How are the 7 Links leading to Awakening?

Venerable Sāriputta once explained:
They conduce and lead to the state of enlightenment; in this sense are they
links to awakening! They are in, of and by themselves enlightening; also in
this sense are they indeed links to awakening!

Establishing as the meaning of Awareness has to be directly experienced.
Examination as the meaning of Investigation has to be directly experienced.
Exertion of Effort as the meaning of Energy has to be directly experienced.
Intense Contentment as the meaning of Joy has to be directly experienced.
Stilled Peace as the meaning of Tranquillity has to be directly experienced.
Non-Distraction as the meaning of Concentration has to be directly experienced.
Even Ballance as the meaning of Equanimity has to be directly experienced.

They are enlightening as a root, thus are they links to awakening.
They are enlightening as a cause, thus are they links to awakening.
They are enlightening as a requisite, thus are they links to awakening.
They are enlightening as a purification, thus are they links to awakening.
They are enlightening as blamelessness, thus are they links to awakening.
They are enlightening as withdrawal exit, thus are they links to awakening.
They are enlightening as delivering freedom, thus are they links to awakening.
They are enlightening as lack of fermentation, thus are they links to awakening.
They are enlightening as silent solitary seclusion, thus are they links to awakening.
They are enlightening as a releasing relinquishment, thus are they links to awakening.

On these 7 Links to Awakening (Sambojjhanga):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Sun.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Peak.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Clothes.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Rare_Emergence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Sequential_Seven.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Vast_Penetration.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Seven_Fruits.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Unsurpassable_Seven.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/When_7_becomes_14.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_7_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Leading_to_Enlightenment.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Seven_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Cause_of_Knowledge_and_Vision.htm

Source (edited extract): Sāriputta
Path of Discrimination: Patisambhidamagga.
Treatise on the Links to Awakening XIII.

The Meaning of the 7 links?

Have a nice & noble day!
 
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

VIDEO: 2 sides of the same coin: Buddhism meets Science.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tIHrgQWBLs

Contemporary orthodox quantum physics and early Buddhism contains crucially

converging and parallel core concepts:

1: Wholeness, oneness, and unity in the sense that all is interdependent and

forever entangled. Changing any part entails changing the entire universe!

2: Emptiness and insubstantiality denoting that materiality is a potential of many

possible manifestations and not a solid substance or entity.

3: Mind over matter: That expels the fact that mind selects which aspects of

many in a probability distribution should manifest during observation.

Thanx to Gerald Penilla, California, USA, innerprisms.com for this excellence of

presentation.

More on Quantum Buddhism and Participatory Observation:

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/ontology.htm

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Some_Clues.htm

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Discrete_States.htm

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Quantum_Buddhism.htm

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Omniscient_Quantum_Mind.htm

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/No_Substance_'Out_There'.htm

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/pdfs/wheeler_law_without_law.pdf

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Coincident_Cross-Consistency.htm

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/The_Fact_of_No-Self_Anatta.htm

Have a nice & noble day!

Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Energy (Viriya) is a Link to Awakening!

The Energy Link to Awakening (Viriya-sambojjhanga) is basically the
same mental property (viriya-cetasika), as that which performs any
effort of action and which also is inherently included in the:
The Energy Feet of Force (viriyiddhipāda)
The Ability of Energy (viriyindriya)
The Power of Energy (viriyabala)
The Right Effort Path Factor (sammā-vāyāma-magganga)
When trained, developed and aroused energy is capable of enlightening!

The Buddha once said: What mental fermentations (āsava) should be
overcome by development? If a Bhikkhu by careful & rational attention
develops the Energy Link to Awakening based on seclusion, disillusion,
ceasing, & culminating in relinquishment, then neither can any mental
fermentation, nor any fever, or discontent ever arise in him. MN2 [i 11]

In one who examines, finds out why, & comes to assured comprehension,
in him his energy link to awakening becomes aroused. He develops it,
& for him it goes to the culmination of its development. MN118 [iii 85]

The ability of energy is to initiate, launch into action and to complete any
undertaking using persistent endurance. When this ability becomes
unshakable and unfailing, it then becomes the mighty Power of Energy!

The function of energy is this four-fold Right Effort of:
1: Eradicating evil & disadvantageous states that have arisen in the mind.
2: Preventing the arising of yet unarisen disadvantageous mental states.
3: Initiating and developing yet unarisen advantageous mental states.
4: Increasing, refining & completing already arisen advantageous states.
The characteristic of energy is readiness, willingness, enthusiastic ease,
eager and keen vigour. The manifestation of energy is action, exertion,
endeavour, industry, struggle, powerful striving and accomplishment!

Lazy:
The one, who does not rise, when it is time to rise.
Who though young and strong, is weak in mind,
soft in will, and lazy by nature, such slow one
does never find the way to Nibbāna.
Dhammapada 280

Get up! Sit up!
Of what use are your dreams?
How can you sleep, when sick,
stabbed by the arrow of craving...
Sutta Nipāta 331

Get up! Sit up!
Push on your training, until reaching sole peace!
Do not let the king of death see you sloppy and
thus delude and dominate you like a toy doll...
Sutta Nipāta 332

Feeding the Energy:
And what, friends, is feeding the Energy Link to Enlightenment, that
has not yet arisen, and food too for boosting of any present Energy?
1: The element of mental initiative,
2: The element of launching into action,
3: The element of enduring persistence.
Systematic attention to these, is feeding any yet unarisen Energy
Link to Awakening, and food too for boosting any present Energy.
Samyutta Nikāya XLVI 51 Bojjhanga-samyutta

Fivefold final Energy:
Following the Buddha the energy in the disciple culminates, when he
finally thinks: Let just this blood and flesh dry up & wither away so only
skin, sinews and bones remain, I will not give up my quest and stray from
this Noble 8-fold Path before having reached Enlightenment...!

For a full Study on Energy (Viriya): The root Hero of all Success:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Definition_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Arising_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Ability_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Origin_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Enthusiastic_is_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Power_of_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Ballanced_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Chief_Hero.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Energetic_Effort.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Avoiding_Effort.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Feeding_Energy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Energy_Viriya.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Dual_Energy.htm

Energy is the Chief Root Hero of all Success!

Have a nice & noble day!
 
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net 

The 7 Links to Awakening develop Sequentially!

The Blessed Buddha once explained:
Whenever withdrawn in body and withdrawn in mind one reflects on the
Buddha-Dhamma, then the Awareness Link to Awakening arises and develops.
Thus acutely aware one examines that!

Whenever examining a mind state, then the Investigation Link to Awakening
arises and develops. While thus being curious & enthusiastically investigating,
keen energy is aroused!

Whenever energy is aroused in one who is enthusiastic, then the Energy Link
to Awakening arises and develops. While energetic & enthusiastic one succeeds:
Therefore Joy is born!

Whenever succeeding in eager joy, then the Joy Link to Awakening arises and
develops. One thus joyous becomes mentally satisfied and therefore calmed
both in body and in mind!

Whenever calmed in body and mind, then the Tranquillity Link to Awakening
arises & develops. One thus satisfied, calmed, serene, settled and tranquil in
both body and mind becomes Happy!

Whenever calmed & comfortable in the body and tranquil & happy in the mind,
then the Concentration Link to Awakening arises and develops. When mentally
concentrated one reviews all states rationally & reasonably as if from above!

Whenever one well balanced reviews all mental states rationally & reasonably,
then the Equanimity Link to Awakening arises and develops. In Equanimity one
knows and sees things right as they really are and later become.

It is in this very way that The Seven Links to Awakening develop sequentially,
one after the other; successively one leading to, and producing the next...

On these 7 Links to Awakening (Sambojjhanga):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Sun.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Peak.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Clothes.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Rare_Emergence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Sequential_Seven.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Vast_Penetration.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Seven_Fruits.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Unsurpassable_Seven.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/When_7_becomes_14.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_7_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Leading_to_Enlightenment.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Seven_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Cause_of_Knowledge_and_Vision.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Meaning_of_the-7_Links_to_Awakening.htm

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya.
Book [V: 67-69] section 46: The Links.3: Morality....

The Sequential Seven!

Have a nice & noble day!
 
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Joy (Pîti) is a Link to Awakening!

The Joy Link to Awakening (Pīti-sambojjhanga) has the characteristic
of suffusing contentment, and the property of gladdening satisfaction.
This Joy Link to Awakening manifests as mental elation, which can reach
five successively increasing degrees of intensity:

1: Minor Joy, which can raise the hair on the body when thrilled.
2: Momentary Joy, which flashes like lightning at various occasions.
3: Showering Joy, which breaks over the body repeatedly like sea-waves.
4: Uplifting Joy, which can be strong enough to even levitate the body.
5: Pervading Joy, which is like a heavy sponge all saturated with water.
Visuddhimagga IV 94-9

The Buddha once said: What mental fermentations (āsava) should be
overcome by development? If a Bhikkhu by careful & rational attention
develops the Joy Link to Awakening based on seclusion, on disillusion,
on ceasing, & culminating in relinquishment, then can neither any mental
fermentation, nor any fever, nor discontent ever arise in him. MN2 [i 11]

In one who has aroused enthusiastic energy, there arises a joy not of
this world & the Joy Link to Awakening emerges there. He develops it,
& for him it goes to the culmination of its development. MN118 [iii 85]



Any one convinced by understanding of Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha,
gets an enthusiastic sense of the sublime good goal of Nibbāna &
gains the gladness connected, joined, and fused with this Dhamma!
In anyone gladdened, Joy is born. The body of the Joyous is calmed.
One of calm body experiences pleasure and happiness! The mind of
one who is happy becomes concentrated. The concentrated mind
sees and knows things as they really are. This brings disgust and
disillusion, which enables full, and direct experience of mental release.
It is in this way that Joy indeed is a factor leading to Awakening!
MN [i 37-8], AN [iii 21-3], DN [iii 21-3]




Further inspirations on the elevating & ecstatic quality of Joy (Pīti):
Happiness_of_the_Flesh_and_Beyond, Joys_of_the_Flesch_&_Beyond,
Joys_Beyond_This_World, Feeding_Joy, Alert_Elevated_Joy,
Rejoicing_Joy, Super-Human_Delight

On the 7 links to Awakening (Sambojjhanga):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_7_Links_to_Awakening.htm

Floated by Joy :-)!

Have a nice & noble day!
 
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Sariputta explains the 7 Links to Awakening!

Venerable Sāriputta once said: Friends!
Friend; the Bhikkhus replied. Venerable Sāriputta then explained this:
Friends, there are these Seven Links to Awakening. What seven?

1: The Awareness Link to Awakening: sati-sambojjhanga.
2: The Investigation Link to Awakening: dhammavicaya-sambojjhanga.
3: The Energy Link to Awakening: viriya-sambojjhanga.
4: The Joy Link to Awakening: pīti-sambojjhanga.
5: The Tranquillity Link to Awakening: passaddhi-sambojjhanga.
6: The Concentration Link to Awakening: samādhi-sambojjhanga.
7: The Equanimity Link to Awakening: upekkhā-sambojjhanga.

These are the Seven Links to Awakening!
In whichever of these 7 Links to Awakening, I wish to dwell in the morning,
in that I abide in the morning; in whichever I wish to dwell at noon, in that
I abide at noon; in whichever I wish to dwell in the evening, in that I abide
in the evening... Suppose a king or a minister had a cupboard full of clothes
of many various colours, then whichever pair of clothes he wished to put on
in the morning, that he would put on in the morning; whichever clothes he
wished to put on at noon, that he would put on at noon; & whichever clothes
he wished to put on in the evening, that he would put on in the evening: so too,
in whichever of these 7 Links to Awakening, I wish to abide in for whatever
period, in that indeed I easily abide dwelling fully absorbed by that aspect...
If it occurs to me that now there is The Awareness Link to Awakening present
in me, then it occurs to me that it is measureless, & it occurs to me that it is
well established; and while it is remaining I know that it remains; and if it falls
away in me, then I know instantly that it faded away caused by this or that
specific condition or definable circumstance! So too with the other six links
to awakening. I notice and know both their presence, ceasing and absence!

Venerable Sāriputta Thera

On the 7 Links to Awakening (Sambojjhanga):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Sun.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Peak.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Clothes.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Rare_Emergence.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Sequential_Seven.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Vast_Penetration.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Seven_Fruits.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Unsurpassable_Seven.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/When_7_becomes_14.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/The_7_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Leading_to_Enlightenment.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Seven_Links_to_Awakening.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Cause_of_Knowledge_and_Vision.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Meaning_of_the-7_Links_to_Awakening.htm

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya.
Book [V: 70-1] section 46: The Links.4: The Clothes...

Venerable Sāriputta Thera and Venerable Mahā Moggallāna Thera

The Clothes...

Have a nice & noble day!
 
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net 

 

What is the Concentration Link to Awakening?

Fixed Focus is the characteristic of the Concentration Link to Awakening
(Samādhi-Sambojjhanga). Ceasing of distraction, disturbance, diversion,
agitation, mental instability and wavering is the purpose of the quality of
Concentration (Samādhi). Incisive certainty is the manifestation of the
concentration link to awakening. This stability enables breakthrough
to understanding! Some concentration is present in all consciousness.
Training that anchors attention on only 1 object condenses this focus.
The proximate cause of concentration is happiness!
The resulting effect of concentration is knowledge and vision!

Concentration comes in increasing grades of intensity:
1: Momentary concentration with few seconds of one-pointedness. 
2: Preparatory concentration of longer, yet still unstable quality.
3: Access concentration which approaches the 1st jhāna absorption.
4: Absorption concentration with fixed and unified mental one-pointedness.

Fourfold is the blessing of Concentration:
1: Sublime happiness here and now through the 4 absorptions.
2: Assured knowledge and true vision of things as they really are.
3: Awareness and clear comprehension of all transient phenomena.
4: Ceasing of all mental fermentation by absence of clinging. DN 33

The Buddha once said: What mental fermentations (āsava) should be
overcome by development? If a Bhikkhu by careful and rational attention
develops the Concentration Link to Awakening based on seclusion, based
on disillusion, based on ceasing, culminating in renouncing relinquishment,
then neither can mental fermentation, nor any fever, nor any discontent
ever arise in him. MN2 [i 11]

In one whose body is calm and who enjoys a pleasurable happiness the
mind becomes concentrated. The Concentration Link to Awakening
arises right there. He develops it, and for him repeatedly meditating
it goes gradually to the culmination of its development. MN118 [iii 85]



Further inspirations on the condensing quality of Concentration (Samādhi):
Concentration_Samadhi, Samma-Samadhi, The_Concentration_Ability,
High_and_Alert, What is Right Concentration?, Feeding Concentration,
Stopping_Mental_Frustration, Stopping_Physical_Pain, Concentrated_Truth,
Art_of_Absorption, Jhana_Absorption, Joys_Beyond_This_World, 9_Stillings,
Details of the Jhana Absorptions, Requisites for Jhana Absorption, No Pain!

Concentration = Samãdhi!

Have a nice & noble day!
 
Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net