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Foto del escritorTomás Morales y Durán

Rethinking Domains of Experience and Existence

The genesis of Samsara as we know it is the result of an evolution driven by entropy in the form of attachment to ignorance. The first viññanas (or principles of animation) arise in saññāvedayitanirodhadhātu, the domain of the experience of the cessation of animation. These, according to the impulse of the tendency towards the greater disorder, are attached to its own existence. This attachment to ignorance will be the one that develops all Samsara from top to bottom. In successive rebirth some existences are reborn at the next level called saññāvedayitanirodhadhātu, that is, the domain of the experience of neither perception nor non-perception, understanding as perception «the mental process by which an idea is given meaning by assimilating it to the body of ideas he already has. « In other words, in the abode where there is no Namā, where ideas do not exist.Again, entropy drives the tendency to cling to ignorance by making these vineyards cling to the sensations. This is the condition for rebirth in ākinñana, the domain of the experience of nothingness. In this sphere there is an outbreak of Namā, still empty.Attachment to nothing, as a form of ignorance, results in a rebirth in the sphere of animation or infinite active consciousness viññāṇañcāyatanadhātu. This is the space necessary to accommodate in Namā all kinds of ideas and concepts. Attachment to this plane carries as a condition the rebirth in the next immaterial abode, ākāsānañcāyatana, the plane of experience of infinite heaven beyond the clouds, Namā full of ideas and concepts. Attachment to Namā and to existence conditions rebirth on the material plane, and these in turn, by the same mechanism of attachment to ignorance towards the lower planes. Thus the Samsara unfolds: from top to bottom. These tendencies are in the very nature of birth.Thus, a baby has no conception of personality, no attachment to existence, or any of the lower fetters.However, that baby will develop them all. Using the principle of an existence and multiple lives, the material plane where we move, the human plane, was developed from the immaterial dwellings, based on the disordered construction from the higher immaterial planes. It is no coincidence that we are here. There is a chain of attachments in every plane that have brought us here. Therefore, total liberation does not consist solely in breaking with attachments on the human plane, which is only a consequence, but of breaking them in the chain of states created as a consequence of the development of ignorance throughout our existence at the beginning of Samsara. Therefore, access to the five spheres or areas of experience is essential to be able to pull the lower shackles in each and every one of these planes. In this way, and only in this way, root existence is started. The form of access is through the immaterial jhānas and the state of cessation. The tool is wisdom: armed with it attachments dissolve because ignorance is destroyed. Majjhima Nikaya 64 Mahamalunkya Sutta Great speech to Malunkyaputta Thus I heard: There was the Blessed One living in the park of Anathapindika in the forest of Jeta in Savatthi. There he addressed the bhikkhus saying: «Bhikkhus.» – «Yes, venerable,» they replied. The Blessed One said thus: «Bhikkhus, do you remember how I taught the five lower fetters?» To which the venerable Malunkyaputta replied: «Venerable sir, I remember the five lower fetters as you have taught them.» «And how does Malunkyaputta remember the five lower fetters as I have taught them?» «Venerable sir, I remember the concept of identity as a lower shackle taught by the Blessed One. I remember doubt as a lower shackle taught by the Blessed One. I remember adherence to rules and practices like a lower shackle taught by the Blessed One. I remember the sensory desire like a lower shackle taught by the Blessed One. I remember resentment like a lower shackle taught by the Blessed One. « «Malunkyaputta, whom do you remember that I have taught these five lower fetters in this way?Could not the followers of other sects refute this with the simile of the baby? Because a newborn lying down does not even have the notion ‘identity’, so how could the concept of identity appear in it?And yet the tendency to the concept of identity resides in it. A newborn lying down does not even have the notion ‘teachings’, so how could the doubt about the teachings appear in him? And yet the tendency to doubt resides in him. A newborn lying down does not even have the notion ‘norms’, so how could attachment to norms and practices appear in him? And yet the tendency to stick to rules and practices lies in it. A newborn lying down does not even have the notion of ‘sensory pleasures’, so how could sensory desire appear in him? And yet the tendency to sensory desire resides in him. A newborn lying down does not even have the notion ‘beings’, so how could the resentment towards beings appear in him? And yet the tendency to resentment lies in him. Would not this refute the followers of other sects with the baby’s simile? « Then the venerable Ananda said: «It is the moment, Blessed, it is the moment, Sublime, that the Blessed One teaches the five lower fetters. The monks, having listened to the Blessed One, will remember him. « «Then listen, Ananda, and listen carefully to what I am about to say.» «Yes, venerable sir,» answered the venerable Ananda. The Blessed One said thus: «Behold, Ananda, that an ordinary person, without instruction, without regard for the nobles, incompetent and undisciplined in his Dhamma, who has no regard for true men and who is incompetent and undisciplined in his Dhamma, lives with an obsessed mind and enslaved by the concept of identity, and does not understand as it is the escape from the concept of identity emerged;and when this vision has become habitual and has not been eradicated, it is a lower shackle. He lives with a mind obsessed and enslaved by doubt … by adherence to rules and practices … by sensual desire … by resentment, and does not understand as it is the escape of rancor arising; and when this resentment has become habitual and has not been eradicated, it is an inferior shackle. « «A noble disciple, well educated, considered for the nobles, competent and disciplined in his Dhamma, considered for true men, competent and disciplined in his Dhamma, does not live with a mind obsessed and enslaved by the concept of identity; he understands as it is the escape of the emerged concept of identity and this concept of identity, along with the underlying tendency towards it, are abandoned by him. He does not live with a mind obsessed and enslaved by doubt … by adherence to rules and practices … by sensual desire … by resentment, and does not understand as it is the escape of rancor arising; he understands as it is the escape of resentment arising and this rancor, along with the underlying tendency towards it, are abandoned by him. « «There is a path, Ananda, a way to leave the five lower fetters; It is not possible for anyone not to follow this path, this way, to know or to see or to abandon the five lower fetters. Just as it is not possible to cut down the heartwood of a great tree without first cutting off its bark and its sapwood, it is not possible for anyone who does not follow this path, this way, to know or to see or to abandon the five lower fetters. « «There is a path, Ananda, a way to leave the five lower fetters; it is possible for someone to follow this path, this way, to know or to see or to abandon the five lower fetters. Just as it is possible to cut down the heartwood of a great tree by first cutting off its bark and its sapwood, it is possible for someone to follow this path, this way, to know or to see or to leave the five lower fetters. « «Suppose, Ananda, that the river Ganges was filled with water to the rim so that the crows could drink of it and that a weak man arrived thinking: ‘I will cross the current swimming with my arms and I will arrive safe to the other shore of this river Ganges’, but this man would not be able to get safely to the other shore. So also, when the Dhamma teaches someone to cease the personality, if his mind does not enter the Dhamma and acquires confidence, firmness and determination, then we can regard this man as the weak man. «Suppose, Ananda, that the river Ganges was filled with water to the rim so that the crows could drink of it and that a strong man arrived thinking: ‘I will cross the stream swimming with my arms and I will arrive safely to the other shore of this river Ganges’, and this man would be able to reach safely to the other shore. So also, when the Dhamma teaches someone to cease the personality, if his mind enters the Dhamma and acquires confidence, firmness and determination, then we can regard this man as the strong man. «And which, Ananda, is the path, the way to the abandonment of the five lower fetters? Behold, separated from the acquired, leaving the unhealthy states, with the complete reassure of bodily inertia, separated from sensory pleasures, separated from unhealthy states, a bhikkhu enters and resides in the first jhana, which is accompanied by thought applied and sustained, with rapture and pleasure born of separation. «Whatever is there in material form, feeling, perception, formations and consciousness, he sees these states as impermanent, as suffering, an illness, a tumor, a hook, a calamity, a pain, as separate, disintegrating, empty, like not me. He removes his mind from these states and directs it towards the immortal element in this way: ‘This is the peaceful, this is the sublime: the pacification of all formations, the renunciation of all attachments, the destruction of craving, dispassion , the cessation, the Nibbana. If he is persistent in this, he will achieve the destruction of impurities. But if he does not attain to the destruction of the impurities by his desire for the Dhamma and his delight in the Dhamma, then, by destroying the five lower fetters, he becomes one who will appear spontaneously in the Pure Abodes and there will achieve the final Nibbana , never returning from that world. This is the way to the abandonment of the five lower fetters. «And again, by soothing applied thought and sustained thinking, the bhikkhu enters and resides in the second jhana … Again, as the rapture also dissipates, the bhikkhu … enters and resides in the third jhana … Again, upon leaving pleasure and pain … the bhikkhu enters and resides in the fourth jhana, in which there is neither pain nor pleasure and has pure attention thanks to equanimity. «Whatever is there in material form, feeling, perception, formations and consciousness, he sees these states as impermanent … as not I. He takes his mind away from these states and directs it towards the immortal element … This is the way to the abandonment of the five lower fetters. «Again, by completely recovering the perception of form, as the perception of the sensory impulses disappears, not paying attention to the perception of diversity, conscious to ‘space is infinite’, the bhikkhu enters and resides at the base of space infinite». «Whatever is there in material form, feeling, perception, formations and consciousness, he sees these states as impermanent … as not I. He removes his mind from these states and directs it towards the immortal element … This is the way to the abandonment of the five lower fetters. « «Again, by completely tracing the basis of infinite space, conscious to ‘consciousness is infinite,’ bhikkhu enters and resides at the base of infinite consciousness. «Whatever is there in material form, feeling, perception, formations and consciousness, he sees these states as impermanent … as not I. He takes his mind away from these states and directs it towards the immortal element … This is the way to the abandonment of the five lower fetters. «Again, by completely tracing the basis of infinite consciousness, conscious to ‘there is nothing’, the bhikkhu enters and resides at the base of nothingness. «Whatever is there in material form, feeling, perception, formations and consciousness, he sees these states as impermanent, as suffering, an illness, a tumor, a hook, a calamity, a pain, as separate, disintegrating, empty, like not me. He removes his mind from these states and directs it towards the immortal element in this way: ‘This is the peaceful, this is the sublime: the pacification of all formations, the renunciation of all attachments, the destruction of craving, dispassion , the cessation, the Nibbana. If he is persistent in this, he will achieve the destruction of impurities. But if he does not attain to the destruction of the impurities by his desire for the Dhamma and his delight in the Dhamma, then, by destroying the five lower fetters, he becomes one who will appear spontaneously in the Pure Abodes and there will achieve the final Nibbana , never returning from that world. This is the way to the abandonment of the five lower fetters. « «Venerable sir, if this is the path, the way to abandon the five lower fetters, then how do some bhikkhus attain the liberation of the mind and some attain liberation through wisdom?» «The difference here, Ananda, is in your faculties, I say.» This is what the Blessed One said. The venerable Ananda was satisfied and delighted in the words of the Blessed One. Collection of speeches thematically grouped Nocedam Sutta 14.33. If there were not In Savatthi. «Monks, if there were no gratification in the element of the earth, beings would not fall in love with it; but being that there is gratification in the element of the earth, the beings come to fall in love with him. If there were no danger in the element of the earth, beings would not come to experience repugnance of it; but being that there is danger in the element of the earth, the beings come to experience repugnance of him. If there were no escape from the element of the earth, beings could not escape it; but since there is escape from the element of the earth, beings escape from it. «Monks, if there were no gratification in the element of water … If there would be no danger in the element of water … If there were no escape of the element of water, beings could not escape it; but being that there is escape from the element of water, beings escape from it. «Monks, if there were no gratification in the element of heat … If there were no danger in the element of heat … If there were no escape of the element of heat, beings could not escape it; but being that there is escape from the element of heat, beings escape from it. «Monks, if there were no gratification in the element of the air … If there would be danger in the element of the air … If there would be escape of the element of the air, the beings could not escape it; but being that there is escape of the element of the air, the beings escape of him. «Monks, as long as beings do not know directly what gratification, danger and escape really is in the case of these four elements, they will not escape in this world with their devas, Mara and Brahma, in this generation with their ascetics and Brahmins , with their devas and human beings. You will not be able to let go of it, free yourself from it, or be able to dwell with your minds free of barriers. But when beings know directly as they really are, then they will escape from this world with their devas, Mara and Brahma, of this generation with their ascetics and Brahmins, with their devas and human beings.You can release it, free yourself from it and you can dwell with your minds free of barriers. Sanutta Nikaya Satta dhatu sutta 14.11. Seven elements In the Savatthi. [The Blessed One said]: «Monks, there are these seven elements. What seven? Element of light, Element of beauty, The element of the sphere of infinite space, The element of the sphere of unlimited consciousness The element of the absence of everything, The element of the sphere is not perception or non-perception, The element of cessation of perception and feeling.These are the seven elements. « When this was said, a monk asked the Blessed One: «Master, what comes to the element of light, beauty, sphere of infinite space, sphere of infinite consciousness, sphere of nothingness, sphere of perception, non-perception, cessation of perception and sensation, depending on what these elements can be distinguished? « «Monks, The light element is recognized depending on the darkness. The beauty element is recognized depending on the lack of appeal. The element of the sphere of infinite space is recognized depending on the forms. The element of the sphere of infinite consciousness is recognized depending on the sphere of unlimited space. The element of the sphere of absence is recognized according to the sphere of unlimited consciousness. The element of the sphere neither the perception nor the non-perception is recognized depending on the sphere of the absence of something. The element of the sphere of cessation of perception and feeling is recognized depending on cessation. « «But, venerable sir, as to the element of light … element of the cessation of perception and sensation, how is the attainment of these elements to be achieved?» «The element of light, element of beauty, an element of the sphere of infinite space, an element of unlimited awareness, element sphere of nothingness: these elements are obtained as [meditation] to achieve a perception. Element of the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception: it is acquired by attainment [meditation] with residual formations. The element of cessation of perception and feeling: this element is acquired as an achievement of cessation. « Collection of speeches thematically grouped Tanakattha Sutta 15.1. Grass and wood This I have heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling in the grove of Jeta, in the park of Anathapandika, near Savatthi. While there, the Blessed One addressed the monks: «Monks». «Yes, Venerable Lord,» answered the monks and the Blessed One continued: «Monks, this samsara is without a discernible beginning. The first moment of this roaming and wandering of beings, numbed by ignorance and chained by greed, is not discerned. Imagine, monks, a man who has cut all the grass, sticks, branches and foliage in this Jambudipa and collected it all in one pile. And that, having done that, that man placed everything down, and said [to everyone]: ‘This is my mother, this is the mother of my mother.’ The sequence of the mothers and grandmothers would have no end, rather it would use and end all the grass, sticks, branches and foliage of this Jambudipa.And why so? Because, monks, this samsara is without a discernible beginning. The first moment of this roaming and wandering of beings, numbed by ignorance and chained by greed, is not discerned. For such a long time, monks, you have experienced dissatisfaction, anguish and despair, and you have swelled in cemeteries. It is enough to feel disgust for all formations, enough to become dispassionate toward them, enough to free you from them. « Sa yuktāgama

  1. Second speech on ignorance

I have heard so. There was a time when the Buddha was staying in Sāvatthī, in Jeta’s Grove, the Park of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that moment the Blessed One said to the monks: «Samsāra is without principle, who turns for a long time living beings, hampered by ignorance and bound by the bondage of desire, without understanding the origin of this dukkha. «Monks, it’s as if a dog was tied to a pole with a rope.Because slavery is not cut, the dog turns around that publication; whether standing or lying down, is not separated from the pole. «In the same way, a foolish being who is not separated from his lustful desire for his bodily form, is not separated from his hunger for him, is not separated from losing him, is not separated from thirst by him, revolves around body shape. By following and turning around the bodily form, whether standing or lying down, he is not separated from bodily form. In the same way, it revolves around feeling … perception … formations … awareness. Continue after and turn around feel … perception … formations … awareness, whether standing or lying down, is not separated from consciousness. «Monks, you should pay attention and examine the mind. Why is that? It is because for a long time the mind has been contaminated by lustful desire, anger and deceit. Monks, because the mind is afflicted, living beings are afflicted; because the mind is purified, the living beings are purified. «Monks, I do not see a single form as varied as the colors stained on a bird. The mind is even more varied. Why is that? Due to the variety of their mind, the animals are of varied colors. «Therefore, monks, you should pay attention and examine the mind. Monks, for a long time the mind has been contaminated by lustful desire, anger and deceit. Monks, you must know that because the mind is afflicted, living beings are afflicted; because the mind is purified, the living beings are purified. «Have you seen the varied and different colors of a caraṇa bird?» The monks replied, «We have seen him before, Blessed One.» The Buddha said to the monks: «Like the varied and different colors of a cara páa bird, I say that the mind is also varied and different. Why is that? Due to the variety of his mind, that caraṇa bird is of varied colors. «Therefore, you must examine and pay attention to the mind, which for a long time has been contaminated by various lustful desires, by anger and deceit. Because the mind is afflicted, living beings are afflicted; because the mind is purified, the living beings are purified. «It is as if a master painter or disciple of a master painter, who had prepared a background without color and was equipped with various colors, according to his desire paints variegated types of images. «Monks, just as a foolish living being does not understand what the bodily form really is, the appearance of the bodily form, the cessation of bodily form, the gratification of bodily form, the danger in bodily form and escape from the body form. Because you do not understand the body shape as it really is, it delights and clings to the body shape. Because it delights and adheres to the bodily form, it gives rise to future instances of bodily form. «In the same way a fool does not understand how he is really feeling … perception … formation … consciousness, the emergence of consciousness, cessation of consciousness, gratification of consciousness, danger in consciousness and escape from consciousness. Because you do not understand it as it really is, it delights and clings to consciousness. Because it delights and clings to consciousness, it gives rise to future cases of consciousness. «It should be giving rise to future cases of bodily form … feeling … perception … formations … consciousness, then it will not be released from the body form … feeling … perception … formations … consciousness, I say that will not be released from birth, old age, disease , death, worry, pain, irritation and pain. «A learned noble disciple understands as if it were really a bodily form, the emergence of bodily form, cessation of bodily form, gratification of bodily form, danger in bodily form, and escape of bodily form. By understanding it as it really is, it does not delight and is not attached to the bodily form.Because it does not delight and does not cling to it, it does not give rise to future instances of bodily form. «He understands what he really feels … perception … formation … consciousness, the emergence of consciousness, cessation of consciousness, gratification of consciousness, danger in consciousness and escape from consciousness. By understanding him as he really is, he does not delight and is not attached to consciousness.Because it does not delight or cling to it, it does not give rise to future instances of consciousness. «Because of not delighting and sticking to the body form … feeling … perception … formation … consciousness, he reaches the release of the body form, achieves the release of feeling … perception … formation … consciousness, I say that he is equally released from birth, old age, sickness, death, worry, sadness, irritation and pain. « When the Buddha uttered this speech, the monks, upon hearing what the Buddha had said, delighted and received him respectfully.

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