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?

How do we get wrong views?

E_agati.pdf

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