Buddha on Mind (citta) and Matter (rupa)
Sabbo pajjalito loko, sabbo loko pakampito. The entire universe is nothing but combustion and vibration. (Buddha)
With this awareness, one can observe and realize
that the entire pancakkhandha, the five aggregates, are nothing but
vibrations, arising and passing away. The entire phenomenon of mind and
matter has this continuously ephemeral nature. This is the ultimate
truth (paramattha saccaparamattha sacca) of mind and matter -permanently
impermanent; nothing but a mass of tiny bubbles or ripples,
disintegrating as soon as they arise (sabbo loko pakampitosabbo loko
pakampito).
This realisation of the basic characteristic of all
phenomena as anicca (impermanent) leads one to the realisation of the
characteristic of anatta (not ‘I’, not ‘me’, not ‘mine’, not ‘my soul’).
The various sensations keep arising in the body whether one likes it or
not. There is no control over them, no possession of them. They do not
obey our wishes. This in turn makes one realize the nature of dukkha
(suffering). Through experience, one understands that identifying
oneself with these changing impersonal phenomena is nothing but
suffering.
Sourced from ‘Significance of the Pali Term Dhuna in the
Practice of Vipassana Meditation’, Vipassana Research Institute
http://www.vri.dhamma.org/research/90sem/dhuna1.html
As you experience the reality of matter to be
vibration, you also start experiencing the reality of the mind: vinnana
(consciousness), sanna (perception), vedana (sensation) and sankhara
(reaction). If you experience them properly with Vipassana, it will
become clear how they work.
Buddha discovered the way: whenever you experience
any sensation, due to any reason, you simply observe it. Every sensation
arises and passes away. Nothing is eternal. When you practice Vipassana
you start experiencing this. However unpleasant a sensation may be -
look, it arises only to pass away. However pleasant a sensation may be,
it is just a vibration-arising and passing. Pleasant, unpleasant or
neutral, the characteristic of impermanence remains the same. You are
now experiencing the reality of anicca. You are not believing it because
Buddha said so, or some scripture or tradition says so, or even because
your intellect says so. You accept the truth of anicca because you
directly experience it. This is how your received wisdom and
intellectual understanding turn into personally experienced wisdom.
Only this experience of anicca will change the
habit pattern of the mind. Feeling sensation in the body and
understanding that everything is impermanent, you don’t react with
craving or aversion; you are equanimous. Practicing this continually
changes the habit of reacting at the deepest level. By observing reality
as it is, you become free from all your conditioning of craving and
aversion.
http://www.buddhanet.net/bvk_study/bvk21d.htm
(Sourced from ‘’Buddha’s path is to experience reality'’ by S N
Goenka OCT 95 Vipassana english news letter, ‘’Samma Samadhi'’ April 95
hindi Vipassana patrika, discourses of Sayagyi U Ba Khin-Sayagyi U Ba
Khin Journal-VRI Igatpuri)
The Buddha described everything as made from mind
and matter. He described the parts of the mind and the qualities of
matter. These are called “elements” which is confusing today when we use
the same word for chemical elements and I prefer the translation to be
“properties”. The 4 properties he described were likened to earth, air,
fire and water (the Greeks must have got this from him as he sent
arahants to all the known lands) but are to be understood as the
qualities of hardness, cohesion, vibration and expansiveness. These are a
correct description for a tensile aether, just like Maxwell arrived at
later and which I was also convinced lay behind the structure of cycles
and of the wave nature of matter. (Ray Tomes)
The Abhidhamma Pitaka investigates and analyses Mind (citta) and Matter
(Rupa), the two composite factors of the so-called a being.(Pali term
‘Abhidhamma’ is composed of two words ‘Abhi’ and ‘Dhamma’. Abhi means
subtle, higher, ultimate, profound, sublime and transcendental, and
Dhamma means Truth Reality or Doctrine)
PRIMARY ELEMENTS / PROPERTIES
According to the Buddhist conception, all inanimate objects are aggregates of the following five inherent elements, namely:
(1) The Element of Solidity (Pathavi),
(2) The Element of Fluidity (Apo),
(3) The Element of Heat (Tejo),
(4) The Element of Vibration (Vaya)
(5) The Element of Space (Akasa) .
In the case of animate objects, all living beings
are also aggregates of six inherent elements, i. e. , the above five
with addition of mind.
1. What is the Element of Solidity?
Whatever in one’s own body there exists of hardness or softness,
such as the hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, etc, is called one’s own solid
element.
By realizing the true nature of the solid element, there cannot be
found one’s own I’ness or personality or ego (Atta), but only the
element of solidity which is ever arising and passing away from growth
to decay, from decay to death. In reality, this is not mine; this am I
not ; this is not my ego, but only the atom of physical phenomena.
2. What is the Element of Fluidity?
Whatever in one’s own body there exists of Liquidity or fluidity,
such as blood, sweat, fat, tears etc, is called one’s own fluid element.
By realizing the true nature of the fluid element, there cannot be
found one’s I’ness or personality or ego (Atta), but only the element
of fluidity which is ever changing from one form to another. In reality,
this is not mine; this am I not; this is not my ego, but this is only
the atoms of fluid phenomena.
3. What is the Element of Heat?
Whatever in one’s own body there exists of hotness, such
as that whereby one is heated, consumed, scorched, perishable, whereby that
which has been eaten, drunk, is fully digested or wasted and so on, is called
one’s own
heating element.
By realizing the true nature of the he heating element, there
cannot be found one’s own I’ness or personality or ego (Atta), but only
the element of that which is ever warming (usama), digesting (pacaka),
decaying (jirana), going up and down of temperature (santappana) and
burning (daha) . In reality, this is not mine; this am I not; is not my
Ego, but this is only the atoms of firing phenomena.
4. What is the element of Vibration?
Whatever in one’s own body there exists of wind or vibration,
such as the upward-going and downward-going winds, the winds of stomach
and intestines, in-breathing and out-breathing and so on, is called one’s
own Vibrating elements.
By realizing the true nature of the vibrating element, there
cannot be found one’s own I’ness or personality or ego (Atta), but only
the element of vibration which is ever moving, supporting and permeating
from place to place. In reality, this is not mine; this am I not, this
is not my Ego, but this is only the atoms of vibrating phenomena.
In the case of the Element of Space, there is, of course,
the space between any two phenomena or elements, such as bone and flesh,
or skin and flesh and so on.
Here we realise that Ancient Indian Philosophy did not understand
the true connection between the One Thing, Space and the many things,
matter. They believed Space / Akasa is what exists between matter,
rather than matter existing as a spherical standing wave in space.
By taking the whole view of the physical phenomena
to one-pointedness, one should understand, discern and realize that the
body composed of hairs,bones, teeth, blood, sweat, wind etc, is nothing,
but the particles or atoms of these four primary phenomenal element
which are for ever and ever arising and passing away without any stop
even a very short moment.
Being so, the so-called body named such and such
with a conventional term is, in the sense of ultimate reality merely
proton, neutron and electron of physical phenomena, but not infinite
soul; nor mine; nor am I, nor my personality nor ego or self.
Regarding the mind, there is no place where mind
can be located. Evidently mind is not static thing, but a moving
phenomenon. It is therefore, in reality, the process of consciousness
arisen between sense organs and objects. When mind comes in contact with
an object through any one of six sense-doors, a new mental phenomenon
or consciousness arises and immediately it passes away. Even during such
a very short moment of consciousness, the mental process has happened
many times very swiftly.
So the comprehensive discernment of physical and
mental phenomena in its real nature is called (Vipassana ร ana) Insight
knowledge.
By realizing the true nature of the ultimate
reality, one in able to be contented; contentment leads to lesser and
lesser desire for sensual pleasure, from lesser desire to delight, then
to rapture, absolute purity, happiness, one-pointedness of the mind,
discernment in insight as it really is, banefulness in craving, will for
emancipation from craving,realization of insight in absolute
emancipation and then finally leads to the attainment of Ultimate
Peaceful Happiness of Nibbana.
Therefore, a Buddhist must not only view these two conceptions
correctly, i.e.
(1) (Kammassakata Nana) Insight knowledge in the nature of action and its
results
(2) (Vipassana Nana) Insightful knowledge into the true nature of
physical and mental phenomena i. e. , the three characteristics of
impermanence, etc, but also he devotes himself to the actual practice of
the Teaching in order to attain the Ultimate Happiness of Nibbana.
DHAMMA - The Noble Doctrine of The Buddha - Sayadaw Bhaddanta
Paรฑรฑa Dipa
http://www.erowid.org/spirit/traditions/buddhism/buddhism_dhamma.shtml
Karma of Buddhism Religion
The Pali word kamma or the Sanskrit word karma
(from the root kr to do) literally means โactionโ, โdoingโ. But in the
Buddhist theory of karma it has a specific meaning: it means only
โvolitional actionโ not all action. Nor does it mean the result of karma
as many people wrongly and loosely use it. In Buddhist terminology
karma never means its effect; its effect is known as the โfruitโ or the
โresultโ of karma.
Volition may relatively be good or bad, just as
desire may relatively be good or bad. So karma may be good or bad
relatively. Good karma produces good effects and bad karma bad effects.
โThirstโ, volition, karma, whether good or bad, has one force as its
effect: force to continue- to continue in a good or bad direction.
Whether good or bad it is relative, and is within the cycle of
continuity (samsara). An Arahant, though he acts, does not accumulate
karma, because he is free from the false idea of self, free from the
โthirstโ for continuity and becoming, free from all other defilements
and impurities. For him there is no rebirth.
The theory of karma should not be confused with so-called
โmoral justiceโ or โreward and punishmentโ. The
idea of moral justice, or reward and punishment, arises out of the conception
of a supreme being, a God, who sits in judgement, who is a law-giver and
who decides what is right and wrong. The term โjusticeโ is ambiguous
and dangerous, and in its name more harm than good is done to humanity.
The theory of karma is the theory of cause and effect,
of action and reaction; it is a natural law, which has nothing to do
with the idea of justice or reward and punishment. Every volitional
action produces its effects or results. If a good action produces good
effects, it is not justice, or reward, meted out by anybody or any power
sitting in judgement of your action, but this is in virtue of its own
nature, its own law.
This is not difficult to understand. But what is
difficult is that, according to karma theory, the effects of a
volitional action may continue to manifest themselves even in a life
after death. (Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught, p32)
Buddhism Religion on No Soul (Anatta) & Conditioned Genesis (Paticca-samuppada)
Buddhism stands unique in the history of human
thought in denying the existence of such a Soul, Self, or Atman.
According to the teaching of the Buddha, the idea of self is imaginary,
false belief which has no corresponding reality, and it produces harmful
thoughts of โmeโ and โmineโ, selfish desire, craving, attachment,
hatred, ill-will, conceit, pride, egoism, and other defilements,
impurities and problems. It is the source of all the troubles in the
world from personal conflicts to wars between nations. In short, to this
false view can be traced all the evil in the world. (Rahula, p51)
Two ideas are psychologically deep-rooted in man:
self-protection and self-preservation. For self-protection man has
created God, on whom he depends for his own protection, safety and
security, just as a child depends upon a parent. For self-preservation
man has conceived of the idea of an immortal Soul or Atman, which will
live eternally. In his ignorance, weakness, fear and desire, man needs
these two things to console himself. Hence he clings to them deeply and
fanatically.
The Buddhaโs teaching does not support this
ignorance, weakness, fear and desire, but aims at making man enlightened
by removing and destroying them. According to Buddhism, our ideas of
God and soul are false and empty. Though highly developed as theories,
they are all the same extremely subtle mental projections, garbed in an
intricate metaphysical and philosophical phraseology. These ideas are so
deep-rooted in man, and so near and dear to him, that he does not wish
to hear, does not want to understand, any teaching against them.
The Buddha knew this quite well. He said his
teaching was โagainst the currentโ (patisotagami), against manโs selfish
desires. Just four weeks after his Enlightenment, seated under the
banyan tree, he thought to himself:
I have realised this Truth which is deep, difficult to see,
difficult to understand … comprehensible only by the wise .. Men who are
overpowered by passions and surrounded by a mass of darkness cannot see
this Truth, which is against the current, which is lofty, deep, subtle and
hard to comprehend.
With these thoughts in mind, the Buddha hesitated for a moment,
whether it would not be in vain if he tried to explain to the world the
Truth he had just realised. Then he compared the world to a lotus pond:
In a lotus pool there are some lotuses still under the water; there are
others which have risen only up to the water level; there are still
others which stand above water and are untouched by it. In the same way
in this world, there are men at different levels of development. Some
would understand the Truth. So the Buddha decided to teach. (p52)
Anatta or No-Soul
The doctrine of Anatta or No-Soul is the natural result of,
or, the corollary to, the analysis of the Five Aggregates and the teaching
of Conditioned Genesis (Paticca-samuppada).
What we call a being is composed of the Five Aggregates, and when
these are analysed and examined, there is nothing behind them which can
be taken as โIโ, Atman or Self, or any unchanging abiding substance.
That is the analytical method. The same result can be arrived at through
the doctrine of Conditioned Genesis which is the synthetical method,
and according to this nothing in the world is absolute. Everything is
conditioned, relative and interdependent. This is the Buddhist theory of
relativity. (p52)
Conditioned Genesis
On this principle of conditionality, relativity and
interdependence, the whole existence and continuity of life and its
cessation are explained in a detailed formula which is called
Paticca-samuppada โConditioned Genesisโ, consisting of twelve factors:
1. Through ignorance are conditioned volitional actions or
karma-formations (Avijapaccaya samkhara).
2. Through volitional actions is conditioned consciousness (Samkharapaccaya
vinnanam).
3. Through consciousness are conditioned mental and physical phenomena (Vinnanapaccaya
namarupam)
4. Through mental and physical phenomena are conditioned the six faculties
(i.e. five physical sense-organs and mind) (Namarupapaccaya salayatanam).
5. Through the six faculties is conditioned (sensorial and mental) contact
(Salayatanapaccaya phasso).
6. Through (sensorial and mental) contact is conditioned sensation (Phassapaccaya
vedana).
7. Through sensation is conditioned desire, โthirstโ (Vedana-paccaya
tanha).
8. Through desire (โthirstโ) is conditioned clinging (Tanha-paccaya
upadanam).
9. Through clinging is conditioned the process of becoming (Upadanapaccaya
bhavo).
10. Through the process of becoming is conditioned birth (Bhavapaccaya jati).
11. Through birth are conditioned (12) decay, death, lamentation, pain, etc. (Jatipaccaya jaramaranam..)
This is how life arises, exists and continues.
It should be clearly remembered that each of these factors is
conditioned (paticcasamuppanna) as well as conditioning (paticca
samuppada). Therefore they are all relative, interdependent and
interconnected, and nothing is absolute or independent; hence no first
cause is accepted by Buddhism. Conditioned Genesis should be considered
as a circle, and not as a chain. (p54)