~The FOUNDATIONS~
The Four Noble Truths
- Dukkha exists – unsatisfactoriness, suffering, discontent, stress (to be Investigated);
- The cause or origin of dukkha is craving (tanha-lit. thirst) or clinging (to be Abandoned);
- Dukkha ceases with the relinquishment of that craving (to be Realized);
- The path leading to the cessation of dukkha is the Noble Eightfold Path (to be Developed)
The Eightfold Path (ariya-magga)
Wisdom/Discernment (pañña)
- Wise or Right View/Understanding (samma-ditthi) – Knowledge of the Four Noble Truths
- Wise or Right Intention/Resolve (sammá-sankappa) – Renunciation, Loving-kindness, Harmlessness
Virtue (sila)
- Wise or Right Speech (sammá-vácá) – abstaining from lying, malicious or divisive speech, abusive or harsh speech, and idle chatter
- Wise or Right Action (sammá-kammanta) – abstaining from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct
- Wise or Right Livelihood (sammá–ájíva) – abstaining from dishonest and harmful means of livelihood
Concentration/Meditation (samadhi)
- Wise or Right Effort (samma-vayama) – the effort of avoiding and overcoming unskillful qualities, and of developing and maintaining skillful qualities
- Wise or Right Mindfulness (samma-sati) – The Four Forms of Mindfulness
- Wise or Right Concentration (samma-samadhi)
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~3~
Three Characteristics of Existence (Conditioned Phenomena)
- Impermanence (anicca)
- Unsatisfactoriness (dukkha)
- Not Self (anatta) – empty of inherent existence; not “me”, “myself”, nor “what I am”
Three Pillars of Dhamma (dharma) or Grounds for Making Merit
- Generosity (dana)
- Moral restraint (sila)
- Meditation (bhavana) – consists of Concentration (samadhi) and Mindfulness (sati)
Three Poisons/Defilements (Kilesas – lit. torments of the mind)
- Greed/Clinging (lobha) – mindfulness transforms this into Faith
- Hatred /Aversion (dosa) – mindfulness transforms this into discriminating Wisdom
- Delusion/Ignorance (moha) – mindfulness transforms this into Equanimity
Three Refuges (Triple Gem, Three Jewels)
- Buddha
- Dhamma
- Sangha
Three Types of Dukkha
- Dukkha as pain (dukkha–dukkhata) – body or mental pain
- Dukkha that is inherent in formation (sankhara-dukkhata) – maintenance of body and things, oppressive nature of continuous upkeep
- Dukkha of change (viparinama-dukkhata) – pleasant and happy conditions in life are not permanent
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~4~
Four Bases of Power or Success (Iddhipada)
- Desire (chanda)
- Persistence/Energy/Effort (viriya)
- Intention, Mind, Thoughtfulness (citta)
- Investigation/Discrimination (vimamsa or panna)
Four Brahma-viharas (Highest Attitudes/Emotions)
- Lovingkindness, good-will (metta): Near enemy – attachment; far enemy – hatred
- Compassion (karuna): Near enemy – pity; far enemy – cruelty
- Sympathetic joy, Appreciation (mudita), joy at the good fortune of others: Near enemy – comparison, hypocrisy, insincerity, joy for others but tinged with identification (my team, my child); far enemy – envy
- Equanimity (upekkha): Near enemy – indifference; far enemy – anxiety, greed
Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta)
- Mindfulness of the body (kaya)
- Mindfulness of feeling (vedana)-pleasant, unpleasant, neutral; initial reactions to sensory input
- Mindfulness of mind/consciousness (citta), (greed, aversion, delusion & their opposites)
- Mindfulness of mind objects-mental events (dharmas); Five categories of dhammas: Five hindrances, Five aggregates, 6 sense bases, Seven factors of enlightenment, Four Noble Truths
Four Jhanas (rupa jhanas) or Meditative Absorptions
- First Jhana, characterized by intense pleasure, has five jhanic factors: applied thought (vittaka), sustained thought (vicara), joy (piti), happiness (sukha), one-pointednesss (ekkagata)
- Second Jhana, characterized by joy. Has 3 factors: joy (piti), happiness (sukha), one–pointedness (ekkagata)
- Third Jhana, characterized by contentment, has 2 factors: contentment and one-pointedness (ekkagata)
- Fourth Jhana, characterized by equanimity and stillness, has 1 factor: one-pointedness (ekkagata)
Four Right Efforts (sammappadhana)
- Not to let an unwholesome-unskillful thought arise, which has not yet arisen-Guarding
- Not to let an unwholesome-unskillful thought continue, which has already arisen-Abandon
- To make a wholesome-skillful thought arise, which has not yet arisen-Develop
- To make a wholesome-skillful thought continue, which has already arisen-Sustain
Four defilements (asavas)
- attachment to sensuality
- attachment to existence/to becoming
- ignorance of the dhamma (of the way things are)
- attachment to opinions/views (most Suttas do not include this one-Abhidhamma does)
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~5~
Five Aggregates (khandhas or skandas or heaps)
- Form/physical phenomena, body (rupa )
- Feeling (vedana ) pleasant, unpleasant, neutral. Feelings arise when there is contact between the 6 internal organs and the 6 external objects: (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind & corresponding: sight, sound, odor, taste touch, mental object)
- Perception (sañña) – recognition
- Mental Formations (sankhara) – includes mental states, emotions, volition (fabrications)
- Consciousness (viññana) – grasps the characteristics of the 6 external objects
Five Faculties (indriya) and Five Strengths or Powers.
- Faith (saddha) – controls doubt
- Energy/Effort/Persistence (viriya) – controls laziness
- Mindfulness (sati); – controls heedlessness
- Concentration (samadhi) – controls distraction
- Wisdom (panna)/Discernment – controls ignorance
Five Hindrances (nivarana)
- Sensual Desire (kámacchanda)
- Aversion or Ill-will (vyápáda)
- Sleepiness – sloth (thina), torpor (middha), sluggishness
- Restlessness – worry about the future, regret of the past, anxiety (uddhacca-kukkucca)
- Doubt (skeptical doubt)(vicikicchá)
Five Precepts
- To refrain from killing
- To refrain from stealing (taking that which is not offered)
- To refrain from sexual misconduct
- To refrain from lying, harsh speech, idle speech, and slander
- To refrain from taking intoxicants that cloud the mind and cause heedlessness
Five Things that lead to Awakening
- Admirable friends
- Sila (morality, virtue)
- Hearing the dharma
- Exertion. Effort in abandoning unskillful qualities and cultivating skillful ones
- Awareness of impermanence (anicca) – Insight into impermanence
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~6~
Six Sense Bases: Seeing, Hearing, Smelling, Tasting, Touching, Thinking
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~7~
Seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga).
Neutral
- Mindfulness (sati)
Arousing
- Investigation of Phenomena (dhamma vicaya)-Wisdom Factor: seeing anicca, anatta, dukkha; how mind body operates
- Energy/Effort (viriya)
- Rapture, Joy-intense interest in object (piti)
Calming
- Calm/tranquility (passaddhi)
- Concentration (samadhi)
- Equanimity (upekkha)
Eight Worldly Dhammas (Conditions, Concerns).
- Gain and Loss
- Pleasure and Pain
- Praise and Blame
- Fame and Disrepute (status/disgrace)
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~10~
Ten Perfections (Paramis/Paramitas).
Ten qualities leading to Buddhahood.
- Generosity (dana)
- Morality (sila)-virtue, integrity
- Renunciation (nekkhamma)
- Wisdom (pañña)
- Energy/Strength (viriya)- effort
- Patience (khanti)
- Truthfulness (sacca)
- Resolution – determination (adhitthana)
- Lovingkindness (metta)
- Equanimity (upekkha)
Ten Fetters (samyojana)
- Self-identity beliefs
- Doubt
- Clinging to rites and rituals
- Sensual craving
- Ill will
- Attachment to the form
- Attachment to formless phenomena
- Conceit (mána, literally measuring-as measuring oneself & comparing to others; a subtle sense of self)
- Restlessness
- Ignorance (with regard to the Four Noble Truths)
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~12~
Twelve Links of Dependent Origination- (Paticca-Samuppada).
- From ignorance (avijja) come karma formations/fabrications/volitional formations (sankhara)
- From karma formations comes consciousness (viññana)
- From consciousness comes mind and matter (nama-rupa)
- From mind and matter come the six senses (salayatana)
- From the six senses comes contact (phassa)
- From contact comes feeling (vedana)
- From feeling comes craving (tanha)
- From craving comes clinging (upadana)
- From clinging comes becoming/existence (bhava)
- From becoming/existence comes birth (jati)
- From birth, then aging & death
Twelve Links of Transcendental Dependent Arising.
- Suffering (dukkha)
- Faith (saddha)
- Joy (pamojja)
- Rapture (piti)
- Tranquility (passaddhi)
- Happiness (sukha)
- Concentration (samadhi)
- Knowledge and vision of things as they are (yathabhutañanadassana)
- Disenchantment (nibbida)
- Dispassion (viraga)
- Emancipation (vimutti)
- Knowledge of destruction of the cankers (asavakkhaye ñana)
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~37~
37 Factors of Enlightenment or Wings of Awakening (bodhipakkhiya-dhammá)
The set of teachings that the Buddha himself said formed the heart of his message.
- Four Foundations of Mindfulness (satipatthana)
- Four Right Efforts (sammappadhana)
- Four Bases of Power (iddhipada)
- Five Faculties (indriya)
- Five Strengths (bala)
- Seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhanga)
- Eight Fold Path (ariya-magga)
Great !!! sadhu sadhu
be well,
austin
8BLP0i Good point. I hadn’t thought about it quite that way. 🙂