Citta and Mental Formation (Cetasika)-A Summary

Citta and Mental Formation (Cetasika)

1. Akusala

Loba 8

Dosa 2

Moha 2

Total 12

2. Kusala

Loba 8

Kusala/Akusala Total 20

3. Vipaka

Akusala 7

Kusala   8

Kusala / Akusala Total 15

4. Kriya

Akusala 3

Kusala 8

Kusala /Akusala Total 11

Total 20 + 15 +11= 46

3. Sasankharika Kusala Vipaka Ctita (prompted)

4

4. Asankharika Kusala Vipaka Ctita (spontaneous)

4

Total 46 + 8 = 54

5. Sahetuka Meaning there are antecedent roots

24 (all Kusala)in the Kamavacara World

6. Ahetuka Meaning there are no antecedent roots

7+8+3=18

7 Akusala

8 Kusala

3 Kriya

5. Domanassa

2 under Dosa (I need to be corrected here.

6. Somanassa (only Kusala implied)

Kusala 8

Vipaka 8

Kriya 8

Total 24

7. Jhana

5

8. Magga

4 Four Paths of Knowing the suffering

9. Pala

(that are cultivated by meditation)

Ekaggata- One Pointedness

1. Vitakka

2.Vicara

3. Piti

4. Sukha

5. Sati
6. Passadhi

7. Samadhi

8. Upekkha

What one has to know is as one progresses higher one is left with two states of Samadhi and Upekkha (the highest level)

10. Ultimate Goal is Panna or Wisdom

Alien Visitation and Power of Mind

Alien Visitation and Power of Mind

Please read the Roswell incident if you need further information.

Teleportation, Telepathy, Mind Reading and Creation of Forms are some of the abilities, that these alien visitors had to overcome and prevent being captured by the Area 5 investigators.

America (I believe Russia also had one facility) had a secret facility and I believe that the Bob Lasar’s story is somewhat (cooked up CIA version) of an attempt to misinform.

However, Mind Reading experiments took an abrupt stop for some unknown reasons.

But these investigations and acquiring knowledge and technology went on until the treaty was signed in 1963.

That is the period that America and Russia needed to reverse engineer and form a defense capability against alien interference and also of their own self defense.

I have nothing against we developing our own defense mechanisms as long as the third 3rd World War is avoided.

(Having said that one nasty guy from an occult cult be the one who could detonate a nuclear bomb).

We have not overcome the problem.

It is our right as human beings.

One theory is that aliens visited us was to warn us about nuclear catastrophe.

But that is only the tip of the iceberg.

They have been visiting us well over 50,000 years but the records of them have been destroyed by our forefathers except in a few land locations on this planet.

They have been exploiting this planet and human advancement was a hindrance to their exploitation.

I tend to believe, that they have had a hand in creating secret societies and religious cults to subjugate us.

Partial disclosure was due under President Obama and he probably gave up, under pressure (who pressured him I can only speculate).

The 2012 to 2014 Ha Hoo about world catastrophe is one side of the story.

It was all hushed up.

Then came President Trump and we will never know of the true history of mankind.

(The Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) is the abbreviated name of the 1963 Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water, which prohibited all test detonations of nuclear weapons except for those conducted underground.

It is also abbreviated as the Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT) and Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (NTBT), though the latter may also refer to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which succeeded the PTBT for ratifying parties).

Underground testing had adverse effect on the original tectonic plates (many earthquakes) and I believe most of the global warming is the result of fossil fuel and coal power generation.

We Ceylonese have joined the band wagon now.

America under President Trump wants coal industry and fossil fuel to prosper.

All these stories about total disclosure are now covered by the dust of global warming scenario.

If the world leaders do not have the guts to come to reality, it is the time for the Buddhists (Dalai Lama included) to spread the Dhamma around, the Globe and ask for real state of affairs from super states and super-leaders. 

 

If they do not they cannot be recorded as heroes in human history.

UNO as an organization has failed and it will fail as long as it is funded by America.

The Lord Buddha had subtle messages about (his visiting the deities and deities visiting him) all these scenarios but did not deviated from his role as a teacher and to teach us;

Metta, Karuna, Muditha and Upekkha.

Upekkha (equanimity) is the highest state of mind one reaches only after emancipation.

Following is a summary of the Jhana states and the special Abilities developed in Jhana state 5.

1^st Jhana State

One attains

1. Vittakka (thought conception and attention to thought-thinkink)

2. Vichara (reflecting or on inner speech or discursive thinking)

3. Piti (rapture)

4. Sukha (joy)

5. Ekaggata (one pointedness)

2^nd Jhana State

Vittaka is dropped.

1. Vicara

2. Piti

3. Sukha

4. Samadhi are accompaniments

3^nd Jhana State

1. Piti

2. Sukha

3. Samadhi

4^th Jhana State

1. Sukha

2. Samadhi

5^th Jhana State

1. Equanimity

2. Samadhi
One has special powers when born with this Jhana (Five in number).

Abhinna

1. Iddhividha

Flying through the air, walking on water, diving into earth, creation of forms etc. belongs to this category.

2. Dibbasota

Is the celestial ear, also called clairaudience, which enables one to hear subtle or course sounds far and near.

3. Paracittavijanana

Is the power to discern the thoughts of others.

4. Pubbanivasanussati

Is the power to remember the past lives of oneself and others. This is the first supernormal vision the Buddha developed during the first watch on the night He attained the enlightenment.

With regard to this knowledge the Buddha’s power is limitless while in the case of others it is limited.

5. Dibbhacakkhu

Is the celestial or divine eye also called clairvoyance which enables one to see heavenly or earthly things far or near which are imperceptible to the physical eye.

This was the second knowledge the Buddha developed during the second watch on the night of his enlightenment.

These five kinds of supernormal visions are worldly, to this be added the sixth supernormal knowledge Asavakkhayannana knowledge with regards to the extinction of passions which is supermundane or the Nibbana.

The first kinds may be developed at any period but the last only during a Buddha cycle of about 2500 to 5000 years (my interpretation).

Linux the Wonder OS

This is a comment I made in Quora!


Linux the Wonder OS
Few basics about Linux.
Linux is all in file systems from few lines to millions of lines in an organized and schematic order with little repetition (or else in windows is a vicious cycle).
It can be as small as DSL (Damn Small Linux) but huge as any modern desktop, for example SuSe Linux.
I think 4M Linux is a derivative of DSL.
I was one who was against a bloated desktop and given the time, xfs desktop came into existence (light weight desktop).
Mind you there over 300 distributions.
I never used Arch Linux because it had problems with newbies (me included as beginner).
Then Manjaro came in and sorted the problem out. It is one of the cleanest (purist) distributions with one type of File/Software for one task.
Linux has a hierarchy that works well for servers and desktops.
Difference is that server does not have a desktop but a terminal to work out networks (samba is an example) whereas the desktop has X-Windows system.
Now then, some Linux communities tried to emulate bloated windows and started spoiling the ground base.
Ubuntu and the Unity Desktop a case in point and I never used Ubuntu for many other reasons.
Now we have Elementary Os which emulate MacOs desktop.
I love Gnome and Debian as a distribution.
Beauty of Debian is it has many desktops to choose and over 60,000 packages to select (except AbiWord unfortunately for me).
Linux starts with a parent file and a child (like branches in a tree).
Every child can become a parent of a another file.
This dichotomy works well for Linux in a Nutshell.
Unlike Windows, the choices are enormous in Linux.

Why I say Buddha was an Environmentalist by Practice

Why I say Buddha was an Environmentalist by Practice

I used to say Buddha did not utter any Stanzas regarding Mother Earth.

It is true he did not utter (not his prerogative anyway) any stanzas but by practice he was an environmentalist.

Read the Brahmajala Sutta and the “View of Buddha”.

In his opening questions from Ananda Thera, before outlining his Dhamma Principles, he laid down the prerequisite disciplines (even before sitting down on a meditation session).

In those principles environmental codes are the seventh in order of preferences.

I deal with the environmental issues first, before giving an outline of the three orders of discipline (Culasila, Majjhimasila and Maha sila).

Both before and after enlightenment he lived under trees or gardens, except during the rainy season (Vassana Season).

Then if you read the seven weeks after enlightenment he sat under four different trees for five weeks except the second and fourth weeks.

Why we venerate only Bodhi, the Pipal Tree?

We got it wrong.

We have to respect all plant lives.

They have up to 17 senses more than our six senses.

He forbade damaging to seeds and plant life-to plants propagated by roots, stems, shoots, joints, budding and seeds.

He sat under four trees.

Second week, gazing at the Bhodi tree as mark of respect and the third week walking (is a good exercise not jogging) at an easy pace and contemplating.

Below is a summary of seven weeks but this piece is about the three types of discipline (Sila) for both monks and laypersons should try to practice.

What is interesting in Bramajala Sutta is before dispensing Dhamma, he gave the above essential prerequisites for preparation for Bhavana (the Meditation in practice).

This should interest the monks who carry political messages between political parties, keep elephants as pets, deal with money, property and vehicles.

This is in addition to the 28 to 32 vulgar talks, prohibited, including talking about, kings, ministers, countries, garlands, weights and measures (gold and silver) and vehicles.

I will highlight only a few which our politicians also should be interested.

They are the basics of five precepts,eight precepts and ten precepts in various combination.

I will give the order only in the smaller version of Sila.

Small Disciplines or Culasila

1. Killing (no option but to be a vegetarian if one is practicing Dhamma)

2. Stealing (honesty is the only way)

3. Sexual misconduct including homosexuality (chastity as a virtue)

4. False speech and faked news (utter only the Truth)

5. Slander and political speech (Reconcile, conduce to concord for politicians)

6. Hash speech (again for political shows in TV and Media)

7. Idle or frivolous chatter (those new guys who would intend to contest presidential elections)

8. Musical shows (this applies mainly to Maharaja Organization)

9.Wearing garland (mainly to film stars)

10.Accepting gold and silver (Maligawa and Politicians around that Palace)

11. Elephant trade (Mahinda Mama and some monks)

12. Running messages (one version of Bodu Bala Sena)

13. Buying and Selling (Perpetual treasuries)

14. Bribery, deception and fraud (Finance ministry with P.M as head and the various parliament committees)

15.False measures and weights (Gold and Silver, Suwarnavahini included-not for bread and butter)

2. Come to Middle Order Disciplines (Majjhimasila)

1.Lottery

 

2. Buying and selling MP Vehicles

3. Gambling stalls

4. Massaging stalls (Chinese and Thai investments)

5.Games including cock fights, bull fights and elephant fights

6. Boxing, wrestling and karate

7. Cricket, football (Pirith Nula before championship tournaments, is a case in point)

8. Running errands for kings and politicians

9. Debating and wrangling arguments

10. Scheming and talking

3. Now the Long and the Mahala is intriguing

1. Palmistry

2. Astrology and astronomy

3. Interpreting dreams (my specialty)

4. Predictions and omens (good and bad)

5. Auspicious times (for elections, financial dealings, weddings)

6. Fortune telling (at Anuradhapura and various temples in India)

7.Weather forecasting (BBC is found fault with giving wrong prediction for Ceylon, before cricket matches)

8. Poison craft

9. Snake craft

10. Scorpion craft

11. Bird craft (my specialty-no fruit trees for them)

12. Predicting tsunamis

13. Predicting earthquakes

14. Predicting meteorites

15. Gifts for deities

16. Miscarriages or abortions

17. Virility and impotence

18. Fire sacrifices and fire goods

19. Ointments, medicine and surgery

20. Accounting, computing, calculation, and writing using Free Linux software.

It covers everything except for begging for food for monks.

Yes, I did all this for nearly one year except for begging for food but only a single meal (no coffee, cola and tea).

Yes I slept well without nasty dreams but I started even forgetting my bank PIN numbers.

So because this PIN number problem I gave it up and back to blogging but sparingly now.

Below is how Buddha spent 7 weeks after enlightment.

1. First seven days.

Under the Bodhi tree.

2. Second seven days

He stood at a certain distance gazing at the Bodhi tree with motionless eyes for one whole week.³

3^rd week

Did not give up the temporary residence at the Bodhi tree

4^th week

The fourth week he spent in a jeweled chamber (ratana-ghara)⁵ contemplating the intricacies of the Abhidhamma.

5. Fifth week

Under the Ajapála Banyan tree

Enjoyed the bliss of emancipation (vimutti-sukha)

6. Sixth week

Mucalinda tree

Here arose an unexpected great shower, Mucalinda, the serpent-king,⁹ came out of his abode, and coiling round the body of the Buddha seven times, remained keeping his large hood over the head of the Buddha so that he was not affected by the elements.

7^th week

Rájáyatana tree

Experiencing the bliss of emancipation and Enlightenment.

Speculative Theories and Course Correction

Speculative Theories and Course Correction

 

There are sixty one (61) theories that are considered to be Wrong Views by Buddha.

Many of them existed before Buddha and many of them are still considered to be the essence of humanity, even today.

My belief, is that the present existence of speculative theories are mostly based on Kalama Sutta’s modern interpretation of reality.

Any one new to Buddhism should read Kalama Sutta in conjunction with Brahmajala Sutta (All Embracing Net of Views).

Reading one only leads to misinterpretation of Reality.

I have discussed this before on three points.

They are;

1. Reality

2. Perception

3. The Gap or Void

Wrong perception leads to misconception and misinterpretation and the Gap or the Void is filled with the Wrong View/s.

To start with Buddhism is not a Philosophy, in the true sense of Philosophy.

If you read Prof. A.D.P. Kalansuriya’s book “The Buddha’s Discourses and Wittgenstein” he tries to correct this course and found fault with his fellow Buddhist Philosophers (they were not true thinkers but adherent to dogmas, at that time, naming them is improper).

He was trying to free the Philosophy into its own domain which is a first order discipline by definition.

(Even Wittgenstein saw this malady and called it the "Language Games" played on our minds).

In doing so he cleverly freed the Dhamma from corruption by the fellow travelers, of his age.

These modern age guys were interested in selling their books often derived from their PhD theses.

Having said, that I can now say that Buddhism is a way of life not a philosophy to trash about.

Why I say so.

The Brahmajala Sutta is meant for course correction and laid the foundation of Dhamma.

If one wants to label philosophical tenets, there are only three elements, nothing more.

1. Unsatisfactoriness (of both pain and pleasure principles)

2. Impermanence (of both mind and matter and the material world-Uppada, Thitti, Banga, Arising, Stabilizing and Falling nature of all things)

The modern rendering is “the state of flux”.

3. Impersonal nature of “Beings” and Bhava (Sansara).

Buddha is a teacher.

He laid down the cause (Kamma) and effect (Bhava).

He is not a Saviour.

He shows the path he trod on.

He has no reservations left for himself.

He is freed, so why any reservations?

There is a caveat here.

One is his/her own saviour.

On has to be diligent about the “Wrong View” or the “Wrong Path”.

There is only “One Way”.

Ekayana Maggo!

That way is “Meditation” and correct understanding of the three principles born above.

So Meditation (if one has the time and resources) is a “Way of Life” not a theory for philosophizing.

With those two out, I need to summarize the Nets of Views in brief.

There are basically three types of persons, who want to have their views heard loud and clear.

They are the Eternalists, Rationalists and Skeptics.

All are based on afterlife except one group.

There is no religion in this world that disputes the existence of afterlife except nihilists or skeptics.

Their views are either based on self realization in Jhana states or rationalization based on one’s own thinking.

One can read ones previous life (Jhana State Five) and based on these experiences some of them formulate that, since there was a past life, there ought to be an eternal life that continue after death. 

In some religions merging of self with the eternal self tend to be the essence.

Many selfs are not identified as individual entities but one of a wholesome divine entity.

The next subset in this is that there ought to be a divine creator or God.

There are at least 18 subsets based on eternity.

In this subset, it is the Maha Brahma (may be some of his retinues) who had the grandiose illusion that he was the creator of the world.

The bottom line is, when they consume these planes of lives and exit, they are often reborn in lower form of life often, even lower than human life.

It is a pity.

One who has not pursued the Jhana states to clear vision or wisdom sees these as eternal truths and postulate them as their discoveries.

They are the eternalists.

Then there are the skeptics who do not believe in afterlife.

They create the nihilistic view (only one out of 44 views).

There are 44 views (including View of the Buddha) with future life in in perspective.

This is where the category of perception comes into play.

The perception has a void in it and that gap is filled with any view out of the 62 views of reality.

The Brahmajala Sutta is an attempt at Course Correction from Eternalists, Rationalists and Skeptics, not from Divinity but for the Emancipation from ills, wills and imperfections.

That is to untangle from the tangled entanglement of the Wrong View.

That is why Samma Ditti is the first of the Eightfold Pathway.

In other words Mithya Ditti is the sure recipe for prolonging agony in the lower worlds of existence.

Once one gets his/her mind out of the Kalama Sutta and the Brahmajala Sutta one is free to delve into enormous Sutta discourses and Abhidhamma (mind you very dry in content) for clear view of Dhamma.

No part of Suttas or Abhdhamma is redundant for a wayfarer.

One either needs a true guide or one has to chose his own Sutta or Abhidamma discourses as a guide.

Please read the book of late Prof. A.D.P.Kalansuriya, if one is interested in philosophy.

It is heavy reading by the way, but that does not deter you from reading it, in small doses.  

Philosophy is more difficult than Dhamma.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes

1. Why are mosquitoes not counted on census?
They do not have voting rights.

2.What happens to a mosquito who bites a Sri-Lankan politician?
It (she) becomes completely disorientated.

3.When is the best time to check mate a mosquito?
When it is drunk.

4. Why mosquitoes avoids feeding on drunkards?
They prefer to be sober before a flight check in Or a medical check up.

5. When did the mosquitoes had a medical check up?
When the dengue team arrives.

7. Why most of the urban mosquitoes are not fully insured?
The premium has gone up.

8. What is the first thing a mosquito does when it lands on the moon?
It takes the space suit off for the first feed which it missed on the flight.

9. What happens to a mosquito who lands on a nudist camp.
She does not know where to begin.

10. What does it do when it meets a fellow mosquito in a nudist camp?
Check the sex to mate.

They are not homosexual (unlike human beings).

The following is what happens to the mosquito being after a bite.

11.What happens to a mosquito when it bites President Trump?

She (It) becomes a Megalomaniac.

12.What happens to a mosquito when it bites our P.M.R.W?

She becomes a crook.

13. What happens to a mosquito when it bites our President MS?

She becomes impotent.

14. What happens to a mosquito when it bites ex-president MR?

Her mind becomes small but body gets bloated.

15.What happens to a mosquito when it bites a Catholic priest?

She / he (no sex in heaven) gets an instant email from heaven with a request to be transferred to hell.

16. What happens when a mosquito bites Buddhist monk?

She (It) forgets to repeat its instant buzz of Stanza.

17. What happens when a mosquito bites a Buddhist nun?

It changes it sex to a male.

18. What happens to a mosquito when it bites a Muslim Priest?

She becomes a male and instantly grows a beard but forgets to wear a cap.

19. What happens to a mosquito when it bites a Hindu Priest?

Its colour changes to blue of God Vishnu.

20. What happens to a mosquito when it bites an atheist?

She develops her sense to discriminate believers and feeds only on atheists.

Altered State of Mind and Near Death Experience

Altered State of Mind and Near Death Experience

I do not want to use the medical terms like, illusions, hallucinations and delusions in this discussion since readers are ordinary guys/girls.

Awareness (sanity), altered state of awareness and insanity are better terms.

In near death syndrome, an altered state of awareness is common but most is easily forgotten, if traumatic but remembered with colorful stories if the experience (altered state of awareness) is pleasant.

In between these two extremes of Domanassa and Somanassa feeling or states many different states can be induced by drugs, alcohol, anaesthesia and meditative experiences.

This piece is to highlight the Acid Base imbalance that can be induced in meditative practice involuntarily.

Alcohol and over 18 hour starvation (much less time in kids) can bring about ketosis or disruption of acid state balance of the body and mind.

But ketone is a metabolic substitute for glucose.

In the brain the coconut oil with medium chain fatty acids can supplement and augment ketone pathway better than alcohol. 

 

So do not fear eating Sambol and coconut milk curry if you have a long work schedule without food. 

By the way, even patient with Dementia (there cognitive function) are benefited by a diet rich in coconut oil.

So I advice the coconut treatment to the corrupt politicians in the parliament (all parties new and old are included).

This treatment is with a strong Kithul Polla when they come for the next round of elections, since their nuts are stronger than coconuts.

So in addition to promoting Ceylon Tea give a push to the Coconut Industry and ban Yappies who vandalize coconut states for property development.

Now simple withholding of breathing (this can happen in a wrongly guided meditation) for few minutes causes carbon dioxide narcosis or acidosis that can alter one’s cognition and awareness.

This is not Jhana induced.

Hyperventilation can produce, alkalosis the opposite of acidosis.

This also can happen in meditation due to excitement of reaching a Jhana state or simply due to agitation and anxiety.

The bottom line is validating the effect of meditation should not be left to checking the blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol.

They are poor indicators of wellbeing.

The best indicator is the Acid Base Status which anaesthetists test as a routine in developed countries, since the damage they do to the brain (post operative complications) is substantial.

In that sense the altered states in NDE are directly related to imbalance in acid base balance and not due to divine intervention and often due to medical mishaps (that causes the patient to be transferred to an Intensive Care Unit) which helps the doctors to hide behind.

Our brain is not adopted to high mountain climbing (causes mountain sickness due to hypoxia) or deep sea diving (causes decompression syndrome) so do not volunteer for space travel which the private companies are offering for stupid but rich people.

Read my article on (very old one) physiological effects in space in the wider web.

Postscript;

I do not advice meditation for diabetes patients and both low and high thyroxin levels can have mental symptoms.