Discovering Buddhism

Transcription

1 Discovering Buddhism Module 9 Samsara and Nirvana Overview and Summaries Content DAY 4 The General Sufferings of Samsara (overview and detail) DAY 4 The Sufferings of the Higher Rebirths (overview and detail) DAY 5 Understanding the Causes of Samsara Realms (overview and detail) Sources Main Source: Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand, Pabonka Rinpoche, Wisdom Publications, page Supporting Sources: Path to Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism, Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden, Tushita Publications, page , Wish-fulfilling Golden Sun, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, page For personal use only

2 DAY 4 The General Sufferings of Samsara and The Sufferings of the Higher Rebirths Overview and Detail

3 The General Sufferings of Samsara Day 4 Overview (53):473 TRAINING YOUR MIND IN THE STAGES OF THE PATH SHARED WITH THE MEDIUM SCOPE sections (54):473 DAY 5 DEVELOPING THOUGHTS OF YEARNING FOR LIBERATION ASCERTAINING THE NATURE OF THE PATH LEADING TO LIBERATION subsections (55):477 (6):486 GENERAL SUFFERINGS OF SAMSARA THINKING ABOUT SAMASARA S SPECIFIC SUFFERINGS sections subheadings (56):477 THE BANE OF UNCERTAINTY (57):479 THE BANE OF BEING UNSATISFIED SUFFERINGS OF THE LOWER REALMS (63):486 (64):486 SUFFERINGS OF THE UPPER REALMS sections (65):487 (73):497 (74):499 3 (58):480 THE BANE OF REPEATEDLY LEAVING BODIES THINKING ABOUT HUMAN SUFFERING SUFFERINGS OF THE DEMIGODS SUFFERINGS OF THE GODS (59):48 subheadings 4 THE BANE OF BEING CONCEIVED AND BORN OVER AND OVER AGAIN SUFFERING OF BIRTH (66):487 (60):484 5 THE BANE OF MOVING FROM HIGH TO LOW OVER AND OVER AGAIN THE SUFFERING OF AGING (67):488 6 (6):485 THE BANE OF HAVING NO ONE TO HELP YOU 3 4 THE SUFFERING OF ILLNESS THE SUFFERING OF DEATH (68):49 (69):49 5 THE SUFFERING OF BEING SEPARATED FROM THE BEAUTIFUL (70):493 6 THE SUFFERING OF MEETING WITH THE UGLY (7):493 7 SUFFERING OF SEEKING THE THINGS WE DESIRE BUT NOT FINDING THEM (7): Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism

4 The General Sufferings of Samsara Day 4 Page 474 (54):473 DEVELOPING THOUGHTS OF YEARNING FOR LIBERATION two ways to develop OR By thinking about the nature of the four truths By thinking about the twelve links We are bound to Karma & Delusions are afflicted with by The Aggregates form Liberation means being freed from it. Happens in the 3 realms: Desire Realm, etc. 5 or 6 types of migration in which this happens. 4 modes of rebirth: from a womb, etc. Samsara one s continuum of Rebirth in The Contaminated Aggregates 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism

5 The General Sufferings of Samsara Day 4 Page 476 Truth of Suffering 4 aspects Impermanence Suffering Emptiness Selflessness Truth of the Source of Suffering 4 aspects Cause Source Contributory cause Intense production Truth of Cessation 4 aspects Cessation Peace Splendour Definite outcome Truth of the Path 4 aspects Path Correctness Accomplishing Definite deliverance 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism

6 The General Sufferings of Samsara Day 4 Page 476 Contaminated Aggregates 3 types of feeling Happiness Suffering Are all suffering Equanimity Two origins [of suffering] Originating Karma Originating Delusions Absence of Suffering results in Truth of Cessation Truth of the Path the MEANS to achieve in order to do so, practice 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 3

7 The General Sufferings of Samsara Day 4 DEVELOPING THOUGHTS OF YEARNING FOR LIBERATION (55):477 GENERAL SUFFERINGS OF SAMSARA Also called: the six sufferings sections (56):477 THE BANE OF UNCERTAINTY Things change from moment to moment Nagarjuna s letter: Fathers, sons, wives, and enemies can change: Friends may become the opposite And change again; samsara Holds no shred of certainty. (57):479 THE BANE OF BEING UNSATISFIED No matter how much we have, we are never satisfied. We lack contentment. Discontent and dissatisfaction do the most damage. 3 (58):480 THE BANE OF REPEATEDLY LEAVING BODIES No matter what body you take it will prove untrustworthy. In the past we have had numberless rebirths. The things in samsara have no essence. 4 (59):48 THE BANE OF BEING CONCEIVED AND BORN OVER AND OVER AGAIN If you cannot free yourself from samsara, more suffering will happen (repeated again) 5 (60):484 THE BANE OF MOVING FROM HIGH TO LOW OVER AND OVER AGAIN Collections of wealth and property end up running out, A fall ends our high position, The end of coming together is being separated, And death is the end of a rebirth. 6 (6):485 THE BANE OF HAVING NO ONE TO HELP YOU When born, you are born alone, When you die, you are just alone. What can your meddlesome friends do If they won t take on another share of suffering? If you want to set some limit on your suffering and bring your own samsara to an end, you must manage to break the continuity of your samsaric rebirths. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 4

8 The Sufferings of the Higher Rebirths Day 4 SUFFERINGS OF THE UPPER REALMS (65):487 THINKING ABOUT HUMAN SUFFERING subheadings (66):487 SUFFERING OF BIRTH If we manage to take a human rebirth again we must again experience all the sufferings of birth, although we do not remember them now. Chandragomin s Letter to a Disciple: Enclosed in a most intolerable stench, You live enveloped in pitch darkness; After entering this hellish place, the womb, You must endure great suffering With your body all hunched up. Chandragomin s Letter to a Disciple: You are gradually squeezed as hard As one crushes sesame. Being born: is anything else like it? (67):488 THE SUFFERING OF AGING The Great Play Sutra: Age makes a beautiful body ugly; Age takes radiance, age takes strength; Age takes happiness, age humiliates; Age kills, and age robs the complexion. Practice the Dharma now. Before you know it you are too old. 3 (68):49 THE SUFFERING OF ILLNESS Think how each disease torments, and think how you may not even have time to make a will when you come down with a fatal disease. 4 (69):49 THE SUFFERING OF DEATH You will be separated from beauty and from affluence from your property, relatives, and your body 5 (70):493 THE SUFFERING OF BEING SEPARATED FROM THE BEAUTIFUL You will be separated from your guru, disciples, relatives, friends, and dear ones, and from your position, power, wealth, possessions, and influence. 6 (7):493 THE SUFFERING OF MEETING WITH THE UGLY The unpleasant. Your enemies, diseases, evil spirits, lawsuits, thieves, etc. 7 (7):494 SUFFERING OF SEEKING THE THINGS WE DESIRE BUT NOT FINDING THEM This is the suffering from heat and cold, or from ignoring the heat, cold, fatigue, fear, etc. that go along with earning a living. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism Aryadeva s Four Hundred Verses: The high have mental suffering; The ordinary have physical suffering. These two sufferings conquer the world Every single day. 7 th Dalai Lama: Whoever you see high and low, Ordinary and lay, men and women Whether their surroundings are impressive or not, Their share of human suffering is the same: They appear unhappy to their friends and equals. 5

9 The Sufferings of the Higher Rebirths Day 4 SUFFERINGS OF THE UPPER REALMS sections (73):497 (74):499 SUFFERINGS OF THE DEMIGODS SUFFERINGS OF THE GODS Nagarjuna s Letter: The demigods, by nature, have great suffering For they are jealous of the glory of the gods. Though they are discerning, they will not See the truth, for this migration is obscured. Though the demigods have wisdom, their rebirth is so veiled by karma that they are not fortunate enough to see the truth. The previous rebirth that caused them to be born as gods Gods Their present situation as gods undergo three phases Wherever they will be going after they die. The gods know they will fall and it increases their suffering. Their mental suffering is sixteen times greater than that of the hells. Suffering of Suffering e.g. pain Page 504 Suffering of Change We are temporarily happy root of All our happy feelings eventually change into suffering. Suffering that pervades conditioned phenomena Feelings of equanimity. Contaminated aggregates. Creation of these aggregates causes one to become a vessel or medium of suffering. e.g. You experience the sufferings of the heat and cold of the hells because you have received the aggregates of a hell being. You have created for yourself the vessel in which to experience these sufferings. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 6

10 The Sufferings of the Higher Rebirths Day 4 Suffering that pervades conditioned phenomena Page 504/505 contains an interesting paragraph. are Samsara because the evil states of suffering and delusion are forever adhered to these aggregates are Afflicted aggregates. are called this for 3 reasons Fire issuing from brambles is called bramble fire. The [afflicted] aggregates come from past delusions the afflictor or substantial cause so the result has been named after the cause. A man dependent on the king is called the king s man. Delusions the afflictor or substantial cause are an outcome of [afflicted] aggregates; the thing being bolstered is given the name of the bolsterer. In a diagram it looks as follows: A tree that produces a medicine or a type of blossom is called the tree of this particular medicine or the tree of that particular blossom. You were deluded and thus became afflicted with these aggregates so the name of the result has been given to the cause. The [afflicted] aggregates. come from Past Delusions are an outcome of became afflicted with You deluded Result named after Cause Result named after Cause Name has been given to named after As long as one has these aggregates, each time one does not have the feeling of suffering one will immediately afterwards be made to develop much suffering by various means. The aggregates created the vessel for the suffering of this rebirth because they create the future rebirth that leads to suffering. Among all sufferings, the aggregates are the worst: samsara is a state of helplessness in which one receives the burden of contaminated, afflicted aggregates by virtue of karma and delusion. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 7

11 DAY 5 Understanding the Causes of Samsara Overview and Detail

12 Overview ASCERTAINING THE NATURE OF THE PATH LEADING TO LIBERATION (75):508 (76):508 SOURCE OF SUFFERING THE STAGES FORCING ONE INTO SAMSARA subheadings sections [ACTUALLY] ASCERTAINING THE NATURE OF THE PATH LEADING TO LIBERATION (77):508 HOW DELUSIONS ARE DEVELOPED HOW KARMA IS ACCUMULATED HOW ONE LEAVES ONE REBIRTH AT DEATH AND IS CONCEIVED IN ANOTHER sections (78):509 (9):55 (9):56 (99):59 THE IDENTIFICATION OF DELUSIONS THE STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DELUSIONS THE CAUSES OF DELUSIONS THE DRAWBACKS OF DELUSIONS parts (79):509 ROOT DELUSIONS SECONDARY DELUSIONS THEIR FOUNDATION THEIR OBJECT (93):56 (94):56 3 SOCIETY (95):57 ATTACHMENT (80):50 4 DISCUSSIONS (96):58 ANGER (8):50 5 FAMILIARITY (97):59 3 PRIDE (8):5 6 UNREALISTIC THINKING (98):59 4 IGNORANCE (83):5 5 DOUBT (84):5 6 [DELUDED] VIEWS (85):53 (86):53 (87):53 3 (88):53 4 (89):54 5 (90):54 THE VIEW THAT EQUATES THE SELF WITH THE PERISHABLE EXTREME VIEWS THE VIEW OF HOLDING THE AGGREGATES TO BE SUPREME HOLDING AN ETHIC OR MODE OF BEHAVIOUR TO BE SUPREME WRONG VIEWS 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism

13 Overview ASCERTAINING THE NATURE OF THE PATH LEADING TO LIBERATION (75):508 (77):508 HOW DELUSIONS ARE DEVELOPED (76):508 SOURCE OF SUFFERING THE STAGES FORCING ONE INTO SAMSARA HOW KARMA IS ACCUMULATED subheadings (300):5 (303):53 HOW ONE LEAVES ONE REBIRTH AT DEATH AND IS CONCEIVED IN ANOTHER (30):534 [ACTUALLY] ASCERTAINING THE NATURE OF THE PATH LEADING TO LIBERATION sections THE SORT OF PHYSICAL REBIRTH THAT WILL STOP SAMSARA (39):534 (3):535 THE SORT OF PATH THAT WILL STOP SAMSARA types sections MENTAL KARMA (30):5 (30):5 INTENDED KARMA Looking at the Source of Suffering by means of the Twelve Interdependent Links (304):53 (305):55 (306):56 WHAT HAPPENS AT DEATH THE WAY ONE ACHIEVES THE BARDO THE WAY ONE IS CONCEIVED AND REBORN IGNORANCE COMPOSITIONAL FACTORS (307):57 (308):57 3 CONSCIOUSNESS (309):57 4 NAME AND FORM (30):59 5 THE SIX SENSES (3):59 6 CONTACT (3):59 7 FEELING (33):530 8 CRAVING (34):530 9 GRASPING (35):530 0 BECOMING (36):530 REBIRTH (37): Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism AGING AND DEATH (38):53

14 Overview THE TWELVE INTERDEPENDENT LINKS IGNORANCE (307):57 forms IGNORANCE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT motivates IGNORANCE OF SUCHNESS (308):57 COMPOSITIONAL FACTORS 3 CONSCIOUSNESS (309):57 types CONSCIOUSNESS AT THE TIME OF THE CAUSE CONSCIOUSNESS AT THE TIME OF THE RESULT 4 NAME AND FORM (30):59 NAME FEELING RECOGNITION COMPOSITIONAL FACTORS The Aggregates CONSCIOUSNESS FORM BLOOD AND SPERM IN THEIR FIRST STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT 5 THE SIX SENSES (3):59 EYE, EAR, NOSE, TONGUE, BODY, MIND 6 CONTACT (3):59 DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN: PLEASANT, UNPLEASANT, NEUTRAL OBJECTS 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 3

15 Overview THE TWELVE INTERDEPENDENT LINKS (CONT D) (33):530 3 types 7 FEELING HAPPINESS SUFFERING EQUANIMITY (34):530 8 CRAVING NOT TO BE SEPARATED FROM HAPPY FEELINGS + WANTING TO BE SEPARATED FROM SUFFERING OUR EQUANIMITY DOES NOT DECLINE 9 (35):530 GRASPING 4 types GRASPING AT THE SENSUAL GRASPING AT VIEWS = GRASPING AT EHTICS AND MODES OF BEHAVIOUR GRASPING AT ASSERTIONS THAT THERE IS A SELF (36):530 0 BECOMING (37):53 REBIRTH (38):53 AGING AND DEATH AGING: MATURING OF AGGREGATES, THE GRADUAL CHANINGING OF THEIR CONDITION DEATH: DESTRUCTION OF THE AGGREGATES, THEIR CEASING TO FUNCTION 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 4

16 (77):508 HOW DELUSIONS ARE DEVELOPED responsible for Afflicted aggregates sections (78):509 Karma + Another rebirth THE IDENTIFICATION OF DELUSIONS parts form Delusions developed because of Delusions of Craving & Grasping with Samsaric aggregates (79):509 root of being reborn in ROOT DELUSIONS Samsara (80):50 ATTACHMENT Means clinging to or being fixated with something. Antidote: meditate on the ugly aspects of the body or the object you are attached to. The lassoo of craving and attachment confines you to samsara prison (8):50 ANGER arises when we see something Unpleasant Sentient beings destroys has the greatest strength to destroy Root virtues Inanimate objects Root merits throws us into Lower realms Antidote: being patient 3 PRIDE (8):5 Your inflated opinion of yourself. manifest in relation to Good or bad object Your power, wealth, good qualities, family wisdom, your pure ethics even your pleasant voice or physical prowess. Difficult to develop good qualities. Antidote: to think over some list you don t understand, especially the full classification of the sense elements. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism

17 (77):508 HOW DELUSIONS ARE DEVELOPED (78):509 sections THE IDENTIFICATION OF DELUSIONS (79):509 parts ROOT DELUSIONS 4 (83):5 IGNORANCE Tibetan: ma rig pa Rig pa: to know Ma: negative particle root of all Not knowing, not seeing, not understanding, being unclear. Delusions Like blindness not seeing the nature or mode of existence of something. Four truths, cause and effect, Three Jewels, etc. 5 DOUBT (84):5 directed towards Four truths, cause and effect, Three Jewels, etc. in Four truths preventing from Developing realizations in Law of cause & effect prevents Attaining high rebirth 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism

18 (79):509 ROOT DELUSIONS 6 [DELUDED] VIEWS (85):53 A deluded view directed towards The Aggregates Being perishable have property (86):53 regarding them THE VIEW THAT EQUATES THE SELF WITH THE PERISHABLE To be the self To belong to the self I mine take to be Permanent stable, independent, established as being true Why did they do this to me? (87):53 by EXTREME VIEWS directed towards Anything grasped at 3 (88):53 THE VIEW OF HOLDING THE AGGREGATES TO BE SUPREME derived from THE VIEW THAT EQUATES THE SELF WITH THE PERISHABLE EXTREME VIEWS (86):53 (87):53 4 (89):54 HOLDING AN ETHIC OR MODE OF BEHAVIOUR TO BE SUPREME People see specific ethics or behaviours as the main cause of liberation. 5 (90):54 The view that the four truths, the Three Jewels, cause and effect, etc. do not exist. WRONG VIEWS Exaggeration Where something non-existent is supposed to exist. Denial Where something existent is supposed not to exist. Or things do not exist at all. Count these views as one, add them to the five non-views, and the resulting six make up the subtle and extensive root delusions. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 3

19 (77):508 HOW DELUSIONS ARE DEVELOPED (9):55 THE STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DELUSIONS All delusions derive fundamentally from Grasping at the self (Day ) View of equating self with the perishable has derive from is Ignorance All suffering, All karma, All delusion The root is of is a Instinctive View is a The six subtle and extensive root delusions types Grasping at I Grasping at mine Engaged in the Middle Way: May my mind perceive that Every faulty delusion derives From views that equate The set [of aggregates with the self]... At first I clung to the self, the I ; And developed attachment to things, to them... When someone compliments you, or whatever, you think, How nice of him to say that of me. This I and me are very vivid and very deepseated within the mind; because you have these [thoughts], you take them to be the self, and [the notion that this self] is a user arises. Because of this [notion], you cling to the I, grow attached to those who help you, angry at people who harm you, and have benighted ignorance towards strangers. A Commentary on Things Valid: You know people as others Because you are supposed to have a self; You grasp at the pair self and others And become hostile. These are [all] related; All misdeeds derive from them. turn on The [samsaric] wheel in dependence of this You accumulate Karma in dependence on Root delusions Attachment, etc. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 4

20 (77):508 HOW DELUSIONS ARE DEVELOPED (9):55 THE STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF DELUSIONS Page 56 Ignorance Instinctive grasping at an I View that the self is a perishable set [of aggregates] are roots of Samsara Antidote to Ignorance Grasping at self is The wisdom that understands selflessness The Sutra on the Ten Stages: In this world, all misdeeds ever committed came from manifest clinging to a self. Without manifest clinging to a self, these would not happen. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 5

21 (77):508 HOW DELUSIONS ARE DEVELOPED THE CAUSES OF DELUSIONS (9):56 (93):56 THEIR FOUNDATION consists of Seeds/Latencies develop when A certain condition arises THEIR OBJECT (94):56 We must distance from Objects of delusion must abandon Pleasant, unpleasant, etc. 3 SOCIETY (95):57 You abandon Preoccupations of bad company 4 DISCUSSIONS (96):58 increase Attachment develop Delusions Involves reading books which generate delusions. 5 FAMILIARITY (97):59 We are familiar with Delusions Attachment so, develop Great or small depending on familiarity in past lives. 6 (98):59 UNREALISTIC THINKING involves Constant exaggerations concerning Object of one s attachment, hostility, etc. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 6

22 (99):59 THE DRAWBACKS OF DELUSIONS use Antidotes against You develop Delusions causes decline of Your virtuous actions and ethics then Enemy are powerful Your mind-stream = non-virtuous entity act perversely towards Objects of the delusions This makes the latent seeds of the delusion take hold An Ornament to the Sutras: Delusions destroy you, Destroy sentient beings, And destroy your ethics. You hold your equals as inferiors, Guardians and teachers criticize you, And you don t heed opponents. You will be born in unconducive states. Your acquisitions and non-acquisitions Will decline, and you ll have great suffering. You will continually develop the same sort of delusion (attachment, hostility, etc.) (300):5 HOW KARMA IS ACCUMULATED types is a Karmic action (30):5 of makes visible MENTAL KARMA Compositional factors aggregate Thought function to engage in The Virtuous, The Non-virtuous, The Neutral Mind 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 7

23 Mental Karmic Action Primary Mind provokes us to feel Speak insulting words. provokes/encourages us while Karmic Action of Secondary Mind (300):5 (30):5 HOW KARMA IS ACCUMULATED types INTENDED KARMA consists of Actions of body and speech motivated by Mental Karma accumulated from Delusions give rise to Karma 3 types Unmeritorious Yearnings for things of this life, and then acting upon this. Rebirth in lower realms. Meritorious accumulated from Yearning for sensual happiness in a future life. Immutable Rebirth as a Desire Realm god. One repudiates Sensual pleasure in future lives. indulges that come from Happy feelings Thus reborn as god in first three Dhyani concentration states. Single-pointed concentration developed from One repudiates Yearning for feelings of equanimity. and so, accumulate Karma acts as Cause to be reborn in 4th Dhyani concentration state or higher. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 8

24 Page 5 Unmeritorious Karma Meritorious Karma throws into One Results are mutable Rebirth in the Desire Realm Example: One may already achieved the bardo state of a being on its way to the hells, but through the power of one s guru, of rituals, of the secret tantras, and so on, one s bardo state can be changed so that one is able to receive rebirth in the upper realms. Throwing karma Is either virtue that causes one to be born in the upper realms, or non-virtue that causes one to be born in the lower realms. (page 459) Treasury of Metaphysics: Virtuous karma is merit to be born into the Desire Realm. Karma to be born higher is immutable; This karma is immutable because It will ripen only in these higher levels. Karma not accumulated in conjunction with One of the three fundamentals of the path. created when you are moved to renounce Cause for samsara The three realms of samsara Cause for your liberation 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 9

25 (303):53 HOW ONE LEAVES ONE REBIRTH AT DEATH AND IS CONCEIVED IN ANOTHER sections (304):53 WHAT HAPPENS AT DEATH activators are Craving Your dying thoughts activate that will throw Karma Clinging e.g. to present body You into the next rebirth after death Object of this Triggering Process is Your most powerful karma IF Black Karma = White Karma THEN Triggering Object is which is most familiar? IF Black Karma still is White Karma THEN Triggering Object is Which ever type of karma was carried out first Faith, etc. Your virtue will be activated. IF dying thoughts = Anger, etc. Non-virtue will be activated. Your thoughts when dying should be virtuous! Lower realms IF going to Upper realms Heat dissipates, and collects in heart Lower realms Heat dissipates 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism 0

26 (303):53 HOW ONE LEAVES ONE REBIRTH AT DEATH AND IS CONCEIVED IN ANOTHER sections (305):55 THE WAY ONE ACHIEVES THE BARDO Death Bardo Rebirth 7-49 days in Bardo beings colour have are can perform All their faculties Clairvoyant Paranormal acts Burnt logs Watery Grey Fine gold White reborn in reborn as reborn as reborn as reborn as Hell Hungry ghost Animal Humans or gods in the Desire Realm Form Realm gods Do not exist when rebirth in Formless Realm. (306):56 THE WAY ONE IS CONCEIVED AND REBORN Take the case of being reborn from the womb. Conception occurs within the sperm and blood of the parents. The bardo being sees the father and mother sleeping together; its anger and attachment nauseate it, and it sees only the sex organs of the parents. Its anger kills it and it is conceived into its next incarnation. Also see module 5 Death and Rebirth for more information on this subject. 006 Kris Oosting Discovering Buddhism