Friends:


I hereby apologize unconditionally for having diverted attention
to this irresolvable mind-brain issue, since I this morning realized
that it is a variant of the 10 indeterminable subjects deliberately
undeclared by the Buddha:

1: The cosmos is eternal
2: The cosmos is not eternal,
3: The cosmos is finite...
4: The cosmos is infinite...
5: The soul (mind) & the body (brain) are the same. (inseparable)
6: The soul (mind) is one thing and the body (brain) another. (separable)
7: After death a Tathagata exists...
8: After death a Tathagata does not exist...
9: After death a Tathagata both does & does not exist...
10: After death a Tathagata neither exists nor does he not exist.

“And they lived arguing, quarreling, and disputing, wounding one another
with weapons of the mouth, saying, "The Dhamma is like this, not like that.
The Dhamma's not like that, it's like this." Ud 6.4

Sources:
AN 10.93 Ditthi Sutta: Views A v 185

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an10/an10.093.than.html
MN 63  i 426 Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta: The Shorter Instructions to Malunkya
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.063.than.html

Ud 6.4 Ud 66 Tittha Sutta: Various Sectarians
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.6.04.than.html
AN 7.51 A iv 67 Avyakata Sutta: Undeclared
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an07/an07.051.than.html

Due to their irresolvable nature, these 10 questions should be laid all aside,
since they only provoke endless and fruitless dispute, which needless to say
blocks any progress toward the ending of suffering!

I am sorry to have overlooked this issue and hereby apologize for this
in order to facilitate, that neither I nor you will repeat this mistake.
Since this is called progress in the Noble One’s Teaching…

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

What is simple & straight, yet also very intricate?

Friends:

What is simple & straight, yet also very intricate?

Once the Blessed Buddha said this:
This Noble Truth of Suffering has been made known by me;
This Noble Truth on The Cause of Suffering has been made known by me;
This Noble Truth on The End of Suffering has been made known by me;
This Noble Truth on The Way to End Suffering has been made known by me!
Within these 4 Noble Truths there are innumerable meanings & implications,
a myriad of shades & nuances and countless aspects, features and details...
Therefore, Bhikkhu, an effort should be made much of to understand:
All this is Suffering; an effort should be made much of to comprehend:
Craving is the Cause of Suffering! An effort should be made so to realize:
No Craving is the End of Suffering! An effort should be made to penetrate,
remember, and develop: This Noble 8-fold Way which ceases all Suffering...
 

 

More on these 4 Noble Truths (Cattari Ariya Saccani):
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Ignorance.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/True_Wisdom.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Clustered_Truths.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Ultimate_Fact.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_4_Noble_Truths.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Sour_Sense_Sources.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_1st_Noble_Truth_on_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_2nd_Noble_Truth_on_The_Cause_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_3rd_Noble_Truth_on_The_Ceasing_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_4th_Noble_Truth_on_The_Way_to_End_Suffering.htm

Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya. [V:430]
section 56: Saccasamyutta. Thread 19: Implications...

                                

Understanding these 4 Noble Truths evaporates Ignorance...

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

What is Suffering?

Friends:

What is Suffering?

At Savatthi. Sitting to one side, the Venerable Radha said to the Blessed One:
Venerable sir, it is said, 'suffering, suffering', What now, venerable sir, is suffering?
Radha, all form is suffering, all feeling is suffering, all perception is suffering,
all intentional mental formation is suffering, and consciousness itself is suffering.
Understanding this, Bhikkhu, a well instructed Noble Disciple experiences disgust
towards any form, disgust towards any feeling, disgust towards any perception,
disgust towards any mental construction, & disgust towards consciousness itself!
Experiencing disgust, he becomes disillusioned! Through this disillusion his mind
is released. When mind is released, one instantly knows: This mind is liberated,
and one understands: Extinguished is rebirth, this Noble Life is all completed,
done is what should be done, there is no state of being beyond this...

Comments:
These 5 clusters of clinging are what denotes both the internal 'individual'
and the 'external' real world. However as they continually change, no same
internal 'self'= identity or external 'substance'= reality can ever be found!
Since always changing they are always lost and therefore are they always
ultimately speaking suffering! An inner mental prison of craving for something
inevitably, unambiguously & spontaneously vanishing! A fever of folly obsession…


The Suffering and Imprisonment is NOT outside, but inside in our mind!

More on Suffering = Dukkha
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Source_of_What.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/What_is_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Origin_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Contemplating_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_3_kinds_of_Suffering.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Contemplating_Suffering_2.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_1st_Noble_Truth_on_Suffering.htm

Source:
The Grouped Sayings by the Buddha. Samyutta Nikāya 22:55 III 185
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=948507
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/samyutta/index.html

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

Mind,brain and consciousness are all created in & by only the brain!

Friends:
Our friend Bodhi Dhanapala ao. postulated:
Mind,brain and consciousness are all created in & by only the brain!

Response:
Without wishing to induce or participate in any folly dispute here
‘I’ still wish just to point firmly out some salient facts:

1: ‘I’ was educated as Medical Doctor in Denmark and was associate
professor in bioinformatics before monkhood. I spent seven years
within the field of artificial intelligence and artificial neural networks
simulating neural functions such as learning, prediction etc. by using
main-frame Unix computer simulation…About this ‘I’ authored 22
scientific papers in peer-revived international scientific bio-medical
journals. That's a fact. The basics of neurology, neuro-anatomy and
also neuro-physiology is thus almost childhood learning, still very present
and indeed also very valid for me. ‘I’ has never claimed otherwise!


http://www.quantumconsciousness.org/presentations/whatisconsciousness.html

    
2: Of course the brain obviously serves many mental functions
readily demonstrable by experiment, yet this does not prove
that it actually creates  consciousness itself. That's a fact too!

Simile
Like a man (consciousness), who lives in a house (brain) is not by that
created  by the house, yet still obviously he is very much affected
if the house (brain) is painted blue (by neuro-drugs) or falls half apart
(by neuro-surgery)…

Note the waves that goes ‘out’ of the brain here interacting elsewhere!

Friend Bodhi Dhanapala seems to have missed this crucial point:
The postulate:
“That consciousness & mind solely is localized in & to the brain”,
is NOT A SCIENTIFIC FACT, but indeed a mere philosophical viewpoint!
This position is traditionally and academically designated ‘Philosophy of Mind’…

This naive materialistic viewpoint should a priori neither be taken for valid
or for granted, since this mind-body-brain problem is very much debated,
both within serious philosophy and serious biology & physics these years.
Those genuinely interested may enjoy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_mind
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind%E2%80%93body_problem
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mind%E2%80%93body_problem

May I especially recommend for beginners:
The Mind Brain Problem
http://www.horizonresearch.org/main_page.php?cat_id=40

and

The Mind-Brain Problem and Consciousness by Jay Gould
http://uwf.edu/jgould/documents/Mind-BrainandConsciousnessProblem_000.pdf


If consciousness if a wave-phenomena, then it’s worth to notice that the radio-waves
(in this case electro-magnetic radiation) from your mobile phone, not ONLY is inside
your phone, but also very much outside the phone! Otherwise it could not work hehe!
So also is consciousness a non-local phenomena…! An even further anti-dogmatic sweep:
All forms of energy, mass, & difference whether wave-like or partikel-like are non-local
= everywhere-present and entangled = everywhere effective = everywhere influential…!  
In physics that’s a quantum-mechnical and experimentally verifiable fact too:  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlocality
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement
Finally: From a strictly Buddhist viewpoint:
The highest level of Arūpā being in Buddhist cosmology is wellknown as the
formless level. There the beings does NEITHER have any form OR any BRAIN!
Still these beings are very much conscious and can think thoughts as subtle as:
“This space or this consciousness is infinite or even a void & empty nothingness”!
If Mr. Bodhi Dhanapala’s sweepingly simple brain=mind assumption is correct how
should these immaterial, both form and brainless, yet still very real beings, ever
be able to think even a single conscious thought???
Documentation on the 31 Planes of Existence:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sagga/loka.html
A thorough study and prolonged reflection on the resources give here
above may happily prevent any further premature dogmatic conclusions
about this very interesting, yet far from solved relation between mind
and brain…Examining it unbiased is far better IMHO, than jumping
into any hole of mere shooting-from-the-hip opinion J
Why so? That's both irrational and unscientic…

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

What is Mind?

A friend asked:

>What is Mind?
Mind (Mano) is an ever changing collection of these 5 phenomena:
1: Contact, 2: Feeling, 3: Perception, 4: Intention and 5: Attention!

Regarding Consciousness itself:
Consciousness is NOT created by the brain, but RESIDES WITHIN the brain (for some but not all beings)!
Just like the beer is inside the bottle, but is not created by the bottle...
To identify Mind only with Brain is a (false) view, which actually is a philosophical (often dogmatic) standpoint,
and NOT a scientifically & experimentally verified fact. This tantalizing IDEA is called physicalism or materialism!
On this common, yet wrong assumption named Mind-Brain Identity Theory see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_physicalism
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mind-identity/
http://www.philosophyofmind.info/mindbrainidentity.html

>What is going from this life to the next?
In brief: Causal Conditioning!
Please see:
http://what-buddha-said.net/drops/III/What_passes_on_by_Rebirth-Linking.htm

Regarding Buddhist Theory of Rebirth-Linking (patisandhi) see also:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/wtb/n_r/patisandhi.htm

For an Orthodox Buddhist explanation of the transmigration of consciousness:
Rebirth Explained: V. F. Gunaratna, BPS, Kandy, Wheel Publication No. 167-69
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Wheels/wh_167_169.html
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Wheels/wh_167_168_169.pdf

U were reborn into this life!
U are reborn millions of times each second!
Since existence is a chain of discrete conscious moments!
Like pearls on a string. One after the other…
Again and again and again hehehe ;-)
Samsara = Suffering…

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

--

Regarding Rebirth Transmigration:

Friends:

Regarding Rebirth Transmigration:

What the Buddha taught on rebirth is well documented:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.135.than.html
Causes of favourable or painful rebirth: MN 135, AN III.65, Dhp 310, Dhp 316
Behaviour determines the destination after death: Dhp 17, Dhp 18, Dhp 240
The laws of kamma are as inviolable as the law of gravity: SN XLII.6
Why not just settle for divine rebirth among the devas?: SN V.7
The preciousness of our human life: SN XX.2, SN LVI.48
How to gain rebirth as an elephant or a horse: AN X.177
What's so bad about being reborn?: SN V.6

An Orthodox Buddhist explanation of the transmigration of consciousness:
Rebirth Explained: V. F. Gunaratna, BPS, Kandy, Wheel Publication No. 167-69
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Wheels/wh_167_169.html
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Wheels/wh_167_168_169.pdf

The contemporary Science on Rebirth:
Rebirth is IMHO scientifically well documented by 60 years of rigorous
research mostly by the late professor Ian Stevenson of Virginia University:
http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/personalitystudies/
Consciousness is not continuous, but a series of discrete ultra-short moments.
This entails that one is "reborn" millions of times per second with each re-arising
of a new moment of consciousness! Also after the 'death' moment does consciousness
rearise! Life is -in fact- therefore not a single shot, but a chain-reaction of rebirths!
Please EXAMINE this crucial issue by WATCHING & REFLECTING over these Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/RutherfordInstitute#p/search/0/YLKT5UsKoqM
http://www.ial.goldthread.com/clips/tucker.wmv
http://www.ial.goldthread.com/interviews.html



Please enjoy study here for rare details on Rebirth:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Rare_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Divine_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Animal_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Samsaric_Dread.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Minor_Hells.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Hell_Destiny.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Five_Destinations.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_5_Destinations.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Kamma_and_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/The_Samsaric_Round.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mad_Demon_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Human_Being_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Hungry_Ghost_Rebirth.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/What_passes_on_by_Rebirth-Linking.htm

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

Friends:

Equanimity gives delicate Peace & Happiness!

Equanimity (Upekkhā) entails a composed equipoise of solid mental balance!
It is Tatra-majjhattatā  = keeping to the moderate middle of all phenomena.
Equanimity balances consciousness so it prevents both all excessiveness and
any deficiency.  In equanimity mind is neither attracted by attractive things,
nor repelled by repulsive things. The cause of equanimity is seeing the law of
kamma: All beings are born and created by their kamma, they are owners of
their kamma, inherit their kamma, whatever they do, whether good or bad,
the effects of that will be theirs only, following them like a shadow of past!
The effect of Equanimity is threefold:
Exquisite, relaxed & subtle peace felt as calm happiness is instantly gained.
Equanimity purifies and completes all the 7 crucial Links to Awakening...
Equanimity is the proximate cause of knowledge and vision (ñānadassana)!

On the solidified & imperturbable mental balance of Equanimity (Upekkhā):
Even is Equanimity, The 7 Links to Awakening, Serene Equanimity & Beyond,
Imperturbable Equanimity, Unshakable Equanimity, Equanimity Upekkha,
Feeding Equanimity, Empty Equanimity, High_and_Alert, What_is_Wrong,
Safe_Medicine, Serene_Equanimity, Divorced_Freedom, Tatra-Majjhattatā

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

The 8 Thoughts of a Great Man!

Friends:

The 8 Thoughts of a Great Man!


The Buddha once explained to Ven. Anuruddha:
What are the 8 thoughts of a great man?
1: This Dhamma is for one who is modest, not for one who wants much.
2; This Dhamma is for one who is content, not for one who is discontent.
3: This Dhamma is for one who is reclusive, not for the socializing parrot.
4: This Dhamma is for one who is enthusiastic, not for one who is lazy.
5: This Dhamma is for one who is aware, not for one who is distracted.
6: This Dhamma is for one who is focused, not for one who is scattered.
7: This Dhamma is for one who understands, not for one who is confused.
8: This Dhamma is for one who enjoys unity, not for one who seeks diversity.
When you think these 8 thoughts of a great man, then you can always easily 
attain the four jhanas, that provides a pleasant dwelling right here and now!
Secondly, your rag-robe & simple alms-food, your dwelling at the tree-root,
your bed on a spread of grass, and your smelling medicine will seem to you
as the best of the best. Therefore will you live contented, in sweet delight,
satisfied, dwelling in calm comfort, not agitated, and thus approach release.
Anguttara Nikāya IV 227 (edited excerpt)

Full text here:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.030.than.html



Comments:
Later during this Rains Retreat in the Eastern Bamboo Park, Ven. Anuruddha
dwelling alone, secluded, alert, ardent, & resolute, in no long time reached &
remained in that supreme goal of the holy life for which clansmen rightly go
forth into homelessness, and directly experiencing it himself he understood:
"Rebirth is ended, this Noble life is completed, what should be done is done.
There is no further state in this world."  And thus Ven. Anuruddha became
another one of the Arahats.

More on Ven. Anuruddha Buddha's cousin & one of his most eminent disciples.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/ay/anuruddha.htm

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

How to be a Real Buddhist through Observance?

Friends:

How to be a Real  Buddhist through Observance?

Durutu Poya day is the full-moon of January. This holy day celebrates
the first visit of the Buddha to Sri Lanka. The Buddha visited the very
place, where the present magnificent Mahiyangana Stupa was built to
enshrine the Buddha's hair relics and the collar bone. For Details see:
http://www.buddhanet.net/sacred-island/mahiyangana.html and
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/library/DPPN/ma/mahiyangana.htm

         
                                         Mahiyangana Stupa

On such Full-Moon Uposatha Poya Observance days:
Any Lay Buddhist simply joins the Three Refuges and undertakes the
Five Precepts like this: Newly bathed, shaved, white-clothed, with clean
bare feet, one kneels at a shrine with a Buddha-statue, and bows first
three times, so that feet, hands, elbows, knees & head touch the floor.
Then, with joined palms at the heart, one recites these memorized lines
in a loud, calm & steady voice:

As long as this life lasts:
I hereby take refuge in the Buddha.  
I hereby take refuge in the Dhamma.
I hereby take refuge in the Sangha.
I hereby seek shelter in the Buddha for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Dhamma for the 2nd time.
I hereby seek shelter in the Sangha for the 2nd time.
I hereby request protection from the Buddha for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Dhamma for the 3rd time.
I hereby request protection from the Sangha for the 3rd time.
I will hereby respect these Three Jewels the rest of my life!

I accept to respect & undertake these 5 training rules: 
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Killing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Stealing.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Sexual Abuse.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Dishonesty.
I hereby accept the training rule of avoiding all Alcohol & Drugs.
As long as this life lasts, I am thus protected by these 5 precepts... 

Then, one keeps and protects these sacred vows better than one's
own eyes & children!, since they protect you & all other beings much
better than any army! They are the highest offer one can give in & to
this world! So is the start towards Nibbāna: the Deathless Element!
This is the Noble Way to Peace, to Freedom, to Ease, to Happiness,
initiated by Morality, developed further by Dhamma-Study and
fulfilled by training of Meditation...

Today indeed is Pooya or uposatha or observance day, where any lay
Buddhist normally keeps even the Eight Precepts from sunrise until the
next dawn... If any wish an official recognition by the Bhikkhu-Sangha,
they may simply forward the lines starting with "I hereby ..." signed with
name, date, town, & country to me or join here.  A public list of this new
quite rapidly growing global Saddhamma-Sangha is set up here!

The New Noble Community of Buddha's Disciples: Saddhamma Sangha:      
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Saddhamma_Sangha.htm

Can quite advantageously be Joined Here:

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/sangha/Sangha_Entry.htm

May your journey hereby be light, swift, and sweet. Never give up !!

Bhikkhu Samahita: what.buddha.said@gmail.com
 

For Details on The Origin of Uposatha Observance Days:    
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/uposatha.html

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