Conflicts and sufferings in the world are dependent on the ten mental defilements

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                       Conflicts and sufferings in the world are dependent on the ten mental defilements

                              

                                                     By ven. K. dhamminda ( B.A , M.A) 

                                                              University of Delhi

                                                           Kdm. Damminda@gmail.com

                                                             

"Now, craving is dependent on feeling, seeking is dependent on craving, acquisition is dependent on seeking, ascertainment is dependent on acquisition, desire and passion is dependent on ascertainment, attachment is dependent on desire and passion, possessiveness is dependent on attachment, stinginess is dependent on possessiveness, defensiveness is dependent on stinginess, and because of defensiveness, dependent on defensiveness, various evil, unskillful phenomena come into play: the taking up of sticks and knives; conflicts, quarrels, and disputes; accusations, divisive speech, and lies1.

On account of the ten mental defilements, the mankind has to face to the taking up of sticks and knives, conflicts, quarrels, disputes, accusations, divisive speech, and lies. Feeling, craving, seeking, acquisition, ascertainment, desire and passion, attachment, possessiveness, defensiveness, stinginess These ten mental defilements are cause for social suffering. Origination and spread of this social suffering are dependent on these ten factors. But people cannot understand it. Because of they all are living in conventional truth. And also they all are worldly beings. Their five aggregates are extremely depending on these ten mental defilements. Our 1 ‘‘Iti kho panetaṃ, ānanda, vedanaṃ paṭicca taṇhā, taṇhaṃ paṭicca pariyesanā, pariyesanaṃ paṭicca lābho, lābhaṃ paṭicca vinicchayo, vinicchayaṃ paṭicca chandarāgo, chandarāgaṃ paṭicca ajjhosānaṃ, ajjhosānaṃ paṭicca pariggaho, pariggahaṃ paṭicca macchariyaṃ, macchariyaṃ paṭicca ārakkho. Ārakkhādhikaraṇaṃ daṇḍādānasatthādānakalahaviggahavivādatuvaṃtuvaṃpesuññamusāvādā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti.

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mind is Because of seeking the feeling across these five faculties the worldly mind is frequently depending on feeling.

In the Pali language, as vedana is called for feeling. The Buddha uses this Pali word for it. This word has a huge and wide meaning. Pleasant, unpleasant and neural these three meanings are in this feeling. The various mental aspects in human mind are arising on these three feeling. Eye requests form, ear requests sound, nose requests smell, tongue requests taste, body requests contact. Then the man trys for it in day and night. You should truly remember that our these five faculties are not wrongful but our mind is completely wrong. Because of this mind orders to these five faculties to grasp the external objects. Without mind, the five faculties are inactivating. The five faculties never activate without order of mind. Mind is master for all faculties. All beings like to pleasant feeling. They dislike to unpleasant feeling. But some people like to unpleasant feeling. When one suffers, watching at that suffering being, one hippies mostly. It too is his or her a good feeling. But that person doesn’t like to feel suffering in his or her own life. It is an unpleasant feeling to that person. But suffering of other is a pleasant feeling for that person. Both of pleasant and unpleasant are decided on feeling. Feeling is divided in to two parts on like and dislike of beings. On account of this, feeling is understood as happiness and suffering. Realization of happiness and suffering and the ultimate nature of this feeling is the neural feeling of one. If someone is going to extreme in the pleasant feeling, that person is in suffering. If someone is going to extreme in the unpleasant feeling, that person too is in suffering. If one can follow neutral nature of feeling that person is the realized one in feeling. In sooth, if any one does not understand on this feeling, craving completely invades his mind. So the Buddha had explained that craving is dependent on feeling.

If one likes to feeling, he or she desires to objects which grounding for feeling. The main objects for feeling of one are form, sound, smell, taste, and contact. These are directly causing to both of happiness and suffering of beings. So people trying to seek them for their pleasant life. In the world, there are very nice, beautiful and attractive things which are being seen by eye. These are not desire (Kama). The desire is concept of person. The world is not wrongful one for desire of man. In here, wrongful one is our

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mind. There is a very beautiful rose flower. A man sees and grapes and attaches it extremely. Now who is wrongful one? In the same manner, ear, nose, tongue, and body are same. Actually, our mind is completely wrong. The world is not wrong.

Because of feeling, craving (taṇhā) originates. According to commentary, there are two cravings2. Thus, esanataṇhā and esitataṇhā. esanataṇhā means craving of wealth and property (bhoge) which one is seeking for respective consumption by different ways3. esitataṇhā means craving of the received acquisition4. On account of craving, the man trys to seek for their feeling. Which kinds of things are there being found in day and night? Forms, sounds, smells tastes and contacts are being discovered in day and night. The man is a simpleton in the feeling- field. Mind of man has been covered by feeling completely. This is a huge fatter for beings. Scientist seeks things. Technician seeks things. All seekers seek things for their feeling. Seeking is for feeling. Thereupon craving manages the man to seek things. In here, you should understand that we cannot destroy feeling. But we are able to destroy craving. If one destroys craving without remainder, that person is the emancipated one from all suffering in the world. So in here there is emphasized that seeking is dependent on craving. But you should know that the noble seeking (ariya pariyesana) is not dependent on craving. This noble seeking is for eradicating of all craving.

The Buddha uses a word as Pariyesanā for seeking. When one is seeking5 forms, he can receive forms. It is acquisition of form. In the same manner, sound, smell, taste, and contact are completely same. In here acquisition (labho) is as the five objects. World is merely this five objects. There is nothing beyond these five objects in this worldly life. Hopes and ambitions of mankind do not have a limit. The result of hope or desire is seeking. The result of seeking is acquisition. Although acquisitions are coming to the man, the man has not a sufficient satisfaction from their acquisition. The buddha

2 taṇhāti dve taṇhā esanataṇhā ca, esitataṇhā ca 3 Yāya taṇhāya ajapathasaṅkupathādīni paṭipajjitvā bhoge esati gavesati, ayaṃ esanataṇhā nāma.

4 Yā tesu esitesu gavesitesu paṭiladdhesu taṇhā, ayaṃesitataṇhā nāma

5 Pariyesanā nāma rūpādiārammaṇapariyesanā, sā hi taṇhāya sati hoti

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gives an example for it. Although a golden coin rain showers in to man That man does not come to the sufficient satisfaction. He further wishes acquisition. Because of the man has been a servant in this craving. This earth is able to supply the man’s need. But the earth is not able to fulfill the man’s greediness. Person in this world is trying to fulfill their greediness as they wish. But they don’t know that their greediness is destroying the whole world. Actually people know it well. But they don’t try to control their greediness. The Buddha told thus, there should be limit to your feeling. He never told that there should not take the five objects by your five doors. The man should enjoy with world. But with limit One should not be servant and simpleton in feeling of the five faculties. Acquisition is very necessary to bless the being’s life. In the worldly society, the man has a huge difficulty to live without any acquisition for satisfaction of the five faculties. The world has understood it well. On account of their karmic energy, inequality of their feeling has happened. So we can see inequality in this society. But all people in the world are equally suffering for their feeling in day and night. Craving is same to both of the rich man and the poor man. Because of both are very greedy for acquisition.

Ascertainment ( Vinicchayo) according to commentary, there are four ascertainments6 as ascertainment of knowledge ( ñāṇavinicchayo), ascertainment of craving (taṇhāvinicchayo) and ascertainment of view (diṭṭhivinicchayo). When someone seek something, it is received. The received acquisition is ascertained as good and bad. If that acquisition is a form, after ascertainment, person grasps on its goodness and rejects it on badness. In the worldly society, end of ascertainment is a conflict or quarrel. Because of good ascertainment of form causes for concepts which are I, mine, and self and bad ascertainment of for causes for hatred, ill will, and aversion. In the same manner, ascertainment of sound, ascertainment of smell, ascertainment of taste and ascertainment of contact are in the mundane society for a same result. If one has not a clear understanding of twenty two dogmas, that person’s ascertainment falls in to one of these twenty two dogmas. If someone is living in these dogmas, he has in every day conflicts and quarrels. The noble ascertainment is very deferent one than the mundane ascertainment. With knowledge about twenty two dogmas if one ascertains the five objects under the impermanence, suffering and non-self, he has no conflict and quarrel and also it is the noble ascertainment. This is a 6 Vinicchayo pana ñāṇataṇhādiṭṭhivitakkavasena catubbidho. Mahānidānasuttavaṇṇanā

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normal example. A man seeks a woman for feeling. When seeking her, he met her. The meeting is the acquisition. Now this man ascertains her qualities which are beauty of skin, beauty of hair, beauty of flesh, beauty of bone and beauty of teeth and so on. If she has completed with all of them, the man greedily blinds in her. This is result of his ascertainment of woman.

Desire and passion ( Chandarāgo ) depends on ascertainment. In the mundane society, the person ascertains object with the wrong mind7. Then his mind grasps this objects which are five objects. When one sees a beautiful woman, desire and passion arises in his mind. When one sees a handsome man, desire and passion arises in her mind. Because of in their ascertainment, they grasped them according to their qualities. This desire and passion is a very great norm which is frequently appearing in mind. Person has this defilement on account of the nice, beautiful, handsome, lustful and worthful thing and one. Everyone in the world who is not the noble one is crazy, and confused, as this desire and passion. If one has not this mental defilement any more, that person does not belong to this mundane world any more. That one is a noble person in the universe. Attachment (Ajjhosāna) is dependent on desire and passion8. After desire and passion, this attachment completely covers mind. According to the teaching of the Buddha, attachment is a very dangerous mental defilement arising in our mind. Attachment means as “I “ “ mine “9 . on account of the external object, desire and passion that is greatly in mind of person is the main cause for this attachment. If one has these “ I, mine” concepts, that one is a blind on the noble path. When the nice beautiful thing is being seen, desire and passion arises as defilement in mind. In mind of person with this desire and passion, again, the great and dangerous defilement arises in the external nice beautiful and worthful object as the attachment. It is very difficult to break this attachment remaining in mind of mankind. The noble tree factors which are impermanent, suffering, and non- self have been prescribed for burton of this defilement by the Buddha.

7 Chandarāgoti evaṃ akusalavitakkena vitakkitavatthusmiṃ dubbalarāgo ca balavarāgo ca uppajjati, idañhi idha taṇhā. Chandoti dubbalarāgassādhivacanaṃ Mahānidānasuttavaṇṇanā 8 chandarāgaṃ paṭicca ajjhosānaṃ

9 Ajjhosānanti ahaṃ mamanti balavasanniṭṭhānaṃ

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This attachment causes for origination of possessiveness (Pariggaho). The person who is living on the attachment possesses things which that person attached with craving and wrong view10. One who desired form, sound, smell, taste and contact is now owner of them. It has happened according to above mentioned order of the mental tendencies. On account of lack of person’s realization on reality of being and world, Mind of the mundane mankind is blocked and closed their emancipated path by this possessiveness.

Stinginess (Macchariya) is dependent on possessiveness. This fermentation is a very dangerous mental tendency. This rapacity causes for different conflicts of the mundane society. one does not consume his or her acquisition and also that person does not give to others a little bit of his or her acquisition11. This stingy one does not like to see happiness of other man. In sooth, ill will is very closer friend with stinginess. The stingy person is frequently spreading his or her ill will or hatred towards society. Because of that person has the ferocious stinginess. In this society, this mental defilement has rooted. The man who is living on this mental tendency does not consume, does not give a little bit to one and also does not bear with wealth and happiness of others. Sometimes your neighbor does not like to your richness and also he or she does not like to bear with your donation to other. When a beggar is seen, the stingy person’s mind burns with hatred fire. The poor people are being abused, accused, beaten and hounded out. Because of the stingy man does not like to help to them. Although the stingy person has a huge wealth, he dies like a suffering dong. After death, he or she falls in to hell.

On account of stinginess, defensiveness of wealth and person is arranged by the mankind. In the mundane world, defensiveness of beings and their property is a very necessary thing. Because of the mundane human mind is being covered by craving and possessiveness. The mind with craving always makes destruction the respective society. The Buddha had used a word in pali language for this defensiveness as “Ārakkho”. Husband protects wife, wife protects husband, parent protects children, king protects countrymen, and countrymen protects the respective country. If there is a security in somewhere, enemies are definitely in there. If you have enemies, in sooth, you need

10 Pariggahoti taṇhādiṭṭhavasena pariggahaṇakaraṇaṃ

11 Macchariyanti parehi sādhāraṇabhāvassa asahanatā. Tenevassa porāṇā evaṃ vacanatthaṃ vadanti – ‘‘idaṃ acchariyaṃ mayhameva hotu, mā aññesaṃ acchariyaṃ hotūti pavattattā macchariyanti vuccatī’’

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protection. But the tamed mind and the pure mind person need not security. He has not any bondage. He lives in the world like a bird. He has nothing to protect because of he is the free man from all defilements and all bondages. So defensiveness or security or protection is a pointless one in the supramundane society. But the mundane society always closes doors, windows and gates for protection and security of their properties and their life12. The guards are frequently ambushing around their houses. And also Parent must protect their daughters and sons from the brutal society. Because of there are some adolescent bad behaviors in the adolescent peergroups. Enemies and robbers are frequently planning to kill and steal others and something. According to ultimate teaching of the Buddha, these all bad behaviors are being committed on account of the brutal mental tendencies of man. So the defensiveness is a very worthful one in the mundane society. But it is not a important one in the supramundane society.

Dependent on defensiveness, various evil, unskillful phenomena come into play: the taking up of sticks and knives; conflicts, quarrels, and disputes; accusations, divisive speech, and lies13. Now we can clearly understand that on account of the common mental defilements which arose on the dependent origination, the mental conflicts, the verbal conflicts, and physical conflicts arise in the society. In short, these mental defilements are the main cause of diffusion of conflicts of world society and of the brutal mental tendencies. And also these mental fermentations are the major causes of the individual suffering and the social suffering. So the Buddha frequently emphasized that limits of feeling should be recognized by the human beings.

The earth is able to fulfill needs of the man but it is not able to fulfill the greed of the man. The man should clearly identify their need and also they should really know limit of their need. If person goes beyond the limit of need, it is the origination of greediness. Then, all calamities and sufferings originate in the mind. All beings are doing everything for feelings. If one is a blind in the feeling, that person cannot realize the cause of suffering of the individual mind and the world society.

12 Ārakkhoti dvārapidahanamañjūsagopanādivasena suṭṭhu rakkhaṇaṃ

13 Ārakkhādhikaraṇaṃ daṇḍādānasatthādānakalahaviggahavivādatuvaṃtuvaṃpesuññamusāvādā aneke pāpakā akusalā dhammā sambhavanti

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