kappa- anything made with a definite object in view, prepared, or arranged.
Not the beautiful sensual pleasures found in the world.
The passion for his resolves is a man's sensuality.
The beauties remain as they are in the world,
While the wise, in this regard, subdue their desire.
So where is the problem?
LIKING = ok, without some likings, we cannot live.
What is simply a good thought/intention?
(If your thought/intention simply reflects reality as it is, without judgments or ideas getting in the way)
(If your thought/intention simply reflects reality as it is, without judgments or ideas getting in the way)
Thinking patterns, habits, attitudes?
Right Intention (Sammā Saṅkappa)?
Sammā saṅkappa follows directly from the right view because our thoughts/intentions arise from our perception of reality. If you see reality as it is, you will have no problems. But if you see reality through a haze of assumptions and unconscious judgments and concepts, it will lead to some pretty twisted thinking. So sammā saṅkappa is about looking into your thoughts and intentions to see if they align with reality – or not. Wrong intentions (micchā saṅkappa) arise out of delusion (moha)
1. Introduction
If we have the right view, then the intentions that come to our mind are definitely the right intentions (sammā saṅkappa). But if we don't have sammā diṭṭhi, then all our intentions can be micchā saṅkappa (wrong intention).
Sammā saṅkappa is the best way to purify our intentions. Our intentions are naturally connected to wrong intentions (kāma, vyāpāda, and vihiṃsā). We need to disconnect this unwholesome connection and connect our intentions to the right intentions (nekkhamma, avyāpāda, and avihiṃsā).
Natural way (micchā saṅkappa)
So if you are someone who keeps your kāmas in moderation, it is still ok. But kāmas may not last forever, so we become unhappy with kāmas. This is why we need to practice sammā saṅkappa as it gives us true happiness.
Intentions (natural way) ---------- kāma, vyāpāda, and vihiṃsā
Sammā saṅkappa way (purification of our intentions)
Vihiṃsā------------------- avihiṃsā (Intention of non-harm)
2. What are the tools (supportive path factors) we need for the purification of intentions?
3 What is the Intention of renunciation? (nekkhamma saṅkappa)
Nete kāmā yāni citrāni loke;
Saṅkappa-rāgo purisassa kāmo,
Tiṭṭhanti citrāni tatheva loke;
Athettha dhīrā vinayanti chanda’’nti. (AN 6.63)
Sammā Saṅkappa is the second path factor. It directly follows sammā diṭṭhi as it is the second factor.
If we have the right view, then the intentions that come to our mind are definitely the right intentions (sammā saṅkappa). But if we don't have sammā diṭṭhi, then all our intentions can be micchā saṅkappa (wrong intention).
Wrong Intentions
- Intention of Lust (kāma saṅkappa)
- Intention of Il-will (vyāpāda saṅkappa)
- Intention of Cruelty (vihiṃsā saṅkappa)
Greed and hatred spring from delusion. Non-greed and non-hatred come from the right view. You also cannot understand "sammā vācā" or "sammā kammanta" without sammā saṅkappa. Your intentions drive your speech.
Right Intentions
- Intention free from Lust (nekkhamma saṅkappa)
- Intention free from Il-will (avyāpāda saṅkappa)
- Intention free from Cruelty (avihiṃsā saṅkappa)
Sammā saṅkappa is the best way to purify our intentions. Our intentions are naturally connected to wrong intentions (kāma, vyāpāda, and vihiṃsā). We need to disconnect this unwholesome connection and connect our intentions to the right intentions (nekkhamma, avyāpāda, and avihiṃsā).
Here the natural way (micchā saṅkappa) means what happens to us when we do not know about sammā saṅkappa. The natural way brings us problems. For example, when we are greedy for kāmas, it brings us problems. And if you cannot get it the way you want, you will use vyāpāda and vihiṃsā to respond to those psychological events, involving people and things.
So if you are someone who keeps your kāmas in moderation, it is still ok. But kāmas may not last forever, so we become unhappy with kāmas. This is why we need to practice sammā saṅkappa as it gives us true happiness.
Intentions (natural way) ---------- kāma, vyāpāda, and vihiṃsā
Sammā saṅkappa way (purification of our intentions)
Kāma ------------------- nekkhamma (Intention of renunciation)
Vyāpāda ------------------ avyāpāda (Intention of non ill-will)Vihiṃsā------------------- avihiṃsā (Intention of non-harm)
2. What are the tools (supportive path factors) we need for the purification of intentions?
- Sammā diṭṭhi (right view)
- Sammā vāyāma (right effort)
- Samma sati (right mindfulness)
When you practice renunciation with your desires (give up or discourage greedy kāmas) and associated likes, then you will develop nekkhamma saṅkappa. Now let us take a look at what is the opposite of nekkhamma. The opposite of nekkhamma is kāma.
We all are naturally attached to sensuality (six kāmas: rūpa, sadda, gandha, rasa, phoṭṭhabba, and dhamma). We always enjoy these kāmas. So each time when you enjoy one of or all these excessively, what you develop is kāma saṅkappa (intentions of lust). It is one of the micchā saṅkappa. So we need to bring these kāma saṅkappa into nekkhamma saṅkappa (reducing the greedy nature of kāmas) .
You can still keep kāmas without greed. Although it is okay to enjoy a moderate amount of sensuality (6 kāmas) to live your lay life, it is important not to be greedy with them. We only need some level of kāma to live our life without being greedy.
If we become greedy for kāmas, then it is a part of taṇhā (kāma taṇhā, bhava taṇhā, and vibhava taṇhā). That means we will have kāma taṇhā. When you have taṇhā, then it will lead to upādāna (grasping). Obviously, we do not typically become greedy toward people and objects. However, we only cling to our own notions of kāmas regarding such persons and things (saṅkappa-rāgo).
Saṅkappa-rāgo purisassa kāmo,
Tiṭṭhanti citrāni tatheva loke;
Athettha dhīrā vinayanti chanda’’nti. (AN 6.63)
The passion for his resolves is a man's sensuality.
The beauties remain as they are in the world,
While the wise, in this regard, subdue their desire.
When you have nekkhamma saṅkappa, you understand your kāma saṅkappa well. That means you are developing thoughts of not becoming greedy, maybe sometimes not even attaching to kāmas also, but renouncing. Renouncing does not necessarily mean not using sensuality. You can still use it, or be with the people you like. We need likes and dislikes to survive in this world.
So where is the problem?
The problem occurs when we develop our likes and dislikes to greed level, then the greed. So a moderate level of kāmas should be ok. We can like kāmas just to survive. However, do not be greedy with them. Because you are aware of life's realities (cause and effect, practically anicca, dukkha, and anatta). This understanding comes from sammā diṭṭhi. This is how nekkhamma saṅkappa can be understood.
See the flyer https://patisota.blogspot.com/2021/06/The-intensification-of-Likes-and-Dislikes.html
(all the strong likings (greed) are part of kāma, and refraining from those strong kāma is nekkhamma)
Some Steps to practice nekkhamma saṅkappa
4. What is the Intention of non-ill-will? (avyāpāda saṅkappa)
Some Steps to practice avyāpāda saṅkappa
Practice 4 Brahma vihāra
Eg- Mettā (unlimited friendliness)
Avihiṃsā saṅkappa is the absence of harm or intention governed by harm.
How do harming intentions arise?
It is not surprising that we may come up with intentions of hurting ourselves, and harming others when we already have intentions of destroying oneself/others (vyāpāda).
What are the different ways of having harmful intentions?
Why do people want to hurt others?
It is mainly because they do not have the right view. The same tip (avyāpāda saṅkappa) applies to avihiṃsā saṅkappa. (that means the practice 4 brahma vihāras).
6. Why is sammā saṅkappa important?
The intention of renunciation counters the intention of greed.
The intention of non-ill-will counters the intention of ill-will.
The intention of non-harm counters the intention of harm.
Sammā saṅkappa is very important because this is the stage where we create wholesome or unwholesome intentions (immediately after sammā diṭṭhi, you create right intentions, after right intentions only you can create the right speech)
7. What happens when we practice Sammā saṅkappa?
8. The connection between sammā diṭṭhi and sammā saṅkappa
(all the strong likings (greed) are part of kāma, and refraining from those strong kāma is nekkhamma)
Some Steps to practice nekkhamma saṅkappa
Limit your greed for people and things
Limit your greed to people and other things that are not mentioned above (for example- people, clothes, fame, success, status, money). You can still own and keep them, it is ok. But do not be greedy for them.
Moderate your intake of food and drink to stop emotional eating.
To stop holding or gripping, hoarding (something or someone) Whatever you are holding onto tightly. whatever is gripping you and causing you to tighten let it go.
Do you eat to feel better or relieve stress? Emotional eating is using food to make yourself feel better—to fill emotional needs, rather than your stomach. Unfortunately, emotional eating doesn’t fix emotional problems. In fact, it usually makes you feel worse. Afterward, not only does the original emotional issue remain, but you also feel guilty for overeating.
Practice dāna (practice generosity as much as you can)
To stop holding or gripping, hoarding (something or someone) Whatever you are holding onto tightly. whatever is gripping you and causing you to tighten let it go.
Developing nekkhamma saṅkappa is not enough to practice sammā saṅkappa. Because when we dislike someone or something at different times in our life, we may develop intentions of destroying those beings and things we dislike. Therefore, we also need to practice avyāpāda saṅkappa (intentions of non-ill-will) to overcome vyāpāda intentions. Here what you do is to recognize your uprising dislike (dosa intentions) and not develop it, but develop avyāpāda saṅkappa because you know it is the best way to manage your vyāpāda intentions.
But if you always maintain the intention of saving others, appreciating their lives, that means, you develop avyāpāda saṅkappa which is the second part of the right intention.
Practice 4 Brahma vihāra
Eg- Mettā (unlimited friendliness)
When you develop mettā, you cannot have ill will, because you care about all beings unconditionally)
Karuṇā (compassion)
Karuṇā (compassion)
When you have karuṇā, you can understand the pain of others and yourself in order to avoid developing ill will.
Muditā (wholesome Unselfish Joy)
Muditā (wholesome Unselfish Joy)
When you have wholesome unselfish joy, you are able to understand other people’s achievements/success. So that you do not develop ill- will for what they have.
Upekkhā (equanimity)
Upekkhā (equanimity)
When you have equanimity, you can always stay balanced. So when someone hurts you, you do not think you should hurt back, or take revenge. So you will not have ill will.
5. What is the Intention of non-harm? (avihiṃsā saṅkappa)
5. What is the Intention of non-harm? (avihiṃsā saṅkappa)
Avihiṃsā saṅkappa is the absence of harm or intention governed by harm.
Harming intentions can arise in many aspects. It can be from the use of bad words to physical harassment. People may easily use bad words to hurt others. So when people do it, they mostly intend to harm others. If you think you have ever used bad words for someone, this is a clear place to understand you had vihiṃsā saṅkappa. That means you didn't have avihiṃsā saṅkappa during that time.
It is mainly because they do not have the right view. The same tip (avyāpāda saṅkappa) applies to avihiṃsā saṅkappa. (that means the practice 4 brahma vihāras).
The intention of renunciation counters the intention of greed.
The intention of non-ill-will counters the intention of ill-will.
The intention of non-harm counters the intention of harm.
Sammā saṅkappa is very important because this is the stage where we create wholesome or unwholesome intentions (immediately after sammā diṭṭhi, you create right intentions, after right intentions only you can create the right speech)
7. What happens when we practice Sammā saṅkappa?
Whenever you or others have greed, ill-will, and hurt, there is no Sammā saṅkappa. Only by changing greed, ill-will, and hurt to the opposite, (renunciation, non-ill-will and non-harm), we can develop and practice the sammā saṅkappa)
8. The connection between sammā diṭṭhi and sammā saṅkappa
A mere knowledge of sammā diṭṭhi is not helpful ( this is the problem of many people), they must go beyond mere knowledge of sammā diṭṭhi and practice so that they can easily understand and practice sammā saṅkappa).
We should apply the knowledge of sammā diṭṭhi to our daily situations and activities. When we deal with someone when we deal with a decision, we should bring sammā diṭṭhi and then accordingly practice the relevant sammā saṅkappa and also other path factors.
9. For additional reading
- Dvedhā vitakka Sutta (MN 19)
‘uppanno kho me ayaṁ kāmavitakko. So ca kho attabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, parabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, ubhayabyābādhāyapi saṁvattati, paññānirodhiko vighātapakkhiko anibbānasaṁvattaniko’. ‘Attabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; ‘parabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; ‘ubhayabyābādhāya saṁvattatī’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati; ‘paññānirodhiko vighātapakkhiko anibbānasaṁvattaniko’tipi me, bhikkhave, paṭisañcikkhato abbhatthaṁ gacchati. So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, uppannuppannaṁ kāmavitakkaṁ pajahameva vinodameva byantameva naṁ akāsiṁ.
This thought of sensual desire has arisen in me. This leads to my own affliction, to others’ affliction, and to the affliction of both; it obstructs wisdom, causes difficulties, and leads away from Nibbāna.’ When I considered: ‘This leads to my own affliction,’ it subsided in me; when I considered: ‘This leads to others’ affliction,’ it subsided in me; when I considered: ‘This leads to the affliction of both,’ it subsided in me; when I considered: ‘This obstructs wisdom, causes difficulties, and leads away from Nibbāna,’ it subsided in me. Whenever a thought of sensual desire arose in me, I abandoned it, removed it, and did away with it.
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