K.D. Buddhima Hansinie Subasinghe
Sambodhi Vihara English Dhamma School

Continued from September 1

Moreover, Chanda is of 2 types known as: Kamacchanda which is the desire for sensual pleasures and Dhammacchanda which is he righteous wish to achieve something beneficial; for example, the renunciation of Prince Siddhartha to find a solution to Suffering.

Apart from the Ethically variable factors (Anmnasamana), there are Akusala and Sobhana chetsikas. Out of them when the Akusala or unwholesome Chetasikas are taken into account we can categorize them into Akusala Sadharna Chetasikas which are common to all unwholesome thoughts or Cittas and are Moha which is ignorance of reality about oneself and the external world, Shamelessness to do evil (Ahirika), Fearlessness to do evil (Anotappa) and mental agitation or restlessness (Udaccha). The unwholesome Chetasika can be further classified into the Lobha trikaya consisting of lobha which is the attachment or desire, (ditti) wrong view or false beliefs of what is untruth as truth and Mana or conceit which is the comparison of oneself with the others to see who is inferior and who is superior among the people in the society and some people are also proud and haunted about their beauty without realising that a well-cared for body is after all an instrument to maintain a healthy mind to realise the ultimate truth.

The next important division is the dosa chatuskaya consisting of (Dosa) which is the hatred or anger towards the others, (Isssa) or jealousy towards the others; (Macchariya) miserliness or greediness and remember wealth is like seawater; the more we drink, the thirstier we become; and the same is true of fame, and (Kukuccha) worry or repentance of the past unwholesome deeds that one has done and wholesome deeds that could not be performed by oneself.

Furthermore, it includes (Tina) laziness of mind to perform an act, (Middha) which is the laziness of the mental factors and (Vicikiccha) doubt or distrust of the Buddha, Dhamma and the Sangha consisting of doubts regarding:

The Buddha as an Enlightened one, His teaching of the Four Noble Truths and attainment of the Supramundane Dhammas, The community of the Arya Sangha, the Noble Path initiated by the enlightened one, about the previous life cycles, about generating life spans, both previous and future life cycles and the law of the dependant origination.

Delusion

So have you ever thought what happens when anyone doubts any of these Dhammas; well, he will be experiencing the unwholesome mental factor of Doubt arisen in the thought rooted in delusion (Moha). Therefore what results is an akusala karma leading to an akusala vipaka according to the law of cause and effect.

Knowledge is needed for success in the world; Meditation is needed to realise the Nibbanic Bliss.

Therefore, it’s not easy to achieve the eternal bliss Nibbana that we dream of and it’s time to realise that the longing for sensual pleasures only brings about temporary joy extending the life in Samsara.

Therefore, you are not too late to cure the Samsaric disease as the key medicine to it is to develop mindfulness and avoid unwholesome mental factors that try conquering your mind at times which results in unwholesome deeds giving rise to unwholesome results. So, follow the Noble Eight Fold Path and, practise wholesome deeds, in order to realise the truth of life. The final category of the mental factors are the beautiful or wholesome mental factors which are classified into groups termed Sobhana Sadharna with 19 mental factors consisting of Saddha which is the confidence based on the knowledge of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha and the law of Cause and Effect. Satio or mindfulness keeps constant vigilance on one’s thoughts differentiating between good and bad and does not allow any unwholesome thoughts to conquer the mind. It helps to take a deep grasp of the object like a stone that sinks to the water. Next comes Hiri and Ottappa which are the shame and the fear to perform evil acts and is similar to an iron rod which is dirt on one end and red hot on the other, so when this mental factor associates with the consciousness what happens is, you feel the danger of performing the evil act and you finally refrain from doing it thus ends up with a Kusala vipaka. However, when human beings fail to maintain the two factors shame and fear they perform evil acts of anger, greed, envy, selfishness, hate, lust and finally lose human dignity and behave worse than animals.

The wholesome factors consist of Alobha which is the generosity or willingness to give away, adosa which is loving kindness or metta.

In addition, there would not arise any meritorious or kusal act (Citta) without these two roots of Amoha and Adosa, Talramajjhattata or Neutrality of mind helps in having a balanced mind, Kaya Pasandhi and Citta Pasandhi brings about calmness of associated Citta and Chetasika and Pasandhi makes the mind tranquil, clam and serene; kaya Lahuta and Citta Lahuta suppresses the heaviness or inactivity of mind and suppresses the hindrances of sloth and torpor, Kaya Muduta and Citta Muduta suppresses the stiffness or the rigidity of the mind which prevents Kusal acts and brings about malleability and in such a situation you are unable to perform any vigorous act.

Then Kaya Kammantha and Citta Kammantha suppress Nirvana and permits to do kusal. Kaya Pagunnata and Citta pagunnata causes the mind to become active and opposes akusal Chetasikas or Kilesa which causes mental inertness. Kaya Ujukata and Citta Ujukata cause honesty and straightness of thoughts and the moral acts would be much stronger. The next division is the 3 abstinences which are Samma Vacha or right speech which is avoiding of false speech, Slandering, harsh speech and frivolous talk. Samma kammantha is the right bodily action which is abstaining from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct. Next, Samma Ajiva is to refrain from making a living from unwholesome acts such as selling poisons, intoxicants, weapons, animals for slaughter and slaves which in turn brings misery towards the others.

The next division is Appamanna or illimitables where two of the Brahma Vihara or Sublime states are categorised here termed karuna or compassion towards others to help them in distress which is rarely found in many people and it’s actually the sincere urge to relieve people from their pains. Compassion shown by The Buddha is the Great Compassion or Maha Karuna. The other mental factor is Muditha or the Appreciative joy which is being able to be joyful at the success of the others and their prosperity which is again very rare among society so we should try developing these qualities in order to be free from Samsara.

Right understanding

Finally, we come to the most important mental factor (Chetasika) which is Panna or wisdom which is the right understanding of things as they are and is the penetrative knowledge of the absolute truth.

Therefore, to gain insight to the true nature of life it’s high time to realise that life is a complete illusion, a mirage or a bubble and is a process of arising and passing away and remember that we are a result of what we were and will be the result of what we are.

The scientific analysis of the universe shows that the world is nothing, but an unbroken continuity of a series of movements. Einstein says: “all matter is made of waves and we live in a world of waves.”

‘We are a part of the same waves,

If a man can be aware:
Of the states of his body,
Of his feelings,
Of the states of his mind,
And of the states of mental objects,
Such awareness will lead him to discover
Weather there is any purpose in life’

Therefore, we should realise how fortunate we are to be born as human beings; so, act wisely observing universally accepted moral principles such as patience, tolerance, sympathy, humility and kindness; then we would be able to achieve our targets.

In addition, by cultivating those virtues we would experience peace, happiness, calmness, satisfaction and finally realise the ultimate truth, the real objective state, which is deathless, absolutely endless, non-conditioned, incomparable and the highest eternal bliss Nirvana.

May all beings realise this and acquire the eternal bliss Nirvana, so follow this massage of all Buddhas!

“Sabba papassa akaranam
Kusalassa upasampada
Sacitta pariyodapanam
Etam Buddhanusasanam”

May all beings be well and happy!