#concept-pamphlet #book
my questions…
- Realize there was never a self. There is only an endless stream of activity.
- Then…what’s the point of living? What’s the purpose of life, if the vast majority of us are living in a way controlled by higher contexts of these systems? What’s the point of finding joy, compassion, etc? Why not allow my body drift to lower levels of living?
- what is the point of life if not to chase cravings?
- what’s the point?
- isn’t it inherently selfish to pursue a state of nirvana too? like at the end of the day you’re still trying to stop your own suffering
- i guess, “selfish” may not be a word that means anything if the self does not exist
- aren’t cravings useful as shortcuts to know what to do vs. what not to do?
- for example, craving for a romantic partner to procreate. maybe will lead to issues for me, but good for wider scheme of my species
- how to distinguish cravings from feelings/other parts of the loop though
- like, it seems like it might be more helpful to “reprogram” certain feedback loops instead of eliminate cravings altogether
- I disagree with the 2 premises of the noble truths: 1. that we want to end suffering completely 2. suffering is caused by craving
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- Nibbana doesn’t sound that fun to be honest. No feeling/perception/consciousness?
- why would i want to “attain englightenment” to permanently eliminate craving? sounds kind of boring, i might as well die
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- if cravings don’t exist, doesn’t the dependent origination loop still exist with the other pieces?
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- it seems to me that twim could be a better balance for my life than one-point
- would it be possible to invoke dependent origination on demand? in order to really have crazy insight and decision making abilities
- also dispassion to all phenomena sounds similar to how a sociopath may be described. like maybe a buddhist is like a sociopath that abides by the 5 precepts
on dependent origination
The Buddha had previously developed the seeing and understanding of how his mind worked by careful observation. He began to see that the mental processes are a dependent chain of events arising and passing away. We no know this as seeing the links of dependent origination
On the morning of his awakening, he realized that seeing clearly, the deepest phenomena in mind, is without a doubt the way to Nibbana. By seeing how his own mind worked and closely observing the mental processes, he grew to understand that we all cause our own suffering.
Suffering occurs when we crave things that we do not have control over. Desires arise because we feed them and continually chase after them. We see them as ours and personally identify with them. Because we personally identify with these desires as “mine”, we become attached to cravings, these phenomena that we have no known control over how or when they arise, or how or when they pass away.
Dependent origination is the understanding that all things in both mind and body are conditioned on what happened before. By seeing this chain of events clearly, we see that everything is impersonal. So, where are “we” in this process? Where am “I”? Example chain: (bird chirp sound -> hit ear base -> brain processes sound) Contact (phassa) -> Feeling (vedana) -> perception of whether it is pleasant/unpleasant/neutral -> Craving (ta n ha) “i like it / i don’t like it / i don’t care” -> Clinging/thinking (upadana) -> Habitual emotional tendency or behavior (bhava) -> Birth of action, can be bodily/verbal/mental (jati) -> Sorrow, lamentation, grief, and despair
The first five links are subtle mind movements / understanding: Ignorance -> Formations -> Consciousness -> Mentality-Materiality -> Sixfold Sense Base
When the habitual reaction arises, this is where the strong tendency to try and control your feelings with your thoughts arises.
Buddha says that even the mental factor of *decision* is conditioned by previous actions from the past. This decision process is something like *intention*, although this is tough to claim given that Buddha also says there is no self. With the chain above, we see that *decision* is a small important factor of coming to a decision.
There is no permanent “self”. “Self” is an impersonal process that happens completely beyond my known control. The Buddha saw there are only processes arising and passing away with no permanent self involved.
Who controls anything? Who makes the decisions? Even “decision” itself is another conditioned mental process which arises based on previous actions. Decisions are made by “the impersonal you” at the moment.
“There are only causes and conditions. There is no “you” that makes the decision, just the deciding moment.”
Thinking about TWIM, realize there was never a self. There is only an endless stream of activity.
Buddha says that the chain starts with ignorance of how things worth, aka ignorance of the truth of dependent origination. He also says the Four Noble Truths make clear that Craving drives the whole process of suffering. “Ignoring” the Four Noble Truths leads to endless suffering.
Craving
According to Path to Nibbana, craving is at the root of ____
?
suffering
Craving is at the root of suffering. Craving manifests as desire to control what happens. When it can’t be accomplished, suffering arises, and we don’t like it. This leads to frustration and an even further desire to control.
4 foundations of mindfulness
- body
- feeling
- mind
- mind objects
or 5 aggregates
- body
- feeling
- perception (perception and feeling joined together in foundations of mindfulness)
- formations
- consciousness
Other meditations like Vipassana try to study separately. Some practices try to separate mind and body. Or samadhi (tranquil wisdom) and vipassana (insight). But in earliest Buddha texts the Buddha realized you can’t awaken by controlling mind or body indepedently. The suttas don’t break them up because all of them are felt at the same time.
Tranquil Wisdom Insight meditation
The basis and meditation object for tranquil wisdom insight meditation is Metta and the 4 Brahmaviharas from the suttas.
tranquil wisdom insight meditation is a feeling exercise to uplift the mind and help you become happy <3
4 Noble Truths
4 noble truths in buddhism ?
- There is suffering
- Suffering is caused by craving
- There is the cessation of suffering
- There is a path to the cessation of suffering, called the Eightfold path.
4 Brahmaviharas
4 divine qualities of mind that are particularly wholesome, in buddhism ?
- Loving-kindness (Metta)
- Compassion (Karuna)
- Joy (Mudita)
- Equanimity (Upekkha)
Breaking down the barriers
Radiate to all 6 directions
Romantic love vs. loving-kindness.
Romantic relationship love is much more related to the state of affection, or infatuation, and has Craving in it.
Loving-kindness is a pure, non-personal state: a true wish for someone to be happy. Loving-kindness may turn into compassion when directed towards someone who is suffering. It doesn’t turn into hatred or sadness. It’s never taken personally.
Buddha considered “feeling” as any mental or physical experience felt, categoriezed as either pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral. This is important because feeling leads to Craving.
Nibbana
Nibbana is the cessation of craving. This is a state of no feeling, no perception, and no consciousness arising at all.
Jhana
- Jhana: “level”, or “state of meditation”
- Jhana was not used in reference to meditation prior to the buddha
- It means a collected state or level of understanding in mental development
- 2 kinds that have evolved over time
- one-pointed absorption jhanas - various concentration methods, like observing breath, absorbing in candle flame
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tranquil aware jhana -
- described in suttas
- joy
- deeper joy and confidence
- happiness and contentment
- very deep balance and equanimity
- base of infinite space: feeling of expansion
- base of infinite consciousness: consciousness is seen in its infinite arising and passing away
- base of nothingness: feeling that there is nothing
- base of neither perception nor non perception: mind is barely noticed at all
Types of meditation
- dry insight
- vipassana
- concentration insight
- twim
Body vs. mind processes
mind is to ___ and ___ as body is to ___ and ___, according to the book Path to Nibbana
?
- Mind
- Thoughts
- Images
- Body
- Tension
- TightnessBut they are so intertwined. Mind is physically part of the body afterall. I think maybe, mind processes are 1+ levels above body processes described above.
jhanas 5-8
- Bhante’s opinion is that when buddha refers to compassion, the state he is talking about is j5
- He further explains that buddha did j5 every morning, with compassion as his object of meditation. From this state, the buddha would then survey the world for people who needed his compassion and were ready to understand his teachings. He saw “people who had little dust in their eyes and were ready to attain awakening”
cessation and nibbanacessation >> stopping of mental stream
According to Johnson, nibnana is >> cessation (stopping of mental stream) and seeing dependent origination. Supposedly, it is an unconditioned state.
- cessation is like a stopping of mental stream. physical ones continue
- nibbana is like cessation + seeing dependent origination. “an unconditioned state”
10 fetters
10 fetters ?
- “personality belief” in “I”
- skeptical doubt that Right Effort is the way to awakening
- knowing rites/rituals by themselves don’t lead to awakening
- craving for sensual pleasures
- ill-will, hatred, and fear6. desire for material/immaterial existence. desire to be reborn
- comparing to others. “I am better/less than you”
- sloth and torpor
- restlessness and worry
- not knowing the 4 noble truths and dependent origination
these all sound pretty neat!
Let all the analyzing go. The analyzing is for the therapists and psychologists and is not part of the Buddha’s path. There is no end to it anyways. There is an endless amount of stuff coming and going, and you can never analyze it all.
“mind purified from Craving - not taking things personally”
Going into a state of extended cessation is of great benefit because when you come out of this state, your mind will be extremely energetic and awake…The Buddha was said to have slept only an hour per night Theoretically, based on the suttas, you can sit (in cessation) for seven full days, and get up as if you had recently sat down, with no pain, full of energy