Are there any good teachers that speak English online that follow Abhidhamma and or the commentaries? I’m familiar with a great deal of good teachers online but the majority express a sutta only approach to Buddhism

Hello, I'm a high school student I need help on how I can reduce my strong attachment to my academic performance. Recently I am being very attached to my grades which is causing me a lot of suffering. In three of my last exams I ended up with grades that weren't terribly low but lower than usual (it was mostly because I didn't answer all the questions because i was too slow, which is very frustrating because I studied hard for these exams). My moods are becoming extremely influenced by my grades. When I get very high/perfect grades I feel so happy, peaceful, i'm confident and I feel enough, but when it's not the case I feel extremely sad: i feel so dumb, humiliated, angry at myself and I get a lot of self-doubt. I cried too much this week because of that, even though I tried my best to not cry.

Usually when I feel that something is causing me too much unnecessary suffering, I completely stop doing that thing. For example; I’ve recently deleted TikTok and twitter because of this reason. But i can’t do this same thing for this case because I have to check my grades regularly and i have goals that require extremely good grades. I know that being this attached to my grades is causing me more harm than good and I don’t want school to be stressful. I feel like a failure everyday for every little mistake I do and it’s horrible.

I’m not sure how to handle this and would really appreciate any advice or help. I also apologize for my ignorance, I am just beginning to seriously practice the Dhamma.

Thank you for reading, may you be happy 😊

On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery.

Then Rohitassa, the son of a deva, in the far extreme of the night, his extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, went to the Blessed One.

On arrival, having bowed down to the Blessed One, he stood to one side.

As he was standing there he said to the Blessed One: "Is it possible, lord, by traveling, to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away or reappear?"

"I tell you, friend, that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away, or reappear."

"It is amazing, lord, and awesome, how well that has been said by the Blessed One: 'I tell you, friend, that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away, or reappear.'

Once I was a seer named Rohitassa, a student of Bhoja, a powerful sky-walker. My speed was as fast as that of a strong archer — well-trained, a practiced hand, a practiced sharp-shooter — shooting a light arrow across the shadow of a palm tree. My stride stretched as far as the east sea is from the west.

To me, endowed with such speed, such a stride, there came the desire: 'I will go traveling to the end of the cosmos.' I — with a one-hundred year life, a one-hundred year span — spent one hundred years traveling — apart from the time spent on eating, drinking, chewing & tasting, urinating & defecating, and sleeping to fight off weariness — but without reaching the end of the cosmos I died along the way.

So it is amazing, lord, and awesome, how well that has been said by the Blessed One: 'I tell you, friend, that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away, or reappear.'"

[When this was said, the Blessed One responded:] "I tell you, friend, that it is not possible by traveling to know or see or reach a far end of the cosmos where one does not take birth, age, die, pass away, or reappear.

But at the same time, I tell you that there is no making an end of suffering & stress without reaching the end of the cosmos.

Yet it is just within this fathom-long body, with its perception & intellect, that I declare that there is the cosmos, the origination of the cosmos, the cessation of the cosmos, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of the cosmos."

It's not to be reached by traveling,

the end of the cosmos —
regardless.
And it's not without reaching
the end of the cosmos
that there is release
from suffering & stress.

So, truly, the wise one,

an expert with regard to the cosmos,
a knower of the end of the cosmos,
having fulfilled the holy life,
calmed,
knowing the cosmos' end,
doesn't long for this cosmos
or for any other.

- Rohitassa Sutta (SN 2.26)

Commentary

According to the Buddha, that end of the world where there is no birth, decay or death, in search of which Rohitassa walked for a hundred years, is not somewhere in outer space, but within this very fathom-long body.

The cessation of the six sense-spheres, constitutes for the arahant, a transcendental sphere (aayatana) of experience in which he realizes, here and now, that he is free from all suffering connected with birth, decay and death, and indeed from all forms of existence (bhavanirodho).

These aspects of Nibbanic bliss find expression in such epithets as 'a jaata.m' ('non-born'), 'abhuuta.m' ('non-become'), 'a jara.m' ('non decaying') and 'amata.m' ('deathless').

"...With the utter fading away of ignorance, even that body is not there, dependent on which there arises for him inwardly happiness and unhappiness; that speech is not there... that mind is not there, dependent on which there arises for him inwardly happiness and unhappiness. That field does not exist, that ground does not exist, that sphere does not exist, that reason does not exist, dependent on which arises inwardly happiness and unhappiness." (A. II. 158f).

When body, speech and mind, which are at the root of all discrimination and conceit, fade away in the jhaanic experience of the arahant, he finds himself free from all suffering, mental as well as physical.

Such epithets of Nibbaana as 'khema.m' (security), 'diipa.m' (island), 'taa.na.m' (protection), 'le.na.m' (cave), 'sara.na.m' (refuge) and 'paraayana.m' (resort) suggest this transcendence of worldly imperfections.

The culmination of the not-self attitude is the eradication of the conceit, '(I) am':...the percipient of 'not-self attains to the eradication of the conceit 'I am,' which is Nibbaana here and now," (A. V. 358).

The removal of the subtle conceit, 'I am' (asmimaana) is tantamount to a destruction of that delusive superimposed 'frame' from which all measurings and reckonings of the world were directed through the instrumentality of the sense-faculties, and by which the mass of relative concepts in the form of sense-data were so organized as to give a picture of 'the world' with 'self' mirrored on it.

What we call the normal functioning of the five external senses, is but the outward manifestation of the notion 'I-am': "Given the notion 'I-am,' monks there set in then the five sense-faculties." * (S. III. 46).

(*This quotation provides the clue to that much-disputed passage in Itiv. (38f.) which defines the two 'Nibbaana-Elements' — the one with residual assets or appendages ('Saupaadisesaa Nibbaanadhaatu') and the one without them ('Anupaadidesaa Nibbaanadhaatu').

"... And what, monks, is the Nibbaana element with residual assets? Herein, monks, a monk is an arahant, whose influxes are extinct, who has lived the Holy Life, accomplished the task, laid down the burden, reached his Goal, whose fetters of existence are fully extinct, and who is freed through right knowledge.

His five sense-faculties still remain, which being undestroyed, he partakes of the pleasant and the unpleasant, and experiences the pleasurable and the painful. The extinction of lust, hatred and delusion in him — this, monks, is called the Nibbaana-Element with residual assets.

And what, monks, is the Nibbaana-Element without residual assets? Herein, monks, a monk is an arahant whose influxes are extinct... and is freed through right knowledge. All his feelings, monks, will, even here, cool down, not having been delighted in. This, monks, is called the Nibbaana Element without residual assets."

Once he has experienced within his own sensorium that transcendence which results from the removal of the latest conceit 'I-am,' all his influxes are extinguished and he gains mastery over the 'mechanism' of the sixfold sense-sphere in its five aspects — the arising, the passing away, the satisfaction, the misery and the escape.

For him, the sense-spheres become detachable, since he now knows the principle on which they function — the law of Dependent Arising in its direct and indirect order, which pivots upon Ignorance, involving the notion 'I-am.'

While Saupaadidesaa Nibbaanadhaatu enables the Arahant to live 'in the world,' Anupaadidesaa Nibbaanadhaatu ensures that he is 'not of the world.'

Once crossed over, the such-like One comes not back.' 'To the further shore they go not twice.')

When this 'frame' is dismantled, the conveyors — the senses — losing their provenance and sanction, become ineffective, and their usual objects too fade away into insignificance: "Wherefore, monks, that sphere should be known wherein the eye ceases and the perception of forms fades away... wherein the ear ceases and the perception of sounds fades away... the nose ceases and the perception of smell fades away... the tongue ceases and the perception of tastes fades away... the body ceases and the perception of touch fades away... the mind ceases and the perception of ideas fades away. That sphere should be known; that sphere should be known." (S. IV. 98).

All percepts are 'signs' (ruupanimitta sadanimitta etc.), and when signs cease to be 'significant,' they are as good as non-existent.

The 'signless deliverance of the mind' (animittaa cetovimutti) as one of the doorways-to-deliverance (vimokkha-mukha), points to this re-orientation of the arahant's mental life.

Thus, although he is wide awake when he is in this paradoxical samaadhi (D. II. 132; S. I. 126), although his sense-organs appear to be all intact, yet he is free form normal sense-experience.

"That very eye will be there, those very visible forms will be there, yet one will not experience the corresponding sphere of sense... that same body will be there, those very tactile objects will be there, yet one will not experience the corresponding sphere of sense." (A. IV. 426f).

"He is not one with the normal perception, nor is his perception abnormal. He is not non-percipient, nor has he put an end to perception." ('na sa~n~nasa~n~nii na visa~n~nasa~n~nii — no pi asa~n~ni na vibhuutasa~n~nii' — Sn. 874).

"In the case of a monk who is fully emancipated in mind, friends, though many forms cognizable by the eye may come within the range of the eye, they never obsess his mind, unalloyed is his mind, steady and become imperturbable and he sees its passing away. Though many sounds cognizable by the ear may come... many smells cognizable by the nose... many tastes cognizable by the tongue... many tangibles cognizable by the body... many ideas cognizable by the mind may come within the range of the mind, they never obsess his mind, unalloyed is his mind, steady and become imperturbable and he sees its passing away..." (A. IV. 404).

This 'non-manifestative consciousness' (amidassana vi~n~naa.na) of the arahant, which is uninfluenced by extraneous forces and is steady and imperturbable, is, perhaps, the 'Inertial Frame' in search of which Relativity Physics has, in modern times, set out.

As the scientist gradually awoke to the truths of relativity, he too longed for a 'state-of-rest' from the ever-deepening conflict of view-points.

But his search for this imaginary laboratory was unsuccessful for, like Rohitassa, he searched it outside, relying on the demonstrative apparatus known to science.

The Buddha's exhortation to Rohitassa is, therefore, of refreshing relevance to the modern age, in that it implies that the sphere (aayatana) wherein one transcends the labyrinths of relativity is not somewhere in outer space but within this very fathom-long physical frame.

As an interesting sidelight, it may be mentioned that according to the Theory of Relativity, light is the top-velocity in the universe, it propagates even in vacuum, its velocity is constant and it propagates in all directions.

Now, that non-manifestative consciousness of the arahant is described in the suttas as infinite and 'lustrous all-around' (vi~n~naa.na.m anidassana.m ananta.m sabbato pabha.m — D. I. 213; M. I. 329).

The arahant's consciousness is untrammeled by name-and-form (Dhp. V. 221), and has no object as its point of focus (anaaramma.na.m — Ud.. 80).

Hence it is infinite, and he is one of infinite range ('anantagocara' — Dhp. Vv. 179, 18) as regards his mental compass.

Wisdom (pa~n~na), according to the Buddha, is a light which excels all other forms of light known to the world (natthi pa~n~nasamaa abhaa' — 'no luster like unto that of wisdom' — S. I. 6; A. II. 139f).

It has the property of penetration ('pa~n~naapa.tivedha'; 'nibbedhikaapa~n~naa') and its function is comprehension of the consciousness, which is called an illusion ('maayaa' — S. III. 142).

Hence in that illumination through wisdom, consciousness becomes infinite and 'lustrous-all-round.'

The mind, thus 'luster-become and gone to the Fruit of Arahantship' ('obhaasajaata.m phalaga.m citta.m' — Thag. V. 1. 3.5) lights up, in its turn, the five external senses.

The sense-objects, which are but the denizens of the dark world of ignorance, fade away before the penetrative all-encompassing luster.

The illusion of consciousness — the magic of the senses — thereby becomes fully exposed to the light of wisdom.

The six spheres of sense cease altogether ('salaayatananirodha') and the arahant is now conscious merely of the cessation of existence which is Nibbaana itself (bhavanirodho nibbaana.m — A. v. 9).

He is conscious, in other words, of the voidness of the world ('su~n~no loko' — S. IV. 54) which the scientist might prefer to call the 'vacuum' which this light-of-wisdom now pervades.

The scientist, however, might hesitate to grant the possibility of a 'light-of-wisdom' which is not amenable to any demonstrative apparatus.

He has recognized only the purely physical notions of light, and has already set a limit to this 'top-velocity' — 300,000 km per second.

He considers that 'the discovery of the existence in the Universe of the top velocity is one of the greatest triumphs of human genius and of the experimental capacity of mankind.'

On the basis of the foregoing observations, it can be said that this 'greatest triumph' was made by the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago, when he discovered by means of his 'noble experiment' (ariya pariyesana), that the mind is intrinsically luminous ('pabhassaramida.m bhikkhave citta.m': 'This mind, monks, is luminous' — A. I. 10) and that, when cleansed of all extraneous taints, it develops that penetrative, all-pervasive luster of wisdom which liberates one from the labyrinths of the world of relativity.

It is a penetration into the truth of impermanence (aniccataa) by thorough reflection on the rise-and-fall of phenomena, and the deeper it proceeds, the more one becomes aware of the conflict (dukkha).

For Buddhism, the conflict of view-points is a far more intricate affair than what the scientist would make it out to be.

It is not simply a question of a spectator's physical presence at a point in time and space, but one that deeply involves such facets of psychological life as interest and attention.

"Rooted in desire, friends, are all phenomena; originating in attention, are all phenomena;..." ("chandamuulakaa aavuso sabbe dhammaa, manasikaarasambhavaa sabbe dhammaa ..." — A. v. 106).

The result is an awareness of a conflict that affects life as a whole (dukkhasa~n~na).

This awareness, naturally enough, is the springboard for utter detachment through the perception of 'not-self' (anatta-sa~n~naa), the culmination of which, as stated above, is the eradication of the most subtle conceit of all — the conceit 'I-am' (asmimaana).

The Buddha has pointed out that the liberation from the world of sense-experience is not possible until the influxes (aasavaa) are made extinct, and the influx of the notion of existence (bhavaasava) can only be destroyed by means of a penetrative perception of cessation (nirodha) focused on sense-experience itself.

'As far as is the range of attainments to levels of perception, so far is there a penetration into Knowledge' (yaavataa sa~n~naa-samaapatti taavataa a~n~napa.tivedho' — A. iv. 426).

The 'habit-energy' we have acquired in the course of our blind groping in Sa.msaara impelled by craving, readily flows in, in our ordinary sense experience, and, with its agglutinative effect, creates before us a world of 'things' that we can 'grasp.'

Hence nothing short of an inner illumination could fully penetrate this façade and liberate us from the bondage of the senses.

It is noteworthy that the paradoxical samaadhi of the arahants is also called 'aanantarika' ('Immediacy') in the sense that in it the extinction of the influxes is immediate ('anantaraa aasavaana.m khayo hoyi' A. III. 202. Cf. Sn. V. 226).

In his infinite and all-lustrous consciousness where view-points have been displaced by an all encompassing vision of truth, the 'signal-transmission' as to the impermanence of the senses and their objects, occurs at such an infinite velocity that it prevents the most elementary coagulation or compounding which accounts for the six spheres of sense.

Rohitassa's fantastic journey, which was perhaps the prototype of modern space-travel, was undertaken for the purpose of 'coming to know and to see and reach that end of the world where there is no birth or death.'

According to the Buddha, everything could not be verified in this manner. "Monks, there are these four realizable things. What four? There are things, monks, that are realizable through the body. There are things, monks, that are realizable through memory. There are things, monks, that are realizable through the eye. There are things, monks, that are realizable through wisdom.

And what, monks, are the things that are realizable through the body? The eight deliverances, monks, are realizable through the body.

And what... through memory? One's former habitations, monks, are realizable through memory.

And what... through the eye? The death and rebirth of beings, monks, is realizable through the eye.

And what, monks, are the things realizable through wisdom? The extinction of influxes, monks, is realizable through wisdom. These, monks, are the four realizable things. (A. II. 182f).

Just as much as one cannot board a time-machine and race back into the Past in order to verify the fact of one's former lives, even so it is inherently impossible for one to take a leap into the Future in order to ascertain whether one has actually destroyed all influxes that make for rebirth.

The verification can only be made through the penetrative faculty of wisdom — the 'eye' of wisdom (pa~n~naacakkhu) — which gives one the certitude, here and now, that all influxes of existence as well as the sediments of speech associated with them, 'are burnt out and are no more' ('bhavaasavaa yassa vacikharaa ca — vidhuupitaa atthagataa na santi' —Sn. V. 472.).

That his cycle of Sa.msaara is breached at its vortex (consciousness><name-and-form), is vouched for the arahant by the breached epicycle that he sees and experiences in his paradoxical samaadhi.

"The whirlpool cut-off, whirls no more — this, even this, is the end of Ill" ('chinna.m va.t.ta.m na va.t.tati-esevanto dukkhassa' — Ud. 75).

The end of the world is thus seen and realized in this very life in one's own immediate experience, avoiding all pit-falls of speculative logic — a fact which accounts for such epithets of the Dhamma as 'sandi.t.thiko' ('visible in this very life'), 'akaaliko' ('not involving time'), 'ehipassiko' (inviting every one to come and see for himself), 'opanayiko' (leading one onwards'), 'paccata.m veditabbo vi~n~nuhi' ('to be understood by the wise, each by himself'), and, above all, 'atakkaavacaro' ('not moving in the sphere of logic').

The ensemble of this realization is resented in that stereotyped sentence in the suttas which announces a new [four illegible words appear here — ATI ed.] understood: "Extinct is birth, lived is the holy life, done is the task, and there is nothing beyond this for (a designation of) the conditions of this existence" ('Khii.naa jaati, vusita.m brahmacariya.m kata.m kara.niya.m naapara.m itthattaayati abbha~n~nasi').

The fact that the arahant has transcended the relativity of space, mass, motion and time with which the scientist is still grappling, is clear enough from certain Canonical statements.

It is said that in his 'non-manifestative consciousness,' the concepts of earth (pa.thavii), water (apo), fire (tejo) and air (vaayo) find no footing and that the relative concepts of long (diigha.m) and short (rassa.m) are cut off altogether. (D. I. 213, M. I. 329).

Likewise, the concepts of 'here,' 'there' and 'between-the-two,' have lost their significance for him ('neva idha na hura.m na ubhayamantare — Ud. 8).

He does not consider himself to be anywhere (na kuhi~nci ma~n~nati — M. III. 45), nor can any god or man trace him as to where he 'stands' (See above Note 15).

He has done away with the 'abode of the mind' ('nivesana.m yo manaso abaasi' — Sn. V. 470) and is 'abodeless' (anoko — S. I. 126) in the fullest sense of the term.

The distinctions between a 'subtle' (a.nu.m) and a gross (thuula.m) which may well be a reference to the relativity of mass, have also faded away (D. I. 213).

So too, the concepts suggestive of the relativity of motion, such as 'coming' 'going and 'standing' (aagati gati thiti — Ud. 80).

Relativity of time which the modern world regards as the 'brain-child' of Einstein, was not only discovered but transcended by the Buddha in that extra-ordinary dimension of the mind.

'Death-and-birth' (cutuupapaata) — the most formidable dichotomy of all — has no sway at all in that jhanic consciousness of the emancipated one.

The elusive phenomenon of time, is hypostatised in Buddhist usage in that multiple personality of Maara — the god of Death.

As his epithet, 'kinsman of the indolent' (pamattabandhu) ironically suggests, he has the vicious trait of lying low in order to take his victims unawares.

He is also very aptly called 'the Ender' (antaka). 

Maara as the symbol of death, is indeed 'the curfew' that 'tolls the knell of parting day.'

Now, the Buddha and the arahants are those who have outwitted Mara, blinded him, put him off the track and attained the Deathless. (M I. 160 Dhp. V. 274; Ud. 46; Itiv 50, 53, etc).

This feat was made possible by a recognition of the principle of the relativity of time.

The Buddha discovered that the concepts of birth and death are correlative — the one being given the other follows (D. I. 55).

And the concept of birth itself, is born in the matrix of the notion of becoming or existence (bhava).

The 'becoming,' the existence, is an attempt to 'stand-forth' — that is, to stand forth in defiance of the universal law of impermanence.

It is an ever-failing struggle, but the struggle (ie, Dukkha) itself continues depending on the supply of fuel, which is upaadaana ('grasping').

'Dependent on grasping is becoming; having become one undergoes suffering; unto the born there is death; this is the origin of suffering.' (Sn. V. 742).

The Buddha realized that Maara's tragic drama of birth-decay-and-death, is staged on this supply of fuel itself: 'Whatever they grasp in the world, by that itself does Maara pursue a man' ('ya.m ya.m hi lokasmi.m upaadiyanti-teneva maaro anveti jantu.m' — Sn. v. 1103).

"Whatever they egotistically conceive of, ipso facto it becomes otherwise" ('yena yena hi ma~n~nanti tato ta.m hoti a~n~nathaa' Sn. v. 757).

The only escape from Mara's strategy, therefore, lay in the complete giving-up of all supplies of fuel which grasping implies (anupaadaa parinibbaana).

"Save by their giving up all — no weal for beings do I behold" ('na.n.natara sabbanissagaa — sotthi.m passaami paa.nina.m' — S. I. 53).

With the cessation of the process of grasping and becoming (i.e., 'upaadanaanirodha' and 'bhavaninirodha') consequent on destruction of craving or 'thirst' (ta.nhakkhaya), all 'assets'* are abandoned (nirupadhi), thus depriving Maara of the basic wherewithal for his drama.

Once Mara, in his role as Tempter, declares, in the presence of the Buddha, that such assets like sons and cattle are a source of joy to a man, but the Buddha's reprisal was that, on the contrary, they are a source of grief (S. I. 107).

All assets, in the long run, turn out to be liabilities.

By giving them up, the arahant has transcended time, and the concepts of existence, birth, decay and death have lost their significance for him. (See A. V. 152; S. IV. 207; Sn. vv. 467, 500, 743, 902, 1048, 1056, 1057).

Nibbaana is not only the Deathless (amata.m) it is also the Birthless (ajaata.m).

Epithets of Nibbaana such as the 'not-become,' (abhuutam), the 'not-made' (akata.m) and 'not compounded' (asa.nkhata.m) suggest the absence of that fundamental notion of existence which gives rise to the relative distinctions of birth, decay and death.

"Monks, there are these three compound-characteristics of the compounded. Which are the three? An arising is manifest, a passing away is manifest, a change in persistence is manifest... Monks, there are these three uncompounded characteristics of the uncompounded. Which are the three? No arising is manifest, no passing away is manifest, no change in persistence is manifest..." (A. I. 152).

The emancipated-one is 'in the world' but not 'of the world.'

For him, the world is no longer the arena of a life-and-death struggle in which he is sorely involved but one vast illustration of the first principles of impermanence, suffering and not-self — of the separative (naanabhaavo), privative (vinaabhaavo) and transformative (a~n~nathaabhaavo) nature of all existence.

He experiences the ambrosial Deathlessness in the very destruction of craving and consequent detachment characteristic of that unique samaadhi ('khaya.m viraaga.m amata.m paniita.m — yada jjhagaa sakyamunii samahito': 'That destruction (of craving), that detachment, that excellent deathless state which the Sakyan sage attained to, being concentrated.' — Sn. v. 225).

His contemplative gaze is now fixed, not on the 'things' (dhammaa) with their fluid, superficial boundaries, but on that nature of things (dhammataa, dhammadhaatu) — that causal-status (dhamma.t.thitataa), that causal orderliness (dhammaniyaamataa), namely, the 'relatedness-of-this-to-that' (idappaccayataa — S. II. 25).

'This being, that becomes: from the arising of this, that arises. This not being, that becomes not: from the ceasing of this, that ceases' (M. III. 63).

'Whatever is of a nature to arise, all that has a nature to cease' (S. IV. 192).

This law of Dependent Arising itself being always 'such,' invariable and not-otherwise (tathataa avitathataa, ana~n~nathataa idappaccayataa — S. II. 26), in its contemplation the arahant's mind too is firm and steady.

'Mind is steady and well-freed, and he sees its passing away' (thita.m citta.m vippamutta.m — vaya~ncassaanupassati — A. III. 379).

Hence he is 'such' (taadii) in his adaptability and resilience, having understood the suchness (tathataa) of all conditioned phenomena.

It is to one who takes his stand upon the concepts of existence and birth, that the fear of decay and death can occur.

To the emancipated one who is fully attuned to the reality of impermanence by giving up all standpoints, there can be no fear at all.

And when 'Death' does come, as surely it must, he is no more shocked at it than at the crash of an extremely brittle jar ascertained well in advance to be perforated-beyond-use — a 'jar' not-worth-its-name.

The prospect of eluding death by traveling into outer space, has kindled the imagination of the modern scientist also, though, unlike Rohitassa, he did not take it up in all seriousness.

He has, however, speculated on the possibility of prolonging human life by flying to a distant star many light-years away in an Einstein rocket.

'...Theoretically, traveling at a sufficiently high speed we can reach the star and return to the Earth within a minute! But on the Earth 80 years will have passes just the same. To all appearances, we thus possess a way of prolonging human life, though only from the point of view of other people, since man ages according to "his" own time. To our regret, however, this prospect is illusory if we take a closer look at it...' (op. cit. p. 50).

No wonder that the prospect is illusory, particularly when it is examined in the context of the Buddha's teachings.

Indeed, 'man ages according to "his" own time,' and this, as shown above, was precisely the point of divergence for the Buddha

That end of the world where one does not get born, nor die, nor pass away, nor get reborn, is therefore, within this very fathom-long physical frame with its perceptions and mind.

This momentous declaration is quite popular with writers on Buddhism, and perhaps for that very reason, it has rarely enjoyed the privilege of a long annotation.

Traditionally too, it does not seem to have been much favored in this respect, if Buddhaghosa's commentary to the sutta is any indication.

As Mrs. Rhys Davids remarks: 'It was a great opportunity for exegesis, but Buddhaghosa makes no use of it.' (K. S. I. 86 fn. 3).

Source: Samyutta Nikaya: An Anthology by Bhikkhu Ñanananda

“What leads the world on?

What drags it around?
What is the one thing
that has everything under its sway?”

“The mind leads the world on.

The mind drags it around.
Mind is the one thing
that has everything under its sway.”

- Citta Sutta: Mind (SN 1.62)

Seems a lot of positive messaging is found in the suttas around living in the wilderness, but when I go out in the wild, especially in India, I struggle to not run away from the onslaught of bugs. I'm curious as to how this wasn't a constant topic of conversation?

Inspired by someone asking about the U.S. Anywhere in Europe. Including Turkey and Russia.

Dear Theravadins,

I am 99.9 % sure that I read a sutta, where it was listing types of wrong view and one of them being mentioned, was "there are no mother and father". And I was wondering what could be meant by this? Because it seems clear that it can't be meant literally like the translation goes. Do maybe any of you know what sutta this is and if maybe there are some commentaries on it, or if the pali original is more clear in it's meaning?

Wishing you all the best on your path!

Sincerely

Hi everyone,

I want to start by saying I really admire the teachings of the Buddha and the principle of metta — wishing happiness and security for all sentient beings. I also want to apologize in advance if this question comes off as irreverent or weird; I promise, it’s coming from a place of genuine curiosity.

So, here’s my dilemma: In nature, a lot of relationships between sentient beings are...let’s say complicated. Predation, competition, and parasitism are just everyday life out there. For example, there’s a certain parasitic flatworm whose entire life strategy involves making its host fish miserable. It makes the fish swim until it's exhausted, basically waving a flag for bigger predators to eat it. This process is how the flatworm completes its life cycle!

How do we extend “may all beings live in happiness and security” to include, well, them? Do I wish for the flatworm to thrive? For the fish to escape? For the predator to get a good meal? All of the above? And if so, how does one operationalize such boundless goodwill without creating an ecological paradox where everyone’s survival hinges on someone else’s misfortune?

Again, I’m really sorry if this question seems facetious — I’m just trying to wrap my head around how to apply metta when nature itself seems like a never-ending series of zero-sum games.

Thank you in advance for any insights you can share (or for gently letting me know if I’ve missed the point entirely).

Much metta (I mean it!)

 the ‘Yoniso Manasikara Sampada Sutta’

“Dawn, bhikhus, is the forerunner, the harbinger of sun-rise. Even so, bhikhus, for a monk this is the forerunner, the harbinger of the arising of the noble eight-fold path, that is, accomplishment in wise attention. Bhikhus, when a monk is accomplished in this wise attention, it is to be expected that he will cultivate the noble eight-fold path, develop the noble eight-fold path.”[2]

*“*Monks, with regard to internal factors, I don’t envision any other single factor like appropriate attention as doing so much for a monk in training, who has not attained the heart’s goal but remains intent on the unsurpassed safety from bondage. A monk who attends appropriately abandons what is unskillful and develops what is skillfull.”[3]

In the ‘Titthiya sutta’ of the Anguttara Nikaya (collection of Buddha’s numerical discourses), the Buddha described unwise attention as the cause of the three unwholesome roots of passion (lobha), aversion (dosa) and delusion (moha). Unwise attention to the theme of attraction will cause the arising of unarisen passion and the growth of arisen passion while unwise attention to the theme of irritation will cause the arising of unarisen aversion and the growth of arisen aversion. Unwise attention itself will cause the arising of un-arisen delusion and the growth of arisen delusion. In one who pays wise attention to the theme of unattractive, unarisen passion will not arise and arisen passion will be abandoned. In one who pays wise attention to goodwill as an awareness release, un-arisen aversion will not arise and arisen aversion will be abandoned. In one who pays wise attention, un-arisen delusion will not arise and arisen delusion will be abandoned.[4]

By Dr Ari Ubeysekara

Wise Attention: Yoniso Manasikara in Theravada Buddhism – drarisworld

While we now are in proximity to Metta Forest Monastery and Thanissaro Bikkhu, we're going to have to move in the next year or so to save money. I am fortunate to work remote and can consider lots of locations. Where are the active Theravada communities in the US? With my wife losing her vision she'd like to be near somewhere she can give time and I'd like to as well. We want to find a new community that we can contribute to as we age.

I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapandika's monastery. Then a certain devata, in the far extreme of the night, her extreme radiance lighting up the entirety of Jeta's Grove, went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, stood to one side. As she was standing there, she recited these verses in the Blessed One's presence:

When a house is on fire
the vessel salvaged
is the one that will be of use,
not the one left there to burn.

So when the world is on fire
with aging and death,
one should salvage [one's wealth] by giving:
what's given is well salvaged.

What's given bears fruit as pleasure.
What isn't given does not:
thieves take it away, or kings;
it gets burnt by fire or lost.

Then in the end
one leaves the body
together with one's possessions.
Knowing this, the intelligent man
enjoys possessions & gives.

Having enjoyed & given
in line with his means,
uncensured he goes
to the heavenly state.

SN 1.41

yo i was on linkedin and i saw a post about anura going to mahabodhi or something and i saw a monk posted something similar and i decided to connect with him

and then i noticed a bunch of other sinhalese buddhist monks who have experience in like azure? GRAPHIC DESIGN?? lol

can u guys explain

“The seer has crossed over the abyss

With its one root, two whirlpools,
Three stains, five extensions,
An ocean with twelve eddies.”

- Ekamūla Sutta: One Root (SN 1.44)

Bhikkhu Bodhi translation

Saṃyutta-nikāya Commentary Sāratthappakāsini (Spk) explains the riddle thus:

• The ocean (samudda) or abyss (pātāla) is craving, called an ocean because it is unfillable and an abyss because it gives no foothold.
• Its one root (ekamūla) is ignorance.
• The two whirlpools (dvirāvaṭṭa) are the views of eternalism and annihilationism. [Spk-pṭ: Craving for existence revolves by way of the eternalist view; craving for extermination by way of the annihilationist view.]
• The three stains (timala) are lust, hatred, and delusion.
• The five extensions (pañcapatthara), the five cords of sensual pleasure.
• The twelve eddies (dvādasāvaṭṭa), the six internal and external sense bases.

Bhikkhu Ñanananda translation

With but one root and turning twice

With triple stain and arenas five
The ocean with its eddies twelve
The quaking abyss — the sage has crossed.

This is a riddle verse the clue to which lies in the identification of the metaphors used. According to the commentary,

• The root is craving
• The two whirlpools (ie. 'dviraava.t.tam': rendered above as 'turning-twice') are the eternalist and annihilationist views
• The three stains are lust, hatred and delusion
• The five arenas are the five types of sense-pleasure
• The ocean is craving itself in its insatiable aspect
• The twelve eddies are the internal and external spheres (of sense)
• The abyss is craving in its 'bottomless' aspect.

(Note that craving plays a triple role in this interpretation).

The validity of the interpretation is doubtful as there is Canonical evidence to show that some of the metaphors are suggestive of a different order of facts.

To begin with, the 'abyss' (paataala) is clearly defined in the eponymous sutta at S. IV. 206 (Patala Sutta: The Bottomless Pit) in terms of physical pains. "A synonym, monks, is this for painful feelings of the body, namely, the 'abyss.'"

Similarly, 'the ocean' is defined for us at S. IV. 157 in the 'Ocean' Sutta ('samuddo') in words which are in full accord with the imagery of the verse: "The eye, monks, is the ocean for a man. It has the 'force' of visual forms. Whoever withstands that force of visual forms, he, O monks, is called 'one who has crossed the ocean of eye with its waves, eddies, seizures and demons. Having crossed over and gone beyond the saint stands on dry ground... The ear... The nose... The tongue... The body... The mind, monks, is the ocean... stands on dry ground."

This quotation itself provides the clue to the twelve eddies, which, as the commentary also suggests, are the internal and external spheres of sense.

The five arenas are, indeed, the five types of sense-pleasures, for, at S. I. 126 the arahant is called 'one who has crossed the five floods.' It is the floods or currents that provide the sphere of action for the eddies and the abyss.

The three stains can also be interpreted, in accordance with the commentary, as lust (raago), hatred (doso) and ignorance (avijjaa), on the strength of the following reference at Dutiyasamudda sutta S. IV. 158 (Cf. Itiv. 57): "He in whom lust, hatred and ignorance have faded away, is the one who has crossed this ocean so hard to cross, with its seizures, demons, and the danger of waves."

The 'turning-twice' most probably refers to the painful feeling and the pleasant feeling which form the counterparts in the 'see-saw' experience of the worldling.

(Note: The worldling is on a see-saw experiencing the alternation of pleasant and unpleasant feelings. He rarely finds himself balanced in the neutral position of 'neither pleasant-nor-unpleasant' feeling. As the arahant-nun, Dhammadinaa explains in the Cuula Vedalla Sutta (M. I. 303) the pleasant and the unpleasant feelings are mutual counterparts. It is the neither-pleasant-not-unpleasant feeling that provides a way out of this polarization, since its counterpart is ignorance, which in turn has as its counterpart, knowledge. The counterpart of knowledge is release and that of release is Nibbaana.)

That it is a kind of blind alley for him, is clearly stated at S. IV. 208 (Salla Sutta: The Arrow): "He, on being touched (phu.t.tho samaano) by painful feeling, delights in sense-pleasures. And why is this? Because the uninstructed worldling, O monks, knows no way out of painful feeling other than the sense-pleasures..."

Lastly, as for the significance of that one root, in the verse, the following citation from 'Phassamuulaka Sutta' (Rooted-in-Contact') at S. IV. 215, should suffice: "Monks, there are these three feelings which are born of contact, rooted in contact, originating from contact and which depend on contact. Which are the three? Pleasant feeling, unpleasant feeling and neither-pleasant-nor-unpleasant feeling."

It is the painful bodily feeling that constitutes the most immediate and palpable aspect of suffering. The arahant's claim to have transcended all suffering will not be fully valid unless he has 'crossed over' this 'quaking abyss' as well. That paradoxical samaadhi of the arahant is just the 'refuge' (or 'island') from the 'floods,' the 'eddies' and the 'abyss.'

The most emphatic illustration of this fact is perhaps the Sakalika-Sutta at S. I. 27, where the Buddha, being mindful and aware, is seen bearing up with an unruffled brow, the bodily pains which are painful, sharp, acute, distressing and unwelcome, while gods draw near and express wonder and admiration at this remarkable feat of endurance.

(Note: The cessation and appeasement of feelings, is yet another aspect of this experience. Thereby the Arahant realizes the extinction of all suffering mental as well as physical (see Sakalika Sutta), which in effect is the bliss of Nibbaana as the deliverance from all Samsaaric suffering. What is most significant about this paradoxical jhaana is that, despite the extinction of all what constitutes our waking experience, the arahant is still said to be mindful and aware. It is sometimes referred to as 'the sphere' (aayatana) in which the six sense-spheres have totally ceased.)

This aspect of Nibbaanic bliss is summed up in a verse at S. IV. 204: 'Concentrated, mindful and aware, the disciple of the Buddha, understands feelings, the origin of feelings, the state wherein they are destroyed and the path leading thereto. By the destruction of feelings, the monk is devoid of hankering and is fully appeased (parinibbuta).'

The significance of the metaphor used with reference to painful bodily feelings can also be appreciated in the context of the Buddha's definition of the 'development of the body' (kaayabhaavanaa) and the 'development of the mind' (cittabhaavanaa) in the Mahaa Saccaka Sutta (M. I. 239). "In whomsoever, Aggivessana, in this manner and on either side, the pleasant feelings that are arisen do not obsess the mind due to the development of his body, and the painful feelings that are arisen do not obsess the mind due to the development of his mind, it is thus, Aggivessana, that he becomes one who is developed as to body (bhaavitakaayo) and as to mind, too (bhaavitacitto)."

The arahant, in attaining to the 'Influx-free Deliverance of the Mind and the Deliverance through Wisdom' (...'anaasava.m cetovimutti.m pa~n~navimutti.m...' — D. I. 156 Mahāli Sutta) reaches the perfection of these two ideals.

As the 'unshakable deliverance of the mind' ('akuppaa cetovimutti'), arahantship is the unfailing refuge and shelter even from the quaking abyss of bodily feelings.

While the 'Influx-free Deliverance of the Mind' provides him with an inner retreat from painful bodily feelings, the 'Deliverance through Wisdom' serves as a permanent safe-guard against the seductive and deluding character of pleasant feeling. (Cf. "Experiencing taste, the revered Gotama partakes of food, but not experiencing an attachment to taste" — Brahmaayu Sutta, M. II. 138).

The arahant 'freed-in-both-ways' (ubhatobhaagavimutta) can, therefore, disengage himself from all percepts in addition to remaining undeluded in the face of experience.

Saññāvirattassa na santi ganthā

Paññāvimuttassa na santi mohā; — Māgaṇḍiya Sutta Sn. V. 847

'Unto him who is detached from percepts, there are no fetters, and to him who is emancipated through wisdom there are no delusions.'

• Excerpt from the Samyutta Nikaya: An Anthology by Bhikkhu Ñanananda

At Savatthi. Standing to one side, that devatā recited this verse in the presence of the Blessed One:

“Time flies by, the nights swiftly pass;

The stages of life successively desert us.
Seeing clearly this danger in death,
One should do deeds of merit that bring happiness.”

The Blessed One:

“Time flies by, the nights swiftly pass;

The stages of life successively desert us.
Seeing clearly this danger in death,
A seeker of peace should drop the world’s bait.”

- Accenti Sutta: Time Flies By (SN 1.4)

I have heard that on one occasion a certain monk was dwelling among the Kosalans in a forest thicket. Now at that time, he spent the day's abiding thinking evil, unskillful thoughts: i.e., thoughts of sensuality, thoughts of ill will, thoughts of doing harm.

Then the devata inhabiting the forest thicket, feeling sympathy for the monk, desiring his benefit, desiring to bring him to his senses, approached him and addressed him with this verse:

From inappropriate attention
you're being chewed by your thoughts.
Relinquishing what's inappropriate,
contemplate
appropriately.

Keeping your mind on the Teacher,
the Dhamma, the Sangha, your virtues,
you will arrive at
joy,
rapture,
pleasure
without doubt.

Then, saturated
with joy,
you will put an end
to suffering & stress.

The monk, chastened by the devata, came to his senses.

Ayoniso-manasikara Sutta: Inappropriate Attention, translated from the Pali byThanissaro Bhikkhu

Causes Or Origins

Of these eighty-two ultimate things Nibbána, inasmuch as it lies outside the scope of birth (Jati), does not need any originator for its arising; neither does it need any cause for its maintenance since it also does not come within the range of decay and death (Jara-Marana). Hence Nibbána is unconditioned and unorganized. But, with the exception of Nibbána, the eighty-one phenomena, both mental and material, being within the spheres of birth, decay and death, are conditioned and organized things [...]

Two things are necessary for the arising of each of the mental phenomena of the Morals, the Immoral’s and the Ineffective’s, a basis to depend upon, and an object. However, to be more detailed, full rational exercise of mind (yonisomanasikara) is needed for the Morals, and defective irrational exercise of mind (ayoniso-manasikara) for the Immoral’s. The Ineffectiveness which have apperceptional functions have the same causes as the Morals. As for the two classes of consciousness called "Turning towards", if they precede the Morals, they have the same causes as the Morals and if they precede the Immoral’s they have the same causes as the Immoral’s. Here yoniso-manasikara means proper exercise of reason, and ayoniso-manasikara means improper exercise of reason. These are the functions of the two classes of consciousness called Avajjana, "Turning towards." On seeing a man, if the manasikara be rationally utilized, moral consciousness arises; and if the manasikara be irrationally utilized, immoral consciousness arises. There is no particular object which purely of itself will cause to arise only a moral consciousness, or only an immoral consciousness. The process of the mind may be compared to a boat of which the Avajjana-citta or "Turning-towards-thought" is the helmsman, so also the occurrence of the moral and the immoral consciousness lies entirely in the hands of Avajana.

I am wondering whether to give up in my pursuit of the jhanas. I have bipolar 1 that I take antipsychotics for and I have doubts as to whether I’ll be able to attain jhanas in this life. I get differing opinions on the practice time required to really be training to attain jhanas and have gotten overall discouraged about the prospects of me experiencing them. Does anyone have any insight with Nimitta jhanas? Not lite jhana but deep jhana in the style of ajahn brahm or pa auk tradition?

Can anyone refer me to free meditation retreat centers or monastery’s where you can stay free of charge and meditate within the United States? Or areas outside the states if you can’t find any here.

I’m relatively new on my Buddhist path. From the limited practice I’ve had, from the readings of literature, it all seems to really be clicking with me and just feels like the right way.

That being said, I’ve been drawn to Theravada as a school, but I’m having trouble finding an in person Sangha. All of the Theravada temples near me are non English speaking. I wanted to practice at a Thai temple near me, but it’s limiting due to the language barrier (to the extent of not being able to get an English speaker on the phone.)

This morning I had the opportunity to sit with a Tibetan Sangha and it was lovely. However when they started saying prayers to HHDL and talking of Bodhichitta, it began to go over my head.

I need guidance. I could continue to frequent this Tibetan group, but would I be doing a disservice to myself or the Sangha if my person studies and practice weren’t in line with theirs?

I’m sure I’m overthinking it all, but I feel overwhelmed.

Thank you in advance. 🙏🏼

Do suttas talk about significance of doing anything on full moon? I know things used to be done on full moon because it was an method of measuring time and also nights might have been brighter then but what suttas say?

I have practiced with different groups and different teachers - Burmese vipassana, Mahasi noting practice, Goenka body scanning, Thai Forest "focus on your breathing", Zen "just sit"...

It's all interesting and it all seemed to have a positive effect on my life in some way. But I can't find any of it in the suttas, I can't find one instance of the Buddha teaching any of it.

If I have a very very loose interpretation of the Anapanasati sutta, I can maybe see the Buddha teaching people to be aware of the breath, but it seems more to me like he is briefly saying to keep breathing in mind as a reference point of what's currently happening.

And that's one sutta, with a few similar suttas in the samyutta nikaya. The Buddha spoke those words once, if you weren't there in person on that one day then you wouldn't have heard those teachings. If breath meditation was the most important thing, wouldn't he have taught it more regularly? Yet breath meditation seems to be the main thing that is taught now.

When I read the suttas, the Buddha seems to be teaching people over and over again to follow the precepts and to renounce pleasant sensory things, like that is the foundational main practice. Whereas now, most (almost all?) meditation teachers quickly mention renunciation as a quick aside like "oh by the way you should follow the precepts, ok now let's start the real Buddhist practice of breath meditation".

Am I missing something here? I don't get it.