My post on "vi~n~naana.m andassana.m"

At E-Sangha...

Disclaimer: this is my understanding from practicing in the Thai forest tradition, but what I am writing below does not represent the teachings of the forest tradition, only my limited understanding of it.

Regarding "vi~n~naana.m andassana.m", it is unconditioned. Since it is unconditioned, it cannot interact with anything. It cannot influence samsara, nor can it be influenced by samsara. It is not a controller of anything as it does not have any ability to control, or be controlled.

Since it is "unborn" and "deathless", there is no concept of time. Time does not apply. Time only applies to things that are conditioned, like the five aggregates. For the unconditioned, time simply does not exist. No time.

We are so caught up with samsara way of thinking where time is an inescapable reality, and as we never have experienced anything that is “not bound by time”, we always think of this as having to be either nihilistic or eternalistic. But both terms do not apply.

The only reason that, in my understanding, " vi~n~naana.m andassana.m" is used is because of the quality of knowing. However, this quality is of “simply knowing” only, and not of thinking, not understanding, not comprehending, not storing any tiny bits of memory. Simply knows. Luminous because knowing is limitless, but there light/color/darkness do not apply.

When we use the word mind, we think of a thing. This is not a thing either, and cannot be found, and does not exist nor not exist. It is not the mind. Sometimes the word mind is used simply because for lack of better words.

Is it Self or True Self? Far from that as well. Self or whatever we call me or mine only belongs to samsara. “We” are the self, the illusion, the concept. The “one” that knows is also a concept. It's not also the new-age or ancient-age "one with all, and all with one". Or getting back into the Atman either, no mini Me finally rejoining the Big Me.

But this can be known, and the only way that it is known is directly from practice to see samsara as is. Simple. But that "direct knowledge" of is also in samsara. As this can be known, some Buddhist practitioners do not deny it. Some may not like to talk much about it as it is incomprehensible, and unexplainable, and only to be known by oneself. But since we have not yet experienced this , it does not mean that this is "false" or "wrong". [I know, some wouldn't want to anyway, or say it's a fake mind-made thing, whatever.]

For those who have direct knowledge of this "vi~n~naana.m andassana.m", which is also not any jhanic states either as it does not belong to any realms of existence nor does it have any kinds of existence (nor not exist), it is more true than anything in front of our eyes.

PS – I do not equate this to nibbana though.

Just my limited understanding from listening and learning from some meditation masters.

Emptyuniverse on "vi~n~naana.m andassana.m"

A post by Emptyuniverse at E-Sangha...


Anyhoo, since it's now established that one who translates vi~n~naana.m andassana.m as "non-manifestative consciousness," etc., isn't necessarily a heretic guilty of wrong view, it's worth looking at this second allegation: that this translation is merely an oxymoron.

First, a list of some authors and translators who have seen fit to translate vi~n~naana.m andassana.m along these lines:

- the consciousness that makes no showing (Ven. Nanamoli)
- non-manifestative consciousness (Ven. Nyanananda)
- consciousness non-manifesting (from A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya by Ven. Nanamoli and Ven. Bodhi)
- awakened consiciousness (from the Introduction of Ven. Sumedho's Intuitive Awareness)
- consciousness which is unmanifest (Ven. Amaro)
- consciousness without feature, consciousness without surface (Ven. Thanissaro)
- non-manifestative consciousness (Ven. Analayo)
- where consciousness is signless (M. Walshe)
- undemonstratable consciousness (Jeffrey Hopkins, Ven. Lati Rimpoche, trans. of rnam shes bstan med, from The Buddhism of Tibet)

Second, Ven. Bodhi's translation of this term in MN 49: Brahmanimantanika Sutta:

Consciousness non-manifesting,
Boundless, luminous all-round:

that is not pataken of by the earthness of earth, that is not partaken of by the waterness of water ... that is not partaken of by the allness of all.

And his reason for departing from the commentary when doing so (endnote 513 from The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A New Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya):

These lines (which also apear as part of a full verse at DN 11.85/i.223) have been a perennial challenge to Buddhist scholarship, and even Aacariya Buddhaghosa seems to founder over them. MA takes the subject of the sentence to be Nibbaana, called "consciousness" (vi~n~naa.na.m) in the sense that "it can be cognized" (vijaanitabba.m). This derivation is hardly credible, since nowhere in the Nikaayas is Nibbaana described as consciousness, nor is it possible to derive an active noun from the gerundive. MA explains anidassana.m as meaning invisible, "because it (Nibbaana) does not come within range of eye-consciousness," but again this is a trite explanation. The word anidassana occurs at MN 21.14 in the description of empty space as an unsuitable medium for painting pictures; thus the idea seems to be that of not making manifest.

MA offers three explanations of sabbato pabha.m: (1) completely possessed of luminosity (pabhaa); (2) possessing being (pabhuuta.m) everywhere; and (3) a ford (pabha.m) accessible from all sides, i.e. through any of the thirty-eight meditation objects. Only the first of these seems to have any linguistic legitimacy.

Ven. Nyanananda's comments on this same excerpt from MN 49:

In the Brahmanimantanikasutta of the Majjhima Nikaaya, also, the first two lines of the verse, vi~n~naana.m anidassana.m, anan­ta.m sabbato pabha.m, occur. But here the commentator follows a dif­ferent line of interpretation. Whereas in his commentary to the Keva.d.dhasutta he explains anidas­sana.m as an epithet of Nibbaana, in the sense of having nothing to compare with, here he takes it in the sense of not being visi­ble to the eye. Cakkhuvi~n~naa.nassa aapaatha.m anupagamanato ani­dassana.m naama, "it is called anidassana be­cause it does not come within the range of eye-consciousness".

In explaining the term sabbato pabha.m, he suggests several alter­native interpretations. In the first interpretation, he takes pabhaa to mean light, or lustre. Sabbato pabhan'ti sabbato pabhaa­sampanna.m. Nibbaanato hi a~n~no dhammo sappabhataro vaa joti­vantataro vaa pari­suddhataro vaa pa.n.darataro vaa natthi. "Sabbato pabha.m means more lustrous than anything else. For there is nothing more lustrous or lu­minous or purer or whiter than Nib­baana".

The etymology of the term sabbato pabha.m has been given a twist, for the word sabbato is taken in a comparative sense, 'more lustrous than anything'. As we have pointed out, the term actu­ally means 'lustrous on all sides'. Then a second interpretation is given, bringing in the word pabhuu, 'lord' or 'chief'. Sabbato vaa pabhuu, that is to say more prominent than anything else. In sup­port of it he says: Asukadisaaya naama nibbaana.m natthii'ti na vat­tabba.m, "it should not be said that in such and such a direction Nibbaana is not to be found". He says that it is called pabhuu, or lord, because it is to be found in all directions. Only as the third interpretation he cites his simile of the ford already given in his commentary to the Keva.d.dhasutta.

What is the reason for giving so many figurative interpreta­tions as alternatives to such a significant verse? Surely the Bud­dha would not have intended the verse to convey so many con­flicting meanings, when he preached it.

No doubt the commentators have made a great effort to pre­serve the Dhamma, but due to some unfortunate historical cir­cumstances, most of the deep discourses dealing with the sub­ject of Nibbaana have been handed down without even a clue to the correct version among variant readings. This has left the commentators nonplussed, so much so that they had to give us several vague and alternative inter­pretations to choose from. It is up to us to decide, whether we should accept this position as it is, or try to improve on it by exploring any other possible means of explanation.

We had occasion to mention in our very first sermon that the Bud­dha himself has prophesied that those discourse which deal with voidness would, in time to come, go into disuse, with their deeper meanings obscured. The interpretations just quoted go to show that already the prediction has come true to a great ex­tent.

And third, the relevant passage from DN 11: Kevaddha Sutta (Nyanananda trans.):

Consciousness, which is non-manifestative,
Endless, lustrous on all sides[....]

And his comments regarding Ven. Buddhaghosa's treatment of these lines:

The commentator begins his exposition with the word vi~n~naa.na.m itself. He comes out with a peculiar etymology: Vi~n~naa.nan'ti tattha vi~n~naatabbanti vi~n~naa.na.m nibbaanassa naama.m, which means that the word vi~n~naa.na, or consciousness, is in this context a synonym for Nibbaana, in the sense that it is 'to be known', vi~n~naatabba.m. This forced etymology is far from con­vincing, since such a usage is not attested elsewhere. Moreover, we come across a long list of epithets for Nibbaana, as many as thirty-three, in the Asa.nkhatasa.myutta of the Sa.myutta Nikaaya, but vi~n~naa.na is not counted as one. In fact, no­where in the dis­courses is vi~n~naa.na used as a synonym for Nibbaana.

Next, he takes up the word anidassana, and makes the fol­lowing comment: Tad eta.m nidassanaabhaavato anidassana.m, that Nibbaana is called anidassana because no illustration for it could be given. The idea is that it has nothing to compare with. Then comes the explana­tion of the word ananta.m. According to the commentator Nibbaana is called ananta, endless, because it has neither the arising-end, up­paadanto, nor the falling-end, vayanto, nor the otherwiseness of the persisting-end, .thitassa a~n~nathatta. Strangely enough, even the last mentioned middle-state is counted as an 'end' in the commentators concept of three ends. So this is the substance of his commentary to the first three words vi~n~naa.na.m, anidassana.m, ananta.m.

The commentarial interpretation of the term sabbato pabha.m is even more confusing. The word pabhaa is explained as a syno­nym for papa, meaning 'ford'. The bha element in the word, he explains, is a result of consonantal interchange with the original pa in papa. Pakaa­rassa pana bhakaaro kato. The idea is that the original form of this particular term for Nibbaana is sabbato pa­pa.m. The meaning attrib­uted to it is 'with fords on all sides'. Nibbaana is supposed to be meta­phorically conceived as the ocean, to get down into which there are fords on all sides, namely the thirty-eight topics of meditation. This interpretation seems rather far fetched. It is as if the commen­tator has re­sorted to this simile of a ford, because he is already 'in deep wa­ters'! The word pabhaa, as it is, clearly means light, or radi­ance, and its association with wisdom is also well attested in the canon.

Just considering these two venerable authors/translators, it seems that they have employed significant textual analysis in departing from the commentaries to give their translation of this term. It's obvious that they don't do so lightly. IMO their analysis is cogent.

Metta.

Is samsara = dukkha ?

In the simple form:

1st Noble Truth = Truth of dukkha
2nd Noble Truth = Truth of the cause of dukkha
3rd Noble Truth = Truth of the cessation of dukkha
4th Noble Truth = Truth of the way to the end of suffering, the 8-fold path

What is dukkha? In everyday words, dukkha is often translated as "suffering" or sometimes "stressful". If I have to choose between the two, I would choose the second one.

What is the origin of dukkha? It's ignorance, the "not knowing" the reality of the 4NT itself, or some may prefer the not knowing what samsara and nibbana is all about.

The Third Noble truth is the end of suffering. Some says that it is when there is no more suffering. Some say that it is nibbana. I say it's both. However, to me the end of suffering is not the end of the process, but the "..." that is not bound by samsara, not bound by ignorance, which is simply is nibbana. Although I believe it is also correct to say that dukkha is ended when all the 10 fetters have been eradicated, so arahants has no dukkha even when they are alive, I tend to link the First Noble Truth to samsara itself. The condition of samsara as "impermanence, non-self, and suffering/stressful " is packaged in "dukkha". So in another word, there is only dukkha and nibbana. Dukkha = conditioned = samsara-ing, while on the other hand, nibbana = unconditioned , unborn, deathless, cannot be found/not found.

The Forth Noble Truth is known when the noble ones realized the first 3 Noble Truths, as when they realize these Noble Truths, it becomes clear to them as to how to practice in the correct way, which is the 8-fold path.


There are a lot of questions reagarding the First Noble Truth. It goes like; "when I am happy and do not suffer, I am not in dukkha, so does the First Noble Truth apply in this case?"; or something like; "if a heavenly being are constantly happy and do not experience, do the First Noble Truth apply to them?

I'd say "yes". As stated in the co-independent origination, ignorance is the root of all things in samsara, then as ignorance has not been uprooted, samsara is still inherently dukkha. The only exception when the 5 aggregates are not dukkha is when one becomes an arahant and is no longer fooled by avijja, ignorance. As there is no ignorance, the root of dukkha has already been eliminated. Even though there are still 5 aggregates, these five aggregates are merely aggregates and are not bound by the rules of karma of samsara in the same way as for unenlightened beings like us.

A post on the Forest Tradition at E-Sangha forum

There are a lot of miraculous stories of Thai forest teachers, indeed some may be very real, and some may be just stories retold over and over.

IMHO Ajahn Chah's most miraculous power is his amazing ability to teach. Son of poor farmers in Issan who did not speak English, had the ability to teach both Thai and western students such that now the Thai forest tradition is well-known across the world with renounced Western Ajahns such as Ajahn Sumedho, Ajahn Brahm, as well as a number of Thai Ajahns in many branch monasteries.

His teachings touch the hearts of those who care to listen with open mind. And for those who practice, the truths of his words can be found in their hearts. Despite the "brandings" that we read about once in a while that his teachings, and his students' teachings, are not strictly orthodox Theravada (or sometimes even described with more amusing words), for those of us who follow the forest tradition, and for those who may simply like his simple yet profound teachings, Ajahn Chah's words are very valuable.

I have no doubt in Ajahn Chah's miraculous ability to teach.



PS - I'd like to add that in additional to students that we know of, both HM the King and HM the Queen of Thailand have been making frequently visits to the forest ajahns during their private times over the past several decades. The King himself have temporary ordained at a young age, and no doubt have had access to teachings of well-versed high ranking scholar ajahns in Bangkok, and no doubt have heard about the branded "unorthodox" teachings of the forest ajahns. This has not stopped him from visiting forest tradition ajahns in Isaan many times a year to both pay respect and seek guidance for practice over the years - probably longer than my 40-year-old life, and not as royal duties. The Thai King had been practicing Buddhism for a long time.

Of course, this does not give the forest tradition a "royal seal", as if such a thing would say anything. But for those who may say that followers of the forest tradition are heretic, especially those who live in Thailand, they may like to include the Thai Monarchy in their list as well.

Raising dogs

I have been pretty busy with my sideline job of raising the two dogs that we brought home a bout couple of months ago. Even though they are only small Yorkshire Terrier puppies, they demand a lot of attention. I have forgotten how much time is needed to even do simple things like feeding, cleaning, and the rest of dog-stuff since my previous dog, a boxer, died about 20 years ago.

So here I am, back to the blogging thing. The dogs have grown so fast, and have become very very active little pubs that are even hard to catch when they run around the apartment!

Beyond enlightenment - buy or read on line !@#?

While I browsed through some books on Buddhism I came across this USD120 book by Richard Cohen called "Beyond Enlightenment: Buddhism, Religion, Modernity (Routledgecurzon Critical Studies in Buddhism)". Obviously, this is another Buddhologist book, where the author only produced a few commercial copies, and not that many people would probably buy them so they have to settle on selling it commercially with a very high price tag (no sarcasm intended).

Anyway, I did a little googling afterward, and found this web sit on the author, which seems legitimate: " Richard Cohen's CV "
where there is a link to the probably all the non-commercial version of the "Beyond Enlightenment" book!

Here is a the "Table of Contents", which seems to be the same...

• Front-pages, Table of Contents, Preface, Acknowledgements
• Chapter 1: A Benign Introduction + notes
  
• Chapter 2: A Place of Exceptional Universal Value + notes
  
• Chapter 3: A Tale of Two Histories + notes
  
• Chapter 4: The Anthropology of Enlightenment + notes
  
• Chapter 5: What Do Gods Have to Do With Enlightenment? + notes
  
• Chapter 6: A Baroque Conclusion + notes
• Bibliography

Have a good, free and legitimate reading!

Prince Siddhatta's family - father side

(Also don't know where I got this from)

Click on the diagram to enlarge !

Prince Siddhattha's family - mother side

(don't know where I got this from)

Click on the diagram to enlarge !

Tinnitus and white noise

If you find tinnitus troubling you during meditation, you can play white noise background at the level that do not "mask" the tinnitus, but at the same level as it is. Here is a 10-mins MP3 white noise that you can play on repeat using computer and speakers.

White Noise Download

The best thing, IMO, is not to have any negative attitude toward it. It can simply disappear when you no longer pay any attention to it. Or you can still hear it and it does not bother you.

A lot depends on attitude toward the noise, which is actually no different from straying thoughts or some other sights or sounds you experience during meditation.

The 4th Noble Truth

The Noble Eightfold Path, the 4th Noble Truth, may be a wide 20-lane path that allows for more "right views", rather than only 1 right view that has to be identical for everyone, everywhere, anytime.

Perhaps the path starts off wide, but get narrower as one comes closer to total liberalization, when all the 10 fetters have been eradicated.

Twins

Casper and Jade

Named by

My daughter











Just like having more amazingly active kids :-)

Mini samsara

Last weekend I went back to Thailand to attend a friend's wedding. I also saw a few close friends that I have not seen for sometime.

One of my close friends, who has also ordained at Wat Doi Dhamma Chadee for a few years, was there too. It's amazing how he lives his life, which is like a mini cycle of samsara. For a few months, he would be a party animal, going out every night and spending most of the day sleeping; and when he felt he could not take it any longer, he would spend the next couple of months sobering up and stayed at Wat Doi Dhamma Chadee for a week or so, probably meditating like crazy. Then he would be off to do his partying thing again. And another mini samsara cycle repeat itself.

I wonder how long he will be like that. Now he is near 40, and has been doing his mini samsara thing for about 15 years already. Perhaps it is rooted in his childhood, as he was sent off to boarding school in England since he was eight, and has not see his dad much until even today. May be he is still lost, after all these years. It is amazing how we don't know how much influence parents can have on kids until we have a few kids of our own, ....and also how much influence kids have on their parents, on how we choose to live our lives....which is mostly for them.

Wat Pah Nanachat via ThaiPulse

A link via ThaiPulse to Wat Pah Nanachart, which can be translated into "International Forest Monastery".

The atmosphere looks like other forest monasteries that I have been to in Thailand, which are mostly in the Northeast of Thailand or in the Eastern Coast of the country (like Rayong and Chantaburi).

Recently, many forest monasteries or branches of forest monasteries have been established in areas around Kao Yai as well. My teacher, Ajahn Baen (who is the student of Ajahn Kongma, one of the students of Ajahn Mun who was the Master of the Masters of the Thai Forest Tradition) also spend a few months of the year in Kao Koh, near Kao Yai, while spending the rest in Wat Doi Dhamma Chadee in Sakon Nakorn (also in Northeast of Thailand).

These areas in Kao Yai are good for practice because they are quit serene and full of forests. Also, it is convenient for people who live in or near Bangkok to visit Ajahns because it only takes about 2-3 hours drive each way, so we can make one-day visits during weekends. Having said that, I have not seen Ajahn Baen for over a year now since I came to work in Hong Kong.

Well, as for myself, although I do visit other Ajahns in the Forest Tradition (both Ajahn Mun and Ajahn Chah's lineages, which to me are the same) when people go, I am content with studying with Ajahn Baen at Wat Doi Dhamma Chadee. I am sure that are many great and fully liberated teachers both in Thailand and elsewhere, but, really, what is the need if I have already found the teacher who can see right through my kilasa (defilements) and give great advices, even without words....

Brain or dependent origination as the cause of consciousness

Every consciousness, hearing, sensing, etc, requires no proof. A billion people cannot convince that there is sight that can be experienced. The brain, however, is the content of consciousness, a theory, a concept, which can be refuted.

They are of different levels.

Each consciousness is real, cannot be refuted that they are experienced, but they also arise and cease. So they have the characteristic of impermanent, stressful, and not-self.

What gives rise to consciousness, again, is a theory, that can be debated. Some may say that it is due to the brain. Buddhism says that they arise due to "dependent origination", the root of which is "ignorance" or avijja.

Bodhidharma

The Zen master....

Cittas and their contents

The problem with observing the changing cittas (not individual ones, of course) is that there is no proof that the "contents", which includes everything in life, can be said to truly exist. What can be experienced that also arise and fall are cittas that belong to samsara. The Buddha also taught that lokutara cittas can arise and fall. The impact of lokutara cittas on the stream of mundane cittas are of course, immense.

But can we prove that there is more to this? Do we have to believe in conventional teachings that involved "contents" of citta on faith?

(a post on e-Sangha, which hopefully won't be deleted).

Security and Buddhism

The map that we call “Buddhism” takes us from "insecurity" to "security". It’s pretty simple, really. The whole of the Buddha’s teachings can be summarized into "the four Noble Truths” (BTW, I really don’t quite understand why there is a need to add any more to this).

The First Noble Truth is about the nature of samsara, about life, about our world of “insecurity”. The Second Noble Truth is about the reasons why we are so insecured. The sources of "insecurity" are due to our attachments, our silly egos and conceits and any kinds of delusion - or put simply, about the root cause, “ignorance” - clueless of what life is all about.

Ignorance about life? It’s the ignorance of our individual worlds we live in that we call samsara – the cycle of existence, of never-ending births and deaths.

The Third Noble Truth is the “security” that we seek. It’s where no suffering can be found. It’s not of samsara, and it is also not touched by samsara. Nor can it touch samsara. This is "security", non-self, independent by itself from anything (and that is why it is somtimes called the "unconditioned").

The Forth Noble Truth is simply the way to know the first three Noble Truths – “the eightfold path”. As we travel along this path, we initially take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha as the sources of security.

During our journey along the Buddhist path, we may stop to “do merits” for a while; get stuck to some experiences in meditation for a bit longer; or even mistake some stages of concentration to be the Third Noble Truth, nibbana. But eventually we should pull ourselves through.

And "security"? I believe what we do in Buddhism is simply to practice in order to know what life is all about - what the first three Noble Truths really are. And as we go on, our eyes should be clearer and eventually, if we walk in the right direction and don’t stop here or there too often, we should finally know all about life. We should know about the world of existence – samsara – and the other side of samsara – what we sometimes call the”unconditioned”, “deathless”, “unborn”, “nibbanna”, etc. This is "security".

The knowledge of both sides of life - samsara and non-samsara - frees us from attachments. It is liberalization from attachments, liberalization from cycle of births and deaths. There is no tiny bit of attachment left, no tiny egos or tiny conceits remained. As there is clearly nobody, not even a tiny pride, where can we find "insecurity"? That pure knowledge of the Four Noble Truth gives us “security”.

The Third Noble Truth is where “security” can be found.

To me, Buddhism isn't only about getting way from suffering, or even to find security, it is also the knowledge of what life is all about.

The importance of "openness"

It is probably a part of being human: when we study and learn something, we get better understanding of it. We are transformed from being "clueless" to become "experts" who can teach others about our specialized fields.

Is it different in Buddhism? After years of learning, studying and practice, years become decades, and decades becoming multi-decades. Buddhist students and practitioners learn a lot of things, some from books, some from practice, and some from listening to others talking about their experiences. Some "meaningless words" and "states in meditation" that we were clueless become clear, or at least they seem to become clear, and we can talk and talk about this and that, all day all night.

Mystified words like jhanas and attainments and nibbana and unconditioned and deathless and unborn and the rest become words that we use everyday. Sometimes we use them because people want to know what they are, and as experts we tell them what they are, even though deep down we are still clueless. Sometimes we use these wonderful words and explanations because we have learned so much about them that they are imprinted in our minds.

But do we really know them? Be truthful, do we really know them at all? As we grow older, and we practice longer, and as we went through periods of intense practice and relaxed practice, or even went from one tradition to another and to another. Do we really know what Buddhism is all about?

We may think we know them all - we are the experts. But what if what we believe we know are still concepts, drilled down into our minds due to years of learning, readings, debating, and practicing, but not by any tiny nanoseconds of true realizations of the Truths that really lead to eradication of defilements.

It seems to me that the longer we spend studying and practicing Buddhism, we face the danger of becoming "narrow-minded". We don't except others' points of view. Ours are the only right one. Others are wrong. We have learned so much.

Is this what it should be? Buddhism is, in my opinion, an "open religion". We only know the Truths by keeping an open mind. Why? Because the Buddha's teachings are not barely concepts that we have to understand and one day say "oh, I get it"...

Buddhism is all about something deeper. Concepts are ways into the realization of non-concepts, and in my opinion, the heart of Buddhism is in the non-conceptual parts; the transcendent parts; the part that lead us to liberalization.

But that part, in my view, requires an "open mind", not a "shut mind", not the "I know best mind". Because the non-concept is so out-of-this world than we can imagine.

Openness is, in my opinion, a very important part of the way to practice - if we want to really know what Buddhism is all about, we have to keep our minds open.

After all, what happened after people become "brain-dead"? All concepts are gone. All memories of non-conceptual realizations are gone. What are left, however, are the "results" on the series of cittas due to those non-conceptual realizations. What exactly are these "results" on the series of cittas that I probably am cluelessly going on about? It's simply the lack of defilements as they have been eradicated by correct practice, that have been eradicated by the breaks in mundane cittas by supramundane cittas, that have severed the chain of samsara forever. Any lokutara realizations become memories, and memories are anicca -they end. What is important, however, is that these lokutara realizations have left the permanent marks on the streams of cittas. Even though an individual may not be able to recall their experiences as a result of correct practice, unwholesome intentions and wrong views can never take place in these mindstreams again.

As we have not come across any non-conceptual realizations, or we may mistake some mundane realizations as supramundane/lokutara realizations, we still need open mind. In my view, it is vital that we maintain open mind.

Perhaps, those who have experienced lokutara realizations may hold no view at all! Their minds may be completely open, completely free and open to realizations that us worldlings have unknowingly shut ourselves the chance by closing out minds because we know best.

Just a thought.

A few words on "enlightenment"

The word "enlightenment", in my opinion, is used rather loosely in the West, and probably loosely in the East like in some places in Thailand when people get drunk and love to discuss dhamma into the middle of the night.


If you go to Amazon.com, and search the word "enlightenment" in the book section, you will get close to 100,000 results. That may tell something. Perhaps the word is great for marketing, and perhaps it is oversold. If we assume that one person writes about 5 of these books, you can make a rough estimate that there must be about 20,000 writers who know something or believe they know something about real enlightenment ... out there (don't forget to subtract a few cons).


Anyway, the word"enlightenment" seems to point to something like sainthood or something like that. But those who have really been liberated, there is not a tiny bit of ego or conceit left. For them, they are probably more down to earth than most of us unenlightened beings. For all I know, some real liberated beings might be sleeping on pieces old planks on monastery floors while other monks are busy teaching lay visitors the path to enlightenment.

Another aspect of enlightenment is that some people wants to believe that they are enlightened so bad so that they make themselves act like one. And believe that they are one. This is a sad bit.

Better getting rid of defilements first.

Sockaroo avarta

On our trip back from Bangkok to Hong Kong this afternoon, my 10-year-old daughter played with the notebook and drew a few kid drawings. I asked her to save them on the notebook because I find them so refreshing and imaginative in an innocent way.

I particularly like this sock image which she called "sockaroo", as it was supposed to be a mixture of a sock and kangaroo. I really don't know how sock can be mixed with kangaroo though. But it seems that kids find it very natural!!

So I put this up as the avarta for my e-Sangha account. :)