anatta and cetana and conditions for right view

Discussion of Abhidhamma and related Commentaries
Spiny Norman
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Re: anatta and cetana and conditions for right view

Post by Spiny Norman »

dhamma follower wrote:
porpoise wrote:Passages like this do give the distinct impression of sati as an activity rather than as a result of practice.
Greeting Porpoise,

What is an "activity" in terms of paramatha dhammas?
I'm not sure - do you know?
Buddha save me from new-agers!
dhamma follower
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Joined: Fri Nov 06, 2009 5:48 am

Re: anatta and cetana and conditions for right view

Post by dhamma follower »

porpoise wrote:
dhamma follower wrote:
porpoise wrote:Passages like this do give the distinct impression of sati as an activity rather than as a result of practice.
Greeting Porpoise,

What is an "activity" in terms of paramatha dhammas?
I'm not sure - do you know?
Dear Porpoise,

As far as I understand, "activity" is perceived by memory of momentary arising and falling of cittas, just like story appearing on the movie screen are actually 24 images succeeding each other.

Because of delusion, moha, we believe that there is someone doing some activity. In reality, there are only successions of cittas arising and falling by conditions. Sati is a cetasika which may or may not accompany a particular citta, by conditions, nothing to do with an activity.

When we read a sutta, we might read it with our habitual, deluded understanding, then the path taught by the Buddha is not known. But the Buddha has taught us right view, i.e right understanding about realities. Without that right understanding, we might read Tipitaka maintaining our delusion and "self-view".

Best regards,
D.F
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Alex123
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Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:32 pm

Re: anatta and cetana (will, intention): Kamma negated?

Post by Alex123 »

mikenz66 wrote: Wed Nov 21, 2012 2:14 am
dhamma follower wrote: It is the view which is wrong. "I shall walk and sit maintaining sati". Sait does'nt arise because one decides to have it, but because of its own conditions.
This is not controversial, and is exactly what one hears from many teachers. The point of departure for KS (and/or her followers) appears to be in the insistence that it is not possible to have any influence on those conditions.

To me, the argument over-reaches by over-simplifying. That one cannot have direct control over the cells in one's body does not man that diet and exercise can not influence body structure and health. Similarly, that one cannot "will understanding" or "control cittas" does not, in itself, rule out the possibility of influencing mental development.

:anjali:
Mike
Good point!

I'd like to add that it seems that "no control, thus no practice" teaching verges too close to Jain fatalism, which the Buddha skilfully refuted in approximately this style, as I understand it:

"Yes, painful feelings arise due to kammavipaka conditions. If you cut yourself, you will feel pain. If you don't you will not feel pain.".

IMHO, If one disbelieves the above, then that is wrong view preventing one from practice.

In the same way, practice arises because one practices, and will never happen if one never practices. Obviously. You will never have right practice if you avoid learning mistakes from your starting practice. If a boxer refuses to go into the ring until one is an expert boxer, one will never beome an expert. Same principle is here.
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