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.
✨ 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…
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…
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…
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 might ask.Everything, that you…
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…
The Four Elements as Sense-objects Usually, these four elements first will have to be apprehended through any one of the 5 senses. And through each sense, they are apprehended somewhat…
'The Paṭṭhāna', traditionally regarded as the quintessence of the Buddha's wisdom and as the surest proof of his omniscience; is a system which, in mathematical order, seeks to expand the comprehension of matter, mind and consciousness to cover the entirety of existence.
If we learn to understand our meditation in a grander context, and ideally in relation to the whole cosmos, the task of changing ourselves becomes a matter of universal importance.
This blog is an outline of the Buddhist Abhidhamma. Its aim is to show a method of contemplation, giving those who are inclined to meditate on the Abhidhamma, subjects or headings for meditation, all of which point in a definite direction, one subject providing a basis for the next.
Most people never have enough time, rarely have a good time and in general time seems be something that works usually against them. A person working on a spiritual path can not get around the problem of time. Because acquiring more control over ones life means also acquiring more control over time...
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…
Now let’s talk about practical matters. The Abhidhamma system may indeed be used for an almost infinite amount of things. Principally should the study of this system give a person…
Here an example of the relevance of understanding the proper foundations upon which the mind may function. Besides, this example also illustrates the meaning of the Jhāna factors in actual…
This is just a small overview, to give some basic understanding about consciousness for the purpose of easier study of the mind. For the broader picture in which the information…
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…
Summary The quality of our life is determined not merely by the environment we inhabit, but by the "jurisdictional laws" of the mind-state we currently occupy. Just as physical gravity…
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…
How to know the Truth? If your only sphere of knowledge is the sensory world,...It does not make much sense to concern yourself with as to whether something is ultimately…
Here an example of how some understanding of the physiological processes and mental sequences described throughout this website, may be used to describe a meditative process of overcoming some personal…
Every person who through proficiency in some skill rises himself up above his fellow human beings, does so through having found some way of cultivating a dynamic interaction of these…
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…
All the major religions of the world possess a certain creation myth...an explanation of how the world came about...as well as what its ending will be....Buddhism too has an conception…
The Mental Body is one key concept of some of the esoteric tradition brought to the west*, which will prove very valuable an idea for anyone who wants to study…
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…
Bhavanga (that wherein one's existence is rooted), includes, so we believe, also blind (unconscious) emotions...wandering thoughts and dreams. All those we take to be the vibrating bhavanga ...which have to…
An image sometimes says more than a thousand words. These few images are just meant to show how meditation and the workings of the mind may be visualised, and hence…
The Vithi model shows the mind as a sequence and depicts the order by which mental phenomena occur. Apart from that, it indicates, that certain aspects of cognition/ of processing…
A human being is a social being,…that is why one of the major sources of human suffering arises through the interaction with other human beings. So, especially people seeking to…
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 practice of meditation is very central to Buddhism. However without an understanding of the mind, there are many pitfalls. The idea of Bhavanga, an idea central to the Abhidhamma,…
Seeing the frightening nature of a condition where he can hold onto nothing and rely on nothing, man builds up concepts of the world he finds himself in. Then in…
Intention is the minds direction. As the mind has learned to give meanings to the objects surrounding it, and based on that made evaluations along the line of 'good' and…
Based on knowledge, there may arise a certain faculty, that can perceive a myriad things at one singular glance. This faculty may be termed intuition. It is, when a mind…
Once a person has acquired an understanding of the Niyāma, he may order each item of importance under the functionings of those natural laws. That is, how anything that he…
If we want to learn how to transcend unwholesome states of mind, we need to make a start in understanding those little understood inner forces that we experience as undesirable emotions.
It is only through true understanding, that we may transcend the ignorance which is at the root of all unwholesome emotions.
Here only two examples of some unwholesome emotion and how the understanding of it can help to overcome (/transcend) it.
Our Body transforms food into energy,... that energy travels through the body along certain channels (the bloodvessels for the most part). Apart from that, there are certain centres in the…
A concept is a synthesis of mind-objects (bits of information) arrived at through mental processing. Through processing the objects of the 5 senses, as well as through learning, the mind…
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,…
The Abhidhamma too may be useful when encountering physical problems. For example: Learning to recognise the four elements, may help a person to make a start in balancing out coarse…
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…
Should a person desire to practice Four Elements meditation as a subject for establishing mindfulness, he should frequently recite to himself the names of the primary elements and further on,…
A nimitta is a sign, that indicates, that the meditator has gained some amount of concentration. Principally is any sign of concentration a nimitta. Hence, there may be just a…
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…
Conceiving of a past and a future and a good and a bad, the mind seeks to make more often decisions that assure a greater 'good' in the vaster space…
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…
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…
Just a small pictorial analysis of the effect of Will on consciousness. Please read my blog “Consciousness and Conscious Experience” for explanation. Will is conditioned by introspection and knowledge of…
Now, our body needs nutriment. When we eat our food, that food gets digested in the stomach and then send further downward to the lower intestines. Along our spine, there…
This is just a brief sketch of how our mind and attitude is conditioning the reality that we are experiencing. Showing the connection between two very fundamental laws of existence,…
Here I want to show, higher meditation experiences usually will only occur, when at least part of some higher Dhamma knowledge has become intuitive. Below I give one example of…
Inter-human relationships, although we derive pleasure from them, are very often the greatest sources of suffering for human beings. Antagonism, animosities and conflict situations play a smaller or larger part…
If while observing yourself and remembering your dhamma practice, you of and on formulate a desire, such as 'may I realize, what I have not yet realized', or more concretely…
I don't see what the future holdsThe past gives me no guidanceToday, tomorrow, any day, seem pointless, useless, anywaySo what then can I say...If the Reaper were to comeThe last…
All external events count as objects, first of the 5 sense‐bases, than of the mind, therefore without mastering the environment first (for a bhikkhu, the bhikkhus training and way of…
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…
Emotion Emotions are the first stirrings of a latent mind seeking manifestation For doing work with/ for collaborating with some of the good forces of this universe,…big or small…we’d better…
The word rūpa is the Buddhist word for anything material. But in Abhidhamma philosophy the material world is considered in a very specific manner, which is productive of liberating oneself…
Does it sometimes happen to you, that you have a great idea or a good thought in general, or perhaps even an answer to a question that was for long…
By determining and classifying the objects received from the 5 senses...man makes first steps in delineating his environment...through thinking he is mastering it and through registration he is taking it…
Although systems like the Abhidhamma might have had infinitely more relevance...were infinitely more valuable and important before the advent of the commonality of books...still even today many people find them…