At a deep level, beyond the personality and waking consciousness, on a plane/Jhanic level above, there is a 'desire/intention' to understanding itself or 'how things work.'Actually yes, as you can see the 7th Consciousness and 8th Consciousness is present in various jhanas, but it does not mean that the Consciousness is only existent on the Jhana level.
Karma is a mirror/cause and effect 'willed' by this higher consciousness. This level (I think is commonly call Soul) is beyond physical death and therefore is not really concerned about the destruction of the extension of itself as physical form.
Could it be that out of the unknowingness... perceptions are percieved as 'other and outer', when in fact there is no substantial/solid outer/inner, me/you, observer/being observed and duality.This 'unknowingness' is probably what Buddhism calls Ignorance, the root cause for the samsaric Interdependant Origination -
I think so too.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:This 'unknowingness' is probably what Buddhism calls Ignorance, the root cause for the samsaric Interdependant Origination -
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In Interdependant Origination, there is no 'beginning of time'. Samsara has no beginning nor ending. Everything is interdependant arising/ceasing. Pls refer: http://www.khandro.net/doctrine_12links_DLbk1.htmOriginally posted by longchen:I am getting these feelings/intuitions (written below)... This may explain why there is samsara...
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In the beginning(of 'time')... there is just a great undifferentiated awareness... but this awareness is not aware of itself.
Then comes the enfoldment (encasing within a sense of self 'I" ), creating references for the beginning of the understanding of itself through reflections. Here is where all the myriad 'things' and appearances are created.
But... then... these things do not really fully understand themselves as the great awareness yet. There is a duality in perception.That is these thing believe what they see as all-real, not realising that there are just reflections of the original undifferentiated awareness. But this duality is a necessary process/stage for creating references for the expression of the great awareness. This is samsara
Gradually, some of these things (as human or other advance lifeforms) realise themselves as the great awareness and begin the unfoldment/unwrapping (beyond the individual sense of self). From here, we can see that realisation need the right condition and the right form of body. .. because the right form of body will determine the necessary intelligence and abilty for understanding. Lower lifeform such as fish will never be able to understand/realise because the brain is simply not designed that way... yet.
So... there is 3 process here..
1. Undifferentiated awareness
2. Enfoldment creating reflections and forms, which are expressions for understanding self.
3. Unfoldment/unwrapping or realisation of what really is.
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THIS IS MY INTUITION ONLY... READ WITH DISCERNMENT PLEASE...
It is always very easy to quote from text... but it is very difficult to break out of conceptualisation.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:In Interdependant Origination, there is no 'beginning of time'. Samsara has no beginning nor ending. Everything is interdependant arising/ceasing. Pls refer: http://www.khandro.net/doctrine_12links_DLbk1.htm
Also, samsara is not really one thing, but all the 12 interdependant links. It literally means 'world of suffering'. Ignorance/duality is only part of it.
BRAVO! Your on the right track!Originally posted by longchen:It is always very easy to quote from text... but it is very difficult to break out of conceptualisation.
Words... they can only describe that much... Trying to work the brain at analysing truth from words.. is like trying to tell the mind to stop thinking... it will never work.
I suggest you do not be too caught up with words... they will not lead anywhere by round and round in circle.
It is like.. when one first try to meditate and reach a good level. The next time round, he/she will never get it again. And he/she wanders why? This is because .. the first time round there was NO concept of what to expect. The second time round, there is an expectation... and the expectation will block the experience. Expectation IS conceptual thinking.
PS: in the future, you will see me write less and less... This is because there will be less and less urge to do so, as I recognised karmic patterns/thoughts more and more.
This 'unknowingness' is probably what Buddhism calls Ignorance, the root cause for the samsaric Interdependant Origination -Very true! ThatÂ’s what the Buddha had realized when he was enlightened.
(1) ignorance, (2) volition, (3) consciousness, (4) name and form, (5) the six sense spheres, (6) contact, (7) feeling, (8 ) craving, (9) clinging, (10) becoming, (11) birth, and (12) old age and death.
I am getting these feelings/intuitions (written below)... This may explain why there is samsara...Very true also! And even better if you are writing from your own experience.
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In the beginning(of 'time')... there is just a great undifferentiated awareness... but this awareness is not aware of itself.
Then comes the enfoldment (encasing within a sense of self 'I" ), creating references for the beginning of the understanding of itself through reflections. Here is where all the myriad 'things' and appearances are created.
But... then... these things do not really fully understand themselves as the great awareness yet. There is a duality in perception.That is these thing believe what they see as all-real, not realising that there are just reflections of the original undifferentiated awareness. But this duality is a necessary process/stage for creating references for the expression of the great awareness. This is samsara
Gradually, some of these things (as human or other advance lifeforms) realise themselves as the great awareness and begin the unfoldment/unwrapping (beyond the individual sense of self). From here, we can see that realisation need the right condition and the right form of body. .. because the right form of body will determine the necessary intelligence and abilty for understanding. Lower lifeform such as fish will never be able to understand/realise because the brain is simply not designed that way... yet.
So... there is 3 process here..
1. Undifferentiated awareness
2. Enfoldment creating reflections and forms, which are expressions for understanding self.
3. Unfoldment/unwrapping or realisation of what really is.
From The Debate of King MilindaInteresting to note that the youngest age to attain awakening is 7 years old, and my friend Vamjok mentions that he remembered 2 instances in the scripture which there were 7 year old novice attaining Arhantship.
QUOTE
27. Can Everyone Understand the Dhamma?
“Do all those who practise correctly attain insight into the Dhamma or are
there some who do not?”
“There can be no attaining of insight for those who, though they practise
correctly, are animals, hungry ghosts, holders of wrong views, frauds (kuhaka)
matricides, patricides, murderers of Arahants, schismatics, shedders of the blood
of a Tathāgata, in the robes by theft, gone over to another sect, violators of
nuns, concealing an offence entailing a meeting of the Order, sexual deviants
(pandaka) and hermaphrodites (ubhatobyañjaka). Neither is a child under seven
years of age able to realise the Dhamma.”
“What is the reason that a child under seven years of age is unable to attain
insight? For a child is pure in mind and should be ready to realise the Dhamma.”
“If a child under seven, O king, could feel desire for things leading to desire,
hatred for things arousing hatred, could be fooled by misleading things and could
distinguish between wholesomeness and unwholesomeness then insight might
be possible for him. However, the mind of a child under seven, O king, is feeble
and the unconditioned element of nibbāna is weighty and profound. Therefore,
O king, although he practised correctly, a child of under seven could not realise
the Dhamma.”