Introducing a practical companion to Paramattha, which explores the Abhidhamma through the Four Paramatthas and the twenty-four Paṭṭhāna conditions as principles shaping lived experience.
When people ask about free will and destiny, they often want a simple answer: Do we really have free will, or is everything already determined? In Buddhism, the answer is…
Impermanence is everywhere—in the things we own, in the people we love, in our thoughts and memories, and even in our very character. In this brief talk, I explore Vigata-paccaya,…
✨ New Video on the Paṭṭhāna ✨ The Paṭṭhāna is the great book of conditional relations in the Abhidhamma—sometimes called the “crown jewel” of Buddhist philosophy. It explains in detail how everything in existence is connected and conditioned.
In this brief Dhamma talk, I explore the idea of “duration”—and why, in many cases, it might be more helpful to reflect on endurance and continuity rather than simply contemplating that all things are momentary phenomena which continuously…
Buddhist Abhidhamma Philosophy divides all of reality into four ultimate constituents—known as the Four Paramatthas: Matter (Rūpa), Mind (Cetasika), Consciousness (Citta), and Nibbāna. In this short video, I offer a…
I’m excited to share some important updates about my book Paramattha and my ongoing efforts to make the Dhamma more accessible and engaging for all. Paramattha Now Available in Paperback Paramattha is now…
In this Dhamma talk, I discuss correspondences in nature and how thinking in analogies can be a valuable aid on the path to enlightenment. This talk is part of my…
In this Dhamma Talk, I explore the ‘Universality of Sequences,’ showing how sequences are a phenomenon that exists throughout existence (broken down into matter, mind, consciousness, and Nibbāna) and are…
A talk on Repetition as a universal fact of existence. Part of my Patthana series, in this talk I explore the Paṭṭhāna condition of Repetition, Āsevana Paccaya. As usual I…
These are two short talks on the basics of Abhidhamma. I hope you find them insightful and helpful in understanding these fundamental concepts. The first talk, “The Vocabulary of Insight,”…
The idea of having a system that can help to comprehend the entirety of existence has intrigued mankind for millennia. This very idea was, in fact, what in ancient times…
The wisdom of the elements And their almost sacred dance Their nature, danger, usefulness, The need for them for truthfulness This all here is seeked to get explored And to…
From Greece, to Native America, from Egypt to India, the idea of four fundamental elements which form the foundation for understanding the natural world, is so universal, that a study of them might be an not unrewarding pursuit.
Throughout the ages, periodically wise men arose in the world with the mission to enlighten unenlightened man. These were the great initiators who brought the light whenever the world was…
Matter Since time immemorial, or at least since the arising of the first traces of mind, what the mind pays attention to, is what we now call matter. Thus, since…
In modern times Buddhism we commonly find the statement that Buddhists do not believe in god. Therefore choosing Buddhism as your religion means choosing not to believe in god. However,…
The condition wherein things, material or immaterial, exist rather as a potential, without actually being manifest, is what is called a condition of latency. It is the condition of mental…
Five laws that move the way of thingsFive laws from which all wisdom springsFive laws, the quintessence of allFive laws to Cosmic view us callThe law of matter is the…
Matter If you but seek’st enlightenment; first it's opposite must comprehend. But what is the opposite of spirit? Tis matter whose coarseness is most vivid. But what is matter?, we…
A condition of meditation, is a condition wherein the mind seeks an escape from matter. Meditation is about finding the middle path. And this applies also to our familiar consideration…
Wherever two (or more) phenomena possess similar characteristics, a correspondence between these two phenomena can be seen. And whatever is known about one of them may also hold true for…
Sometimes people studying Buddhism, especially in relation to the vipassanā schools, end up with some conclusion that there is no continuity in mental and material phenomena…So here we want to…
Kamma as a Paṭṭhāna condition, refers to the condition wherein actions, but more specifically mental acts of will or intention are acting as a cause to produce some particular result…
A sequence is a chain of things or events, following one after another. Thus, the crux of this condition is to describe, that there is a certain progression as to…
Concepts and Ultimate truth Phenomena are ever only phenomena, words and concepts are ever only words and concepts. But if we possess a word or concept, which has for us…
Very often people find it difficult to find a point of contact in their own experience with certain ideas that they yet consider to be somewhat important to know about.…
The 4 Elements The four elements were known to most cultures of the past (although in some cultures there were 5). To get any handle on matter, making it an…
In life, all things build up on some foundation. Everything somewhat stands on something. And this is what defines this condition. In matters of the four elements, this condition is…
Ārammana, usually translated as objects, may more accurately be thought of as supports of the mind (and the senses). Thus, this condition is describing any relation between mind or matter…
Citta Niyāma is the law of mind. It is the law that governs the appearance and sequence in regard to mental phenomena. Even as the coarsest and deadest of matter,…
All forces have their counterparts. The reverse of the previous condition, this condition describes how and why mental and material phenomena repel other mental and material phenomena. Antagonisms, conflicts, wars,…
Hetu Paccaya, often translated as root condition, is too describe the condition of an inner establishment of mental or material phenomena. There is a twofold classification of roots or inner…
Faculties refer to the various capacities and powers a person, or more accurate, mental or material phenomena, may possess. Through past intentions to do, to see, to hear, feel and…
Adhipati paccaya, reigning or governing condition, describes the condition of one thing, that is either an outer object or condition, or internal mental factors, such as desire, exertion, investigation or…
Kamma Niyāma - The Law of Kamma Kamma Niyāma is the law of will or intention. Whenever the mind based on previous investigation and classification (of some sense-sphere phenomena) is…
Nutriment or Fuel condition refers to the way in which a particular physical thing or mental state or process is supported in its further growth. Most people will have had…
All phenomena in manifest existence posses some amount of duration, long or short. The continuation of certain characteristics that occur in the course of that duration, is what is called…
All phenomena sooner or later come to a condition of fading, dying and disappearance. And becoming thus, they are instances of this condition. This condition may perhaps equally be translated…
No phenomenon is a single isolated unit. All things are interrelated. And being thus, the condition of one thing depends on the conditions of various other things. Using the consideration…
The term Āsevana means both repetition and practice. Repetition is what establishes, makes strong and develops, both in regards to mind and matter. And, in its own boundaries, whatever it…
Presence Condition (or condition of being) is referring to the existence of mental and material phenomena in the limited space of the "Now". While the condition of absence is referring…
Whenever one phenomenon, by virtue of its own qualities, pulls another phenomenon towards itself, it is called attraction. On all the conceivable scales of life, can there be found this…
When conscious processing is pointing in a certain direction, in that the mind's choices become more consistent, consciousness gets established on a certain path. Yet, this Path-condition refers not only…
As choices become more consistent and as the mind becomes more capable of making intelligent kammical calculations that are in alignment with those choices, individuality reaches its peak. Ultimately the…
The Paṭṭhāna, in traditional Buddhist countries often thought of as the quintessence of the Buddha’s wisdom, is on the other hand amongst Buddhists of the non-traditional type more often rather…
A combination is a coming together of various elements, material or immaterial, to form a new whole. In fact, the whole universe is but a combination of elements. But to…
Very often we find different teachings on similar subjects or identical phenomena and we do not know, which one to believe. In the psychology of traditional Buddhism for example there…
Beware that this is a rather old post, one of the first ones perhaps, so some of it might need to be revised. For a better understanding of what the…