Mind Inquiry: Buddhist Foundations
The Enlightened Lifestyle, rooted in Buddhist practice, offers a transformative path to liberation from suffering and realizing one's true nature. At its core lies the practice of mind inquiry, a profound exploration of consciousness that leads to deep insights and awakening. The Dharma, particularly the Bodhipakkhiyādhammā (37 factors of enlightenment), serves as a foundational pillar for this lifestyle, providing a comprehensive framework for spiritual development. This ancient wisdom encompasses essential teachings on mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom, guiding practitioners toward enlightenment. By cultivating these qualities, individuals can navigate the complexities of existence with greater clarity and compassion. The Bodhipakkhiyādhammā offers a holistic approach to personal growth, addressing both the intellectual and experiential aspects of the spiritual journey. It encourages a balanced practice that integrates ethical conduct, mental discipline, and a profound understanding of reality. As one engages with these teachings, one begins to unravel the layers of delusion and attachment that perpetuate suffering, paving the way for a life of genuine peace and fulfillment. The enlightened lifestyle, grounded in these timeless principles, empowers individuals to transcend limiting beliefs and experience the boundless freedom of an awakened mind.
Bodhipakkhiyādhammā
Overview of the Dharma Teachings
The Four Noble Truths
Duke-ka exists – unsatisfactoriness, suffering, discontent, stress (to be Investigated)
The cause or origin of Duke-ka is craving (tan-ha thirst) or clinging (to be Abandoned)
Duke-ka ceases with the relinquishment of that craving (to be Realized)
The path leading to the cessation of Duke-ka is the Noble Eightfold Path (to be Developed)
The Eightfold Path (aree-ya-mah-ga)
Wisdom and Discernment (pah-ña)
Wise or Right View/Understanding (sah-ma-ditthi) – Knowledge of the Four Noble Truths
Wise or Right Intention/Resolve (sah-má-sahn-kah-pa) – Renunciation, Loving-kindness, Harmlessness
Virtue (see-la)
Wise or Right Speech (sah-má-vácá) – abstaining from lying, malicious or divisive speech, abusive or harsh speech, and idle chatter
Wise or Right Action (sah-má-kah-mah-ta) – abstaining from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct
Wise or Right Livelihood (sah-má–áh jee-va) – abstaining from dishonest and harmful means of livelihood
Concentration/Meditation (sah-ma-dee)
Wise or Right Effort (sah-má-vah-yama) – the effort of avoiding and overcoming unskillful qualities and of developing and maintaining skillful qualities
Wise or Right Mindfulness (sah-má-sah-tee) – The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
Wise or Right Concentration (sah-má-sah-má-dee) – The Four Form Jahn nahs
Three Characteristics of Existence (of Conditioned Phenomena)
Impermanence (an-nee-cha)
Unsatisfactoriness (Duke-ka)
Not-self (an-na-ta) – empty of inherent existence; not “me”, “myself”, nor “what I am”
Three Pillars of Dhamma (dharma) or Grounds for Making Merit
Generosity (dan-na)
Moral restraint (see-la)
Meditation (bhavana) – consists of Concentration (sah-má-dee) and Mindfulness (sati)
Three Poisons/Defilements (Kilesas – lit. torments of the mind)
Greed (lobe-ha) – mindfulness transforms this into Faith
Aversion/hatred (doh-sa) – mindfulness transforms this into discriminating Wisdom
Delusion (moh-ha) – mindfulness transforms this into Equanimity
Three Refuges (Triple Gem, Three Jewels)
Buddha – both the historical Buddha and one’s own innate potential for Awakening
Dham-ma – the Buddha’s teaching of liberation and the ultimate Truth towards which it points
Sangha – the monastic community, those who have achieved at least some degree of Awakening, and more recently the community of followers of the Buddhist path (traditionally called the Pa-ree-sa)
Three Types of Duke-ka
Duke-ka as pain (Duke-ka–Duke-kata) – body or mental pain
Duke-ka that is inherent in formation (san-car-ra-Duke-kah-ta) – maintenance of body and things, oppressive nature of continuous upkeep
Duke-ka of change (vee-paree-nah-ma-Duke-kata) – pleasant and happy conditions in life are not permanent
Four Bases of Power or Four Stages of Enlightenment
Success (Id dee-pa-da)
Desire [Or Skillful Desire) (chan-da)
Persistence/Energy/Effort (veer-ee-ya)
Intention, Mind, Thoughtfulness (chit-ta)
Investigation/Discrimination (vem-mah-sa or pah-na)
Four Brah-ma-vee-har-rahs (Highest Attitudes/Emotions)
Heavenly or sublime abodes (best home). Near enemy is a quality that can masquerade as the original but is not the original. Far enemy is the opposite quality.
Lovingkindness, good-will (met-ta): Near enemy – attachment; far enemy – hatred
Compassion (Car-roona): Near enemy – pity; far enemy – cruelty
Sympathetic joy, Appreciation (moo-dee-ta), joy at the good fortune of others: Near enemy – comparison,hypocrisy, insincerity, joy for others but tinged with identification (my team, my child); far enemy – envy
Equanimity (u-pek-sha): Near enemy – indifference; far enemy – anxiety, greed
Four Foundations of Mindfulness
(from the Sah-tee pa tan-na Soot-ta)
Mindfulness of the body (kaya)
Mindfulness of feeling (vee-dan-na)-pleasant, unpleasant, neutral; initial reactions to sensory input
Mindfulness of mind/consciousness (chit-ta), of the mind-states, moods (greed, aversion, delusion and their opposites)
Mindfulness of mind objects-mental events (dharmas); Five categories of dhammas: Five hindrances, Five aggregates, 6 sense bases, Seven factors of enlightenment, Four Noble Truths
Four Form Jahn nahss (rupa Jahn nahss) or Meditative Absorptions
First Jahn nahs, characterized by intense pleasure, has five jha-nic factors: applied thought (vit-taka), sustained thought(vee-car-ra), joy (pitee), happiness (sook-ha), one-pointedness (ek-ka-gata)
Second Jahn nahs, characterized by joy, has 3 factors: joy (pitee), happiness (sukha) , and one–pointedness (ek-ka-gata)
Third Jahn nahs, characterized by contentment, has 2 factors: contentment and one-pointedness (ek-ka-gata)
Fourth Jahn nahs, characterized by equanimity and stillness, has 1 factor: one-pointedness (ekkagata)
Four Heavenly Messengers
An old person
A sick person
A corpse
A wandering monk
Four Right Efforts (sah-máppadhana)
Not to let an unwholesome-unskillful thought arise, which has not yet arisen-Guarding
Not to let an unwholesome-unskillful thought continue, which has already arisen-Abandon
To make a wholesome-skillful thought arise, which has not yet arisen-Develop
To make a wholesome-skillful thought continue, which has already arisen-Sustain
Four Taints, effluents, intoxicants, fermentations, cankers,
defilements (asavas)
Obstructions to Enlightenment (most Soot-tas don’t include the 4th taint)
attachment to sensuality
attachment to existence/to becoming
ignorance of the dhamma (of the way things are)
attachment to opinions/views (most Soot-tas do not include this one-Abhidhamma does)
Five Aggregates (khandhas or skandas or heaps)
Physical and mental components of the personality (ego) and of sensory experience in general
Form/physical phenomena, body (rupa )
Feeling (vedana ) pleasant, unpleasant, neutral. Feelings arise when there is contact between the 6 internal organs and the 6 external objects: (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind & corresponding: sight, sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental object)
Perception (sañña) – recognition
Mental Formations (sankhara) – includes mental states, emotions, volition (fabrications)
Consciousness (viññana) – grasps the characteristics of the 6 external objects
Five Faculties (indriya) and Five Strengths or Powers
Faith & Wisdom balance each other, as do Energy & Concentration.
The Five Faculties are ‘controlling’ faculties because they control or master their opposites.
The faculties and powers are two aspects of the same thing.
Faith (saddha) – controls doubt
Energy/Effort/Persistence (viriya) – controls laziness
Mindfulness (sati); – controls heedlessness
Concentration (sah-má-dee) – controls distraction
Wisdom (panna)/Discernment – controls ignorance
Five Hindrances (nivarana)
Sensual Desire (kámacchanda)
Aversion or Ill-will (vyápáda)
Sleepiness – sloth (thina), torpor (middha), sluggishness
Restlessness – worry about the future, regret of the past, anxiety (uddhacca-kukkucca)
Doubt (skeptical doubt)(vicikicchá)
Five Precepts
To refrain from killing
To refrain from stealing (taking that which is not offered)
To refrain from sexual misconduct
To refrain from lying, harsh speech, idle speech, and slander
To refrain from taking intoxicants that cloud the mind and cause heedlessness
Five Daily Recollections
I am of the nature to grow old; I cannot avoid aging.
I am of the nature to become ill or injured; I cannot avoid illness or injury
I am of the nature to die; I cannot avoid death.
All that is mine, dear and delightful, will change and vanish.
I am the owner of my actions;
I am born of my actions;
I am related to my actions;
I am supported by my actions;
Any thoughts, words or deeds I do, good or evil, those I will inherit.
from AN V.57 Upajjhatthana Soot-ta: Subjects for Contemplation
Five Things that lead to Awakening
Admirable friends
See-la (morality, virtue)
Hearing the dharma
Exertion. Effort to abandon unskillful qualities and cultivate skillful ones
Awareness of impermanence (anicca) – Insight into impermanence
Six Senses
Seeing
Hearing
Smelling
Tasting
Touching
Thinking
Seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga)
Three arousing, Three calming, mindfulness is neutral
Neutral
Mindfulness (sati)
Arousing
Investigation of Phenomena (dhamma vicaya)-Wisdom Factor: seeing anicca, anatta, Duke-ka; how mind body operates
Energy/Effort (viriya)
Rapture, Joy-intense interest in object (piti)
Calming
Calm/tranquility (passaddhi)
Concentration (sah-má-dee)
Equanimity (upekkha)
Eight Worldly Dhammas (Conditions, Concerns)
These conditions are inconstant & impermanent.
Gain and Loss
Pleasure and Pain
Praise and Blame
Fame and Disrepute (status/disgrace)
Ten Perfections (Paramis/Paramitas)
Ten qualities leading to Buddhahood
Generosity (dana)
Morality (see-la)-virtue, integrity
Renunciation (nekkhamma)
Wisdom (pañña)
Energy/Strength (viriya)- effort
Patience (khanti)
Truthfulness (sacca)
Resolution – determination (adhitthana)
Lovingkindness (metta)
Equanimity (upekkha)
Ten Fetters (samyojana)
Self-identity beliefs
Doubt
Clinging to rites and rituals
Sensual craving
Ill will
Attachment to the form
Attachment to formless phenomena
Conceit (mána, literally measuring-as measuring oneself and comparing to others)- (a subtle sense of self)
Restlessness
Ignorance (with regard to the Four Noble Truths)
Four Stages of Enlightenment
The Stream-enterer (sotapanna)-has eradicated the first three fetters; will be enlightened in Seven lives or less (cognitive, understanding)
Self-identity beliefs
Doubt
Clinging to rites and rituals
The Once-returner (sakadagami) has eradicated the first three & weakened the fourth and fifth (affective, emotional)
Self-identity beliefs,
Doubt
Clinging to rites, and rituals,
Sensual craving,
Ill will
The Non-returner (anagami) has eradicated the first five fetters:
Self-identity beliefs,
Doubt
Clinging to rites, and rituals,
Sensual Craving,
Ill will
The Arahat has eradicated all ten fetters. (transcendent-has eliminated attachment to altered states)
Self-identity beliefs.
Doubt
Clinging to rites, and rituals
Sensual Craving
Ill will
Attachment to the form
Attachment to formless phenomena)
Conceit (mána, literally measuring oneself and comparing to others)- (a subtle sense of self)
Restlessness
Ignorance (about the Four Noble Truths)
Note: The first 3 fetters are cognitive (understanding), the next 2 are affective (emotional), the last 5 are Transcendent
Twelve Links of Dependent Origination-
Dependent Co-arising (Paticca-Samuppada)
The doctrine of the conditionality of all physical & mental phenomena; how piti ignorance conditions old age,disease and death
From ignorance (avijja) come karma formations/fabrications/volitional formations (sankhara)
From karma formations comes consciousness (viññana)
From consciousness comes mind and matter (nama-rupa)
From mind and matter come the six senses (salayatana)
From the six senses comes contact (phassa)
From contact comes feeling (vedana)
From feeling comes craving (tanha)
From craving comes clinging (upadana)
From clinging comes becoming/existence (bhava)
From becoming/existence comes birth (jati)
From birth, then aging & death
Twelve Links of Transcendental Dependent Arising
This continues from the 12 “mundane” links of dependent origination, the last one being Duke-ka (or suffering) instead of “birth, aging and death”.
Suffering
Faith (saddha)
Joy (pamojja)
Rapture (piti)
Tranquility (passaddhi)
Happiness (sukha)
Concentration (sah-má-dee)
Knowledge and vision of things as they are (yat-ha-boota-ña-na-das-sana)
Disenchantment (nibbida)
Dispassion (viraga)
Emancipation (vimutti)
Knowledge of destruction of the cankers (asa-vak-kha-ye ña-na)
37 Factors of Enlightenment or Wings of Awakening
(bodhipakkhiya-dhammá)
The set of teachings that the Buddha himself said formed the heart of his message.
Four Foundations of Mindfulness (satipatthana)
Four Right Efforts (sah-máppadhana)
Four Bases of Power (iddhipada)
Five Faculties (indriya)
Five Strengths (bala)
Seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga)
Eight Fold Path (ariya-magga)
