Sunday, May 20, 2018

Pathways to Liberation



Pathways to Liberation
This is a brief summary on the pathway to liberation of all bonds. 
 
Mind you English is deficient in vocabulary and Pali terminology is highlighted, here.
One need to try the four abodes as a preparation.

1. Metta (Compassion)
2. Karuna (Loving Kindness)
3. Mudhitha (Sympathetic Joy)
4. Upekkha (Equanimity)

The oppostes are
1. Loba (Greed)
2. Dosha (Hate)
3. Moha (Delusion)
4. Raga (Bondage)
One can approach this with five levels of transcendence.


1. Saddha or Faith
This the entry point and the faith in Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha and High Moral Conduct (Sila) are essential for stream entry to the path of liberation.

2. Viriya or Energy
Abandoning of unwholesome deeds (both born and unborn) and acquiring wholesome (both born and unborn)

3. Sati or the Mindfullness
This is actually the Satara Satipattana Meditation.
Kayanupassana (Body)
Vedananupassana(Feeling)
Cittanupassana(Mind)
Dhammanupassana (Dhamma)


4. Samadhi or the Concentration
In other words the attainment of four Jhana absorptions.

In Jhana Absorptions, there is complete but temporary detachment from all five sensual spheres and of five hindrances or the Nivarana.

They are
1. Kamacchanda (Loba)
2. Vyapada(Dosa)
3. Tina Middha (sloth and torpor)
4. Uddhakka-kukkussa(restlessness)
5. Vicikiccha (doubt)

In first Jhana State one attains
1. Vittakka (thought conception and attention)
2. Vichara (inner speech or discursive thinking)
3. Piti (rapture)
4. Sukha (joy)
5. Ekaggata (one pointedness)

2nd Jhana State
1.Vittaka, Vichara are absent.
2. Piti
3. Sukha
4. Samadhi are accompaniments.

3nd Jhana State
1. Sukha
2. Samadhi

4th Jhana State
1. Equanimity
2. Samadhi

5. Pangna or Wisdom
This is the understanding of the Four Noble Truths, the suffering, the origin of suffering, the path for cessation (Nirodaya) of suffering and the cessation of suffering. This is the more difficult and the intellectual pursuit of Vipassana Meditation.

The Samatha Meditation is the more practical and easy way of meditation. There are about 40 objects for Samatha Bhavana (Vissudhi Magga has over 1000 objects) and one should select one which suits the personalty.

This is where a Master who is adept at Meditation could be helpful.

In Samatha Meditation one may dwell in Jhana absorptive states with morbid attachment to them due to their pleasing and pleasant nature. 
 
It could be a hindrance to the upward progress.

These states should be considered as accompaniment of meditative mental states and one should brush aside the morbid attachment.

There are no Jhana states for the Vipassana Meditation but one who progresses through Samatha Meditation could gain the Vipassana goals as a byproduct in later stages.

These Jhana absorptions are five in number that can be attained in meditative states.
The Jhanas of 1st to 4th states are born in Rupavacara lokas (worlds) when they leave this world after death.

In that sense, Jhana States are meritorious but they can be consumed in toto and the subjects be born again in lower states.
Only after one attains the Nibbana that one is not born in either Rupavacara or Arupavacara worlds.

All the states are temporary, impermanent and subject to change depending on the extent of the bearers Kamma Stream.
The Jhanas from 5th to 8th are states experienced by celestial beings in the Arupavacara states.

Jhana States and the Types Celestial Beings

Beings of Rupavacara or Material Spheres are

1. Jhana of 1st absorption
Brahma-kayika deva including Mahabrama

2.Jhana of 2nd absorption
Paritabha, Appamanabha, Abhassara devas

3. Jhana of 3rd absorption
Pariita subha, Appamana subha, Subha kippa devas

4.Jhana of 4th absorption
Vehaphala, Asanna satta, Sudhavasa (anagamis) devas
Beings of Arupavacara or Immaterial Spheres are

5. Born with 5th Jhana State
Devas of Akasanancayatanupaga
(of Infinity of Space)

6. Born with 6th Jhana State
Devas of Vinnapancayatanupaga
(of infinity of Consciousness)

7. 7th Jhana State
Akincannayatanupaga
(of Nothingness)

8. 8th Jhana State
Devas of Nevasanna-nasansnnayatanupaga
(Neither perception nor non-perception)