Visitor's Contribution
There was a visitor at today's dicussion group. A question on
similarities and differences between Theravada and Mahayana traditions
were posed to the vistor. Few minutes were spent on listening to
the visitor's descriptive answer to the question:
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The philosophies are the same - Four Noble Truths and Eight-fold path
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Differences lie in the emphasis on individual enlightenment and on bodhisatva
practice
Current Topic
'An experience' -a hindrance during
meditation
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A thought remember of a previous day's hapenning comes to the mind while
meditating
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While thinking is connected with worries
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Was this a hindrance? Uddhachcha kukkuchcha restless and worry.
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As this hindrance arose become aware of it, put forth the mental effort
to think and remove it and took the mind back to the meditation subject.
A person becomes mindful about:
· Existence of a hindrance (sense desire, ill-will,
sloth & torpor, restlessness & worry, or doubt)
· Non-existence of a hindrance
· When a non-existing hindrance arises
· When a hindrance that has arisen is removed
· When the removed hindrance does not arise again
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Sometimes when meditating suddenly thoughts that arise would lead these
five hindrances
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As these hindrances arise a person practicing mindfulness of dhamma become
aware of it.
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When it exists becomes aware of its existence
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Since the existence of a hindrance obstructs the mental development it
is removed by the meditator.
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As it is removed the person practicing mindfulness becomes aware of it
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If it does not arise again the person becomes aware that it is not arising.
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When the mind is concentrated or with wholesome thoughts the person becomes
aware of non-existence of hindrances.
Five Hindrances Summary
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Sense-desires due to not thinking properly existence, non-existence,
arising of non-existent, removal of arisen, non-arising of the removed.
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Ill-will existence, non-existence, arising or non-existent, removal of
arisen, non-arising of the removed
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Sloth & torpor existence, non-existence, arising of non-existent,
removal of arisen, non-arising of the removed.
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Restlessness & worry existence, non-existence, arising of non-existent,
removal of existent, non-arising of the removed
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Doubt existence, non-existence, arising of non-existent, non-arising
of the removed
Five aggregates or Fivefold classification
of a being
What we called 'I', 'she', 'he', or any other being consists
of many different parts, organs, mental aspects etc. All these can
be classified into five categories (Pali term - khandha)
Five categories are: (i) form or materiality (the physical body - rupa),
(ii) feelings (iii) perceptions (iv) mental formations (samkhara), (v)
consciousness
Identifying the five categories and become mindful of them as five
categories.
Arising, and passing away of form, feelings, perception, mental formations,
consciousness.
Mindful and clearly comprehend these five aggregates. Here again
mindfulness or sati important.
A person becomes arising and passing away of these dhammas.
Six fold external and internal bases
Why they are called bases for an individual the whole world is created
by these six bases or ayathana. For an individual the whole external
world exists because of these six bases.
Comprehend eye, visual object, arising of fetters due to meeting of
the two latter, arising of fetters that did not exist, passing away of
fetters arisen, non-arising of removed fetters.
The other senses, - ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind - can be considered
similarly..
Other points discussed
a detailed discussion of samkhara or mental formations
role of mindfulness in realization of enlightenment or Nibbana -
full development of mindfulness
complementarity of dhamma knowledge (to mindfulness)
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