Thought

last SG · 2012-07-13T15:57:58+00:00

Can thought see thought?If not, how we can be aware of thought? Thought is, no thinker, no watcher. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XeCW-b41_E

sinweiy SG

What is Reborn ?

A very good, classic & somewhat complex question!

In brevity:

Causes & Conditioning is passed on & reborn ...

No being, substance, soul or self is reborn as such assumed constant entity or core substance has never existed or ever been observed in the first place...

So how can it then ever be 'reborn' !!!

Existence is a chain of discrete mental states (dhammas) all new yet conditioned

by the prior, both proximate and far.

Just like the pearl in a necklace is in contact with the next & next & next etc.

In that way do the prior mental moment condition the next;

Some Examples: (i like this examples)

If angry now in this moment one cannot be happy in the immediate next moment,

but is conditioned to be either angry also there or indifferent!

If glad now in this moment one cannot be angry in the immediate next moment,

but is conditioned to be either glad also there or indifferent!

One is 'reborn' in every moment of life!

Frequency = ~ billions/second!

The conditioning in the terminal life moment is crucial as it determines the next state:

If having killed many beings in life how then to die in a peaceful & calm state ?

Due to the agitation of remorse & regrets in death moment => bad state rebirth.

If having given & done much good in life it is easy to die in peaceful state !

Due to the satisfied serene content in death moment => good state rebirth.

Mind or consciousness descends & settles at a new level corresponding or fitting

to its last mixture of characteristics. Very mechanic & not metaphysical at all!

Like a protein molecule sediments in a mixed solution according to its boyancy.

Like a comet goes into a orbit around a planet according to its own speed, mass & inclination angle.

No entity or person is found:

But a Noself state1 arising and ceasing

conditioning state2 arising and ceasing

conditioning state3 arising and ceasing

conditioning state4 arising and ceasing

conditioning state5 arising and ceasing

etc ... endlessly until Nibbana ...

bhikkhu samahita : - ]

sinweiy SG

Probably, the film strips of the past if arise from mind should "hold filmly" as metta, even though you decided that it was not a fond memory. It's always wise to tweet the bad film strip of the past into metta memory to transform it into positive flow. Gradually, all film strips would be metta, and if the dualism of metta is forgone, it enters into non-dualism.

metta? hmm...can't relate why i would purposely convert my past negative memories into metta. past is past, just let it past? can say, convert the present into non-abiding ones.

Weychin SG

Thank you sinweiy! I shall put my understanding of explanation in a flow chart! :- Consciousness or Mind only, a functionality or processes of the Mind eg. software instead of hardware!4 Awareness- 8th consciousness/store consciousness/ collective memories- acquired identity or I/self/soul/conceptual mind due to fundalmental clinging- attraction and aversion recieved from sensate consciousness!

i think first aspect IS phenomena itself, i.e. phenomena is manifested by the nature of the mind. Second aspect is when senses simply comes into contact with phenomena, flower, vision sensing flower. Awareness or acknowledgement of this process of sensation, eg. reifying the process, can sort of be second or third. Third aspect, can also be an overview type of awareness, as if” you”, the awareness is like a watcher monitoring the build up or unfolding of events. but who is this "you" or "watcher" that is aware. so third can be an ignorant aspect of Buddha-nature. So Dharmalakṣana school thinks that the mind have another aspect to ratify this ignorance, which is the Fourth aspect of the mind. It's the Awakened Buddha-nature. So do we need another aspect to ratify the fourth? no need, Third aspect can do it. Fourth and third, ratify each other.

discriminating is at the second? not really in the Awakened perspective, as it is Simply just a contact of phenomena. 8th consciousness got all 4 aspects. 1st to 6th is more toward the second aspect. 7th consciousness only reify the second aspect and not the rests of the aspects, hence discrimination is form.

"Also, when does the association to memory of description ” flower” comes into play?"

in the Ignorance perspective or Awakened perspective? :) memory of description ” flower” is also a form of discrimination, or attachment, or wandering thoughts.

since Fourth and third, ratify each other. Ignorance and Awakened/Knowing also ratify each other. Affliction and Bodhi is one.

thoughts itself is just thoughts. Awakening is overcoming the discrimination, attachment. discrimination are thoughts wandered away.

Weychin SG

You can see that I put Awareness as encompassing, it is ever present in all processes. Our perception and what is stored as consciousness comes from our deluded mind, a division of individual entity against the external background of environment. The above oversimplies the direction of process! It attribute our behaviour to our storehouse consciousness. Below chart simplifies contribution of sensate consciousness to storehouse consciousness:- Sensate consciousness- pleasurable, unpleasant sensations- self/ emotion label/ conceptual thought processing- associative informationaccording to Self- Memory/ Storehouse consciousnesses.

Weychin SG

The main intermediary is the I/Self/Soul/ Permanent Entity which forms delusional memories on one hand and act accordingly to external sensations on behalf of “I” !
We acquire traits not only from this inherited body, but also from store consciousness at time of birth or conception. This determines our behaviour to external influences until we are mature to develop and “I” identity and conceptual thought in relation to “I” !

Weychin SG

With the development of “I” conceptual thought, we acquired more complex expectory and anticipatory thoughts. We sacrifice temporary basic attractive/aversive sensation in hope of acquiring more”permanent” or more satisfactory gains!
All the while, Mind is generating rising thoughts and emotions to reifying “Self”.

Weychin SG

The awareness is always present, just the difference is preoccupation on “I”! The “I” thoughts are either sound like or visual like, in our waking hours, where we are visually engaged, our thoughts are sound or language like. Or we may day dream! He
While sleeping, with our vision disengaged, dreams are vision based, stories may be language or sound based but more ambiguously. We do not consciously remember our dreams if neutral, we tend to remember them if they are pleasant and more still if ominous. Our sense consciousness can also manifest themselves also!

Weychin SG

The thought can be recalled but is there thought different from the thought that arise a moment ago?

Thoughts is commonly construed as continuous stream owing to continuity of conceptual thoughts eg. Line of thinking, what is ignored is other non linear strings thoughts also arises stimultaneously. The linear string of thoughts is what our awareness focuses on, we followed the preceding thoughts then present and project future outcome(even though it is acurrently on going thoughts!)

bycai SG

一、見分；二、相分；三、自證分；四、證自證分

（4）常極光土即法身如來 - 眾生與諸佛真如本性
（3）報身佛即諸佛囯土
（1）（2）應化身佛-如釋迦牟尼佛，見分相分乃作用，如阿彌陀佛之文字音聲等的見相二分能對眾生起妙法作用囘歸真如（3，4）。

bycai SG

The view from

佛说仁王护国般若波罗蜜经

三賢十聖忍中行，唯佛一人能盡原。
三賢十聖住果報，唯佛一人居淨土。

[三賢-十住十行十迴向] 伏忍聖胎三十人，十住十行十迴向

[十聖 - 十地] 空無生忍

忍 - no 3 in the six paramita, followed by diligence [忍中行 traceless diligence) flowing into samadhi of natural instinct that destining into paramita-wisdom. In spite of its amazing destiny, according to the Flower Adornment sutra, upon reaching equal enlightenment, it will be guided into the western paradise prior to 能盡原 So, if no intent to western paradise is 非愚即狂 [不仗佛力非愚即狂（印光大师著智随法师）]

波斯匿王白佛言：「諸法實性，清淨平等，非有非無，智云何照？」

　　佛言：「大王！智照實性，非有非無。所以者何？法性空故。是即色、受、想、行、識，十二處，十八界；士夫六界，十二因緣；二諦，四諦，一切皆空。是諸法等，即生即滅，即有即空，剎那剎那亦復如是。何以故？一念中有九十剎那，一剎那經九百生滅，諸有為法悉皆空故。以甚深般若波羅蜜多，照見諸法，一切皆空：內空、外空、內外空、空空、大空、勝義空、有為空、無為空、無始空、畢竟空、散空、本性空、自相空。一切法空：般若波羅蜜多空、因空、佛果空，空空故空。諸有為法，法集故有、受集故有、名集故有、因集故有、果集故有、六趣故有、十地故有、佛果故有，一切皆有。

　　「善男子！若菩薩住於法相，有我相、人相，有情知見，為住世間即非菩薩。所以者何？一切諸法悉皆空故。若於諸法而得不動，不生不滅，無相無無相，不應起見。何以故？一切法皆如也。諸佛、法、僧亦如也。聖智現前最初一念，具足八萬四千波羅蜜多，名歡喜地；障盡解脫，運載名乘；動相滅時，名金剛定；體相平等，名一切智智。

「大王！此般若波羅蜜多文字章句，百佛、千佛、百千萬億一切諸佛而共同說。

若有人於恒河沙三千大千世界，滿中七寶以用布施，大千世界一切有情皆得阿羅漢果；不如有人於此經中乃至起於一念淨信，何況有能受持、讀誦、解一句者。所以者何？文字性離，無文字相，非法非非法。般若空故，菩薩亦空。何以故？於十地中，地地皆有始生、住生及以終生，此三十生悉皆是空；一切智智亦復皆空。

　　「大王！若菩薩見境、見智、見說、見受，即非聖見，是愚夫見。有情果報三界虛妄——欲界分別所造諸業，色四靜慮定所作業，無色四空定所起業——三有業果一切皆空，三界根本無明亦空。聖位諸地無漏生滅，於三界中餘無明習，變易果報亦復皆空。等覺菩薩得金剛定，二死因果空，一切智亦空。佛無上覺種智圓滿，擇非擇滅真淨法界，性相平等應用亦空。

「復次，道種性菩薩修十迴向，起十忍心，謂觀五蘊——色、受、想、行、識

，得戒忍、定忍、慧忍、解脫忍、解脫知見忍；觀三界因果，得空忍、無想忍、無願忍；觀二諦假實諸法無常得無常忍，一切法空得無生忍。此位菩薩作轉輪王，能廣化利一切眾生。

　　「復次，信忍菩薩，謂：歡喜地、離垢地、發光地，能斷三障色煩惱縛；行四攝法——布施、愛語、利行、同事；修四無量——慈無量心、悲無量心、喜無量心、捨無量心；具四弘願——斷諸纏蓋，常化眾生，修佛知見，成無上覺；住三脫門——空解脫門、無相解脫門、無願解脫門。此是菩薩摩訶薩從初發心至一切智諸行根本，利益安樂一切眾生。

　　「復次，順忍菩薩，謂：焰慧地、難勝地、現前地，能斷三障，心煩惱縛，能於一身遍往十方億佛剎土，現不可說神通變化，利樂眾生。

　　「復次，無生忍菩薩，謂：遠行地、不動地、善慧地，能斷三障色心習氣，而能示現不可說身，隨類饒益一切眾生。

　　「復次，寂滅忍者，佛與菩薩同依此忍，金剛喻定住下忍位名為菩薩，至於上忍名一切智。觀勝義諦，斷無明相，是為等覺；一相無相，平等無二，為第十一一切智地。非有非無，湛然清淨，無來無去，常住不變，同真際、等法性，無緣大悲常化眾生，乘一切智乘來化三界。

　　「善男子！諸眾生類一切煩惱——業異熟果二十二根——不出三界，諸佛示導；應、化、法身亦不離此。若有說言：『於三界外，別更有一眾生界。』者，即是外道大有經說。

「大王！菩薩摩訶薩住勝義諦化諸有情，佛及有情一而無二。何以故？有情、菩提此二皆空。以有情空得置菩提空，以菩提空得置有情空，以一切法空空故空。何以故？般若無相，二諦皆空，謂從無明至一切智，無自相無他相，於第一義見無所見，若有修行亦不取著，若不修行亦不取著，非行非不行亦不取著，於一切法皆不取著。菩薩未成佛，以菩提為煩惱；菩薩成佛時，以煩惱為菩提。何以故？於第一義而無二故，諸佛如來與一切法悉皆如故。」

爾時，波斯匿王白佛言：「世尊！勝義諦中有世俗諦不？若言無者，智不應二

；若言有者；智不應一。一二之義，其事云何？」

　　佛言：「大王！汝於過去龍光王佛法中已問此義，我今無說，汝今無聽，無說無

聽是即名為一義二義。汝今諦聽，當為汝說。」

　　爾時，世尊即說偈言：

　「無相勝義諦，　　體非自他作，　

　因緣如幻有，　　亦非自他作。　

　法性本無性。　　勝義諦空如。　

　諸有幻有法。　　三假集假有。　

　無無諦實無，　　寂滅勝義空，　

　諸法因緣有，　　有無義如是，　

　有無本自二，　　譬如牛二角，

照解見無二，　　二諦常不即。　

　解心見無二，　　求二不可得，　

　非謂二諦一，　　一亦不可得，　

　於解常自一，　　於諦常自二，　

　了達此一二，　　真入勝義諦。　

　世諦幻化起，　　譬如虛空花，　

　如影如毛輪，　　因緣故幻有。　

　幻化見幻化，　　愚夫名幻諦，　

　幻師見幻法，　　諦幻悉皆無。　

　若了如是法，　　即解一二義，　

　遍於一切法，　　應作如是觀。

　　波斯匿王白佛言：「十方諸佛、一切菩薩，云何不離文字而行實相？」

　　佛言：「大王！文字者，謂契經、應頌、記別、諷誦、自說、緣起、譬喻、本事、本生、方廣、希有、論議，所有宣說音聲，語言，文字，章句，一切皆如，無非實相；若取文字相者，即非實相。

　　「大王！修實相者，如文字修。實相即是諸佛智母，一切有情根本智母，此即名為一切智體。諸佛未成佛，與當佛為智母；諸佛已成佛，即為一切智。未得為性，已得為智。三乘般若，不生不滅，自性常住。一切有情，此為覺性。若菩薩不著文字、不離文字，無文字相非無文字，能如是修不見修相，是即名為修文字者，而能得於般若真性，是為般若波羅蜜多。

sinweiy SG

净空老法师

1 古人常说：“不怕念起，只怕觉迟”，念头起来就是迷，不管是什么念头，起念都是迷。

we don't mind thoughts arising, we mind if you aware of it too late. all wandering thoughts are delusions.

2 我们一个念头都不起了，跟诸位说，一个念头都不起还是迷，这个事情难办！

even if you do not have any thoughts, it's also a delusion. so how?

3 起念是什么？是妄念，是乱想。一个念头都没有是无明，这个事情麻烦。

4 那个觉到底是什么样子？觉心，告诉诸位，没有念是样样清楚，它不是无明。过去、现在、未来都知道，心里头不起念头，这叫正念，这个是觉心。

5 念头才起来，立刻就换成阿弥陀佛，这就是觉；不念阿弥陀佛，就都是妄想、都是妄念。不但这世间一切法是妄念，就是在佛法里面还是许许多多的妄念，这是我们一定要晓得的。

6 迷的样子是什么？我们六根接触六尘境界的时候，眼见色、耳闻声、舌尝味、鼻嗅香、身体接触、心里面在起念头，你分别，你执着，这就是迷的相。

7 这个念头才起来，善念也好、恶念也好，一概不理会，马上把它转变成阿弥陀佛。阿弥陀佛就是觉，阿弥陀佛是觉念，除了阿弥陀佛以外，都是迷念。

8 妄念要转得快！古人所谓“不怕念起，只怕觉迟”，你要把这个念头立刻转成阿弥陀佛，叫阿弥陀佛这一念“念念相续”，不要叫它中断，不要叫其他的妄念起来。

what we can do is to convert the arising thoughts into "Amituofo' , continuously.

9 也许诸位听了这个话，说：这个我们现在办不到！如果一天到晚念阿弥陀佛，我什么事情也不要想了，什么事情也不要办了，这怎么办？

sound cannot be done.

10 这是你现在初学，你没有功夫；你要是真有功夫，你想事、办事，你这个佛号还是不断。现在做不到怎么办？当你想事情、办事情的时候，佛号就停下来，事情办好后，把那个事情放下，把佛号提起来，现在只能用这个方法。

if you are skill, it can be done. what ever you do, Nianfo is still continuous. for beginners, you can stop and do your things, when done, then continue Nianfo.

11 这个方法用熟了，用上几年，心真正清净了，你一面办事、一面考虑问题，佛号还是不间断。所以，这是功夫的问题。

12 我们修行没有功夫，六根接触外面六尘境界，心里面当然会起心动念，顺自己意思的起欢喜心、起贪爱之心，不合自己意思就起嗔恚之心。不仅嗔恚是烦恼，贪爱也是烦恼。

13 总而言之，觉心是清净的，觉心里面没有妄念；迷心里面有妄念，有妄念就是业障，它障碍你一心不乱、障碍你明心见性。

14 佛在大乘经常常告诉我们，“真心离念”，真心里面没有念头，有念就是妄心，有念就是不觉。

15 觉与不觉的界限在哪里？这里给我们说得很清楚，“真心离念”就是觉！诸位要知道，觉心是不动的，心动是不觉，心动就是迷！

16 诸位要记住，心不能有念，所以在平常生活当中，我们从早到晚待人接物，念佛功夫从哪里做？从起心动念上做。

17 真正念佛人心之所思、意之所念，只有一个阿弥陀佛，只有一个西方极乐世界。除了阿弥陀佛跟西方极乐世界，一切都不攀缘，一切都放下。

18 古人讲“不怕念起，只怕觉迟”，不管什么念头，只要念头一起，马上就换成阿弥陀佛，你真正能这样做，最多三年的时间功夫就成熟，就有把握取得西方净土！

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