February 8, 2025; minor revisions on the same day
Loka and Nibbāna are opposites. To attain Nibbāna, one must dissociate from the world (loka.) Attachment to the world is based on “distorted saññā” associated with all three lokās (kāma, rūpa, and arūpa) of the world.
Distorted Sañña, Loka, and Nibbāna
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Loka and Nibbāna – Overview
1. Attachment to the world is based on “distorted saññā” associated with all three lokās (kāma, rūpa, and arūpa) of the world. To attain Nibbāna (Arahanthood), one must first “see the true nature (anicca, dukkha, anatta nature) of the world” (depicted by the above chart) at the Sotāpanna stage.
▪Then, a Sotāpanna must cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna to overcome the “distorted saññā” associated with the kāma loka, which is accomplished at the Anāgāmi stage. That can be achieved from kāma loka or via rūpa loka (by cultivating jhāna.) We will discuss the details in the next post.
▪Finally, an Anāgāmi must further cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna to overcome the “distorted saññā” associated with the rūpa loka and arūpa loka to attain Arahanthood.
▪Those steps are summarized in the above chart.
2. The above chart extends the charts in the previous two posts: “Kāma Saññā – How to Bypass to Cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna” and “Is Cakkhu Viññāṇa Free of Defilements?.” Please print those two charts to review while we discuss the above chart. (Note: I corrected the chart in the latter post.) I am advancing the presentation gradually. Otherwise, it will be too difficult for most people to understand; I am fine-tuning my understanding too.
▪The mind of a puthujjana (average person) will always be inside the “pink box” to the right. A mind free of defilements AND distorted saññā is the “pabhassara mind” (pabhassara citta) shown at the left.
▪The mind is in the pabhassara state only for a living Arahant (while in “Arahant-phala samāpatti,”) as shown on the left. While living daily life, Arahant’s mind is in kāma dhātu (with kāma saññā). When the Arahant is in a rūpa jhāna, the mind will be in rūpa dhātu (with “rūpa saññā”). When the Arahant is in a arūpa samāpatti, the mind will be in arūpa dhātu (with “arūpa saññā”). These “dhātu states” lie outside the “pink box,” i.e., outside the world of 31 realms. Thus, an Arahant does not belong to kāma, rūpa, or arūpa loka.
Easy Way to Understand the “Anicca Nature” of the World
3. Upon receiving a sense input, a puthujjana’s mind ALWAYS moves to the inside of the “pink box,” starting at the bahiddha viññāṇa. Thus, as the chart shows, it will ALWAYS move away from Nibbāna, i.e., a puthujjana’s mind ALWAYS moves “deeper into the world” (“vipariṇāma”), i.e., to the right in the chart.
▪On the other hand, “pariṇāma” or “move to improvement (Nibbāna)” should be to the left. See “Vipariṇāma – Two Meanings.”
▪In other words, a puthujjana tends to engage in the abhisaṅkhāra generation. They do not see the unfruitful or “anicca nature” of actions done with abhisaṅkhāra. Such actions ALWAYS move a mind away from the “nicca nature of Nibbāna” and toward the “anicca nature of the world.” They crave (upādāna) worldly pleasures and strive to get more.
▪If one can comprehend that, one would at least be beginning to understand the “Noble Truth of Suffering” (“saṅkhittena pañcupādānakkhandhā dukkhā” OR “in brief, suffering is to crave worldly pleasures”); see #2 of “Essence of Buddhism – In the First Sutta.” )
Saṁyojana Prevent a Mind from Staying in a “Dhātu State”
4. The Buddha divided the world into three “lokās”: kāma loka, rūpa loka, and arūpa loka. See “Sandiṭṭhiko – What Does It Mean?.”
▪The mind of anyone born in kāma loka will fall on “kāma dhātu” first. Suppose at least one of the first five saṁyojana associated with kāma loka remains unbroken. In that case, the mind will automatically move to the bahiddha viññāṇa stage and enter kāma loka/kāma bhava.
▪The mind of anyone born in rūpa loka (rūpa loka Brahmās) will fall on “rūpa dhātu” first. Suppose at least one of four higher saṁyojana associated with rūpa loka (rūpa rāga, māna, uddhacca, avijjā) remains unbroken. In that case, the mind will automatically move to the bahiddha viññāṇa stage and enter rūpa loka/rūpa bhava.
▪The mind of anyone born in arūpa loka (arūpa loka Brahmās) will fall on “arūpa dhātu” first. Suppose at least one of four higher saṁyojana associated with rūpa loka (arūpa rāga, māna, uddhacca, avijjā) remain unbroken. In that case, the mind will automatically move to the bahiddha viññāṇa stage and enter arūpa loka/arūpa bhava.
▪Whether or not transition to the bahiddha viññāṇa stage is determined by relevant saṁyojana. The critical point is that if the corresponding saṁyojana remains unbroken, a mind will automatically get into one of the three lokās within the “pink box.”
5. Let us consider a few examples to illustrate the above-highlighted point.
▪An Arahant’s mind has removed all ten saṁyojana. Thus, it will never get into the “pink box.” During daily life, the mind of an Arahant will stay in “kāma dhātu” with kāma saññā but no defilements. If that Arahant gets into a rūpa jhāna, his mind will stay at “rūpa dhātu” with “jhāna saññā.” If he gets into an arūpa samāpatti, his mind will stay in “arūpa dhātu” with “arūpa/samāpatti saññā.” As indicated in the chart, his mind will be in the pabhassara state if he gets into “Arahant-phala samāpatti,” where “distorted saññā” of any type is also absent. Note the difference between “Arahant-phala samāpatti” and being in a dhātu stage with kāma, rūpa, or arūpa saññā.
▪Sotāpannās’ and Sakadāgāmis’ minds will automatically get into kāma bhava/kāma loka since they have two of the five lower saṁyojana (kāma rāga, paṭigha) remain unbroken.
▪At the Anāgāmi stage, one would have broken all five saṁyojana associated with kāma loka. Thus, an Anāgāmi’s mind will also stay in “kāma dhātu” (with kāma saññā, but no kāma rāga) in daily life. If he cultivates a jhāna, it will automatically become an Ariya jhāna since kāma rāga is absent. While in jhāna, Anāgāmi’s mind will stay in “rūpa loka/rūpa bhava” since the rūpa rāga saṁyojana remains intact. Note the difference between an Anāgāmi and an Arahant while in a jhāna.
First Experience of Sammā Sati (Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi) Without “Distorted Saññā”
6. A puthujjana experiences the “distorted saññā-free” Sammā Sati (in Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi) for the first time when attaining the Sotāpanna stage. At the Sotāpanna phala moment, the mind overcomes the “distorted saññā” associated with the kāma loka (or the “distorted saññā” associated with the rūpa loka if in a jhāna) and moves to the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi.
▪However, the mind stays there only briefly and returns to the kāma loka/kāma bhava or rūpa loka/rūpa bhava. Note: As the chart shows, a puthujjana cannot attain the Sotāpanna stage from arūpa loka since they cannot listen to or read about Buddha’s teachings.
▪A Sotāpanna can “get back to” the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi by cultivating Satipaṭṭhāna.
▪If a Sotāpanna starts cultivating Satipaṭṭhāna, he can return to the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi without too much effort (but it is not trivial). With practice, they can get there and stay there to engage in Vipassanā to attain higher magga phala.
▪Some well-known disciples of the Buddha (Visākha and Anāthapiṇḍika are two examples) did not try to attain higher magga phala. They remained Sotāpannās until their deaths.
Sotāpanna Stage Reached via Comprehending the Anicca Nature of the World
7. In the chart of “Kāma Saññā – How to Bypass to Cultivate Satipaṭṭhāna,” it is indicated that a mind — once getting into the bahiddha stage — WILL move away from Nibbāna. As shown in the chart above, a mind MUST move in the opposite direction to the left to reach Nibbāna (“pabhassara mind.”)
▪A puthujjana must first overcome the “nava kamma” stage and then the “purāṇa kamma” stage. As we can see from the chart above, one must transition one’s mind toward Nibbāna (to the left inside the “pink box”) until they overcome the “kāma saññā” and transition to the Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi for the first time. We will discuss that process in upcoming posts. It is essential to get the “broad overview” first.
▪The first step toward Nibbāna (at the left) for a puthujjana is to comprehend the anicca, dukkha, and anatta nature of the world. This involves living a moral life and understanding how Paṭicca Samuppāda explains the conclusions made in #1 through #3 above.
▪Since the mind of a human is in the “nava kamma” or “purāṇa kamma” stage, it must gradually start moving to the left. The first step is to minimize akusala kamma, which is done in the “nava kamma” stage.
Saṁyojana Can be Removed Only via Cultivating Paññā (Wisdom)
8. The first magga phala (Sotāpanna) is attained when the broad overview of Buddha’s worldview sinks into the mind. That means understanding that future suffering cannot be stopped until the kāma dhātu to bahiddha viññāṇa transition is stopped.
▪As soon as a mind gets into the “pink box,” it can only add to the existing suffering because the mind ALWAYS moves to the right within the “pink box.”
▪To stop the kāma dhātu to bahiddha viññāṇa transition, at least the first three saṁyojana must be broken (all three are associated with wrong views about the world, i.e., to view that worldly pleasures can keep one away from suffering.)
▪For a puthujjana in kāma loka (let us consider a human), the automatic move into the “pink box” can be avoided only by eliminating the first five saṁyojana (sansāric bonds): sakkāya diṭṭhi, vicikicchā, sīlabbata parāmāsa, kāma rāga, and paṭigha. The first three are removed at the Sotāpanna stage by comprehending that one MUST avoid getting into the “pink box.” In this regard, sakkāya diṭṭhi is the wrong view that the world can provide lasting happiness. Sakkāya diṭṭhi is removed while listening to a discourse, reading, or contemplating the above idea.
▪However, a Sotāpanna will still have kāma rāga (and paṭigha, a byproduct of kāma rāga) and, therefore, will attach to the “distorted kāma saññā” and will enter the kāma loka. The way to remove kāma rāga is to remove the tendency to attach to the kāma saññā: “WebLink: suttacentral: Sāriputta Sutta (AN 3.33).” I will explain this in detail in an upcoming post, but let us summarize it. [‘The giving up of both ‘Pahānaṁ kāmasaññānaṁ, sensual desires and displeasures, domanassāna cūbhayaṁ; the dispelling of dullness, thinassa ca panūdanaṁ, and the prevention of remorse; kukkuccānaṁ nivāraṇaṁ. pure equanimity and mindfulness, upekkhāsatisaṁsuddhaṁ, preceded by investigation of doctrines— dhammatakkapurejavaṁ; this, I declare, is liberation by enlightenment, aññāvimokkhaṁ pabrūmi, the smashing of ignorance.’” avijjāya pabhedanan’”ti. ]
Removal of Kāma Rāga to Attain the Anāgāmi Stage
9. Kāma saññā can be overcome only by cultivating Satipaṭṭhāna. Cultivating Satipaṭṭhāna REQUIRES the comprehension that our attachment to sense inputs is a mirage; see “Fooled by Distorted Saññā (Sañjānāti) – Origin of Attachment (Taṇhā).” Humans attach to pañca kāma (experienced with the five physical senses) due to the (distorted) kāma saññā associated with them. Kāma saññā can be overcome only by understanding how it arises via Paṭicca Samuppāda, i.e., with Vipassanā while in Satipaṭṭhāna Bhumi.
▪Those who have cultivated anāriya jhāna have temporarily suppressed the tendency to attach to kāma saññā. They attain jhānās without comprehending Buddha’s teachings and thus still have all ten sansāric bonds (saṁyojana) with them. But when in a jhāna, they have mindsets similar to those of a rūpa loka Brahma. If they are in a jhāna samāpatti (i.e., jhāna cittās flow continuously), their minds do not return to kāma loka while in samāpatti.
▪However, as soon as they come out of the jhāna, these minds fall back to get the kamma saññā, i.e., they will ALWAYS be within the “pink box” to the right.
▪The above description also applies to arūpa samāpatti.
▪Thus, a yogi who can get into rūpa jhāna and arūpa samāpatti can get into those mental states at will. But they are always trapped in the rebirth process, i.e., stay within the “pink box.”
(Distorted) Saññā in Brahma Realms
10. Brahmās in the 16 rūpa loka Brahma realms have “kāma saññā” suspended for the entirety of their lifetimes. However, they still have parts of rūpa saññā and sadda saññā intact since they can still see and hear; only those sights and sounds associated with “sensual pleasures” (“kāma assāda”) do not trigger saññā for them. They do not generate kāma rāga upon seeing or hearing things. Their mindsets are similar to those of humans in jhānic states.
▪Brahmās in the four arūpa loka Brahma realms have only “dhamma saññā” of “arūpa samāpatti.” They cannot even see or hear. Again, that limited dhamma saññā lasts through their lifetimes.
▪All anāriya Brahmās get human births at the end of their lifetimes. After that, their future rebirths can be in any realm.
11. Per the above chart, a sense input to a rūpa loka Brahma starts at the bahiddha viññāṇa corresponding to the rūpa loka; it never stops at the “rūpa dhātu” stage.
▪Since their minds do not get to the “taṇhā paccayā upādāna” step in Paṭicca Samuppāda, only the “purāṇa kamma” stage is present. Thus, they do not accumulate “strong kamma” that can bring rebirth. However, they all have accumulated enough kamma bīja to trigger many future rebirths.
▪A similar description applies to arūpa loka Brahmās.
Arahant’s Mind Never Gets into the “Pink Box”
12. As pointed out in #2 above (and shown in the chart above), a living Arahants’ mind is generally in “kāma dhātu.” Even though the mind is not defiled while in kāma dhātu, it has the (distorted) kamma saññā. Thus, an Arahant will also taste honey to be sweet, for example.
▪If an Arahant gets into a jhāna, his mind will stay in “rūpa dhātu.” He will experience the “jhānic pleasure” but will not attach to it.
▪If the Arahant can get into arūpa samāpatti, his mind will stay in “arūpa dhātu.” He will experience the “samāpatti pleasure” but not attach to it.
▪If the Arahant can get into Arahant-phala samādhi, his mind will be in the “pabhassara state” without any of those “distorted saññās” (extreme left in the chart.)
Only an Anāgāmi (and Arahant) can be in a Ariya Jhāna
13. If an Anāgāmi cultivates a jhāna, it will be an Ariya jhāna (since kāma rāga/paṭigha eliminated for an Anāgāmi they don’t belong to kāma loka). Since an Anāgāmi has not removed rūpa rāga, they will still be in “rūpa bhava” or “rūpa loka.”
▪Other than Arahants, all others’ minds will be in “rūpa bhava” or “rūpa loka” while in a jhāna.
▪Please ask questions in the forum if any of this is not clear.