Forwarded from Buddha
The Nature of Concepts
Plato’s allegory of the cave as a metaphor for seeking nirvana
By Joseph Goldstein
Part 1 of 2
There is a famous parable in the Republic of Plato about a cave. In the cave is a row of people, chained in such a way that they can only face the back wall. Behind the row of people is a fire and a procession of figures walking by engaged in all the activities of life. The procession of figures casts shadows on the back wall of the cave. The people who are chained can see only the changing view of shadows, and because that is all they have ever seen, they take these shadows to be ultimate reality. Sometimes a person who is bound in this way, through great effort, manages to loosen the chains and turn around. He or she sees the fire and the procession and begins to understand that the shadows are not the reality, but merely a reflection on the wall. Perhaps with further effort that person is able to cut the chains completely and emerge into the sunlight, into freedom.
Our predicament is similar to those people chained in the cave. The shadows are the world of concepts in which we live. Chained through our attachments, we perceive the world through our ideas, our thoughts, our mental constructs, taking these concepts to be the reality itself.
There are many concepts with which we have been strongly conditioned and that are deeply ingrained in our minds. For example, many people’s lives are committed to the concept of place, of country, of nation. On the planet, there are no divisions between countries. Our minds have created these arbitrary divisions. Every time you cross a border you see how much “reality” has been invested in this concept of place. So many problems in the world—political and economic tensions and hostilities—are related to the thought, “This is my nation, my country.” In understanding that the concept is only the product of our own thought processes, we can begin to free ourselves from that attachment.
Concepts of time are also strongly conditioned in our minds, ideas of past and future. What is it that we call time? We have certain thoughts occurring in the present moment—memories, reflections—we label this whole class of thoughts “past,” and project it somewhere beyond us, apart from the present moment. Likewise, we engage in planning or imagining, label these thoughts “future,” and project them outside into some imagined reality. We rarely see that “past” and “future” are happening right now. All that there is, is an unfolding of present moments. We have created these concepts to serve a useful purpose, but by taking the ideas to be the reality, by not understanding that they are merely the product of our own thought processes, we find ourselves burdened by worries and regrets about the past and anxieties of anticipation about what has not yet happened. When we can settle back into the moment, realizing that past and future are simply thoughts in the present, then we free ourselves from the bondage of “time.”
Self, I, me, mine are all ideas in the mind, arising out of our identification with various aspects of the mind-body process.
It is useful to develop insight into the nature of concepts to see how attached we are to them. We have the idea that we “own” things. The cushion that we sit on does not know that it is owned by anyone. The concept of ownership deals with the relationship of nearness we have to various objects. At times we are near to objects, use them, and then have the idea that we own them. Actually, ownership is a thought process independent of the actual relationship that exists between us and objects in the world. Freeing ourselves from attachment to “ownership” frees us from our enslavement to objects.
Another concept with which we are all particularly involved is the concept of man and woman. When you close your eyes there is the breath, sensations, sounds, thoughts—where is “man” or “woman” except as an idea, a concept? Man and woman cease to exist when the mind is silent.
Plato’s allegory of the cave as a metaphor for seeking nirvana
By Joseph Goldstein
Part 1 of 2
There is a famous parable in the Republic of Plato about a cave. In the cave is a row of people, chained in such a way that they can only face the back wall. Behind the row of people is a fire and a procession of figures walking by engaged in all the activities of life. The procession of figures casts shadows on the back wall of the cave. The people who are chained can see only the changing view of shadows, and because that is all they have ever seen, they take these shadows to be ultimate reality. Sometimes a person who is bound in this way, through great effort, manages to loosen the chains and turn around. He or she sees the fire and the procession and begins to understand that the shadows are not the reality, but merely a reflection on the wall. Perhaps with further effort that person is able to cut the chains completely and emerge into the sunlight, into freedom.
Our predicament is similar to those people chained in the cave. The shadows are the world of concepts in which we live. Chained through our attachments, we perceive the world through our ideas, our thoughts, our mental constructs, taking these concepts to be the reality itself.
There are many concepts with which we have been strongly conditioned and that are deeply ingrained in our minds. For example, many people’s lives are committed to the concept of place, of country, of nation. On the planet, there are no divisions between countries. Our minds have created these arbitrary divisions. Every time you cross a border you see how much “reality” has been invested in this concept of place. So many problems in the world—political and economic tensions and hostilities—are related to the thought, “This is my nation, my country.” In understanding that the concept is only the product of our own thought processes, we can begin to free ourselves from that attachment.
Concepts of time are also strongly conditioned in our minds, ideas of past and future. What is it that we call time? We have certain thoughts occurring in the present moment—memories, reflections—we label this whole class of thoughts “past,” and project it somewhere beyond us, apart from the present moment. Likewise, we engage in planning or imagining, label these thoughts “future,” and project them outside into some imagined reality. We rarely see that “past” and “future” are happening right now. All that there is, is an unfolding of present moments. We have created these concepts to serve a useful purpose, but by taking the ideas to be the reality, by not understanding that they are merely the product of our own thought processes, we find ourselves burdened by worries and regrets about the past and anxieties of anticipation about what has not yet happened. When we can settle back into the moment, realizing that past and future are simply thoughts in the present, then we free ourselves from the bondage of “time.”
Self, I, me, mine are all ideas in the mind, arising out of our identification with various aspects of the mind-body process.
It is useful to develop insight into the nature of concepts to see how attached we are to them. We have the idea that we “own” things. The cushion that we sit on does not know that it is owned by anyone. The concept of ownership deals with the relationship of nearness we have to various objects. At times we are near to objects, use them, and then have the idea that we own them. Actually, ownership is a thought process independent of the actual relationship that exists between us and objects in the world. Freeing ourselves from attachment to “ownership” frees us from our enslavement to objects.
Another concept with which we are all particularly involved is the concept of man and woman. When you close your eyes there is the breath, sensations, sounds, thoughts—where is “man” or “woman” except as an idea, a concept? Man and woman cease to exist when the mind is silent.
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Forwarded from Buddha
Imagine waves arising out of the ocean and commenting upon each other as being big or small, beautiful or grand, which is true in a relative sense but doesn’t reflect the underlying unity of the great mass of water. It is just the same when we become attached to concepts about certain shapes and forms; comparisons, judgments, evaluations, all arise and strengthen the relative separateness and isolation. In meditation, we free ourselves from attachment to that conceptualization and experience the fundamental unity of the elements that comprise our being.
Perhaps the most deeply ingrained concept, the one that has kept us chained longest in the cave of shadows, binding us to the wheel of life and death and rebirth, is the concept of self. The idea that there is someone behind this flow, that there is some entity, some permanent element, that is the essence of our being. Self, I, me, mine are all ideas in the mind, arising out of our identification with various aspects of the mind-body process. From the beginning this “self” does not exist, yet because we’re so firmly attached to the idea of it, we spend much of our lives defending or enlarging or satisfying this imaginary self. Meditation helps us to see its conceptual nature, to see that in reality it does not exist, that it is simply an idea, an extraneous projection onto what’s happening in the moment.
These are a few of the concepts that keep us bound—concepts of place, of time, of ownership, of man or woman, of self. You can see how very strong these concepts are, how much of our lives revolve about them, how much we live in the world of shadow. Kalu Rinpoche, a well-known Tibetan meditation master, wrote,
You live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a Reality. You are that Reality. When you understand this, you will see that you are nothing. And being nothing, you are everything. That is all.
There are four “ultimate realities.” They are called that because they can be experienced, as opposed to merely thought about. These four ultimate realities are the entire content of our experience.
The first of these are the material elements composing all objects of the physical universe. Traditionally, and in terms of how we can experience them in our practice, they are described as the earth, air, fire, and water elements. The earth element is the element of extension. We experience it as the hardness or softness of objects. When we experience pain in the body, it is a manifestation of this element. When we walk and have contact with the earth, that feeling of tangible contact is the earth element—the feeling of hardness, softness, extension.
===
Buddha dharma teachings channel:
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===
Perhaps the most deeply ingrained concept, the one that has kept us chained longest in the cave of shadows, binding us to the wheel of life and death and rebirth, is the concept of self. The idea that there is someone behind this flow, that there is some entity, some permanent element, that is the essence of our being. Self, I, me, mine are all ideas in the mind, arising out of our identification with various aspects of the mind-body process. From the beginning this “self” does not exist, yet because we’re so firmly attached to the idea of it, we spend much of our lives defending or enlarging or satisfying this imaginary self. Meditation helps us to see its conceptual nature, to see that in reality it does not exist, that it is simply an idea, an extraneous projection onto what’s happening in the moment.
These are a few of the concepts that keep us bound—concepts of place, of time, of ownership, of man or woman, of self. You can see how very strong these concepts are, how much of our lives revolve about them, how much we live in the world of shadow. Kalu Rinpoche, a well-known Tibetan meditation master, wrote,
You live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a Reality. You are that Reality. When you understand this, you will see that you are nothing. And being nothing, you are everything. That is all.
There are four “ultimate realities.” They are called that because they can be experienced, as opposed to merely thought about. These four ultimate realities are the entire content of our experience.
The first of these are the material elements composing all objects of the physical universe. Traditionally, and in terms of how we can experience them in our practice, they are described as the earth, air, fire, and water elements. The earth element is the element of extension. We experience it as the hardness or softness of objects. When we experience pain in the body, it is a manifestation of this element. When we walk and have contact with the earth, that feeling of tangible contact is the earth element—the feeling of hardness, softness, extension.
===
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https://news.1rj.ru/str/lorddivinebuddha
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
The Nature of Concepts
Plato’s allegory of the cave as a metaphor for seeking nirvana
By Joseph Goldstein
Part 2 of 2
The fire element is the quality of heat or cold. Sometimes in meditation the fire element may become very predominant and the body begins to feel as if it is burning. No “one” is burning, it is only the fire element manifesting its own nature; that is, the sensations of heat or cold.
The air element is vibration or movement. In walking meditation, what we are experiencing is the play of elements. Foot and leg are concepts, a name we give to a certain way of experiencing the flow of elements. There is no foot, no leg, no body, no self; simply the experience of movement and touching sensations.
The water element represents fluidity and cohesion, the element responsible for holding things together. When you have dry flour, all the granules fall apart. They don’t stick together. When you add water to it, then all those particles of flour cohere. That is how the water element manifests itself: holding all the material elements together.
The second of the ultimate realities is consciousness. Consciousness is the knowing faculty, that which knows the object. Sometimes people have the idea that in this mind-body, there is one consciousness from birth to death, one observer who is knowing everything. This idea gives rise to the concept of a permanent self. It occurs when we have not silenced our minds enough to observe the flow of knowing. Consciousness itself is arising and passing away in each instant. There is not one mind that is observing all phenomena; at every instant “mind” is created and destroyed. The consciousness that hears is different from the consciousness that sees, or tastes, or smells, or touches, or thinks. There are different mind-moments, arising and passing away every instant. When the mind becomes quiet, it is possible to observe this flow of consciousness. Insight into the flow and impermanence of the knowing faculty, understanding that there is not one knower, one observer, but rather an ongoing process at every moment, exposes the illusion of a permanent self.
The third of the ultimate realities is called mental factors. They are the qualities of mind that determine how consciousness relates to the object. Different combinations of mental factors arise with each moment of consciousness and pass away with it. Greed, hatred, and delusion are the three mental factors that are the roots of all unwholesome activity. All unwholesome karma, or action, is motivated by one or another of these three roots. For example, the factor of greed has the nature of clinging to an object. When greed arises in a moment of consciousness, it influences the mind in such a way that it clings, it sticks, it grasps, it is attached. That is the nature of the greed factor. It is impermanent and not self, not I; merely a factor of mind working in its own way.
Hatred is a mental factor that has the nature of condemning the object, of having aversion. Aversion, ill will, annoyance, irritation, anger, all of these are expressions of the mental factor of hatred. Hatred is also not I, not self, not mine; it is an impermanent factor that arises and passes away.
Delusion is a factor that has the function of clouding the mind so that we are unaware of what the object is. We don’t know what is happening.
Every moment of mindfulness is a moment of egolessness, of purity.
There are also three wholesome roots of mind: non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion. Non-greed has the nature of generosity, non-attachment, non-possessiveness. Non-hatred is love, feeling good will for all beings, friendship. Non-delusion is wisdom.
All of these mental factors are impersonal and impermanent. There is no one who is greedy, no one who is hateful, no one who is wise, no one who is generous. There is only the arising and passing of moments of consciousness concurrent with certain factors of mind, each one functioning in its own way.
Plato’s allegory of the cave as a metaphor for seeking nirvana
By Joseph Goldstein
Part 2 of 2
The fire element is the quality of heat or cold. Sometimes in meditation the fire element may become very predominant and the body begins to feel as if it is burning. No “one” is burning, it is only the fire element manifesting its own nature; that is, the sensations of heat or cold.
The air element is vibration or movement. In walking meditation, what we are experiencing is the play of elements. Foot and leg are concepts, a name we give to a certain way of experiencing the flow of elements. There is no foot, no leg, no body, no self; simply the experience of movement and touching sensations.
The water element represents fluidity and cohesion, the element responsible for holding things together. When you have dry flour, all the granules fall apart. They don’t stick together. When you add water to it, then all those particles of flour cohere. That is how the water element manifests itself: holding all the material elements together.
The second of the ultimate realities is consciousness. Consciousness is the knowing faculty, that which knows the object. Sometimes people have the idea that in this mind-body, there is one consciousness from birth to death, one observer who is knowing everything. This idea gives rise to the concept of a permanent self. It occurs when we have not silenced our minds enough to observe the flow of knowing. Consciousness itself is arising and passing away in each instant. There is not one mind that is observing all phenomena; at every instant “mind” is created and destroyed. The consciousness that hears is different from the consciousness that sees, or tastes, or smells, or touches, or thinks. There are different mind-moments, arising and passing away every instant. When the mind becomes quiet, it is possible to observe this flow of consciousness. Insight into the flow and impermanence of the knowing faculty, understanding that there is not one knower, one observer, but rather an ongoing process at every moment, exposes the illusion of a permanent self.
The third of the ultimate realities is called mental factors. They are the qualities of mind that determine how consciousness relates to the object. Different combinations of mental factors arise with each moment of consciousness and pass away with it. Greed, hatred, and delusion are the three mental factors that are the roots of all unwholesome activity. All unwholesome karma, or action, is motivated by one or another of these three roots. For example, the factor of greed has the nature of clinging to an object. When greed arises in a moment of consciousness, it influences the mind in such a way that it clings, it sticks, it grasps, it is attached. That is the nature of the greed factor. It is impermanent and not self, not I; merely a factor of mind working in its own way.
Hatred is a mental factor that has the nature of condemning the object, of having aversion. Aversion, ill will, annoyance, irritation, anger, all of these are expressions of the mental factor of hatred. Hatred is also not I, not self, not mine; it is an impermanent factor that arises and passes away.
Delusion is a factor that has the function of clouding the mind so that we are unaware of what the object is. We don’t know what is happening.
Every moment of mindfulness is a moment of egolessness, of purity.
There are also three wholesome roots of mind: non-greed, non-hatred, non-delusion. Non-greed has the nature of generosity, non-attachment, non-possessiveness. Non-hatred is love, feeling good will for all beings, friendship. Non-delusion is wisdom.
All of these mental factors are impersonal and impermanent. There is no one who is greedy, no one who is hateful, no one who is wise, no one who is generous. There is only the arising and passing of moments of consciousness concurrent with certain factors of mind, each one functioning in its own way.
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Forwarded from Words of the Buddha
Where then does the idea of self come from? Why is it that we’re so conditioned to believe in the existence of “I”?
There is one mental factor that is called wrong view, and it has the function of identifying with the various changing elements of the mind and body. When the factor of wrong view occurs in a moment of consciousness, the concept of self arises. But it too is impermanent and impersonal, arising at times and passing away. When we are mindful in the moment, wrong view does not arise, and so we begin to free ourselves from the conditioning of “I, me, mine.” Every moment of mindfulness is a moment of egolessness, of purity.
The question has often been asked in this practice, “Who’s being mindful?” Mindfulness, too, is a mental factor. It has the function of noticing what the object is, staying aware of the present moment. Gurdjieff called this quality self-remembering. There is no one who is mindful, only the functioning of a particular factor: an awareness without clinging, condemning, or identifying. As mindfulness is developed, there is a deeper understanding that all conditioned phenomena are transitory and empty of an abiding self.
We are like a big, moving jigsaw puzzle. The pieces of the puzzle are the material elements, consciousness, and mental factors. When the pieces join together in a certain way we see “man” or “woman,” “tree,” “house.” But that is only the picture of the arranged pieces, the concepts. It is the fundamental elements of mind and body, the underlying energies in constant flow and transformation, that constitute the reality of our experience.
The fourth ultimate reality is nirvana. Nirvana is like the experience of a person freeing himself entirely from the chains and emerging from the cave into sunlight, going beyond this conditioned mind-body process into freedom.
We are all in the process of breaking the chains that keep us bound in the cave of ignorance. At times during the practice it may seem as if nothing much is happening except a lot of pain and restlessness and agitation and doubt. But, in fact, every moment of awareness, every moment of mindfulness, helps to weaken the chain of our attachments. We are building the momentum of that awareness and, as the mindfulness and concentration get stronger, the mind becomes more powerful and insightful.
From The Experience of Insight by Joseph Goldstein.
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Joseph Goldstein is cofounder and a guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and its Forest Refuge program, and helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. His books include A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, and Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening.
===
Part 1 of 2:
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Part 2 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha/4917
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There is one mental factor that is called wrong view, and it has the function of identifying with the various changing elements of the mind and body. When the factor of wrong view occurs in a moment of consciousness, the concept of self arises. But it too is impermanent and impersonal, arising at times and passing away. When we are mindful in the moment, wrong view does not arise, and so we begin to free ourselves from the conditioning of “I, me, mine.” Every moment of mindfulness is a moment of egolessness, of purity.
The question has often been asked in this practice, “Who’s being mindful?” Mindfulness, too, is a mental factor. It has the function of noticing what the object is, staying aware of the present moment. Gurdjieff called this quality self-remembering. There is no one who is mindful, only the functioning of a particular factor: an awareness without clinging, condemning, or identifying. As mindfulness is developed, there is a deeper understanding that all conditioned phenomena are transitory and empty of an abiding self.
We are like a big, moving jigsaw puzzle. The pieces of the puzzle are the material elements, consciousness, and mental factors. When the pieces join together in a certain way we see “man” or “woman,” “tree,” “house.” But that is only the picture of the arranged pieces, the concepts. It is the fundamental elements of mind and body, the underlying energies in constant flow and transformation, that constitute the reality of our experience.
The fourth ultimate reality is nirvana. Nirvana is like the experience of a person freeing himself entirely from the chains and emerging from the cave into sunlight, going beyond this conditioned mind-body process into freedom.
We are all in the process of breaking the chains that keep us bound in the cave of ignorance. At times during the practice it may seem as if nothing much is happening except a lot of pain and restlessness and agitation and doubt. But, in fact, every moment of awareness, every moment of mindfulness, helps to weaken the chain of our attachments. We are building the momentum of that awareness and, as the mindfulness and concentration get stronger, the mind becomes more powerful and insightful.
From The Experience of Insight by Joseph Goldstein.
===
Joseph Goldstein is cofounder and a guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and its Forest Refuge program, and helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. His books include A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, and Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening.
===
Part 1 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/lorddivinebuddha/3984
Part 2 of 2:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/wordsofbuddha/4917
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14. Alaïkato ce'pi samam careyya
santo danto niyato brahmacàrã
Sabbesu bhutesu nidhàya daudam
so bràhmauo so samauo sa bhikkhu. 142.
NOT BY EXTERNAL APPEARANCE DOES ONE BECOME HOLY
14. Though gaily decked, if he should live in peace, (with passions) subdued, (and senses) controlled, certain 18 (of the four Paths of Sainthood), perfectly pure, 19 laying aside the rod (in his relations) towards all living beings, 20 a Bràhmaua 21 indeed is he, an ascetic 22 is he, a bhikkhu 23 is he. 24 142.
Story
A minister saw his nautch girl fall dead while dancing. Overcome with grief, he went to the Buddha, who preached to him. Hearing the Dhamma he attained Arahantship and passed away, though adorned and dressed in state. The monks inquired whether it was proper to call him a samaua. In reply the Buddha stated that holiness did not depend on external appearance.
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santo danto niyato brahmacàrã
Sabbesu bhutesu nidhàya daudam
so bràhmauo so samauo sa bhikkhu. 142.
NOT BY EXTERNAL APPEARANCE DOES ONE BECOME HOLY
14. Though gaily decked, if he should live in peace, (with passions) subdued, (and senses) controlled, certain 18 (of the four Paths of Sainthood), perfectly pure, 19 laying aside the rod (in his relations) towards all living beings, 20 a Bràhmaua 21 indeed is he, an ascetic 22 is he, a bhikkhu 23 is he. 24 142.
Story
A minister saw his nautch girl fall dead while dancing. Overcome with grief, he went to the Buddha, who preached to him. Hearing the Dhamma he attained Arahantship and passed away, though adorned and dressed in state. The monks inquired whether it was proper to call him a samaua. In reply the Buddha stated that holiness did not depend on external appearance.
===
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Collection of teachings of Venerable Ajahn Chah, a foremost meditation and Buddhist teacher from Thailand
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Free Buddhism ebook
Dependent Liberation
By Ajahn Brahmali
Dependent Liberation, as discussed by Ajahn Brahmali, is a framework that explains how the process of meditation, particularly the experience of different meditative states, is connected to the Buddhist concept of Dependent Origination. It highlights how suffering, or unsatisfactory experiences, can be a catalyst for liberation when understood through the lens of dependent arising.
Free download here:
https://www.lotuslibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/1991-dependent-liberation_Brahmali.pdf
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Dependent Liberation
By Ajahn Brahmali
Dependent Liberation, as discussed by Ajahn Brahmali, is a framework that explains how the process of meditation, particularly the experience of different meditative states, is connected to the Buddhist concept of Dependent Origination. It highlights how suffering, or unsatisfactory experiences, can be a catalyst for liberation when understood through the lens of dependent arising.
Free download here:
https://www.lotuslibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/1991-dependent-liberation_Brahmali.pdf
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Free Buddhism ebook
Dependent Liberation
By Ajahn Brahmali
Dependent Liberation, as discussed by Ajahn Brahmali, is a framework that explains how the process of meditation, particularly the experience of different meditative states, is connected to the Buddhist concept of Dependent Origination. It highlights how suffering, or unsatisfactory experiences, can be a catalyst for liberation when understood through the lens of dependent arising.
Free download here:
https://www.lotuslibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/1991-dependent-liberation_Brahmali.pdf
===
Dependent Liberation
By Ajahn Brahmali
Dependent Liberation, as discussed by Ajahn Brahmali, is a framework that explains how the process of meditation, particularly the experience of different meditative states, is connected to the Buddhist concept of Dependent Origination. It highlights how suffering, or unsatisfactory experiences, can be a catalyst for liberation when understood through the lens of dependent arising.
Free download here:
https://www.lotuslibrary.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/1991-dependent-liberation_Brahmali.pdf
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15. Hirãnisedho puriso
koci lokasmim vijjati
Yo nindam apabodhati
asso bhadro kasàm iva. 143.
16. Asso yathà bhadro kasàniviññho
âtàpino samvegino bhavàtha.
Saddhàya sãlena ca viriyena ca
samàdhinà dhammavinicchayena ca
Sampannavijjàcarauà patissatà
pahassatha dukkham idam anappakam. 144.
THE MODEST ARE RARE IN THIS WORLD
15. (Rarely) is found in this world anyone who, restrained by modesty, avoids reproach, as a thorough-bred horse (avoids) the whip. 25 143.
BE VIRTUOUS AND GET RID OF SUFFERING
16. Like a thorough-bred horse touched by the whip, even so be strenuous and zealous. By confidence, by virtue, by effort, by concentration, by investigation of the Truth, by being endowed with knowledge and conduct, 26 and by being mindful, get rid of this great suffering. 144.
Story
A poor youth, whose only possessions were his ragged garment and a potsherd, hung them on the branch of a tree and became a monk. Several times he disrobed and re-entered the Order. Finally he thought of the helpless state he would be in if he were to disrobe again. He meditated and attained Arahantship. Concerning his discontent and subsequent striving, the Buddha uttered these verses.
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Free Buddhism books, teachings, podcasts and videos from Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions:
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koci lokasmim vijjati
Yo nindam apabodhati
asso bhadro kasàm iva. 143.
16. Asso yathà bhadro kasàniviññho
âtàpino samvegino bhavàtha.
Saddhàya sãlena ca viriyena ca
samàdhinà dhammavinicchayena ca
Sampannavijjàcarauà patissatà
pahassatha dukkham idam anappakam. 144.
THE MODEST ARE RARE IN THIS WORLD
15. (Rarely) is found in this world anyone who, restrained by modesty, avoids reproach, as a thorough-bred horse (avoids) the whip. 25 143.
BE VIRTUOUS AND GET RID OF SUFFERING
16. Like a thorough-bred horse touched by the whip, even so be strenuous and zealous. By confidence, by virtue, by effort, by concentration, by investigation of the Truth, by being endowed with knowledge and conduct, 26 and by being mindful, get rid of this great suffering. 144.
Story
A poor youth, whose only possessions were his ragged garment and a potsherd, hung them on the branch of a tree and became a monk. Several times he disrobed and re-entered the Order. Finally he thought of the helpless state he would be in if he were to disrobe again. He meditated and attained Arahantship. Concerning his discontent and subsequent striving, the Buddha uttered these verses.
===
Free Buddhism books, teachings, podcasts and videos from Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/buddha_ebooks
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Free Buddhism books, teachings, podcasts and videos from Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions
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Forwarded from Buddha
Free Buddha Dharma ebook
Two Paths to Knowledge
By Bhikkhu Bodhi
Free download here:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/bps-essay_42.pdf
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Two Paths to Knowledge
By Bhikkhu Bodhi
Free download here:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/bps-essay_42.pdf
===
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Forwarded from Buddha
Free Buddha Dharma ebook
Two Paths to Knowledge
By Bhikkhu Bodhi
ANY of the formidable social and cultural problems we face today are rooted in the sharp schism that has divided Western civilization between science and religion, where science claims invincible knowledge based on the empirical investigation of the natural world, while religion can do little more than call for faith in supernatural creeds and obedience to codes of ethics that require restraint, self-discipline, and self-sacrifice. Since religion, as traditionally understood, often rests on little more than blithe promises and pompous threats, its appeals to our allegiance seldom win assent, while the ethical ideals it advocates stand hardly a fighting chance against the constant injunction—thrust upon us by TV, radio, and signboard—to enjoy life to the hilt while we can. As a result, a vast portion of humankind today has become alienated from religion as a meaningful guide to life, left with no alternative but to plunge headlong into the secular religion of consumerism and hedonism. Too often, those in the religious camp, sensing the threat secularism poses to their own security, feel driven toward an aggressive fundamentalism in a desperate bid to salvage traditional loyalties.
Free download here:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/bps-essay_42.pdf
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Two Paths to Knowledge
By Bhikkhu Bodhi
ANY of the formidable social and cultural problems we face today are rooted in the sharp schism that has divided Western civilization between science and religion, where science claims invincible knowledge based on the empirical investigation of the natural world, while religion can do little more than call for faith in supernatural creeds and obedience to codes of ethics that require restraint, self-discipline, and self-sacrifice. Since religion, as traditionally understood, often rests on little more than blithe promises and pompous threats, its appeals to our allegiance seldom win assent, while the ethical ideals it advocates stand hardly a fighting chance against the constant injunction—thrust upon us by TV, radio, and signboard—to enjoy life to the hilt while we can. As a result, a vast portion of humankind today has become alienated from religion as a meaningful guide to life, left with no alternative but to plunge headlong into the secular religion of consumerism and hedonism. Too often, those in the religious camp, sensing the threat secularism poses to their own security, feel driven toward an aggressive fundamentalism in a desperate bid to salvage traditional loyalties.
Free download here:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/bps-essay_42.pdf
===
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Caganussati
As long as he recollects his own generosity in its special qualities of freedom from stain by avarice, etc., then: “On that occasion his mind is not obsessed by greed, hate, or delusion; his mind being inspired by generosity”.
[...] jhana factors arise in a single conscious moment. But owing to the profundity of the generosity’s special qualities, or owing to his being occupied in recollecting the generosity’s special qualities, the jhana is only access & does not reach absorption. And that access jhana is known as “recollection of generosity” because it arises with the generosity’s special qualities as the means.
And when a bhikkhu is devoted to this recollection of generosity, he becomes ever more intent on generosity, his preference is for non-greed, he acts in conformity with loving-kindness, he is fearless. He has much happiness and gladness. And if he penetrates no higher, he is at least headed for a happy destiny.
Partial excerpts from the Visuddhimagga Chapter 7 : Six Recollections
As long as he recollects his own generosity in its special qualities of freedom from stain by avarice, etc., then: “On that occasion his mind is not obsessed by greed, hate, or delusion; his mind being inspired by generosity”.
[...] jhana factors arise in a single conscious moment. But owing to the profundity of the generosity’s special qualities, or owing to his being occupied in recollecting the generosity’s special qualities, the jhana is only access & does not reach absorption. And that access jhana is known as “recollection of generosity” because it arises with the generosity’s special qualities as the means.
And when a bhikkhu is devoted to this recollection of generosity, he becomes ever more intent on generosity, his preference is for non-greed, he acts in conformity with loving-kindness, he is fearless. He has much happiness and gladness. And if he penetrates no higher, he is at least headed for a happy destiny.
Partial excerpts from the Visuddhimagga Chapter 7 : Six Recollections
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17. Udakam hi nayanti nettikà
usukàrà namayanti tejanam
Dàrum namayanti tacchakà
attànam damayanti subbatà. 145.
THE GOOD CONTROL THEMSELVES
17. Irrigators lead the waters. Fletchers bend the shafts. Carpenters bend the wood. The virtuous control themselves. 27 145.
Story
A boy belonging to a respectful family entered the Order. While going on his alms round he noticed irrigators and carpenters controlling inanimate things. This induced him to think of the latent power of man. He meditated strenuously and attained Arahantship. Hearing of his realization, the Buddha commented on self-control.
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Buddha dharma teachings channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/lorddivinebuddha
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usukàrà namayanti tejanam
Dàrum namayanti tacchakà
attànam damayanti subbatà. 145.
THE GOOD CONTROL THEMSELVES
17. Irrigators lead the waters. Fletchers bend the shafts. Carpenters bend the wood. The virtuous control themselves. 27 145.
Story
A boy belonging to a respectful family entered the Order. While going on his alms round he noticed irrigators and carpenters controlling inanimate things. This induced him to think of the latent power of man. He meditated strenuously and attained Arahantship. Hearing of his realization, the Buddha commented on self-control.
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Buddha dharma teachings channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/lorddivinebuddha
===
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Buddha dharma teachings from the suttas and commentaries
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Chapter 11
Jarà Vagga
Old Age
(Text and Translation by Ven. Nàrada)
1. Ko nu hàso kimànando
niccam pajjalite sati
Andhakàrena onaddhà
padãpam na gavessatha 146.
SEEK THE LIGHT
1. What is laughter, what is joy, when the world is ever burning? 1 Shrouded by darkness, would you not seek the light? 146.
Story
Visàkhà, the chief lay benefactress of the Buddha, once visited Him, accompanied by some women who, without her knowledge, had become drunk. In their drunken state they discourteously danced and sang before the Buddha. By His psychic powers the Buddha created a darkness which brought them to their senses. The Buddha then uttered this verse.
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Vajrayana Tantrayana Buddhism channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/tantrayanabuddhism
Tibetan Buddhism - Vajrayana, Tantrayana and esoteric Buddhism channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/tibetanbuddha
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Jarà Vagga
Old Age
(Text and Translation by Ven. Nàrada)
1. Ko nu hàso kimànando
niccam pajjalite sati
Andhakàrena onaddhà
padãpam na gavessatha 146.
SEEK THE LIGHT
1. What is laughter, what is joy, when the world is ever burning? 1 Shrouded by darkness, would you not seek the light? 146.
Story
Visàkhà, the chief lay benefactress of the Buddha, once visited Him, accompanied by some women who, without her knowledge, had become drunk. In their drunken state they discourteously danced and sang before the Buddha. By His psychic powers the Buddha created a darkness which brought them to their senses. The Buddha then uttered this verse.
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Vajrayana Tantrayana Buddhism channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/tantrayanabuddhism
Tibetan Buddhism - Vajrayana, Tantrayana and esoteric Buddhism channel:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/tibetanbuddha
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Vajrayana Tantrayana Buddhism
Buddha teachings from the Vajrayana, esoteric, secret or Tantrayana vehicle
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