer, justmomentary mental acts. Since the five aggregates areimpermanent, subject to rise and fall, they cannot be identified asself.
2. Simplicity or indivisibility The individual person is a compound offive aggregates, which themselves are a multiplicity of elementswhen examined. Which aggregate is to be identified as self? Eachaggregate is impermanent, none could be identified as self.
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
34/37
Five Aggregates as Self3. Unconditioned
All five aggregates are conditioned, they
arise and fall due to causes and conditions. The body issupported by air, water , etc. The mental process isconditioned by the body. Consciousness arises with materialsupport, visual consciousness arises dependent on the eyes
and visible form, etc. None of the five aggregates areunconditioned.
4. Control All five aggregates cannot be controlled, theydepend on outer causes and conditions, not subject to ourcontrol. Therefore the five aggregates cannot be identified
as self.The aggregates, being impermanent, compounded,
conditioned and not subject to mastery, cannot beidentified as the self because the self must be lasting,simple, unconditioned and subject to control.
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
35/37
Self Distinct from the Aggregates
Now we examine the second position that there is a selfdistinct from the five aggregates, contained within or behindthem. If there is a self distinct from the aggregates, weshould be able to find it. However, whatever we come uponturns out to be one or the other or some combinations of the
five aggregates. Even the mind that is doing the searching is agroup of aggregates, a mind consciousness associated withfeeling, perception and volition. We cant find any selfseparate and distinct from the aggregates, its like looking for
a pit inside an onion. The five aggregates have no core, noself.
Some take Nibbana as self. The Buddha says all dhammas arenot self. Nibbana is an unconditioned dhamma, there is no
distinct self.
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
36/37
Selfless Nature of the Five Aggregates
If there is no self to be found in the body-mind complex, how can rebirth takeplace?In Buddhism, rebirth is understood as occurring through causal continuity orsuccession without a lasting self or ego entity.This will be covered in details later in the topic on Rebirth and Kamma.
-
8/8/2019 The True Nature of Existence
37/37