If I’m understanding, it seems that some objects are intrinsically powerful and others you can make powerful. Funny enough, I just went to the Rothko Chapel in Houston to introduce my nieces to it. It easily conditions a cooling of the mind and body.
I also recently experienced guidance on sanghanusati and felt how powerful it would be to meditate in the presence of arahants or carry their presence with me in my daily life. It gave me such a sense of tranquility and self respect. I can see that being a powerful object if I cultivate it and carry it in my mind.
I love also learning that every moment of consciousness has an object. It gives me a grounded feeling. When I feel lost or in those hazy places like sleep and comas, I can anchor by asking what is the object that is getting the attention instead of just feeling lost or swept away.
Finally, one of the most powerful objects for me is kindness. Simple everyday things, sometimes even so simple as people existing in the same space without hurting each other like going grocery shopping. It stops my mind. There’s nothing to do but enjoy it.
I love watching people just walk around each other unaware that we are all there just coexisting, unaware they are kind in that simple act of just moving respectfully around each other. It makes me smile. I also like watching people stopping at stop lights and stop signs. I think of myself as a spy for kindness.
Powerful objects : Forgiveness and love of Dhamma and support of Buddha Sasanā.
- bringing up the deeds of the past refresh the heart and make it soft and conducive to practice.
To avoid objects leading astray : with gratitudes toward teachers & good friends that have taught me and guided me unconditionally and with loving kindness.
Where does animitta samadhi fit into this teaching about consciousness and objects? It sounds like animitta samadhi would not be a form of consciousnesss.
Thank you for the question Gary. Animitta samadhi is usually referring to the kind of samadhi that we use in vipassana practice, in which the object of attention is ulitimate reality rather than any kind of concept or nimitta.
Thank you Beth. I'd suggest that this kind of opening to the ultimate reality occurs when the mind stops sturcturing itself in the way that taking up any object whatsoever involves. It feels inaccurate to say that a different kind of object is taken up. Rather it's the not pointing that mind towards anytining whatosoever that allows such an opening to occur. The sessation of any directedness whatsoever allso entails the collapse of the reference point from which a direction can be taken. In this, consciousness itself, as vi-jnana completely collapses and the underlying unstructured jnana, basic ground, or suchness is no longer obscurred. (using sanskrit here because this note box doesn't seem to support n with the suqiggle over it as in the Pali spelling.)
One of the most powerful objects for me.... is one and one encounters with Teachers and Sangha or wholesome friends of varying shape and stripe. I always like to meet with Teachers and kalyana mittas even if I don't have any questions in particular... the connection shifts the mind and points it towards the Kusala and towards the Dharma. :)
Trees, they seem to be the link between the earth and sky. The conduit that takes from the sky and gives to the earth and yet they also take from deep in the earth and give back to the sky. Their stillness is inspiring.
powerful/predominant objects: the wooden carved representation of the Buddha I brought back from Myanmar, hearing wise Dhamma; being in the presence of wise Dhamma friends...probably others but this is what comes to mind.
"... or even in the moment that we die, the mind always has an object of attention."
So, here, mind is citta and the object of attention in the mind that arises at death then determines our rebirth? Is it mere probability that determines rebirth, that is the more wholesome states in our life, the more likely a wholesome object of attention arises at death vs an unwholesome object of attention? Or is there something more than just probability given the frequency of wholesome vs unwholesome states that we can do to influence the mind moment of attention at death and hence rebirth...
Dear Beth, I was thinking about predominant objects. Could a person's inclination of mind have the same effect as a predominant object? Like if you tend to put a positive spin on things, is it similar to or the same as taking a powerful positive object for your attention?
Beth, Thank you for this! I love reading about people's powerful objects being positive things like sanghanusati, forgiveness, wise friendship.... So mine feels like a bit of a bummer, but it's the Burdensomeness of the Body. Very powerful object for me right now. Especially with this new experience of being pushed around in a wheelchair. Thank you for helping us integrate our experiences with Patthana!
I understand synesthesia to be more about one sense triggering another. So certain sounds could trigger certain visual memories, etc. But the ear still only hears sound, the eyes still only see colour, and so on.
I am curious to know what the object of attention is when we are in deep sleep? I am also wondering if how we term consciousness in a buddhist sense matches the western understanding of consciousness. For example, would the Buddha say consciousness continues even when we have "lost consciousness" in the western sense.
Yes. According to the Buddha, consciousness still exists when we would conventionally say that we have "lost consciousness." At that time, a subtle kind of consciousness is arising called bhavanga. The object of bhavanga consciousness is very subtle, so to us it typically feels like we don't know anything. But when we refine our attention through meditation, we can see that there is actually an object, just a very very delicate one.
Beth is the “subtle object” the object we take on the last moment of consciousness in our past lives? Which is taken by the rebirth linking consciousness and continuing to flow as bhavanga?
If I’m understanding, it seems that some objects are intrinsically powerful and others you can make powerful. Funny enough, I just went to the Rothko Chapel in Houston to introduce my nieces to it. It easily conditions a cooling of the mind and body.
I also recently experienced guidance on sanghanusati and felt how powerful it would be to meditate in the presence of arahants or carry their presence with me in my daily life. It gave me such a sense of tranquility and self respect. I can see that being a powerful object if I cultivate it and carry it in my mind.
I love also learning that every moment of consciousness has an object. It gives me a grounded feeling. When I feel lost or in those hazy places like sleep and comas, I can anchor by asking what is the object that is getting the attention instead of just feeling lost or swept away.
Finally, one of the most powerful objects for me is kindness. Simple everyday things, sometimes even so simple as people existing in the same space without hurting each other like going grocery shopping. It stops my mind. There’s nothing to do but enjoy it.
I love watching people just walk around each other unaware that we are all there just coexisting, unaware they are kind in that simple act of just moving respectfully around each other. It makes me smile. I also like watching people stopping at stop lights and stop signs. I think of myself as a spy for kindness.
Sādhu Sādhu Sādhu Beth.
Powerful objects : Forgiveness and love of Dhamma and support of Buddha Sasanā.
- bringing up the deeds of the past refresh the heart and make it soft and conducive to practice.
To avoid objects leading astray : with gratitudes toward teachers & good friends that have taught me and guided me unconditionally and with loving kindness.
Sādhu Sādhu Sādhu Beth for your guidance. 🙏🙏🙏
Where does animitta samadhi fit into this teaching about consciousness and objects? It sounds like animitta samadhi would not be a form of consciousnesss.
Thank you for the question Gary. Animitta samadhi is usually referring to the kind of samadhi that we use in vipassana practice, in which the object of attention is ulitimate reality rather than any kind of concept or nimitta.
Thank you Beth. I'd suggest that this kind of opening to the ultimate reality occurs when the mind stops sturcturing itself in the way that taking up any object whatsoever involves. It feels inaccurate to say that a different kind of object is taken up. Rather it's the not pointing that mind towards anytining whatosoever that allows such an opening to occur. The sessation of any directedness whatsoever allso entails the collapse of the reference point from which a direction can be taken. In this, consciousness itself, as vi-jnana completely collapses and the underlying unstructured jnana, basic ground, or suchness is no longer obscurred. (using sanskrit here because this note box doesn't seem to support n with the suqiggle over it as in the Pali spelling.)
There’s always an object in consciousness.
One of the most powerful objects for me.... is one and one encounters with Teachers and Sangha or wholesome friends of varying shape and stripe. I always like to meet with Teachers and kalyana mittas even if I don't have any questions in particular... the connection shifts the mind and points it towards the Kusala and towards the Dharma. :)
Yes! It all comes back to wise friendship :-)
Trees, they seem to be the link between the earth and sky. The conduit that takes from the sky and gives to the earth and yet they also take from deep in the earth and give back to the sky. Their stillness is inspiring.
And I think no coincidence that the Buddha attained full enlightenment under a tree.
Absolutely agree. Trees are amazing if we take the time to notice them.
I love this patthana series, Beth, Thank you.
powerful/predominant objects: the wooden carved representation of the Buddha I brought back from Myanmar, hearing wise Dhamma; being in the presence of wise Dhamma friends...probably others but this is what comes to mind.
Thanks again.
(Optimal, wholesome) light — no strings attached
"... or even in the moment that we die, the mind always has an object of attention."
So, here, mind is citta and the object of attention in the mind that arises at death then determines our rebirth? Is it mere probability that determines rebirth, that is the more wholesome states in our life, the more likely a wholesome object of attention arises at death vs an unwholesome object of attention? Or is there something more than just probability given the frequency of wholesome vs unwholesome states that we can do to influence the mind moment of attention at death and hence rebirth...
Dear Beth, I was thinking about predominant objects. Could a person's inclination of mind have the same effect as a predominant object? Like if you tend to put a positive spin on things, is it similar to or the same as taking a powerful positive object for your attention?
Yes, inclination of mind, or quality of attention can be every bit as powerful as the object of attention, but that is a different paccaya at work.
Beth, Thank you for this! I love reading about people's powerful objects being positive things like sanghanusati, forgiveness, wise friendship.... So mine feels like a bit of a bummer, but it's the Burdensomeness of the Body. Very powerful object for me right now. Especially with this new experience of being pushed around in a wheelchair. Thank you for helping us integrate our experiences with Patthana!
The Buddha would be totally behind you with that one Kelley. Yes - the suffering of the body is a very powerful object indeed.
Thank you for your wisdom and words Beth, I’ve so appreciated your light in this world.
QQ - when you mention the examples of objects, eg we cannot smell a sound, what do you think of folks that have synesthesia?
I understand synesthesia to be more about one sense triggering another. So certain sounds could trigger certain visual memories, etc. But the ear still only hears sound, the eyes still only see colour, and so on.
I am curious to know what the object of attention is when we are in deep sleep? I am also wondering if how we term consciousness in a buddhist sense matches the western understanding of consciousness. For example, would the Buddha say consciousness continues even when we have "lost consciousness" in the western sense.
Yes. According to the Buddha, consciousness still exists when we would conventionally say that we have "lost consciousness." At that time, a subtle kind of consciousness is arising called bhavanga. The object of bhavanga consciousness is very subtle, so to us it typically feels like we don't know anything. But when we refine our attention through meditation, we can see that there is actually an object, just a very very delicate one.
Beth is the “subtle object” the object we take on the last moment of consciousness in our past lives? Which is taken by the rebirth linking consciousness and continuing to flow as bhavanga?
Object in deep sleep would be Bhavanga chitta