The Vision of Dhamma.VIETNAMESE TRANSATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH. - 4 - CHEAP OF GOOD AND BAD Introduction: The Buddha once taught that greed, hatred and delusion are the three bad roots. These three states cover the whole range of evil, whether of greater or lesser intensity, from weak inward tendencies to the grossest manifestations in actions and words. In whatever way they appear, these are the basic causes of suffering. Non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion are their three opposing roots. These are the three good roots of all unselfish actions, freedom and renunciation; of all expressions of love and compassion; of all achievements in knowledge and understanding. These six mental states are the roots from which all harmful and beneficial things sprout. They are the roots of the Tree of Life, which has both sweet and bitter fruit. Greed and hatred, sustained and fed by delusion, are the common motivating forces of all vital, personal and social life. Fortunately, the good roots also spread into our world and keep the bad forces in check, but only temporarily to keep the balance, requiring constant mindfulness and effort to maintain. On the level of lifeless nature, too, we find the objects corresponding to greed and hatred in the forces of attraction and repulsion, kept in involuntary reactive activities by inherent ignorance without cannot provide an incentive to stop the process. Thus, through the unfathomable past, the macrocosm of nature and the microcosm of mind have continued the debate between their attraction and repulsion, greed and pitch; and unless voluntarily stopped by effort and insight, they will continue for many ages to come. The cosmic conflict of these opposing forces, which cannot be resolved on its own, is one aspectsuffering (unsatisfactory); restless illness, frantic activity as felt by a sensitive being. On the human level, too, we find that man prides himself on being a "free agent" - the master of his life and even of nature - in a truly undeveloped spiritual state. The patient is passively driven by internal forces without the person realizing it. Pulled by greed and pushed by anger, in his blindness he does not see that the victory to stop foolish activities is within his reach, in his own mind. The triumphs are good roots, which can be cultivated to the point where such greed, hatred, and delusion are completely consumed. Although we have previously talked about the six roots as "the good and bad roots", we have temporarily used the terms "good" and "bad", choosing to simplify to introduce this doctrine in terms of familiar language. In Buddhist texts they are called wholesome roots ( kusala-mūla) and unwholesome roots (akusala-mūla). And so we will often call them as well. This distinction of terms marks an important distinction, for the "spread" of moods calls roots much wider and deeper than the moral domain of the words "good" and "bad". related. This difference can be defined as follows. A volitional action performed by body or speech is immoral - bad or "sinful" - when it is manipulated by unwholesome roots, is intentional, and directly harms others. This is socially significant immorality , for that is the norm. Such actions are called unwholesome bodily or verbal kamma. The thoughts associated with these unwholesome roots, the desire to harm others, are immoral with personal significance, for they are standards. These include thoughts such as thoughts of harm, murder, theft, fraud, and rape, and also false ideologies that lead to harming or forgiving such harm. Whether or not these thoughts are followed by actions or words, they are unwholesome mental kamma. When greed, hatred, and delusion, to some extent, do not intentionally harm others, they are neither bad nor immoral in the serious sense of our definition. However, they are still unwholesome kamma in that they perpetuate bondage and lead to unsatisfactory results. Likewise, the term "good" extends to socially construed morality that also includes what is beneficial to the individual, such as acts of renunciation and efforts to understand the nature of reality. The nascent crisis of theistic faith that once took over in the West has also brought in its path a moral crisis. For many people, faith and God have fallen apart, and often those who have lost faith in God see no compelling reason for morality without divine approval from above. Leaving no sound basis for morality, they either accept materialist political ideologies or allow their morality to be guided by self-interest. However we also find nowadays some more and more people are looking for better alternative. The social and political motives for morality offered to modern man may not be openly at odds with basic moral positions, but in their structure are tied to historical circumstances. particular history and reflect the different self-interests and prejudices of the dominant social group, the values ​​they offer are relatively high, lacking in general validity. In contrast, Buddhist morality, which is based on psychological facts and not on contingencies, provides the essence of moral principles that are free from relative limitations, valid in at all times and in all situations. By introspection and contemplation, we can understand that unwholesome roots are undesirable states of mind, creating suffering for ourselves and others; and since it is our common nature to avoid suffering and find pleasure, we can understand that it serves our own long-term interests as well as the good of others to refrain from actions that generate from these roots to act in ways motivated by their opposites - good -. A brief overview of bad roots will make this clear. we can understand that it serves our own long-term interest as well as the good of others to refrain from actions born of these roots to act in ways that are their opposites - good - promote. A brief overview of bad roots will make this clear. we can understand that it serves our own long-term interest as well as the good of others to refrain from actions born of these roots to act in ways that are their opposites - good - promote. A brief overview of bad roots will make this clear. Greed is a state of lack, need and want. Greed is always looking to fulfill and prolong to satisfy, but its driving force is inherently insatiable, and as long as it endures that feeling of lack. Hatred , in all its degrees, is also a state of discontent. Although it arises objectively in response to disliked people or situations, its true origin is subjective and internal, precisely through frustrated desire and wounded self-esteem. Buddhist psychology defines a broad spectrum as extending beyond simple anger and aversion to include a variety of negative emotions - such as frustration, depression, anxiety, and despair - that represent reactions. misled response to the impermanence, insecurity, and imperfection inherent in all conditioned life. Si , the form of not knowing, is a state of confusion, confusion, and helplessness. In the view of the wrong views of delusion, it arises in dogmatism; it chooses to be fanatical and even obsessive and hardens and crusts the mind. All these unwholesome roots lead to inner discord and social conflict. In Tibetan paintings they are depicted on the very axis of the Wheel of Life [1] , the typical images being a rooster, a pig and a snake, running around and grabbing each other's tails. In fact, the three unwholesome roots produce and support each other. The roots of greed give rise to resentment, anger, and hatred but hinder the desire to be gratified or to compete in pursuit of that desired object - whether enjoying the five elements, power, or status. dominance or fame. In this way greed leads to conflicts and disputes. When defeated, instead of generating hostility and aversion, greed can bring about sadness, sadness, despair, envy, and jealousy - moods that also come under the heading of anger. The pain of deprivation or discouragement sensitizes the sensibility to infatuation with desire, which then finds a way out of suffering by indulging in other kinds of enjoyment. Both greed and hatred are always connected with delusion. They base delusion, for their part, still causing delusion to arise even more when pursuing objects we desire or fleeing from things we do not like. Both love and hate keep us from foreseeing the dangers that surround our pursuits; they lead us really away from progress. It is the delusion under our love and jealousy that makes us truly blind, which leads us astray. Out of all other forms of delusion, which essentially arises, is the idea of ​​self-existentiality: belief in the self. For the sake of this illusory self man is greedy and angry; on which they build fantasies and pride. This belief in the self is first understood as an illusion. One must break through the illusion of self by cultivating right view through penetrating thought and insight into meditation. Although the wholesome and unwholesome roots are separate states of mind, they manifest and reverberate with enormous social significance. Every individual in society advances right away for self-protection, loved ones, property, safety and freedom from the greed, hatred and delusion of others. On the other hand, one's own greed, hatred, and delusion can cause concern and resentment in others, even though that person may not be aware of it or not care about it. From all of this comes the intricate fruit of suffering - the suffering caused to the person and the suffering experienced by the person himself. Since then the Buddha has repeatedly said that unwholesome roots harm both oneself and others, The wholesome and unwholesome roots have supreme human concern on all levels. As the arising causes of kamma, they affirm our life and volitional actions are reborn, they are the forces that move and drive our actions, words and thoughts. ta. They mold our character and destiny and thereby determine our incarnate nature. As dominant features in the structure of mind, the unwholesome roots are used in the Abhidhamma Piṭaka.to classify akusala cittas and also systematize the types of temperament. All stages of the path to liberation are closely related to wholesome and unwholesome roots. From the outset, the grossest forms of irresponsibility, greed, hatred and delusion must be eradicated by sīla , while in the advanced stages aided by concentration (samādhi) and wisdom (paññā) must be It is used to remove spreading unwholesome roots and cultivate wholesome roots. Even the stage of Arahantship and Nibbāna, completing the great conquest, are both explained in terms of these roots: as the cessation of greed, hatred, and delusion. The broad scope of importance in Buddhist teachings places these roots at the very heart of the Dharma. Pointing out the signs of a completely liberated mind, the teaching itself is simple yet profound, and from there approached on many levels. The fact that greed, hatred, and delusion, in their extreme forms, are the root causes of much suffering and evil should be painfully obvious to every morally sensitive person. Thus this initial understanding, open to common sense, can well develop into full understanding. It can then become the insight that leads one to enter the path of liberation - the cessation of greed, hatred, and delusion. Within the framework of the Buddha's teachings, Good and Bad Roots have been found in many different places in the texts. A rich selection of Buddhist texts - taken almost entirely from the suttas of the Buddha - to illustrate this is the intention of the following passages. I. Basic Explanations 1. DEFINITIONS There are three unwholesome roots: greed, hatred and delusion; and has three wholesome roots: non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion. (DN 33 -Saṅgīti Sutta) Comment These two triads are, respectively, the unwholesome roots and the wholesome volitions ( kamma), by deeds, words, and thoughts. The term "root" ( mūla), the explanatory notes, has strong connotations in favor of cause, condition, and producer. The figurative meaning of the term suggests that roots can also be taken as bearers of the "nourishing sap" of wholesome and unwholesome. They transfer this resin to the mind-elements and the functions that coexist with them, as well as their wholesome and unwholesome actions emanating from it. Their regenerative productivity is the producers . The words "unwholesome" and "wholesome", as used here, are translated from the Pāli terms akusala and kusala , respectively. Other translators use other words for good: favorable, talented; for unwholesome: disadvantageous, clumsy. The terms "wholesome" and "unwholesome" include all actions intended to bind beings in the cycle of samsara ( samsāra).and suffering. Therefore actions that have these roots can be called wholesome kamma or unwholesome kamma. Hence the scope of akusala is broader than that of immorality, for it includes forms of root afflictions and not immorality in the strict sense explained above. Virtue, as related here and in most, though not all, of the following texts, is wholesome of the mundane type. Virtue of the supramundane type does not create karma and therefore does not result in rebirth (see Text 14) [2] . Pāli commentators explain kusala, wholesome, as a healthy state of mind (ārogya), morally free from error ( anavajja), and when karma produces pleasant or satisfying results (sukha-vipāka). . Another broad sense of kusala, "skillful" or "skillful" , according to commentators, does not apply in this context. However karmic actions can also be described as so skillful that when they lead to present and future happiness, and progress on the path to liberation. Unwholesome ( akusala) has the opposite characteristic: it is an unhealthy or sick state of mind (gelañña), morally guilty and reprehensible (sāvajja), and when kamma results in displeasure, suffering ( dukkha-vipāka). For all these reasons, unwholesome actions in thought, word or deed can also be said to have clumsy reactions in life. The Range Of These Six Roots a) Unwholesome. These three unwholesome roots are not limited to the strong manifestations evoked by the English terms greed, hatred and delusion. It is important to understand their scope, to know that in Pali these three terms stand for all degrees of intensity, even the weakest, of these three defilements, and for all things difference in which they appear. At the weakest levels their unwholesome influence on character and karmic consequences is, of course, not as severe as the consequences of the stronger forms. But even weak forms can carry the risk of either growing stronger or making the person's character more vulnerable to their more aggravating manifestations.Dhammasaṅgaṇī, the first book of the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. Greed : liking, longing, longing, adoring, liking, attachment, lust, greed, craving, passion, passion for pleasure, greed for possessiveness, stinginess, lust for the five elements, greed rich, greedy for children, greedy for fame, etc.. Aversion : dislike, disgust, fear, resentment, hatred, irritation, anger, irritation, resistance, aversion, anger, indignation, hatred. Si : foolishness, dullness, confusion, ignorance of the essentials (such as the Four Noble Truths), prejudice, ideological dogmatism, fanaticism, wrong views, conceit. b) Good. Despite their negative form, these three wholesome roots represent positive paths. Non- greed : unselfish, free, generous; thoughts and actions of sacrifice and sharing; renunciation and celibacy. Non-hatred: love, compassion, sympathy, intimacy, forgiveness, patience. Non- delusion: wisdom, insight, knowledge, understanding, intelligence, wisdom, right perception, justice, composure. 2. EXPLAINED Definitions of Unwholesome FACTs Greed has the property of grasping an object, like the plastic bird trap (literally "monkey-catching plastic"). It has an adhesive function, like meat placed on a hot pan. Not giving up is its sign, like soot dye. Having a close cause is seeing enjoyment in everything that leads to slavery. It should be seen as the torrential stream of craving that carries sentient beings along to the miseries like a rushing river to the vast ocean. The yard has a brutal character, like a snake provoked. It has the function of spreading, like a drop of poison, or the function of burning all its own support, like a forest fire. Torturing like an enemy meets an opportunity is indicative of anger. There are proximate causes of disturbance (āghāta-vatthu). Yard should be viewed as urine mixed with poison. Si has the characteristic of blindness, or has the characteristic of not knowing. It has the function of impenetrability, or the function of concealing the true nature of the object. There is no right view [3] as its manifestation or as a state of darkness. Having a proximate cause is foolish (irrational) attention. It should be seen as the root of all unwholesome things. (Vism. XIV, 162, 171) 3. NOTE EXPLAINING THE DEFINITIONS OF BENEFITS Non- greed has the characteristic of a mind lacking fondness for objects, or has the characteristic of non-grasping, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf. It has the function of not grasping (or not grasping), like a liberated bhikkhu. Not treating (the object that evokes liking) as a refuge (or not - clinging), as one who has fallen into an unclean place (won't cling to it) is indicative of non-greed. Non- hatred has the characteristic of lack of brutality, or the quality of non-resistance, like a friend who is not of the same character. It has the function of removing distractions, or the function of eliminating restlessness, like basswood. Easy to calculate, as the full moon is indicative of no yard. Non- delusion has the property of penetrating (things) in their true nature, like the piercing arrow of a skilled archer. It has the function of illuminating the subject's field, like a lamp. No - bewilderment, as the forest guide is indicative of non-delusion. These three should be seen as all the roots of good. (Vism.XIV,143) 4. The Nature of Good Things Non-greed is contrary to the stain of stinginess; into the yard contrary to the stain of immorality; non-hatred is contrary to the undeveloped state of wholesome qualities. Non-greed is the condition for giving ( dāna) ; no hate is a condition to keep the precepts (sīla); Non-delusion is a condition for inner development ( or meditation ; bhāvanā). Through non-greed one does not overestimate (attractive object) as the participant does. Through non-hatred he does not underestimate or oppose (objects are unattractive or unsatisfactory), as the angry person thinks. Through non-delusion he has an undistorted view of everything, while a self-deceptionist views everything in a distorted way. The non-greed will accept the error of existence (in the attractive object) and will behave that way, while the greedy and lustful person will hide the fault. With non-hatred will accept the existing morality (in the object of dissatisfaction or hatred) and will behave accordingly, while the angry person will disparage that morality. The non-delusionist accepts facts as they are and behaves accordingly, while the self-deceptionist holds on to what is true and assumes false (according to the truth is said to be unfounded) and pretends to be. is true (there is no basis for claiming to be grounded in truth). For the non-greed , there is no suffering from being separated from the loved one; but the greedy and lustful person identifies himself with the person he loves and therefore distances himself from that person is unbearable. For those who enter the yard there is no suffering because of being near people who do not like; but the angry person identifies himself with (his aversion against the disliked person) and being close to him is intolerable. For the non-delusion there is no suffering for not getting what one desires, for the one who does not deceive himself will be able to reflect in this way: "How can it be possible that the thing that is destroyed should not go? into ruin?" For the non-greed there is no suffering of birth, because non-greed is the opposite of craving, and craving is the root of the suffering of birth. For those who do not feel old suffering (heavy, or premature); because it does not contain heavy hatred that makes old age fast. For the non-delusion there is no suffering in death; because when dying, the mind is confused or self-deception is suffering; but this does not happen to those who do not deceive themselves. Non-greed makes life happy among people (often quarreling about wealth). Non- delusion makes life happy among hermits and monks (who often argue about ideas). in the yard to live happily with everyone. Due to non-greed do not be reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts ( preta); because normally beings are reborn there because of their craving; and non-greed (non-selfish, renunciation) is the opposite of craving. Through non-hatred not to be reborn in hell; because it is anger and ferocity that cause sentient beings to be reborn in hell, which is of the same nature as anger. Thanks to non-delusion not to be reborn in the animal realm, because it is the delusional mind that causes beings to be reborn in the animal realm, always deceiving themselves; but non-delusion (wisdom) is the opposite of delusion. Of these three roots, non-greed avoids access to lust, non-hatred avoids being shunned by anger; non-delusion to avoid losing composure (or freedom) because of delusion. Furthermore, for these three roots, in the order given, the following three types of perception are equivalent: perception of renunciation, goodwill and non-harm; and also meditate on the impure body, on immeasurable compassion and on the four elements. Thanks to non-greed avoid extreme benefits; thanks to the aversion to avoid extreme asceticism; through non-delusion practice the middle way. Non-greed breaks the bondage of the body in craving, aversion breaks the body into slavery to evil, and non-delusion breaks down two other types of bondage (that is, attachment to ritual and fanaticism). Thanks to the virtue of the first two good roots, the practice of the first two foundations of mindfulness (that is: body and feeling) will be successful; By virtue of the third wholesome root (non-delusion) , the practice of the last two foundations of mindfulness (state of mind and content of mind/mind and dharma) will be successful. Non- greed is a condition for health, because a person who is not greedy will not use anything inappropriate, even if it is tempting, and because of that he will always be healthy. Non- hatred is a condition for youth, because one exits the yard without using the flames of anger that cause wrinkles and gray hair, and thus retains a youthful appearance for a long time. Non- delusion is a condition for long life, for one who does not deceive himself knows what is beneficial and what is harmful, and by avoiding harm and using what is beneficial he will live long. Non- greed is a condition of being blessed with wealth, because the non-greed will obtain wealth through generosity (as the result of the kamma of generosity). Non- hatred creates favorable conditions for many friends, because through kindness he will win the hearts of many friends and not lose them. Non- delusion is a condition for self-development, because one who does not deceive himself and only does what is beneficial will perfect himself. Through non-greed he separates the people and things belonging to his group; because even in the event that they are down, one will not feel the suffering caused by the cause of heavy attachment. With a mind of non-hatred , in the case of a person or thing belonging to an hostile group it will remain so; because he who is free from anger will have no hostile thoughts even towards those who are hostile. With the mind of non-delusion , people and things belonging to the neutral group also hold the same because in that person there is no deceitful self there is no heavy attachment to anyone or anything. Through non-greed one will understand impermanence; for one who is greedy, always seeking enjoyment, one will not see impermanence in ever-changing phenomena. By entering into hatred one will understand suffering; for one who has a tendency to be non-hatred, when he understands the disturbing evidences he discards them, seeing phenomena as suffering. Thanks to ignorancehe will understand non-self; for the person who does not deceive himself well grasps the nature of reality, and he knows that the five aggregates have no inner ruler. Only when understanding impermanence, etc. effect by non-greed, etc., also understand impermanence etc.. will give birth to no greed etc.. Thanks to understanding impermanence arises no greed, thanks to understanding suffering arises no anger; by understanding no-self arises non-delusion. And who would allow attachment to arise for that which one knows perfectly well to be impermanent? And, when understanding phenomena as suffering, who will add to the extremely sharp pain of anger? And, having understood the phenomenon as non-self, who would plunge into a mind of confusion? (From Atthasālinī - C commentary of Dhammasaṅgaṇī by Abhidhamma, Pāli Text Society Publishing House, pp.127ff.) 5. VARIOUSITY OF INVESTORS Monks, there are non-Buddhists who will ask you: "Behold, you have three states of mind: greed, hatred, and delusion. What is their contrast, variety, and difference?" So, bhikkhus, asked thus, you might explain it to non-believers in this way: "The faults of greed are fewer and last longer; the faults of anger are severe and fleeting; delusion is the faults that are deep and long-lasting." -- AN 3:68 (excerpt) Comment The words in this text about greed are less error-prone, and so on, must be understood in the relevant sense. The footnote explains: "Greed (or lust) is less of a fault in two ways (1) in the general opinion ( worldly; that is, in the eyes of the world'), and (2) in relation to the results of karma ( vipāka) means that rebirth is the result of karma (due to greed). 1) "For example, if parents let their children get married, there is nothing wrong with secular standards (although greed enters into parental love and sexuality in marriage). 2) If in marriage he is satisfied with his own husband or wife (and thus keeps the third precept), then there is no rebirth in the lower realms. Thus greed or lust may be less error related to the results of karma. However, greed is 'long-lasting' and difficult to clean like oil-slicked grease. Greed for particular objects or lust in the five sense objects for someone can remain steadfast for a lifetime. Even if it goes on for two or three lifetimes, it still won't disappear." Thus, with regard to anger and delusion, greed is less bad. For if craving is kept within basic moral limits, and does not lead to transgression of the five precepts, rebirth in a peaceful realm through wholesome kamma will not be excluded. However, craving is very difficult to completely overcome. Its beautiful hairy roots are deeply ingrained in our nature, and it can cloak itself in attractive clothing, acknowledging skillful camouflage and stunning forms. Because "greed for life" or "will to live" is the essence of life. When craving asserts life that is the source of suffering. "Courtyard," according to the commentary, "can lead to wrongdoing towards parents, siblings, monks, etc.. Whenever the offender goes like that, he is reprimanded and heard. If, out of anger, he even commits one of the grave sins (ānantariya-kamma) such as killing his father, etc., he must suffer eternally in hell. [4] In that way, anger has a great fault both in terms of public opinion and the results of that karma.However, anger can quickly subside; for after committing a crime out of anger or anger that person can immediately regret it, asking the person he has done. pardon, and if warranted, the act is atone for (as far as the offender's mood is concerned.)" Anger is a destructive and antisocial element, a source of untold suffering for individuals and all groups of people. Thus one expects society to regard it as "a great fault", as a great enemy to social happiness, and uses every effort to weaken anger and eliminate it. But on the contrary we find that human organizations, large or small, often promote anger for their own selfish purposes, or have promoted hateful actions, words, and thoughts. motivated by self-deception ideologies. Throughout history, leaders who sought the support of the masses have always found it easier to unite their people by a common enmity than by immense love. On the individual level, anger at all levels is often opposed by self-interest and by various types of ego-centered resistance. Hatred can develop as obsessively as lustful passion, but is often more destructive towards the person who hates and his or her victims. It can take root deep in the mind, taking the form of smoldering resentment or the gloating of violent outbursts. Due to hatred, the human mind can sink below the human level, and so for the angry person there is always the risk of being reborn in a lower realm than the human realm. However, for someone who does not identify with the states of mind, but sees the need and has the will to transform himself - for such a person it will not be difficult to control anger before it grows stronger. Hatred causes irritation, stress, and frustration, and since humans are essentially "pleasant to avoid suffering," those who understand the consequences of anger will often wish to give up anger. "Si", according to the commentary, "is a major fault for both reasons, that is in the eyes of public opinion and in relation to the fruit of its unwholesome kamma (in the same way as mentioned above for anger.) If an action is done under the influence of delusion, such action will only take a long time to set the person free; perhaps like a bear's skin, which will not shine even if washed seven times." If unbridled acts of lust or illegal lust are performed without guilt, but, on the contrary, justified by such prejudices as the claim may be true , such self-deception of greed will not be easy to eradicate. Will not give up even under the influence of repeated failures to satisfy it, but can only increase greed through anger and resentment. There are also forms of self-deceptive greed supported by approved religion (or pseudo-religion) (see Text Comment 11). All forms of self-deceptive greed can be eradicated only when self-deceptive wrong views and principles are eliminated. Similarly when delusion incites anger and keeps it alive with wrong views or attitudes. If, for example, because of self-deception, people of certain races, classes, or other religions were viewed as legitimate objects of hatred, this would bind slavery more tightly than any other. a temporary but intensely stimulated outburst of anger with only a mixture of ordinary delusion. If delusion is not present, greed or hatred will not arise. The unwholesome roots of greed and hatred are always associated with delusion. However, delusion can happen on its own and can have a very serious source of evil and misery. According to the pervasive conception of delusion in akusala kamma, the Dhammapada says that there is no greater entanglement than the pervasive web of delusion (v.251), and that ignorance (synonym) with si) is the greatest gonorrhea of ​​mind (v.243). From there the Buddha declared: "All unwholesome mind states have their roots in ignorance, they converge on ignorance, and by eliminating ignorance, all unwholesome mind states are eliminated." (SN 20.1). Of course, ignorance does not mean simply lack of information on this or that subject of mundane knowledge. Rather, ignorance is lack of correct understanding of the Four Truths: that is, not knowing (or intentionally not knowing) the full extent and depth of suffering, the cause of suffering, about the fact of the cessation of suffering and of the path leading to the cessation of suffering. The truth of suffering is hidden by the four distortions of reality ( vipallāsa) , the four great illusions of seeing permanence in impermanence, happiness in what is really suffering, seeing self in what is not, and beauty in what is not. not beautiful (impure). These distortions, powerful universal manifestations of ignorance and delusion, prevent the understanding of the truth of suffering, and hence the difficulty of seeing other truths as well. These four can appear on any of three levels: at the level of complete ordinary misconceptions ( saññā-vipallāsa) or as wrong ways of thinking (citta-vipallāsa), or as expressed in thoughts The idea or theory is completely wrong(diṭṭthi-vipallāsa). Stubbornly holding wrong views can forge the strongest chains that bind beings in the cycle of suffering. If these wrong views go as far as rejecting the proper morality of any action, they will lead to the next life with "fated" rebirth in misery. [5] Of course, total ignorance is also a form of delusion, and it can invalidate one's inner development throughout life and for many subsequent lives. But there can be a way out of it, if the good roots of that fool's non-greed (non-selfish) and non-hatred (kindness, compassion) are strong enough to become active. The body view is the aspect of delusion that has the deepest roots and has the strongest impact, and the most conceited wrong views. Body view is the belief in a permanent self or soul, with conceit and associated notions. Beliefs can be foolish and thoughtless, or supported by explicit doctrines and convictions. But as gripping as it is, this self-view makes delusion an insurmountable and long-lasting barrier, while the implications of ego-centered delusion have "major faults". Considering the wide range and pervasive influence of delusion, it can be understood that, under the name of ignorance, it appears as the first element in the chain of causes and conditions (paṭicca-samuppāda). As the primary driving force behind the rotation of samsara, delusion is indeed a "great and lasting fault". II. Popular Texts 6. SUCCESSFUL BIRTHDAYS If the three things are not found in life, the Fully Enlightened One, the Fully Enlightened One, will not disappear from the world, and his teachings and precepts will not shine throughout the world. What are these three? That is birth, old age and death. Because these three are found in the world, the Fully Enlightened One, the fully enlightened Saint, has appeared in the world, his teachings and precepts shining throughout the world. However, birth, aging, and death cannot be overcome without overcoming three other things, namely: greed, hatred, and delusion (AN 10:76). 7. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE MAGAZINE [6] He who does not eradicate greed, hatred and delusion, is called a prisoner of Mara, caught in the traps of Mara, subject to the will and will of the Evil One. But the one who has eradicated greed, hatred and delusion; he is freed from the traps of the Demon King, no longer subject to the will and whim of the Evil One. (Itiv.68) 8. CROSSING THE SEA What monk or nun has not eradicated greed, hatred and delusion, such a person cannot cross the ocean (of samsara), there are waves and whirlpools, monsters and demons of the sea. But which monk or nun has eradicated greed, hatred and delusion, such a person has crossed the ocean (samsara), has waves, whirlpools, monsters and demons, has passed and reached the shore other (Nirvana), standing on solid ground really like a saint. (Itiv.69) 9. THREE SHORT FIRE There are three fires: the fire of lust, the fire of anger, and the fire of delusion. The fire of lust consumes the greedy person who is entangled in the five worlds. The fire of anger burns the angry One who is urged by anger to kill living beings. The fire of delusion burns the fool who cannot see the Dharma. Those who prefer in the group of embodiments [7] Do not see three kinds of fire. They are the cause of the realms of suffering: Hell, and the animal life, The demonic realms; They did not escape the shackles of the Demon King. But those who live day and night Devoted to the law of the Buddha. They extinguish the fire of lust in the mind By seeing the impurity of this body. They extinguished the fire of anger in their hearts With the noblest of human kindness. The fire of delusion they also extinguish With wisdom ripe in penetration. [8] When they extinguished these three fires, Wisdom, continuously day and night, they were completely liberated, They completely overcame all evil. Those who see the holy realm [9]. By perfect wisdom [10] By direct sight of the cessation of all rebirths, They go to no more lives. (Itiv.93) From the Commentary of Bhadantācariya Dhammapāla Because greed when it arises, burns and consumes living beings, it is called fire; and the same goes for anger and delusion. Just as fire consumes fuel by which there is fire, and ignites a great fire, so too with greed, hatred and delusion: they consume the continuum of life in which they arise and rage. The fire was so big that it was difficult to destroy. Countless beings, whose minds burn with the fire of lust, end up dying because of the suffering of unfulfilled greed. This is the burning energy of greed. For the burning energy of anger, for example, "the gods are consumed by their anger" ( manopadosika-devā), and for the delusional mind, "the gods are consumed by their pleasures." they" (khiḍḍapadosika-devā) [11] .During their delusion, they become so forgetful that they forget to eat and die. This is the burning energy of greed, hatred and delusion, as far as the present life concerns. In future lives, these three cittas are still more terrible and difficult to bear, insofar as greed, etc. can cause rebirth in the hells and other miserable realms. 10. THREE KILLERS INSIDE There are three inner stains, three inner enemies, three inner enemies, three inner murderers, three inner antagonists. What are these three? Greed is the inner stain... Hatred is the inner stain... Si is the inner stain..., the inner enemy, the inner enemy, the inner murderer, the inner antagonist. Greed is the cause of harm, It makes the mind restless. This danger arises within, The blind man is not aware of it. A greedy person cannot see facts, Nor can he understand the Dharma. When greed has taken hold, He plunges into total darkness. But one who has no craving and is able to give up this Greed and whatever incites it, Greed quickly slips from him Like water sliding off the top of a lotus leaf. Hatred is the cause of harm, It makes the mind restless. This danger has arisen within. The blind are not aware of it. Those who are angry cannot see facts, Nor can they understand the Dharma. When the yard dominates that person. He was plunged into total darkness. But the person who is not angry and can give up this mind of anger and whatever induces anger, it quickly disappears from him Like a coconut falling from a tree. Si is the cause of harm. Make the mind restless. This danger arises within, The blind are not aware of this. Those who deceive themselves cannot see the truth, Nor can they understand the Dharma. If one is in the grip of delusion, He plunges into total darkness. But he has shed the veil of delusion Not being deluded where confusion dwells; He completely scatters delusion, Just like the sun that dispels the night. (Itiv.88) Comment Greed, hatred, and delusion are strong enough to lead to a lower rebirth than a human being eliminated by the first noble path, that of stream-entry. Craving and anger, in their gross forms, are eradicated by the second noble path (of the one-returner), and in their subtle forms are eradicated by the third (of non-returning) path. All the remaining greed, hatred and delusion, along with the defilements that accompany them, are eradicated by the fourth noble path - that is, Arahantship. III. Roots and Karma 11. CAUSE OF ACTION There are, monks, three causes of action (karma): greed, hatred, and delusion. Bhikkhus, out of greed will not arise the state of non-greed; greed itself arises from greed. From anger there is no state of no anger arising; the courtyard itself arises from the yard. From delusion there is no state of no delusion arising; si itself arises from delusion. Due to actions born of greed, born of hatred, born of delusion, neither gods nor humans, nor any kind of happy life will arise. [12] It's the hell, the animal realm, the hungry ghost or some kind of miserable life that will arise through actions born of greed, hatred, and delusion. These, monks, are the three causes of action. There are, monks, three other causes for the generation of action: non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion. Bhikkhus, from non-greed, non-greed will arise; is non-greed arising from non-greed. From no hatred will arise; non-aversion arises from non-aversion. From non-delusion will arise; it is non-delusion that arises from non-delusion. Because of actions born of non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion, neither hell nor animals, no hungry ghost realm or any other kind of miserable life will arise as a result of actions born of non-greed, non-hatred. and infallible. These, monks, are the other three causes of action. (AN 6:39) Comment In this text the Buddha completely rejects the maxim that "the end justifies the means" - the doctrine pursued everywhere in politics and sometimes even by religious institutions. Our text further states without evidence as to the hope of those who apply this proverb in the belief that they will be rewarded in a future life, or in the case of non-religious application, that Future generations will reap the rewards of current violence and repression in an ideal society or "heaven on earth". Our text will further negate the idea that lustful passions, or actions often viewed as immoral or sinful, need not be an obstacle to deliverance or salvation, and may even help them to achieve. Such opinions, in various formulations, have been raised for discussion among the anti-ethical factions of many of the world's great religions. [13]The notion that the end justifies the means also occurs in the basic principle of the doctrine of moral intentionality: "Anything done with the intention of doing good in life is right and ethical." All such notions, the Buddha's statement implies, are indisputably undermined by profound psychological transitions about the roots. 12. TEN WAYS OF ACTION If a noble disciple knows what is unwholesome and knows the root of unwholesome; if he knows something good and knows the root of good - then he is, to some extent, one of right view; he is a person who understands correctly, has steadfast faith in the Dhamma, and has reached the heart of wholesome Dharma. And what is unwholesome? Killing is unwholesome, taking what is not given is unwholesome, sexual misconduct is unwholesome, lying is unwholesome, gossiping is unwholesome, slander is unwholesome, slander is unwholesome, covetousness is unwholesome is unwholesome, hatred is unwholesome, wrong view is unwholesome. And what are the unwholesome roots? Greed is the root of akusala, hatred is the root of akusala, delusion is the root of akusala. And what is good? Avoiding killing is good, avoiding taking what is not considered good, avoiding sexual misconduct is good, avoiding lying, .. avoiding gossip, avoiding vulgar words, avoiding useless words is good; Non-greed is wholesome, non-hatred is wholesome, right view is wholesome. And what are good roots? Non-greed is a good root, non-hatred is a good root, non-delusion is a good root. (MN 9; Right View Sutra) Comment The Venerable Sāriputta gave this discourse, unwholesome and wholesome are explained by the "ten ways of action" ( akusala-kusala-kammapatha) , which concern actions, speech and thoughts (body, speech and mind.) also called the ten unwholesome kamma and the ten wholesome kamma. This explanation of unwholesome enumeration lists ten instances of conduct that is clearly immoral. Even the last three items, dealing with akusala kamma , immorality, are included in this context. As the ways of mind action are unwholesome, they signify the desire to appropriate another's property; angry thoughts of wanting to harm, hunt or kill others; and those wrong views negate moral causality and thus create opportunities and excuses for immoral actions. These ten, however, do not exhaust the scope of the term unwholesome . As mentioned earlier, the scope of akusala is broader than that of immorality. It is not limited to transgressing the ten bad ways, but also includes all actions, words, and thoughts motivated by any degree of greed, hatred, and delusion. To give a few examples: liking good food, music or physical comfort is not immoral, but when attachment binds us to the world of sense-physical experiences, it is unwholesome karma. The same goes for sexual actions, words, and thoughts directed at someone's husband or wife. Also, these things follow the moral core of secular society, not immoral. However, when craving manifests strongly, they fall under the unwholesome roots of "greed". One's own stupor, short-sightedness, and ignorance of what is truly beneficial and similar limitations of mind are not immoral and need not have immediate unwholesome results. However, they are a great obstacle to attaining the wisdom of liberation and bind the person in the cycle of samsara. They are therefore also unwholesome, forms of the unwholesome root "delusion". 13. THE CHEAP OF TEN URGENT WAYS Monks, the Tathagata declares that there are three kinds of killing, motivated by greed, by anger, and by delusion. So too taking what is not given, sexual misconduct, lying, gossip, slander, vain talk, greed, hatred, and wrong views - all these, the Tathagata declares, are of three kinds: instigated by greed, instigated by anger, instigated by delusion. Thus, bhikkhus, greed is the beginning of the chain of karmic coincidences, hatred is the beginning of the chain of karmic coincidences, and delusion is the beginning of karmic coincidences. But by eliminating greed, hatred and delusion, the chain of karmic coincidences ends. 14. REBIRATION AND TERMINATION OF REBIRATION (I) There are, monks, three causes of action: greed, hatred, and delusion. Actions are practiced with greed, born of greed, caused by greed, arising in greed; Actions practiced by the mind of anger, generate anger, are caused by anger, arise in anger; Actions practiced by delusion, generate delusion, caused by delusion, arise in delusion; Such action will ripen wherever one is reborn; and wherever that action ripens, that person will reap from it, in this life, in the next life or in future lives. It is with seeds that are not damaged, do not rot, are not damaged by wind and heat, are able to germinate, grow well in fertile fields, are planted in well-fertilized soil. If there is a lot of rain, these seeds will sprout, grow and fully develop. Similarly, actions practiced with greed, hatred or delusion will ripen wherever one is born; and wherever this action ripens, one will reap from it, in this life, in the next, or in future lives. (II) There are three other causes for action to arise: non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion. If the action is performed out of non-greed, born of non-greed, caused by non-greed, arising out of non-greed, and if greed has completely ceased; If practiced by non-hatred, born of non-hatred, caused by non-hatred, arising in non-hatred, and if anger has completely ceased; If practiced by non-delusion, born of non-delusion, caused by non-delusion, arising in non-delusion, and if delusion has completely ceased; To act like that in such a way is abandoned, cut off by its roots, barren like the stump of an oak tree, lifeless, incapable of growing again in the future. It is with seeds that are not damaged and do not rot, not damaged by wind and heat, that are able to germinate, grow well in fertile fields. If someone were to burn them to ashes now and scatter them in a strong wind or throw them into a stream where the rushing water washes them away - then these seeds will be completely burned up, incapable of sprouting. sprout again. Similarly, if an action is performed out of non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion, and if greed, hatred and delusion are completely exhausted - such action is thus abandoned, cut to the root, bare as the root. oak tree, lifeless and unlikely to grow again in the future. (AN 3:33) Comments on Part II Greed and delusion in their weaker form are completely eradicated upon attaining Arahantship, while hatred in its weakest form is completely eradicated at the noble stage of non-returning (Non-Returning). Therefore, part two of this text applies, only to actions performed at the stages of complete liberation. Only when these actions are finally "abandoned" can they no longer lead to rebirth. Thus it is only in the Arahant that all three unwholesome roots are "completely exhausted", even though they are definitely weakening at the first three stages of liberation. The action of the Arahant, when there is no more rebirth-power, occurs as the fourth item in the division of the four types of karma: Dark action brings dark consequences; Bright actions bring bright consequences; Actions that are both light and dark have consequences that are both light and dark; Action that is neither light nor dark has consequences that are neither light nor dark and leads to exhaustion of action. (AN 4:232; MN 57) This text explains that this last type of action is to voluntarily renounce all activities of karmic formation, that is, to voluntarily be present in the mental states that maintain the four paths of liberation. But this fourth category can also be understood as actions performed by the Arahant in ordinary life, for which actions do not lead him to cling to karma or bind him to rebirth. born again. His virtuous actions may appear to resemble the virtuous actions of a noble person (though not yet liberated), but the arahant's actions are not left untouched by any faint trace of greed. motivated by craving and ignorance. In the mind of an Arahant there is no greed (craving) by wishing that his virtue is recognized or enhanced, no delusion (ignorance) by contentedly boasting "is good." ", expect no illusions as a result of these good deeds; nor any other self-referencing of any kind. The good deeds of the Arahant flow spontaneously of the mind, and the mind is perfectly pure to respond without hesitation to the situation where it is needed and can help. But although these actions may be inspired by affection or compassion, underneath they are dispassionate and incredibly bright rather than emotionally involved. As long as his life force impulse lasts, The arahant continues to live as the embodiment of wisdom and compassion. But when the arahant's mind is no longer attached to anything, not even the results of his actions, there is no potential left for any rebirth. The life-sustaining sap delivered from the roots has stopped flowing, and the roots that continue to exist on their own are cut off. 15. EXPLANATION OF SUPERIORITY In some sentient beings greed is often found, in others hatred or delusion is dominant; and again among other beings, often see non-greed, non-hatred or non-delusion. What governs this dominance? It is the root cause in the previous life that governs the predominance of the roots in the present life. There is a difference right at the moment of accumulating karma. In a person, at the moment of (creating rebirth) accumulated karma, greed is strong and non-greed is weak, non-hatred and non-delusion is strong and anger and delusion are weak; then his weak non-greed is unlikely to prevail over his greed, but strong non-hatred and non-delusion can prevail over one's anger and delusion. Since then when a being is born through the chain of rebirth caused by that kamma, he will be greedy, of good character, not irritable, intelligent and knowledgeable which can be seen as a flash of light. In other cases, at the moment of accumulation of karma, greed and hatred are strong, and non-greed and non-hatred are weak, but non-delusion is strong and delusion is weak; then, according to the way said, he will have both greed and aversion, but he will be as intelligent and knowledgeable as lightning like the Elder Dattabhaya. At the moment of karmic accumulation, when greed, non-hatred, and delusion are strong and the other roots are weak, then, in the way said, one will be greedy and less intelligent, but of a good nature and not irritable. At the moment of karmic accumulation, when the three roots, greed, hatred, and delusion are strong and non-greed, etc., weak, then, according to the way said, one will be greedy, given for anger, given for delusion. At the moment of karmic accumulation, when non-greed, aversion and delusion are strong, and the other roots are weak, then, in the way said, one will have few lustful afflictions, unaffected even by seeing the object. the five great sexes; but he will be angry and slow to understand. At the time of karmic accumulation, when non-greed, non-hatred, and delusion are strong, and the other roots are weak, then, in the way said, one will not be greedy and have good character, but will be slow to understand. At the time of karmic accumulation, the three (good roots), non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion are strong, and greed, etc. weak, then, as has been said, one has no greed and no hatred and is intelligent, like the Elder Sangharakkhita. (From Atthasālinī , pp.267f.) IV. The Social Meaning of Roots 16. FROM THE STORY OF LMA "What do you think, villagers of Kālāma? When greed, hatred and delusion arise in a person, is it beneficial or harmful to that person?" - You are harmful to that person." - "Kālāma villager, a man of greed, hatred and delusion, overwhelmed by greed, hatred and delusion, they control his thoughts, will take his life, take his possessions. not give, commit adultery, and lie; he will incite others to do the same. Will that lead to harm and misery for him in the long run?" - Yes, sir." "What do you think, villagers of Kālāma? Are these wholesome or unwholesome?" "Unwholesome, sir." - "Criticized or not reprehensible?" "Damn it, sir." - "Reprimanded or praised by the wise?" "To be rebuked, sir" - "Accept and practice, these lead to harm and misery, or not? Or how is it in this case?" - "Taken and practiced, these lead to harm and misery. For it appears to us in this case." "Therefore, villagers of Kālāma, have we not said: 'Traditional practices, rumours, or ancient scriptures should not be passed on, narrated words, empty treatises, cities, and so on. Someone's opinion or seemingly reasonable words, led astray and should not be trusted with reverence thinking, "This is my word, I must believe it." But when you know for yourself: " These are unwholesome, reprehensible, and rebuked by the wise, and if undertaken and practiced they lead to harm and misery,' then abandon them." (AN 3:65) 17. WHY DOESN'T BE WRONG? Once the wanderer Channa visited Venerable Ānanda and said to him the following: "Friend Ānanda, you teach the abandoning of greed, hatred and delusion, and we teach that too. But what disadvantage have you, Ānanda, seen in greed, hatred and delusion that you teach that they must be abandoned?" "Friend, a person with greed, hatred and delusion, is overwhelmed by greed, hatred and delusion, they control his thoughts, for his own harm, for the harm of others, for the harm of both. , and he suffers pain and sorrow in his heart.But when greed, hatred, and delusion are abandoned, he will not aim at his own harm, without harming others, and without harming both, and he will without suffering and sorrow in mind. "A person with greed, hatred and delusion, overwhelmed by greed, hatred and delusion, which controls his thoughts, leads an evil life in deeds, words, and thoughts; he does not know his own true interests. he, not knowing the interests of others, does not know the interests of both. But when greed, hatred and delusion are abandoned, he will not live a life of debauchery in deeds, words and thoughts; and he will understand his or her own true interests, those of others, and both. "Friend, greed, hatred and delusion blind, see, and don't know; they destroy wisdom, and are tied to poverty, and do not lead to Nirvana. "Friend, because we have seen these disadvantages in greed, hatred and delusion; therefore we teach that they must be abandoned. Friend, this Noble Eightfold Path, which is: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration, this is the way, the way to give up greed, hatred and delusion." (AN 3:71) 18. THE SEE ALSO "People talk about 'visible teachings'. Venerable sir, how far is the teaching visible here and now, effective immediately, inviting to see, upward, directly experienced by the wise? " "A person of greed, hatred, and delusion, overwhelmed by greed, hatred, and delusion, intends to harm himself alone, harm others, harm both, and he suffers and sorrows in his heart. He also leads an evil life. in actions, thoughts and words and and he does not know his own real interests, that of others, and of both. "But when greed, hatred and delusion are abandoned, he will not aim to harm himself alone, harm others, harm both, and he will not suffer pain and sorrow in his heart. He will not live eternal life. pervert and will understand the true self-interest of that person, of others, and of both. "In that sense the teaching is visible here and now, effective immediately, invited to be seen and directed upward, experienced directly by the wise." (AN 3:53) Comment Describing the teachings (Dharma) as "visible here and now" and so on, is similar to the traditional text on reverence for the Dharma. The Dharma taught by the Buddha is the Four Noble Truths. If that Dharma here is identified with the teaching of unwholesome roots and their renunciation, we can understand the connection as follows: the presence of greed, hatred and delusion is equivalent to the truth of suffering and the origin of suffering, their cessation with the truth of the path and its purpose, Nirvana, the cessation of suffering. Through the utmost effort in Dharma practice, when one succeeds in weakening the bad roots, the truth of the teachings becomes evident. France really brings immediate effect. Having accepted the dharma's invitation to "come and see", he has experimented with the dharma and has seen the benefits for himself. Encouraged by these partial results, one will be led upward toward the goal - the eventual eradication of greed, hatred, and delusion. But that experience has to be personal - passed by each one, alone, through wisdom and diligence dedicated to the cause of liberation. 19. FOUR TYPES OF PEOPLE There are four types of people in the world. People who do good for themselves, but not for others; someone who does good work for others, but not for himself; a person who does things that is not good for himself is not good for others; and who does good to that person and is good to others as well. And what is it like to be a person who works well for himself but is not good for others? It is one who strives to eradicate greed, hatred and delusion within himself, but does not encourage others to eradicate greed, hatred and delusion. And what is it like to be a person who works well for others but is not good for himself? It is one who encourages others to eradicate greed, hatred and delusion, but does not strive to eradicate greed, hatred and delusion within himself. And what is it like to do things that are neither good for themselves nor good for others? It is one who does not strive to eradicate greed, hatred and delusion within himself, nor does he encourage others to eradicate greed, hatred and delusion. And what is it like to be a person who is good for himself and also good for others? It is one who strives to eradicate greed, hatred and delusion within himself and also encourages others to eradicate greed, hatred and delusion. (AN 4:76) 20. VIOLATIONS AND oppression There are, monks, three unwholesome roots: greed, hatred, and delusion. Greed, hatred and delusion of each kind are unwholesome. Those who are greedy, angry, and delusional who accumulate whatever kamma by actions, words, or thoughts, that is also unwholesome. [14] Such a person is overwhelmed by greed, hatred, and delusion, which control his thoughts whatever miseries he suffers under false pretexts [15]up another - by killing, imprisoning, confiscating property, false accusations or deportation, incited in this by the thought, "I have power and I want power" - all This is also unwholesome. In this way, many unwholesome and evil mental states arise in him, born of and born of greed, hatred and delusion, caused and conditioned by greed, hatred and delusion. (AN 3:69) Comment As our text makes clear, these three bad roots have a ghastly echo in society, as causes of cruelty and suffering. The Buddha spoke of these three roots as motives for the abuse of power, and the examples given in the text make it clear that he attributed it to political power: the abuse of power by the ruler even in times of war against the rulers. against the enemies of the country or in peacetime against the individual population of his country. During the Buddha's lifetime, he must have observed many instances of violence and oppression. You will also know that false pretexts to justify such abuse of power are used in times of war as well as in peace. The propaganda of lies against the enemies of the country, and slander chosen victims in the leader's own country, apparently existing even more than 2,500 years ago. In fact, all of those examples of violence and oppression mentioned by the Buddha today must have had a familiar arena. And, of course, the driving forces behind them remain the same: greed, hatred and delusion. However, in modern history, the central role has shifted towards delusion, operating under different invasive ideologies of religious, political or racial character. The driving forces behind them are still the same: greed, hatred, and delusion. However, in modern history, the central role has shifted towards delusion, operating under different invasive ideologies of religious, political or racial character. The driving forces behind them are still the same: greed, hatred, and delusion. However, in modern history, the central role has shifted towards delusion, operating under different invasive ideologies of religious, political or racial character. The Buddha may have been reminiscing about his life as a crown prince at his father's court when he said those moving words at the beginning of a discourse called "Using Violence" (Attadaṇḍa Sutta): Use of violence breeds terror: Look at the nation drawn into conflict! How this touched my heart, how I was aroused, I will tell now. Seeing crowds move in frenzy, Like schools of fish when the waters of a lake dry up; Seeing how people fought, I was terrified and beaten with terror. (Snp. etc.935-36) It is rare for the Buddha to speak of those darker aspects of contemporary society, but these texts indicate that he was a keen and compassionate observer. Collectively, all three of these bad roots are at work in the acts of violence and oppression to which our text is concerned. But in special cases any of these three roots may prevail, although the element of delusion, or ignorance, will always be present. In war, leaders may be motivated primarily by greed for territory, wealth, economic advantage or political supremacy; but to make war popular among their own people, they will make use of the propaganda of hatred to summon the will to fight. Si was the dominant force in the religious wars of the past, and in our present day there are still many ideological wars and revolutions, as well as religious persecutions. spear, politics and race in a country. In all these cases, delusion causes anger, and greed is often lurking in the background. Oppressive regimes, in their actions directly against sectors of their own populations, share this same motive. The interactions of the roots are sometimes complicated, by feeding each other as they grow. The Buddha understood well the mentality of the mighty, essentially unchanged over thousands of years. All of those misdeeds, from killing to deporting innocent victims, are committed out of greed for power - the enjoyment of power, the desire to secure it and the tendency to expand its sphere of influence. it. This lust for power is, of course, a complex obsession with authority. It threatens to surpass all who exercise authority over others, from ancient monarchs to modern dictators. Even the petty official was not spared: he took great pleasure in using his own small division of power and displaying signs of his power. V. Removing Unwholesome Roots 21. THE THREE BANKS AND REMOVAL OF INCREDIBLE CHARGES At one time Ānanda dwelt in the city of Kosambī, at the monastery of Ghosita. At that time a certain householder, a good son of the hermits Ājīvaka, went to meet the venerable Ānanda. After arriving, he greeted the venerable one and sat down to one side. Sitting like that, he said this to the venerable Ānanda: "Venerable Ānanda: What is it, whose doctrine is well-pronounced? Who are those who live virtuously in this life? Who are those who take good vows in this life?" [16] "Now, householder, I will ask you a question on this matter, and you may answer as you think is appropriate. Householder, what do you think: as to those who teach the doctrine of renunciation. greed, hatred and delusion, are well-declared doctrines? Or what do you think of this?" "I think their doctrine is well-proclaimed, sir." "Householder, then, what do you think: those whose conduct is directed towards the eradication of greed, hatred and delusion, do they live virtuously in this life? Or what do you think about this?" "I think they are virtuous, sir." "The householder, and furthermore, what do you think: those of them greed, hatred, and delusion have been eradicated, cut off by the roots, made bare like an oak tree, lifeless, incapable of in the future regrow again - are they virtuous in life? Or what do you think of this?" "Yes, sir, I think these are the virtuous ones in life." "Therefore, householder, you have accepted this: Well-proclaimed is the religion of those who teach doctrines aimed at the destruction of greed, hatred, and delusion. Those who are virtuous are those whose conduct is directed toward the destruction of their own. greed, hatred, and delusion. And those who take the oath are those who have eradicated greed, hatred and delusion and have completely destroyed within themselves." "Sir, it's wonderful! Sir, it's amazing! Neither exalts your religion, nor disparages other people's beliefs. Staying true to the subject, this doctrine is explained by you. Just talking about facts and bring no selfish authority in. "Sir, it is wonderful, very wonderful. It is as if you have put right back what has been turned upside down, revealed what is hidden, pointed the way to those who have lost their way, held a torch in the dark for those who have lost their way. those who have eyes can see what can be seen, so the teachings are expounded in various ways by the venerable Ānanda. "I now take refuge in the Avalokiteshvara, his teachings (Dharma), and the Sangha. May Master Ānanda accept me as a layperson from today until forever. such refuge." (AN 3:71) Comment This text introduces us to an anonymous layperson of the Ājīvaka hermits, the sect of naked hermits contemporaneous with the Buddha. The questioner must have been sensitive, and must have been bored with the self-promotion that he might find in his own sect and among other gurus of his time. So he wanted to test the Buddha's disciples to see if they would fall into self-pity. He even set a trap for the venerable Ānanda, by expressing his questions in terms of the famous Buddhist way of exalting the Three Jewels. Perhaps he expected Venerable nanda to answer thus: "These are the words we use, and we claim these achievements for our doctrine ., for our monks and for our Buddha . ' But the venerable Ānanda's reply was free from praising himself and criticizing others, which surprised and delighted him. And when the questioner understood, he grasped the profound meaning of the relevant venerable Ānanda's words. to the Three Jewels with the eradication of unwholesome roots.From emotional to admiration for the speaker and his teachings, the interrogator declared on the spot his admiration for the Triple Gem. This dialogue between a non-Buddhist and a Buddhist monk suggests that the teachings on these three roots can be immediately persuasive to anyone with an open mind and heart. It offers a practical non-religious approach to the very essence of the Dharma, even for those who are hesitant to accept other teachings. It is for this reason that the recognition of those three roots and their meanings elsewhere is called "visible doctrine" right away (Text 18) and doctrine that can be grasped without recourse to belief. , tradition or ideology (Text 29). It is easy to see that greed, hatred and delusion are at the root of all personal and social conflicts.All degrees and differences of greed, hatred and delusion are the root of suffering. However, even if they only understood the more extreme forms of the three states as the root causes of evil and unhappiness, such understanding, when applied in practice, would be immensely beneficial to themselves. and for society. From such initial understanding and application, it may not be too difficult for the honest-seeking mind to come to the conclusion that even the subtlest tendencies towards greed, hatred, and delusion are harmful - the seed from which the most destructive forms can arise. But the Dharma is a teaching step by step: extending from that initial understanding should be left to the natural development of each individual's own thorough understanding and experience that is not imposed on him or her. This is the attitude that the Enlightened One observes in his teaching. Following the example of Venerable Ānanda, it would also be helpful today if, for different levels of understanding, the actual message of the Dharma was formulated in terms of wholesome and unwholesome roots. In the simplicity as well as the profoundness of the Dharma, this teaching bears the conspicuous seal of Enlightenment. It is the teachings that will directly affect daily life, and will also reach the point of infinite use, showing the way beyond all suffering. 22. CAN DO IT Bhikkhus, destroy all that is unwholesome! Bhikkhus, a person can put an end to all that is unwholesome. If it is not possible, the Tathagata does not ask you to do so. If the eradication of this unwholesome thing brings harm and suffering, the Tathagata will not ask you to eradicate it. But when the destruction of the unwholesome brings benefit and happiness, therefore the Tathagata says, "Cast off the unwholesome!" Brethren, cultivate what is good! Monks, a person can cultivate what is good! If it is not possible, the Tathagata will not ask you to do so. If cultivating what is good will bring harm and suffering, the Tathagata will not ask you to cultivate it. But when cultivating what is wholesome brings benefit and happiness, thus the Tathagata says, "Cultivate what is wholesome!" (AN 2:19) Comment This text declares in simple and memorable words the human potential to accomplish good, thus invalidating the usual accusation that Buddhism is pessimistic. But as we well know, since man also has the potential to be violent towards evil, for there is little evidence for total optimism about man and his future. Which human potentials come to fruition - potential for good and for evil - is up to each individual's own choice. What makes a person a fully human being is confronting choices and using them. The realm of man's choices and precognition extends to the development of mindfulness and wisdom, The Buddha's hopeful words about the positive potential of man will be understood in their immense importance and in their fullness, if we remember that the benevolent and the unwholesome.unrestricted in the application of narrow ethics. Virtue that can be cultivated includes all beneficial things, including qualities of mind and heart that are indispensable for attaining the highest goal of final liberation. The unwholesome that can be eradicated includes even the slightest traces of greed, hatred and delusion. It is, in fact, a bold and exhilarating assurance - the real "lion's roar" - when the Buddha said, with such broad implications, that beneficial things can be cultivated and what harm can be eradicated. 23. THE GENERATION AND NO GENERATION OF THE REDUCES "Bhikkhus, there may be non-believers who will ask you: "Now, friends, what are the causes and conditions whereby unarisen greed arises and already arisen greed becomes stronger and more impactful?" "Graving objects," they should be told. One who pays unwise attention to an attractive object, greed that has not yet arisen in him will arise, and greed that has already arisen will become stronger and more impactful. "Now, friends, what are the causes and conditions by which anger that has not yet arisen will arise and that which has arisen becomes stronger and more impactful?" "Disgusting subjects," they should be told. One who unwisely focuses on an object of repulsion, anger that has not yet arisen in him will arise, and anger that has already arisen will grow stronger and more powerful. "Now, friends, what are the causes and conditions from which unborn delusion arises and delusion arises and then becomes stronger and more impactful?" "Attention is not wise," they should be told. One who is unwisely attentive, delusion that has not yet arisen in him will arise, and delusion that has already arisen will be stronger and more powerful. "Now, friends, what are the causes and conditions for unarisen greed not to arise and for the cessation of greed that has arisen?" "The object of (meditation) is impure," they should be told. One who gives wise attention to an impure (meditation) object, greed will not arise in him and the greed that has arisen will be eradicated. "Now, friends, what are the causes and conditions for unarisen anger not to arise and for the cessation of anger that has arisen?" "That loving-kindness is liberating the mind," they should be told. One who wisely focuses on loving-kindness is liberating the mind, the anger that has not yet arisen will not arise and the anger that has arisen will be eradicated. "Now, friends, what are the causes and conditions for unarisen delusion that has not arisen and for the cessation of delusion that has arisen?" "Wise attention," they should be told. One who pays unwise attention, delusion that has not yet arisen in him will not arise and delusion that has arisen will be eradicated. (AN 3:68) Comment This text focuses only on playing a decisive role in the arising and eradication of unwholesome roots. In the sutta "All Defilements" ( Sabhāsava Sutta , MN 2) "The common man is not guided... he neither knows what is interesting nor what is not. From then on he does not pay attention. to the remarkable and to its unremarkable." And about the well-guided disciple this sutta also says that he knows what is worthy of attention and what is not, and he acts in accordance with that. The commentary to that sutta observes very clearly: "There is nothing definite in the nature of things (or objects) in themselves that makes them worthy or unworthy of attention; but there is such a limitation in character ( ākāra) of attention The character of attentiveness provides the basis for the arising of akusala or akusala; (one) should not focus (on individual objects); but the kind of attention that is the foundation for the arising of good and wholesome (kusala), should give that kind of attention to the object." It is this kind of attention that follows in our present text called "wise attention" (yoniso manasikāra: rational attention). The former type of attention is "unwise attention (ayoniso manasikāra: unwise attention"), which elsewhere in the commentaries is called the proximate cause of delusion. Pleasure or displeasure - that is, potentially attractive or repulsive - are given to us as facts of common experience, but nothing in their own nature determines whether Will we react with lust for the gratifying object and aversion for the unsatisfactory object, or whether our attention will be directed instead by mindfulness and right view, resulting in right action. In some cases, it will also be possible and worthwhile to withdraw or completely divert attention from the object; and this is one of the methods introduced by the Buddha for turning unwholesome thoughts. (See Text 24 and Commentary.) We are free to choose in our very first reaction to the given experience, that is, in how we are very attentive to the object. But only if we direct our wise attention to the perceived object can we use our latent freedom of choice to our own real benefit. The realm of freedom can be further expanded if we train ourselves to cultivate wise attention to the point of right view. 24. FIVE METHODS FOR TRANSFERING URGENT IDEAS A bhikkhu who intends to focus on the higher mind (of meditation) should occasionally focus his attention on the five objects. What five topics? 1) If, when there is an object on which a bhikkhu has focused (wrongly), unwholesome thoughts accompanied by greed, [17] with hatred and with delusion arise in his mind, then he should pay attention. into another object, the object of association with what is good. When he is doing so, the evil unwholesome thoughts related to greed, hatred and delusion are eradicated and subsided in his mind. Because of them being eradicated, his mind becomes steady and stable, unified and concentrated.... 2) If, while giving attention to a wholesome object, unwholesome and evil thoughts associated with greed, hatred and delusion arise in the mind, then a bhikkhu should reflect on the danger in these thoughts. It is like this: "Indeed, for such and such reasons that these thoughts are unwholesome, they are reprehensible and lead to miserable results!" When he is reflecting in this way, those unwholesome and evil thoughts are eradicated and subsided in him. Because of them being eradicated, his mind becomes steady and stable, unified and concentrated... 3) If, reflecting on the danger in these thoughts, still unwholesome and evil thoughts related to greed, hatred and delusion arise in the mind, he should try not to notice them, not pay attention to them. When he does not pay attention to them, unwholesome and evil thoughts will be eradicated and settled in his mind. Because of them being eradicated, his mind becomes steady and stable, unified and concentrated.... 4) If, when he does not pay attention to these thoughts, there are still unwholesome evil thoughts related to greed, hatred and delusion arising in his mind, he should pay attention to divert the source of these thoughts. . [18] While he was doing so, those unwholesome and evil thoughts were eradicated and settled in his mind. Because of them being eradicated, his mind becomes steady and stable, unified and concentrated... 5) If, while he is attentive to turning the source of these thoughts, unwholesome thoughts arise in his mind, he should grind that and press his tongue against the roof of his mouth, restraining, calming reduce and prevent mind by mind. [19] When he is doing so, those unwholesome and evil thoughts are eradicated and settled in the mind. Because of them being eradicated, his mind becomes steady and stable, unified and concentrated... When those unwholesome evil thoughts related to greed, hatred and delusion, having arisen with (wrong) attention on the object, have been eradicated and settled in the bhikkhu's mind (through the application of the five methods). this), and when (thereby) his mind becomes steady and stable, united and concentrated - then that bhikkhu is called a master of the paths of thought: he will think thoughts he wants to think and will not think things he doesn't want to think. He has cut off craving, broken the chains (continued life) and with full insight into conceit he puts an end to suffering. (MN 20; Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta) [20] Comment This Discourse on the Turning of Unwholesome Thoughts was given by the Buddha to bhikkhus who are striving to meditate, especially in order to attain the jhānas ( jhāna) , which is the higher mind (adhicitta).mentioned in the sutta. But the five methods for stopping unwholesome thoughts are not limited to those who are practicing rigorous meditation. They are also helpful when greed, hatred, and delusion arise during less intensive visualizations performed by bhikkhus or laypeople. Even in situations of ordinary life, when a person is faced with the incoming unwholesome thoughts, these methods will prove effective, equipped one can focus his presence. need to be ready to apply them. While applying them, one is about to practice right effort, the sixth element of the Noble Eightfold Path. For the effort to overcome the unwholesome thoughts that have arisen is one of the four great efforts(sammappadhāna: four right efforts) , is the path factor of right effort. Thanks to the first methodhe tries to replace harmful thoughts with their beneficial opposites. The sutta gives the example of a carpenter replacing raw piles with the help of rod stakes. The commentary explains as follows: when an unwholesome thought of covetousness for a being arises, one should counter it by thinking of the impurity of the body; if one has desire for an inanimate object, one should consider its impermanence and its ownerless nature. In the case of anger towards a being, he should direct thoughts of loving-kindness and friendliness towards that being; one should channel resentment against inanimate objects and hostile situations by thinking about their impermanence and unrelated nature. When thoughts of confusion or self-deception arise, one should endeavor to clarify them and see them clearly as they are. The presentation of the sutta deals with the case of doing the opposite of undesirable thoughts as soon as they arise. For sustained success to substantially diminish and eventually eliminate them, one should cultivate wholesome roots with them whenever one encounters the opportunity to do so. Non-greed should be enhanced by acts of selflessness, generosity and renunciation; enter the yard through patience and compassion; non-delusion through the cultivation of clear thought and insight into reality. The second method for turning unwholesome thoughts is to evoke disgust and the feeling of danger associated with them. In the sutta there is a simile of a young man or a girl who feels disgust, humiliation, and disgust when the carcass of an animal is worn around his or her neck. Calling on the mind about the unworthiness of unwholesome thoughts will cause a feeling of shame (hiri) and disgust. Recognizing these unwholesome thoughts will cause the inhibition of "fear of the consequences" ( ottappa). This method of evoking disgust can also serve as an aid to reverting to the first method of "replacing good thoughts," unless the person now becomes able to check intrusive thoughts. enter via the second method. This method can be very effective when dealing in ordinary life with the need to quickly control the mind. By the third method one tries to ignore undesirable thoughts by turning the attention to other thoughts or activities. Here it is like closing your eyes at an unpleasant sight or looking in another direction. If this method is used during meditation, a temporary break from meditation may be required. For going elsewhere, annotate as examples recite, read or look at your bag (bag). Reciting or reading can also be helpful in addition to meditation. Until those disturbing thoughts have subsided, one can also take on some small task that requires attention. Fourth methodcited in the sutta by a man running fast and then asking himself: "why should I run?" and he slows down; then he continued his process of calming his activity by standing still, sitting, and lying down in turn. This comparison suggests that this method entails taming and refining gross unwholesome thoughts. But since this taming is a slow and gradual process, it cannot be appropriated in a meditative situation as it requires quicker curative action. Therefore, the explanation of the commentaries seems to be more appropriate: he detects unwholesome thoughts about the thoughts or actions that cause them to arise and then tries to shift the source of that thought out of his mind. It can often be easier than confronting the final major consequences directly. It will also help redirect the mind (according to the third method) from those unwholesome thoughts, which at this stage can be difficult to get rid of. Thus we can describe the fourth method as "discovering the source of thought". But from the longer-term intention of continuing to strive for the eradication of harmful thoughts, interpreting this method as gradual suppression and purification need not be excluded. Such purification can reduce the intensity and immoral nature of the three unwholesome roots and even redirect their energies into wholesome sources. It will also help redirect the mind (according to the third method) from those unwholesome thoughts, which at this stage can be difficult to get rid of. Thus we can describe the fourth method as "discovering the source of thought". But from the longer-term intention of continuing to strive for the eradication of harmful thoughts, interpreting this method as gradual suppression and purification need not be excluded. Such purification can reduce the intensity and immoral nature of the three unwholesome roots and even redirect their energies into wholesome sources. It will also help redirect the mind (according to the third method) from those unwholesome thoughts, which at this stage can be difficult to get rid of. Thus we can describe the fourth method as "discovering the source of thought". But from the longer-term intention of continuing to strive for the eradication of harmful thoughts, interpreting this method as gradual suppression and purification need not be excluded. Such purification can reduce the intensity and immoral nature of the three unwholesome roots and even redirect their energies into wholesome sources. But from the longer-term intention of continuing to strive for the eradication of harmful thoughts, interpreting this method as gradual suppression and purification need not be excluded. Such purification can reduce the intensity and immoral nature of the three unwholesome roots and even redirect their energies into wholesome sources. But from the longer-term intention of continuing to strive for the eradication of harmful thoughts, interpreting this method as gradual suppression and purification need not be excluded. Such purification can reduce the intensity and immoral nature of the three unwholesome roots and even redirect their energies into wholesome sources. The fifth and last method is the intense repression method. This method is applied when unwholesome thoughts have gained such strength that they threaten to become uncontrollable and situations of grave danger, both practically and morally, arise. . The sutta exemplifies this method by a strong man using only force to coerce the weaker. If one does not neglect to apply these five methods but also to practice meditation as well as under ordinary circumstances, one can expect to quickly and clearly weaken these three unwholesome roots, culminating in perfect mastery of the unwholesome thoughts promised at the end of the sutta. 25. BENEFITS FOR YOURSELF "Bhikkhus, for one's own benefit, mindfulness and vigilance should be exercised as a watcher of the mind, and this is for four reasons: "May my mind not harbor lust for whatever induces lust!" - for this reason, mindfulness and vigilance should be the watcher of the mind, in order to benefit oneself. "May my mind not harbor anger towards anything that induces anger!" For this reason, mindfulness and vigilance should act as a watcher of the mind, in order to benefit oneself. "May my mind not harbor delusion regarding anything that causes anger!" For this reason, mindfulness and vigilance should act as a watcher of the mind, in order to benefit oneself. "May my mind not be engrossed in anything enticing" for this reason mindfulness and vigilance should be the watcher of the mind, for one's own benefit. Now, bhikkhus, at that time a bhikkhu's mind does not contain lust for things that induce lust, because he is free from lust; then the bhikkhu's mind does not contain anger towards things that cause anger, because he is free from anger; at that time the mind of a bhikkhu does not contain delusion regarding what causes delusion, because he is free from delusion; when then a bhikkhu's mind is not infatuated with anything that fascinates, because he is free from indulgence - then such a bhikkhu will not be shaken, shaken or trembled, he will not dying of fear does not accept the views of other hermits. [21] (AN 4:17) 26. HIGH CAPACITY Monks, it is good for a bhikkhu to, from time to time: - he perceives repulsion in non-repulsiveness, - if he perceives non-repulsion in repulsion, - if he perceives repulsion in both non-repulsive and repulsive, - if he perceives non-repulsive in both repulsive and non-repulsive - if he avoids both (aspect) repulsive and non-repulsive, and lives with equanimity, mindfulness and clear understanding. But with what motive does a bhikkhu perceive repulsiveness in non-repulsiveness? "May no lust arise in me for lustful objects!" it is with such motivation that he should perceive in this way. With what motive does a bhikkhu perceive non-repulsiveness in repulsion? "May no anger arise in me towards objects of anger!" it is with such motivation that he should perceive in this way. With what motive does a bhikkhu perceive repulsion in the non-repulsive as well as in the repulsive? "May no lust arise in me for lust-inducing objects, nor aversion for hate-inducing objects!" it is with such motivation that he should perceive in this way. With what motive does a bhikkhu perceive non-repulsiveness in repulsiveness as well as in non-repulsiveness? "May no anger arise in me towards objects that induce anger nor lust towards objects that induce lust!" it is with such motivation that he should perceive in this way. With what motive should a bhikkhu avoid both repulsiveness and non-repulsion, and live with equanimity, mindfulness and clear understanding? "May lust for lust-inducing objects, aversion for lust-inducing objects, and delusion for deceptive objects never arise in me anywhere in this way!" it is with such a motive that he should avoid both repulsion and non-repulsion, and live with equanimity, mindfulness and clear understanding. (AN 5:144) Comment This five-way method for mastering perception is known in Pali as ariya-iddhi , which is translated as sublime power, sublime success, or sublime magic; or, you can choose another word, like power, success or miracles of the saints (ariya) . In its perfection, this ardent practice can be attributed only to the Arahants, as many sutras and commentaries indicate. But, as our text at the beginning, the Buddha recommended this training to bhikkhus in general, including those who still had three unwholesome roots in them. It is the eradication of these roots that is seen as motivating to continue this practice. In order to apply this five-way power, the following instructions have been given in Canon and the legends. [22] 1) To perceive repulsiveness in non-repulsiveness, he pervades all attractive beings with the visualization of bodily impurity; to inanimate objects of attraction, he applies the visualization of impermanence. 2) To perceive non-repulsiveness in repulsion, he pervades repulsive beings with loving-kindness and sees inanimate repulsive objects as consisting of four elements; but also sentient beings should be contemplated in the way of the four elements. 3) To perceive repulsion in both non-repulsive and repulsive, he pervades both with the visualization of impurity and applies contemplation of impermanence to them. Or, if he first judges a living being to be attractive and then repulsive, then he considers it non-repulsive from beginning to end, that is, from the point of view of impurity and impermanence. [23] 4) To perceive non-repulsion in both repulsive and non-repulsive, he pervades both with loving-kindness and conceives all as empty elements. Or, if he first judges a creature to be repulsive and then attractive, now he considers it non-repulsive from beginning to end; mean. According to the concept of loving-kindness and as the inclusion of the elements. 5) Avoiding both aspects, he applies six-factor equanimity about which it is said: "when perceiving (any of the six sense objects, including mental objects), he does not neither joy nor sadness, but keep the mind equanimity, mindfulness and clear understanding." He neither pursues the object of liking nor hates the object of dislike; and where others unknowingly allow delusion to arise, he does not give delusion a chance. He remains free from the six objects, armed with the six-factor equanimity that does not eradicate the naturally pure state of mind. The five methods of applying the divine powers of the saints have many applications. First, they are used in meditation, when images of repulsive or non-repulsive beings or objects appear in the mind. At such a time he can overcome attraction or irritation by dwelling on unproductive thoughts - such as loving-kindness or analysis into the elements - as long as needed to dispel afflictions. Second, these methods can be used in the face of everyday life when counterproductive ideas are concisely formulated and quickly applied. This will require prior familiarity with them and a quick mind. While encountering hateful people he may also think about their good qualities and the general nature of their being, along with their weaknesses and sufferings. When he meets a person who is physically attractive, he can clearly visualize that person's body also subject to aging and death. These five types of perception, when fully in the Arahant, manifest the high point in the mind's supreme mastery of the world of feelings and emotions. They indicate the state when responding to provoking objects, which, in the usual way, stand still too firmly, can be chosen at will. This method is different from that used in contemplation of feeling as indicated below (Text 31). Later on, the sensory values ​​of experience are accepted as they are, but by applying pure attention to them, he "suddenly stops" at the sensations themselves, not allowing them to grow into reactions. the fervor of lust or hatred. However, in this method of noble energy, meditators should not take feelings' values ​​for granted; he does not accept them as they are. He responds against the value of feeling (methods 1, 2), to balance responding to disgust and non-disgust (ways 3, 4), and to overcome both with mindful equanimity (methods). 5). These five ways thus constitute the subtle "miracle of transformation" by transforming pleasant and unpleasant feelings which, when they very often arise, can be transformed by will or replaced by equanimity. . Indeed, the mind that has gone through this training will pass the most severe test. Through that training, the mind becomes more and more controlled of its emotional reactions, and its inner independence from the influence of habits and passions. In the Satipatthana Sutta (Satipatthana Sutta)says, "He lives independently and is not attached to anything." These words conclude the statement that occurs after each exercise given in the sutta. In the light of the above contemplations, it makes sense that they also appear after the contemplation of feeling seen in that sutta. According to our text, the aim of cultivating noble power is the eradication of greed, hatred, and delusion. In the disciplined mind in this thorough training, the root afflictions cannot find fertile ground for growth. This training also provides an empirical foundation for understanding the true nature of sensations as relative and subjective. These five ways of noble energy demonstrate in a convincing manner. The relativity of feelings and of the emotions they arouse are succinctly expressed by Āryadeva (2nd century C.E.): By the same thing lust is incited in one, anger in another, delusion in the next. Since then, sense objects (the six senses) have no inherent value. (Catuḥ-Sataka, 8:177) Fully applying this sublime power is the domain of only true sages, arahants, whose mastery of mind and will-power is tantamount to the task of easy use of it. But also on much lower levels, the most diligent effort to develop this noble capacity will be of immense benefit. In the text here commented on above, the Buddha does not limit the cultivation of noble powers to arahants, but begins his explanation with the words: "It is good for the bhikkhu.. ." We might add: not only for the bhikkhu. However, the practice of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna)Priority will be indispensable. Of the special importance of contemplating feeling, by which one learns to distinguish between feeling associated with perception and the subsequent emotional response to it. BECAUSE. Transformation through Mindfulness and Awareness 27. EMOVED BY VISION What, bhikkhus, are things that can neither be eradicated by bodily actions nor by words, but can be eradicated by seeing them wisely? Greed may not be eradicated by bodily actions nor by words; but can be eradicated by seeing it wisely. Hatred can neither be eradicated by bodily actions nor by words; but it can be eradicated by seeing it wisely. Sila can neither be eradicated by bodily actions nor by words; but it can be eradicated by seeing it wisely. (AN 10:23) Comment "Seeing wisely," according to the commentary, here refers to the wisdom associated with the paths of liberation with insight that culminates in the paths. From this interpretation the term eradication must be understood here in the strict sense, as final and complete cessation, effective by realizing the paths of liberation (stream-entry, etc.). However, the weakening of unwholesome roots can be as effective as body and speech, by restraining more and more their outward manifestations in action and speech motivated by greed, hatred, and delusion. The phrase "see wisely" can serve to emphasize the crucial importance of mindfully observing the presence or absence of unwholesome roots in one's own mind-stream. Repetitive confrontation with them prepares the way to liberating wisdom. 28. FROM THE GREAT ORIGINAL Sutta (SATIPAṬṬHĀNA SUTTA) Bhikkhus, and how does a bhikkhu live the practice of contemplating the mind in the mind? Here the bhikkhu knows the mind has lust as there is lust; mind without lust as there is no lust; mind has anger like anger; mind without anger as without anger; mind has si as there is si; mind without delusion is like no delusion... Thus he lives the practice of contemplating the mind in the mind, internally and externally, or both internally and externally. He lives contemplating the states that arise in the mind, or he lives contemplating the states dissolving in the mind, or he lives contemplating the states both arising and dissolving in the mind. Or he is mindful that "there is mind" is stabilized in him to the extent necessary for wisdom and awareness. He lives independently, not clinging to anything in life. (MN 10) 29. ON FAITH "Bhikkhus, is there a way by which a bhikkhu does not resort to faith, to cherished views, to tradition, to reasoning that seems reasonable, or to favoring views. more precognised, can declare the final knowledge (of the Arahant), thus: 'Birth is over, has lived the holy life, has fulfilled its duty, and nothing is left behind. this'? "There is such a way, bhikkhus. And what is it? Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu has heard a sound, smelled an odor, tasted a taste, felt an obvious sensation or perceive an object of mind, and if greed, hatred and delusion are in him, he know 'There is greed, hatred and delusion in me'; and if greed, hatred and delusion are absent in him, he knows 'There is no greed, hatred and delusion in me now.' Furthermore, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu has heard sounds, smelled scents, tasted flavors, felt palpable sensations or perceive objects of mind, and if greed, hatred, and delusion are present in him, taste he knows 'There is greed, hatred and delusion in me'; and if greed, hatred and delusion are absent in him, he knows 'There is no greed, hatred and delusion in me now.' And if he so knows, bhikkhus, are these ideas so known through faith, from cherished views, from tradition, from seemingly logical reasoning, or to prefer preconceived views?" "Sir, certainly not." "Aren't these ideas rather known after having discernedly realized them through experience?" Sir, that's right." "Bhikkhus, this is the way through which a bhikkhu, without resorting to faith, to cherished views, to tradition, to seemingly logical argument, or to favoring views more precognised, can declare the final knowledge (of the Arahant), thus: 'Birth is over, has lived the holy life, has fulfilled its duty, and nothing is left behind. here'" (SN 47:12) 30. THE SEE ALSO [24] On one occasion the Venerable Upavāna came to the Venerable One, bowed respectfully, and sat down to one side. Sitting like this, the great Buddha told the Buddha as follows: "People talk about 'visible teachings.' Venerable sir, how far can teachings be seen here and now, with immediate results, invite to see, lead upward, directly experienced by the wise experience?" "Here, Upavāna, a bhikkhu who has seen form with his eyes, experiences that form, and experiences desire for that form. [25] As to craving for form present in him, he knows : 'There is now a desire in me for form.' If a bhikkhu, having seen form with his eyes, experiencing that form and experiencing desire for that form, knows that craving for form is present in him - to some extent, Upavāna, is teaching can be seen here and now, immediate results, invited to see, led upwards, directly experienced by the wise. "Similarly if a bhikkhu experiences craving when he hears sounds with his ears, smells odors with his nose, tastes tastes with his tongue, feels tactile sensations with his body, or perceives mind If he knows in each case that desire is present in him - to some extent, Upavāna, which is a teaching that can be seen here and now, has immediate results, please come. to see, to lead upwards, to be experienced directly by the wise. Furthermore, Upavāna, a bhikkhu who sees form with his own eyes experiences it and does not experience covetousness for it. Concerning the absence of desire for form, he knows: 'Currently there is no desire in me for form.' If a bhikkhu, having seen form with his eyes, experiencing that form without experiencing craving for that form, knows that craving for form is not present in him - to some extent, so too , Upavāna, is the teaching that can be seen here and now, has immediate results, invited to be seen, led upwards, directly experienced by the wise. "Similarly if a bhikkhu does not experience craving when he hears sounds with his ears, smells odors with his nose, tastes tastes with his tongue, feels tactile sensations with his body, or perceives it. If he knows in each case that desire is not present in him - to some extent, Upavāna, the teaching that can be seen here and now, has immediate results, invited to see, to lead upwards, to be experienced directly by the wise." (SN 35:70) Comments on Texts 28-30 When thoughts related to attachment (desire, attraction), hatred (anger, aversion) or delusion (prejudice, wrong view) arise in the untrained mind, one often reacts. respond to them in one of two ways: either allowing oneself to be carried away by them or one tries to suppress them. The first type of reaction is to completely identify with the unwholesome roots; The second extreme is to try to ignore their presence, to avoid confronting them. In the latter case, one views the defiled thoughts as the unclean part of the mind, harmful to one's self-esteem, and thus obliterates them from one's perception. The method of pure attention , as indicated in the above texts, is the middle way (middle way) avoiding these two extremes. It involves neither passive submission nor aversion to fear, but full awareness of unwholesome thoughts while keeping the inner pillar of observation detached from emotions. These thoughts will then be seen simply as psychological events, as subjectless and conditioned (conditioned) mental processes, as "pure phenomena that continue to pass by" ( suddhadhammā pavattanti).. Thus, when made objective, they will no longer initiate emotional reactions of attachment, aversion, or fear. Bare attention empties self-referential thoughts, and avoids identifying them as imaginary self. Thus confronting even one's own vices can lead to clear realization of selflessness. From this can arise again the state of mind described in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta : "He lives independently (separate from emotions), clinging to nothing." It will now be understood why, in Texts 18 and 30, it is said that even recognizing unwholesomeness within oneself can make teachings "visible here and now." The application of independent awareness (emotional detachment) can be said according to the first method of Text 24, replacing the unwholesome thoughts that have arisen with the wholesome thoughts of mindfulness. Even if one is not completely successful with this method, the truth-based awareness of the inherent dangers, according to the second method, can prove effective. Otherwise, the person may then be forced to use the stronger emotional force of disgust to eliminate them. 31. TRANSFORMING THROUGH QUAN THO Bhikkhus, in the case of pleasant feelings, the basic inclination towards sensual pleasures should be abandoned; in the case of painful feelings the basic tendency towards resistance (aversion) should be abandoned; in the case of neutral life span, the basic tendency to ignore should be abandoned. If a bhikkhu has given up the tendency to covetousness in connection with pleasant feelings, the tendency to resist with regard to painful feelings, and the tendency to ignore it in relation to neutral feelings, then he is said to be freed from the inclinations. unwholesome, who has the right view (opinion). He cuts off craving, cuts off the shackles of the continuation of life, and by fully understanding self-nature he puts an end to suffering. [26] If he feels happy, but does not know the nature of sensations, Turning to greed, he will not find liberation. If one feels suffering, but does not know the nature of feeling, Turning to anger, one will not find liberation. And even for neuter life which is peaceful , the Lord of Wisdom once declared, If, in attachment, one should cling to it, He will not be freed from the cycle of suffering. But if a bhikkhu is diligent and undistracted, Practice mindfulness and clear understanding, Will penetrate the nature of all sensations. And have done so in this life He will be free from defilements and all stains. Mature understanding, steadfast in all the paths of the Dharma, Once his life ends, his body disintegrates, He will surpass all measure and concept. Comment In these three basic tendencies ( anusaya), we encounter three unwholesome roots under other names. These tendencies are the afflictions that, by happening again and again, become familiar responses to situations that provoke greed, hatred, and delusion and from there tend to reappear again and again. They may also be called the inherent dispositions of the mind. Beneath the mind-stream in a dormant state, they are always ready to burst forth when the stimulus prompts them, manifesting themselves as unwholesome actions, words, and thoughts. By each growing into basic tendencies, these three roots take the most stubborn place in the mind. Even virtuous conduct (sīla: precepts) and concentration(samādhi), they themselves cannot defeat these tendencies; At best they can only control their outward manifestations. To uproot these tendencies at a profound level requires vipassanā-paññā wisdom (vipassanā-paññā) aided by morality and concentration. The meditative wisdom needed to uproot all three tendencies must have the power to gain. in the last two stages of liberation: non-returner and arahant. [27] The non-returner eliminates all resistance or aversion, that is, the root "hate"; lustful tendencies, that is. root "greed", he eradicates as far as it extends to covetousness in the five sense objects. The Arahant destroys the residual tendency towards lust, craving for the form world and the formless world, and with all the ignorance, root 'delusion' tendencies. Although incapable of bringing about the final liberating effect of the basic tendencies, virtuous restraint in bodily and verbal actions helps reduce the dynamic formation of new unwholesome tendencies , and It helps to control the inner source of such tendencies, at least temporarily. The meditative wisdom attained at the lower levels of the paths and noble fruits will provide the foundation for gradual progress towards the full maturity of liberating wisdom. Vedanānupassanā is the type of insight meditation that is most effective in weakening and transforming these basic tendencies . It is the uncontrolled reaction to sensations that produces and nourishes these tendencies. According to Buddhist psychology, the feelings a person experiences passively in sensory experience are morally neutral. They are the results of karma, not the creators of karma. The reaction itself It is for the sensations that follow the passive sensory encounters that determine the wholesome or unwholesome character of the dynamically responding mental states. In contemplating feeling, one clearly realizes that pleasant feeling is not the same as lust without needing to follow it; that painful feeling is not the same as aversion and there is no need to follow it; that neutral feeling is not the same as thoughts of not knowing, deceiving themselves, and need not follow them. In that practice, meditators learn to stop merely experiencing pleasant, painful, and neutral sensations. By doing so, one begins to determine in cutting the chain of causation at the decisive point when feeling becomes the condition for craving (vedanāpaccayā taṇhā).Thus it becomes the unquestionable experience of the meditator that the causal chain of feeling and craving is not a necessary chain, and that the Buddha's exhortation is correct: "He can destroy unwholesomeness. If you can't, the Tathagata will not ask you to do so." (See Text 22.) VII. Purpose 32. Nirvana can be seen When greed, hatred, and delusion are eradicated, he does not aim to harm himself, nor to harm others, nor to harm both, and he will not suffer pain and sorrow in his mind. In that sense Nirvana is visible here and now. If he experiences the cessation of greed, the cessation of anger, and the cessation of delusion, in that sense Nibbana can be seen here and now, with immediate results, invite to see, upward, gain directly experienced wisdom. (AN 3:56) 33. WHAT IS NIRVANA? A wanderer named Jambukhādaka approached the venerable Sariputta and asked him the following question: "People talk about 'Nirvana.' Now, what is that nirvana, friend?" "That's the eradication of greed, the cessation of anger, and the cessation of delusion - friend, this is called Nirvana." "Friend, but is there any way, is there any way to realize that Nirvana?" "Yes, my friend, there is a way like this, there is a way to realize that Nirvana. That is the Noble Eightfold Path, that is, right view, right thinking, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, mindfulness and right concentration." (SN 38:1) 34. TWO TYPES OF NIRVANA This was said by the Buddha, said by the Noble One, and thus I have heard: "Bhikkhus, there are two kinds of Nirvana: Nirvana with residue ( sa-upādisesa-nibbadhātu) and Nibbāna without residue (anupādisesa-nibbānadhātu). Now what is residual Nirvana? Bhikkhus, in the case of a bhikkhu who is an arahant: he has been liberated from defilements, has lived the holy life, has fulfilled his duty, has cast off his burdens, has attained the goal of cutting off the defilements. chain of continuity of life and liberation through right knowledge. But there are still with him (until his death) five sense-organs that have not disappeared and through this he still experiences gratification and displeasure, as well as bodily pleasure and pain. Ending greed, hatred and delusion in him, this is called Nirvana of Defilement or Nirvana with remainder. And what is nirvana without residue? In that case, bhikkhus, the bhikkhu is an Arahant... liberated by right knowledge. All sensations in him no longer taste and enjoy, right here (at the time of his death) will be annihilated. This is called the Five Aggregates of Nirvana, or Nirvana without residue." (Itiv.44; adapted from a translation by Nyanatiloka Mahāthera). 35. HAPPINESS OF FREEDOM The Arahant, he knows this: "In the past there was greed, and that was bad; now that's gone and that's good. Before there was anger, and that was bad; now that's gone, and that's good. Before there was delusion, and that was bad; now that is no more, and that is good." Thus the Arahant lives, throughout his life, free from the lust of craving, having quenched and cooled the flames of ambition, feeling happy, with his mind becoming a saint. (AN 3:66) * Note: [1] See The Wheel of Birth and Death, Bhikkhu Khantipalo (Wheel No. 147/149), p.16 [2] The mundane ( lokiya) is all the cittas - arising in worldly people as well as in the noble ones (ariya) - not together with the supramundane paths and fruits of stream-entry, etc.. The supramundane type ( lokuttara ) ) of good denotes the four paths and four fruits of stream-entry, one-returner, non-returner and arahant. [3] Comment: there is no knowledge regarding the (truth of) suffering, etc.. [4] The Buddhist scriptures speak of the five "mortal sins" - killing the father, killing the mother, killing the Arahat, hurting the Buddha, and deliberately causing division of the Sangha. [5] For "false views with fixed consequences" (niyata-micchā-diṭṭhi), see Apaṇṇaka Sutta (Wheel No. 98-99) p.23 [6] Mara: the word personifies the forces that oppose enlightenment. [7] The term 'group of embodiments' ( sakkaya) in relation to the ephemeral personality consists of five groups: body, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. [8] Literally, "leading through" (nibbedha-gāminī). This concerns the penetration, or destruction, of the afflictive mass. [9] "Holy realm" is Nirvana. [10] "By perfect wisdom" (sammad-aññāya). Aññā is the highest wisdom, or enlightenment, attained by the Arahant. [11] The former gods died and fell from their heavenly realms because of anger, the latter because of their licentiousness. See Kinh Pham Vong (DN 1). [12] By rebirth. [13] For a more complete objection during the Buddha's lifetime, see The Snake Simile (MN 22), translation of Nyanaponika Thera (Wheel No.48/49), pp.13.16.39. [14] The verb abhisaṅkharoti , "to accumulate, to accumulate", refers to the accumulation of karma by intentional kamma-actions (saṅkhāra), here unwholesome . The commentary explains the fact that greed, hatred, and delusion are not only unwholesome in themselves, but are also the roots for future unwholesome and evil conditions. [15] Asatā; Literally: false, untrue. [16] The words used here, "skillful preachers" (svākhāta), "good conduct" (supaṭipanna) and "skillful ones" (sugata) are key words in the well-known way to Praise the Dharma, Sangha and Buddha [17] Here the Pāli word used is chanda , not rāga (lust) or lobha (greed). [18] This passage is translated according to the commentary of the sutta explaining that the word saṅkhāra (in the group of words vitakka-saṅkhāra-saṇṭhāna) is due to conditions, causes or roots. This group of words could be translated in another sense as "to quieten thought formations." [19] That is, he must restrain the unwholesome state of mind by means of kusala citta, that is, by his own efforts to turn those unwholesome thoughts. [20] For the complete translation, including the commentary, see The Removal of Distracting Thoughts, translation by Soma Thera (Wheel No.21). [21] That is, other religious and philosophical ideas. [22] Compiled from the Paṭisambhidā Magga and the commentaries of the School of Sutras and of the Sangha. [23] "There is a change in one's own attitude toward a person or through a change in the person's character (or behavior)." Sub-Commentary of the Central Sutras. [24] See also Text 18. [25] Although this text deals only with rāga, "lustful," the sentences in it are also effective with the reaction to the six sense-consciousness (six-sensory perception) due to anger and delusion. [26] The most "conceited" is related to "self" ( asmi-māna), both intellectually and emotionally. [27] See Manual of Insight, Ledi Sayadaw (Wheel No.31/32), pp.81 ff. -ooOoo- - 5 - FIVE OBSTACLES Introduction The unshakable liberation of the mind is the highest aim of the Buddha's doctrine. Here, liberation means: the mind is free from all limitations, the chains and shackles that bind it to the Circle of Suffering, to the Round of Rebirth. Meaning: the mind is clean of all defilements that spoil its purity; transfer all obstacles hindering the progress of the mind from the mundane (lokiya) to the supramundane (lokuttara-citta), that is the mind of arahant. Many obstacles block the path of spiritual progress, but there are five of their own, under the name of hindrance ( nīvaraṇa), commonly referred to in Buddhist scriptures: 1) Lust (kāmacchanda) 2) Anger (byāpāda) 3) Laziness and drowsiness (sleepiness) (thīna-middha) 4) Restlessness and remorse (uddhacca-kukkucca) 5) Doubt ( vicikicchā) They are called "obstacles" because they hinder and cover the mind in many ways, hindering the development (bhāvanā) of the mind. According to Buddhist teachings, there are two ways of developing the mind: by meditation (samathā-bhāvanā) and by insight meditation (vipassanā-bhāvanā ). Concentration is achieved through fully concentrated mind throughout the jhānas . In order to attain these jhānas, at least temporarily overcoming the five hindrances is a prerequisite. Especially in the context of attaining the jhānas where the Buddha often mentioned the five hindrances in his teachings. There are five main mental factors that represent the first jhāna (first jhāna), and are therefore called jhāna factors (jhānaṅga). According to the Buddhist hermeneutics tradition, for one of these factors there is one of the five hindrances that are clearly harmful to that jhāna and prevent the higher development and purity required for meditation and the face. otherwise, cultivating these five factors above their average will be the antidote against obstacles and prepare the way to the jhānas. The relationship between these two groups of five is indicated in this anthology, under the heading of the respective hindrance. Not only the jhānas but also the lower levels of concentration are prevented by these five hindrances. So access concentration (upacārasamādhi) is the first stage of contentment (appanā) attained in jhāna. Likewise eliminating the presence of the five hindrances is that momentary concentration (khaṇikasamādhi) has the power of access concentration and requires mature insight (vipassanā). But apart from these higher stages of development, any most diligent effort to think clearly and live pure will be severely affected by the presence of these five hindrances. This widespread harmful effect of the five hindrances indicates the urgent need to break their power by constant effort. One is not confident enough to direct one's efforts to the hindrances the moment one sits down to meditate. Such a last-minute effort while suppressing obstacles will rarely succeed without prior efforts in one's ordinary life. One who earnestly desires the unshakable liberation of the mind should therefore choose the clear "working ground" (karmic base) of direct and practical content: kammaṭṭhāna [1]in its broader sense, upon which the structure of one's entire life is based. Grasping that "working ground" quickly, never losing its sight for long, even by itself, would be a remarkable and encouraging advance in mind control and development, for in that way the commanding and purposeful energy will be greatly enhanced. One who has chosen to conquer the five hindrances for "working earth" should examine the five strongest in his own case.He should then carefully observe how, and under what circumstances. , they often appear. He should know better the positive forces in his own mind so that each of these obstacles can be best countered and, ultimately, conquered; and he should also examine one's life for any opportunity to develop these qualities which, in the following pages, are indicated under the headings of mental faculties (indriya), the element of meditation ( jhānaṅga), and enlightenment factors (bojjhaṅga). In some cases, the added meditation topics will help to overcome the respective obstacles. However, by people (puthujjana) [2] only temporarily suspends and partially weakens the obstacles that can be achieved. The final complete obliteration occurs on the stages of the noble path ( ariyamagga) : Doubt is eliminated at the first stage, entering the noble path (sotāpatti-magga). Greed , hatred and repentance are eradicated in the third stage of the noble path, the non-returning noble path (anāgami-magga). Laziness and drowsiness and restlessness (laxity and restlessness) are eliminated in the path of arahantship (arahatta-magga). Hence the reward of the struggle against the obstacles is not only the limited thing that can be done in a short or long meditation state, but gradually weakening these obstacles brings us closer to the holy levels, where liberation is possible. freedom from these hindrances is unshakable. Although most of the following texts, translated from the Buddha's suttas and commentaries, are addressed to bhikkhus, they are equally valid for those who live the worldly life. As the Elders say: "a bhikkhu ( bhikkhu) is used here as an example of someone who earnestly practices this Teaching. Whoever undertakes that practice is included here in the term '' bhikkhu.'" I. Popular Texts There are five hindrances and hindrances, which grow so quickly that the mind loses its ability to understand and comprehend. Five what? Lust is a hindrance and hindrance, it grows so quickly that the mind loses its ability to understand and understand. Anger... Laziness, sleepiness... Restlessness and repentance... Doubts are hindrances and hindrances that grow so rapidly that the mind loses its ability to understand. Without passing this year, it is not possible for a bhikkhu to know him thoroughly, lacking strength and power, to know his own true good, the good of others, and the good of the whole. two; nor will he be able to realize the sublime state of special attainment, the knowledge and outlook that make it possible to attain the noble path. But if a bhikkhu has overcome these five hindrances and obstacles, which develop so rapidly that the mind loses insight, then it is quite possible that, with steady insight, he can know the true good of oneself, the good of others and the good of both; and he will be able to realize the special state of attainment, the knowledge and outlook that make it possible to attain the noble path. (AN 5:51) The mind of a person overwhelmed by insatiable desires will do what he should not do and be indifferent to what he should do. And so, that person's good reputation and happiness will be dissipated. A person's mind is filled with anger . And so, that person's good reputation and happiness will perish. But if a noble disciple had ever seen these five as mental afflictions, he would have abandoned them. And in doing so, he is regarded as a man of great wisdom, rich in wisdom, with insight, endowed with much wisdom. This is called "the gift of wisdom." (AN 4:61) There are five impurities in gold that are damaged because it is not malleable and unworkable, lacks shine, is brittle and cannot be finely crafted. What are these five impurities? Sharp, bronze, brass, lead and silver. But if gold does not have these five impurities, then it will be malleable, easy to work with, shiny and strong, and can be finely crafted. Whatever kind of jewelry one wishes to be made from it, be it a crown, earrings, necklace of gold, it will serve that purpose. Similarly, there are five impurities in the mind that are corrupt because they make the mind inflexible and unwieldy, lacking in luminous wisdom and constancy, and unable to concentrate well to eradicate the stains (āsava). What are these five impurities? They are: lust, anger, laziness, sleepiness, restlessness, repentance, and doubt. But if the mind is free from these five impurities, it will be malleable, easy to use, will be lucid and steadfast, and will be well focused to eradicate the stains. Whatever state can be realized by higher mental functions than one can direct the mind to, in each case one will attain the faculty of perception, if other conditions are fulfilled. (AN 5:23) How does a bhikkhu practice contemplation in the dhamma of the five hindrances? Here, bhikkhus, when lust exists in the mind he knows, 'There is lust in me,' or when lust is absent he knows, 'There is no lust in me now' He knows how. arising of desire has not yet arisen; he knows to give up the desire that has arisen; and he knows in the future how to not arise desire has been abandoned. When anger is present in the mind he knows, "There is anger in me," or when anger is absent he knows, "There is no anger in me now" He knows how to arise of anger that has not yet arisen. initiate; he knows to give up the anger that has arisen; and he knows in the future how not to arise anger has given up. When laziness and sleepiness are present in the mind he knows, "There is laziness and sleepiness in me," or when laziness and sleepiness are absent he knows, "There is no laziness and sleepiness in me. "He knows how the arising of laziness and sleepiness have not yet arisen; he knows to give up laziness and sleepiness has arisen; and he knows in the future how laziness and sleepiness will not arise. When restlessness and repentance are present in the mind he knows, "There is restlessness and repentance in me," or when restlessness and repentance are absent he knows, "There is no restlessness and remorse in me. "He knows how restlessness and remorse have not arisen; he knows to give up restlessness and repentance has arisen; and he knows in the future how not to arise restlessness and repentance has given up. When doubt exists in the mind he knows, "There is doubt in me," or when doubt is absent he knows, "There is no doubt in me now." He knows how doubts arise that have not yet arisen. initiate; he knows to give up doubt that has arisen; and he knows in the future how to not arise doubt has given up. (MN.10; Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta ) To note right away mindfully, the arising of one of the hindrances, as introduced in the preceding text, is a simple and very effective method of opposing these and any other hindrances. Any other afflictions of the mind against their recurrence are cultivated. This method is based on the simple psychological fact described by commentators as follows: "A good and bad thought cannot arise in combination. Therefore, at the moment of knowing lust (which has arisen in moment before), that lust ceases to exist (but only the act of knowing)." II. Separate Obstacles Just as this body, bhikkhus, lives on food, lives on food, doesn't live without food - in the same way, bhikkhus, the five hindrances live on food, depending on food food, do not live without food. (SN 46:2) 1. lust a) Nourishing of Greed There are beautiful objects, often giving unwise attention to them - this is the nourishment for the arising of lust that has not yet arisen, and the nourishment for the increase and reinforcement of the lust that has already arisen. (SN 46:51) b) Not Cultivating Lust There are impure objects (used in meditation); often give them wise attention - this is not cultivating the arising of lust that has not yet arisen, and not cultivating the increase and strengthening of lust that has arisen. (SN 46:51) Six things lead to the eradication of craving: (1) Learn to meditate on impure objects; (2) Concentrate yourself on meditating on the subject of impurity; (3) Guarding the sense doors; (4) Eat in moderation (5) Noble friendship; (6) Appropriate discussion (Commentary of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta) 1 & 2. Learn to meditate on impure objects; Focus yourself on meditating on the subject of impurity. (a) The subject of impurity One who devotes himself to meditating on impure subject matter, aversion to beautiful objects is firmly established in him. This is the result. (AN 5:36) The "dirty subject matter" is relevant, especially to the meditation on corpses, as given in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and explained in the Visuddhi-magga ; but it also deals with the repulsive aspects of the five sense objects in general. (b) Body repulsion "Bhikkhus, here a bhikkhu reflects only on this body, wrapped in skin and covered with various impurities from the heels up and down from the crown of the head: 'There is in this body: hair, hair , nails, teeth, skin, flesh, tendons, bones, marrow, kidneys, heart and liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, lymph, saliva, mucus, synovial fluid, urine (and intracranial brain)." (MN 10) With bones and tendons woven together, With flesh and cells smeared with slime, And hidden in the skin, this body Doesn't appear as it really is... Fools think it's beautiful, Its Ignorance misleads it.. (Sutta Nipāta, v.194-199) (c) Other visualizations The sense objects (the five sense objects) give little pleasure, but more suffering and much frustration; danger in them prevails. (MN 14) Displeasure overwhelms the carefree person in the disguise of gratification, the uninteresting overwhelms him in the disguise of the pleasurable, the painful in the disguise of the joy. (Udāna, 2:8) 3. Guarding the sense doors How does he guard the sense doors? Here, a bhikkhu, having seen form, does not hold on to its appearance (deception) as a whole (general), nor does it grasp its details (personal characteristic). If his gaze consciousness is unchecked, greed, grief, and other evil and unwholesome states will flow into him. So he practices for the sake of controlling it, he guards the sense of vision, he begins to restrain it. Having heard a sound... smelled a scent... tasted a taste... felt a touch... perceives the object of mind, he does not hold on to its appearance (deception) as a whole. .. he began to restrain it. (SN 35:120) There are forms that can be perceived by the eye, desirable, endearing, agreeable, endearing, associated with desire, lust arises. If a bhikkhu does not delight in them, does not cling to them, does not welcome them, then in him he does not delight in them like that, does not cling to them and does not welcome them, delighting (in them). these rupas) cease; If pleasure is absent, there is no dependence. There are sounds that can be perceived by the ear... objects of mind (dhammas) that can be perceived by the mind... if there is no pleasure there is no dependent object. (SN 35:63) 4. Moderation in Eating How is he in moderation in eating? Here the bhikkhu takes food after contemplating wisdom: not for the sake of amusement, for conceit, to beautify this body or to adorn it (with muscular muscles); but only for the purpose of maintaining and preserving this body, in order to avoid disasters and to support the condition of a holy life, thinking: "In this way I will eliminate old painful feelings and not allow new feelings to arise. live a long, error-free and healthy life." (MN 2; MN 39) 5. Noble Friendship This is especially relevant here with those of you who have experienced and can be an example and aid in the control of such craving, especially in meditation on impurity. But the same applies to noble friendships in general. The two-way interpretation remains true for other obstacles, subject to changes. "Ānanda, the whole holy life is noble friendship, noble companionship, noble association. Ānanda, about the bhikkhu who has noble companions, noble companions, noble companions. noble, it is to be expected that he will cultivate and practice the Noble Eightfold Path." (SN 45:2) 6. Appropriate Discussion This is particularly relevant here in the discussion of the control of sensual desire, particularly the meditation on impurity. But it also applies to any appropriate conversation to propel the person forward on the path. The same explanation holds for other hindrances that vary accordingly. If a bhikkhu's mind is inclined to speak, he (remember this); "Talking is low, coarse, mundane, not noble, does not lead to separation, does not come out of passion, does not lead to cessation, does not lead to concentration, does not lead to higher knowledge, does not lead to enlightenment, does not lead to nirvana, it is about kings, robbers and ministers, about armies, dangers and wars, food and drink, clothes pants, beds, wreaths, perfume, relatives, cars, villages, towns, cities, about women and wine, gossip in the streets and by wells, talking about ancestors, about other trivia, about the origin of the world and the ocean, But speaking of the ascetic life, appropriate talk to express the mind, talk leading to complete detachment (independence), freedom from passion, cessation, concentration, higher knowledge, enlightenment Enlightenment and reaching Nirvana, that is to say about the frugal life, about contentment, solitude, alienation from society, about arousing one's diligence, morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation , about the view and knowledge of liberation - I will treat it like that." Thus he is well aware of it. These also help to conquer lust - One-pointedness, belonging to the elements of meditation (jhānaṅga: elements of meditation); - Mindfulness, belonging to the mental function (indriya: faculty); - Mindfulness, belonging to the enlightenment factors (bojjhaṅga: enlightenment factor) . c) Example If there is a pot of water in it mixed with red, yellow, blue or orange, a person with normal vision, looking into it, cannot properly recognize and see an image of his or her own face. Likewise, when one's mind is possessed by lust, overpowered by lust, one cannot properly see freedom from lust that has arisen; then he does not understand correctly and does not see his own benefit, nor that of others, nor for both; and the same texts memorized long ago do not appear in his mind, not talking about things that cannot be remembered. (SN 46:55) 2. HATE a) Nourishing of Hatred There are objects of aversion; often give unwise attention to them - this is the nourishment for the arising of anger that has not yet arisen, and to increase and strengthen the anger that has already arisen. (SN 46:51) b) Not Cultivating Hatred There is liberation of mind through loving-kindness, often giving wise attention to it - this is how not to cultivate the arising of anger that has not yet arisen, and how not to increase and not reinforce anger that has already arisen. (SN 46:51) Cultivate meditation on loving-kindness! Because by cultivating loving-kindness meditation, anger disappears. Cultivate meditation on compassion! Because by cultivating meditation on compassion, brutality disappears. Cultivate the meditation on joy! Because by cultivating meditation on joy, listlessness disappears. Cultivate meditation on equanimity! Because by cultivating meditation on equanimity, anger disappears. (MN 62) Six things are helpful in overcoming anger: (1) Learn to meditate on loving-kindness; (2) Devote yourself to meditation on loving-kindness; (3) Seeing oneself as the owner and successor of one's own actions (karma); (4) Often meditate on it (in the following way): He should consider this: "Being angry with another person, what can you do to him? Can you destroy his morality and other good qualities? Have you never encountered your present state of mind? by your own actions and will also go from there according to your own?Anger towards another is just as if someone wanted to hit another with a ember, or a heated iron, or excrement. And, in the same way, if someone else is angry with you, what can he or she do to you, can he destroy your morality and other good qualities? his actions and will go from there according to his own actions.Like an unreceived gift or as good as a handful of dust thrown against the wind, his anger will fall back on his own head." (5) Noble friendship; (6) Appropriate discussion. (Commentary on the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta) These also help in overcoming anger: - Hy, belonging to the element of meditation ( jhānaṅga); Faith, belonging to the mental faculties (indriya) Joy and equanimity, belonging to the enlightenment factors (bojjhaṅga) c) Example If there is a pot of water heated over a fire, and the water stirs and boils, a person with normal vision, looking into the water, cannot properly recognize and see an image of his own face. Likewise, when one's mind is possessed by anger, overwhelmed by anger, one cannot properly see freedom from the anger that has arisen; then he does not understand correctly and does not see his own benefit, nor that of others, nor of both; and there are also texts memorized from a long time ago that don't come to his mind, don't talk about things he can't remember. (SN 46:55) 3. laziness and sleepiness a) Nourishing of Laziness and Sleepiness There is a state of lethargy, fatigue, laziness to straighten the body, drowsiness after meals, sluggish mind; often unwisely focus on it - this is a sustenance aimed at the arising of laziness and sleepiness that has not yet arisen and intended to increase and strengthen already laziness and sleepiness that have already arisen. (SN 46:51) b) Not Cultivating Laziness and Drowsiness There is the element that arouses one's diligence, the element of effort, the factor of continued effort; often give wise attention to it - this is not to foster the arising of laziness and sleepiness that has not yet arisen and not to increase and not to reinforce the laziness and sleepiness that have already arisen. (SN 46:51) " Until only skin, tendons, and bones are left, until the flesh and blood in this body is dried up! I will not decrease my diligence before accomplishing what can be accomplished with human strength, energy human ton and human effort." (MN 70) Six things that lead to letting go of laziness and sleepiness: (1) Knowing that overeating is their cause; (2) Change the posture of the body; (3) Think of the perception of light; (4) In the open air; (5) Noble friendship; (6) Appropriate discussion. The following also help with laziness and sleepiness: - Contemplation of death Today should work hard Who knows if Death comes tomorrow? (MN 131) - Realizing suffering in impermanence In a bhikkhu who is accustomed to seeing suffering in impermanence and who is constantly engaged in this visualization will establish in him a keen awareness of the dangers of laziness, unproductiveness, fatigue, laziness, and thoughtlessness. thought, as if he was threatened by a murderer with a sad sword. (AN 7:46) - Happy Cultivate meditation on joy! Because by cultivating joy, lethargy disappears. volition , belonging to the jhāna factors (jhānaṅga) Effort, of the mental faculties (indriya ) Investigating reality (investigating the dharma), diligently and joyfully, belongs to the enlightenment factors (bojjhaṅga). When the mind is lethargic, it is not the right time to cultivate the following enlightenment factors: relaxation, concentration, and equanimity, because a lethargic mind can be difficult to arouse by them. When the mind is lethargic, it is time to cultivate the following enlightenment factors: Investigation of reality, diligence, joy, because lethargy can easily be aroused by them. (SN 46:53) - Contemplation on spiritual journey "I must walk on that path, which the Buddhas, the Solitary Buddhas, and the Great Disciples have walked; but it is not a path that the sluggard cannot tread." (Vism. IV, 55) - Contemplating the greatness of the Guru "Completely applying the energy of activity praised by my Master, and he did not surpass his teachings and great support for us. He was revered for his Dharma practice, but nothing more. more differrent." (Ibid.) - Contemplating the greatness of the Heritage "I do possess a Great Legacy. But the sluggard cannot claim it." (Ibid.) - Ways to stimulate the mind How does one stimulate the mind at the right time when the mind needs stimulation? If, according to his lack of dexterity in the application of wisdom or his failure to attain the happiness of concentration, his mind is slow to understand, then he should arouse the mind by reflecting on the eight disturbing objects. These eight are: birth, old age, sickness and death; misery in miserable realms; the suffering of the past has its roots in samsara, the suffering of the future has its roots in samsara; present suffering has its roots in the search for food. (Vism. IV, 63) - How to overcome sleepiness Once the Blessed One said to the Venerable Mahā-Moggallāna thus: Moggallāna, are you sleepy? Moggallāna, are you sleepy?" - Yes, sir." (1) "Okay, Moggallāna, whatever thought makes you sleepy, you should not pay attention to that thought, you shouldn't dwell there often. Then it is possible that, by doing so, you will fall asleep. disappear. (2) "But if, by doing so, that drowsiness does not go away, you should think and reflect in your mind about the Dharma as you have heard and studied it, and you should review it in your mind. Then, maybe, by doing so, the drowsiness will disappear. (3) "But if, by doing so, that drowsiness does not go away, you should memorize all the Dharma as you have heard and known it. Then maybe... (4) "But if, by doing so, that drowsiness does not go away, you should take your ears, and rub your hands and feet with the palm of your hand. Then maybe... (5) "But if, by doing so, the drowsiness does not go away, you should get up from your seat, and then wash your eyes with water, you should look around in all directions and look up at the stars in the sky. Then maybe... (6) "But if, by doing so, drowsiness does not disappear, you should firmly establish (inner) awareness of light: as light by day, and also as light by night; as it At night, just as it is during the day, so with a mind that is clear and unobstructed, you should develop a mind that is full of light. Then you can... (7) "But if, by doing so, drowsiness does not go away, you should be conscious of before and after, going up and down, with your senses inward, with your mind not directed outward,. that could be... (8) "But if, by doing so, the drowsiness does not go away, you can lie down on your right side, take the lion's position, cover your feet with your feet, be mindful, understand well, keep in mind After waking up again, your child should wake up quickly, thinking: 'I won't indulge in liking lying down and lying on my side, preferring to sleep!' "Moggallāna, you should train yourself like that!" (AN 7:58) - Five dangers are threatening If, bhikkhus, he perceives these five dangers, it is enough for him to be careful and enthusiastic, with the mind to persevere in accomplishing the unfinished, attaining the unattained, realizing the unrealized. What five dangers? (1) Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu contemplates thus: "Now I am young, young, young, black-haired, in my youth, at the beginning of my life. But time will pass. until this body will come in the grip of old age.But one who is overwhelmed by old age cannot easily meditate on the Teachings of the Buddha; it is easy for him to live in the wilderness or the forest or the sacred forest, Before this undesirable condition, too unpleasant and unsatisfactory, come near me, before that, let me concentrate my active energies to accomplish the unfinished, to achieve the unfinished attain, to realize the unrealized, so that while possessing that state, I will live happily even in old age." (2) The bhikkhus, and furthermore, the bhikkhu reflects thus: "Now I am not sick, not sick, my digestive function is functioning well, my body is not too cold and not too hot. , balanced and suitable for effort. But the time will come when this body will be in the whirlpool of old age. And he is sick and cannot easily contemplate the Teachings of the Buddha; it is not easy for him, living in the wilderness or the forest or the sacred forest, or the remote places Before this undesirable condition, so unpleasant and unsatisfactory, come near me, before that, let me concentrate my active energies to complete the task. to achieve the unfinished, to achieve the unrealized, to realize the unrealized, so that while possessing that state,I will live happily even in old age." (3) The bhikkhus, and furthermore, the bhikkhu reflects thus: "Now there is much food, the harvest is bountiful, it is easy to obtain a meal from alms-food, it is easy to live on the food received, and But the time will come when there will be famine, when the harvest will fail, when it will be difficult to obtain food for alms, it will be difficult to live off of the things received and the offerings. And while the hungry migrate to the where food is abundant. But in dwellings that are crowded and overflowing he cannot easily meditate on the Teachings of the Buddha. Before this undesirable condition, so unpleasant and unsatisfactory, come near me, before that, so that I may concentrate my active energies to accomplish the unfinished, to achieve the unrealized, to realize the unrealized,so that while possessing that state, I will live happily even in famine." (4) The bhikkhus, and furthermore, the bhikkhu reflects thus: "Now people live in harmony and friendliness, in friendly friendship, in harmony with each other like water and milk, and look at each other with pairs. But there will come a time of peril, a time of insecurity, which will keep the tribes in the forest as the people of the country move to safety. can easily meditate on the Teachings of the Buddha Before this unpleasant condition, which is so unpleasant and unsatisfactory, comes near me, before that, so that I may concentrate my active energies on accomplishing the unfinished, to achieve the unattained, to realize the unrealized, so that while possessing that state,I will live happily even in perilous times." (5) The bhikkhus, and moreover, the bhikkhu reflects thus: "Now the Church lives in harmony and friendliness, without controversy, living happily in one teaching. But the time will come when the Church will be divided, he cannot easily meditate on the Teachings of the Buddha; it is not easy for him, living in the wilderness or the forest or the sacred forest, or the remote places. unpleasant and unsatisfactory, approach me, before that, so that I may concentrate my active energies to accomplish the unfinished, to achieve the unrealized, to realize the unrealized, so that while possessing In that state, I will live happily even if the Church is divided." [3] (AN 5:78) c) Example If there is a pot of water, covered with moss and algae, then a person with normal eyesight looking into it cannot properly recognize and see an image of one's own face. Likewise, when one's mind is possessed by laziness and drowsiness, overwhelming laziness and sleepiness, one cannot properly see the avoidance of laziness and drowsiness that has arisen; at that time he does not properly understand his own interests, others and both; and the same texts memorized long ago do not come to his mind, not talking about things he does not remember. (SN 46:55) 4. Nervousness and Repentance a) Nurturing Restlessness and Repentance There is restlessness of mind; often give unwise attention to that mind - it is a nourishment for the arising of restlessness and unborn repentance, and to increase and strengthen the restlessness and remorse that have already arisen. (SN 46:51) b) Not Cultivating Restlessness and Repentance There is stillness of mind; often give wise attention to that mind - that is the non-nurturing way of arising of unborn restlessness and repentance, and neither increasing nor reinforcing the restlessness and remorse that have already arisen. (SN 46:51) Six things lead to the eradication of restlessness and repentance: (1) Knowledge of Buddhist scriptures (Doctrine and Precepts); (2) Ask questions about them; (3) Acquaintance with the Vinaya (code of monastic discipline, and for lay people, with the principles of moral conduct); (4) Associate with mature and experienced people who are dignified, moderate and calm; (5) Noble friendship; (6) Appropriate discussion. These also help to overcome restlessness and repentance: - Hy, belonging to the element of meditation (jhānaṅga); - Concentration, belonging to the mental faculties (indriya); - Relaxation, concentration and equanimity, belonging to the enlightenment factors (bojjhaṅga). When the mind is restless, it is not the right time to cultivate the following enlightenment factors: investigation of the doctrine, diligence, and joy, because agitated minds can hardly calm them. When the mind is restless it is time to cultivate the following enlightenment factors: relaxation, concentration and equanimity, because the mind is agitated they can easily be calmed. c) Example If there is a water bottle, which is stirred, shaken, swayed and created by the wind, a person with normal vision cannot properly recognize and see the image of one's own face. Likewise, when one's mind is possessed by restlessness and remorse, overwhelmed by restlessness and remorse, one cannot properly see the avoidance of restlessness and remorse that has arisen; at that time he does not understand his own interests, nor that of others, nor of both; and the same texts memorized long ago do not come to his mind, not talking about things that cannot be remembered. (SN 46:55) 5. SUSPECT OR OVER a) Nurturing Doubt There are many doubts; often give unwise attention to them - it is a way of nurturing for the arising of doubts that have not arisen, and for the purpose of increasing and reinforcing doubts that have already arisen. (SN 46:51) b) Not Cultivating Doubt There is good or bad, blameless or reprehensible, noble or low, and the (different) contrast of dark and light; often give wise attention to them - that is how not to nurture the arising of doubt that has not yet arisen, and not to increase and strengthen the doubt that has already arisen. Regarding the six things that lead to the eradication of doubt, the first three and the last two are similar to those given for restlessness and repentance. The fourth is as follows: - Firm belief in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Furthermore, the following is helpful in conquering doubt: - Reflection, belonging to the element of meditation (jhānaṅga); - Intelligence, of mental functions (indriya; - Investigate reality, belonging to the enlightenment factors (bojjhaṅga). c) Example If there is a pitcher of cloudy, agitated and cloudy water and the vessel is placed in a dark place, then a person with normal vision cannot properly recognize and see the image of his own face. Likewise, when one's mind is doubted or possessed, or overpowered by doubt, then one cannot properly see that the avoidance of doubt has arisen; at that time he does not properly understand his own interests, nor those of others, nor of both; and the same texts memorized long ago do not come to his mind, not talking about things that cannot be remembered. (SN 46:55) III. Conquering Obstacles FROM THE SUCCESS OF SAMON GUESS Possessing excellent mindfulness and clear understanding, and respectable contentment, a bhikkhu must resort to solitude: in a forest, under a tree, in a mountain, in a canyon, in a cave, at the cemetery, in the sacred forest, in the open air, by the haystack. After the meal, after returning from his alms round, he sat down, cross-legged, keeping his body upright and mindful. Having abandoned covetousness (= craving ) in the world, he lives with a mind free from greed, wiping greed from his mind. Having abandoned the stain of anger , he lives free of anger, friendly and compassionate towards all sentient beings, removing the stain of anger from his mind. After giving up laziness and sleepiness,he lives without laziness and sleepiness, in awareness of light; mindfulness and clear understanding, wiping away laziness and sleepiness from his mind. Having given up restlessness and repentance , he lives without restlessness; inner calm, clearing restlessness and repentance from his mind. Having abandoned doubt , he lives as one who has passed through doubt, freed from uncertainty about what is beneficial, and clears his mind of doubt. Just as when the borrower, went into business, and the business was successful, now he can not only repay the old debt but also, moreover, the surplus to get married. And at that point he rejoices, rejoicing in his heart... Just like a sick person and in pain, suffering from a serious illness, food does not suit him, and there is no strength left in his body. But after a while he recovered from his illness; be able to digest food again and regain one's strength. And at that point he rejoices and rejoices in his heart... It is true that a person is put in prison, but after a while he is released from prison; he is secure and fearless, and does not suffer for the loss of his possessions. And at that point he rejoices, rejoicing in his heart. Just like the slave, not independent, but dependent on others, incapable of going anywhere as he pleased, but after a while he was freed from slavery, now independent, no longer depending belonging to another, a free man can go where he likes. And at that point he rejoices, rejoicing in his heart... Just as the rich, prosperous man travels through the wilderness with no food and many dangers, but after a while he crosses that desert, and gradually comes to the safe countryside, where it is safe. safe, out of danger. And at that point he rejoices, rejoicing in his heart; Likewise, as long as these hindrances are not eliminated, he considers himself indebted, as painful, as in prison, as enslaved, as as if he were wandering in the wilderness. But when these five hindrances are eliminated, he considers himself as free from debt, free from illness, liberated from imprisonment, as a free man, and as one who has reached a safe place. And when he finds himself free from the five hindrances' joy arises; inside he is happy, happiness arises; inside he is extremely fond of the body, peace of mind; body is quiet, he feels happy; and the happy mind finds concentration (concentration). Then separated from lust, separated from unwholesome states, he enters and abides in the first jhāna (first jhāna) of application and reflection (fourth jhāna), born of detachment, and exiled to rapture and bliss . He entered and stayed in the second (second meditation)... the third (third)... the fourth (fourth) meditation. [4] NOTE a) Examples of Obstacles The text of the Sutra says: " In the same way, as long as these hindrances are not eliminated, he regards himself as indebted, as painful, as imprisoned, as enslaved, as traveling in a region. solitary." In this way, the World-Honored One pointed to the obstacle of greed that had not yet been eradicated, similar to being in debt; and other obstacles similar to illness, and so forth. These examples should be understood as follows: 1. Greed .Someone is in debt but the business fails. Now, if the creditors, when telling him to pay the debt, say profanity or harass and beat him, he will not be able to retaliate but must endure all of it. It was because he was in debt that he had to be patient. Likewise, if a person is full of lust for someone, full of lust for the object of his desire, he will be attached to it. Even being harassed or beaten by that person, he will endure it all. It is because lust makes him patient. In that way, lust is like being in debt. 2. Anger If a person suffers from a lot of honey sickness, and receives even honey and sugar, he will not like the taste, there will be bile disease; he will just vomit, complain, "It's bitter, it's too bitter!" In the same way, if a person with a temper tantrum is reprimanded by a teacher or a teacher who wishes the best for him or her. Say "You bother me too much!" he will leave the Sangha, or leave and wander. Just as a sick person with a lot of honey does not like the taste of honey and sugar, so a person with an irritable illness will not like the taste of the Church of the Buddha which consists in the happiness of the jhānas, etc. , anger is like illness. 3. Lazy and Sleepy He was locked up in prison during the day of the carnival, and thus could not see the beginning of the middle and the end of the famous carnival scene. If he or she is released the next day, and hears people say: "Oh, yesterday's Festival was fun! Oh those dances and songs!" he will not answer any questions. And why not? Because he himself doesn't like festivals. Likewise, even though a very eloquent discourse is going on, a bhikkhu overwhelmed by laziness and sleepiness will know no beginning, middle, and end. If, after the sermon, he hears praise: "What a joy it is to listen to the Dharma! What an interesting subject and what a beautiful example!" he was unable to say a word. And why not? Because, having laziness and sleepiness, he does not enjoy the discourse. In that way, laziness and sleepiness can be compared to prison. 4. Restlessness and Repentance The slave who wanted to enjoy himself at the festival was told by his master: "Go quickly to such and such places! There is urgent work to do. If you do not go, I will have your arms and legs amputated, or your ears will be cut off. and your nose!" Hearing that, the slave would go as fast as he was told, and wouldn't be able to have any fun during the festival. This is because the person is dependent on others. The same goes for a bhikkhu who is not well versed in the Precepts and goes to the forest for the benefit of a solitary life. If in any matter, down to edible meat (such as pork) he has the thought that it is unusable (considering it as bear meat), he must interrupt solitude, in order to purify the precepts. conduct, he must go to one who has experience in the Vinaya. Thus he will not be able to enjoy the happiness of solitude because laziness and sleepiness overwhelm him. In that way, laziness and sleepiness are like slavery. 5. Doubts The person walking through the desert, knowing that those travelers might be attacked or killed by bandits, hearing only the sound of a tree branch or a bird, will become anxious and afraid, thinking, "The robbers are coming. !" He will take a few steps, and then out of fear, will stop, and continue in such a way; or he even comes back. It is more common to stop than to walk. only with hard work and hardship he will reach a safe place, or he may not even get there. Like a person who has arisen doubt in relation to one of the eight objects of doubt [5] . Whether or not the Guru is an Enlightened One, he cannot accept belief as the real problem. Without being able to do so, one does not attain the noble paths and fruitions. Thus, just as the traveler in the desert is uncertain whether bandits are there or not, he causes a state of hesitation and wavering, indecision, a state of fear, again and again; and so he creates within himself an obstacle to reaching the secure holy ground (ariya-bhūmi) . In that way, doubt is like traveling in the desert. b) Elimination of Obstacles The text of this sutta says: " But when the five hindrances are eradicated, a bhikkhu regards himself as free from debt, free from illness, liberated from imprisonment, as a free man, and as one who has reached a place of peace. whole." 1. Elimination of Greed A debtor uses it to do business and become prosperous. He thinks, "This debt is the cause of trouble." He pays the debt with interest, and gets to tear off the promissory note. Then he sent neither messengers nor letters to the creditors, and he even met them at will whether he rose from his chair to greet them, or not. And why? He or she is no longer indebted to them or not is up to them. Similarly a bhikkhu thinks: 'Covetousness is the cause of hindrance. Hence he cultivates the six things leading to its destruction, and turns the hindrance of desire. Just as the person who gets out of debt no longer feels fear or anxiety when he meets his former creditors, so the person who has given up lust is no longer attached and attached to the object of his interest; even if he sees angelic form, passions will not torment him anymore. Therefore, the World-Honored One compared the eradication of lust to the release of debt. 2. Annihilation of Anger Just as a person suffering from a disease of much bile, having recovered from his illness by taking medicine, he will regain the taste of bile and sugar, so too a bhikkhu, thinking, "This anger causes much harm," develops the six things that lead to eliminate and turn the hindrance of anger. Just as the cured patient enjoys the taste with honey and sugar, so this bhikkhu respectfully accepts the training precepts, and respectfully observes the precepts (of their value). Therefore, the Buddha compared the eradication of anger to the restoration of health. 3. Eliminate Laziness and Sleepiness Someone was once in prison on a festival day. But when he was released and held a festival at a later date, he thought, "In the past, because of my inattention, I was in prison that day and couldn't enjoy this festival. Now I'll pay attention. idea." And he maintains his attention on morality so as not to find any harm to enter into the mind. After enjoying the festival, he exclaims, "Oh, what a beautiful festival!" Similarly a bhikkhu, realizing that laziness and drowsiness do great harm, develops the six opposites of them, and also turns the hindrance of laziness and sleepiness. Just as one who is released from prison enjoys the whole festival, even up to seven days, so this bhikkhu, abandoning laziness and sleepiness, is able to enjoy the beginning, middle, and perfection of the assembly ( dhamma- nakkhatta) , and eventually attained arahantship with the four analytical wisdom (paṭisambhidā). Thus the Blessed One spoke of the cessation of laziness and sleepiness as compared to being freed from prison. 4. Eliminate Restlessness and Repentance Having a friend the slave helps pay for the master, the slave is free, and from there is able to do whatever he likes. Similarly, a bhikkhu, perceiving the great hindrance caused by restlessness and repentance, cultivates the six opposites of them, and thus abandons restlessness and repentance. And after giving up, he is like a truly free person, capable of doing as he pleases. Just as no one can force a slave to stop doing what he likes, so restlessness and remorse no longer prevent a bhikkhu from walking the happy path of liberation ( sukhanekkhamma-paṭipadā). 5. Eliminate Doubts Someone strong, with luggage in hand and fully equipped and with company, traveled through the wilderness. If the robbers saw him even from afar, they would hide. Safely through the wilderness and to a safe place, he or she will be delighted to arrive at safety. Likewise a bhikkhu, seeing that doubt is the cause of great harm, cultivates the six things as antidotes, and abandons doubt. Just as the strong, equipped and accompanied, who, to the extent that robbers treat them like grass on the ground, will safely pass through the wilderness to safety; so too the bhikkhu, having passed through the wilderness of bad conduct, will eventually arrive at the highest secure state, the immortal realm of nirvana. * Note: [1] Meditation theme: literally "working land." [2] "People of the world." may be a monk or a layman, who has not yet reached the first stage of the noble path, entering the noble path (sotāpatti-magga). [3] This sutta is one of the seven Canon texts introduced by Emperor Asoka in the Second Bhanrāt Rock Decree: "Ladies and gentlemen, these passages on the Law, i.e.: - ... ' Grief fear of what might happen' (anāgata-bhayāni) ..., said by the Buddha - gentlemen, the Tathagata wishes many monks and nuns often heard and meditated on: and so do the residents. Doctors, men and women, should do the same" (Vincent A. Smith, Asoka, 3rd ed., p.54). [4] Extracted from the Sāmaññaphala Sutta - DN 2), with an equivalent interpretation from the commentary on the sutta, Sumaṅgala Vilāsinī . [5] According to Vibhaṅga: They are doubts concerning the Buddha, the Dharma Sangha, the threefold cultivation, the past, the present, both the past and the future, and the conditions for the arising of dependent phenomena. -ooOoo- - 6 - FOUR NUTRITIONS IN LIFE Bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu becomes completely indifferent to a thing, when lust for it completely disappears, when he becomes liberated from it, when he sees its complete cessation. , then who is he who, having thoroughly understood the purpose, puts an end to suffering here and now. What is that? "All beings subsist on nourishment" - when a bhikkhu becomes completely indifferent to this (nutrient), when craving for it completely disappears, when he is liberated from it, when he sees its complete cessation, then, bhikkhus, who is he who, having thoroughly understood the purpose, puts an end to suffering here and now. (AN 10:27) Four Nutrients in Life " All beings subsist on nourishment." (sabbe sattā āhāraṭṭhitikā) [1] - this saying of the Buddha, is a unique fact of life that is, above all, worthy of remembering, contemplating and understanding. If broad and deep enough, this proverb of the Buddha reveals the truth that leads to the root of all life and also to that root. Here too the Buddha proves to be a man who, as an ancient text says, "has seen all things right down to the roots" (Snp. v. 1043). In Pali like English, the word "nourishment" is used in ordinary discourse to denote material food. But in the Buddha's teachings the meaning of nourishment is given a broader meaning, being applied to all the major sources of life's support - mental as well as ecological. This fact the Buddha expressed by declaring that there are four nutrients: edible food, contact, intentional thought, and consciousness, which are called nutrients in the sense that they nourish, sustain, and sustain maintain the existence of an individual. Regardless of differences in methods, the same basic laws govern the process of nutrients in all its forms, physical or psychological, as evident from certain general facts shared by all forms of nutrients. First, it is the hungry man who is behind the whole process of nourishment, using its whip mercilessly. This body, from birth to death, does not cease to crave material food; and hungry people's minds are eager for their own kind of nourishment, for ever-changing touches and for the concepts of the ever-expanding universe. Thus, craving (taṇhā) is the main condition of any "taking in" or "taking more" (upādāna),[2] that is, nutritive in the broadest sense. This is the first element common to all nutrients, physical or mental The second common factor is the digestive processreal thing. In the process of eating and digesting, the outside becomes the inside; unfamiliar problems become "his own" and are identified with his personality. There is a proverb, "Man is what he eats," which applies as much to spiritual nourishment as it does to material things. Like the body, our mind also needs to be fed "outside" matter: of various emotions and experiences; about the contents of the storehouse of knowledge accumulated by mankind; on the precipitates drawn from all these sources. Our memory, as object of mind, is as much "outside" to the present thought moment as the ideas read in books. Thus, in the mind as well as in the body, there is a process of constantly grasping and discarding, digesting and undigesting, identifying with oneself or alienating. If we look closely at the process of this nutrient, physically and mentally, we will notice that not only eaters consume the food, but also in the process of digestion, the food chews the eater. Thus, there is a process of mutual absorption between them. We know how many people can change for the better or for the worse, by the ideas they absorb and which ultimately absorb and digest them.These laws govern physical and mental nourishment enough to convince the keen observer how illusory the concept of self or permanent matter is. Thus the nutritive process vindicates the doctrine of Anatta , the Buddha's profoundly revolutionary teaching of no-self. As the German Buddhist writer, Paul Dahlke, puts it: "The personalized life is not the assimilation of the metaphysical "I" (pure soul, pure subject, according to the soul theory of religions) nor is it merely the material process (pure body, purely objective, according to scientific materialism), but the nurturing and as such it is not what is in and by itself nor is it which is caused by another, but which is maintaining itself: and all the so-called higher functions of thinking and feeling are other forms of eating, of self-sustaining." But apart from vindicating the doctrine of Not-Self, the nurturing process is similar to that of a teacher who persuades the other two characteristics of life: impermanence and suffering. Impermanence ( anicca) at the very root of the nurturing process often requires the provision of food to be consumed. As long as we live, the bottomless hole must be filled forever. This is no different from our spiritual hunger, its desire for change and its own menu variation. The repetitive monotony of the nurturing process continued by the urge to preserve life is enough to reveal suffering., the suffering of life, the trouble of the boring cycle of eating and then starving again. For that reason, the emotional medieval Jewish saint said, "I am fed up with being hungry again and again, and I am hungry after the feeling of fullness is over." [3] So suffering is inherent in the function of eating, but it is often hidden from us by our habit of this most rudimentary feature of routine daily living. Reflection requires stripping away the falsehood and revealing the specific suffering and pain associated with finding and ingesting food. We can then understand the silent suffering of the animal world where "mutual chewing is the rule," the terror of animals being slaughtered for food, the brutality of man's struggle for food. land and wars for "world markets", hunger among the poor and the screams of starving children. And although the resources to feed humanity have grown considerably in our time, man still cannot contain hunger, even where it will show man's power to do so. Furthermore, all progress in food production today threatens to be stunted by the rapid growth of the world's population. This problem looms large on the horizon of modern humanity and could very well become desperate if the disparity between food availability and population grows to the point of crisis. Should that crisis point come, we do not know what dire consequences may follow, unless humanity unites can solve the problem by concrete actions and peaceful means. All progress in food production today threatens to be stunted by the rapid growth of the world's population. This problem looms large on the horizon of modern humanity and could very well become desperate if the disparity between food availability and population grows to the point of crisis. Should that crisis point come, we do not know what dire consequences may follow, unless humanity unites can solve the problem by concrete actions and peaceful means. All progress in food production today threatens to be stunted by the rapid growth of the world's population. This problem looms large on the horizon of modern humanity and could very well become desperate if the disparity between food availability and population grows to the point of crisis. Should that crisis point come, we do not know what dire consequences may follow, unless humanity unites can solve the problem by concrete actions and peaceful means. This problem looms large on the horizon of modern humanity and could very well become desperate if the disparity between food availability and population grows to the point of crisis. Should that crisis point come, we do not know what dire consequences may follow, unless humanity unites can solve the problem by concrete actions and peaceful means. This problem looms large on the horizon of modern humanity and could very well become desperate if the disparity between food availability and population grows to the point of crisis. Should that crisis point come, we do not know what dire consequences may follow, unless humanity unites can solve the problem by concrete actions and peaceful means. Henceforth, also for the future of mankind, what the old Magi have said remains true: that the search for food is the ever-present source of suffering. As such it can stir up our sense of urgency as we consider, in the light of "nutrients," our own nature, our constant needs, and our situation. in a world where the need to eat is a constant companion of life. The visualization of suffering connected with this nutriment leads to the formulation of the equivalent formula of the Four Noble Truths, the four nutrients of life that represent the first truth about suffering; craving for the four nutriments is the source of suffering, the second truth, the cessation of the process of continuing to grasp material and spiritual food, the cessation of suffering, the third truth; and the Noble Eightfold Path, the fourth truth, is the way to that cessation. (see MN 9). It is because of the nutritional, physical and mental processes that prove the conditioned (conditioned) nature of all existence that we find it revealing those most important characteristics of the Dharma - the three impermanence, suffering and not-self, and the Four Noble Truths. The Buddha's most important revelations about nutrition are the Discourse on the Son's Meat, translated below. The commentator, Ācariya Buddhaghosa, explains why this discourse seems unpleasant: In those days, all the monks received rich support by begging alms and other supplies. Considering this, the Master asked himself: "Will the bhikkhus be able to consume the food while keeping that mindfulness and clear understanding, grasping the (true nature) of the nutriment? Are they separate and free from desire and greed? " And he found that there are a few young bhikkhus, newly ordained, using real food, not contemplating the right to enjoy. Seeing this, he thought: "When I practiced the perfection ( pārāmi) for four aeons and a hundred thousand aeons, I did not do so for the sake of objects, such as clothes, things, and things. food, etc., but for the sake of the highest arahantship. Likewise, these bhikkhus, under my guidance, did not become monastic for the sake of these things. but for the sake of attaining arahantship And now they make the unneeded essential, the unworthy the worthy I will set before them a Dharma mirror for them to self-control and restrain , so that, contemplating it again and again, future bhikkhus will use their belongings only after contemplating it in accordance with the right to enjoy it." At that time the Buddha gave the Discourse on the Son's Flesh, extending his concern to all four "life's nutriments." Each of these he demonstrates with succinct and startling examples, and careful consideration of these will open us to profound insights into the Dharma as revealed in its seemingly simple function. both nourish body and mind. 1. EDGETABLE FOOD (kabaliṅkārāhāra) Example: A couple with no food in the middle of the desert, ate their baby so they could reach their destination. All the while emerging on this planet, he, like the husband and wife in the Buddha's parable, has crossed the desert of life where food is the most pressing concern. And again, as in this story, pacifying one's hunger is often heartbreaking - otherwise the "eater" would have been too callous for some time, then to his prey. person and to the sensitive observer. Often, in the search for food, man has destroyed what is most often dear to him, be it relatives and friends or the ideals of his youth. In fact, this is just one the only aspect of life, which is not entirely desert as it has a number of comfortable places where travelers can rest and enjoy themselves. But in doing so, they can forget about the surrounding sands and they often encroach on and bury their little comforts. The couple in the Buddha's story, nearly starving to death, had to eat the flesh of their own beloved child: indeed the story seemed bizarre, terrible. But knowing from history books that, in times of famine, war, or shipwreck, cannibalism was resorted to, we must accept that what the story tells us is sometimes actually may have happened. In the constant search for its food or better food and control over larger food crops - how often people kill each other ruthlessly crush or exploit their fellow humans even even those who are close to it by blood or race! And is there no close relative betweenCan all live? These last words are not merely sentimental expressions (as they are most often used), but also a harsh and heartless fact. Are we a bit like the gluttony, brutal rage, and absurdly destructive state we encounter in life and in which we become victims or perpetrators in the struggle for reality? product or power? If we are not like them, is it possible that we have encountered them in one way or another? For the immeasurable time, caught in the whirlwind of life, we were everything:the prey and the devourer of all, the parent and child of all. This we should consider when contemplating the nutrients of edible food and the example of the Buddha. If we want to eat and live, we must kill or tacitly accept others to do the killing for us. When we speak of this, we are not merely concerned with the butcher or the fisherman. For the sake of strict vegetarians, too, sentient beings must die. Farmers' plows bring worms and insects to their cities to destroy. Protecting plants and grains means killing countless "pests" that, like ourselves, are creatures in search of food. The growing demand for arable land deprives animals of their habitat and, over the course of history, has resulted in many species becoming extinct. It is the murderous world in which we live and in this world we keep a part of ourselves. We should confront this terrible fact and in our reflection on edible food keep it alive in our awareness. To do so will stimulate us to strive to escape this world of carnage by bringing about an end to our craving for these four nutrients. In our short lives, how many food trains have gone in and out of our poor bodies! How many people used to work in the production, processing and distribution of food to keep the "traffic" running straight through our nutrition pipes! What a grotesque picture it is to picture. Yet there is another aspect of that "for life" function of eating to consider. Let's think of silos, or warehouses or pantry bags. After it is emptied, it is often left behind with some seeds or other small pieces of food. In the same way, in our body there will always be bits of leftovers that are neither digested nor expelled. These scum and putrefaction, and some physiologists say that it is the putrefaction of such food wastes that, in the absence of other causes, eventually bring about aging and death of the organism. If they are right, then food not only gives - life but also gives - death. Thus it appears that we have a choice in this life between dying of hunger and dying of putrefaction: "Food chews eaters!" The intimate transition between nourishment and death is so bittersweet that it is depicted in the Greek myth, according to which Demeter is the goddess of corn (that is, food) as well as death. Bachofen, the great explorer and interpreter of classical myth, succinctly described its importance: "The goddess feeds men as her own prey." Humans, to the extent that they give any thought to the boring act of eating, choose different attitudes towards food. Some, fed up with boring food routines, make "art" about it and become gourmet. To them the Buddha said, "All nutrients are bad, even heavenly food." Others are acutely aware of the importance of plants for good health, inventing many other ideas of "clean food". Here we have the dietary rules of many religions, and the beliefs of the classical and modern sects in the "purity of food" (āhāra-parisuddhi).of human. Such sects existed in the Buddha's time, and the Buddha knew about their beliefs and refuted them. Others, however, try to solve the problem of this body's dependence on food by reducing nutrients below the nutritional level and by going on a long hunger strike. This harsh and futile method of self-mortification also tried and abandoned by the Buddha before his Enlightenment, as he clearly describes in the sutta on The Roar of the Lion (Mahāsīhanāda Sutta, MN 12). 2. EXPOSURE (phassa) Example: A hungry cow, wherever it stands, is constantly attacked by insects and other creatures living around it. Like a hungry cow, the human being in a helpless situation is constantly stimulated and irritated by the rush of emotions that come from all sides through the six senses - eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. The Pāli word phassa , translated here as contact, literally means "to touch" or "to touch". However, what is meant is not physical impact, but psychological contact with objects that are happening through the six senses, including mind. With attention ( manasikāra)Touch is the first and simplest response to stimuli used by sensory data and ideas. Buddhist psychology considers it a constitutive factor in each and every state of mind, the lowest and the highest, which also occurs in dreams and subconsciously. Contact, like nourishment, is the basic sustaining condition of life. What it especially nourishes or conditions is feeling (vedanā) . Feeling lives by the innumerable contacts that frequently occur and assimilate them as pleasurable, painful, and neutral. This connection also has its place in the chain of dependent origination: Contact as condition for feeling (phassa-paccayā vedanā). Craving arises from feeling unguarded, and as long as there is craving for contact, there is an inexhaustible supply of that food to be digested by life. Throughout our lives, in rapidly changing forms, sounds, smells, tastes, bodily effects (contacts) and ideas affect us in an endless stream. It was this bitter realization of the bombardment that led the Buddha to choose to give the example of a hungry cow whose raw meat was the target of swarms of insects, causing it to experience intense suffering. According to the Buddha, for one who has not yet been freed from attachment to any feeling is bound to cause suffering and conflict. Suffering is suffering in itself; Pleasure brings suffering through its ephemeral and unsatisfactory nature and its unsatisfactory nature; The mundane neutral life produces suffering because of its inherent lethargy and boredom. Contact, as an ordinary person feeds these feelings, thus becomes the cause of these three kinds of suffering. The elderly bhikkhu, longing to see more clearly the fiery and irritated nature of contact, exclaimed with emotion: When will I have the calm Wisdom found as entangled in the raging fire of innumerable forms, sounds, smells, and tastes And touches with the things of the mind? (Theragāthā v. 1099, Tālapuṭa) Despite being fully aware of the range of painful emotions affecting our senses, we would normally be willing to pay this price for our pleasures. In fact, we seem to prefer any kind of sensation to none, unless the pain raises threats beyond tolerance. The psychological root of this situation is our hunger for ever-changing experiences. If that hunger is not satisfactorily satisfied, it leaves us empty, hungry, and helpless. Hence our need for change and novelty, and our desire for constant contact with our lives. This contact is so familiar that most people dread living alone as unbearable deprivation. Nourishing nutrients for "life as enjoyment"; it feeds craving for survival (bhava-taṇhā: craving for existence) . This habitual craving can be cut off only if we stop identifying ourselves with the stream of emotions, if we learn not to need flexible automatic responses and stand back like an observer. Then the feeling nourished by touch will cease to turn into craving, and at this point the chain of causes and conditions of suffering will be severed. 3. Intentional thought (manosañcetanā) Example : Two muscular young men hug another person and drag him to a burning coal pit. Here thought is intentionalwhich means karma itself, which causes rebirth and the act of affirming life. The two athletic young men in the example represent the pulling forces of our karmic actions - our self-deception and good deeds. It is our karmic inclinations, our life-affirming attentions, our plans and ambitions that pull us irresistibly to the depths of samsara whose coals are burning red of our sorrows. extremely miserable. Since then, it is said that intentional thought, in the karmic sense, is the nourishment for rebirth in the three realms. Nourishing, intentional thought manifests itself in man's incessant urge to plan and to wish, This urge once carried man into the depths of the ocean and into the vastness of the universe. It once made man the most evil of carnivores and also enabled man to reach the noble heights of genius in the arts of creation and thought. The restlessness at the root of all desire to act, and also of the urge to create, is the constant hunger for life's nutrients. We crave them in various forms and varying degrees of grossness. It is intentional thought that must seek to provide us with the nourishment we crave. This becomes the constant quest, to satisfy whatever we have achieved for a short time, eventually generating new hunger and from there the search for new nourishment. In intentional thought, the world appears as will, energy, and creativity. Incubated with this powerful nutrient, the process of building - the world and destroying - the world continues until the cycle of samsara is seen in its true nature - like a burning coal pit, Its bottomless depths we can never fill even though we often jump into it under the various guise we admit in our migration from life to life. 4. Awakening (viññāṇa) Example : An inmate is beaten with a hundred spears three times a day - morning, noon and evening - and lives to experience the pain. Every day, at all times of the day, conscious awareness opens us to the effects of the object world, the consequences of which serve to punish our past desires and delusions through the protective skin. with their sharp spears. The grisly image of consciousness as punishment reminds us of one of Franz Kafka's main motifs all too often in his work - the hidden, the unknown, the incomprehensible. and man's sin must seem immoral inherent in his very life, for which man is punished inexplicably and what punishment, in man's secret place, he accepts as such (see The Trial, The Catle, and "In the Penal Colony"). The desire to know consciously has the same quality with respect to contact: craving for life, feeling alive in the frequent encounter with the realm of consciousness of existence. But there are still more important meanings to be drawn from the definition of food as a nutrient. For consciousness in this text is mainly explained as rebirth consciousness ; and here, although it appears for only a single moment, "feeds" the whole mind-body process (nāma-rūpa: nama-rupa)throughout the present life, from birth to death. It is the arising of such moments of rebirth-consciousness at the beginning of each successive life that continues the endless chain of births, deaths, and miseries. Growth or proliferation is the characteristic characteristic of all consciousness. Although any rebirth consciousness is given directly connected only with the life immediately preceding it, it has behind it the infinite storehouse of the beginningless past, the vast granary containing countless hidden seeds of life. living. Feeded from the dark, unfathomable past, the octopus lurks not with eight arms but a thousand arms ready to grab and hold wherever it finds an opportunity, The writer once visited large underground caves with long passages and high-roofed temple-like halls with massive stalactites and stalagmites like the towering columns of a cathedral. For the convenience of the many visitors to these caves, electric lights were installed, and where the lamps were low enough that people could see around them a small spread of lichen, the only trace of organic life. between the bare rocks. Life arises wherever it has the slimmest chance thanks to the right conditions such as warmth, moisture, and light. In the beholder's mind this small harmless reproduction of primordial herb life acknowledges the menacing features of predators that, once lurking in darkness, Life is always ready to blossom, and consciousness is its most productive manifestation. Seen from our limited point of view, the formal contributes the most to the "cosmic expansion" of samsara. From there the Enlightened One warns: "Don't be an additive to the realms!" It is by our insatiable feeding and greed for consciousness and other nutrients that the realm of existence "rises"; and the potential for its growth is endless. Even the end of the world of consciousness cannot be reached by going. Seen from that world-wide perspective, Consciousness appears as the feeder and breeder of countless beings all who undergo the daily test of life's piercing spears. Such visualization within the reach of consciousness will slip away from the enchanting illusions of the sorcerer with which the Buddha is compared to the aggregate of consciousness. Without being deceived by these tricks, people will constantly move towards changing their minds, turning their backs and having no desire. Looking back at the Buddha's examples of the four nutrients, we are struck by the fact that all four conjure up pictures of extreme and dangerous suffering, unusual situations of severe suffering. important. Considering the daily process of nourishment of body and mind, such a tedious function in life, such extraordinary examples cause great surprise, even profound inner turmoil. And they mean restlessness. They are meant to shatter our disinterested complacency with our performance and conception of these all-too-common functions: eating, knowing, will, and perceiving. The visualizations of the four nutrients, as presented on these pages, cut the roots of attachment to life. To pursue these visualizations thoroughly and methodically would be an important step, suitable only for those who have decided to make an effort to finally put an end to craving and are thus ready to face all the consequences. the results that the path of practice can have to guide their present thought and life. But apart from such total devotion, the important and repeated thought contained in the teachings on these four nutrients will benefit anyone who follows the words of the Buddha most diligently. For those who feel immature for themselves heading straight for the cessation of craving, the Dharma has enough teachings to ease the wounds received in life's battles, and to encourage and assist in making steady progress. on this road. In the midst of a harsh life, gentle guidance is often welcome. However, when there is only such tenderness, when the winds of fate blow softly and delightfully, there is danger that we will settle back into our daily routines comfortably and forget about precariousness. ours in this life. Hence the need for us to confront such strict teachings as the teachings on nutrients. To do so will keep us alert and nurture our inner structure so that we can boldly face the open truth about the world in which we live. The visualization of the four nutrients of life has much to teach us. From that visualization, we can learn to "not shrink from the truth and not get carried away by the unreal." We can learn that suffering itself is only nurtured and sustained by the four nutriments, that " only suffering arises where anything arises and only suffering ceases where anything ceases." And another sentence by the Guru will gain new importance and weight: "The Tathagata teaches only this: suffering and the cessation of suffering." Sutta on Son's Meat "Bhikkhus, there are four nutrients for sustaining a being to be born, and for assisting living beings seeking rebirth. What are the four? "First, edible food, coarse and fine; second, contact, third, intentional thought; fourth, consciousness. "Bhikkhus, how should nourishment be viewed with edible food? Suppose a couple and a husband, embarking on a journey across the desert, take with them limited food. Go with them. was their only dearly loved son Now while these two were traveling through the desert, the limited supply of food ran dry and ran out, but there was still a stretch of the desert that was not yet frozen. Then the two thought: 'Our little food reserve is exhausted and exhausted; but there is still a stretch of desert that has not been crossed. Should we kill our only son who is very humble. our beloved, prepare to grill and fry meat, and then eat our baby by way of the rest of the desert,or will all three of us perish?' "And this couple killed their only, dearly loved son, prepared to grill and fry the meat, and then ate our child by that way across the rest of the desert. And in the meantime. eat their children, they beat their breasts and cry: 'Where are you, my only beloved son? Where are you, my only beloved son?' "Bhikkhus, what do you think? Will they eat food for pleasure, for enjoyment, for the sake of grace, to beautify this body?" "Certainly not, sir." "Will they stop eating me just for the sake of crossing the desert? "Yes, that's right, sir." Monks, the Tathagata says, in the same way, edible food should be considered. If, bhikkhus, the nutriment of food were understood, and then lust for the five senses was understood, and there were no chains to bind the noble disciple who could come to this world. [4] "Bhikkhus, how is the nutriment of contact considered? Monks, suppose there were a hungry ox. If it were to stand near a wall, then the living creatures within the wall would nibble on it. , if it stands near a tree, the creatures living in the tree will nibble on it; if it stands in the water the creatures living in the water will nibble on it; if it stands outside, the creatures living in the air will nibble on it. Wherever the hungry cow stood, the creatures that lived there would nibble on it. "In that way, bhikkhus, the nutriment of contact should be considered. If the nutriment of contact is understood, then the three kinds of feeling [5] are understood. And if the three kinds of feeling are understood, The Tathagata said there would be no more work to be left to the holy disciple to do [6]. "Bhikkhus, and how is deliberate thought nourishment to be weighed? Monks, suppose there were a pit of burning coals that was filled with red-hot coals to be filled to cover a man's height, with burning coals. red without flame and smoke Now a man comes to that road, who loves life and doesn't want to die, longs for happiness and abhors suffering.At that time two muscular young men grabbed him by the hand and dragged him into a coal pit. burning red, bhikkhus, then he will long to be far from the pit, he will long to stay away from it, he will favor being far from it, and why? he knows: 'If I fall into a pit of burning coals, I will meet death or deadly pain.' In that way, bhikkhus, the nutriment of deliberate thought should be considered. If the intentional thought-nutrient is understood, then the three kinds of craving [7] are understood. And if the three kinds of craving are understood, the Tathagata says, there is nothing left for the noble disciple to do. "Bhikkhus, and the nourishment of consciousnessHow should it be considered? Bhikkhus, suppose a criminal, a robber, was taken and brought before the king, saying: "Here is the criminal, the robber, O Lord! Give him a punishment that Your Majesty thinks it's appropriate!' then the king will say to them: 'Go and strike this man with a spear in the morning!' And they struck him a hundred spears in the morning. At noon the king will ask his retainers: 'How is that man?' - 'He's still alive, Your Highness.' - "let's go hit him with a hundred spears at noon!" They did so, and in the afternoon the king asked them again: 'How is that man?' 'Y is still alive.' 'Then go and beat him with a hundred spears in the afternoon!' And so they do. What do you think, bhikkhus? Will that person, beaten with three hundred spears in one day, suffer and torment because of it?" "Even if it gets hit with just one spear, it will suffer and torment because of that. How much more if it's hit with three hundred spears!" "Bhikkhus, the Tathagata says, in that way the nutriment of consciousness should be considered. If the nutriment of contact is understood, then mind and matter are understood. And if mind-and- matter is understood. , said the Tathagata, there is nothing left for the noble disciple to do."END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=BUDDHIST DHARMA WHEEL GOLDEN MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THE WOMEN OF THE SAKYA CLAN CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.10/2/2022.