How to subdue hatred or anger towards another person...

In one sutta Ven. Sariputta spoke about 5 types of people and how we can subdue hatred towards them.

Here is one example:

"And as for a person who is impure in his verbal behavior, but pure in his bodily behavior, how should one subdue hatred for him?

Just as when there is a pool overgrown with slime & water plants, and a person comes along, burning with heat, covered with sweat, exhausted, trembling, & thirsty. He would jump into the pool, part the slime & water plants with both hands, and then, cupping his hands, drink the water and go on his way. In the same way, when the individual is impure in his verbal behavior but pure in his bodily behavior, one should at that time pay no attention to the impurity of his verbal behavior, and instead pay attention to the purity of his bodily behavior. Thus the hatred for him should be subdued.

Aghatavinaya Sutta: Subduing Hatred (2)

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

You can look at the good side of a person, (verbal, bodily or mental behavior) even sometimes its difficult to find. There has be some good in everybody and if we look hard enough and we will find. This way we can subdue hatred towards that person. One such example is shown in the simile above. It is like getting a drink of water with difficulty from a slimy pond covered with water plants.

If you want to read all the other examples, please follow the link below:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an05/an05.162.than.html

Further examination of Dependent Origination...

The 12 step dependent origination is as follows.

1. From the remainderless fading & cessation of that very ignorance comes the cessation of fabrications (volitional formation/sankhara)

2. From the cessation of fabrications comes the cessation of consciousness.

3. From the cessation of consciousness comes the cessation of name-&-form.

4. From the cessation of name-&-form comes the cessation of the six sense media.

5. From the cessation of the six sense media comes the cessation of contact.

6. From the cessation of contact comes the cessation of feeling.

7. From the cessation of feeling comes the cessation of craving.

8. From the cessation of craving comes the cessation of clinging/sustenance.

9. From the cessation of clinging/sustenance comes the cessation of becoming.

10. From the cessation of becoming comes the cessation of birth.

11. From the cessation of birth,

12. then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair all cease. Such is the cessation of this entire mass of stress & suffering."

-Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta: Analysis of Dependent Co-arising translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.002.than.html

1. In a mind with the ignorance:

Volitional formation (sankhara) are made of meritorious karma (puññ'ābhisankhāra), demeritorious (apuññ'abhisankhāra) and imperturbable (āneñj'ābhisankhāra). They all have the potential to make bahva (kamma formation for the vipaka) as long as there is craving and clinging along the way. The meritorious karma-formations (puññ'ābhisankhāra) has the potential make birth in Karma Loka and Rupa Loka (sensuous and the fine-material sphere). This could a result of positive kamma for example, Dana(generosity) Sila (virtue), Bhavana (meditation) and attainment of Rupa Jhanas (fine matrial Jhanas) respectively. The demeritorious (apuññ'abhisankhāra) sankhara will only result bhava in the Karma Loka (sensuous sphere) for example in the Hell realms, and the 'imperturbable'(āneñj'ābhisankhāra) only to the Arupa Loka (immaterial sphere)

Then six senses (sixfold sense base -salayatana) works as follows.

When the eye meets an object, the eye consciousness arises. The union of these three: The eye + the object + the eye consciousness = contact (arises)
(The same is true for all other 5 senses).

Contact gives rise to feeling.
Feeling then gives rise to craving which gives rise to clinging and subsequently to becoming (Bhava). This is the kamma formation for resultant vipaka in the future.

After death the vinnana ( the stream of consciousness) continues, driven by the craving of previous existence. The three sankaras (see above) have already done the job for its arrival
(Bhava-kamma formations for resultant vipaka).

2. In a mind without ignorance (in fully enlighten being)

None of the three volitional formations are present.

"Monks, when the monk's ignorance has faded and is dispelled when science* has arisen he does not intend merit, does not intend demerit neither does he intend imperturbability"

-Parivãmansana sutta, Saüyutta Nikàya

http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/3Samyutta-Nikaya/Samyutta2/12-Abhisamaya-Samyutta/06-Dukkhavaggo-e.html

* Science- vijja [vijjaa]:Clear knowledge; genuine awareness; science (specifically, the cognitive powers developed through the practice of concentration and discernment).

Therefore no consciousness (vinnana) for the future being. This leads to no more name and form (namarupa) for the future being and no generation of six sense bases (birth*) for the future continuation of the dependent origination. No more contact, feeling, clinging.... future birth is ended.

"Not intending and not planning he does not cling to anything in the world. The clinging severed he is not worried. Not worried he is extinguished internally. He knows birth is destroyed, the holy life is lived, duties are done, there is nothing more to wish."

-Parivãmansana sutta, Saüyutta Nikàya

http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/3Samyutta-Nikaya/Samyutta2/12-Abhisamaya-Samyutta/06-Dukkhavaggo-e.html

Therefore the link common to past and the future birth of the 12 step depended origination fomula above is the six sense bases.

Now how does the existing six sense bases work in a fully enlightened being in the present. In the case of a fully enlightened being there is no more ignorance. This is the first step in depended origination (see the 12 steps above). With the destruction of ignorance two other defilements, craving and clinging will also be gone (simultaneously).

"He feels pleasant feelings, knows they are impermanent and knows should not cling to them. Or take delight in them. Feels unpleasant feelings, knows they are impermanent and should not cling to them, or delight in them. Feels neither unpleasant nor pleasant feelings, knows they are impermanent, knows should not cling to them, or delight in them"

"No more clinging, and therefore no more becoming, no more birth, no more old age, illness, death all which are causes of suffering."

-Parivãmansana sutta, Saüyutta Nikàya

http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/3Samyutta-Nikaya/Samyutta2/12-Abhisamaya-Samyutta/06-Dukkhavaggo-e.html

Cling to this world no more...

The key is to realize everything you see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and think is subject to change, unsatisfactory, and does not belong to you. Feeling is still present, but craving does not arise. This way you cling to this world no more.

Can we modify or even extinguish our Kamma?

We do not inherit bad kamma, just because we are born as human beings. We make our kamma and we own it. We are simply responsible for it. We cannot blame it on someone else. If you do bad kamma it is you who will reap its negative results. In the same way If you do good kamma it is you who will reap its positive results.

If we look into this further Ven.

Nyanaponika Thera says,

"Most writings on the doctrine of kamma emphasize the strict lawfulness governing kammic action, ensuring a close correspondence between our deeds and their fruits. While this emphasis is perfectly in place, there is another side to the working of kamma — a side rarely noted, but highly important. This is the modifiability of kamma, the fact that the lawfulness which governs kamma does not operate with mechanical rigidity but allows for a considerably wide range of modifications in the ripening of the fruit.

If kammic action were always to bear fruits of invariably the same magnitude, and if modification or annulment of kamma-result were excluded, liberation from the samsaric cycle of suffering would be impossible; for an inexhaustible past would ever throw up new obstructive results of unwholesome kamma.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/kammafruit.html

That means kamma can be modified or diluted and even extinguished.

First we will look at how we

can modify or dilute kamma.

If all conditioned things are subject to change(impermanence), kamma too has to be impermanent. This is because kamma is basically our intention and this is subject to change. Kamma can therefore be changed (with few exceptions) or diluted/modified and the sutta below explains it. All we have to do is to by collect a whole lot of good kamma by mind, body and speech, just like a "flowing river". Please s

ee the post below:

http://wisdomthroughmindfulness.blogspot.com/2008/07/just-like-satl-crystal.html

We can take this a step further. Kamma can also be extinguished completely. This needs a lot of work and can be done by the practice of insight meditation and by ending all taints. This following sutta is good evidence for this.

"... there are four kinds of kamma proclaimed by me after realization myself with direct knowledge.

What are the four?

1.There is dark kamma with dark ripening,

2. There is bright kamma with bright ripening,

3. There is dark-and-bright kamma with dark-and-bright ripening,

4. There is kamma that is not dark and not bright with neither-dark-nor-bright ripening that conduces to the exhaustion of kamma.

Kukkuravatika Sutta: The Dog-duty Ascetic

translated from the Pali by Ñanamoli Thera

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.057.nymo.html

So what is the path that will lead to the kamma that is not dark and not bright that conduces to the exhaustion of kamma?

In Budhhas words:

"...what is the path of practice leading to the cessation of kamma? Just this noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is called the path of practice leading to the cessation of kamma.

Kamma Sutta: Action

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn35/sn35.145.than.html

Just as mushrooms that pop up from nowhere...

Defilements of the mind can be seen as mushrooms that pop up from nowhere, when the right conditions are present. There are three levels of defilements.* The defilements that are behave like mushrooms are the ones that stay dormant till the right conditions are present. They can be only uprooted completely with wisdom gained through insight, with mindfulness meditation.

*The three layers of "weeds" in the mind...

Also read:

How to dye a cloth pure in color?"

How is a donation endowed with six factors?

There is the case where there are the three factors of the donor, the three factors of the recipients.

Three factors of the donor:

1. There is the case where the donor, before giving, is glad.

2. While giving, his/her mind is bright & clear.

3. After giving is gratified.

The three factors of the recipients:

1. Free of passion or are practicing for the subduing of passion.

2. Free of aversion or practicing for the subduing of aversion.

3. Free of delusion or practicing for the subduing of delusion.

"Just as it is not easy to take the measure of the great ocean as 'just this many buckets of water, just this many hundreds of buckets of water, just this many thousands of buckets of water, or just this many hundreds of thousands of buckets of water.' It is simply reckoned as a great mass of water, incalculable, immeasurable. In the same way, it is not easy to take the measure of the merit of a donation thus endowed with six factors as 'just this much a bonanza of merit, a bonanza of what is skillful — a nutriment of bliss, heavenly, resulting in bliss, leading to heaven — that leads to what is desirable, pleasing, charming, beneficial, pleasant.' It is simply reckoned as a great mass of merit, incalculable, immeasurable."

Dana Sutta: Giving

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an06/an06.037.than.html

The origin of the world

Buddha said:
"There are these four unconjecturables that are not to be conjectured*
about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured
about them.

One of them is:
"Conjecture about [the origin, etc., of] the world is an
unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring
madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it.

Acintita Sutta: Unconjecturable
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu

(*conjectured- Inference or judgment based on inconclusive or incomplete evidence; guesswork.)

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.077.than.html

And why is that:
".... Because they are not connected with the goal, do not relate to
the rudiments of the holy life, and do not lead to disenchantment, to
dispassion, to cessation, to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-
awakening, to Unbinding. That is why I have not taught them.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn56/sn56.031.than.html


If not it will be like (a simile):
"It's just as if a man were wounded with an arrow thickly smeared with
poison. His friends & companions, kinsmen & relatives would provide
him with a surgeon, and the man would say, 'I won't have this arrow
removed until I know whether the man who wounded me was a noble
warrior, a priest, a merchant, or a worker.' He would say, 'I won't
have this arrow removed until I know the given name & clan name of the
man who wounded me... until I know whether he was tall, medium, or
short... until I know whether he was dark, ruddy-brown, or golden-
colored... until I know his home village, town, or city... until I
know whether the bow with which I was wounded was a long bow or a
crossbow... until I know whether the bowstring with which I was
wounded was fiber, bamboo threads, sinew, hemp, or bark... until I
know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was wild or
cultivated... until I know whether the feathers of the shaft with
which I was wounded were those of a vulture, a stork, a hawk, a
peacock, or another bird... until I know whether the shaft with which
I was wounded was bound with the sinew of an ox, a water buffalo, a
langur, or a monkey.' He would say, 'I won't have this arrow removed
until I know whether the shaft with which I was wounded was that of a
common arrow, a curved arrow, a barbed, a calf-toothed, or an oleander
arrow.' The man would die and those things would still remain unknown
to him.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.063.than.html

If that is the case why did Buddha discuss origin of the world and end of the world in some suttas?
Agganna sutta* (origin of the world) was discussed mainly to teach the origin of the cast system in India at the time. The Spatha Suriyagamana sutta** (end of the world or the disclose of the seven suns) was discussed to show the impermanent nature of all conditioned things. In both these suttas Buddha the key message is that the Dhamma is the refuge for us all.

*http://tipitaka.wikia.com/wiki/Agganna_Sutta

**http://www.sacred-texts.com/journals/oc/gppt6.htm


Also read: http://www.astronomy.net/forums/god/messages/31506.shtml

Related subjects for further reading:

Origin of the Belief in a Creator God

1. http://buddhadhamma-yoav.blogspot.com/2010/09/origin-of-belief-in-creator-god.html

2. http://www.dhammikaweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Buddhism_and_the_God_Idea_.pdf

Five forms of stinginess...

"Monks, there are these five forms of stinginess.

1. Stinginess as to one's monastery [lodgings]
2. Stinginess as to one's family [of supporters]
3. Stinginess as to one's gains
4. Stinginess as to one's status
5. Stinginess as to the Dhamma

... And the meanest of these five is this: stinginess as to the Dhamma."

AN 5.254-271

PTS: A iii 272

Macchariya Suttas: Stinginess

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an05/an05.254.than.html

Five future dangers (for monks)...

"Monks, these five future dangers, unarisen at present, will arise in the future. Be alert to them and, being alert, work to get rid of them. Which five?

"There will be, in the course of the future, monks undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment. They — being undeveloped in body, undeveloped in virtue, undeveloped in mind, undeveloped in discernment —

1. Will give full ordination to others and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind, heightened discernment. These too will then be undeveloped in body... virtue... mind... discernment. They — being undeveloped in body... virtue... mind... discernment — will give full ordination to still others and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind, heightened discernment. These too will then be undeveloped in body... virtue... mind... discernment. Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.
"This, monks, is the first future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.

2. Will take on others as students and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind, heightened discernment. These too will then be undeveloped in body... virtue... mind... discernment. They — being undeveloped in body... virtue... mind... discernment — will take on still others as students and will not be able to discipline them in heightened virtue, heightened mind, heightened discernment. These too will then be undeveloped in body... virtue... mind... discernment. Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.
"This, monks, is the second future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.


3. When giving a talk on higher Dhamma or a talk composed of questions and answers, will fall into dark mental states without being aware of it. Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.
"This, monks, is the third future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.


4. Will not listen when discourses that are words of the Tathagata — deep, profound, transcendent, connected with the Void — are being recited. They will not lend ear, will not set their hearts on knowing them, will not regard these teachings as worth grasping or mastering. But they will listen when discourses that are literary works — the works of poets, elegant in sound, elegant in rhetoric, the work of outsiders, words of disciples — are recited. They will lend ear and set their hearts on knowing them. They will regard these teachings as worth grasping and mastering. Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.
"This, monks, is the fourth future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.


5. Will become elders living in luxury, lethargic, foremost in falling back, shirking the duties of solitude. They will not make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. They will become an example for later generations, who will become luxurious in their living, lethargic, foremost in falling back, shirking the duties of solitude, and who will not make an effort for the attaining of the as-yet-unattained, the reaching of the as-yet-unreached, the realization of the as-yet-unrealized. Thus from corrupt Dhamma comes corrupt discipline; from corrupt discipline, corrupt Dhamma.
"This, monks, is the fifth future danger, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to it and, being alert, work to get rid of it.

"These, monks, are the five future dangers, unarisen at present, that will arise in the future. Be alert to them and, being alert, work to get rid of them."
Anagata-bhayani Sutta: The Discourse on Future Dangers (3)
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Like a man in search of heartwood that would carry branches and leaves thinking it is the heartwood...

Brahmin, a certain person leaving his household would go forth as a homeless, out of faith thinking I am submerged in birth, decay, death, grief lament unpleasantness and distress. It is only a few that declare the complete ending of unpleasanatness. Gone forth thus, he is reborn in gain, honour and fame. Satisfied with it and his desires fulfilled, he would praise himself and disparages others. I am a gainer of hospitality, these other bhikkhus are impotent and not wise. He does not arouse interest or effort to realise something more exalted than gain, honour and fame and abides infatuated and lethargic.

Like a man wandering in search of heartwood would come to a standing huge tree with heartwood. He would ignore its heartwood, sapwood, bark and shoots, cutting the branches and leaves and would carry them away thinking it is the heartwood. For whatever purpose he needs the heartwood, to that purpose he would not come. Brahmin, I say, this person is comparable to that.

MN 30: Culasaropama Sutta (The Shorter Discourse on the Simile of the Heartwood)

Just as when a peak-roofed house is poorly roofed...

"Householder, when the mind is unprotected, bodily actions are unprotected as well, verbal actions are unprotected as well, mental actions are unprotected as well. When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions are unprotected, one's bodily actions get soggy, one's verbal actions get soggy, one's mental actions get soggy.

When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions are soggy, one's bodily actions... verbal actions... mental actions rot. When one's bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental actions rot, one's death is not auspicious, the mode of one's dying not good.

"Just as when a peak-roofed house is poorly roofed: The peak of the roof is unprotected, the roof beams are unprotected, the walls are unprotected. The peak of the roof... the roof beams... the walls get soggy. The peak of the roof... the roof beams... the walls then rot.

Kuta Sutta: The Peak of the Roof
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Four courses of action...

1. There is the course of action that is unpleasant to do and that, when done, leads to what is unprofitable (not worth doing for both reasons).

2. There is the course of action that is unpleasant to do but that, when done, leads to what is profitable (Wise after reflecting will do it, fool will not reflect and will not do it).

3. There is the course of action that is pleasant to do but that, when done, leads to what is unprofitable (Wise after reflecting will not do it, fool will not reflect and will do it).

4. There is the course of action that is pleasant to do and that, when done, leads to what is profitable (worth doing for both reasons).

AN 4.115

PTS: A ii 118

Thana Sutta: Courses of Action

translated from the Pali by

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.115.than.html

Reflection of action mind, body and speech is the key difference between the wise and the fool (better translated as skillful and unskillful). Reflection should ideally be done before, during and after each action)

Please read the post below:What is a mirror for? Reflection. In the same way...

What is a mirror for? Reflection. In the same way...

"What do you think, Rahula: What is a mirror for?"

"For reflection, sir."

"In the same way, Rahula, bodily actions, verbal actions, & mental
actions are to be done with repeated reflection. (before, during and after their action)

MN 61 PTS: M i 414
Ambalatthika-rahulovada Sutta: Instructions to Rahula at Mango Stone
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu