24 (Day) Notes | Sabbāsava Sutta (MN 2) | Sutta Study @ Buddhist Maha Vihara, Brickfields | Bhante Dr. G. Chandima
Four factors, according to the Buddha, can facilitate the attainment of the Noble Eightfold Path: (i) establishing connections with noble friends; (ii) hearing the true Dhamma; (iii) wise attention; and (iv) practicing in accordance with the Dhamma. Wise attention is the most crucial of these four elements; it enables us to surpass the level of an ordinary person by overcoming the five obstacles and cultivating the seven factors of enlightenment.
1. What is Yoniso Manasikāra?
Tracing dukkha down to its origin. Wise attention means that when we investigate dukkha, we trace dukkha down to its cause, origin, or foundation; we do so thoroughly, orderly, wisely, properly, and judiciously.
2. Yoniso Manasikāra is a not a philosophical speculation.but reflection built on observation seeking to understand how things originate through conditions
3. Is Manasikāra automatic?
We need to consult the Abhidhamma for this. The analysis of mental factors (cetasika) solves this issue.
Seven universal mental factors
These factors perform the most rudimentary and essential cognitive functions, without which consciousness of an object would be utterly impossible."
These seven factors are:
Phassa – contact
Vedanā – feeling
Saññā – perception
Cetanā – volition
Ekaggata – one-pointedness
Jīvitindriya – life faculty
Manasikāra – attention
Six occasional mental factors
The six occasional or particular mental factors (pakiṇṇaka cetasikas) are ethically variable mental factors found only in certain consciousnesses. They are:
Vitakka – Application of thought
Vicāra – Examining
Adhimokkha – Decision
Viriya – Energy
Pīti – Rapture
Chanda – Desire (to act)
(i) Gotama Sutta (SN 12.10)
“Bhikkhus, before my enlightenment, while I was still a bodhisattva (Enlightenment being), it occurred to me: “Alas, this world has fallen into trouble, in that it is born, ages, and dies, it passes away and is reborn, yet it does not understand the escape from this suffering led by aging-and-death. When will an escape be discerned from this suffering led by aging-and-death? Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: When what exists does aging-and-death come to be? By what is aging-and-death conditioned? Then, bhikkhus, through wise attention, there took place in me a breakthrough by wisdom: When there is birth, aging-and-death comes to be; aging-and-death has birth as its condition”. In the same way, the Buddha traced back the chain of causation by way of origin as far as ignorance, and then traced forwards the chain of causation from the cessation of ignorance to the cessation of old age and death, the cessation of the entire mass of suffering.
(ii) Yoniso Manasikāra Sampadā Sutta (SN 45.55)
“Dawn, bhikhus, is the forerunner, the harbinger of sun-rise. Even so, bhikhus, for a monk this is the forerunner, the harbinger of the arising of the noble eight-fold path, that is, accomplishment in wise attention. Bhikhus, when a monk is accomplished in this wise attention, it is to be expected that he will cultivate the noble eight-fold path, develop the noble eight-fold path.”
(iii) Tittiya Sutta (AN 3.69)
The Buddha described unwise attention as the cause of the three unwholesome roots of passion (lobha), aversion (dosa) and delusion (moha). Unwise attention to the theme of attraction will cause the arising of unarisen passion and the growth of arisen passion while unwise attention to the theme of irritation will cause the arising of unarisen aversion and the growth of arisen aversion. Unwise attention itself will cause the arising of un-arisen delusion and the growth of arisen delusion.
(iv) Ahara Sutta (SN 46.51)
Feeding the Hindrances
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen sensual desire, or for the growth & increase of sensual desire once it has arisen? There is the theme of beauty. To foster unwise attention to it: This is the food for the arising of unarisen sensual desire, or for the growth & increase of sensual desire once it has arisen.
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen ill will, or for the growth & increase of ill will once it has arisen? There is the theme of resistance. To foster unwise attention to it: This is the food for the arising of unarisen ill will, or for the growth & increase of ill will once it has arisen.
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen sloth & drowsiness, or for the growth & increase of sloth & drowsiness once it has arisen? There are boredom, weariness, yawning, drowsiness after a meal, & sluggishness of awareness. To foster unwise attention to them: This is the food for the arising of unarisen sloth & drowsiness, or for the growth & increase of sloth & drowsiness once it has arisen.
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen restlessness & anxiety, or for the growth & increase of restlessness & anxiety once it has arisen? There is non-stillness of awareness. To foster unwise attention to that: This is the food for the arising of unarisen restlessness & anxiety, or for the growth & increase of restlessness & anxiety once it has arisen.
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen uncertainty, or for the growth & increase of uncertainty once it has arisen? There are phenomena that act as a foothold for uncertainty. To foster unwise attention to them: This is the food for the arising of unarisen uncertainty, or for the growth & increase of uncertainty once it has arisen.
Feeding the Factors for Awakening
"Now, what is the food for the arising of unarisen mindfulness as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of mindfulness as a factor for Awakening once it has arisen? There are mental qualities that act as a foothold for mindfulness as a factor for Awakening [well-purified virtue & views made straight]. To foster wise attention to them: This is the food for the arising of unarisen mindfulness as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of mindfulness as a factor for Awakening once it has arisen.
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of analysis of qualities... once it has arisen? There are mental qualities that are skillful & unskillful, blameworthy & blameless, gross & refined, siding with darkness & with light. To foster wise attention to them: This is the food for the arising of unarisen analysis of qualities as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of analysis of qualities... once it has arisen.
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen persistence as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of persistence... once it has arisen? There is the potential for effort, the potential for exertion, the potential for striving. To foster wise attention to them: This is the food for the arising of unarisen persistence as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of persistence... once it has arisen.
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen rapture as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of rapture... once it has arisen? There are mental qualities that act as a foothold for rapture as a factor for Awakening. To foster wise attention to them: This is the food for the arising of unarisen rapture as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of rapture... once it has arisen.
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen serenity as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of serenity... once it has arisen? There is physical serenity & there is mental serenity. To foster wise attention to them: This is the food for the arising of unarisen serenity as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of serenity... once it has arisen.
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen concentration as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of concentration... once it has arisen? There are themes for calm, themes for non-distraction [these are the four frames of reference]. To foster wise attention to them: This is the food for the arising of unarisen concentration as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of concentration... once it has arisen.
"And what is the food for the arising of unarisen equanimity as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of equanimity... once it has arisen? There are mental qualities that act as a foothold for equanimity as a factor for Awakening. To foster wise attention to them: This is the food for the arising of unarisen equanimity as a factor for Awakening, or for the growth & increase of equanimity as a factor for Awakening once it has arisen.
"Monks, there are these two conditions for the arising of wrong view. Which two? The voice of another and unwise attention. These are the two conditions for the arising of wrong view."
"Monks, there are these two conditions for the arising of right view. Which two? The voice of another and wise attention. These are the two conditions for the arising of right view."
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