A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas by Sujin Boriharnwanaket Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā Sambuddhassa Homage to Him, the Blessed One, the Worthy One, the Fully Enlightened One Edition 2012 A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas ii Table of Contents Preface v Part I General Introduction 1 Chapter 1 The Scriptures and Their Commentaries 1 Chapter 2 The Buddha 10 Chapter 3 Exposition of Paramattha Dhammas I (Citta and 19 Cetasika) Chapter 4 Exposition of Paramattha Dhammas II (Rūpa) 27 Chapter 5 Exposition of Paramattha Dhammas III (Nibbāna) 36 Chapter 6 Different Aspects of the Four Paramattha Dhammas 41 Part II Citta 52 Chapter 7 General Introduction 52 Chapter 8 Citta Knows an Object 69 Chapter 9 A Process of Citta 77 Chapter 10 Functions of Citta 89 Chapter 11 The Duration of Different Processes 101 Chapter 12 The Nature of Javana-Citta 115 Chapter 13 The Ephemeral Experience of Objects 124 Chapter 14 The Cycle of Birth and Death 141 Chapter 15 The Nature of Vipāka 155 Chapter 16 Citta and Cetasika 163 A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas iii Chapter 17 Cittas of the Sense-Sphere 170 Chapter 18 Planes of Existence 178 Chapter 19 Feelings 193 Chapter 20 Associated Dhammas 205 Chapter 21 Roots 219 Chapter 22 Sobhana and Asobhana 229 Chapter 23 The World 239 Chapter 24 The Variegated Nature of Citta 256 Part III Concepts 268 Chapter 25 Concepts (I) 268 Chapter 26 Concepts (II) 284 Chapter 27 Concepts (III) 298 Part IV The Development of Samatha 312 Chapter 28 Development of Samatha 312 Part V The Development of Insight 336 Chapter 29 The Factors Leading to Enlightenment 336 Chapter 30 The Stages of Vipassanā 349 Chapter 31 Different Kinds of Purity 364 Chapter 32 The Three Kinds of Full Understanding 370 Chapter 33 The Three Attainments 375 Part VI Dialogue on Vipassana 379 Chapter 34 The Natural Way of Development 379 Chapter 35 The Characteristic of Dukkha 393 Chapter 36 The Meaning of Anattā 407 A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas iv Appendices 425 Appendix I: Citta 425 Appendix II: Cetasika 452 Appendix III: Rūpa 474 A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas v Preface “A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas” is a masterwork, written by Acharn1 Sujin Boriharnwanaket with great patience and a sense of urgency to help others understand reality. The whole book, in which she explains with great detail citta (consciousness), cetasika (mental factors), and rūpa (physical phenomena), radiates abundant mettā, loving-kindness. Time and again it is stressed that theoretical understanding, only knowing realities by name, is not sufficient, although it can be a foundation for direct knowledge. The real purpose of the study of the Dhamma is seeing that this very moment is dhamma, non-self. All realities, dhammas, have to be known now, when they occur, so that the wrong view of self can be eradicated. Acharn Sujin is a wise friend in the Dhamma who untiringly explains the practice leading to the direct experience of realities. She has been explaining the Dhamma for over forty years and her lectures are broadcasted daily all over Thailand; they can also be heard in Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia. In recognition of her teaching, the venerable monks at Mahāmakut Buddhist University presented Acharn Sujin with an honorary degree in 2002. This book is based on her lectures. The whole book points to the truth of anattā, non-self. The clinging to the concept of self is very subtle and intricate and therefore difficult to notice. We are inclined to cling to an idea of a self who develops paññā, understanding, but from the beginning we ought to remember that there is no self who can 1 Acharn in Thai means teacher. The Pali term is āchariya. A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas vi direct the arising of sati, awareness, and paññā. Sati and paññā are sobhana cetasikas (beautiful mental factors), which arise when the appropriate conditions are there, and then they perform their functions. Clinging to sati and paññā will be counteractive to their development. The right conditions for sati and paññā are listening to the Dhamma as it is explained by the right friend in the Dhamma, and wise consideration of it. There are detailed explanations about cittas that arise in a process or series, with the purpose of showing that citta is only a conditioned element that is beyond control, and not self. The reader may wonder where in the scriptures he can find explanations about processes of citta. Acharn Sujin has a profound understanding of the whole Tipiṭaka, the Commentaries and sub-commentaries, and she used these texts as her sources. The “Path of Discrimination” (“Paṭisambhidāmagga” of the Khuddaka Nikāya)2 and the “Conditional Relations” (“Paṭṭhāna”)3 deal with the processes of cittas. Many details have been given in the “Visuddhimagga”,4 and the “Expositor” (“Aṭṭhasālinī”)5, which are entirely based on canonical tradition. Also, the “Manual of Abhidhamma” (“Abhidhammattha Saṅgaha”) and the sub-commentary, the “Abhidhammattha-vibhāvinī-ṭīka”, which are also derived from canonical tradition, deal with the processes of citta. The reader may wonder why so many details have been given about the different planes of existence where there can be birth. In the scriptures, especially in the “Jātakas” we shall come across the names of these planes. Knowing about them helps us to see the intricacy of the causes that bring their appropriate results. 2 See “Treatise on Knowledge”, Ch XVII, Behaviour, Cariya. 3 See “Feeling Triplet”, Investigation Chapter, under Proximity and Repetition, where also the process of enlightenment is dealt with. One has to remember that mind-element, mano- dhātu, includes the adverting-consciousness and the receiving-consciousness, and that mind- consciousness-element includes all cittas other than those included in mind-element and the sense-cognitions. 4 Ch XIV, 96 and following, in the translation by Ven. Nyāṇamoli. 5 “The Expositor” (“Atthasālinī”), Introductory Discourse, §§3-4. A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas vii Many details about the development of samatha and the jhānacittas have been given with the purpose of pointing out that only the right cause can bring the right result. Samatha has to be developed with kusala citta accompanied by paññā and if that is not the case, there is wrong concentration with lobha, attachment, instead of right concentration. If someone sits and tries to concentrate without any understanding, there is wrong concentration. People may erroneously take for jhāna what is only lobha, and therefore, it is explained that many conditions are necessary for the attainment of jhāna and how difficult this is. In the development of vipassanā, insight, paññā is developed in stages. The book explains about these different stages of insight knowledge in detail, in order to show that the development of paññā is an extremely long process.6 One may read the “Visuddhimagga” (Ch XVIII-XXI) or the “Path of Discrimination” (Treatise on Knowledge, Ch V-XI) about the stages of insight with wrong understanding. Or, one may erroneously believe that these stages are reached by thinking of nāma, mental phenomena, and rūpa, physical phenomena; by thinking of impermanence, dukkha and anattā. However, all stages, from the first stage on until enlightenment, are realized by direct understanding of nāma and rūpa. No matter what stage paññā has reached, the objects of paññā are the characteristics of nāma and rūpa as they naturally appear at this very moment. Acharn Sujin stresses this many times, because the practice of the Dhamma should be entirely in conformity with the Tipiṭaka. With my deepest appreciation of Acharn Sujin’s inspiring guidance, I offer the translation of this book to the English speaking reader. The part of this book on Concepts7 has been printed separately under the sponsorship of Robert Kirkpatrick, whose efforts I greatly appreciate. 6 Cira kāla bhāvanā, a development that takes a long time. Cira means long, and kāla means time. 7 “Realities and Concepts: The Buddha’s explanation of the world”, (2000) Bangkok; DSSF. A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas viii I have divided the sections of this book into chapters, each with its own heading, in order to make the text more easily accessible. The footnotes to the text are, for the greater part, from my hand. I added them to help the reader who is not familiar with some terms and ideas in the text. The last section of this book, the appendices to citta, cetasika and rūpa, written by Acharn Sujin, are essential for the understanding of all chapters. The quotations from the suttas in English are mostly taken from the editions of the Pali Text Society. May this book, fundamental for all who study the Dhamma, inspire the reader to carefully consider the realities explained here, and to develop understanding of them. Nina van Gorkom A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas 1 Part I General Introduction Chapter 1 The Scriptures and their Commentaries The word of the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Vinaya as taught by him, consists of nine divisions, which are Sutta, Geyya, Veyyākaraṇa, Gāthā, Udāna, Itivuttaka, Jātaka, Abbhuta and Vedalla.1 Sutta2 includes all Discourses, such as the Mangala sutta (Good Discourse, “Minor Readings”, V), and also the Vinaya Piṭaka3 and the “Niddesa”. Geyya includes all suttas with verses (gāthā), such as the Sagāthā- vagga of the “Saṃyutta Nikāya”, or “Kindred Sayings” (I). Veyyākaraṇa, or “Exposition”, includes the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, the suttas without verses and the words of the Buddha that are not included in the other eight divisions. 1 See “The Expositor”, “Atthasālinī”, Introductory Discourse, 26. The teachings as compiled (not yet written) literature are thus enumerated in the scriptures as nine divisions, for example in the “Middle Length Sayings” I, no.