Key Dhamma Concepts

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Key Dhamma Concepts

Within thousand years of the Buddha’s Parinibbāna (passing away), certain key concepts became distorted. For many years, I had nagging questions on the compatibility of certain concepts that are widely published in “Buddhist literature”, including Theravāda literature. For example, explanations of anicca, anatta, sunyata, did not make sense to me. Furthermore, I got lost in a myriad of explanations for terms like saṅkhāra; there are three different meanings for that word in standard Theravāda texts.

When I started listening to the desanās by Waharaka Thero in Sri Lanka, it became immediately apparent to me that “this was the true Dhamma”; see, “Parinibbāna of Waharaka Thero.” Furthermore, concepts like saṁsāra, sammā, saṅkhāra became crystal clear while I was just listening. I hope I will be able to convey this information as clearly below.

This main section has the following sub-sections:

oSubsection: Basic Framework of Buddha Dhamma

Buddha Dhamma – Noble Truths, Paṭicca Samuppāda, Tilakkhaṇa

Noble Truths, Paṭicca Samuppāda, Tilakkhaṇa – Key Relationships  

Anicca Nature, the First Noble Truth, and Paṭicca Samuppāda

Anicca and Anatta – Two Characteristics of the World

Anuloma Khanti and Sammattaniyāma – Pre-requisites for a Sotāpanna

Anicca Nature – Not Possible to Overcome Suffering in This World

Dukkha in Tilakkhaṇa Is a Characteristic – Not Dukkha Vedanā

Attachment to Things with Dukkha Lakkhaṇa Leads to Dukkha

How Does Anicca Nature Lead to Dukkha?

Anatta is a Characteristic of the World, not About a “Self”

Anatta in Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta – Part 1

Anatta in Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta – Part 2

 

  Critically-Relevant Posts in Other Sections:

Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means

Correct Meaning of Vacī Saṅkhāra

oSubsection: San (Explanation of many key Pāli words)

What is “Saŋ”? Meaning of Sansāra (or Saṁsāra)

Saṅkhāra, Kamma, Kamma Bīja, Kamma Vipāka

Saṅkhāra – Life is a Bundle of Saṅkhāra

Difference Between Dhamma and Saṅkhāra

Kamma are Done with Saṅkhāra – Types of Saṅkhāra

oSubsection: Nibbāna

How to Taste Nibbāna

Nirāmisa Sukha

Nibbāna – Is it Difficult to Understand?

The Four Stages in Attaining Nibbāna

What Are Rūpa? (Relation to Nibbāna)

Does the First Noble Truth Describe only Suffering?

Nirodha and Vaya – Two Different Concepts

Nibbāna “Exists”, but Not in This World

oSubsection: Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta

Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – Distortion Timeline

Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – Wrong Interpretations

The Way to Nibbāna – Transcription of a Discourse by Waharaka Thero

Anicca – True Meaning

Anicca – Inability to Keep What We Like

Anicca – Repeated Arising/Destruction

Anicca – Worthlessness of Worldly Things

Anicca – The Incessant Distress (“Pīḷana”)

How to Cultivate the Anicca Saññā

How to Cultivate the Anicca Saññā – II

If Everything is Anicca Should We Just give up Everything?

Anattā – A Systematic Analysis

Anattā in Anattalakkahana Sutta – No Soul or an Ātma

Anatta – No Refuge in This World

Dasa Akusala and Anatta – The Critical Link

Anatta – the Opposite of Which Atta?

Anattā (Mundane Interpretation) – No “Unchanging Self”

Anatta and Dukkha – True Meanings

Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta – According to Some Key Suttā

Tilakkhaṇa – English Discourses

Sotāpanna Stage and Tilakkhaṇa

Sakkāya Diṭṭhi and Tilakkhaṇa

Sakkāya Diṭṭhi – Getting Rid of Deeper Wrong Views

Associations (Sevana) – A Root Cause of Wrong Views

Why are Tilakkhaṇa not Included in 37 Factors of Enlightenment?

Two Versions of 37 Factors of Enlightenment

Types of Bodies in 31 Realms – Connection to Jhāna

Finest Manomaya Kāya of an Arūpāvacara Brahma

oSubsection: Gati, Bhava, and Jāti

Nāmagotta, Bhava, Kamma Bīja, and Mano Loka (Mind Plane)

Gati and Bhava – Many Varieties

Gati to Bhava to Jāti – Ours to Control

Memory, Brain, Mind, Nāma Loka, Kamma Bhava, Kamma Vipāka

Bhava and Jāti – States of Existence and Births Therein

Cuti and Maraṇa – Related to Bhava and Jāti

Anusaya, Gati, Bhava – Connection to Manomaya Kāya (Gandhabba)

Difference Between Taṇhā and Upādāna

Pāpa Kamma Versus Akusala Kamma

oSubsection: Sorting out Some Key Pāli Terms (Taṇhā, Lobha, Dosa, Moha, etc)

Kāma Taṇhā, Bhava Taṇhā, Vibhava Taṇhā

Taṇhā – How We Attach Via Greed, Hate, and Ignorance

Lobha, Raga and Kamaccanda, Kamaraga

Lobha, Dosa, Moha Versus Raga, Patigha, Avijjā

Diṭṭhi (Wrong Views), Sammā Diṭṭhi (Good/Correct Views)

Anantara and Samanantara Paccaya

What is Avijjā (Ignorance)?

Vedanā (Feelings) Arise in Two Ways

Indriya and Āyatana – Big Difference

Hetu-Phala, Paccuppanna, and Paṭicca Samuppāda

Correct Meaning of Vacī Saṅkhāra

Kāmaccandha and Icca – Being Blinded by Cravings

oSubsection: The Five Aggregates (Pañcakkhandha)

Sensory Experience, Paṭicca Samuppāda, and Pañcupādānakkhandha

Two Aspects of Saññā - Beneficial and Dangerous

Overcoming Attachment to “Distorted/False Saññā” Leads to Nibbāna

Five Aggregates – Introduction

Difference Between Physical Rūpa and Rūpakkhandha

Rūpakkhandha and Rūpa Upādānakkhandha

Arising of Five Aggregates Based on an Ārammaṇa

Memory Records – Critical Part of Five Aggregates

Pañca Upādānakkhandhā – Introduction

Five Aggregates – Connection to Tilakkhaṇa

Five Aggregates and Tilakkhaṇa – Introduction

Icca, Nicca, Anicca – Important Connections

“Me” and “Mine” – The Root Cause of Suffering

Difference Between “Me and Mine” and Sakkāya Diṭṭhi

Sakkāya Diṭṭhi – “Me and Mine” View

Atta – Two Very Different Meanings

Saññā (Perception)

Vedanā (Feelings)

Saṅkhāra is discussed at, “Saṅkhāra, Kamma, Kamma Bīja, Kamma Vipāka.”

Viññāṇa (Consciousness)

Rūpa (Material Form)

oSubsection: Nāma & Rūpa to Nāmarūpa

Mental Aggregates

What is Saññā (Perception)?

Saññā – What It Really Means

Future Suffering – Why It Arises

Vipallāsa (Diṭṭhi, Saññā, Citta) Affect Saṅkhāra

What Is Vedanā (Feelings)?

Vedanā – What It Really Means

Does Bodily Pain Arise Only Due to Kamma Vipāka?

What is Saṅkhāra (Mental Formations)?

Saṅkhāra – What It Really Means

Rūpa Aggregate

Bhūta and Yathābhūta – What Do They Really Mean

What are rūpa? – Dhamma are rūpa too!

Viññāṇa Aggregate

Viññāṇa – What It Really Means

Kamma Viññāṇa – Link Between Mind and Matter

Anidassana Viññāṇa – What It Really Means

Nāmarūpa Formation

Kamma Viññāṇa and Nāmarūpa Paricceda Ñāṇa

 

Deeper Analyses:

Pañcakkhandha or Five Aggregates – A Misinterpreted Concept

Pañcaupādānakkhandha – It is All Mental